RTHK: Lavrov, Blinken hold first call in months

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday held a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and pressed the Kremlin to accept the 'substantial proposal' that Washington has put forward to secure the release of two Americans detained in Russia.

In their first such conversation since Russia's attack on Ukraine on February 24, the two top diplomats looked to stick to their existing positions, according to the readout of the call from Blinken and the Russian foreign ministry.

"We had a frank and direct conversation," Blinken told a news conference at the State Department. "I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner," he said.

Their discussion came as a source familiar with the proceedings said Russia tried to add convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov to the proposed swap. US officials did not view the idea seriously since Krasikov is in German custody, among other reasons, said the source, confirming a CNN report.

While not getting into the details, the White House National Security Council dismissed the offer.

"Holding two wrongfully detained Americans hostage for the release of a Russian assassin in a third countrys custody is not a serious counter-offer. It is a bad faith attempt to avoid the deal on the table that Russia should take," said National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the call lasted about 25 minutes and it was "without polemics and was businesslike."

Lavrov suggested to Blinken that the two sides return to quiet diplomacy on the issue of prisoner swaps.

"Regarding the possible exchange of imprisoned Russian and US citizens, the Russian side strongly suggested a return to the practice of handling this in a professional way and using 'quiet diplomacy' rather than throwing out speculative information," a Russian foreign ministry statement said.

The United States this week announced that it made an offer to Russia, weeks ago, to secure the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan but did not reveal what it was offering.

A source familiar with the situation said Washington was willing to exchange Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25 year-prison sentence in the United States, as part of a deal. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-07-30. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Xi holds phone talks with Polish president

Xinhua) 08:46, July 30, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held phone talks with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.

Xi recalled that when Duda came to China for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, they had friendly exchanges and reached many important consensuses on advancing bilateral relations.

Since then, various departments of the two countries have actively worked with each other for implementation, and made positive progress in the export of Polish agricultural products to China, China-Europe freight trains and personnel exchanges, the Chinese president said.

The Chinese side cherishes its traditional friendship with Poland and regards the country as a preferred partner for cooperation in Europe, Xi noted, adding that China stands ready to maintain close communication with the Polish side, enhance political mutual trust and continue to elevate the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi stressed that the two sides should strengthen policy communication, make use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and the joint economic and trade commission to enhance strategic synergy between the two sides, advance high-quality joint Belt and Road construction, deepen practical cooperation in such areas as economy, trade and connectivity, and work together to foster new growth points in green development, digital economy and other fields.

China welcomes more quality Polish products to the Chinese market, and encourages more Chinese companies to invest in Poland, he added.

The Chinese president said that the two sides should work hard for the early launch of the China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) wholesale market for agricultural products, and actively cooperate in planning and organizing relevant events to mark the 10th anniversary of China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, so as to lay a solid foundation for cooperation in the next decade.

Xi also said he hopes Poland can actively support the development of the China-Europe relationship and safeguard the overall interests of that relationship.

For his part, Duda said he is glad to have attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in China in February and held a good meeting with Xi, which he still remembers clearly and remains deeply impressed.

He said that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important consensus reached between him and the Chinese president is being implemented, adding that relevant departments on both sides maintain close communication, and cooperation in related fields is moving forward.

Poland attaches great importance to China's international status and role as well as to developing relations with China, Duda said.

The Polish side stands ready to work with the Chinese side to push for more achievements in bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and economy, logistics and inter-connectivity, and welcomes more Chinese investment in Poland, he noted.

Poland is willing to continue actively promoting CEEC-China cooperation and the development of Europe-China relations, Duda added.

The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

(Web editor: Liu Ning, Bianji)
ISLAMABAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A soldier and six terrorists were killed in a military operation in Kech district of Pakistan's southwest Balochistan province, the military has said.

The operation was conducted by the security forces in Hoshab area of the district, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement Friday night.

Security forces cordoned the area on a tip-off and started a search operation to apprehend the terrorists, the ISPR said, adding that once surrounded, the terrorists opened fire on the troops.

Exchange of fire took place between terrorists and security forces resulting in the death of the six terrorists, the statement said.

During the engagement, one soldier also lost life while another got injured, it added.

Arms and ammunition were seized from the terrorists, according to the ISPR. 
Here we go again, or more tales for the moderate.

Check this out, especially if you have a daughter in school:

If the Biden administration gets its way, schools could force biological female students to live with biological men who identify as women and vice versa. The Department of Education has proposed a new Title IX rule that demands that colleges treat students in line with their gender identity, not their biological sex. That means that people who identify as women would live with people who identify as women, and people who identify as men would live with people who identify as men.

Wait, but there is a condition:

A man who began identifying as a woman at age 13 could be treated the same as a man who began identifying as a woman an hour ago. Both could be allowed to room with a woman, who has no say in the matter, nor could the school be obligated to alert her in any way that her roommate is not, in fact, female.

Thank you for saying the man must have begun identifying as a woman by age 13. I'm sure parents out there between the coasts are relieved to know that their daughter's male roommate "converted to feminism" years ago. Don't worry, mom and dad, your daughter's roommate has been playing with dolls since he discovered his feminine side or chose his sex. In other words, it's a girl, even if he is not.

Sorry, but this is obscene, and every Democrat should get a question about it. Don't bet on it, but they should get a question about it.

PS: Check out my videos and posts.

Image: Roman Boed via PxHere, CC BY 2.0.
On August 2, Missouri Republicans will go to the ballot box to determine who will be their nominee to replace outgoing Republican senator Roy Blunt. Twenty-one Republicans are running for the nomination, but according to the polls, the top three candidates are Eric Greitens, Eric Schmitt, and Vicky Hartzler. Since the start of the primary, polling has consistently shown Greitens ahead of his two rivals. This is a cause for concern among Missouri Republicans and their donors. While "Inside Elections" has this race rated as a "Solid R," Republicans fear that a Greitens nomination could lead to a surprise Democratic upset.

Eric Greitens won the 2016 gubernatorial race but served only until June 1, 2018. He resigned in disgrace due to sexual misconduct and illegal use of campaign funds. In addition, he was accused of domestic violence this past spring by his ex-wife. To make matters worse, Greitens released an ad at the end of June that depicted him breaking into a house with hunting friends all decked out in military gear to go "RINO" hunting. "Get a RINO hunting permit. There's no bagging limit, no tagging limit, and it doesn't expire until we save our country," he concludes. Social media flagged the ad, but it is still up as public information.

A political action committee called the Show Me Values PAC is running ads to prevent a Greitens victory. According to the FEC reports, Show Me Values has spent close to $4 million since its inception on June 2, with $3.5 million paid to air ads highlighting Greiten's record a variety of issues, from selling out to China to family abuse. The PAC's most significant donor is Rex Sinquefield, a noted Missouri GOP donor and real estate investor. Governor Pete Ricketts of Nebraska also gave $250,000 to the PAC. "He's not fit to be in office," said Ricketts of Greitens.

The GOP establishment is divided on whom to support against Greitens. Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler has received key endorsements from the Missouri establishment, such as the Missouri Cattlemen's Association, Missouri Farm Bureau, and U.S. senator Josh Hawley. "Vicky is someone who I'm confident has the integrity, the character, and the toughness to do this job," said Hawley. Former president Donald Trump has yet to make an endorsement but has made it clear that he will not endorse Hartzler for her criticisms of his remarks on the attack on the Capitol on January 6.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt is in good standing to receive a Trump endorsement, which would likely give him the boost he needs to defeat Eric Greitens. As attorney general of Missouri, Schmitt has fought the Biden administration on overreach and school districts that have put mask mandates in effect. Schmitt recently received endorsements from Trump acolytes such as former acting attorney general Matt Whitaker, former Florida attorney general and Trump lawyer Pam Bondi, and former Trump press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. "Few elected officials in the country have done more to block Joe Biden's assault on our country as diligently and fiercely as Eric Schmitt," remarked Sanders.

A recent poll released by Trafalgar Group shows momentum swinging away from Greitens and toward Schmitt, with Schmitt leading Greitens from 27% to 20% and Hartzler in the middle with 24%. Missouri Scout has Schmitt with a wider lead at 32% and Greitens coming again in third at 18% with 10% undecided. While Trump has praised Greitens as "smart" and a "fighter," he also said his scandals make him "the one the Democrats legitimately want to run against." With still so many undecided before August 2, lower-tier Republican candidates will have to drop out of the race, or Republican voters will have to rally around Schmitt to block a margin-of-error win for Greitens.

With a 50/50 Senate balance, Republican voters must choose the path of least resistance and ensure that Eric Greitens doesn't become the nominee. Democrats would love to deflect President Biden's 31% approval rating and focus on former Governor Greitens's moral shortcomings. This primary is not a purity test for Republicans, but one of the ethical principles over politics.

Image: US Coast Guard Academy.
Islam has two houses: the House of War and the House of Peace. Under Islamic doctrine, the former (AKA jihad) leads to the latter. Wherever Islam triumphs, peace prevails. And who cares if it's "the peace of the grave," as Tacitus said of Roman conquests? It's enough that the conquered people abandon their traditions and values and, instead, accept total submission to sharia law. Islam's not shy about its goals, but we in the West repeatedly pretend quiescent moments mean that the war is over. It's not, and footage out of Houston reminds us of that.

Writing at FrontPage Magazine, Daniel Greenfield highlights the training taking place at an Islamic school that is alleged to be in Houston, Texas. The video, which is freely available on YouTube (unlike conservative "wrongthink" videos about vaccinations or climate) and Twitter, was purportedly filmed at the Islamic Education Center of Houston, an institution that supports Iran's Shia Islam:

That this video does indeed come from Houston is supported by the fact that the Center strongly supports the Ayatollah Khomeini, the inspiration for and first leader of the violently anti-American, anti-Western Islamic revolution:

In June, this Houston Center also hosted a lecture on the "Impact of the Great Reformer".



That reformer is Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who presided over the taking of 52 American diplomats hostage. pic.twitter.com/SWAONwoVVo  Gabriel Noronha (@GLNoronha) July 29, 2022

Greenfield links to a MEMRI description of a 2019 video from the same school. In the 2019 video, the school was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The student speaker celebrated Iran and castigated Israel (the Little Satan) and Saudi Arabia (the spiritual home of the Sunni Islam that is Iran's regional geopolitical enemy). As usually happens, the speech ended with an endorsement of the Battle of Khaybar, which marked the beginning of Islam's genocidal purge of Jews and its battle cry "Allahu Akbar."

But what about the video above, the one with all those cute little kids lined up in military formation and chanting away? What's going on there? Well, nothing good. Apparently, the kids singing a song that has them vowing to be martyrs for Iran's Ali Khamenei and to become the next generation of Qassem Soleimanis.

As a reminder about Islam's doctrinal commitment to Mohamed's jihadist command, it's worthwhile watching a timeline video showing Islam's brutal efficiency. When you have Allah at your back, a sword or stinger missile in your hand, and around a billion potential fanatics at your beck and call (after all, a huge percentage of the world's Muslims claim to support Sharia law), there's not a whole lot you can't accomplish:

Contrary to Obama's boast that Islam is woven into America's earliest history, that's not true. There's no doubt that some of the slaves brought here were Muslim and that, beginning in the 20th century, Muslims immigrated to America. However, they were always on the periphery of America's development constitutionally, culturally, and economically. Although we do not have a state religion (thanks to the First Amendment), the Bible and the Western culture tied to the Bible have been the ribbon twining through all aspects of American history.

It's only recently that Islam has begun to make significant inroads into American culture and politics. It's in the House of Representatives with Andre Carson, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, all of whom embrace the most extreme Democrat policies that are intended to change American institutions. (If Mehmet Oz wins, he'll be the first Muslim senator, although he's running as a Republican, so he currently does not seem focused on destroying traditional American norms.)

I don't care what religion someone is as long as that person embraces American norms. The chanting young people in that video clearly want to embrace Iranian norms, just as Rashida Tlaib is open about her support for Palestinian norms and Ilhan Omar is open about her deep and abiding disdain for America.

No country can survive a huge fifth column dedicated to its destruction  and as I said at the start of this post, Islam is not shy about the fact that it's dedicated to defeating every non-Muslim nation. We may have put 9/11 and the subsequent wars behind us, but the Islamic House of War is always ready for battle.

Image: Children supporting the Iranian Revolution in Houston. YouTube screen grab.
Googles highly anticipated Pixel Buds Pro launched on July 28 with a bevy of features, but one thing theyre missing is an EQ feature. As it turns out, it looks like Google plans to add this to the Pixel Buds Pro at some point in 2022. A recent report from 9To5Google says a full 5-band EQ is being added later this year. Noting that Google confirmed the upcoming feature for its latest set of earbuds.

An EQ feature isnt something relatively new to earbuds themselves. But this would be the first time that Google has added an EQ to one of its own sets. While users wait for an EQ slider to show up, theres still plenty to love about the Pixel Buds Pro right out of the box. Namely the inclusion of active noise cancellation. Not to mention transparency mode. Which lets you more easily hear whats around you without having to take the earbuds out.

Pixel Buds Pro should get an EQ feature in the Fall

Google apparently hasnt given any exact release dates yet, but it does appear to give a timeframe. Sometime in the Fall of 2022. Which is coming up rather quickly. That puts the arrival of the feature, at the earliest, after the end of September. The first day of Fall is officially September 22.

Advertisement

Thats not too long of a wait provided it comes out sometime near the beginning of the Fall season. Though keep in mind theres always the chance the feature could be released earlier or later than Google plans.

Of course, if you want a pair of earbuds with an EQ thats already accessible, there are always other options. Ones that are currently available.

Aside from the EQ feature, Googles latest earbuds come with an automatic audio switching feature thanks to multi-point connection. So you can connect them up to two devices simultaneously and switch between the active one. This will make it easier for users who want to connect them to their phone for voice calls as well as a secondary device for media like music and movies.
Belfasts Pride parade returns to the city on Saturday, with organisers promising the largest one the city has ever witnessed.

The usually annual event, which was cancelled during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, is back on the streets for the first time in three years.

The last time it was held in 2019, 135 groups registered to take part in the parade.

This year organisers had to close the application window early after 200 group registrations were received.

The last Pride parade in Belfast was in 2019 (PA)

The theme for this years Pride event is community united in diversity and a group of asylum seekers and refugees who have made Belfast their home have been invited to lead the afternoon march through the city centre.

Notable additions to this years parade line-up include Ulster Rugby and Ulster GAA.

Co-chairman of the Belfast Pride Festival John ODoherty said: Were so excited to be back on the streets of Belfast. This is going to be the biggest Belfast Pride parade Belfast has ever seen, weve more groups marching than ever before.

Were so excited to be joined for the first time by Ulster Rugby and Ulster GAA.

Were also really excited to be profiling the experiences of asylum seekers and refugees in Northern Ireland and to have them lead our parade.

Two hundred groups are due to take part in this years Pride parade (PA)

Mr ODoherty said 60,000 people were on the streets of the city in 2019  a figure that included parade participants and watching crowds.

He said they were expecting substantially more for Saturdays return.

My first Pride in Belfast was 20 years ago, he said.

I was 18 and Im 38 now and its substantially changed since then.

The festival alone, I remember we had our after-party in Writers Square, where there were no stages, there were no big performances. It was a much different festival back then.

When I look at Pride and even Belfast today compared to what it was back then, you have so much more visibility of LGBTQI+ people, so much more visibility and acceptance of our community more widely, and just the sheer volume of community associations, employers, statutory agencies and others that want to be part of this festival and they want to support our community.

And its such a visual representation of how far LGBTQI+ people have come.

We still have a lot to do. There are a lot of inequalities to be addressed  trans healthcare, banning conversion therapy, RSE (relationships and sex education) and protections in schools.

All of these things still need to be addressed. However, we should also take time to recognise how far weve come and how much weve achieved.
An 82-year-old man who set himself a challenge to climb Scotlands 282 Munros after his wife went into full-time care is just days from reaching the final summit.

Nick Gardner, from Gairloch, in the north-western Scottish Highlands, said he was knocked for six when his partner of 50 years, Janet, had to be moved into a care home after developing Alzheimers disease and osteoporosis.

Knowing he needed something to keep him going, the grandfather of four set off into the hills to start the mammoth journey in July 2020, three months after his 80th birthday.

Now, about two years later, Mr Gardner only has eight Munros left to bag.

Mr Gardner and his wife, Janet. The pair lived on a croft together before Janet was moved into a care home (Nick Gardner Collection/PA)

When Janet went into care it absolutely shattered me, he told the PA News Agency.

We were incredibly close as a couple, she was the most wonderful and caring wife, mother and grandmother possible, and now she doesnt recognise me.

I was heading into some mental condition, so I thought I have to get myself a challenge, to pull me out.

Having never climbed a Munro  a Scottish mountain that reaches a minimum of 3,000ft (914.4m)  the former physics teacher gave himself 1,200 days (just over three years) to complete the challenge while raising money for Alzheimer Scotland and the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS).

Mr Gardner on his 26th Munro, Sgurr Alastair, on September 20 2020 (Nick Gardner Collection/PA)

But, with his final summit planned for about two weeks time, Mr Gardner is on track to finish much earlier  in under 800 days.

I am so close to completing it, I really feel like a child in the run up to Christmas, he said, I have butterflies.

Once he makes it to the finish line, Mr Gardner will have climbed more than 500,000ft (152,000m), the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest (8,848m) about 17 times, and walked an incredible 2,000 miles (3,218 km), a similar distance to hiking from Edinburgh to Greece.

One of his two daughters, Sally McKenzie, has nominated him to the Guinness Book of World Records for the oldest person to climb the Munros.

Mr Gardner said he feels like a child in the run-up to Christmas ahead of his final climb (Nick Gardner Collection/PA)

Ill probably cry when I make it to the end, he laughed.

With a compass in one hand and a map in the other, Mr Gardner said he loves the feeling of being on the hillside.

But he adds that hes never truly on his own.

I am over 80, and I think it would be irresponsible to climb on my own at this age, so I always have people with me.

The 82-year-old has battled through all weather conditions to reach Scotlands highest peaks (Gardner family/PA)

I dont climb in a rush, and after the first two or three Munros I just started stopping people on the hill to tell them what I was doing.

People couldnt believe it, and they started joining me and donating money.

Now, when I am walking, I regularly hear, Nick shouted.

One man came up to me and said: Nick, excuse my language, but youre a f****** legend.

I dont normally get sworn at like that.

Mr Gardner said the hills have helped him cope with his wifes Alzheimers disease (Nick Gardner Collection/PA)

Having been a climber all his life, Mr Gardner has developed immense respect for mountains, so much that he chooses his words wisely when talking about them.

I have never conquered or beaten a mountain, I have climbed them, he said.

If you start trying to conquer them, they will get their own back.

Out of the 274 peaks he has scaled so far, Mr Gardner said completing the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye about a month ago sticks out as his most physically challenging moment.

Mr Gardner on his 267th Munro, Beinn na Lap (Nick Gardner Collection/PA)

Its hard for people to do in their 40s, let alone 80s. It was incredibly rewarding, he said.

I am not a religious person, but there is something almost biblical about it, certainly spiritual.

Mr Gardners checklist for reaching Scotlands highest peaks includes a head torch, waterproof clothing, a down jacket and a spare warm garment.

But above all, he said a map and compass are his essentials.

The intrepid grandfather has a moment of reflection with just eight more Munros to climb (Nick Gardner Collection/PA)

The remaining peaks for the intrepid grandfather are three in Knoydart: Ladhar, Mell Buidhe and Luinne Bheinn; four in Glen Dessary: Sgurr na ciche, Garbh chioche mhor, Sgurr nan coireachan and Sgurr Mor; and lastly, the 282nd summit at Cairn Gorm in the Highlands where he will be joined by friends and family for the final climb.

His target was initially to raise 10,000, but he is now on track to reaching 50,000.

He added: I will keep walking when Ive finished this challenge, as long as my legs can carry me.

Craig Jones, chief executive of the ROS, and who will be joining Mr Gardner on the final climb, said the charity is extremely grateful for the fundraiser.

Kirsty Stewart, of Alzheimer Scotlands, added: His tremendous effort will help us continue to be there for people living with dementia, their families and their carers.

To donate to Mr Gardners page click here
Irelands president has been urged to make a statement on the war in the Ukraine after his wife penned a controversial letter on the conflict.

Michael D Higgins has faced calls to state support for the Ukrainian cause and voice opposition to Russian aggression.

It comes after Sabina Higgins wrote a letter to the Irish Times during the week about the war.

President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina (Brian Lawless/PA)

Mrs Higgins letter, the purpose of which was to criticise a previous editorial on the conflict, said the fighting would go on until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations.

Critics of the letter have suggested Mrs Higgins was drawing an equivalence in the actions of Ukraine and Russia.

Senators from parties in Irelands coalition government have voiced concern.

Fianna Fail senator Malcolm Byrne said the letter was subsequently published on the President of Irelands official website  a move he described as appalling.

The letter appears to have been since removed from the website..

Mrs Higgins is entitled to her personal opinion and to express it, although I believe that she is totally wrong to try to see an equivalence in the positions of Ukraine and Russia, said Mr Byrne.

However, the decision to publish the letter on the Presidents website raises serious questions.

It is incumbent on the President of Ireland to now express clearly the strong support of the people of Ireland for the people of Ukraine and that we hold Russia responsible for the war and ongoing barbarism.

Ireland should rightly be proud of our response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Ireland strongly supports the people of #Ukraine . We must continue to call out Russian aggression. While Sabina Higgins is entitled to her personal view, as expressed to @IrishTimes , I completely disagree with it. To publish it on @PresidentIRL website is appalling. https://t.co/PxLpfwfC8G  Malcolm Byrne    (@malcolmbyrne) July 29, 2022

Fine Gael senator John McGahon heavily criticised the letter.

Sabina Higginss letter was inappropriate, unhelpful and distasteful, he tweeted.

Her views are entirely out of touch with those of the Irish people and interventions like this are seen as a tacit endorsement of the Russian regime.

The office of the President has been contacted for comment.
Britains head of the armed forces has assured Australia that a troubled British-designed frigate project is on track despite teething problems.

The 26-billion-pound project which the British company BAE Systems won the Australian contract for four years ago was under renewed focus during Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakins visit Down Under.

In an interview with the news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Sir Tony conceded that the UKs parent programme was experiencing teething problems but insisted the joint project was on track.

Sir Tony Radakin said issues with the project are being resolved (Ministry of Defence Crown/PA)

The overall programme is in a good shape, but what you inevitably see with a first-of-class, with these high-end designs are teething problems with the first ship, he said.

Those are being resolved and thats all going ahead very, very well.

BAE Systems, the UKs largest defence contractor, won the project to produce nine high-tech, anti-submarine frigates in 2018 after besting rival Spanish and Italian designs in a fierce competition.

The fleet of Hunter class global combat ships are based on the new British Type 26 warship. Production on the ships began in Adelaide in 2020 and, at the time of BAE winning the contract, were expected to enter service before 2030.

The Chief of the Defence Staff said more British nuclear-powered submarines would be visiting Australia as work continues on Aukus (Jane Barlow/PA)

However, according to ABC News, concerns are growing over delays and technical problems with the project.

Sir Tony, who is currently in Australia for the Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) Conference in Sydney, said more visits to Australia from Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines were likely as work continues on the Aukus project.

In November BAE Systems denied supply chain pressures from the pandemic had had any impact on performance or operations for 2021.

The defence giant said it had a strong pipeline of opportunities and stressed that there is continued demand for its capabilities, with defence largely resilient to the impact of the pandemic.

At the time, the contractor said it was particularly well positioned to be boosted by increased defence spending in the Asia Pacific region.
The Prince of Wales accepted a 1 million payment from the family of Osama bin Laden, it has been reported.

The Sunday Times said Charles secured the money from Bakr bin Laden, the patriarch of the wealthy Saudi family, and his brother Shafiq, who are both half-brothers of the former al Qaida leader.

Clarence House strongly disputes many of the claims, saying the decision to accept the donation to his charity, the Prince of Waless Charitable Fund (PWCF), was taken solely by trustees.

It was reported that Charles, 73, had a private meeting with Bakr, 76, at Clarence House in London on October 30, 2013, two years after Osama bin Laden was killed by US special forces in Pakistan.

Osama bin Laden was killed by special forces in Pakistan (FBI/PA)

He agreed to the donation despite the objections of advisers at Clarence House and the PWCF, where the money was deposited, the newspaper said.

It was also said that several advisers pleaded with the prince in person to return the money and that he was told by one of his household staff it would not be good for anybody.

Clarence House disputed many of the claims and Sir Ian Cheshire, chairman of PWCF, said the donation was agreed wholly by the five trustees at the time.

The charity, which was founded in 1979 with a mission to transform lives and build sustainable communities, awards grants to UK-registered non-profit organisations to deliver projects in the UK, Commonwealth and overseas.

Clarence House said: The Prince of Waless Charitable Fund has assured us that thorough due diligence was undertaken in accepting this donation.

Michael Fawcett was accused of promising to secure a knighthood (Sean Dempsey/PA)

The decision to accept was taken by the charitys trustees alone and any attempt to characterise it otherwise is false.

Sir Ian said: The donation from Sheik Bakr bin Laden in 2013 was carefully considered by PWCF trustees at the time.

Due diligence was conducted, with information sought from a wide range of sources, including government.

The decision to accept the donation was taken wholly by the trustees. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate.

It comes after the Metropolitan Police began an investigation into an alleged cash-for-honours scandal in February, after Charles and his former close confidant, Michael Fawcett, were reported over the claims.

Mr Fawcett was accused of promising to help secure a knighthood and British citizenship for a Saudi billionaire donor to another of Charless charities, The Princes Foundation.

Clarence House said the prince had no knowledge of the alleged cash-for-honours scandal.
FILE - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference on March 10, 2022, in Weslaco, Texas. Abbott has said that he stopped at a campaign fundraiser following the deadly school shooting in Uvalde and let people know he couldn't stay, but a newspaper reports that he was there for nearly three hours. (Joel Martinez/The Monitor via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said that he stopped at a campaign fundraiser following the deadly school shooting in Uvalde and let people know he couldn't stay, but a newspaper reports that he was there for nearly three hours.

The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday that campaign finance reports and flight-tracking records show that Abbott arrived in Huntsville at 4:52 p.m. on May 24  hours after the shooting at Robb Elementary School  and then was driven about 2 miles (3 kilometers) to a local supporter's house. He didn't leave the city till 7:47 p.m.

An 18-year-old shooter entered the school at 11:33 a.m. that day but it was not till 12:50 p.m. that law enforcement breached the classroom where he was holed up and killed him. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw has called law enforcement's slow and chaotic response to the shooting an abject failure."

McCraw has said that three minutes after the gunman entered the school, enough officers and firepower had been deployed to stop him. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the attack.

When Abbott was asked at a news conference in Uvalde the day after the shooting why he hadn't canceled the fundraiser, he noted that he had been in Abilene when he learned of the attack.

On the way back to Austin, I stopped and let people know that I could not stay, that I needed to go, Abbott said. And I wanted them to know what happened and get back to Austin so that I could continue my collaboration with Texas law enforcement to make sure that all the needs were being met here in the Uvalde area.

Abilene, where Abbott had given a news conference about wildfires, is about 220 miles (354 kilometers) northwest of Austin, while Huntsville is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) east of the state capital.

Abbott's campaign spokeswoman, Renae Eze, told the newspaper that Abbott had been forthright about his movements that day. She said that throughout the afternoon and evening of May 24, Abbott spoke with President Joe Biden, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, law enforcement and staff.

The day after the tragedy, the governor traveled to Uvalde and met with law enforcement and local officials, she said. The governors description of his movements that day are accurate.

The day after the shooting, Abbott praised what he said was a swift response by law enforcement officers who showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire. He later said that he had been misled, and was livid about it.

According to a campaign finance report, Abbott may have raised as much as $50,000 at the Huntsville fundraiser, the newspaper said.

Abbott, a Republican, faces Democratic opponent Beto ORourke in November.

___

For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
Two defamation lawsuits filed by former Catholic priest Craig Harrison against a critic and accuser have been dismissed by the Fifth District Court of Appeal as being protected speech.

Harrison filed legal action against Stephen Brady and his organization Roman Catholic Faithful, and one of Harrisons first public accusers Ryan Gilligan.

The former priest served in multiple parishes within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno, including parishes in Merced, Firebaugh, and Bakersfield.

Harrison alleged he was irreparably harmed by the accusations of sexual misconduct from Gilligan and Brady, works to uncover evidence of alleged sexual misbehavior by Catholic priests.

Gilligan, who at one time wanted to be a priest, alleges Harrison made sexual advances towards him, acted inappropriately with children and sexually abused at least one minor child, according to the appeal courts opinion.

In 2019 and 2020, lawyers representing Gilligan and Brady tried to quash the defamation lawsuit by arguing that it fell under Californias Anti-SLAPP statute that was created to to throw out frivolous lawsuits.

But the lower court disagreed and dismissed the Anti-SLAPP claims.

An appeal was filed and the Fifth District Court of Appeal on July 22 reversed the lower courts action, dismissing the defamation lawsuits.

The court also ordered that the defendants attorneys fees must be paid by Harrison.

We are pleased with the two rulings issued by the Fifth District Court of Appeals finding that Craig Harrisons separate lawsuits against our clients should both be dismissed under Californias Anti-SLAPP statute, said attorney Paul Jonna, in a statement.

The Court of Appeals correctly found that our clients had engaged in protected speech that could not form the basis of a defamation claim.

Jonna and Jeffrey M. Trissell of LiMandri & Jonna LLP in Rancho Santa Fe represented Gilligan and Brady.

Harrisons attorney Craig Edmonston of Bakersfield could not be reached for comment.
A white rocket with Chinese lettering on the side blasts into a blue sky, shooting yellow flames from its bottom. The launch pad is just visible below it, flanked by a cloud of smoke.

Update August 1, 2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET: Although a significant amount of the Long March rocket debris likely burned up in Earth's atmosphere  as is typical with many objects when they heat up during their high-speed descent  there are reports of large rocket debris landing in areas like Borneo.

The U.S. Space Command has confirmed that debris from a Chinese rocket has re-entered Earths atmosphere but does not pose a threat to populated areas of the globe. This is a relief to enthusiasts and concerned spectators alike who have been tracking the trajectory of the debris for the past few days and are worried it may cause physical injury, death, or property damage.

The New York Times reports that a Weibo post from the Chinese Manned Space Agency claims that most of the debris burned up on re-entry over the Sulu Sea, just southwest of the Philippines.

SEE ALSO: Blown-up satellite pieces circling Earth shown in scientist's unsettling simulation

Sightings of debris in the sky were posted on Twitter by users in Borneo.

The debris came from China's largest rocket, Long March 5B, which launched on Sunday, July 24. It was carrying a laboratory module for Chinas space station, Tiangong, which is still under construction. This was the rocket's third flight and its second to drop debris. On its first flight in 2020, its booster fell and caused property damage on Western Africa's Ivory Coast.

SEE ALSO: Stunning space video shows Webb telescope peering into the distant cosmos
Cabarrus County health officials on Friday reported the countys first confirmed case of monkeypox.

The patient is currently isolating and has not been hospitalized, Marcella Beam, Cabarrus Health Alliance chief community health officer said in a statement. The alliance is the countys health department.

The North Carolina State Lab for Public Health confirmed the case on Friday, Beam said.

Health officials believe the risk of others contracting the disease from the patient is low, but we know it is likely that we will experience more cases, Cabarrus Health Alliance Health Director Dr. Bonnie Coyle said in the statement.

The case was first tested locally and reported to the health department on Friday, health officials said.

We are asking that residents be aware and if they have unexplained rash, sores or other symptoms, they see their health care provider, Coyle said. If they do not have a health care provider or health insurance, please contact our agency.

In Fridays statement, alliance officials said monkeypox is a rare but potentially serious viral illness that typically involves flu-like symptoms, swelling of the lymph nodes and a rash that starts flat then becomes bumpy and fluid-filled before scabbing over and resolving.

Illness could be confused with a sexually transmitted infection like syphilis or herpes, or with chickenpox. Most infections last two to four weeks.

Since May, 20,804 monkeypox cases have been identified outside of countries that have historically reported monkeypox, with 4,906 cases identified in the United States and 46 in North Carolina, according to Fridays statement.

Health officials in neighboring Rowan County reported their countys first case on July 15, The Charlotte Observer previously reported.

On July 20, Mecklenburg County health leaders said 12 cases of monkeypox had been confirmed in the county, accounting for over half of all cases statewide, the Observer reported.

As the new virus arrives and the BA.5 COVID variant spreads, residents should take precautions against both diseases, Mecklenburg health officials urged.
Great white sharks are being spotted in the waters off the coast of San Luis Obispo County in larger numbers than ever before, marine experts say, although they differ on whats causing the population spike.

Your stretch of the coastline is becoming more important for white sharks than we think it has been in the past, said Chris Lowe, director of the CSU Long Beach Shark Lab.

That population increase means that shark sightings by Central Coast residents and visitors are becoming more common, according to Mike Harris, a sea otter biologist who works for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Theres fairly frequent sightings, from folks out on boats to folks in the water surfing, Harris said. We had a credible sighting here at Morro Rock (on Wednesday).

Local interactions between sharks and people have even made headlines over the past several months.

In early July, a group of 50 leopard sharks was filmed swimming near beachgoers at Pirates Cove near Avila Beach. The video quickly became viral.

In June, a swimmer was bitten by a shark near Pacific Grove and suffered severe injures before he was rescued by good Samaritans. And in December, a boogie boarder was killed in a shark attack off Morro Bay.

Mike Harris, California Department of Fish and Wildlife senior environmental scientist, talked about the latest sea otter count and the health of the population on Sept. 24, 2019. Numbers have been trending lower in recent years due to sharks.

Why are more sharks being spotted along Central Coast?

According to Lowe, researchers dont entirely agree why populations of great white sharks  which he said researchers prefer to call white sharks  are increasing along the Central Coast.

Hes been tracking great white sharks for decades by looking at shark tagging data, drone sightings and animal carcasses.

Lowe believes the shift is due in part with climate change, which has resulted in warmer waters along the Central Coast.

Rising seawater temperatures off the coast of SLO County have made these areas tolerable for juvenile white sharks, Lowe said. The youngsters frequent the more shallow waters as they learn how to hunt for food.

The warm water discharged by Diablo Canyon Power Plant near Avila Beach is also bringing bigger white sharks close to the coast, he said.

Lowe said that the warm water discharged by the nuclear power plant has formed what researchers are calling a spa where up to a dozen adult and juvenile great white sharks hang out before returning to open waters to hunt.

That kind of behavior is not normal for the species, he noted.

Kayakers captured a large shark while fishing off the coast of Cambria in August 2019.

Usually, Lowe said, great white sharks dont like being close to each other. And even though thats a small space for them, its amazing how many crammed into that space.

We think the reason why they do it is they can warm up for a week. Then they can go feed other places and come back and warm up.

That enables the sharks to grow faster, he explained. They save energy and then they can feed along that part of the coast where theres lots of food.

An increase in conservation efforts to protect marine species such as sharks, seals and sea lions over in the past decades has also played big role in the increase of white sharks in the area, Harris said.

Theres more food available for white sharks, Harris said. And weve had protective measures in place to protect the white sharks, all of which I think are adding to support the success and survival of white sharks and are increasing the numbers.

Will this bring more shark attacks?

As more juvenile sharks make the Central Coast their home, Harris said, theres been an increase in sea otter deaths due to shark bites, especially in areas such as Morro Bay, Pismo Beach and Estero Bay.

Sea otters arent a source of food for great white sharks, but juvenile sharks in the area sometimes bite the otters when they mistake them for seals or sea lions, Harris said.

Harris said that more than half of the sea otter carcasses hes collecting in some areas of SLO County show evidence of great white shark bites.

Its removing enough sea otters that its stalling the growth and expansion of the sea otter population, Harris said.

While this is presenting challenges for meeting sea otter conservation goals, he said it might result in more of a natural balance.

A sea otter pup cuddles with its mother while floating on the calm waters of Morro Bay near the South T Pier.

Although more sharks are sharing the water with sea otters as well as swimmers, surfers and kayakers, Lowe said people shouldnt expect an increase in the number of great white shark attacks on humans.

He said evidence gathered in Southern California shows that bite rates are actually going down per capita, even when there are more sharks swimming alongside people.

We think that (sharks) sensory capabilities are good enough that they can tell the difference between people, Lowe said, adding the ocean predators might even be learning how to recognize people better because of the close contact they have with humans.

Harris said people should keep enjoying the ocean despite the possible presence of more sharks.

White sharks do tend to elicit a fear response, Harris acknowledged.

People just need to be aware when you enter the the ocean, youre entering a wild environment, and sharks are part of that, said Harris, who surfs locally. Its not really much different than going backpacking into the wilderness. There are predators in those environments as well. So just be aware of your surroundings, know youre entering wild space where these animals are and still enjoy them.
The California Highway Patrol responded Friday afternoon to a fatal head-on collision near Woodward Reservoir, north of Oakdale.

The crash closed both 26 Mile Road and Eastman Road, the CHP said in its online log.

Details were not available on the vehicles and people involved. The accident was reported at about 3:45 p.m.

Check back at modbee.com for updates to this story.
Goldwaters warning

As Tuesdays ballot issue regarding abortion nears, I have been bombarded by propaganda to vote yes.

The problem is these claims are blatantly false and seem to have become the standard practice of the Republican Party.

Barry Goldwater, Arizona Republican senator, spoke to this in Congress in 1980.

His first sentence, Mark my word, if and when these preachers get control of the party, and theyre sure trying to do so, its going to be a terrible damn problem.

His speech predicted exactly where the Republican Party is now, over 40 years later.

I find it disheartening that the Republicans continue to manipulate peoples emotions by blatantly lying.

Kansas has already put extreme limits on abortion and there is nothing in this amendment to change those.

Please do not let the extremists manipulate, bully, or intimidate you.

Vote no on Tuesday.

Steve Slane, Chanute

Its murder

In the conflict over abortion, we must remember this basic truth; life begins with a flash of light at conception, creating a new, distinct individual who is in the very first stage of life and is growing rapidly.

This person is unique, irreplaceable and precious. This persons life matters just as much as any persons life who is in a later stage of development.

We women have a right to decide what happens in our wombs. But the blatant, premeditated murder of our own children in that womb is not something to be desired, or revered, or protected.

It is time to move beyond the barbaric killing of the most innocent of us and to begin to have compassion and concern for those who desperately need us to be their voice, to acknowledge their humanity and worth, and to protect them from those with malicious and deadly intent.

We can be better than we have been. We can move forward instead of staying stuck in the past, where murdering the inconvenient was an acceptable means of dealing with them. Its time to become compassionate rather than murderous.

Yes; it is time to value them both.

Susanne Haynes, Wichita

Children having children

If a 10-year-old girl was impregnated by her father, which happened several years ago in Riley County, would you force that small child to have a child?

If the Value Them Both amendment passes, children could be forced to have children or even die in the process, because their tiny bodies cannot handle childbirth.

This amendment does not protect children.

Make no mistake, if abortion is outlawed and doctors are not allowed to perform life-saving abortions, women and girls will die.

Voting no will protect life! Vote no on Tuesday.

Kathy Swenson, Manhattan

Not tough enough

Like me, maybe some of you are struggling to decide how to vote on the Value Them Both Amendment.

We shouldnt feel bad. Its intent leaves much to be imagined.

There are three main points that stand out to me.

First, it was written before the Dobbs ruling last month overturning Roe v. Wade. With Roe no longer in the picture, the pro-life position in Kansas has gained unprecedented strength overnight. The amendment now reads like a compromise where none is needed.

Second, the author(s) never stepped forward to shoulder the heavy work of open, public discourse. Pro-life Kansans are expected to simply yield to the guidance of policy expertise. Hows that been working for you?

Third, the immediate outcome will be the introduction of new language in our State Constitution affirming regulated abortion. If the idea is to eventually shutter our abortion clinics and eliminate the practice altogether, then someday well again need to vote to have this same amendment removed from our Constitution.

On Tuesday, I choose to value all people  starting from conception. My vote is no.

Ill reserve my support for a post-Dobbs tactic that actually reflects an assertive, pro-life posture.

Chad Walker, Newton
Editors note: The following article includes a graphic detail of the alleged sexual assault.

The general manager of Boises Hillcrest Country Club was arrested and charged with two felonies after he intended to rape a woman he knew, according to a complaint filed by the Ada County Prosecutors Office.

Max Moreno, who has been the country clubs general manager for about four years, was charged with two felonies: forcible penetration by use of a foreign object and battery with intent to commit a serious felony, according to online court records.

KBOI reported that Hillcrest Country Club told members in a statement the alleged crimes occurred on Hillcrest property after regular business hours. Boise police spokesperson Haley Williams confirmed that the alleged crimes occurred at a business.

The Boise Police Department was notified of the alleged sexual assault on July 9. Williams told the Idaho Statesman by email that after an investigation, Moreno was arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail without incident on July 21.

During the alleged battery, Moreno inserted his finger or fingers inside the woman against her will, according to the criminal complaint filed July 22. Moreno also used force or violence on the woman, according to the complaint.

The Statesman has reached out to Hillcrest Country Club for comment.
In Imamzadeh Davood village, north of Tehran, rescue workers dig through mud after flash flooding. (Vahid Salemi / Associated Press)

Iran on Friday raised the death toll from landslides and flash floods this week across the country to at least 53, including those killed in a mudslide in the capital the previous day, state TV reported.

More than 30 people died in two villages northwest and northeast of Tehran after a monsoon dumped heavy rain that triggered mudslides there, the report said. Almost two dozen people died in eight other provinces, and 21 of Irans 31 provinces were affected by the heavy rain.

There were fears the death toll could rise further as at least 16 people remained missing and more bodies were being uncovered after the rains abated. The report said military personnel had joined rescue efforts and were helping transfer thousands from remote areas to safer places.

Last Saturday, flash floods in Irans drought-stricken southern Fars province killed at least 22 people and affected about a dozen villages.

This weeks storms are the deadliest among Irans rain-related incidents in the last decade.

In 2019, a flash flood killed at least 21 people in the southern city of Shiraz, and two years earlier, a similar storm claimed 48 lives in northwestern Iran.

Mudslides in northern Iran in 2001 and in Tehran in 1987 killed 500 and 300 people, respectively.

Before Thursdays mudslide, authorities had warned residents of Tehrans mountainous areas about heavy rains and possible floods. More heavy rains were expected in coming days.

Authorities have blamed the high death toll on a wide disregard of safety measures by people who venture out in the storms, while critics cite mismanagement in construction projects as well as late warnings as other causes.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Julian Nava, the former U.S. ambassador to Mexico under Presidents Carter and Reagan, works in his home office in Los Angeles on July 24, 1998. (Nick Ut / Associated Press)

In the spring of 1980, Julian Nava found himself about to become a pioneer again.

The Boyle Heights native had gone through his life as a man of firsts. First Mexican American student body president at East Los Angeles College. One of the first Mexican Americans to earn a doctorate from Harvard. The first Latino elected to the Los Angeles Unified School District board of trustees. One of the masterminds behind a pivotal television series about the Chicano experience.

Now, President Carter had appointed Nava as the first-ever Mexican American U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

He sat down with The Times for an interview shortly after the Senate approved his nomination. Nava told this paper that while the choice of him for the role was "historically significant... after the novelty wears off, all that really matters is what kind of job you do."

President Carter, right, and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, left, introduce Ambassador Julian Nava, the new U.S. envoy to Mexico, at a news conference April 21, 1980. (Harvey Georges / Associated Press)

It was an apt summation of a man who based his career more on pragmatism and principle than political posturing. Nava paved paths for the waves of Latino politicians across Southern California that followed him in education, elected office, diplomacy and beyond by working within systems that had long excluded people like them. That drew barbs early in his career from both sides of the proverbial political aisle: liberals accused him of not doing enough for Latinos, while conservatives claimed he was a political radical.

But accusations of being a vendido  a sellout  never bothered Nava. Shortly after his 1967 win of the LAUSD seat, he told The Times, "The only reason I ran was to cause a lot of trouble on the school board  the right kind of trouble."

Nava died July 29 in San Diego of natural causes. He was 95.

Deep-voiced and gregarious, he wielded power at some of the most tumultuous times in the history of Mexican Americans in Southern California.

The Navy veteran served on the LAUSD board when student walkouts against educational inequality gripped schools across East Los Angeles during the late 1960s in what's now remembered as the Chicano blowouts, and when parents in the San Fernando Valley revolted in the 1970s over mandatory school busing designed to chip away at desegregation. The son of Mexican immigrants from the state of Zacatecas became U.S. ambassador to Mexico at a time of heightened tension between the two countries over increased migration and the discovery of oil south of the border. He spoke in favor of bilingual education and undocumented immigrants at a time when it was politically risky to do so.

When he surprised friends and opponents alike by running for mayor at age 65 in 1992, a decade removed from his ambassadorship, Nava vowed to bring peace to a city still reeling from riots and a recession.

"I consider this [the mayors job] as a short, valuable civic assignment, free from obligations to any personal, political machines or to any particular interest group and free from any special loyalty even to my own ethnic group," he said at the time, adding, "I do not intend to be a professional Hispanic.

"He wasn't ideological  he never was," said his daughter, Carmen Nava, chair of the history department at Cal State San Marcos. "He was an educator at heart. He was committed to his community and to building connections. He was about doing the work, and it was not easy work."

One of eight children born to a barber who lost his business during the Great Depression and a homemaker, Nava was Boyle Heights through and through.

He attended Bridge Street Elementary, Hollenbeck Middle School and Roosevelt High before graduating from East L.A. College in 1948 after his Navy stint. The multicultural makeup of the Eastside in those years "inoculated [me] against prejudice, he told The Times in 1983, although he also freely told stories about suffering paddle whacks from teachers for speaking Spanish in class and how it took a visit from his brother in his Navy blues to convince his Roosevelt High counselor to enroll Nava in college prep courses.

After graduating from Pomona College in 1951, Nava went off to Harvard, which allowed him to lecture across Latin America and Spain, the latter on a Fulbright scholarship. He returned to Southern California to become a history professor at Cal State Northridge when it opened in 1956, eventually becoming one of the last two professors from the school's inaugural class when he retired in 2000.

Early in his professional career, Nava involved himself in L.A.'s emerging Latino political scene. He was a volunteer for Ed Roybal in 1949, when Roybal became the first Mexican American to serve on the L.A. City Council since the 19th century. Nava helped the Community Service Organization, the civil rights group run at the time by a young Cesar Chavez, to organize get-out-the-vote efforts. Mayor Sam Yorty appointed Nava in 1961 to serve as a cultural ambassador entrusted with preserving the city's Latino heritage.

Nava was enough of a name in Latino L.A. in 1967 that community members asked him to run for an LAUSD board seat against two-term incumbent Charles Reed Snoot. The odds didn't look good. No Latino had won a citywide election since Roybal's 1949 win. The 39-year-old Nava finished second in the primary; in the runoff, Snoot characterized Nava as a "liberal, sociologically motivated professor who by his associations must advocate sit-ins and love-ins.

Photos of Julian Nava on the campaign trail for his successful L.A. Unified School District trustee race that appeared in the July 23, 1967, edition of the Los Angeles Times. (Los Angeles Times)

But a multicultural, bipartisan citywide coalition pushed Nava to an upset victory. Hollywood stars Gregory Peck and Steve Allen hosted a fundraiser for Nava in Beverly Hills, with Cesar Chavez as the featured guest. "There was joy in Northridge, where Nava now lives," The Times wrote a month after his victory. "There was bedlam in Boyle Heights, where he came from."

The honeymoon was short-lived.

A year later, Nava found himself at the center of a political firestorm, caught between his new office and students who walked out, inspired by Lincoln High teacher Sal Castro, the trustee's friend, to demand better school conditions. Nava faced fierce criticism at first for not openly supporting students, although opinions changed after he spoke out against the police violence and criminal charges that Castro and other activists faced.

"Even though he started tapado [obtuse]," Castro told a biographer in 2011, "[Nava] grew in that position and played an important role" in implementing reforms.

After mounting a failed attempt to become California's superintendent of public education in 1970, Nava stayed on the LAUSD board until retiring in 1979. No Latino would win an L.A. citywide election until 2001.

Shortly after he left the board, Carter appointed him to become the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, a position he held less than a year after Ronald Reagan became president and replaced him. In the decade that followed, Nava embarked on endeavors as varied as the produce industry, writing columns for Mexican newspapers, and even running an oyster farm.

He tried one final electoral comeback by entering the 1992 L.A. mayoral campaign. Nava's biggest moment in that election happened in a debate against an opponent, where Nava suggested noncitizens be allowed to vote in municipal elections and defended the rights of street vendors. His comments drew "a loud chorus of boos," according to a Times dispatch.

But Nava had little support from Latino voters by then.

He was accused of going soft on L.A. County Sheriff Sherman Block via a committee where he served as co-chair alongside attorney Gloria Allred, then further inflamed law enforcement critics when he boasted of his "very good relationship" with former L.A. Police Chief Daryl Gates. Nava opposed an ultimately successful city measure that allowed for civilian oversight of the police department, and joined an unsuccessful recall against Mayor Tom Bradley, who had helped Nava secure the Black vote back in 1967.

Nava's political moderation increasingly found him at odds with the Latino political scene he had helped to establish.

Some felt that Nava was the right person at the right time to open doors 20 to 25 years ago, political science professor Jaime Regalado told The Times in 1993. Now, Nava wasn't seen as "someone who can lead us into the 21st century.

He finished with 1% of the vote.

Volunteer Julian Nava assembles a storage unit for the multipurpose room of the new Escondido Children's Museum around 2001. (Dan Trevan / San Diego Union-Tribune )

His political days done, Nava started a second career as a documentary filmmaker and continued to write books on subjects as varied as Latino genealogy and a romance novel about Tibet. Retiring to San Diego 20 years ago, Nava volunteered with the San Diego Children's Discovery Museum and Encuentros Leadership, a mentorship program for Latino teenage boys.

"He was never done learning," Carmen Nava said of her father, "and he was never done helping."

There are two LAUSD schools named after him: the Dr. Julian Nava Learning Academy and Nava College Preparatory Academy, both in South Los Angeles.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Patricia; their children Carmen Nava, Katie Stokes and Julian Paul Nava; a sister, Rosemarie Herzig; and six grandchildren. Plans for a public commemoration are forthcoming.

To the end, Nava saw himself as an advocate and champion for the community from where he came.

"Everything I am and how I think," read the opening line in his 2002 autobiography, "have been shaped by my Mexican roots."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A rural Missouri man is accused of attempted murder and other violent felony crimes for allegedly shooting a midair crop duster airplane with a high-powered rifle after he had complained about pilots flying near his property, according to court records.

Donald V. Bates Jr., 62, was charged Friday in Caldwell County Court with second-degree attempted murder, unlawful weapon use, first-degree assault, felony property damage and armed criminal action. He was being held without bond in the custody of the Caldwell County Sheriffs Office as of Friday afternoon.

According to court papers, the shooting unfolded on July 10 near farmland on the outskirts of Kidder, a small town roughly 70 miles northeast of Kansas City. Deputies from the sheriffs office began the investigation after they were called out to investigate a report of a small plane that had been struck by gunfire.

Investigators interviewed the pilot, an employee of Hunter Flying Services, who had been assigned that day to spray crops near Caldwell Road and Oak Drive. As he was exiting the field, the pilot reported hearing a loud pop and thought he had collided with something in the air.

Once the plane landed at Lexington Municipal Airport, roughly 30 miles away, the pilot recorded during his post-flight inspection that the fuel tank had apparently been punctured by a bullet, causing a fuel leak. Another bullet hole was found in the nose of the plane.

Investigators recovered bullet fragments and surveyed the damage, concluding that they must have come from a large caliber firearm. Damage to the plane was estimated to be roughly $12,000 along with $25,000 in lost wages because of the time needed to make repairs, according to court papers.

Witnesses told police they heard what sounded like gunshots coming from Bates residence around the time that the plane was hit. One reported hearing as many as 15 rounds fired.

Two months before the shooting, the sheriffs office investigated a separate incident where another pilot accused Bates of threatening him with a gun while he was flying in the area. That pilot reported seeing Bates wave a gun around as the pilot flew roughly 100 feet overhead.

During a police interview in regard to the earlier case, Bates allegedly admitted to carrying a shotgun that day but denied pointing the gun at the pilot. He said he confronted the pilot by raising his arms and putting up his middle finger at the pilot.

Bates said he thought the plane was flying too low near his property and he wanted him to stop, according to court papers. He was later charged with brandishing a firearm in connection with that incident.

Sheriff Mitchell Allen said in a statement on Friday that authorities had assisted the FBI with serving a federal search warrant at Bates property.

During that search, investigators allegedly found several long guns along with ammunition capable of penetrating an aircraft, court papers say.

In charging documents filed Friday, a detective investigating the case wrote that Bates presented a danger to society. He wrote in court papers that a catastrophic chain of events could have occurred had the pilot been shot in the air.

An attorney for Bates did not immediately reply to The Stars request for comment Friday evening.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, its highest level of alarm. As of Friday, case numbers were rising quickly, with 46 cases in North Carolina and nearly 5,000 in the U.S.

Unlike COVID, monkeypox is not a new virus. We have the tools needed to respond, including plenty of tests and an effective vaccine. But the window to control the monkeypox outbreak is closing. North Carolina must act quickly to get people checked, tested and protected to stop the spread.

Monkeypox can start like many illnesses, with a fever, exhaustion or other symptoms. Then a rash appears that can look like blisters or pimples, anywhere on the body. It spreads by close skin-to-skin contact, which often happens during kissing, snuggling or sex. You arent likely to get it by sitting next to someone at a restaurant.

While anyone can get monkeypox, right now, data shows nearly all N.C. cases are in men who have sex with men (MSM), a term we use because not all MSM identify as gay or bisexual. We see the same disparity nationally and internationally.

Let me be clear about two things:

 Monkeypox is not an MSM-only disease. Anyone can get it. While the virus took hold in this closely connected community, it could circulate in other communities and settings.

 Monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection. You can get it during sexual or non-sexual contact.

The current spread in the MSM community creates public health communication challenges. Talking about it directly can make some people feel stigmatized. As a gay man, I know firsthand how stigma and discrimination continue to harm LGBTQ+ health and well-being. And as North Carolinas public health leader, I am committed to ensuring all North Carolinians are healthy and following the data to tackle problems head-on.

When we see health disparities, we dont place blame on the communities they impact. We improve the systems that serve those individuals. The Black community is more impacted by certain chronic diseases. Rural communities often have lower rates of health coverage. We must tackle those disparities, not blame those impacted. The same holds with monkeypox. These disparities demand that our government, our health-care system and all of us work together for better health outcomes.

We are committed to focusing resources where they are most needed. In the early days of COVID, we steered masks and gowns toward nursing homes because the virus spread rapidly there. We did the same with vaccines. While monkeypox is thankfully rarely fatal, the same principle applies.

Even before the first case of monkeypox was reported in North Carolina, NC DHHS closely monitored the outbreak, coordinated with partners and planned our response. Earlier this month, we released our Monkeypox Response Plan.

To help contain monkeypox, we urge people to take three steps:

 Get checked. See a health care provider if youve had skin-to-skin contact with someone with monkeypox, or if you have bumps, sores or a rash that looks like blisters or pimples. If you dont have a provider, call your local health department.

 Get tested. Testing is widely available and encouraged if you have monkeypox symptoms. Samples must be collected by a healthcare professional.

 Get vaccinated. Anyone who had close contact in the past two weeks with someone diagnosed with monkeypox should get a vaccine. Vaccines are also available to MSM who in the last 90 days have had multiple sexual partners or anonymous sex, have been diagnosed with an STI, or have received medications to prevent HIV. As vaccine becomes more available, we expect eligibility criteria will expand.

Healthcare providers are critical for containing this outbreak. They need to know what symptoms to look for, be vigilant and test any patient with a suspicious lesion or sore.

We have the tools to protect North Carolinians from monkeypox. But we need to put those tools to use and increase testing and vaccination among those at higher risk  and we need to do it before its too late.

Kody H. Kinsley is Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.






The U.S. House narrowly passed a semi-automatic weapons ban bill Friday afternoon before leaving for whats expected to be a 45-day recess.

Cheers went up from the House floor as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the bills passage with 217-213 votes.

The ban on what critics describe as assault weapons was introduced in 2021 by Rep. David Cicilline, a Democrat from Rhode Island, and was co-sponsored by all five of North Carolinas Democrats in the U.S. House.

Many of my constituents are responsible, law-abiding gun owners, said Rep. Deborah Ross, a Democrat representing Wake County. Contrary to what opponents of this legislation continue to claim, this bill will allow current law-abiding gun owners to keep all of their guns. It simply prevents future sales of assault rifles.

North Carolinas Republicans voted against the bills passage.

Once again, my colleagues across the aisle have rushed to exploit your fear and the pain of victims to rush out a gun control measure that will do nothing to save lives or address the root cause of violence, said Rep. Richard Hudson, who represents the southern Piedmont and lives in Moore County. The simple truth is criminals dont follow the law. If they did, think about this: if criminals follow the law, we wouldnt have any crime. But when you criminalize guns, only criminals are going to have guns.

A poll by Quinnipiac University released last week shows 49% of Americans support a nationwide ban on the sale of assault weapons, while 45% oppose it.

Lets be clear, Ross said. Assault weapons are designed to kill as many people as possibly as quickly as possible. Theyre not designed for recreation. Theyre designed for combat.

What the House bill would do

The Senate likely wont support the Houses bill. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, was integral in creating a gun reform law last month following several mass shootings, including one at an Uvalde, Texas, elementary school that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

While there was a call for banning 18- to 21-year-olds from purchasing or owning semi-automatic weapons, Tillis said that topic was never on the table.

The Houses bill would make it criminal to import, sell, manufacture, transfer or possess a semi-automatic assault weapon or large-capacity ammunition feeding device. But that does not apply to the sale, possession or transfer of guns legally possessed before the bill becomes law.

And the bill has more exemptions: The ban does not apply to firearms manually operated by bolt, pump, lever or slide action or those that are permanently inoperable, an antique or a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill does not ban importation, sale, manufacture, transfer or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, authorized tests or experiments or related to securing nuclear materials. It also exempts possession by a retired law enforcement officer.

It gives state and local governments access to money from a program meant to compensate a person who surrenders their banned weapons.

For more North Carolina government and politics news, listen to the Under the Dome politics podcast from The News & Observer and the NC Insider. You can find it at https://campsite.bio/underthedome or wherever you get your podcasts.
Jurors deliberated for nearly five hours Friday before convicting Euclid officer Michael Amiott of assault and interfering with civil rights.

An Ohio police officer has been convicted of assaulting a Black motorist during a 2017 traffic stop.

Jurors deliberated for nearly five hours Friday before convicting Euclid officer Michael Amiott of assault and interfering with civil rights, both first-degree misdemeanors, Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reported. He was acquitted of another count of assault.

JUST IN: Euclid police officer Michael Amiott found guilty on two of three assault charges, including interfering with Richard Hubbards civil rights. @wkyc pic.twitter.com/1FKuoxbvuE  Neil Fischer (@NeilFischerTV) July 29, 2022

Video showed Amiott, who is white, repeatedly punching driver Richard Hubbard III during an August 2017 traffic stop in the Cleveland suburb. The police union argued that Amiott used reasonable force to control Hubbard when he resisted arrest and wounded an officer.

Amiott was fired but an independent arbitrator ordered him reinstated a year later. The city of Euclid last year agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit in the case.

The Fraternal Order of Police/Ohio Labor Council said in a statement it was disappointed by the verdict in Euclid Municipal Court.

We remain confident that officer Amiotts actions were reasonable given the circumstances and we continue to stand by him, said Dave Trend, president of FOP Euclid Lodge #18 and FOP/Ohio Labor Council board member.

(Photo: AdobeStock.com)

Chief Scott Meyer of the Euclid police department said he hoped the decision can start to bring closure to all of the parties affected by this five-year long process.

The dedicated and hard-working men and women of the Euclid Police Department continue to serve honorably and selflessly during an extremely challenging time for our society and our profession, Meyer said, vowing that the department will move forward and continue to serve our community with impartiality and transparency.

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

The post Officer convicted of assaulting Black driver in 2017 stop appeared first on TheGrio.
One person was killed and two were injured in a fatal crash early Saturday morning. Around 1:15am, a Toyota Corolla collided head on with a Chevy pickup truck near Holstein Road, one mile east of Bowman.

The crash occurred after the sedan crossed the center of the roadway into the westbound lane on US Highway 178 said Master Trooper Brandon Bolt of the South Carolina Highway Patrol.

The driver of the Toyota was pronounced dead at the scene.

Michael Weigert, the driver of the 2019 pickup truck, suffered unknown injuries. The 51-year-old Moncks Corner resident was transported to a local hospital by EMS.

A 25 year-old woman sitting in the front passenger seat of the 2020 Toyota also suffered unknown injuries and was transported to an area hospital.

The Orangeburg County Coroners Office has not released the name of the deceased.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

This is a breaking news story. Check back here for more details.
Prosecutors subpoenaed records related to a $600,000 money transfer between dark money organizations tied to an ongoing Miami-Dade criminal case surrounding ghost candidates in the 2020 election, according to court records unveiled Friday.

The transfer is adding a new layer of intrigue to a years-long question into who paid for thousands of political mail advertisements to promote sham no-party candidates in three contested Florida races that were key to helping solidify the Republican majority in the state Senate.

While the source is not yet clear, the money transfer shows prosecutors have looked into a $600,000 transfer made on or around Sept. 30 from Foundation for a Safe Environment, a nonprofit organization controlled by prominent Republican operative Stafford Jones, to Lets Preserve the American Dream, a nonprofit organization run by Ryan Tyson, a top GOP pollster in Florida.

During the course of the investigation, court records show that Tyson told investigators that he, too, had sent $600,000 on Sept. 29, 2020, to Grow United, a dark money organization that sent $550,000 to two political committees that paid for the mailers that promoted as political progressives the no-party candidates in two Miami-Dade state Senate races and another in Central Florida.

Jones told the Herald on Saturday, after this story was originally published online, that the amount transferred by Foundation for a Safe Environment was $630,000, not $600,000 as the court document states. Jones said the money was a general contribution and not for any specific purpose.

Tyson told investigators his organization transferred the money to Grow United to help left to center candidates, and that he had a hunch the money would later be transferred to the two political committees  The Truth and Our Florida  which were controlled by Tallahassee consultant Alex Alvarado.

Tyson, however, said he could not be sure what the money would be used for. He told investigators that once he makes a contribution to an entity, he loses control of how they spend the money.

A labyrinth of political committees, nonprofits

Records released Friday  a summary of investigative activity related to the elections for Senate Districts 37 and 39 from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021  did not offer much detail about the relationship Foundation for a Safe Environment has to the investigation. But Jones, who chairs the organization, controls a number of political committees associated with the prominent GOP research firm Data Targeting, according to court records. Data Targeting has long served as a chief firm advising Senate Republican campaigns, including during the 2020 election cycle.

Data Targeting also paid former Republican state Sen. Frank Artiles, who is facing several charges related to the no-party candidate who ran in District 37, for campaign-related work. Data Targeting paid Artiles $90,000 over six months to work on state legislative campaign assignments ... to include certain Senate Districts in Miami-Dade County, according to records released by the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office. The contract did not detail the exact duties.

Unlike political committees, which are legally required to disclose their donors, dark money groups are not required by law to do so, which makes them useful for funders who dont want their identities revealed when backing certain campaigns or causes.

In addition, records show that on April 20, prosecutors were seeking information from Brian Lacey, who worked with the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee until he was let go in December 2020 following a bad cycle and losses in Florida Senate races.

The DLCC also received money from Grow United. Lacey told investigators he recalled the contribution was made but that he did not have information beyond that and did not have access to those records because he was not employed by the committee.

Fridays records are part of the discovery in the case against Artiles in Miami.

The candidate in Senate District 37, who shares a surname with the Democrat incumbent and received more than 6,000 votes in an election decided by just 32, was arrested on four felony campaign finance charges last year. Auto-parts dealer Alexis Pedro Rodriguez later took a plea deal in exchange for helping prosecutors build a case against his acquaintance, Artiles. Investigators say Artiles paid Rodriguez $40,000 to run as a no-party candidate to sway the outcome of the election by siphoning votes away from the incumbent.

READ MORE: After 3-day recount, incumbent Democrat loses Senate seat to Ileana Garcia

Both men were charged with conspiracy to make or accept campaign contributions in excess of legal limits, accepting and making those excess campaign contributions, false swearing in connection to an election and aiding in (and eventually, submitting) false voter information. Under state law, each of those charges carries sentences of up to five years in prison if convicted.

The case is scheduled for its next hearing on Sept. 1.
Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer once labeled the "Merchant of Death," is escorted to a courtroom in Bangkok in 2010. (Apichart Weerawong / Associated Press)

Viktor Bout has long been the type of shadowy figure who inhabits spy novels, a convicted arms dealer who commanded a billion-dollar operation of aircraft fleets to supply weapons to notorious dictators, drug lords and armies fighting wars  and sometimes one another.

Bout, a mustachioed Russian national and former Soviet army officer, was an equal-opportunity smuggler whose deliveries are alleged to be responsible for the deaths of thousands of Africans, Afghans and others.

And in the years before his 2008 arrest and imprisonment, first in Thailand and later the U.S., the "Merchant of Death"  a moniker he was given three decades ago by a British lawmaker  is believed to have become part of Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle.

Today, his possible release from U.S. custody is at the center of a potentially risky trade with Moscow to free WNBA star Brittney Griner and another U.S. citizen, both of whom Washington considers to be unlawfully detained in Russia.

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken announced Wednesday that his government has had top-priority negotiations to release Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine arrested in Moscow and convicted on questionable espionage charges in 2018.

"We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release," Blinken told reporters. "Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal."

While Blinken publicly would not discuss details of the offer, it has been widely reported for weeks that Bout was at the top of Moscow's wish list for a trade.

Blinken said he would discuss the swap in a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov. That call took place Friday, marking the highest-level communication between the two countries' governments since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, launching a brutal war against the neighboring former Soviet republic that has cost tens of thousands of lives.

Lavrov is not giving signs of hope, however, saying he would entertain the U.S. offer "as time permits," in what officials in Washington see as a ploy to embarrass the Biden administration and to leverage what Russia has and the U.S. wants. The administration seeks to isolate Russia diplomatically and economically as punishment for the war on Ukraine, but Russian officials hope to score points by showing that U.S. officials must engage with them.

After many years trotting the globe as arguably the world's biggest arms trafficker, Bout was finally snared in a U.S. government sting operation in 2008. Bout thought he was meeting in Bangkok with representatives of the leftist Colombian guerrilla organization, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to sell them helicopters and rocket launchers. But undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents were posing as guerrillas, tricking Bout, who was finally arrested.

Eventually, he was extradited to the U.S., prosecuted, convicted in 2011 and sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiring to kill Americans, among other crimes. He was confined to a medium-security federal prison in Illinois.

Bout always maintained that he was merely a businessman. His clients, according to U.S. prosecutors, included dictators such as the late Moammar Kadafi of Libya and Charles Taylor, the former Liberian president convicted at The Hague in 2012 of war crimes including murder and rape. Other clients included Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, which battled the Taliban in the late 1990s. Later, he did business with the Taliban.

WNBA star Brittney Griner in a Moscow courtroom before a hearing earlier this week. (Alexander Zemlianichenko / Associated Press)

A 2002 profile of Bout in the Los Angeles Times quoted a former U.S. official describing him as the "Donald Trump or Bill Gates" of arms trafficking.

Stephen Braun, a former Times reporter who was part of the team that reported and wrote that story, said the Russian national succeeded where no one else did by picking up the pieces of a collapsed Soviet Union, sourcing weapons from numerous Eastern European nations no longer exclusively loyal to Moscow, and then parlaying that into big business. Bout made billions of dollars in the process.

Bout assembled a fleet of about 60 cargo planes based at airfields from the Persian Gulf to Europe and Texas, fanning the flames of civil wars, particularly in Africa, Braun said.

"They would fly on circuitous routes, drop off pencils or blood diamonds, then pick up and drop off children's toys, then pick up an arms shipment and fly to any number of states at war," said Braun, who co-wrote with Douglas Farah the 2007 book "Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes and the Man Who Makes War Possible," one of the earliest written on Bout.

The question now for Blinken and the Biden administration is how big of a public relations hit they would sustain upon releasing someone of Bout's reputation. It would not be the first time the U.S. has made a prisoner trade with an adversary  almost all administrations in recent history have faced a similar test. But few of those released are as infamous as Bout with, reputedly, such blood on their hands.

"It's always a balance that you have to strike ... a factor in how you consider you're going to move forward with a given negotiation," John F. Kirby, a National Security Council spokesman, said on CNN this week.

The government has to weigh the national security risks in releasing an accused terrorist or criminal from its custody; the likelihood of that person turning around and attacking the U.S. or its allies, and whether the trade provides incentive to other bad actors to take Americans hostage.

On the other side are the humanitarian concerns, including the conditions under which an American is being held and treated, and whether he or she might be used as a political pawn.

Pressure for the release of Griner  a star athlete and lesbian woman of color  has been intense. Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport and accused of carrying cannabis oil in her luggage  a product that has been decriminalized in many U.S. states.

Griner has pleaded guilty, and her trial is underway. Her Russian lawyers say it is not likely that Moscow would even consider a swap until the trial is over.

Michael McFaul, who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia from 2012 to 2014 and is now at Stanford University, said he favored freeing Bout but would add at least one more U.S. citizen to the deal: Marc Fogel, a teacher sentenced to 14 years in prison for allegedly smuggling marijuana.

"I applaud @SecBlinken & @StateDept efforts to bring Britney Griner and Paul Whelan home even if it means handing over Viktor Bout," McFaul wrote on Twitter, later correcting his misspelling of Griner's first name. "I support the swap. I just hope they include Marc Fogel in the deal."

"Bout is a real criminal," McFaul said. "He [is] worth freeing 3 innocent Americans."

Braun, the writer, agreed.

"I'm no fan of letting this guy go, but there is a history that when agendas converge, they do it," he said.

As recently as April, another former U.S. Marine, Trevor Reed, was freed from a Russian prison in a trade for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot who had served 11 years of a 20-year federal sentence for conspiring to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. Reed had been convicted of what U.S. diplomats described as "laughable" charges three years ago.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A temporary, overnight shelter opened Saturday in an East St. Louis school for Mary Terrace neighborhood residents displaced because of flooding that started on Tuesday, officials said.

The residents can go to Mason-Clark Middle School at 5510 State St., according to Mayor Robert Eastern III and the American Red Cross.

People can drop off donations of food, clothing and toiletries at Community Lifeline at 1764 State St.

Eastern and the East Side Health District said the residents need to evacuate the neighborhood due to possible health repercussions relating to prolonged exposure to the flood waters, according to a news release from the city.

Eastern said the worst flooding occurred on Terrace Drive near the intersection of Interstate 255 and State Street. This street is located near the confluence of Schoenberger Creek and the Harding Ditch. The flooding occurred after 8 to 12 inches of rain fell in the St. Louis metro area on Tuesday when a daily record was set at the St. Louis airport.

Eastern said 30 to 35 families have been affected by the flooding. This is an increase from a previous report of at least 25 families displaced by the floodwaters.

Residents in the Mary Avenue and Terrace Drive neighborhood have told the BND they were upset because the city government had not offered assistance after the flood. If they come speak with us and let us know whats going on, that would be good, Denise Smith, who lives on Terrace Drive, told a reporter this week. We need some type of communication because I feel like Im about to have an anxiety attack.

Eastern said in an interview Saturday that the city paid for hotel rooms for flood victims and that the city provided transportation for the residents to get to the Casino Queen in East St. Louis and the Super 8 in Fairview Heights. He noted that some residents did not want to go to a shelter in Missouri or to any shelter. The residents who went to the hotel rooms have since checked out and are staying with friends or family, he said.

He also said that city employees are working 16 or more hours a day during the response to the flooding and that the city has coordinated with area churches to provide aid to the displaced residents.

Weve been working very hard, Eastern said.

Eastern thanked all the groups and agencies that have helped the citys residents but he added, We still got a long way to go.

Water has been drained from the streets as of Saturday and the fire department hosed off streets and sidewalks, Eastern said.

The shelter announcement was made Friday night, three days after flooding began in residents neighborhood.

The city remains under a state of emergency until further notice, Eastern said.

The shelter opened with support from the United Way, American Red Cross, and East St. Louis City Chaplain Services, the mayor stated.

Flood clean up supplies will be provided near Mason-Clark Middle School, the Red Cross said.

Heres the citys announcement:

City of East St. Louis Evacuates the Mary Terrace Neighborhood Due to Health Concerns

EAST ST. LOUIS, IL --Officials from the East Side Health District and East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III today have announced an immediate evacuation of residents living in the area of the Mary Terrace Neighborhood due to possible health repercussions relating to prolonged exposure to the flood waters. According to the Centers for Disease Control, exposure to contaminated flood water can cause wound infections, skin rash, gastrointestinal illness, tetanus, and leptospirosis (not common).

Due to the horrific flooding on July 26, 2022, the City of East St. Louis remains under a State of Emergency until further notice. With the support of the United Way, American Red Cross, and East St. Louis City Chaplain Services, Mason-Clark Middle School located at 5510 State St., East St. Louis, Illinois 62203, will serve as a temporary housing shelter for those evacuating their homes. The school will be open at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2022. Community Lifeline located at 1764 State St., East St. Louis, IL will serve as a community drop off site for donations of food, clothing and toiletries.

BND reporter DeAsia Paige contributed information for this article.
In the Florida Keys, you could land in jail for keeping undersized lobster tails or swiping protected seafood from the ocean.

Thats how seriously police and prosecutors go after people who break conservation laws.

A 51-year-old Houston man learned about that Wednesday after stuffing queen conch in a bucket and inside a shirt, according to the Monroe County Sheriffs Office.

Tony Ngoc Truong was charged with a misdemeanor for harvesting queen conch and booked into the county jail. The visitor to the Keys didnt get far in his conch stealing scheme, deputies said.

Truong was walking out of the water, beneath the Channel Five Bridge near mile marker 71.5, with a five-gallon bucket and a gray shirt. When deputies crossed his path, he threw his shirt under his vehicle. Truong had placed three conch in the shirt and had five more in the bucket, deputies said.

He was caught at a spot between the Middle Keys city of Marathon and the village of Islamorada in the Upper Keys.

The queen conch were returned to the water alive, said Adam Linhardt, a spokesman for the sheriffs office.

Queen conch are found in the Caribbean and in the Gulf of Mexico.

Truong was taken to the county jail on Stock Island. About four hours later, he was released without having to post a bond, according to jail records.

Its unclear in jail records whether he has legal representation. His arraignment is set for Aug. 27 at the Monroe County Courthouse.

Hes not the first to think he could get away with taking the conch, a slow-moving marine snail that is illegal to harvest in Florida but a popular import from the Caribbean.

In recent years, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has made a few cases from conch poaching, including one in 2017 when a Texas woman got jail time for taking 40 queen conch.

All of the conch was returned to the ocean.

Whats a Conch?

Queen conch are found in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and Bermuda but commercial and recreational harvest is generally banned in U.S. waters.

Conch fisheries in the U.S. were closed in the 1970s for being overfished. But that hasnt stopped Americans from getting their hands on the tasty mollusks.

Conch meat is used to make conch salad and conch fritters in Key West and its a staple food in the Bahamas. Thats where the United States  a major importer of the meat  gets almost all of its conch.

Queen conch can live up to 40 years, grow up to 12 inches long and weigh as much as 5 pounds.

But the conch shell is so symbolic in the Keys that locals born and raised in Key West call themselves conchs.

Key West High Schools mascot is the conch. The football team members are the Fighting Conchs while the softball team are the Lady Conchs.

In Key West, a conch is a point of pride, since its used to describe someone native to the small island. Many locals only consider someone whose family goes back at least a generation or two a true conch.
Court records show the Tri-Cities man accused of stabbing his mother to death this week has a troubling history that includes previous break-ins at her Richland mobile home.

David Joseph Lowe, 29, is being held in Benton County jail in lieu of $1 million bail on suspicion of murder, assault and burglary. Its been less than a year since he completed probation for the last time he broke into his moms home.

Murder suspect David Joseph Lowe walks into Benton County Superior Court in Kennewick for his preliminary court appearance.

Prior criminal issues

Records searches show David Lowe has a history of arrests for drugs, break-ins and other issues, including several no contact protection orders from his mother and an ex-girlfriend he shares a child with.

He also has several drug-related crimes in Washington, as well as a reckless driving charge in Oregon in 2019 and an obstruction of justice/resisting arrest charge for attempting to flee.

In a three-month period starting in November 2018, David Lowe was arrested several times.

One arrest was on drug charges and two were related to break-ins. He was charged with several crimes and pleaded guilty in May 2019 to two counts each of violating a court order and destroying property. Other charges, including trespassing and simple assault were dismissed.

Protection orders

At least two no contact orders were on file against David Lowe. An ex-girlfriend filed for one in March 2019. The other was put in place by the court protecting his mother after David Lowe broke into her home.

In the petition, his ex-girlfriend said she was filing for the protection order because she was concerned about his state of mind after a series of letters written to her, and also addressed to their then 8-month-old daughter, saying he was coming for (the child) with everything he has.

In one social media post, he had written for my dead daughter. RIP.

The ex-girlfriend said she had reason to believe he may have left rehab early and that no one was sure of his location.

She said she was living in fear that Lowe would hurt her or her daughter. She told the court she believed that he was not only a danger to her, their child and himself, but also to the public.

An emergency order was put into place by the judge, but the request was withdrawn in October 2019.

In her 2019 filing, his ex also mentioned his mother had a protection order against him because he had broken into her house before.

Richland home break-ins

Documents obtained by the Herald related to that case show David Lowe had a history of breaking into her home, and that there was a pretrial order barring him from being within 500 feet of his mom or her home that he violated numerous times. The order was issued after a November 2018 break-in.

In one case, a woman called to report she believed David Lowe had violated a no contact order based on photos he had posted on social media showing him at his mothers home in December 2018.

David Lowes sister was then contacted, and she told police she believed he had broken into the mobile home at 54 Cosmic Lane.

She said the door had been left unlocked and when she returned it appeared someone had come into the home, made food and used a computer. His social media page was open, and there was a search for how to make explosives.

Around the same time police were taking his sisters statement, they say David Lowe showed up at the Richland Police Department station claiming his mother was trying to contact him.

He told police she had violated the order and was trying to take him to treatment. They informed him she was the protected party and questioned him about the break-in.

David Lowe first told investigators he was sleeping in his vehicle down the street and thought the no contact order was 50 feet, not 500. They offered him help finding shelter, but he declined.

He later admitted to investigators that he waited for his sister to leave and then entered the home. He said he got some food, took a shower and used the computer because he was homeless and had no other options. He told police he was interested in chemistry, but did not plan to make a bomb.

Meth use

He admitted to having recently used methamphetamine, and told investigators he used it to stay awake because he was afraid of someone doing something to him in his sleep.

At the end of January 2019 he broke into the home again, this time breaking a window to get in. That same day he was also accused of breaking into a home on Log Lane and assaulting a former roommate. The assault charge was later dismissed.

Court documents show that he appears to have taken a plea deal in May 2019 for the break-ins and court order violations. He served about a month in jail and was on probation through November 2021.

At some point while on probation he also provided documents showing he had completed in-patient treatment at Lourdes Health. The documents were filed in March 2020 but do not say what type of in-patient treatment he received.

Richland police detectives investigate the deadly double stabbing crime scene Wednesday morning at 54 Cosmic Lane in north Richland. The victims, a man and Bethany Lowe, were taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. She died there and the man was in serious condition with multiple stab wounds, according to police officials.

Attack and 911 call

Richland police say he broke into his mothers home on Cosmic Lane in Richland shortly before 5 a.m. Wednesday.

Bethany Jean Lowe, 47, and her longtime boyfriend Andy Davis, 45, were woken up to the sound of someone in the living room. Their 9- and 12-year-old children also were home at the time.

Davis told detectives that Bethany assumed it was David Lowe and went to talk to him, while Davis got in the shower to get ready for work.

While he was in the shower, Bethany Lowe, called 911, telling the dispatcher her address before the line was disconnected. She called back three minutes later.

The 47-year-old mother of 8 managed to tell 911 dispatchers that her son was out of control.

Then dispatchers said they heard a woman screaming.

Davis said he heard banging on the bedroom door and opened it. Thats when David Lowe stabbed him the first time. He slammed the door shut, but realized his spouse wasnt in the room and went back out to confront David Lowe. He saw Bethany on the ground with her son standing nearby with a knife in each hand.

Richland police arrived to find Bethany and Davis had been stabbed, and David Lowe standing nearby covered in blood with a knife in his hand.

Bethany and Davis were rushed to the hospital, but she did not survive. Davis was in serious condition with multiple stab wounds.

On Thursday, David Lowe made his first appearance in court. He appeared at times disoriented. Judge Joseph Burrowes set bail at $1 million. Prosecutors have until Monday to file formal charges. Hes facing three first-degree felonies with domestic violence enhancers  murder, assault and burglary.

GofundMe

A GoFundMe account was created to help the family with medical expenses and other costs.

Davis has undergone two surgeries at Kadlec in Richland to repair numerous stab wounds to his neck and torso, according to a GoFundMe account.

A family member posted online that he was in the intensive care unit as of Wednesday afternoon, but was awake and able to communicate.

Proceeds from the GoFundMe account are planned to be used for Lowes funeral, Davis medical expenses and counseling and the future needs of Lowes children.
The thing I like most about our online restaurant polls is watching how they play out.

Will the winner be a restaurant that has the lead from start to finish? Is there a back-and-forth between two big contenders? Will an underdog work its way to the top?

In an update earlier this week, I reported that by Tuesday afternoon Valentines was in the lead with 159 votes, followed by Texas Roadhouse (98 votes), Andrias Steakhouse (32 votes), Popeyes Chop House (27 votes) and Mascoutah Steak House (26 votes) followed by five other restaurants that each had fewer than 10 votes.

What a difference two days can make!

Since the update, readers rallied hard to up the number of votes for the restaurants who landed the top three spots.

Heres how it all played out:

First Place  Texas Roadhouse, 364 votes

I usually prefer to not include chain restaurants in our polls. But Texas Roadhouse received the third highest number of nominations from readers when I started to compile the list for this poll. And who am I to dismiss what our readers clearly want?

Despite the restaurants name, Texas Roadhouse is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The restaurants founder and chairman, Kent Taylor, opened the first location in Clarksville, Indiana, in 1993. (And now I have Last Train to Clarksville in my head. I love that song.)

The restaurant touts itself as famous for their Hand-Cut Steaks, Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs, Made-From-Scratch Sides, Ice-Cold Beer, and of course, our irresistible Fresh-Baked Bread, according to the website.

Steak options on their menu include the USDA choice sirloin, Ft. Worth ribeye, Dallas filet, New York strip, bone-in ribeye, road kill (not literally), steak kabob and filet medallions.

With this many steak options, its no wonder they were voted the favorite in the poll.

Texas Roadhouse in Shiloh is located at 1412 Central Park Circle.

Hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 618-628-8811 or visit texasroadhouse.com.

Second Place  Valentines Restaurant, 243 votes

Wow! Thats Awesome, said Lani Parker when I called to tell her that Valentines took second place in our poll.

Valentines was already an existing restaurant known for its fried chicken when the late John Brown purchased it in 1976.

Browns wife and Parkers mother, Silulu Brown, told the News-Democrat in 2017 that she didnt care for fried chicken and decided to turn it into a steakhouse.

My mom and I run it together, said Parker. I have [other] family members that work here.

She also said that theyve been lucky with the longevity of their employees, most of whom have been there long enough that theyre considered family.

Theyll get together for dinner on Mondays when the restaurant is closed or go out after hours, according to Parker.

And the 46-year-old restaurant continues to receive high praise from customers.

Many of the comments on the restaurants Facebook page are about the steaks.

The Ribeye steak was juicy and cooked to perfection. It was the best steak Ive ever had.  Yomeko S.

First time visit and loved it.  Steak was awesome and service was amazing.  Lorrie S.

Fabulous food and superb service!  The food was so delicious .  Christa M. (This reviewer provided photos of a few dishes that all included steak.)

We had the steak, and it was amazing! Juicy, tender, flavorful just down right yummy.  Gwen L.

I would really like to thank everybody who voted for Valentines, said Parker. I feel very honored.

Valentines is located at 205 S. State St. in Freeburg.

Current hours are 4-8(ish) p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday and 4-9(ish) Friday-Saturday.

For more info, call 618-539-9169 or visit their Facebook page.

Third Place  Mascoutah Steak House, 238 votes

Mascoutah Steak House takes third place, missing out on second place by only five(!) votes.

I hoped to get a reaction and a few other comments from the restaurant, but the message I left was not immediately returned.

(It serves me right for trying to get them on a Friday just before opening. Lesson learned: Set restaurant polls to end after and not before the weekend.)

As I was saying, Mascoutah Steak House takes the third-place spot in our reader poll.

Already recognized statewide for their burgers and steaks, this restaurant has one of the top five best burgers and top 10 steaks in the state, according to contests held by the Illinois Beef Association over the last seven years.

Mascoutah Steak House made the top five burgers list in 2019 and 2017. They were named to the associations top 10 steaks list in 2016 and 2015.

Steak items on the menu include the cowboy ribeye, porterhouse, filet mignon, Kansas City strip and several other options. Multiple toppings and compliments for your steak are also available.

You can even have steak for breakfast there on Sundays. Wash it down with a mimosa or two. (Hey, this is what weekends are for.)

Mascoutah Steak House is located at 1415 McKinley St. in Mascoutah.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

Call 618-566-2400 or visit mascoutahsteakhouse.com for more information.

Here are the vote totals for the other restaurants in the poll:

Andrias Steakhouse, 52 votes  6805 Old Collinsville Road, OFallon. 618-632-4866.

Popeyes Chop House, 42 votes  17910 St. Rose Road, Breese. 618-526-7369.

Longhorn Steakhouse, 10 votes  6115 N. Illinois St., Fairview Heights. 618-394-8540.

Moussallis Prime, 7 votes  7415 IL-143, Edwardsville. 618-656-0281.

1818 Chophouse, 6 votes  6170 Bennett Drive, Suite A, Edwardsville. 618-307-9300.

Mungos Italian Eatery, 4 votes  100 E. Main St., Collinsville. 618-632-6864.

Lotawata Creek Southern Grill, 2 votes  311 Salem Place, Fairview Heights. 618-628-7373.

What did you think of this latest poll? What kind of restaurant poll would you like to see next? Share your thoughts in an email to newsroom@bnd.com.
There were more electives

There were better teachers

There were less tests

There were more exciting ways to learn

Other

Vote

View Results
In his letter to the President, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said he mistakenly used an incorrect word for her and it was a slip of the tongue

Lok Sabha members protest in the House during ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Friday, July 29, 2022. (Sansad TV/PTI Photo)

New Delhi: Both the BJP and the Congress on Friday hardened their combative stance over the political row that followed Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhurys "rashtrapatni" remark for President Droupadi Murmu. While the Congress continued with its demand for an apology from the government after the face-off between its president Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Smriti Irani, the BJP maintained that the Lok Sabha will only function after the Congress president apologises for the party leaders remark against the President.

Amid the pandemonium in Parliament, Union home minister Amit Shah called on the President, even as the Congress MPs staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament. The Opposition party has alleged that its president was subjected to "brutal heckling, verbal assault and physical intimidation" in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

A day after leading the charge against the Congress in the Lok Sabha, Irani also met Murmu. The BJP had accused Chowdhury of hurling a "deliberate sexist insult" at the President.

After a near washout of House proceedings for two weeks, the Lok Sabha is likely to have a debate on price rise on Monday, followed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, political sources said, as Mr Chowdhury on Friday tendered a written apology to the President for his remark.

In his letter to the President, he said he mistakenly used an incorrect word for her and it was a slip of the tongue.

Parliament's proceedings were disrupted for the second consecutive day over the issue. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that the Lok Sabha will function only after the Congress president apologises for Mr Chowdhury's remark against the President.

"The BJP wouldn't tolerate the insult of the tribal community. Lok Sabha will only function after the apology of Mrs Gandhi," tweeted Mr Dubey, claiming that the Congress has a history of "misusing democracy and Parliament".

He pointed out that in 2012 the Congress had given 10 notices against then BJP president Rajnath Singh for "just speaking about the familys (Gandhi family) trust."

Earlier in the day, the Congress MPs met in the Parliament complex and decided on their strategy at a meeting of the Congress parliamentary party chaired by Mrs Gandhi, after which they caused disruptions in both houses of Parliament with slogans against Ms Irani and demanded her sacking.

The Congress has accused the women and child development minister of "heckling" Sonia Gandhi inside the Lower House." The Opposition party has already registered their complaint against Ms Irani with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and asked for the matter to be referred to the privileges committee for action against her.

The Congress also took strong objection to the manner in which Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal made references to Mrs Gandhi in the Rajya Sabha.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the issue in the House, but was not allowed to speak during the Zero Hour.

In a letter to the Rajya Sabha Chairman on the issue, Kharge referred to Ms Sitharaman and Mr Goyal's remarks in Rajya Sabha and maintained that it is a time-honoured convention that reflections or critical remarks should not be made on the other House or members of the other House. He also said that no person who is not a member of the House can be referred to in a derogatory manner or in any other way afflicting his or her reputation.

Kharge demanded that remarks made by the two Union ministers in the Upper House should be expunged and the two should tender an apology for "violations of the sacrosanct conventions of the House."

In another related development, police in Madhya Pradeshs Dindori district lodged a complaint against Chowdhury, based on a complaint by BJP workers. The FIR has been filed under IPC Sections 153 (B) (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) and 505 (A) (statements conducing to public mischief).
In the Diocese of Hebei, the official bishop published a pastoral letter claiming that over the past few months he concelebrated the liturgy with 30 priests who hitherto belonged to the underground Church. Using the pastoral guidelines issued by the Vatican in 2019, he is truing to get Catholics to join the Patriotic Association. A local source warns that the clergy has come under unprecedented pressure. The local Church had resisted so far, but now there is widespread confusion.

Milan (AsiaNews)  On 15 July, Francis An Shuxin, the official bishop of Baoding, published a pastoral letter on the civil registration of the clergy in the Diocese of Baoding. In it he wrote that more than 30 priests have concelebrated the liturgy with him over recent months.

This follows the Sino-Vatican Agreement of 2018, the pastoral guidelines issued by the Holy See concerning the civil registration of clergy in China (June 2019), as well as other pontifical statements that encourage the clergy to officially register and all members of the Diocese to accept registered clergy, so as to favour the unity of the Diocese.

Anyone who does not accept the situation would be denied the sacraments and any special privileges granted by the Holy See in June 1978 to unregistered clergy were no longer valid; hence, the civil authorities would treat offenders in accordance with the law and regulations.

When the pastoral guidelines were issued, they attracted some attention, especially in Fujian, where, according to some, the Diocese of Mindong was the testing ground for the Sino-Vatican Agreement.

The guidelines were not in fact meant for the whole Chinese Church since they were not signed. However, this year they drew attention, especially in Hebei, where the authorities have used them to undertake the unprecedented forced transformation of the unofficial clergy. This was especially the case in Baoding, in March and April.

An observer in China writes: "In addition to fully restricting the individual freedom (through monitoring and imprisonment) of the underground clergy and allowing abuse by Chinese authorities (through physical and mental pressure), the Holy Sees pastoral guidelines were used as a threat to achieve transformation.

The guidelines have become the most powerful tool in the governments arsenal to "transform" the underground clergy under the flag of the Vatican. This has provoked several reactions.

Some scholars analysed the guidelines in articles and refuted them from the point of view of theology and pastoral care, stressing their ambiguity and ignorance of the way Chinese authorities operate.

Others tried to clarify their objective meaning, noting their abusive use by Chinese authorities, especially the failure to respect freedom of conscience, which the guidelines uphold.

Under unprecedented pressure, the pastoral guidelines played a decisive role this time, notes the Chinese observer. In Baoding for example, priests known for decades for their fidelity [to Rome], in just two or three months signed what they had previously considered 'contrary' to their faith and shared the Eucharist with Bishop An, who had already joined the Patriotic Association.

For this reason, some people say that the pastoral guidelines are really a powerful weapon in the hands of the government since the loyal Church in Baoding collapsed en masse. But the pain doesn't stop there.

Many priests had never seen the guidelines before and when the authorities read them to them, they signed it accepting the conditions, according to their spirit. They thought this was really the will of the Holy See. But this did not lessen their confusion or doubts.

After signing some priests suffered a nervous breakdown, while others regretted what they did and reacted with great sorrow. In some cases, priests who had joined the official Church were rejected by their parishioners and had to go home and isolate themselves. As a consequence, the Diocese of Baoding is now in an unprecedented state of chaos.
HP

Following a world-shattering political conflict that led to steep cuts in crude oil production and a fourfold price increase, carmakers acted swiftly. Smaller engines in smaller cars suddenly became the day's motto. It sparked a revolution not necessarily for the greater good but somewhat out of economic constraints.Ford came up with a new platform, the Fox, to counter the tidal wave changes. The company's second longest-running production basis, with 26 model years, the Fox took to the streets in the form of the Ford Fairmont . A model line of compact cars manufactured from 1978 to 1983, the Fairmont was Ford's farewell to the Falcon design base. Four different body configurations were available: a two- or four-door sedan, a five-door wagon, and a two-door coupe.Dubbed as the "most efficient Ford family sedan ever built from a space-per-weight perspective," the 1978 Fairmont lent the Fox underpinnings to twelve additional Ford and Lincoln-Mercury model lines. Robust steel unibody construction sat on the independent front suspension with lower lateral arms, hybrid MacPherson struts, and helical-wound coil springs. Placed between the lower arm and front cross-member, the springs were mounted separately from the struts rather than concentrically. A front anti-roll bar was standard equipment. The rear suspension used a classic solid axle on coil springs and vertically mounted dampers.Power-assisted brakes with 10-inch vented front discs and 9x1.8-inch rear drums were Futura's stopping power, and a rack-and-pinion system with 3.2 lock-to-lock turns took care of the heading. The Futura was derived from a Thunderbird design proposal for a Fairmont-based two-door coupe. With its distinguishable model-specific roofline wrap over B-pillar and a rear fascia with its own wrap-around taillamp design, the coupe was fitted with the four-headlight fascia from the Zephyr. A cross-hatched grille was used in place of the standard egg-crate grille.The new car became a milestone for the Blue Oval from Michigan. On November 15th, 1977, a Fairmont Futura Coupe became the company's 100 millionth U.S.-assembled vehicle. One month later, another Futura rolled off the line and ended up in Utah. Twelve short years later, in 1990, the car got abandoned in a pine forest in Tennessee. That would have been the end of the road for this automobile had it not been rescued from the crusher's jaws by the YouTuber SleeperDude Burried in pine needles beyond recognition, the once gorgeous black-on-red Futura was quite a treat in its day. The top-of-the-range 302 ci (4.9-liter) V8 yielded the peak-performance 139over 250 lb-ft (339 Nm) of torque, painfully below the muscle from a decade back. The era's amenities of this Futura meant air conditioning, power steering, cruise control, and power brakes. Although covered in mulch and with a few rust spots, the car is in remarkable shape. Once the dirt is removed, the YouTuber's Fox-fathered Ford Fairmont Futura sparkles with new life.Given the extensive work in the deep cleaning job, an engine start is not yet out, but stay tuned. We are just as eager as you to see if this fabulous Ford has some life left in it. In the meantime, check the second video to see a famous Fairmont firing the tarmac with a wheelie.
kilowatt

kw

Hinckley's SilentJet propulsion system is a yachting industry-first, combining diesel and electric power whereby eliminating plug-in , diesel fumes, and mechanical din. Development of the system began shortly after the company launched the all-electric Dasher in 2017.The company joined forces with Twin Disc, a development and manufacturing company based in Racine, Wisconsin, specializing in power transmission technology. The collaboration resulted in the integration into Hinckleys JetStick 4 control system to create boating serenity akin to an outing on a fine Hinckley sailing vessel.The ultra-quiet propulsion system utilizes two 90-electric motors and two Cummins 550 horsepower engines. The single 80-battery can be charged manually, or by the diesel engines. A full single charge of the battery with SilentJet engaged will propel the Picnic 40S for up to an hour at 7 knots and ninety minutes at 5.5 knots. Under diesel power the vessel is capable of cruising at 35 knots.When the SilentJet is engaged, the Picnic 40S operates in complete silence within its range, with the diesel engines kicking in as battery charge dwindles. The batteries will completely re-charge in 30-45 minutes of running time or 8-10 hours of shore power. The battery can withstand the operation of air conditioning and other systems.With an overall length of 42 feet (12.8 meters), a width (beam) of 12' 10 (3.91 meters) and a draft of just 2.2 feet (.671 meters), the Picnic 40S offers plenty of space for entertaining and maneuverability in shallow waters.The Picnic 40S is the latest addition to the Picnic Boat series of Hinckley Yachts introduced in 1995. To date Hinckley has sold over 1000 Picnic series boats.
AWD

The Audi RS e-tron GT is more or less a Porsche Taycan with a different badge. And that's not a bad thing at all. Given the six-figure price of this thing, you are already in the supercar territory. But this is almost supercar-fast, with zero emissions.With two electric motors, the RS e-tron GT will give its driver access to 637 hp, 612 lb-ft (830 Nm) of torque, andat the same time. Sure, this isn't the lightest car in the world at 5,017 lbs (2,276 kg), but we all know how fast these EVs can be compared to anything else already on the market.The cool thing about today's test is that this is going to be an all- Audi , all-electric battle. That's because the rival of the electric sedan is going to be the RS Q e-tron off-road race car. Yes, this has a turbocharged inline-four onboard as well, but this car still relies on electric power to get up to speed.We've already seen this car performing various off-road tests, and back in August of last year, it went as fast as 112 mph (180 kph). With Mattias Ekstrom behind the wheel and Emil Bergkvist by his side, the RS Q e-tron finished ninth in Jeddah for the Dakar Rally this year!The two electric motors are carried over from Audi's Formula E program and are limited to 386 hp for race use. In all its complexity, this is still 167 lbs (76 kg) lighter than its opponent. Still, with the off-road tires on and the limited power, it's probably not going to win against the RS e-tron GT.But let's just see what happens. As expected, there's no challenge here, at least not on the first run. But Emil Bergkvist, who's driving the race car, decides to ask for a bit of help from his engineers.After removing the limiter on the car, performance levels are now up to 680 horsepower, which should even the odds. On the second run, the situation looks a lot different, and the Dakar monster leads the way from start to finish.At this level, the outcome of the race is highly dependent on how fast the drivers are going off the line. Mat Watson gets a better start on the third run, and the electric sedan is once again victorious. But we get to see a photo finish on the fourth one, with both vehicles crossing the line in 11.2 seconds.Of course, it's not over yet, as we've still got the rolling race and the brake test to go. The finish line is now further down the road, going up to the half-mile marker (804 meters). That should give the RS e-tron GT an advantage, given its higher top speed and aerodynamic performance.For the first run, both cars will be going all out once they hit 31 mph (50 kph). Right off the bat, the race car catapults itself into the lead but loses the race anyway due to misjudging the placement of the finish line.The first part of the second run is quite similar, but once the sedan hits 124 mph (200 kph), it starts catching up to the leader. Once it hits 147 mph (238 kph), it flies past the RS Q e-tron , just in time to win the race. One last test has both vehicles starting from 50 mph (80 kph).This time the gap at the start isn't as big, but ultimately the outcome is still the same. After all, driving on the Autobahn is not the same thing as driving off-road in the Dakar rally. Trying to see which car has more stopping power going from 100 mph (161 kph) to a complete stop reveals the difference in tires once again. So this may not be the most relevant challenge you've ever seen, but it sure was electrifying!
Some things will never change: the blue of the sky, the Earths rotation, water being wet, and rich peoples rich lifestyle. But not even a billionaire prince could bring into reality the most ambitious, luxurious and expensive Flying Palace, as the worlds first private Airbus A380 was called.
Even if it looks like it, the main pic of this piece was not taken in honor of this most recent July 4th. In fact, it dates from way before, the end of May, and was released way after by the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Yet it remains one of the most American photos of the year, and definitely the most American one youll see all weekend.The image dates back to the weekend of the Indy 500 at the end of May. Back then, USAFs Thunderbirds handled the flyover for the opening ceremony, the second time in history (and thats a very long history, given how the Thunderbirds were formed in 1953, while Indy 500 is more than a century old) this has happened.Somehow, the person tasked with snapping pics of the planes in Indianapolis managed to capture two of the F-16s flown by the aerobatics teams right as they moved above and between the poles supporting the flags that make this image look incredibly patriotic. Add to that the planes livery, that fits just perfectly in there.The Thunderbirds air show season is now in full swing, so there are still plenty of chances left to see the aircraft and pilots in action. The teams next outings come in late August, with shows scheduled in Oregon (August 20, McMinnville Airport in Hillsboro), New Jersey (August 24, Atlantic City Boardwalk), and Pennsylvania (August 27, Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport in Avoca).
Thank you for reading!

Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue.
Lyle W. Norton is a wine enthusiast and blogger who has written a wine column for 20 years. He incorporates wine into his passion to travel and tries to bring his readers along on the journey. Visit his blog at lifebylyle.com.
Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. Visit tinseltowntalks.com for more information.
Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.
Russian President Vladimir Putin talks in 2021. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming Russia has officially expelled the World Health Organization and closed all of its offices in Moscow.
This undated photo provided by Unilever shows the Choco Taco. Klondike has announced it's discontinuing the ice cream treat.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., talks to The Associated Press on Jan. 5. On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming Freedom of Information Act requests show a dozen phone calls between Ray Epps cell phone and Pelosis office a week before the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021.
Some residents of Appalachia are returning to flood-ravaged homes as Kentuckys governor said search and rescue operations were ongoing in the region swamped by torrential rains days earlier
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
PITTSFIELD  The former Great Barrington employee charged with embezzling more than $150,000 will go on trial this fall  not next week  after her attorney said she needed to review material provided this month by prosecutors.

Attorney Judith Knight filed an emergency motion in Berkshire Superior Court this week to continue the trial of her client, Deborah Ball, to Oct. 1 or later. She said prosecutors provided her with additional information related to the case July 19.

"I filed a motion to continue because the commonwealth had just recently provided me with a lot of documents that they've had since the beginning of the case in 2019, but they just gave them to me this past week," Knight told The Eagle. "I need to go through those because I think some of those will be helpful to my client."

She said different prosecutors had been assigned to handle the case, which may have had something to do with what she termed a late disclosure of potential evidence.

"There's been a number of prosecutors on this case so it may simply be because of that," Knight said. "I don't think there was any ill-intent or anything  it may have just been overlooked."

In addition, Ball, who is 66, is facing medical issues.

The new materials, provided through what's known as the discovery process, included police reports and accounting information from Scanlon & Associates, the firm whose 2018 audit caught discrepancies in accounts handled by Ball, the town's former assistant treasurer/collector.

Knight also requested the office of Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington disclose more information about why Karen Fink left her post as treasurer and tax collector of Great Barrington. The town has said Fink's departure was unrelated to Ball.

Knight said she wanted the information to be sure she investigates all avenues of a legal defense.

Assistant District Attorney Andrew Giarolo is now handling the case.

During a Zoom hearing Thursday, he told Judge John Agostini that the evidence is possibly incriminating and includes checks and a copy of the hard drive of Ball's computer.

"She was able to swipe over $166,000 in cash from the coffers in Great Barrington," Giarolo alleged.

Agostini said Ball's case will not go to jury trial next week as planned and set a status date for 2 p.m. Sept. 15 over Zoom.
Apollo 15 Lunar Module Pilot James B. Irwin salutes while standing beside the fourth American flag planted on the surface of the moon, July 30, 1971. The lunar module that took them to the moon's surface is seen at right. Hadley Delta is in the background. (AP Photo)
LANESBOROUGH  A network of indoor cannabis farms is poised to replace long-gone commerce at former anchor stores at the Berkshire Mall.

The Lanesborough Select Board this week agreed to begin negotiations for a Host Community Agreement with JMJ Holdings Corp., a Massachusetts outfit that seeks to buy the shuttered mall and build out its former commercial spaces as cannabis farms.

Blake M. Mensing, the M in the corporations name, told officials in Lanesborough that he and partners are close to acquiring the mall. They plan to transform old stores into high-tech zones for cannabis cultivation by other parties attracted to a project thats already obtained permits and licenses.

You know, weve got the money lined up to close, were ready to close, Mensing told the board Tuesday. If were fortunate enough to get a green light to negotiate an agreement, well close in the relatively near future.

On Friday, a sale of the mall property for $8 million was recorded. The seller was Durga Property Holdings Inc., which has owned the mall since 2019. The buyer is Mehran Namiri-Kalantari of Santa Monica, Calif., according to records filed with the Northern Berkshire Registry of Deeds.

It is not clear from available property records what the relationship is, if any, between Namiri-Kalantari and JMJ Holdings Corp.

Local officials said this week that residents of Lanesborough will have chances to comment on the project down the road, including at a required community outreach meeting that is not yet scheduled, as well as at public hearings during requested zoning reviews.

The board indicated that it had received and reviewed a copy of a purchase-and-sale agreement between JMJ Holdings Corp. and the malls current owner.

When asked, Mensing confirmed that the agreement calls for the current owner to hold a mortgage for half of the sales price. He said that kind of financing was preferable to rates available elsewhere. Property records reviewed Friday by The Eagle show that a $4 million mortgage agreement was part of the transaction.

Mensing said the corporation plans to prepare space for cultivation, including the acquisition of licenses for manufacturing and distribution from the state Cannabis Control Commission.

I am a pretty risk-averse guy by nature, Mensing said. I am very confident that we can get really responsible operators in there for the [spaces] were going to sell. I know myself. I know our team. We are committed we have industry experience, we have operational experience.

The corporations president and treasurer is Steven Jones, according to records with the Secretary of States Office. Joseph Jones serves as a director, and Mensing as secretary. Mensing told Lanesborough officials his law practice focuses on the cannabis industry. He holds an ownership interest in a retail cannabis facility in Holyoke.

The group would seek to find a buyer or buyers for spaces within the mall, once they are staged for operation, and use proceeds from those deals to cover the cost of a continued buildout of the old retail space, particularly the former homes of Sears and Macys.

Ive helped buy and sell, I think, 16 licenses now. So its something that the state allows, Mensing said.

We would aim to sell the Sears and the Macys, with basically however much indoor cultivation canopy and manufacturing space they could accommodate, he said.

He said the outer appearance of the mall would not change dramatically after a conversion into cannabis farming. Its going to look largely the same, with a little bit of beautification. You know, probably take the Berkshire Mall sign down, just so we dont get someone knocking on the door saying, Hey, I want to go to wherever ...

The corporation would line up water supplies for cannabis cultivation and consider installing solar panels on the sprawling mall roof system, to supply power for energy-hungry indoor cultivation.

By seeking to acquire licenses for cannabis operations, the corporation would enable companies interested in entering the industry to save time. Its usually about 18 to 24 months to opening day, Mensing said. The value added is that wed be saving them about 12 months towards their opening day.

The company itself would not grow cannabis, at least at first. Mensing said it would apply for a transporter license, essentially serving as a distributor, and then a manufacturing license.

Malls recent days

Built in 1988, the Berkshire Mall closed in 2019, though Target continues to operate on land it owns. Once Regal Cinemas closed in February, Target was the only business open in the 16.5-acre center off Cheshire Road.

A community outreach meeting is planned for August or September, followed by public hearings related to permitting for any new businesses proposed by the holding company.

Mensing told Lanesborough officials the town would gain from the creation of 100 new jobs, with a local hiring preferred, along with revitalization of an underutilized property.

Select Board Chairman John W. Goerlach had several questions about the indoor growing, including odors. Mensing said activated charcoal filters are used to address odor issues. The other mechanism that is in the growers best interest is to grow [the plants] in a room within a room, said Mensing. For this practice, the malls design would be useful, he said.

If odors get out, that means pests, pathogens, mold, etc., are getting in. In Sears, for example, theres room enough and the ceilings are high enough to put a modular system with insulated panels that have their own climate control, Mensing said.

By locating the cultivation in the former Sears and Macys spaces, the facility would be distant from Target and not step on anyones toes.

Select Board member Tim Sorrell, the towns former police chief, asked about security. Mensing said state requirements for cannabis facilities are strict. These facilities are more secure than banks or pharmacies. They have to have redundant security systems, he said.

I have a client out in Arizona who got a letter from the sheriff saying, Thank you for opening a store. Criminals in the vicinity know that block is a no-crime zone, because theyre going to get caught on that facilitys cameras, said Mensing. The only facilities that are more secure than these places are places that store uranium.

One town resident attending the meeting Tuesday felt that the process was being rushed and asked the board to hold off on a vote.

The board considered delaying a decision, but Mensing said that could jeopardize the project.

Henry Hank Sayres, a former board member, commented that it could be hard to secure local support, saying Lanesborough residents are attached to the idea of reviving the mall.

As town residents, you cant buy [much] around here, you have to go to Albany, you have to go to Holyoke, Sayres said.

Mensing, who lives in Holliston, described himself as a true believer of cannabis, which he argued did not deserve the stigma.

I always tell folks, if you wonder what a stoner looks like, this is what a stoner looks like. Ive smoked weed for 25 years, every day. I have three graduate degrees. Ive started eight businesses in the last four years, and I have two lovely children, he said.

Before securing the boards agreement to negotiate a host agreement, Mensing said he is confident the project will advance.

Really, what were asking for is just a chance to try. As I said, businesses fail and succeed. All the time. Nothings a guarantee, he said. I feel confident that we can be really successful in a compliant manner, to partner with the town to give back. ... We still have to go through the rest of the municipal process and state process and show that we know what were doing.
A sign at the corporate campus of Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, in Menlo Park, Calif.
In this weekend's campaign notebook, Berkshire District Attorney candidate Timothy Shugrue receives his first formal endorsement from the State Police Association of Massachusetts.
Here is how to register and vote in Massachusetts for upcoming elections
Human beings are religious by nature.

I know. That may be hard to believe, given the state of our world and the rapid breakdown of some of our most important institutions, traditions, and cultural norms. However, while many people claim to have no affiliation with or interest in organized religion, a vast majority of the worlds population still identifies with some form of religion or faith.

But why is that?

As human beings made in the image of God, we have been created with a longing to know and connect with our Creator. We seek answers to the mysteries of life, we crave meaning, order, and purpose, and we yearn for an eternity that God has placed in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11; Acts 17:26-28).

Unfortunately, many people look to satisfy these longings and answer these questions apart from the God of the Bible, whether through other religions, human leaders, secular ideologies, or their own works. And there is no shortage of god imitations and false or misleading ideas about God, salvation, and eternity in the world.

Then there are those who say they believe in God but struggle to actually embrace the tenets of the Christian faith or practices for godly living outlined in the Bible. Christian in name only, they are the ones who claim to be people of faith, just not really religious.

Of course, there are many who also have walked away from God and religion altogether after being hurt, lied to, or taken advantage of by religious leaders or those claiming to be Christian.

Bad faith, bad theology, and bad religion are everywhere.

Many Have Rejected Religion

Even the religious leaders of Jesus day had become so fastidious and legalistic in their religious practices and adherence to the Law of Moses that they neither knew God nor understood the heart behind His commandments. And they certainly had no love for Jesus or the ones He came to save. They had turned what was meant to bless and guide Gods people into a cudgel of works-based religion, not genuine, joy-filled relationship with God the Father.

But while its true that many have walked away from Christianity and religion because of fake, insincere, legalistic, or unpleasant Christians, the imperfections and actions of other believers will not justify their rejection of Jesus Christ as lord and savior on the day of judgment.

Make no mistake. Many have rejected God and continue to live in sin, hiding their rebellion behind the behavior of imperfect Christians or lies about God.

Furthermore, just because someone claims to not be religious doesnt mean they too dont have a worldview or belief system that guides their actions. If anything, those who have rejected God have merely replaced Him with another form of worship, be it pleasure, money, politics, activism, other leaders and celebrities, or even themselves.

Should We Focus on a Relationship, or Religion?

Fair or not, there are many reasons why religion, like tradition, has fallen out of favor in the world.

For this reason, practicing Christians will often try and distance themselves from the stigma of bad religion or being seen as religious.

One of the ways they do this is by approaching their faith more as a relationship with God than an actual religion.

But is this approach actually necessary or even biblical?

Yes and no.

According to Merriam Websters dictionary, the word religion defines, the service and worship of God or the supernatural, a commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance, or a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.

At its core, there is nothing inherently problematic with this definition as it summarizes the theology, faith, practices, and worship of Christians around the world.

When approached biblically, a healthy religious life will involve life-giving traditions, practices, disciplines, habits, and rituals that lead the individual into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. To know and be known by God is at the heart of the Christian life (Galatians 4:9).

Christians are entirely correct, therefore, to cherish and promote the intimate relationship God desires with humans as the cornerstone of their faith and one of the most important distinctions between Christianity and other world religions.

The Christian faith, unlike most religions, is not a works-based faith. It is centered around the goodness and grace of God and His grace alone.

When faith becomes more about things we must do to get to heaven or earn Gods love and favor, Christianity, like any religion, can become lifeless and legalistic.

That every Christian has been given the assurance of their eternal salvation (John 3:16; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 5:6-11), access to God through the work of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19-22; John 14:6), and the ability to walk in freedom and the authority of the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 4:10-11; 2 Corinthians 3:5) is the eternal message of hope that Christians rightly celebrate and proclaim.

However, several issues can arise when Christians remove religion from their faith altogether.

Why Do We Feel the Need to Separate from Religion?

The question we must ask ourselves is: what is it about religion were so desperate to break away from?

Is it tradition? Ritual? Discipline? Sanctification? The label of being all in or sold out? These are not things Christians should be quick to reject.

Religion, in and of itself, also doesnt have to be legalistic, cold, or disconnected from a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ.

Unfortunately, when Christians fear being labeled as religious, dogmatic, or radical, they may inevitably distance themselves from important biblical traditions, disciplines, and practices encouraged by God to grow their faith and deepen their relationship with Him.

They may neglect worship, liturgy, communion, tithing, giving, prayer, evangelism, fellowship, and other important practices to avoid the appearance of being too spiritual or too religious.

They may also compromise their values, change their speech or behavior, or abandon biblical truths to fit in or avoid ridicule and criticism.

Unfortunately, the fear of being called religious or even too Christian has led many Christians to abandon any semblance of actually being Christian to the outside world.

Christians Are Called to Be Different

Christians must remember, however, that they are called to be holy and set apart from by nature of their relationship with Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 12:2; John 15:19; 1 Peter 1:13-16).

Like it or not, their life will be different. They will stand out and make waves in the world. They are supposed to.

Jesus reminded His followers that, you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16).

Likewise, to the lukewarm, uncommitted believer, the apostle John wrote that, in the last days, Jesus will turn to them and say, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16).

Christians must hold, therefore, to the promise that, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17). This goes in tandem with the command that we are not to, be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).

A deeper relationship with Christ is the ultimate goal of the Christian faith. When grounded in biblical truth, a Christians faith will incorporate practices, traditions, and disciplines that others may characterize as religious.

Let them.

As the apostle Paul wrote to the church of Galatia, am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10).

Religion as God Intended

Spiritual disciplines, when biblically based, can help the believer grow in love, faith, strength, and purity. They can also become meaningless, legalistic, or harmful if taken out of context or applied without purpose.

In describing the Christian life, the apostle Paul wrote that, do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Christians should never be ashamed to pursue the kinds of meaningful, biblical practices that lead them into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. In fact, it is often the consistent habits, traditions, and daily disciplines grounded in Gods Word that produce greater character.

This is religion as God intended.

We must, therefore, ask ourselves: would we rather be rejected by the world for our genuine faith and commitment to Christ, or be separated from God for eternity for refusing to acknowledge Him before men (Matthew 10:32-33)?

Furthermore, when Christians approach their faith as a relationship, they must be clear about what kind of relationship they seek as it aligns with the kind of relationship God desires.

An improper or unbiblical understanding of who God is, as He has revealed Himself in Scripture, will inevitably lead to a misaligned faith or strained relationship.

With a proper foundation and biblical framework, however, Christians can enjoy the benefits of both a vibrant religious life and a genuine, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. They need not choose between one or the other when both approaches help them grow closer to their Heavenly Father, first love, and the God of their salvation.

Photo credit: SparrowStock

Joel Ryan is a childrens book author, writing professor, and contributing writer for Crosswalk, Christianity.com, Stand Firm Mens Magazine, and others. He is passionate about telling great stories, defending biblical truth, and helping writers of all ages develop their craft. Joel discusses, analyzes, and appreciates the great writings of the past and present on his website, Perspectives off the Page.
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
CAIRO (AP)  Egyptian prosecutors are denying allegations of torture and ill-treatment leveled by a prominent imprisoned activist and claim he is in good condition, years after the allegations were made.

For nearly 10 days, Alaa Abdel-Fattah's family members say they have not heard from him and have been told by prison officials he's refusing to meet with them. Amnesty International has urged Egyptian authorities to allow the family access to the 40-year-old programmer and father serving a five-year sentence.

He was sentenced in December on charges of spreading false news, a charge often used to sentence opposition and pro-democracy activists in Egypt. His family says he has been on hunger strike since April to protest his detention and has voiced serious concerns for his health.

His imprisonment has come to symbolize the broad crackdown on dissent that has targeted not only Islamists from the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood but also secular activists, economists, writers and others under the government of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

A statement released late Thursday by the Public Prosecution Office said a senior prosecutor was dispatched on Wednesday to Wadi el-Natrun Prison to investigate nearly three-year-old claims that Abdel-Fattah was beaten and denied basic rights. Abdel-Fattah's complaints stem from when he was previously held at the Tora prison complex in southern Cairo.

After examining Abdel-Fattah, the prosecutor concluded that he showed no marks of torture, the statement said.

The inmate is in good health and a doctor examines him regularly, along with other inmates. He never had any health complaint, read the statement.

Abdel-Fattah's sister, Mona Seif, wrote on Twitter that the prosecutor's statement provides the family with proof that her brother is alive.

That is the most important update now, she said.

His aunt, award winning novelist Ahdaf Soueif, cast doubt on the seriousness of the prosecutors investigation.

They are examining Alaa and concluding that they cannot see any signs of beatings that actually took place two years and nine months ago, she wrote on Twitter.

Abdel-Fattah, an outspoken dissident, rose to prominence during the 2011 pro-democracy uprisings that toppled longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak and has spent most of the past decade behind bars.

His family has filed multiple complaints since 2019 about him being denied access to books, exercise time outside his cell, regular visits and proper medical care. In May, authorities transferred him from Tora Prison to the newly-inaugurated Wadi el-Natrun prison, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Cairo.

Earlier this year, Abdel-Fattah gained British citizenship through his mother, Laila Soueif, a math professor at Cairo University who was born in London. The family said at the time they sought a British passport for Abdel-Fattah as a way out of his impossible ordeal. The family has been asking authorities to grant him access to a consular visit.

On Friday, the U.K. Foreign Office said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss raised Abdel-Fattahs case during a meeting with her Egyptian counterpart earlier this month in London. It said Britain is working to secure his release and called on Egyptian authorities to ensure his welfare needs are met while in prison.
Xi talks with Iranian president over phone

Xinhua) 08:51, July 30, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi.

Xi pointed out that at present, facing changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation, adding that the aspirations of people of all countries for development and security have become more urgent, and the call for international equity and justice has grown only stronger.

In the face of complicated international situation, he noted that China and Iran have strengthened solidarity and cooperation, enhanced their common interests and safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

China views its relations with Iran from a strategic perspective and stands ready to work with Iran to push for new progress in the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, he said.

Xi stressed that the two sides should continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, as well as uphold non-interference in others' internal affairs, a basic norm in international relations.

He called on the two sides to maintain close communication on the implementation of the comprehensive cooperation plan between the two countries, actively promote practical cooperation in key areas, keep up with anti-pandemic cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination in regional and international affairs.

The Chinese side has always supported Middle East countries in solving regional security problems in unity and coordination, and supported the people in the region in exploring their development path independently, Xi said, adding that China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Iran within such frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

China appreciates Iran's active support for the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and is ready to work with Iran to promote the implementation of the initiatives and push for the development of the international order towards a more just and rational direction.

Raisi noted that Iran and China jointly celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year, and that bilateral cooperation has seen important progress over the past 50 years.

He believed that bilateral ties will realize even higher levels of development in the future with joint efforts of both sides, the Iranian leader added.

It is a priority and key part of Iran's established foreign policy to firmly deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China, the president said.

Both Iran and China oppose hegemonism and unilateralism, and reject interference in other countries' internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions and double standards, Raisi noted, adding that Iran firmly upholds the one-China policy and supports China in safeguarding its core interests.

Iran highly appreciates China's important and active role in international and regional affairs, and supports the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, he said.

His country is ready to conduct close communication and coordination with China for the purpose of safeguarding international fairness and justice, defending shared interests of developing countries, and promoting regional and world peace, security and development, Raisi added.

(Web editor: Liu Ning, Bianji)
Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.
The statistics also showed 39 per cent of managers who changed jobs in the year left their industry entirely to go to a new occupation. Loading The trend was even more pronounced for sales workers  53 per cent of workers who left a sales job went to another industry in the past year. A PricewaterhouseCoopers report What workers want  The future of work, based on a survey undertaken in September and October last year, revealed a sizeable gap between what workers want and what senior leaders believe their workers want. While money was the top-ranked priority, a close second among the workers surveyed was wellbeing.

Remuneration  its not everything. I would much rather have a happy family life and watch my kids grow up, Beaumont said. I have taken a financial hit, but it was well worth it. But for Behroz Hassan Ali Poul, the money made a difference. He was a highly-educated scientist who realised before the pandemic hit that white-collar employment did not necessarily mean higher job satisfaction or even extra income. Poul, 34, completed eight years of tertiary education to become a molecular geneticist. He decided to stop being a scientist and is now painting daily for his own business in Tambourine Mountain, QLD.

When a painter is making more money than a scientist, then there is something really wrong there. If I was supporting myself on $60,000 to $70,000  okay... but it is hard when you have a wife and kids, he said. He said the annual income for a painting business can be $250,000 to $300,000. And getting his hands dirty with manual labour means less mental stress than before. In the lab, it wasnt physically hard, but you are constantly thinking 10 to 15 times more. Genetics is a very, very complicated field. Anyone can pick up a brush and paint and fill some gaps. Just not anybody can go in the lab and do genetics. It is a specialised field. I loved it, but unfortunately, the money is not there, he said. Poul also said grant funding arrangements make it tough to keep working in science.

Money has the final say. Researchers in areas immediately get affected depending on the grants. There is a limited amount of funding that the government has to distribute towards these things, he said. I got into science because I believed all these things. I believed you can do better and change the world. Now that Im older, would you rather spend your time trying to change the world or provide for your immediate family? I am doing the complete opposite of what I set out to do. Is it right? I dont know. But if I dont struggle today for my childrens future, they wont get anywhere either. Jeff Borland, an economics professor at the University of Melbourne said part of the reason why the ABS had found such strong job mobility was that COVID had frozen the labour market. So a lot of people who might have been intending to switch jobs in 2020 werent able to do that. Some of what we saw in the year to February 2022 therefore is likely to have been these workers who were delayed in their job switching during 2020, now being able to do that, he said. Borland said workers always switch industries when labour market conditions are strong.

Work by Treasury, for example, has shown that the biggest wage increases at the moment are being achieved by people who switch jobs. In the mid-2000s, when labour demand was also strong, in that case due to the mining boom, we saw an even higher rate of workers switching between jobs, he said. Beyond the people who shifted jobs, the data shows a rise in people taking on extra work too. Secondary jobs increased by 33 per cent over the 2020-21 financial year, from a low in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the June quarter of 2020. By June quarter 2021 they were 9 per cent above pre-pandemic levels, Bjorn Jarvis, head of Labour Statistics at the ABS, said in September. Hayley, 39, from NSW, had been working as a high-level executive assistant for 20 years. When her office hours were reduced to part-time, she started working as an Uber Eats delivery driver for a few hours a week and on the weekends. The masthead spoke to several Uber drivers and delivery workers who had previously maintained professional employment and were now supplementing or replacing their income thanks to the Uber platform but all declined to provide their full names.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the July 31 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. How to celebrate a 40th birthday? From a big bash and climbing a mountain to eating a sausage in bread in the park, 14 women tell how they marked the occasion. Catriona Rowntree Television presenter Credit:GK Photogtaphy I had a wonderful 40th. I returned to the place I went with my husband for our first date  Taronga Zoo, when I was around 29 or 30  with my two children in tow. That night we had a really fantastic dinner party with my closest friends. We just laughed our heads off and had a really great time. Sally Hepworth Author

Advertisement

Sally Hepworth There was a three-week period where we opened up between COVID-19 lockdowns, and in those three weeks, my two best girlfriends and me all had our 40th birthdays. And all three of us had girls-only lunches at our homes, which is really indicative of who we are in the sense that we dont like men, we dont like going out of our homes, we only like each other, and we love getting drunk in the security of our own homes. So I had a caterer come in, I had this glorious bunch of women who are all at different life stages: some of them had kids who had just left home, and they were becoming empty-nesters, and others had just had their first baby. One of my girlfriends was sitting there drinking wine and pumping bottles of breast milk at the table. Loading And eventually two people fell asleep, one of my friends with her face in her dinner. And  this is what I love about women getting older  this [other] friend, shes around 50 so has had lots of good life experience, she doesnt fall asleep with her face in her dinner any more. She went to the couch and procured a cushion, and then she leaned back in her chair and had it behind her head, and she just fell asleep like that. And I just thought, We know how to do it now that were 40! And I thought, This is just a good, good night. Sally Obermeder Television presenter and author Sally Obermeder.

Advertisement

It was a bit of a let-down, as I was in the midst of my cancer treatment. So, it was a non-event, so to speak. I think I was very much like, Im happy to be here. Lets see where I go from here. It was definitely not the 40th I was expecting, but also, in a way, despite what was happening, it was still one full of a lot of gratitude. Taryn Brumfitt Writer/body image activist I had a bunch of friends say, Weve all chipped in. You can go anywhere you want to go, business class: New York, London, Paris. What do you want to do? And I was like, I just want to go to a park and eat a sausage in bread. Because I spend so much time on planes, I just wanted to go to my local park. And thats exactly what I ended up doing. And I was so happy. Narelda Jacobs Television journalist

Advertisement

Credit:Tane Coffin For my 40th, I wanted to climb a mountain. So my girlfriend at the time and I went to Bali to climb Mount Agung, which is probably the most dangerous mountain to climb because theres no safety. So I spent several hours  it was about an eight-hour experience  just terrified. I seriously thought I was going to die on my 40th birthday, but it taught me a lot about myself: that I can keep going and climb a mountain. I just wanted to conquer something, to achieve something, on my 40th that I hadnt done before. Kathy Lette Author Credit: Well, as usual, I swung off a chandelier with a cocktail between my teeth. Women need to celebrate every milestone because, when you have children, you take the burnt chop, you never get the window seat, you always put yourself last. Youre tethered to the kitchen by your apron strings and your heartstrings  Youre psychologically tethered. So anytime you get to celebrate just being you, dont feel guilty. Women have a guilt gland. Our guilt glands throb all the time as mothers  we never think were good enough. If were working mothers, we think we should be at home doing creative things with Play-Doh. If were stay-at-home mums, we think we should be out, striding the world stage with venture capital portfolios tucked up each sleeve. We just feel guilty all the time  and guilt is the gift that just keeps on giving. So never, ever feel guilty about celebrating your life and your sisterhood. Because my whole theme in life is that women are each others human Wonderbras  uplifting, supportive and making each other look bigger and better. Yumi Stynes

Advertisement

Presenter and author Credit: I cant even remember. Ive never been one for big birthday bashes and I particularly dont like that kind of attention that you get on your birthday when everyone sort of looks at you and theyre like, So, happy birthday! And youre like, Can you please stop, stop saying that! So, I dont know. I probably had a dinner or something, but it was nothing big. Lisa Cox Author and disability advocate Credit:Getty Images My 40th was last year, so I had grand plans to have a celebration in Europe. Obviously, that didnt happen [due to COVID-19]. My husband still made it special. He set up our apartment: he put Venice in one corner. We had drinks in Venice, then went and had drinks in my office, in Paris and Berlin. So I still went to Europe. It certainly wasnt as I had planned or hoped, but nothing in my life really is, so that was how I spent my 40th. It was still a really, really great day.

Advertisement
Australians have been warned about using increasingly popular pay advance services over concerns they may be exposing themselves to excessive debt and unregulated products.

Pay advance services offer workers access to their pay ahead of time, with users able to withdraw anywhere between $50 to $2000, which they then repay  along with a flat rate or a percentage fee  to the lender come payday. The services operate similar to payday lending, albeit with fewer fees and shorter repayment timeframes.

Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones has said Labor will look to regulate buy now, pay later services and pay advance industry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

A number of large pay advance companies have sprung up recently, including Australian Securities Exchange-listed Beforepay, MyPayNow, and Commonwealth Banks AdvancePay. Their number of customers has been rising, spurred on by a surging cost of living and higher interest rates.

However, despite their growing popularity, cash-strapped workers have been warned to avoid these services.
Ghost house owners on the NSW south coast could find themselves facing higher rates if they keep their properties empty as councils attempt to address the regional housing crisis.

It comes after Eurobodalla mayor Mathew Hatcher sent letters to owners of unoccupied houses last month, which he said had identified dozens of possible homes that could ease the regions housing crisis, but local real estate agents say the initiative has not made a noticeable difference to the rental market.

Currarong is a key holiday destination in the Shoalhaven.

Shoalhaven mayor Amanda Findley said the situation was so dire, however, that even if their similar letter were to push just a dozen houses onto the long-term rental market, it would help. Shoalhaven is home to almost 13,000 ghost houses  about 22 per cent of the regions homes are unoccupied. Rental vacancy rates in the area have fallen from 5.1 per cent in 2019 to just 0.9 per cent last month.

Findley said the council was also considering other urgent ways to make more housing available, including by possibly increasing council rates for empty houses, to make investing in short-term accommodation less attractive. She said there were 4,000 properties in the Shoalhaven listed for short-term accommodation.
The evacuation of hundreds of residents from a newly built high-rise tower on Christmas Eve 2018, amid fears it was about to collapse, was a wake-up call for the NSW government. People fled the 36-storey Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park after hearing loud noises and finding large cracks in walls and floors.

Seven months later the Berejiklian government appointed construction expert David Chandler to lead the charge to clean up the building industry, and he took on the job with wave-making gusto. His departure in November, as announced this week, must not mark the end of the governments efforts to reform the sector and ensure buyers are protected as much as possible from shoddy workmanship.

The 36-storey Opal Tower was found to have structural defects. Credit:Peter Rae

As Greens MLC David Shoebridge says in this weeks Sun-Herald, the reform effort cant be dependent on the energy and personality of a single appointment. There should be hundreds of people doing his job. The government must establish a permanent building commission to build on Chandlers work and to ensure continued oversight of the construction industry, as recommended in February by the upper house inquiry into the regulation of building standards.

Chandler has used his time as building commissioner to make significant improvements to the way the industry is regulated. Reforms have included more training, more audits, the registration of engineers and greater requirements for detail before developers are issued construction certificates.
Nestled at the boundary between Camden council and Wollondilly Shire council sits a gaping hole in the road caused by the fourth flooding of south-west Sydney in just six months.

The hole formed on July 6 after the reopening of a key bridge over the Nepean river, cutting off surrounding Cobbitty residents from a direct path to schools and workplaces and leaving them with a 45-minute detour to get to the other side.

Damage caused by flood waters which demolished part of the Cobbitty bridge, severing an arterial road between Cobbitty and Camden. Credit:Dean Sewell

Unlike previous times the bridge has closed, the cause isnt floodwater obscuring the bridge itself, but a landslide after the road reopened  nearly taking one resident, his child and new car with it.

Wollondilly resident Debbie Zarbalis is frustrated with a lack of transparency about when the bridge will reopen and argues the hole was bound to occur at some point due to a lack of maintenance.
After the United States Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v Wade ended the decades-long constitutional right to an abortion in America, womens rights advocates mobilised to highlight the ongoing struggle for many women to access terminations. In Australia, abortion is decriminalised in all states and territories except Western Australia, where terminations after 20 weeks must be approved by an ethics panel. Loading Access to both surgical and medical abortions - those obtained using RU486, a two-tablet course of misoprostol and mifepristone, listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for $42.50 - has been described as a postcode lottery, with rural and regional women particularly disadvantaged. Obtaining a medical abortion through a telehealth service from a doctor who mails out the pills, including wrap-around care from nurses and social workers, costs about $350. A surgical abortion starts at $620 and can cost as much as $8000 for those without a Medicare card or in cases of late-stage pregnancy.

The vast majority of hospitals do not do terminations, Allison said. There is still stigma attached to abortion. Were afraid to talk about it. Senators Lyn Allison, Judith Troeth, Fiona Nash and Claire Moore won support across the Parliament for their RU486 private members bill in 2006. Credit:Andrew Taylor While women often felt alone when seeking a termination, she said, an estimated one in four would need one in their lifetime. Troeth, who was a farmer in Western Victoria before entering politics, said she was particularly conscious of the obstacles that women in rural areas face. Often, if theres only one or two GPs in a small town, everyone knows who goes to the doctor and its much more visible than it is in the city, she said.

For many rural women, accessing RU-486 required travelling to a larger town or major city and, for some, thats out of the question. Loading Last week, Labor womens caucus chair Sharon Claydon vowed to lobby for change across party lines, while Minister for Women Katy Gallagher has agreed to work with states and territories on harmonising legislation and Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney is tasked with improving access through the National Womens Health Strategy 2020-30. But the topic remains sensitive and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been hesitant to discuss the Commonwealths role, describing abortion in hospitals as a state issue and abandoning a policy from Labors 2019 election campaign to tie it to federal funding. Allison said that men - including the conservative, religious type - were overrepresented in the parliament and the struggle to improve womens access to abortion was about male control.

Really, this should ought to be a decision just for women in the parliament, she said. Then-Democrats leader Lyn Allison (back) shares a drink with then-Liberal senator Judith Troeth to celebrate their RU486 bills passing on February 16, 2006. Credit:Chris Lane Once the RU486 bill had passed the Senate in 2006, it went back to the House of Representatives where the four women worked to secure support from across their parties, including from male MPs, before it went to a conscience vote. The party leadership did not expect us to get it up in the Senate, Troeth recalled. They thought it would fail. Getting the support of the House seemed an even bigger hurdle, she said, but after countless hours of advocacy, it sailed through.

I was astounded and delighted when so many of the younger men chose to vote for it, Troeth said. It was a great moment. Now, she said, it was time to ensure that women around the country could access treatment. MSI Australia, the nations largest private provider, has called for new Medicare item numbers to cover the full cost of medical and surgical terminations and a national abortion access taskforce, while its non-profit subsidiary MS Health is pushing for nurse practitioners and midwives to be able to prescribe RU486. Under current national rules, medical abortions can be performed by doctors in the first nine weeks of pregnancy, but fewer than 10 per cent of Australian GPs are registered to prescribe the abortion pills. Troeth and Allison support both proposals for reform. We need to press on with it, Troeth said.
Lessors have approached the aviation regulator to deregister of low-cost airline SpiceJet.



The deregistration request filed by leasing firm Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) against three 737 was made after the airline failed to pay lease rentals, documents reviewed by Business Standard showed.



The - VT-SYW, VT-SYX and VT-SYY were former aircraft which had taken in 2019 after Jet's closure.



The deregistration request has been filed under Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisations, or IDERA and is usually filed when payment negotiations between a lessor and airline fail.



After the lessor files a request under IDERA, the checks if the aircraft has any pending dues from tax authorities and airports, and if none are found, the de-registration is allowed.



The government has been trying to improve ease of doing business for lessors in order to attract them to India. As part of that faster deregistration process by the regulator has been one of the demands from lessors, many of whom are backed by top global banks.



has been facing a cash crunch and has struggled to make payments to vendors leading to a lack of spares, an audit by found in September last year.



Over the last one month, the airline faced multiple technical snags, forcing the regulator to order the airline to cut its flights by 50 per cent. It has also heightened surveillance on the safety culture of the airline and is doing spot checks on the airline's fleet.



The order, however, will have negligible impact on the business of the airline as it has already been operating flights at less than 50 per cent of its capacity due to lack of funds and lean travel season.
A Dubai-based lessor of Ltd has asked India's regulator to deregister three of the budget airline's planes as struggles with high costs and maintenance challenges.

The United Arab Emirates aeronautics firm AWAS did not specify why it was seeking to deregister the three Boeing 737s in Friday's notification, published by India's regulator.

told Reuters it was returning older aircraft in a phased manner, including these three aircraft, as a part of modernization plan.

"These returns have been planned and will not have any impact on our operations," a company spokesman said by email. SpiceJet returned 12 old Boeing aircraft to lessors last year, the statement said.

AWAS did not immediately reply to a email seeking comment.

India's director general of civil on Wednesday ordered SpiceJet to halve its departures for eight weeks after technical problems raised safety concerns.

Lessors typically apply for deregistration when lease agreements are terminated for reasons including nonpayment of lease rentals.

AWAS filed its request under Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisations provisions, which are typically filed after payment negotiations between a lessor and airline fail.

(Reporting by Aditi Shah; Writing by Aftab Ahmed in New Delhi; Editing by William Mallard)

(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.)
(Reuters) - India's Ltd said on Friday it will sell up to 10% stake to U.S. private equity firms Inc and for $1.1 billion.

will raise the funds through a combination of about $640 million in shares and about $475 million in share warrants, the private lender said in a statement.

will offer 3.69 billion shares to affiliates of and Advent for 13.78 Indian rupees ($0.1737) apiece.

The company will also issue 2.56 billion share warrants at a price of 14.82 Indian rupees ($0.1868) per warrant to both the investors.

Earlier this month, Yes Bank said it would seek to raise about $1 billion in this financial year as it exits a reconstruction plan after two years.

The company also selected an asset reconstruction firm belonging to private equity firm JC Flowers as the base bidder for the sale of bad loans worth 480 billion Indian rupees ($6.05 billion)

($1 = 79.3360 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)

(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 on Friday told the Lok Sabha that about 20,000 have returned from Ukraine, as per the data provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Minister of State for Health, Bharati Pravin Pawar said that as per information received from MEA, the Indian Embassy in Kiev has communicated with all the concerned universities in Ukraine for providing transcript and other documents in a smooth manner to the students.

All details have been provided on the website of the Embassy to assist students to address any related issues.

The eligibility Requirement for Taking Admission in an Undergraduate Medical Course in a Foreign Medical Institution Regulation, 2002 provides for that any Indian citizen overseas intending to obtain primary medical qualification from any medical institution outside India, on or after May 2018, shall have to mandatorily qualify the Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to MBBS course.

The result of the NEET shall be deemed to be treated as the Eligibility Certificate for such persons and no separate permission required from NMC.

Therefore, data of students going abroad to pursue MBBS is not maintained centrally. Foreign Medical Students/Graduates are either covered under "Screening Test Regulations, 2002" or "Foreign Medical Graduate Licentiate Regulations, 2021".

There are no such provisions in the Indian Medical Council Act 1956 and the Medical Commission Act, 2019 as well as the Regulations to accommodate or transfer medical students from any foreign medical institutes to Indian medical colleges.

No permission has been given by the NMC to transfer or accommodate any foreign medical students in any Indian medical institute.

--IANS

miz/pgh

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Centre has taken steps to provide 4G mobile services soon to about 534 uncovered villages in remote and difficult terrains, Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said on Saturday.

The move is part of the nationwide project to provide 4G mobile services in 24,680 uncovered villages at a cost of Rs 26,316 crore.

Speaking to reporters here, Murugan said under this programme the infrastructure of BSNL will be improved and marketing network will be strengthened. "Both BSNL and MTNL are on a growth path and are providing new connections every day," he said. He described it as a proud moment for the country in hosting the Chess Olympiad in Chennai. Also, the Minister hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring the victory of Droupadi Murmu, as the 15th President of India.

"The election of Murmu who hails from the Tribal community of Odisha is indeed a honour for the country as her victory comes at a time when the nation is celebrating the 75th Independence Day," 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.)
Aiming to boost revenue by reducing the price of alcohol and making the booze lovers kings, the new excise policy of the in which became operational from July 1, has come under the judicial scanner with those in the trade accusing the government of monopolising the liquor industry in favour of a "handful of entities".

However, the government claims the policy is aimed at keeping a stringent check on the smuggling of liquor from neighbouring states and is expecting revenue generation of Rs 9,647.85 crore, a spike of about Rs 2,600 crore from the previous fiscal year.

The new policy, approved by the cabinet last month, is applicable for nine months till March 31, 2023.

The petition filed by Akash Enterprises and other wholesale and retail vendors challenged the policy in the and Haryana High Court on the plea that it is an attempt to monopolise the liquor trade. It is pending before the court.

The petitioners pleaded that the government had issued a corrigendum whereby the maximum number of retail groups that can be allotted to an entity has been increased to five from three, which furthers the intent of monopolising the liquor industry into the hands of a few 'resourceful' bidders.

Contrary to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office told IANS that the new excise policy aims to break the mafia nexus in the liquor trade.

Joining issue, rebel AAP leader and now Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira said since Arvind Kejriwal has replicated the excise policy in by putting the liquor trade into the hands of the mafia and has robbed small contractors of their livelihood, there should be a similar CBI probe ordered against this policy in Punjab to bring out the truth.

"It is an irony that while Kejriwal is crying wolf in and issuing clean chits to his ministers accused of corruption with irrefutable evidence, his government in Punjab is orchestrating a malicious and vengeful vendetta campaign in the state against political opponents on baseless allegations of corruption," he said.

For consumers it has brought cheers with the reduction in the price.

The duties levied on liquor in the wholesale trade have been slashed by 25-60 per cent.

Also in the new policy no quota has been fixed for the sale of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer, which means vend owners can sell as much liquor as they can.

Trade insiders told IANS the policy has reduced the number of groups or clusters of liquor vends from about 750 in the last financial year to 177, with the aim to increase control over the liquor trade and tap optimum revenue.

Als, the government gave its nod to allot two special battalions of police to the excise department, in addition to the existing force, for keeping an effective vigil over the excise duty pilferage.

To encourage investment, a provision for a new distillery and brewery licence has been made in the policy for the production of malt spirit which has been done to encourage crop diversification and provide better remuneration to the farmers.

A government official familiar with the matter told IANS earlier that it was the liberal liquor policy of Chandigarh that was hitting neighbouring states the most, including Punjab.

The chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on several occasions had requested the Chandigarh administration to fix a quota for licensees and increase levies as these have been causing an annual revenue loss of Rs 200-Rs 300 crore to them owing to liquor smuggling.

They had argued that allocation of unlimited quota to a licencee in Chandigarh was promoting smuggling of liquor to nearby states.

"Now it is the liberal liquor policy of Punjab that is going to hit neighbouring states the most," added the official.

In Punjab, alcohol is the maximally abused substance by more than two million people, followed by tobacco which is consumed by more than 1.5 million people, finds the latest study by the Chandigarh-based Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

The abuse of opioids is by 1.7 lakh individuals, followed by cannabinoids as well as sedative-inhalant stimulants. The latter are largely a class of pharmacological or prescription drugs being used illicitly.

As per the State of Punjab Household Survey and statewide NCD STEPs Survey by the PGIMER, the projected number of overall substance use in Punjab is 15.4 per cent.

Coming out in support of the new liquor policy, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the government has targeted to generate Rs 9,600 crore as against Rs 6,200 crore in the last fiscal.

He said earlier liquor purchased from Haryana used to be sold in Punjab. "The days of the liquor mafia are over now," he added.

Responding to Delhi's lieutenant governor V.K. Saxena asking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to inquire into the government's excise policy, BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh said the AAP government's links with the liquor cartel would soon be exposed in Punjab too.

In Punjab also Kejriwal has tried to replicate the Delhi model which would soon be exposed, he added.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

vg/bg

(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.)
Flight prices have always been a major concern for middle-class families. While prices are exclusive and high for most airlines operating in India, India has come up with discounted fares across India for shorter aerial routes. The offer is available for bookings from July 28, 2022 to July 31, 2022 for travel between August 15, 2022 and December 31, 2022.

India's competitors SpiceJet, Vistara and Indigo are also offering reasonable rates for short trips, but nothing as low as Rs 1,499. The airlines continue to be among the most punctual airlines in the country, as reported by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

India Pay Day Sale 2022

You can book your flight now, and travel later anywhere between August 15 and December 31, 2022. The announcement was made on the official website (www.AirAsia.co.in), mobile and major booking platforms.

Currently, AirAsia is expanding its network to Lucknow with operations starting from August 5, 2022. It will offer direct flights to Bengaluru, Kolkata, Goa, Mumbai and Delhi. Besides, you can conveniently travel to Srinagar, Kochi, Guwahati and Hyderabad in one stop.

Regulations, Terms and Conditions on Pay Day Sale

The offer is only valid on (I5) flights and is non-transferable, and exchangeable for cash or other products. Since seats are limited, they may not be available for all dates, routes or flights. The limited inventory offer is available on a first-come-first-save basis. If the offer is sold out, regular fares will be featured for booking.
Security Advisor on Saturday urged leaders of various faiths to counter the radical forces trying to create animosity in the name of religion and ideology that adversely affects the country and has international ramifications.

He made these remarks at an interfaith conference - organised by the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC) - which passed a resolution advocating a ban on organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI) for pursuing a "divisive agenda" and indulging in "anti- activities".

The resolution also said that targeting any god, goddesses or prophets in discussions or debates by anyone should be condemned and dealt with as per law.

Addressing the gathering, Doval said there is a need to reach out to everyone to include them in this fight against radical forces and tell them that there is no place for hate and agitation against any religion in India.

Doval said efforts are required to sort out misunderstandings and make every religious body feel it is a part of India.

"Some people try to create animosity in the name of religion that adversely affects the entire country and also has ramifications internationally.

"We cannot be a mute spectator to this. To counter religious animosity, we have to work together and make every religious body feel part of India. In this, we sail and sink together," Doval said at the conference held in the backdrop of a number of incidents of religious discord in the country.

He exhorted the religious leaders to play a major role in improving the atmosphere of the nation.

"There is a need to create an emotion that we will not let the unity of the country be compromised. We have to develop a faith in every countryman's heart that each Indian is safe here. We have to organise, raise voice and rectify mistakes," Doval said.

He said that the country's loss is everyone's loss, so all will have to work in unison to protect it.

"Every religion of the country has contributed to the growth of the nation. It is our responsibility to correct this atmosphere. We have to think as to what kind of India we will give to our future generations. You (religious leaders) are the most capable and you have bigger responsibilities to shoulder," Doval said.

The aim of the conference was to have a rigorous discussion among the representatives of different faiths including Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jain on "rising religious intolerance", the organisers said.

The resolution passed by the interfaith conference proposed to create a new body, inclusive of all faiths, to spread the message of peace and harmony and fight against the radical forces.

It also advocated banning organisations like .

"Organisations like and any other such fronts, which have been indulging in anti- activities, pursuing a divisive agenda and creating discord amongst our citizens, must be banned and action should be initiated against them as per the law of the land," the resolution read.

The PFI, a radical Islamic outfit, has been on the radar of security agencies over its suspected role in several incidents of riots in the country.

"At the same time, we strongly recommend that any person or organisation found guilty with evidence of spreading hatred among the communities through any means must be acted upon as per the provisions of law," the resolution 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.)
will be celebrated in a subdued manner in due to a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, a circular said.

Invitees from other states, besides common people from Bihar, will not be allowed to enter the flag hoisting venues.

There will be no cultural events on the occasion except in Patna, the circular issued by the Cabinet Secretariat Department on Friday said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will unfurl the Flag at Gandhi Maidan on August 15.

NCC cadets can remain present in a restricted manner, and only seven-eight tableaux will be allowed to participate in the event in the state capital.

"Barring Patna, all commissioners and district magistrates will unfurl the Tricolour on their respective office premises. It is imperative to strictly follow preventive measures such as maintaining social distancing, wearing masks, sanitisation and avoiding large congregations during the hoisting of the Flag," it said.

Authorities have been asked to webcast the events so that people can watch them from their homes and large gatherings can be avoided, it 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.)
Amid the ongoing tussle between Arvind Kejriwal-led and Lieutenant General Vinai Kumar Saxena, the is now set to bring the old liquor policy back. The decision will be implemented from August 1 onwards once the current policy expires on July 31, 2022. The re-implementation of the old liquor policy is not only going to affect the private vendors in the national capital but will also have an impact on Delhiites. As many as 468 private liquor shops will be shut in the national capital from Monday onwards as the term of their licences will expire. The excise policy, introduced in November 2021, ran into rough weather after Saxena ordered a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). With the policy, the Delhi govt aimed to bring down corruption by handing over the sale of liquor to private players.

The strained ties between the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi worsened when Saxena held Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in-charge of the excise department, accountable. Right after this move, Delhi Chief Minister lashed out at the Centre, saying the Lieutenant Governor was making "false allegations" and leaders of the AAP were "not afraid of jail". The Lt Governor's move follows a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on the matter. The report, which officials said was submitted on July 8, accuses Sisodia of providing undue benefits to liquor vend licencees in lieu of "kickbacks" and "commissions" and the money being used in the recent Punjab elections. On July 25, the Delhi Congress staged a protest outside Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's residence here, demanding his resignation over alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses in the city government's excise policy. Congress leaders and workers gathered in Patparganj, holding banners and raised slogans against Sisodia and Chief Minister . Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar alleged that Sisodia, the minister in-charge of the Delhi government's excise department, is directly responsible for "corrupt deals" with liquor contractors.

With the re-implementation of the Delhi government's old liquor policy, both private and government agencies would operate the liquor stores. The four govt agencies include ---Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC), Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC), and Delhi Consumer's Cooperative Wholesale Store (DCCWS).

Under the old liquor policy, the had 864 liquor shops, 475 of which were run by the government agencies and 389 were run by private players. With the policy coming back, Delhi would once again witness 21 dry days as compared to 3 dry days in the new policy, with no discounts on alcohol.
Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding a probe into the Karuvannur Cooperative bank fraud in Kerala's Thrissur.

This cooperative bank is controlled by the CPI-M and reports now allege that those who had good connections in the party were able to get back their deposits, while a majority of the hapless depositors are running from pillar to post to get back their money.

"It's been a year since the fraud was detected when the bank was unable to pay depositors and the total loss is around Rs 300 crore. We are now hearing heart-wrenching stories of how the people suffered as they were unable to get money for their medical and educational needs," said Satheesan.

"It has come to light that it's just not the employees of the bank who were involved but it was the result of a large rooted conspiracy and hence a probe is needed. The ongoing police probe appears to be heading nowhere."

Early this week, tempers ran high one Philomina passed away as her family, whose money was locked in the scam-tainted co-op bank, could not bear her medical expenses.

To make matters worse, the local legislator who is also the State Higher Education Minister R. Bindhu went public stating that the matter was being given a political twist and that money was given to Philomina's family.

Philomina's son slammed the Minister saying they did not get the money. The minister is not fully updated on issues and what she said is not true, he added.

Satheesan, in his letter to Vijayan, has demanded that the government pass an Ordinance to strengthen the Deposit Guarantee Scheme, which at present is toothless and pledged full support of the Opposition to ensure that the Cooperative movement, which is the backbone of the rural economy is sustained.

There are also reports that things are not fine in over 100 in the state and the maximum number of such banks are in the state capital district.

--IANS

sg/shb/

(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 new Education Policy (NEP) is in sync with the nation's roots and has gained unprecedented acceptance from the entire country, Union Home Minister said on Friday.

Noting that the NEP is rooted in "Bharatiyata" while assimilating global perspective, Shah said the policy enriches knowledge and culture and is aligned with aspirations of the society.

"The purpose of education is to develop character, empathy, courage and prepare students to deal with challenges of life. Education can enable India to reach the pinnacle of success. Society is looking up to us with expectations and hope to make it happen. Our educational aspiration is not only for earning degrees and certificates but also to achieve global good," Shah said at an event on the completion of two years since the launch of NEP.

"The Education Policy is in sync with the roots of the nation and has gained unprecedented acceptance from the entire country. It has clearly stated that a robust public education system is the foundation of a thriving democratic nation. The purpose of NEP is to develop citizens who combine pride with global good with the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," he said.

The home minister also noted that NEP is an antidote to Macaulay's system of education designed to "colonise our minds".

"The is not just a policy document but a reflection of the aspirations of all the learners, academicians and citizens working in the education sector of India. Whether it is technical education, medical or law education, when we do not teach all these in Indian languages, we are able to use only 5 per cent by limiting the capabilities of the country. But when we teach in these subjects in Indian languages, we are able to utilise 100 per cent capacity of the country," Shah said.

"There is a close relationship between research and the education system in mother tongue. One who thinks in his own language can do well in research because his original thinking ability is developed in his own language. To make the country a research and development hub, it is very important to keep the thinking process of children in their mother tongue," he added.

Shah said NEP's main objective is to groom students who have a sense of national pride as well as world welfare and have the potential to become global citizens in true sense.

"One can acquire a good position in life through rote learning, but a person cannot gain respect. A person has to acquire eminence by increasing his memory, thinking, reasoning, analysis and the ability to take decisions...this is the purpose of NEP 2020," he added.

The NEP, approved by the Union cabinet in 2020, replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and was aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.

The home minister noted that the NEP is built on five main pillars - capacity enhancement, accessibility, quality, fairness and accountability.

"The benefit of India's knowledge and research should not be limited to India, but the whole world should receive it. This education policy is not a book but a library in itself," he said.

Shah launched a slew of initiatives in the education and skill development sector to mark the occasion.

The establishment of Indian Knowledge Systems-MIC programme for technology demonstration, introduction of 75 Bharatiya games in schools, launch of Kalashala initiative in 750 schools to promote and support local arts, partnership with Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) to provide upward mobility to students and help them attain higher education and more livelihood opportunities- opportunity to join the three-year degree programme are among these initiatives.

(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: Prime Minister on Saturday asked the state governments to clear power sector companies' dues which are estimated at around Rs 2.5 trillion. The Prime Minister regretted that the state governments are yet to clear subsidy commitments amounting to Rs 75,000 crore to power companies. About Rs 2.5 trillion of companies engaged in electricity generation and distribution are stuck, he said while speaking at the closing function of the 'Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya Power @2047' event.



A team of Indian scientists have found that the monkeypox virus strain circulating in the country is different from the strain that caused 'superspreader events' in Europe, leading to a global outbreak of the disease. The team from Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV), Pune, conducted genetic sequencing of two monkeypox cases from Kerala. The data showed that the virus strain present in the country is A.2, that was recently imported to India from the Middle East.

The does not plan to offer new financing to Sri Lanka, which is battling its worst economic crisis in decades, until the Indian Ocean nation has an adequate macroeconomic policy framework in place, the lender said. In a statement, the said needed to adopt structural reforms that focus on economic stabilisation and tackle the root causes of its crisis, which has starved it of foreign exchange and led to shortages of food, fuel and medicines.

and accused each other Friday of shelling a prison in a separatist region of eastern Ukraine, an attack that reportedly killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war who were captured after the fall of a key southern city in May. Both sides said the assault was premeditated with the aim of covering up atrocities. Separatist authorities and Russian officials said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded another 75.
Prime Minister on Friday discussed with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres the recent attack on UN mission personnel in Congo, in which two Indian peacekeepers were killed, and called for an expeditious investigation to bring the perpetrators of the incident to justice.

During their telephonic conversation, the two leaders discussed the recent attack on the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), in which the two Indian peacekeepers were killed.

Guterres offered his condolences to the families of the two slain Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel as well as to the government and the people of India, a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.

The UN secretary-general reiterated his unequivocal condemnation of the attack against MONUSCO and promised all possible action in conducting a speedy investigation, it added.

Modi urged Guterres to ensure an expeditious investigation to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

He underscored India's abiding commitment to UN peacekeeping, with more than 2.5 lakh Indian peacekeepers having served under missions so far, the statement said.

One hundred and seventy seven Indian peacekeepers have made the supreme sacrifice while serving in missions, the highest by any troop-contributing country, it said.

Modi also underscored India's unwavering support to peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where nearly 2,040 Indian soldiers are presently deployed at MONUSCO.

Two Border Security Force personnel, who were part of the mission in Congo, were killed on Tuesday during violent protests, a spokesperson for the force had said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said he was deeply grieved at the loss of the two valiant Indian peacekeepers and demanded that the perpetrators of the "outrageous attacks" must be held accountable and brought to justice.

(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 has written to members of Parliament, inviting them to form an all-party government to help the bankrupt country to recover from the worst .

The government is currently engaged in great efforts to gradually restore normalcy to the political and social unrest created by the that the country is facing today," Wickremesinghe said in the letter on Friday.

"Accordingly, initial plans required to implement a systematic economic programme are being formulated while preliminary measures are also being undertaken for the creation of economic stability, he added.

Wickremesinghe said a programme could only be implemented with the participation of all political parties represented in Parliament, expert groups and civil society.

He also proposed to start a dialogue with parties on the reintroduction of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

The 19A adopted in 2015 pruned presidential powers by empowering Parliament above the executive president.

Wickremesinghe was the main sponsor of the 19th Amendment in 2015. However, the 19A was scrapped after Gotabaya won the November 2019 presidential election.

Sri Lankan MPs on July 20 elected Wickremesinghe as the country's new president, with the majority of the vote coming from lawmakers representing ousted President Rajapaksa's Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party.

There were only two non-SLPP lawmakers in the Cabinet appointed on Friday. Constitutionally, the Cabinet can be extended up to 30 members.

The 73-year-old President was appointed for the rest of the term of who initially fled to the Maldives and then to Singapore.

is accused of mishandling the economic crisis, the worst since 1948.

Wickremesinghe was appointed prime minister by Rajapaksa in mid-May. He was tasked with reviving the economy by giving early solutions to fuel, cooking gas and power shortage problems, which triggered mass agitations against Rajapaksa.

The government declared bankruptcy in mid-April by refusing to honour its international debt.

Wickremesinghe on Wednesday said his government's main priorities are to fix the country's ailing economy and end the severe fuel shortage that has exacerbated after the last shipment under the Indian credit line arrived in the country in June.

(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 health department in has detected a person with symptoms similar to monkeypox in Solan's Baddi. The health condition of the person is improving as it has been 21 days since he first showed the symptoms.

As a precautionary measure, the person has been isolated and surveillance is being done in his surrounding areas.

Samples have been sent to Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for lab testing.

Himachal government has urged people to do not get confused or scared about monkeypox, and appealed them to take necessary precautions if they experience any symptoms of the disease.

"Seek medical advice immediately as these symptoms can also be of any other disease, so there is a need to maintain alertness, alertness and restraint," the government has said.

Earlier, the administration went into a tizzy after a tourist who came to Himachal from Delhi showed symptoms of monkeypox. He had returned to Delhi in a bus after visiting many tourist places including Manali.

--IANS

umesh/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.)
bailout: On revival and 4G launch, employees have fingers crossed

The Rs 1.64 trillion package, unveiled on Wednesday, includes a mix of financial support, debt restructuring, viability gap funding and administrative allotment of spectrum that will help the telecom service firm to de-stress its balance sheet, improve landline network and launch 4G service. The government hopes with these measures will turn profitable on a net basis in 2026-27. Read more...





Global PE investors Advent, Carlyle to invest Rs 8,900 cr in YES Bank

Private lender on Friday announced raising equity capital worth $1.1 billion (Rs 8,900 crore) through funds affiliated to global private equity investors Carlyle and Advent International. Each investor will potentially acquire up to 10 per cent, said in a filing. Read more...





Over Rs 1-trillion freebies announced by state govts, shows data

State governments have announced over Rs 1 trillion in welfare schemes and subsidies this year, even as the Supreme Court on Tuesday raised questions over freebies promised around elections. Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal are among the state governments with the largest welfare scheme announcements in their respective Budgets this year. Read more...





Exports to take severe beating if recession hits US, Europe: Experts

Fears of a recession in advanced countries, amplified by the two consecutive quarters of decline in the US, would affect exports from India but domestic demand would help its economy withstand the pressure. Read more...





India topped list of trade-related concerns at in 2021 with 35% share

Issues were raised about India's-policy on tyres, import curbs on ACs, quality norms for copier paper and caustic soda, GM-free certification for imported food items, among other things. Read more...
Ride-hailing major Uber is going to show drivers how much they will earn and where they are going before accepting a trip.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said that with 'Upfront Fares', the company has completely reimagined the way drivers accept rides.

"Our new trip request screen makes it easier for drivers to decide if a trip is worth their time and effort by providing all the details, including exactly how much they'll earn and where they're going -- upfront," Khosrowshahi said in a statement late on Friday.

Uber piloted Upfront Fares in a handful of cities earlier this year.

Another feature called 'Trip Radar' lets drivers see a list of other trips happening nearby.

"Drivers will still get individual trip requests like before, but with Trip Radar they have the ability to pick another trip that might work better for them," Khosrowshahi informed.

Trip Radar will be expanding along with Upfront Fares over the next few months, the company said.

"I had the chance to announce these new innovations to more than a hundred drivers in person in Washington D.C.," said the Uber CEO.

Uber has also partnered with Mastercard, Branch and Marqeta on a new Uber Pro debit card and checking account that will help drivers save on gas, fees, and more.

"The higher their Uber Pro status, the more cash back. That means up to 7 per cent cash back on gas at select stations with Diamond status," said the company.

The drivers' earnings will be deposited directly into their Uber Pro Card account after every trip "free of charge".

In November, the company will reintroduce the Uber Pro programme to better recognise and reward drivers with Diamond status, with an annual cash reward.

--IANS

na/ksk/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed his sincere condolences to the government and people of India on the killing of two Indian peacekeepers serving with the UN mission in during a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister .

Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel -- head constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, and a peacekeeper from Morocco were killed and others injured when the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the (MONUSCO) in North Kivu came under attack on July 26.

The Secretary-General expressed his sincere condolences to the government and people of India for the two police officers who had tragically lost their lives in eastern Congo, Deputy spokesperson of UN Secretary General, Farhan Haq, told PTI when asked about the telephonic conversation between Modi and Guterres.

A statement issued in New Delhi said during the conversation, both the leaders discussed the recent attack on MONUSCO in which two Indian peacekeepers were killed.

Modi urged the UN Secretary General to ensure expeditious investigations, to bring the perpetrators of this attack to justice, the statement said.

Guterres offered his condolences to the families of the two slain BSF personnel, as well as to the government and the people of India. He reiterated his unequivocal condemnation of the attack against MONUSCO and assured all possible action in conducting speedy investigations.

Modi underscored India's abiding commitment to UN Peacekeeping, with more than 2,50,000 Indian peacekeepers having served under UN Peacekeeping Missions so far.

India is among the largest troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions and so far 177 Indian personnel have made the supreme sacrifice while serving in the missions, the largest by any troop-contributing country.

Modi also underscored India's unwavering support to peace and stability in the Democratic People of the Congo, where nearly 2,040 Indian soldiers are presently deployed at MONUSCO.

Hours after the attack on MONUSCO, India, currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council, had called for a meeting of the Council under Any Other Business' to discuss the situation.

A day later on July 27, the UN Security Council issued a press statement that strongly condemned the attacks and called on the Congolese authorities to swiftly investigate the attacks and bring the perpetrators to justice.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Saturday urged state governments to pay the money they owe to power distribution companies (discoms) and generating companies (gencos). He added that the outstanding dues that stretch over several months threaten the financial stability of these and gencos.

According to the data from the power ministry, the states and the union territories (UTs) together owe over Rs 1 trillion to the gencos as of March 31, 2022. The total money owed to the stands at Rs 1.3 trillion.

The delay in payments causes a shortfall in revenue for the power companies. The money that could have been used in upgrading the infrastructure of the distribution channel to reduce the wastage can then only be used to cover the operational costs. In India, the average transmission losses stand at over 20 per cent compared to 5-8 per cent in developed countries.

The non-availability of funds also reduces the amount of electricity produced for consumption. In 2022, several states witnessed long power cuts at the peak of the summers, including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Also, on June 9, 2022, the power demand in the country touched an all-time high of 2,10,793 megawatts (MW). Due to limited infrastructure, the gencos were unable to match the demand, forcing the to cut the supply for long hours in several regions.



How much do states and UTs owe to gencos and discoms?

According to data from the power ministry, Maharashtra owes a maximum of Rs 21,500 crore to the gencos. Tamil Nadu follows in second place with Rs 20,990 crore of dues to gencos, while Andhra Pradesh owes the third highest, Rs 10,109 crore.





Dues towards gencos

Infogram

On the other hand, Telangana owes the maximum to the discoms, with Rs 11,935 crore worth of dues. Maharashtra owes the second highest at Rs 9,131 crore, and Andhra Pradesh comes a close third with dues towards discoms at Rs 9,116 crore.





Subsidies owed to discoms and gencos

Infogram

Apart from the dues from states and UTs, the discoms are yet to receive Rs 76,337 crore from the state government in the form of subsidies under various programs, the power ministry data showed.

Rajasthan owes the maximum of Rs 15,597 crore to the discoms, and Punjab owes the second highest amount at Rs 9,020 crore.
Agriculture Minister on Saturday said his ministry will soon seek the Cabinet nod for a proposal to allow emerging technology-based farm projects like hydroponics access the Rs 1 lakh crore Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.

Set up in 2020, the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) provides financing facility for setting up of post harvest infra projects at farm-gate and aggregation points. Loans are provided at interest subvention of 3 per cent per annum up to a limit of Rs 2 crore. The subvention is for a maximum period of 7 years.

"We are considering allowing more projects under AIF, for which we are soon going to seek approval from the Cabinet," Tomar said after giving away awards to the best performing banks under AIF.

The changes to AIF have been proposed to allow emerging technology-based farm projects like hydroponics to borrow from AIF.

Last time, the government had made changes to AIF was in July 2021. Then, the government had allowed APMCs, state agencies, federations, cooperatives of farmers and self help groups to seek funds for infrastructure development projects.

Tomar said the infrastructure projects under AIF should be set up near farm-gate so that farmers get maximum benefit of it.

While the country has made strides in farm productivity, now the focus is on improving farmers' income. Therefore, the technology and necessary post harvest infrastructure need to be made available to the farming community so that their income rises, he said.

Tomar also said both states and banks need to address the gap in sanctioning fund through AIF for eligible beneficiaries.

As of now, out of more than 23,000 applications received on the integrated portal of AIF, 13,700 applicants have been sanctioned amounting to Rs 10,131 crore AIF loans with a combined investment of around Rs 17,500 crore by various lending institutions, as per the official data.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary said banks' role is the key as AIF in future will give a big push to startups and farmer producer organisations.

So, banks needs not worry about sanctioning loans to applicants under AIF as the government gives credit guarantee, he said.

Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja asked banks to simplify the loan process for projects applied under AIF, and state governments to set up project monitoring units to expedite the applications under this scheme.

There is a huge demand for AIF for various projects. To reach out to them, banks should work on a campaign mode and take up 'one branch, one application' approach to make the AIF scheme successful, he said.

"There are one lakh bank branches in the country. If one application is cleared by one branch, then we will easily achieve the target set under AIF. This will also improve infrastructure in the farm sector," he added.

State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank and Bank of India bagged AIF Award for their best performance. The has decided to honour banks annually.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister on Saturday asked the states to clear dues of power utilities estimated to be around Rs 2.5 trillion to strengthen the energy sector which has to play a big role in accelerating the growth.

The energy and power sectors have a huge role to play in accelerating India's progress in the next 25 years, he said, adding "the strength of the energy sector is also important for Ease of Doing Business and is equally important for Ease of Living."



The Prime Minister was addressing the closing function of the 'Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya Power @2047' event virtually.

Modi highlighted the financial problems being faced by the power utilities and asked the states to clear the dues as soon as possible.

"It is not a matter of 'Rajniti' (politics) but pertains to 'Rashtra Niti' and nation building", he added.

The Prime Minister regretted that about Rs 2.5 trillion of companies responsible for activities ranging from the generation of electricity to the door-to-door delivery are 'trapped'.

He said that different states have outstanding dues of more than Rs 1 trillion towards power utilities.

"They have to give this money to power generation companies," he said, adding that many government departments and local bodies owe more than Rs 60,000 crore rupees to power distribution companies.

The Prime Minister said that power companies are not able to get even the money that has been committed for subsidy on electricity in different states on time and in full. The arrear works out to be more than Rs 75,000 crore.

Modi said losses in the power distribution sector are in double digits, whereas in the developed countries these are in single digit.

The event was attended by several chief ministers, union ministers and officials, besides beneficiaries of various schemes.

The Prime Minister said that in the last eight years, about 1,70,000 MW of electricity generation capacity has been added in the country.

One Nation One Power Grid, he said, has become the strength of the country today.

About 1,70,000 circuit kilometre transmission lines have been laid to connect the entire country.

Furthermore, by giving 3 crore connections under the Saubhagya Scheme, the country is also nearing the saturation goal, he added.

Modi said energy and power sectors have a huge role to play in accelerating India's progress in the next 25 years.

The strength of the energy sector is also important for ease of doing business and is equally important for ease of living, he said, and added the projects launched on Saturday are significant steps in the direction of green energy and energy security for the county.

He dedicated and laid the foundation stone of various green energy projects of NTPC worth over Rs 5,200 crore.

Modi inaugurated the 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar Project in Telangana and the 92 MW Kayamkulam Floating Solar Project in Kerala.

He laid the foundation stone of the 735 MW Nokh Solar Project in Rajasthan, Green Hydrogen Mobility Project in Leh and Kawas Green Hydrogen Blending with Natural Gas project in Gujarat.

The Prime Minister also launched a national solar rooftop portal, which will enable online tracking of the process of installation of rooftop solar plants, starting from registering the applications to release of subsidies in residential consumers' bank accounts after installation and inspection of the plant.

He also launched the power sector's 'Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme', aimed at improving the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of the DISCOMs and power departments.

With an outlay of over Rs 3 trillion over a period of five years (2021-22 to 2025-26), the scheme aims to provide financial assistance to discoms for modernisation and strengthening of distribution infrastructure, focussing on the improvement of the reliability and quality of supply to end consumers.

'Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya Power @2047' was organised as part of the ongoing 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

(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.)
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Zardari has said that a constructive dialogue with India has become difficult after 2019, according to a media report on Saturday.

Bilawal, who attended the SCO's Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tashkent, said India and Pakistan are part of the SCO and the two countries are currently engaged in the context of the broad-based activities of the organisation.

India is our neighbouring country. While one can decide on a lot of things, one cannot choose its neighbours, therefore, we should get used to living with them," Bilawal was quoted as saying by Geo News on Saturday.

After 2019, constructive dialogue with India became difficult, Bilawal said, apparently referring to India announcing the withdrawal of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in that year.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Islamabad in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

India's decision evoked a strong reaction from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy. Pakistan also halted bilateral trade with India.

The meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was also attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

Pakistan foriegn minister Bilawal also said that there were no plans for any meetings between Pakistani and Indian prime ministers on the sidelines of the annual SCO summit to be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on September 15-16, the report 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.)
Former Prime Minister on Saturday criticised Army chief General Qamar Bajwa for seeking help from the US over a much-needed IMF bailout for the country, saying it is not the job of the head of the military to deal with economic matters and his intervention means the country is getting weaker.

Bajwa reached out to the US for the early disbursal of the nearly USD 1.2 billion loan from the Monetary Fund (IMF), the official media reported on Friday, as the cash-strapped country faces the ignominy of a possible debt default due to its depleting foreign exchange reserves.

Bajwa spoke over the phone with the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier this week and also appealed to the White House and the US Treasury Department to push the IMF to immediately expedite the nearly USD 1.2 billion loan, state-run news agency Associated Press of (APP) reported, quoting sources in the Army.

Commenting on the report, the ousted prime minister said it was not the Pakistan Army chief's job to deal with economic matters.

Khan said that this shows that neither the foreign governments nor the IMF trust the government and that is why the army chief took the responsibility, the Dawn newspaper reported.

If the Army chief was contacting the US and seeking help, it means that the country was getting weaker," he said.

However, he added that the US' help would not come without any reciprocal demands and added that he feared those demands would compromise Pakistan's national security.

(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.)
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories said that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Slayback Pharma to obtain exclusive rights in the first-to-file ANDA for the private label version of Lumify in the U.S.

Slayback Pharma is a Princeton, New Jersey headquartered, specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of complex, high-value ANDAs and patent-protected NDAs that address meaningful unmet needs. The company has built a differentiated, robust pipeline, while achieving consistent success in PIV-related patent litigations and earning nine exclusivities (seven sole first-to-files and two competitive generic therapies).

Lumify (Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution 0.025%) is the first and only over-the-counter (OTC) eye drop developed with low-dose brimonidine tartrate for the treatment of ocular redness due to minor eye irritations.

The agreement also provides Dr. Reddy's exclusive rights to the product outside the U.S. Slayback Pharma is the first company to file an ANDA for the private label equivalent for Lumify with the USFDA under Paragraph IV certification. The ANDA is currently under USFDA review and covers Brimonidine Tartrate Ophthalmic Solution 0.025% in 2.5 ml and 7.5 ml fill volumes.

Marc Kikuchi, chief executive officer, North America Generics, Dr. Reddy's, said: We are pleased to license this important OTC ophthalmic product for the U.S. market. This product complements Dr. Reddy's growing OTC product portfolio in the eyecare category that includes the private label versions of Pataday Once Daily Relief and Pataday Twice Daily Relief.

As per IRI data, the value of total addressable market for this product in the U.S. is approximately $130 million for the 52 weeks period ending 12 June 2022.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories is engaged in providing medicines. The firm operates in three segments: global generics, pharmaceutical services and active ingredients (PSAI) and proprietary products.

The drug major's consolidated net profit surged 108% to Rs 1,187.6 crore on 6% rise in net sales to Rs 5,215.40 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

The scrip fell 3.96% to end at Rs 4090.35 on the BSE yesterday.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The capital raise is subject to shareholders' approval at the EGM of the bank to be held on 24 August 2022 and relevant regulatory/statutory approvals.

Yes Bank on Friday (29 July 2022) announced raising equity capital of about $1.1 billion (~ Rs 8,900 crore) from funds affiliated with two global private equity investors - Carlyle and Advent International, with each investor potentially acquiring upto a 10.0% stake in Yes Bank. This will be raised through a combination of ~$640 million (~Rs 5,100 crore) in equity shares and ~$475 million (~Rs 3,800 crore) through equity share warrants.

The capital raise will further bolster the capital adequacy of Yes Bank and aid the bank's medium to long term sustainable growth objectives. Once approved, this would be one of the largest private capital raises by an Indian private sector bank.

The bank proposes to issue about 370 crore equity shares on a preferential basis at a price of Rs 13.78 per share and about 257 crore warrants convertible into equity shares at a price of Rs 14.82 per warrant, adding ~Rs 8,900 crore to the equity capital base of the bank.

Prashant Kumar, managing director & chief executive officer, Yes Bank said, "We are extremely pleased to onboard such pedigreed investors like Carlyle and Advent International as our partners, in fulfilling the long-term strategy of the Bank. This is a testimony to the inherent strength of the Bank's franchise. We are excited about the incremental opportunities that this partnership creates for us and confident that both the investors will play a crucial role in the next growth phase of the Bank."

Carlyle is a global investment firm with deep industry expertise that deploys private capital across three business segments: Global Private Equity, Global Credit, and Global Investment Solutions.

Advent International is one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors. The firm has invested in over 395 private equity investments across 41 countries, and as of 31 March 2022, had $75.9 billion in assets under management.

Yes Bank is a full service commercial bank providing a complete range of products, services and technology driven digital offerings, catering to retail, MSME as well as corporate clients.

The bank reported 50.2% jump in standalone net profit to Rs 310.63 crore on 9.7% increase in total income to Rs 5,916.28 crore in Q1 FY23 over Q1 FY22.

Shares of Yes Bank rose 2.47% to Rs 14.94 on Friday, 29 July 2022.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Saturday said he does not agree with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's remarks on Mumbai, and asserted that the contribution made by people to the growth of the city can never be disregarded.

He also said that the governor occupies a constitutional post and he should be careful about not offending anyone through his statements.

Koshyari, while speaking during an event here on Friday evening, had said there will be no money left in and it will cease to be the financial capital of the country if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are not there in the city. As his remarks kicked up a row, the governor on Saturday said his comments were misconstrued and added that he had "no intention of belittling the hard work of Marathi-speaking people".

Talking to reporters in Malegaon in Nashik district, Shinde said, "We don't agree with Koshyari's view (on Mumbai). It's his personal view. He has now issued a clarification. He occupies a constitutional post and should take care that his actions are not insulting to others."



" community's hard work has contributed to the development and progress of . It is an important city with immense potential. Despite people from all over the country making it their home, people have preserved their identity and pride and it shouldn't be insulted,'' he added.

Shinde said 105 people sacrificed their lives in their agitation to make capital of and late Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray played a role in preserving the city's Marathi identity.

"No one can insult Mumbai and Marathi people. Mumbai faced many calamities but it never stops, it continues work 24x7 and gives employment, livelihood to thousands of people," the chief minister added.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters in Dhule, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Marathi-speaking people have the lion's share in the development and growth of .

"Even in the industrial sector, Marathi-speaking people have taken global strides. We don't agree with the governor's remarks," the former chief minister 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.)
Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Friday slammed Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for abruptly calling off a meeting with him and two of his Cabinet colleagues

"My office sought an appointment for the meeting and it was fixed for Thursday and two other cabinet colleagues of mine were also in the team to meet him. The meeting was also confirmed by our Left leaders in both the houses of parliament. But at the last minute, we were told that he will not be in a position to meet us, but if the parliament members wish they can meet him," Sivankutty said.

Sivankutty, accompanied by state Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil and Transport Minister Antony Raju, wanted to meet Vaishnaw to discuss about the long pending issues of the development of the Nemom railway station located at a stone's throw from the Trivandrum Central railway station.

"We will bring this to the attention of the Prime Minister on what happened to us and that too after giving us the appointment. This is against the federal principles which are followed in a democracy," added Sivankutty, a first-time Minister.

Sivankutty also did not spare the lone Keralite Union Minister V. Muraleedharan, whom he accused of playing a negative game.

"Each time Muraleedharan visits the state, he uses maximum time to be critical against the state government and he is out to scuttle the development of the state," he alleged.

One reason why Sivankutty is peeved is because a day before the planned meeting of the Ministers with Vaishnaw, Muraleedharan and the local BJP leaders from the state capital district had a detailed meeting with Vaishnaw and got an in-principle approval for taking up the development works at the Nemom railway station.

--IANS

sg/vd

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Chief Minister on Saturday said the demand for creating as a separate district by bifurcating Nashik is an old one and a meeting will soon be convened to discuss the issue.

The chief minister was speaking to the media in after chairing a review meeting of Nashik division.

Shinde said issues such as health infrastructure, road improvement, crop loans, organic farming, and empowerment of agriculture universities, MIDC, electricity and tribal people's concerns were discussed in the meeting.

He further said that the issue of housing for the police force in Malegaon, Mumbai and other parts of the state was also discussed and a decision about an action plan in this regard has also been taken.

The chief minister said the state government is positive about the demand for creating as a separate district.

The demand for creating Malegaon district is an old one and many leaders have sought it. A meeting regarding the demand will be convened in Mumbai soon, during which we will discuss the pros and cons. The government is positive and it will give preference to the demand, Shinde 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.)
chief J P Nadda on Saturday held a road show in after arriving in the capital to inaugurate a two-day joint national executive meeting of various cells of the party.

He was received by Deputy Chief Ministers Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, Union minister Nityanand Rai, chief Sanjay Jaiswal and state cabinet ministers upon his arrival at the Jay Prakash Narayan International Airport here.

The accorded a rousing welcome to its chief, erecting welcome arches decorated with flowers on the airport premises, while party functionaries gathered on the sides of the road waving party flags and beating drums.

From the airport, Nadda went to High Court where he garlanded a statue of Dr B R Ambedkar.

He then undertook a road show till Jay Prakash Narayan's statue near Gandhi Maidan, which attracted a massive crowd.

Standing atop a flower-decked lorry along with former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, the two deputy CMs and Jaiswal, Nadda waved to the crowds amid cheers by party workers.

A section of party activists also organised a motorcycle rally near Gandhi Maidan to welcome Nadda.

"Later in the day, Nadda will inaugurate Gram Sansad meant to deliberate on central and state government schemes and their implementation. At Gyan Bhavan, he will first inaugurate an exhibition and then address the joint national executive meeting of office-bearers of seven cells of the party around 4 PM," BJP state media-in-charge Rajib Ranjan said.

During the two-day meeting, party leaders will conduct brainstorming over the role of the party cells in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will arrive in on Sunday to address the valedictory session of the programme on Sunday, following which he and Nadda will return to New Delhi, Ranjan 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.)
Chief Minister on Friday said that keeping in mind the larger public interest, the government has neither increased the and nor has imposed any new tax in the state.

Chairing a meeting of the state tax department pertaining to revenue collection at his residence, he said that Value Added Tax (VAT) will not be increased in the near future too.

Adityanath said the amount collected from the public will be spent on developmental and public welfare works, according to an official statement released here.

He directed that for financial year 2022-23, concrete efforts should be made pertaining to revenue collection with an aim to collect Rs 1.50 lakh crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) and .

The chief minister also directed officials that the number of GST-registered traders should be increased to 4 lakh in the next 6 months.

The traders should be told about the benefits of GST registration/return, the statement said quoting the chief minister.

(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 Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, which came to power after a high-voltage political drama, is completing one month in office on Saturday, but there is still no clarity on when the will take place.

Shinde took oath as chief minister on June 30, a day after was forced to step down from the post following a rebellion by the majority of Sena legislators led by Shinde. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was sworn in as deputy chief minister.

The government was formed 10 days after Shinde raised a banner of revolt against the leadership. Forty out of 55 Sena MLAs sided with Shinde, which resulted in the collapse of the two-and-a-half-year-old Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) dispensation comprising the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.

After the collapse of the Thackeray government, it was widely speculated that Fadnavis would take over the reins of the state for the third time with the support of the Sena rebels. But Fadnavis sprang a surprise after he declared that Shinde would become the next chief minister and he himself would not be a part of the new government.

But there was more surprise in store as some time later BJP's top leadership asked Fadnavis to become a part of the government as deputy chief minister.

After coming to power, the Shinde government has fast-tracked the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, which was kept on the back burner by the previous Thackeray-led dispensation. Two weeks back, Fadnavis had said that all clearances to expedite the project have been given.

The new government also gave a cabinet approval to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively. The decision to rename these cities had been taken in the MVA government's last cabinet meeting held on June 29, just before Thackeray resigned. However, Shinde and Fadnavis had said the MVA dispensation's decision to rename these places was illegal as it was taken by it after the governor had asked it to prove majority in the state Legislative Assembly.

Shinde restored the pension scheme meant for the political activists who were imprisoned during the Emergency imposed in 1975. The decision, taken by the Fadnavis government, had been scrapped by the Thackeray dispensation.

The new government lifted the stay on the construction of Metro-3 car shed in Aarey Colony, a forest area. The decision paved the way for construction of the car shed at the green lung that was stopped in November 2019 following a stay imposed by the previous MVA government.

The Shinde-led dispensation also restored the direct election for the post of sarpanch and municipal council president.

At present, Shinde and Fadnavis are the only members in the cabinet as its expansion is yet to be done. This delay has given ammunition to the opposition parties to target the government.

Talking to PTI, state Congress vice president Ratnakar Mahajan sarcastically said, "It is for the first time in the state's history that a huge cabinet of two members is taking care of the large-scale floods, lack of rain at some places and things alike."



It has never been so pathetic for a political party that it can't have a complete cabinet in a state in a month's time. BJP's overambitious plan has to be blamed for this, he said.

Mahajan alleged that the petition of seeking disqualification of 16 rebel party MLAs was being heard in the Supreme Court.

"These legislators will save their membership if they merge their group with any other party. If the apex court upholds the whip of the original party, the rebel MLAs will be disqualified. Two-thirds split is not yet seen in the original party," he said.

Apart from the 40 MLAs, the party's 12 out of the 19 Lok Sabha members have also rebelled against the Sena leadership. The break-away group of MPs has been recognized by the Lok Sabha speaker. But the has demanded that the speaker disqualify them.

Deepak Kesarkar, chief spokesperson of the Shinde faction, said the Sena MLAs were more interested in becoming district guardian ministers than cabinet ministers to expedite development works.

He claimed that there was no dispute over allocation of portfolios.

"After a long time, Maharashtra has got a chief minister who is accessible to people 24x7, he said.

Shiv Sena chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut told PTI, "There is no government in existence for the last one month. Never before was Maharashtra's prestige undermined in such a manner. The state's honour was compromised. The oath taken by Shinde and Fadnavis is illegal."



The reason for the delay in can be anything including the ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on disqualification of 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, he said.

NCP leader and former home minister Dilip Walse Patil said the inability to form a cabinet even after a month shows that the political situation in the state is still fluid.

"Due to rains and floods in several parts of the state, people are facing hardships and since there are no cabinet ministers and guardian ministers, people's issues have been neglected. Maharashtra has never before seen such a situation," he said.

When contacted, state NCP president Jayant Patil said people have been in trouble for the last one month due to heavy rains and floods. The administrative set up has collapsed and hence affected people can't get immediate relief."



There are no guardian ministers because there is no cabinet in place. The administration has no direction, he said.

"There are differences in the Shinde camp because all the 40 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs want to become ministers, while there is unrest in the BJP also as Fadnavis was made deputy chief minister. There is no positive energy about this government," 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.)
president on Saturday demanded an apology from Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his remarks on Mumbai, and said time has come to decide whether he should be sent back home or to jail.

Thackeray also accused the governor of "dividing Hindus living peacefully" in Mumbai and Thane.

Speaking during an event in Mumbai on Friday evening, Koshyari had said there will be no money left in Mumbai and it will cease to be the financial capital of the country if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are asked to leave the city. As his remarks kicked up a row, the governor on Saturday said his comments were misconstrued and added that he had "no intention of belittling the hard work of Marathi-speaking people".

Addressing a press conference at his residence 'Matoshree' here, Thackeray said, "The hatred that the governor harbours in his mind against Marathi people has inadvertently come out."



He asked the governor to tender an apology to Marathi people.

Accusing the governor of not fulfilling his duty of treating everyone equally, Thackeray alleged that Koshyari has also committed an offence of creating a divide among Hindus.

"The governor tried to create a divide among the Hindus, who have been living peacefully for generations in the state irrespective of their caste, creed and religion. Time has come to decide whether to send Koshyari back home or to jail...In the last three years, he has insulted Marathi-speaking people despite staying in Maharashtra. Now through these comments, he has brought disrespect to the governor's post," Thackeray alleged.

During the 1992 riots, had saved Hindus in Thane and Mumbai, but that time it did not see whether they were Marathi people or non-Marathi, he added.

"I want to say that I do not want to insult the governor's post, because it is a big post. But the person occupying that post should also maintain its glory," he added.

The Sena chief said that Marathi people are angry with the governor over his remarks as Mumbai was not gifted by him to Maharashtra, but it was earned through the sacrifices made during the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.

"He has insulted the Marathi-speaking people staying in Maharashtra...There is a need to show the world-famous 'Kolhapuri joda' (leather sandals made in Kolhapur) to him," he added.

He also alleged that though some people were sitting in Delhi, they are keeping an eye on Mumbai, and its wealth is the reason behind it, which the governor has publicly said.

Thackeray took a dig at the governor saying that sometimes he becomes overactive, while sometimes he does not move at all.

Pointing out that Koshyari has not yet filled 12 vacant seats in the state Legislative Council from his quota, he said that if he does not feel that these posts are vacant, he should inform the president and get these posts abolished.

Thackeray also accused the governor of making "weird" and "derogatory" remarks about social reformer Savitribai Phule.

The former Maharashtra chief minister said when he was fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and people were dying, the governor wanted the places or religious worship to be reopened.

(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.)
Long-awaited funding for the CHIPS Act is a win for a cabal of US chipmakers and foreign companies, but largely ignores the nations true leaders who have been propping up the domestic sector for two decades.



Three-quarters of the $52 billion allocated to the industry by Congress was earmarked to strengthen advanced test, assembly, and packaging capability in the domestic ecosystem. The rest of the funds will largely go to a technology center to be set up by the Commerce and Defense departments, and a new Manufacturing USA Institute that will mostly research new ways to make chips, according to the funding schedule outlined in Senate Amendment 5135. It passed the House Thursday.



The act was designed to help close the gap with Taiwan and in terms of manufacturing capacity and prowess, while ensuring the US stays ahead of China, which is also spending significant sums to boost its own chip sector. But the move will barely put a dent in American reliance on foreign manufacturing, and wont boost resilience against supply shocks, either. Taiwan Manufacturing Co.s factory in Arizona will end up accounting for a minuscule 1% of its global capacity. And even then, once those chips are manufactured, theyll be popped straight onto a plane to be tested and packaged in Asia, before being assembled into a phone or PC in .



Even after all this government money is spent, Taiwan and will retain a dominant share of capacity and continue to be technology leaders. That said, ., which designs, manufactures and packages chips at factories in global locations including the US, Israel, China, Vietnam and Ireland, is set to be a big winner. Texas Instruments Inc. can also expect to benefit. Neither company is capable of making chips using the worlds leading manufacturing nodes. Yet foreign players, including TSMC, Electronics Co. and materials supplier GlobalWafers Co. have already put their hand up for subsidies and are likely to receive funds, too.



Missing out, though, will be the companies that have come to dominate the most-advanced semiconductor technologies on the planet including Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Broadcom Inc. Thats because these companies, each of which have a larger market capitalization than Intel and TI, are purely focused on the design and development of chips, without manufacturing them.





Driving the political rhetoric behind the promotion and drafting of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) Act is the notion that making physical goods  manufacturing them  is more important and crucial to national security than designing them.



In fact Inc., which also develops advanced chips, is proof that being a technology leader doesnt mean being a manufacturer since the Cupertino giant doesnt actually make most of its gadgets. And its the chips from the iPhone designer, as well as  a world leader in artificial intelligence  and Qualcomm, the biggest name in wireless communications, that are filling up TSMCs leading-edge facilities in Taiwan and Samsungs in Korea. Intel fell so far behind that it needs TSMCs factories to churn out some of its best products.



You wouldnt have the worlds most powerful machine-learning tools, global cellphone communications, or the hottest-selling device on the planet without fabless chip designers.



Still, you wont hear Nvidia, and Qualcomm complain  at least, not publicly. Although they were passed over for Congressional candy, theyll end up benefiting from the fact that this largess will help their suppliers of choice (TSMC and Samsung) set up facilities on US soil. Neither was particularly keen to shift focus away from their manufacturing hubs at home, but a change in the global political environment coupled with promises of tax breaks and other subsidies meant they couldnt resist. Yet theyve also made clear that the money better come through if the US wants such projects to continue.





A vast amount of its materials and equipment come from abroad, too. While Lam Research Corp., KLA Corp. and Applied Materials Inc. hail from the US, dozens more, such as ASML Holding NV of the Netherlands, BASF SE from Germany, and Tokyo-based Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., form part of an international network. Few of the hundreds of global suppliers will have the funds or personnel to shift any operations to the US, even with the incentives on offer.



Reality often doesnt matter in politics. The long-awaited funding for the Chips Act is being hailed a victory for the White House and proof of bipartisan collegiality, but in reality its a victory for Americas semiconductor laggards and the foreign companies that dominate them.
Guangzhous Nanhu Amusement Park is about to receive a major renovation. Southern Chinas first theme park is showing signs of its age since opening in 1985. The city government plans to invest about 500 million yuan in the park, which will be open 24 hours a day and feature esports venues and night markets

Aug 16, 2022 04:26 PM
Country

United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
Risks at RISD

Emphasizing concept over technique, many RISD films end up with a lo-fi feel. They are intimate, flawed, explorative, and engaging. Even the missteps are frequently more interesting than some of the highest quality films from other animation schools. While its misleading to lump RISD films into cookie-cutter categories, dark absurdist comedies and freewheeling experimentation are common.

The road towards a more absurdist tone arguably started in the late 1990s. Films like Space War (Christy Karacas, 1997), Mr. Smile (Fran Krause, 1999), Sub! (Jesse Schmal, 2000), and Red Things (Max Porter, 2003) were well received at festivals. They influenced future RISD films such as Violet (Ryan Ines, 2015), Talking Cure (Felipe Di Poi, 2016), Totos Tusks (Mehr Chatterjee, 2015), The Great Divide (Brent Sievers, 2014), Masashi Yamamotos films, and arguably the greatest tragicomedy of them all, Lesley the Pony Has an A+ Day! (Christian Larave, 2014).

Comedy aside, RISD has consistently created imaginative work that leans toward non-linear narratives and abstraction. On the Weave of Construction (Greg Buyalos, 1993), Made in the Shade (Takeshi Murata, 1997), Edgeways (Sandra Gibson, 1999), 12 Ball (Ara Peterson, 1997), Little Wild (Caleb Wood, 2010), Ripple (Conor Griffith, 2015), Toro (Lynn Kim, 2014), Doxology (Michael Langan, 2007), and Endless Forms Most Beautiful (Meredith Binnette, 2020) all demonstrate a long-standing willingness to encourage students takes risks with their work.

This is a logical approach that too few schools seem brave enough to embrace. For many students, this might be their only opportunity to create their work unhindered by outside pressures. Education aint cheap, so artists are encouraged to let out what is already inside them, rather than waste time trying to impress someone else?

Overall, what separates RISD films from many animation schools is a sense of playfulness and curiosity, an almost naive willingness to explore and experiment with styles, tones, techniques. Yet it never feels like RISD students are adopting techniques and tones just for the hell of it.

Each film has its own unique and genuine identity. In some cases, its an attempt to locate that identity or voice and let it out, to let the world know: hey, this is me (or some fragment of me), warts and all.

Building a program

The RISD animation program is part of the Film/Animation/Video department (FAV), which is under the schools Fine Arts umbrella. FAV currently has seven full-time teachers and about 21 part-time instructors who teach anywhere from one to four courses. The department has approximately 130 students enrolled across all three years.

The number of seniors who have specifically chosen the animation degree project class  basically a thesis class  is 22, Amy Kravitz, an award-winning animation filmmaker, tells Cartoon Brew. But she says the number can be a bit misleading, as some students are making animated installations and non-screen-based animation work in the Open Media  basically Video  area of our department, working between animation teachers and teachers from other areas of our program.

The roots of the animation program were planted in the early 1970s. The first animated films were made by students from other departments, including Candy Kugel and Karen Aqua. The program didnt formally launch until the late 1970s, when Yvonne Andersen began teaching animation classes.

Andersen was, without doubt, the main architect of the RISD animation program. As Kravitz, Steve Subotnick, and Agnieska Woznicka wrote in a 2016 article for the Melbourne Animation Festival, Adept at finding simple solutions to complex problems, she believed in academic decisions by democratic rule, and she always did whatever needed to be done  whether that was cleaning up trash, repairing a camera, or writing reports. She was able to harness the creative and divergent energies of the FAV faculty into a powerful department.

Around 1980, Andersen invited Kravitz to teach a class, and she remains an integral part of RISD animation to this day. Kravitz had been a filmmaker since the age of 11. I was in a summer program in Newton, MA. Yvonne was teaching that program. I loved it so much that I started taking classes at Yellow Ball Workshop [an animation workshop for children co-created by Andersen], which was in Lexington, Massachusetts. I started assisting in classes when I was 14 at both places.

The third part of RISDs animation leadership triumvirate arrived in the late 1980s. Acclaimed animator Steve Subotnick met (and later married) Kravitz while studying at Calarts. Later, he started teaching at RISD. I started as an administrator running their computers, says Subotnick. Then I started teaching part-time at RISD and the [School of the Museum of Fine Arts] in Boston.

A deep artistic vocabulary

The RISD undergraduate program lasts four years. There are graduate programs, says Kravitz, but not for animation. So a student studying animation at RISD will have the first foundation year and then spend three years in the FAV department. Students from all across the university, however, take animation classes, sometimes even the animation thesis class.

Where RISD Animation differs from other animation schools is through its encouragement of multidisciplinary study and the mandatory freshman foundation year. No matter what youre studying, everyone starts with the freshman foundation year, all doing the same drawing and design courses, says Subotnick. You dont enter a department until the second year. Youre obligated to take whoever wants to come into the department. The students choose.

Because of this foundation year, students apply to RISD, not to FAV. They submit a portfolio of their own self-chosen work, essays, and visual solutions to assignments that vary each year.

RISD also has liberal arts requirements, says Kravitz. The admissions committee does look at high-school grade point averages. The admissions committee is formed not only by admissions officers, but also by varying faculty members from across the college. The committee looks at many things in addition to, and more important than, technical skills [such as] original, creative approaches to problems, risk-taking, curiosity, genuine energetic interests, and thoughtful and original visual development. Simply put, the committee looks for unique voices.

Once in the animation program, students are required to study live-action filmmaking, video making, and animation. When students explore animation they have a deep artistic vocabulary with which to work  their thinking is not insular, Kravitz explains. Animation itself is a relatively small set of courses. However, students bring inventive, energetic thinking and rich skillsets to it, thereby achieving excellent results. The classroom is an active laboratory and failure is seen as a necessary element of a successful journey.

The students voice is central to the programs success. We try to have as little influence as possible, adds Subotnick. We do try to encourage experimentation and the idea that each one of them has a unique voice. Subotnick believes the freshman foundation is a key part of this process. Its a rigorous program, an art boot camp for their minds. It makes them think about what they can do in new ways. They arrive with an idea about themselves, and by the end of the first year theyve given that up and opened their mind to all sorts of possibilities.

Pictured at top: Mr. Smile
Netflix has announced a three-year renewal of its existing content deal with Brutus Pink, the production company behind Big Mouth and its spinoff Human Resources.

Details:

The extended agreement will run through 2026 and will see Brutus Pink develop and produce new animated projects for the streamer. Notably, Netflix pointed out that the production outfit will venture into feature animation, explaining that Brutus Pink will create a variety of animated projects in both film and television that are adult, funny, and emotional.

Big Mouth has been one of Netflixs most successful ventures into the adult animation space. Praised by critics and fans alike, the series has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmys, with voice actor Maya Rudolph winning two. The series will return this fall for its sixth season.

Big Mouth Spinoff Human Resources premiered in March of this year and Netflix ordered a second season in April. Season two is scheduled to hit the platform sometime next year.

Brutus Pinks Mark Levin said: Brutus Pink is thrilled to be continuing at Netflix, which has been our creative home for seven years. Were hopeful this means we get to keep the Con Air DVD thats been sitting on Nicks coffee table in a red envelope since 2006.

Netflix VP of animated series John Derderian added: Since signing our first deal with Brutus Pink, Big Mouth has grown from a fan favorite to one of the most beloved animated franchises across the globe. We know were in excellent hands with the team at Brutus Pink and cant wait to see them create the next generation of hit animated series.

Pictured at top: Big Mouth
Photo: The Canadian Press Pope Francis speaks to journalists aboard the papal flight back from Canada Saturday, July 30, 2022, where he paid a six-day pastoral visit. Pope Francis wrapped up his Canadian pilgrimage by meeting with Indigenous delegations and visiting Inuit territory in northern Nunavut. In one of his addresses, he assailed the Catholic missionaries who "supported oppressive and unjust policies" against Native peoples in the country's notorious residential schools and vowed to pursue truth and healing. (Guglielmo Mangiapane/ Pool via AP)

Pope Francis says the abuses Indigenous Peoples faced while being forced to attend residential schools amounted to genocide.

The pontiff made the comment Friday to reporters on his flight from Iqaluit back to Rome following his six-day tour of Canada.

Francis apologized multiple times throughout the week for the role the Roman Catholic Church played in the institutions. He begged for forgiveness for abuses committed by some members of the church as well as for cultural destruction and forced assimilation.

Some Indigenous people said they were disappointed that during his visit the Pope did not name the crimes and abuses that students and survivors faced. They also criticized him for not using the term genocide.

When asked if he would use the word genocide and accept that members of the church participated in genocide, Francis said yes.

The Pope said he didn't think to use the word genocide during his trip, calling it a technical term.

"I asked for forgiveness for what has been done, which was genocide, and I did condemn this," he said in Spanish through a translator.

Francis said instead of using the word genocide he described the attempts at destroying Indigenous Peoples through assimilation and colonization.

"To take away children, to change the culture, their mindset, their traditions  to change a race, an entire culture ... yes I (do) use the word genocide."

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission referred to residential schools as a form of cultural genocide when it released its final report in 2015. But since then a number of Indigenous groups have amended this to say it was genocide.

Leah Gazan, an Manitoba NDP member of Parliament, tabled a motion in the House of Commons last year calling on the federal government to recognize what happened at residential schools as a genocide, but it did not gain unanimous consent.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concluded in its final report that violence against women and girls is a form of genocide. The effects of residential schools were the subject of many testimonies from families and survivors.

Neglect and physical and sexual abuse were rampant in the schools, and the Catholic Church ran 60 per cent of the institutions.

Throughout his Canadian visit, Francis expressed sorrow, indignation and shame.

"In the face of this deplorable evil, the church kneels before God and implores his forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous Peoples," he said Monday to a group of residential school survivors and their families gathered in Maskwacis, Alta.

Throughout his stops in Alberta, Quebec and Nunavut, the Pope was met with messages urging him to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, papal bulls or official declarations that were developed to justify the colonization of the Americas. The doctrine was connected to thinking that lands being colonized were empty, when in fact they were home to Indigenous Peoples.

Some Indigenous academics say the doctrine underlies all the policies that came after it.

Indigenous leaders have been calling for decades for it to be rescinded and the messaging ramped up before and during the Pope's visit.

Many said they were disappointed it was not part of the Pope's apologies.

He was asked on the plane Friday if he thought it was a missed opportunity to provide a concrete action toward reconciliation.

"Colonization is bad. It's unfair and even today it's used. Perhaps with silk and gloves, but it is used all the same," he said.

"Let us be aware that colonization is not over. The same colonization is there today as well."

Vatican officials have said a statement on the matter is to come.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, who helped organize the papal trip, said in a statement that the bishops plan to work with the Vatican to have it addressed.
Photo: The Canadian Press A helicopter flies over flooded farmland in Abbotsford, B.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

When torrential rain caused widespread flooding and washed out major highways across British Columbia last fall, the provincial government was quick to flag the creation of a system to rank atmospheric river systems.

But eight months later, Environment Canada and its scientists say there is still no timeline for when such a system might be operable.

"A decision on whether or not to implement such a scale as an operational information product would be premature at this time," Environment Canada said in a statement.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth had said the province could have a usable rating system for atmospheric rivers at the start of this year.

"That will allow us to, I think, prepare more effectively. My expectation is, from what I've been told, that will be coming. Looking to be implemented at the beginning of January 2022," he told a news conference on Nov. 22.

In the previous few days, about 20 rainfall records had been broken across the province. Landslides shut down the Trans-Canada Highway and other key roads, and the Sumas Prairie was flooded as dykes were overwhelmed.

The rain was brought by an atmospheric river, in which moist tropical air travels over long distances in a narrow band. On the west coast of North America, the phenomenon is known as a "pineapple express" because it tends to originate near Hawaii.

The weather office said it is studying various rating scales to reflect the intensity of atmospheric rivers with a numeric value, but "there are no immediate plans to formally adopt such a scale operationally in the short term."

The B.C. Ministry of Public Safety did not directly respond to questions about an updated timeline.

But Environment Canada said it is instead focused on analyzing the "relevance" of such a system for Canada and noted any new products must undergo rigorous evaluation and peer review to ensure validity and reliability before implementation.

"This is essential for public safety," it said in a statement.

Roxanne Vingarzan, a senior manager of applied sciences at Environment Canada, said researchers are aiming for the system to include about five to eight levels, but that it is "very much in its research stage."

"Its essential that any proposed scale, or specialized product designed to assist in emergency management, meets the decision-making needs of the public authorities. This includes ensuring that situationally relevant information is timely, accurate and well understood," she said.

One aspect of the study aims to understand how a warming climate will affect the severity and duration of atmospheric rivers, Vingarzan said.

Climate models are indicating that severe storms are expected to become much more frequent in duration and more severe. This is one of the motivating factors behind our project because we are expecting that these atmospheric rivers are not going away and, if anything, they're going to be more impactful in the future," she said.

Ruping Mo, a senior research scientist and operational forecaster with Environment Canada, said the classification system would rely on the same prediction system that generates current forecasts and warnings. He said the current weather models can provide "confident" atmospheric river prediction forecasts up to five days in advance.

"We are not going to increase the forecast model accuracy, but it can help better communicate the impact of the storm, and maybe can get some early alarm to the operational forecast," he said.

Vingarzan added that, though a new ranking system would not increase accuracy, it would provide historical context to "identify its rarity and potential impacts."

"Forecast accuracy depends on weather models which are constantly being improved by (Environment and Climate Change Canada's) Canadian Centre for Meteorological Research," she said in an email.

In the meantime, Emergency Management BC said the province is prepared to use the existing Alert Ready system.

"The atmospheric river rating system is not the sole determinant of an alert being issued. Should a community, or communities, feel there is an imminent threat to life or public safety, the province stands ready to use the Alert Ready system," it said in a statement. "First Nations and local authorities are the experts on the ground, and emergency managers  at the local and provincial levels  will continue to closely co-ordinate."

Alert Ready is available across Canada and allows officials to issue public safety alerts through television and radio broadcasters, as well as wireless devices.

While the system is co-ordinated provincially, it is up to local government officials to use it. In extreme cases, the province can intervene and put out an alert directly, Farnworth said in May. He noted that while officials were prepared to use it in some areas if necessary last fall, it is now in place for use provincewide.
Photo: Photo by Marine Harvest Canada. A new discussion framework was just released by the DFO to advance the transition from open-net pen salmon farming.

Canadas minister of fisheries and oceans released a discussion framework on Friday outlining the next phase in the transition away from open-net pen aquaculture in B.C.



With a goal to phase out open-net pen salmon farms in coastal B.C. waters by 2025, this round of engagement is the ministers latest step towards achieving this.



What I am aiming to do is get input into a transition plan that will greatly minimize or eliminate the interaction between wild fish and cultured salmon, said Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.



I'll be interested in people's ideas [and] their feedback about what kind of metrics would we use to measure that interactions are being reduced or eliminated.



In June, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) temporarily renewed the licences of 79 open-net pen salmon farms, outside of the Discovery Islands, for two years. The ministry also said it would strengthen reporting requirements to contain harmful pathogens affecting wild fish populations.



Immature technology raises concerns



One tool proposed by DFO in the framework is raising the eyebrows of experts.



A semi-closed containment system  where a flexible polymer material is used as a barricade between a net pen and the open ocean  has been suggested by the ministry to aid the transition.



Stan Proboszcz, science and campaign advisor for Watershed Watch Salmon Society, said theres not nearly enough reliable data on using this method for it to be included in B.C.s transition plan.



He pointed towards a trial of the system in Clayoquot Sound, Vancouver Island by Cermaq Canada that was cut short due to a technical fault that resulted in fish mortality.



That was just like a year or two ago. Why is it going to work now? Proboszcz said.



According to Cermaq Canadas website, no signs of disease were detected in the enclosed fish and the company will trial the system again after a full investigation into the initial failure.



[A semi-closed containment system] is immature technology under development; therefore, it is not surprising when you are trialling new technology you will run into challenges, Peter McKenzie, director of fish health at Cermaq said in a written statement.



Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, said his involvement with the decisions made in 2018 for the Broughton Archipelago fish farm tenures taught him that semi-closed systems are not a reliable tool.



When we looked at [a semi-closed containment system] and analyzed it, it didn't meet any of the concerns that we had, Chamberlin said. We examined it for several meetings and it just does not protect wild salmon.



Under the same objective heading in the framework, DFO also lists licensing, closed containment systems, land-based facilities and enhanced monitoring of pathogens as part of the proposed approach.



Dual-licensing approach could threaten timeline



To support the development and trialling of technologies the DFO is proposing a dual stream licensing approach.



This would offer fish farm operators two choices when in the market to renew their licence: a standard licence or an enhanced performance licence.



The idea, according to the DFO, is to incentivize industry members to invest in more sustainable technologies, meet the increasingly stringent environmental standards and eventually phase out all standard licences.



However, Proboszcz said hes concerned about how well this seemingly gradual dual-licensing approach will work alongside an already vague timeline.



My concern is, how long is all this going to take? Proboszcz said.



When the federal government first made this promise to create a plan to transition this industry by 2025, I think the vast majority of people believed they meant farms were going to be removed a lot sooner than this framework seems to suggest.



Meanwhile, industry members are already stressed by the ambitious timeline they say has been set.



While elements of the proposed framework are challenging, given the ambitious timeline set out, we are encouraged that the federal government will rely on reconciliation and peer-reviewed science as a foundation for planning, BC Salmon Farmers Association said in a written statement.



Lack of communication with First Nations



The first phase of engagement runs from now until September with invitations being emailed to First Nations, Indigenous organizations, industry, conservation groups and local B.C. governments, according to the DFO.



This phase also includes an online survey that will be open for public input through the DFO Pacific Regions consultation and engagement website.



But for many nations across the province, Chamberlin said the messaging has been anything but clear. He told Glacier Media many First Nations are only just becoming aware of this opportunity.



First Nations are just now becoming aware of the funding opportunity that DFO is providing to participate and put a formal submission into the transition planning process, he said.



As chair of the First Nation Wild Salmon Alliance, Chamberlin has taken it upon himself to spread the word. In the past 10 days hes spoken to between 30 and 35 tribal councils to inform them of the application they need to submit in order to be included in the engagement process.



This is news to them. I'm bringing them information about where they could access resources to properly inform the transition planning process, Chamberlin said.



By the time many First Nations are able to get their applications approved, Chamberlin is concerned the engagement process could already be moving into its second phase.



Minister Murray told Glacier Media that First Nations are a key part of this framework and she will be looking for feedback from any First Nations who, historically, have a connection with wild salmon.



A promising first step



While Chamberlin is disappointed in the DFOs communication with First Nations during the first phase, he said his initial reaction to the framework was an encouraging one.



They're going to engage First Nations whose fish migrate past fish farms, he said. That's really significant.



In the past, Chamberlin said engagement has often been limited to First Nations with fish farms on their territory and has excluded those whose wild salmon migrate past these farms.



The impact of fish farm operations extends across British Columbia, well up to the headwaters of the Fraser River, and the Thompson River, Chamberlin said.



Chamberlin noted the engagement by the DFO of all affected First Nations is in accordance with the Supreme Court case Haida Nation v British Columbia.



It's not a nicety, it's actually the DFO living up to Supreme Court law, he said. The Haida Supreme Court ruling says that even the potential to infringe Aboriginal rights by a Crown licence or decision triggers the duty to consult.



For Proboszcz, his feelings of encouragement comes solely from the fact that these discussions are even being had by government officials, despite any overarching flaws.



This is the first time a government has talked about concerns with aquaculture and salmon farming and that's hopeful, Proboszcz said.



I do appreciate all the work that's gone into this and the concern, but I think it needs more work.
Photo: The Canadian Press Evacuees of the flooding in eastern Kentucky gather clothing at the Knott County Sportsplex in Leburn, Ky., Friday, July 29, 2022. The sportsplex is being used as an emergency shelter, providing food, clothing, and a place to stay for those displaced by the flooding. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

Kentuckys governor said it could take weeks to find all the victims of flash flooding that killed at least 25 people when torrential rains swamped towns across Appalachia.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday that the numbers of victims would likely rise significantly as a result of record flash flooding over the past several days.

This is an ongoing natural disaster, Beshear told Fox News. We are still in search and rescue mode. Thankfully, the rain has stopped. But its going to rain more starting Sunday afternoon.

Meanwhile, rescue crews continue the struggle to get into hard-hit areas, some of them among the poorest places in America. Crews have made more than 1,200 rescues from helicopters and boats, the governor said.

The rain let up early Friday after parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches (20-27 centimeters) over 48 hours. But some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday.

Patricia Colombo, 63, of Hazard, Kentucky, became stranded when her car stalled in floodwaters on a state highway. Colombo began to panic when water started rushing in. Though her phone was dead, she saw a helicopter overhead and waved it down. The helicopter crew radioed a ground team that plucked her to safety.

Colombo stayed the night at her fiances home in Jackson and they took turns sleeping, repeatedly checking the water with flashlights to see if it was rising. Though her car was a loss, Colombo said others had it worse in a region where poverty is endemic.

Many of these people cannot recover out here. They have homes that are half underwater, theyve lost everything, she said.

Its the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have pounded parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis earlier this week and again on Friday. Scientists warn climate change is making weather disasters more common.

As rainfall hammered Appalachia this week, water tumbled down hillsides and into valleys and hollows where it swelled creeks and streams coursing through small towns. The torrent engulfed homes and businesses and trashed vehicles. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.

Rescue teams backed by the National Guard used helicopters and boats to search for the missing. Beshear said Friday that at least six children were among the victims and that the total number of lives lost could more than double as rescue teams reach more areas. Among those who died were four children from the same family in Knott County, the county coroner said Friday.

President Joe Biden said in a social media post that he spoke Friday with Beshear and offered the federal governments support. Biden also declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.

The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in West Virginia where the flooding downed trees, power outages and blocked roads. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also made an emergency declaration, enabling officials to mobilize resources across the flooded southwest of the state.

More than 20,000 utility customers in Kentucky and almost 6,100 in Virginia remained without power late Friday, poweroutage.us reported.

Extreme rain events have become more common as climate change bakes the planet and alters weather patterns, according to scientists. Thats a growing challenge for officials during disasters, because models used to predict storm impacts are in part based on past events and cant keep up with increasingly devastating flash floods and heat waves like those that have recently hit the Pacific Northwest and southern Plains.

Its a battle of extremes going on right now in the United States, said University of Oklahoma meteorologist Jason Furtado. These are things we expect to happen because of climate change. ... A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor and that means you can produce increased heavy rainfall.

The deluge came two days after record rains around St. Louis dropped more than 12 inches (31 centimeters) and killed at least two people. Last month, heavy rain on mountain snow in Yellowstone National Park triggered historic flooding and the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. In both instances, the rain flooding far exceeded what forecasters predicted.

The floodwaters raging through Appalachia were so swift that some people trapped in their homes couldnt be immediately reached, said Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams.

Just to the west in hard-hit Perry County, authorities said some people remained unaccounted for and almost everyone in the area suffered some sort of damage.

Weve still got a lot of searching to do, said Jerry Stacy, the countys emergency management director.

More than 330 people have sought shelter, Beshear said. And with property damage so extensive, the governor opened an online portal for donations to the victims.

Beshear predicted that it would take more than a year to fully rebuild.

Portions of at least 28 state roads in Kentucky were blocked due to flooding or mudslides. Rescue crews in Virginia and West Virginia worked to reach people where roads werent passable.
Photo: Submitted to Glacier Media. Across three B.C. communities, a construction worker, a baker and an ambulance paramedic cope with the latest heat wave.

The 2021 heat dome killed 619 British Columbians while the November floods that followed caused at least $9 billion in damages.

For Sara Kendall, her thoughts went out to some of the most vulnerable people during that time  migrant workers.

They were left on roofs in the floods, without food and in the cold, says the ambulance paramedic.

Trained as a doctor in Cuba, Kendall speaks Spanish and has a background in community and emergency health.

So when she was asked to help train foreign temporary workers in how to respond to a medical emergency, she jumped at the opportunity.

So far, Kendall says shes helped train over 200 migrant workers, who come on their only day off from the farms surrounding communities like Abbotsford, Langley and Kelowna.

In an intensive session, the workers learn how to read vital signs, how to do CPR in a drowning situation, or how to treat hyperthermia during a heat wave.

Whether because of language barriers, isolation in a rural area or poor working and living conditions, migrant workers have a particular set of vulnerabilities.

But under a heat wave, their situation is not unique.

During last years record hot week, accepted worker claims due to heat illness spiked across the province by 180 per cent over the previous four-year average.

More than a year later, the heat has returned, on Friday triggering heat warnings in 33 regions across B.C.  and begging the question, how are workers coping?

As the temperatures soar in factories, kitchens, and worksites, Glacier Media checked in with three workers over the course of 24 hours.

The baker

Alberto has one job  kneed the bread.

When he steps inside the North Vancouver bakery at 7 a.m. to start work, four ovens are running at full blast.

While its hot outside, inside, its worse: a thermometer near the bread proofer says the room has already warmed to 38 degrees Celsius.

Alberto drinks his first bottle of water. But for every sip or bathroom break, he has to ask permission so someone can take his place on the production line.

Its constant production, he says. What I really want is to drink water, because I feel dehydrated.

Its a far cry from his uncles bakery in Northern Mexico, where he used to help out when he was younger. But his bosses are sponsoring his Canadian visa, so the young man stays.

When the 2021 heat wave hit, Alberto and the other bakers had only two fans. The entire facility felt like it turned into an oven, says Alberto.

A year later, the owners of the bakery bought a few more fans, but Alberto says they arent enough to remove the heat.

At work, he says the high temperatures bring out the worst in people. It makes them agitated, quick to anger.

Some cant take it.

One younger baker called in with a headache earlier this week.

Another older colleague remembers the 2021 heat wave. To try to get relief, they placed two fans a couple of metres from their backs. That's when the older worker felt pains shoot through his back. His body, made sensitive from the heat, couldnt take the shock.

Alberto says the man hasnt been at work for two days this week.

Part of him wants his bosses to make the same call as other bakeries around the city  to shut down. But part of him knows taking a day off isnt an option.

We need to work. We need to get our hours and make money, he says.

By 10 a.m., the temperature inside has climbed to 42 C.

All the workers have removed their white jackets. Alberto has sweated through three T-shirts. He has drunk over seven litres of water.

The ovens will soon be turned down. Its time for the bread to get shipped out to the big-box grocery stores and neighbourhood shops.

Soon it will be time to clean up, to go home.

Old scraps of fermenting dough in the sink waft an awful, rotten smell into Albertos face.

Tomorrow could be even worse, he says.

The construction worker

Its 7 a.m., and Braulio Munoz Sanchez is perched on a ladder 50 floors off the ground.

Towering amid a clutch of Burnaby high-rise apartments, his phone tells him its 26 degrees Celsius outside. But as the sun arcs up and across the sky, the temperature will climb.

All day, Im exposed to the sun, says Munoz Sanchez.

A construction worker, the 31-year-old father of two, used to run a small advertising shop in the central Mexican town of Atlixco. But after he got into some debt, his family told him to get out.

Now, instead of designing T-shirts and hats, Munoz Sanchez works on a two-year temporary visa, in charge of grinding the outside of dozens of balconies that make up the facade of a growing urban metropolis.

After four years, he is an experienced worker. But this week, spending all day in the heat has left his hand blistered, even through the gloves.

It was one of the hardest days yet, he says. It was really heavy.

Above him, the heat forced the roofers to stop at 10 a.m.

Theyre young people, but it was hitting hard, he says.

When the sun hits Munoz Sanchez, he drinks a lot of Gatorade and moves to another side of the building.

His phone tells him it's 33 C but it feels hotter.

Munoz Sanchez gets the call: it's 3 p.m. and it's time to go home. Even the shade of a multi-storey high-rise apartment isn't enough.

If we get dizzy and fall, we can hurt ourselves, he says.

During the heat wave this week, Braulio Munoz Sanchez worked grinding down the sides of balconies often 50 storeys off the ground in Burnaby, B.C. Braulio Munoz Sanchez

The paramedic

An advanced care paramedic with BC Ambulance Service, Ian Tait is used to heading into stressful situations.

Still, last year was something different.

I was driving to Hope with no backup where people are in cardiac arrest the entire time. They couldnt get through to 911, he says.

We witnessed the collapse of the British Columbia emergency health services.

Tait says a lot of the other paramedics he works with were forced to take months off work to cope with the stress of that night.

A year later, the heat is back, and while not as intense, still deadly.

At 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Tait fires up the air conditioning in the white SUV. The vehicle is kitted out as a paramedic responder unit. Working alone, Tait will respond to the most serious calls around the City of Chilliwack where hes based.

Unlike last year, Tait says his bosses are somewhat more prepared this time around  they gave him what looks like a fishing hat and a Yeti cooler mug as part of a big push to keep everyone cool and hydrated at work.

And unlike the heavy uniforms paramedics used to receive, this year, Tait is wearing a fluorescent yellow, sweat-wicking shirt.

But COVID-19 precautions are still a thing, and when he responds to nine calls over the next 14 hours, theres a good chance many of them will involve a lot of personal protection equipment.

We still will wear the garbage bag on top of us when we do a cardiac arrest, he says. Man, if you want to sweat through every article of clothing you have, you put a garbage bag over top of it.

When he checks in with the hospital manager, a friend of his, she says its packed and dont bring anybody here.

Ian Tait, an advanced ambulance paramedic working out of Chilliwack, B.C., says if a heat wave as bad as 2021 were to return, the BC Ambulance Service wouldn't be ready. Submitted

Next, a code three to Hope, another in Agassiz.

The temperature climbs past 30 C.

Tait says hes waiting until people get out of the sun and head home for dinner. Thats when heat illness really kicks in.

They'll get home and then maybe their environment can't get cooled, they don't have an air conditioner, he says.

Night comes and goes, along with Tait's 14-and-a-half-hour shift.

At 9 a.m. Friday, he's back on duty.

Thats when the heat illness calls come in.

Tait pulls up to an apartment building in Chilliwack. Outside, he loads up with gear. Inside, he finds an older man stuck for several days in an unventilated apartment.

Im sweating before I get in the place. And then you walk in, you're like, Holy cow, it's frickin' so hot here, says Tait. The guy's covered in sweat. He's like delirious. Hes really suffering.

And then you think to yourself, Man, these poor seniors have been basically [cooking] in here for like a week now Its not consistent with life to be living in that.

With the patients health deteriorating, Tait rushes him to the hospital.

Then another heat call: a younger man who had been camping, drinking and spending too much time in the sun.

Somewhere along the way, Tait reminds himself he needs to drink more water, he needs to take electrolytes.

We're definitely nervous about this weekend, he says.
This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery, III and a bipartisan group of attorneys general announced an agreement in principle to address the opioid crisis for the second time this week. The proposed settlement on financial terms would require former opioid maker Allergan to pay up to $2.37 billion to participating states and local governments.



If finalized, the Allergan settlement, together with the Teva Pharmaceuticals settlement announced this week, would provide as much as $6.6 billion nationwide, including for abatement of the crisis. Abbvie, which acquired Allergan in 2020, disclosed the agreement in its earnings announcement Friday.



Both settlements remain contingent on resolution of key issues, including details regarding the settlement structure, which is expected to build on the framework developed in prior nationwide opioid settlements. The parties are also negotiating terms requiring business practice changes and transparency.



You can see how the opioid playbook got passed around, said General Slatery. Deceptive marketing, the downplay of addiction risk, the encouragement of doctors to prescribe those showing signs of addictionmore opioids. We will continue to hold manufacturers responsible for their part and get much needed funding to abate the crisis.



Ireland-based Allergan formerly made Norco- and Kadian-branded and generic opioids. The company sold its generics portfolio, including opioid products, to Teva in 2016. Teva and the attorneys general announced Tuesday that they had reached an agreement in principle to provide up $4.25 billion to address its part in the opioid crisis. The Teva agreement in principle is contingent, in part, on Allergan reaching its own settlement with the states.



The coalition of states alleged that Allergan:



 Deceptively marketed opioids by downplaying the risk of addiction, overstating their benefits and encouraging doctors to treat patients showing signs of addiction by prescribing them more opioids; and

 Failed to maintain effective controls to prevent diversion of opioids.



The $2.37 billion figure includes money that Allergan has already agreed to pay under settlements with individual states.



The negotiations are being led by California, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. While New York was among the 13 states integral to negotiating this settlement, New York settled separately with Allergan in December 2021 as a part of its trial.
Nicholas Townsend, Mark Halls campaign treasurer and treasurer for the 24th District State representative, has resigned in order to endorse rival J. Adam Lowe for State Senate.

With only days left until early voting, Mr. Townsend made his announcement, and endorsement of Mr. Lowe, publicly on Tuesday via his Facebook page.

He said, For the last four years, I have proudly served Cleveland and Bradley County as the treasurer for the 24th State District Representative, and up until this July, also served in this capacity in the Senate race. This campaign season is not like the ones before it. I have seen from the inside the attitudes and motives that are truly driving this race for Senate.

"Due to what I have witnessed first-hand, I resigned from the campaign of Mark Hall and will be endorsing and encouraging my friends and family to support J. Adam Lowe for Tennessee State Senate.

Mr. Lowe, described on his website as a family man, small businessman, educator, author, and former commissioner, accepted Mr. Townsends endorsement via his official campaign social media accounts.

He said, For the past several years, Nicholas Townsend has served the 24th House District as treasurer. I have always respected how tough an opponent he has been. But aside from being on opposite sides of this senate race for months, Nick has always been kind, intelligent, and you can tell he loves his family. Thats what it comes down to. Family. The Townsends and I sit in the stands and watch our boys play ball together. Our sons are allies on the field, and now, the Lowes and Townsends are allies in this senate race.

Rep. Hall said on Saturday that Mr. Townsend on June 20, 2022, informed his campaign via email of his resignation as treasurer.





He said his notice reads as follows:

I have served you as a friend and a partner for many years. Until recently, after 25 years, I thought that our bond was unbreakable.

However, with the recent change in staffing and the inability to execute my responsibilities as the Treasurer for the campaign, I need to inform you with a sad heart, that I am ending my position and relationship with your campaign on June 30th, 2022.





There are many business issues that remain unhandled. I will send an email with the information on the outstanding items in a few days after I have some time to digest this.

. . . I am going to notify Campaign Finance after the reporting deadline that I am no longer in this position after the 4th of July so that the optics are clear. I worked hard for you for a long time and would appreciate a clean separation as what little I have cannot afford to be lost.  Nick





Rep. Hall said, "Theres no denying that this decision affects both Nick and me very deeply. And while these types of things happen in life, it always stings a bit. No matter what, I will forever treasure our friendship and his support over many years.





"The timing of this news feels like dirty politics as usual. But I will keep my promise to Nick by honoring our agreement for a clean separation. Therefore, we will not go into further detail about his failures and inability to act in the best interest of this campaign.





"However, one thing stands true. I am always committed to talking about my conservative record and the important issues facing the 1st Senate District. My campaign is the strongest it has been, shattering fundraising goals with a strong quarter of fundraising and I continue to have great conversations with voters in this district.





"All the very best to Nick and his family."
Terri Irwin, star of Animal Planets Crikey! Its the Irwins, has been focused on her grown kids, Bindi and Robert, as she helps them pass on the family legacy of wildlife preservation in Australia. The Irwins work to rehabilitate wildlife and are famous for handling dangerous creatures like crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and some of the deadliest animals on Earth.

Yet much has been made of Terri Irwins personal life. At 58 years old, shes been linked to around 25 dating partners since 2007 when she walked the red carpet with Russell Crowe, who was a good friend to her late husband Steve Irwin, aka The Crocodile Hunter, before his tragic death in 2006.

How did Terri Irwin meet the love of her life, Steve Irwin?

Terri Irwin celebrates #NationalSuperheroDay with a sweet photo of her late husband Steve Irwin.  https://t.co/4ksQXs545l pic.twitter.com/CdwgcnKYfK  Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 29, 2017

Terri Irwin grew up in Eugene, Oregon, where she ran a family construction business until she opened a wildlife rehabilitation center in 1986. She focused on rehabbing predatory mammal species such as mountain lions and coyotes. On a trip to Australias Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, now known as Australia Zoo, in 1991, she saw Steve performing one of his crocodile feedings.

It was love at first sight. The couple married a year later in 1992, started The Crocodile Hunter show on their honeymoon when they captured and relocated a croc, and became world-famous for their wildlife conservation efforts.

Tragedy struck on September 4, 2006. Steve was filming a documentary called Oceans Deadliest along the Great Barrier Reef. He accidentally spooked a bull stingray in shallow water where it was hiding under the sand. Its barbed tail pierced Steves heart. Despite resuscitation efforts, he died an hour after the fatal injury.

Terri Irwin and her two children carry on Steves legacy to this day with their conservation efforts.

How did Russell Crowe come to know Terri Irwin?

Terri Irwin and Russell Crowe on a red carpet in 2007 | John Shearer/WireImage

Crowe, an Aussie himself, was close friends with Steve Irwin and helped the naturalist by raising awareness to wildlife preservation through Steves organization.

In delivering a tribute to his memorial service two weeks after Irwins death, reports The Guardian, Crowe had this to say of his dear friend: Your passing has suspended reality for us. It was way too soon and completely unfair on all accounts.

A year later, Crowe held hands with Terri Irwin at Australia Week in LA. In 2013, Bindi Irwin attended the Australian premiere of Man of Steel with Russell Crowe and two of the A-listers sons, according to E Online.

Is the Irwin matriarch dating the A-list Hollywood actor?

Russell Crowe gushes about his 'great friend' Terri Irwin https://t.co/ABtCY6Fg6I  Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) May 23, 2017

In 2020, rumors swirled about a romance between Terri Irwin and Crowe. The Courier Mail states Crowe was one of the first people to reach out to Terri after her husbands death.

Both people have denied theyre in a relationship. In 2022, Crowe has been linked to 30-year-old Britney Theriot, a real estate agent from New Orleans.

Terri Irwin had this to say about the celebrity relationship, according to The Daily Mail: Ive stopped counting all the men I am supposed to have had flings with the more recent one is John Travolta, which is new to the mix.

Steve Irwin was the love of Terris life

Terri Irwin paid tribute to her husband, the late Steve Irwin, in a sweet post to mark the 28th anniversary of their engagement. https://t.co/FC9DrYpdcq  ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2020

Fifteen years after Steves tragic passing, Terri Irwin opened up about her love for Steve to People. I had a big, big love and it was enough to last a lifetime. Steve was it for me.

Steves family continues to honor his legacy. Every November 15, the world celebrates Steve Irwin Day. When Bindi Irwin, Steves daughter, announced her pregnancy, Terri said she wished Steve would be able to share in the beautiful family moment.

Terri continues to be busy. She helps her kids build on their conservation efforts and their family lives. When mom Terri gave Bindi some marriage advice, the matriarch compared her life with Steve to that of a comfortable pair of shoes. You can always rely on them.

Bindi even imagines what her father would have done with Grace Wisdom, her young daughter, as a baby. He would have just whisked her away to a zoo, just like he did for his own kids, to show Grace the majesty of our planet.

Everything is bigger in Australia: the sharks, the snakes, the crocs. And so are the personalities, none bigger than Steve Irwin. Even bigger than his personality was his love. His love of family, wildlife, nature, and humanity. Happily, his legacy is secure.

RELATED: Bindi Irwin Had a Touching Tribute to Her Father Steve For Her Wedding
CPC seeks national rejuvenation by following Chinese path to modernization

Xinhua) 09:38, July 30, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at the opening ceremony of a study session of provincial and ministerial-level officials. The study session was held from Tuesday to Wednesday in Beijing. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

* Xi stressed reliance on China's own efforts to drive the nation's development, calling for efforts to make sure the future of China's development and progress remains firmly in its own hands.

* Xi said there is no set model of modernization in the world, nor is there a universal criterion for modernization that fits all.

* Xi noted that all-round development is a must for China to realize modernization.

At a high-level meeting held in Beijing earlier this week, Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the necessity to push forward national rejuvenation by following a uniquely Chinese path to modernization.

At the meeting, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, noted that the Party's 20th National Congress scheduled to be held later this year will envision the two-step strategic plan for building China into a great modern socialist country, and focus on outlining strategic tasks and major initiatives for the next five years.

"We must stress reliance on our own efforts to drive the nation's development, and make sure the future of China's development and progress remains firmly in our own hands," said Xi when speaking of China's modernization and further development.

Aerial photo taken on June 20, 2022 shows a train running on the Meixi River grand bridge, in southwest China's Chongqing, on the Zhengzhou-Chongqing high-speed railway. (Xinhua/Shu Peng)

In the past ten years, regarding the country's goals and means of building a great modern socialist country, the Chinese leader has put forward a series of new ideas, new thinking, and new strategies.

In 2012, the 18th CPC National Congress made socialist modernization and national rejuvenation the general task of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Five years later, the 19th CPC National Congress made a new top-level design, proposing a two-stage strategic plan for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of the century.

To achieve these goals, China must follow its own path.

There is no set model of modernization in the world, nor is there a universal criterion for modernization that fits all, Xi told this week's meeting.

The pursuit of modernization in a vast developing country like China is unprecedented. There are no examples to refer to, nor a charted course to follow. The country can only explore its own path with resolve.

To achieve national development and revitalization, the most important thing for China, a country with a vast territory and a large population, is to follow a development path suited to its specific conditions, Xi once said.

China's modernization does not copy any existing model. Rather, it follows a distinctive path based on its own situation and reality. In the past ten years, the country has made remarkable progress.

Economically, China has stayed firmly in the position of the world's second largest economy, with the quality of people's lives steadily improving. China's GDP has exceeded 100 trillion yuan (14.8 trillion U.S. dollars), and per capita GDP has exceeded 12,000 U.S. dollars.

China's development is also reflected by its sci-tech progress. The country has made notable achievements in multiple areas, from cutting-edge technologies like manned spaceflight, to high-speed railways and technological projects related to people's well-being.

Screen image taken at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 7, 2021 shows Chinese taikonaut Zhai Zhigang conducting extravehicular activities out of the space station core module Tianhe. (Xinhua/Guo Zhongzheng)

Simultaneous with the aforementioned developments is the country's cultural and ethical progress. In recent years, the quantity and quality of cultural venues like libraries, museums and art galleries have increased. Also, cultural activities like nationwide reading activities are carried out, and basic public cultural services in cities have become more accessible to the general public.

Photo taken on April 15, 2022 shows the Wormhole Library in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Liyun)

China puts equal emphasis on environment protection and economic development and puts into practice the philosophy of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

All-round development is a must for China to realize modernization, Xi once said.

When illustrating the features of China's modernization, Xi noted that the country's modernization benefits a large population. It features common prosperity, coordinated material and cultural-ethical progress, harmony between humanity and nature, and peaceful development.

The Chinese path to modernization will bring more benefits to the world, according to Xi.

A technician works during a test run of the "fill and finish" process for CanSino vaccines at Solution Biologics factory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sept. 8, 2021. Chinese company CanSino Biologics has helped Malaysia cross a milestone in vaccine manufacturing, by transferring technology to enable the local "fill and finish" of the COVID-19 vaccines based on the adenovirus platform. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

Over the past decade, in the face of global changes and challenges, Xi has proposed a series of ideas and philosophies, including the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative. Together, these initiatives provide answers to crucial questions concerning the future of humanity.

China's path to modernization is one that champions win-win cooperation and brings benefits to the world, instead of the old paths characterized by the zero-sum game of major powers, observers have said.

(Web editor: Liu Ning, Bianji)
John Lennon Said Going Anywhere Without The Beatles Manager, Brian Epstein, Was Like Going Somewhere Without Your Trousers On

John Lennon once said it felt weird going out without The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein. It would be like going somewhere without your trousers on. The Beatles depended on Epstein heavily. After his untimely death in 1967, the band was left without their parental figure.

The Beatles and their manager, Brian Epstein | John Rodgers/Redferns

The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, helped them reach the top, but he was not business savvy

The Beatles met their future manager in 1961. Epstein and his family owned a record store in Liverpool. Two fans came in asking for the single My Bonnie, which The Beatles recorded in Hamburg, Germany as the backing group for Tony Sheridan.

He didnt recognize the bands name but learned they were from Liverpool too. They had a residency at The Cavern Club. He went down to see them.

What he saw impressed him. The Beatles werent much, but they knew how to perform for a crowd. Later, he approached the band and asked if they wanted a manager. They accepted, and Epstein put them in suits and fought for a record contract.

Once they got it, Epstein made a series of bad deals for the band. He wasnt the best businessman. He started The Beatles publishing company, Northern Songs, with Dick James, who later stole The Beatles entire music catalog.

However, for the most part, Epstein was good for the four lads from Liverpool. He brought them to the top.

RELATED: John Lennon Wanted The Beatles to Buy Their Own Private Island in Greece

John Lennon said going somewhere without The Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, was like going somewhere without your trousers on

For the most part, The Beatles had to run everything by Epstein, even if they wanted to get married. However, he was their father figure, and they loved him.

When they first heard the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi speak in London, he invited them to a 10-day retreat in Wales, where they could learn Transcendental Meditation. However, The Beatles had to ask their manager first.

In Here Comes The Sun: The Spiritual And Musical Journey Of George Harrison, Joshua M. Greene wrote, The group accepted his invitation and placed a call to Brian Epstein, hoping he would also come along. For five years the boys had never gone anywhere without their manager or someone appointed by him to look out for them.

Its like going somewhere without your trousers on, John said. Epstein declined, suggesting he might drive up toward the end of the retreat.

That was the last time they heard from their manager.

RELATED: Cousin Brucie Said an Armed Security Guard Handed Him the First Beatles Record for the Radio

The manager died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills

While The Beatles were in Wales, they learned Epstein had died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills.

George Harrison approached the Maharishi and asked what they should do. He said if they held on to Epstein, it would stop his soul from going on.

The Beatles returned to London immediately. They were, of course, sad about their father figures death but were also concerned about the bands future. Brian had done everything for them.

I knew that we were in trouble then, John later recalled (per History). I didnt really have any misconceptions about our ability to do anything other than play music. I was scared. I thought, Weve ******* had it.'

In Peter Jacksons documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, which showed never-before-seen footage taken during the Let It Be film, Paul talked about losing Epstein. They werent getting along and couldnt decide what to do next. George said ever since Epstein died, it was never the same.

Paul agreed that the band had become very negative since Epstein died.

Its discipline we lack, Paul said. Weve never had discipline. We had a sort of slight, symbolic discipline. Like Mr. Espstein. You know, he sort of said, Get suits on, and we did, you know. And so we were always fighting that discipline a bit.

There really is no one there now to say, Do it. Where is, there always used to be. Daddys gone away now, and were on our own at the holiday camp. I think we either go home or we do it. I think weve got a bit shy, you know?

The Beatles didnt survive much longer after Epsteins death. He took them to the top, and they crumpled up without him.

RELATED: George Harrisons Joke to His Wife Olivia About The Beatles Legacy
Several director-actor duos are instantly iconic, including John Ford/John Wayne, Steven Spielberg/Tom Hanks, and Quentin Tarantino/Samuel L. Jackson. As a result, moviegoers love seeing how these dynamic duos work together over their careers. Nope filmmaker Jordan Peele and actor Daniel Kaluuya are the newest and hottest to hit Hollywood, who could be the next Spielberg/Hanks.

Jordan Peele and Daniel Kaluuya have a close bond

L-R: Jordan Peele and Daniel Kaluuya | JC Olivera/Getty Images

In a recent interview with Hypebeast, Peele talked about his career thus far, his vision for Nope, and where his projects are headed from here. He doesnt have an interest in telling other storytellers narratives but continues to inject his voice into his motion pictures. Additionally, Peele and Kaluuya are officially a dynamic duo after working together on the Oscar-winning Get Out and, now, Nope.

So cool, Peele said about working with Kaluuya again. You know how a directors dream is to find an actor that youll bond with and youll work with over and over again. I feel like Ive found that in Daniel. We just have a connection and we trust each other. Weve been through it, and we just have a way of communicating thats almost non-verbal at this point.

Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks developed a similar relationship

The bond that Peele and Kaluuya developed is rare, but it does happen in Hollywood. Spielberg and Hanks certainly had a similar relationship, which led to them working together on a total of five movies. They collaborated on The Terminal, Bridge of Spies, The Post, Catch Me If You Can, and Saving Private Ryan.

Time once reported on Spielberg and Hanks speaking on their actor-director bond. Spielberg noted that Saving Private Ryan was the first time that they actually cast each other.

Its funny because a couple of times its been my idea, once its been Toms idea, and once it was that we decided independent of each other, Spielberg said. Once Tom read the first draft of a script and I read the first draft of a script and we called each other on the phone at the same moment and decided to do it togetherthat was Saving Private Ryan. That was the one time that he cast me and I cast him.

Hanks also had something to say about how his bond with Spielberg evolved over the course of working together.

We developed a language that was all about how we read history for pleasure, Hanks said. We were constantly reading biographies or histories, searching out the documentaries wed never seen. From that came this dialogue based in, Did you hear about this? Did you read this? Did you see this? Are you reading that now?'

Hanks continued: Its no surprise that the first thing we did was based on the vision of history we never cease reading about, and it just goes on and on; cant quite get enough of it. We really had this shorthand. His version of cinema is all his, and instinctive, my version of acting is completely [mine], so we never really talked about the specifics of it.

Director-actor duos can boost a movies performance

Critics and audiences already drew comparisons between Peele and Spielberg, so it makes sense to extend this to their duos with actors Kaluuya and Hanks, respectively. Some folks claimed that Nope does to the skies what Jaws did for the ocean. Regardless of ones take on that statement, its clear that Peele draws some inspiration from the visual spectacle of Spielbergs works, such as Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

When an actor and director are comfortable working together, it allows for creativity to flourish. Peele talked about non-verbal communication with Kaluuya, while Spielberg and Hanks also have their own language that they connect with. As a result, they have a stronger understanding of one another as artists. Therefore, theres a greater sense of collaboration.

RELATED: Jordan Peele Slammed Nope Fan Calling Him the Best Horror Director of All Time, Twitter Cant Get Enough
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.

0108263 License for publishing multimedia online



Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349
5 babies born alive after abortions in Minnesota: report

An annual report detailing Minnesota's abortion data reveals that five babies were born alive after the procedure and no efforts were made to save their lives.

The 2021 report was released earlier this month by the Minnesota Department of Health. According to the report, 10,136 abortions were performed in the state last year, and more than 9,000 women who obtained abortions were Minnesota residents.

The report states that 159 abortions took place between 21 to 24 weeks gestation, and one abortion was said to have been between 25 to 30 weeks gestation. No abortions were listed as having occurred after 31 weeks gestation. The overwhelming majority of abortions were performed in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, with more than half (6,975) occurring in the first nine weeks. Fetal gestational age was not reported in 118 cases, so it's unknown how far along the mothers were in those instances.

In 2015, Minnesota enacted the "Born Alive Infant Protection Act," amending abortion reporting requirements to include information about whether an abortion resulted in a born-alive infant. Consistent with the requirements of the law, the Minnesota Department of Health's report on induced abortions in the state identified five abortions "resulting in a born-alive infant."

Under the statutes, infants born alive as the result of abortion are to be "fully recognized as a human person" and all reasonable measures must be taken to preserve the life and health of the infant. The report indicates that in three of the five cases, "No measures taken to preserve life were reported and the infant did not survive."

One of the five babies born alive had "fetal anomalies," leading to the child's death after delivery. Two other "previable" infants were also born alive before dying, with no measures taken to preserve life in these instances either. Two born-alive babies were provided with comfort care before they died, as required by the state's Born Alive Infant Protection Act.

"When an abortion is performed after the 20th week of pregnancy, a physician, other than the physician performing the abortion, shall be immediately accessible to take all reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice, including the compilation of appropriate medical records, to preserve the life and health of any born alive infant that is the result of the abortion," the law reads.

The Minnesota Department of Health did not immediately respond to The Christian Post's request for comment on the report.

Live Action reported in 2020 that 108 babies had been born alive in five U.S. states within the last 12 years. The pro-life activist organization cited state records from Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota and Texas, where the infants had been born alive.

"There are only a handful of states (eight as far as we know) that require reporting for live births after abortions," Live Action's former Director of External Affairs Alison Centofante previously told CP in an email. "Some states that do require reporting had reported zero, an example of that would be Oklahoma."

"Babies born alive after botched abortions illuminates the humanity of every preborn child  a humanity that is present at the moment of conception. Beating hearts, pumping lungs, tiny fingers and toes. Hearing stories of babies born alive after botched abortions should wake people from their slumber of apathy," she added. "Abortion kills 2,363 babies every single day in the U.S. The procedure starves, poisons, beheads, and dismembers the most vulnerable members of our human family and we must do all we can to protect them."

Centofante contended that current infant protection laws at the federal level are insufficient to protect abortion survivors: "The 2002 Federal Born Alive Infant Protection Act is insufficient to ensure babies surviving abortion are given appropriate care because it simply acknowledges that all newborns, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, are to be recognized as persons from the moment of their birth if they show any sign of life.

"It does not provide specific duties for an abortion doctor to follow or penalties if they are not followed," she asserted.
Brooklyn pastor robbed of jewelry being sued for allegedly scamming parishioner of life savings

Bishop Lamor Whitehead of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Brooklyn, who claims he and his congregation lost jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars during a livestreamed robbery at his church on Sunday, allegedly scammed one of his parishioners of her life savings, which he's accused of using to purchase a $4.4 million mansion in New Jersey, according to a lawsuit filed in the Brooklyn Supreme Court.

He is now being sued by parishioner Pauline Anderson, 56, for $2.45 million in actual and punitive damages for taking $90,000 of her savings to secure a house for her, but he used the money to secure a home for himself instead.

According to the lawsuit, filed last September and first cited publicly by The City, Whitehead promised to help Anderson purchase a home after she was rejected by two mortgage lenders because her credit score was too low. Anderson had co-signed for a student loan for one of her children which was in arrears, the lawsuit said.

When she failed to secure a home loan through traditional methods, the desperate Anderson who joined Whiteheads church in January 2020, warily gave him a check for $90,000 in November 2020 when he said he could help her secure a home. She told Whitehead that she was wary in handing over her money because that was all she had to live on. Whitehead offered to give her $100 per month for her living expenses at that point to live off until the purchase and renovation of the property he promised was complete. Whitehead did not give Anderson a receipt for the $90,000 she paid him.

The lawsuit said Anderson trusted Whitehead with her money partly because he was her pastor. When she joined his church in 2020, she had just recovered from a life-threatening surgery and Whitehead, who was introduced to her by her son, Rasheed Anderson, had prayed for her. She further trusted Whitehead to help her find a home because he had also previously helped her son secure a home.

Whitehead allegedly took Andersons money to purchase a $4.4 million mansion in Saddle River, New Jersey.

The Premises is a large, palatial estate with an inground pool with a waterfall, outdoor fountains, hot tub, gym and wine cellar, among other luxury amenities. It is located in the upper-class neighborhood of Saddle River, New Jersey, one of the highest per-capita income markets in the country, the lawsuit said.

Upon information and belief, LWI and Mr. Whitehead fraudulently converted Ms. Andersons investment of $90,000.00 as part of his down payment on the Contract to purchase the Premises as a personal residence for Mr. Whitehead himself, the lawsuit continued. Ms. Anderson was instead left with nothing but a vague promise by Mr. Whitehead to pay the funds back in the future followed by an assertion that he had no further obligation to do so.

Whitehead, who ran a failed campaign to become Brooklyn borough president, also did not give Anderson the monthly $100 he promised, and when she inquired about her money he allegedly told her in text messages dated May 19, 2021, that anything that was given to me is a Donation unless its attached to a contract! I was making investments thats what I Do!

Information from the New York City Police Department cited by The New York Post said three masked gunmen burst into Whitehead's church at around 11:14 a.m. on Sunday. A video of the incident shows Whitehead quickly surrendering to the gunmen as they relieved him, his wife and their congregation of their precious stones.

While police sources cited by The New York Times said the stolen jewelry was worth more than $1 million, other reports pegged the value at about $400,000.

In a statement during an Instagram Live session Monday, Whitehead, who is now offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunmen, said reports that the value of the stolen jewelry exceeds $1 million are incorrect.

"And just to clear things up. I know CNN has reported and also the [New York] Post, that over a million dollars of jewelry was stolen. That's inaccurate, said the Brooklyn bishop who was arrested in 2006 for a $2 million identity-theft scam. Whitehead, 44, who served some five years in prison but was released in 2013, claims he was "falsely convicted and arrested for a crime I did not commit."
Catholic school can fire counselor for being in a same-sex marriage, 7th Circuit rules

A federal appeals court panel has ruled that a Catholic school in Indiana can lawfully refuse to renew the contract of a guidance counselor because she was in a same-sex marriage, which violated Catholic teaching.

A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Thursday in favor of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis and Roncalli High School, rejecting a lawsuit from former guidance counselor Lynn Starkey and upholding a lower court ruling.

Circuit Judge Michael Brennan authored the panel opinion, concluding that Starkey fit the legal description of a minister and could be dismissed by the school for rejecting Catholic teaching on marriage based on a ministerial exception.

The ministerial exception is a legal principle that protects churches and religious institutions from legal action taken by employees who perform religious functions. The exception is designed to protect religious institutions from government influence.

"She was identified as a 'minister of the faith' in her job description and employed under a 'Ministry Contract' beginning in the 201718 school year," wrote Brennan.

"For more than 30 years, Roncalli's employment contracts included a morals clause, and all evidence shows that the school considered Starkey a minister and entrusted her with religious duties."

Brennan, a Trump appointee, concluded that "Starkey was a minister because she was entrusted with communicating the Catholic faith to the school's students and guiding the school's religious mission."

As a result, the panel did not feel a need to address arguments over Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

The majority opinion cited the Supreme Court's decisions in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru (2020) and Hosanna-Tabor Lutheran Evangelical School v. EEOC (2012).

Circuit Judge Frank Easterbrook, a Reagan appointee, authored a concurring opinion arguing that the archdiocese and the school could justify their actions based on Title VII.

Specifically, Easterbrook detailed how Title VII "permits a religious employer to require the staff to abide by religious rules," including any prohibitions on same-sex unions.

"A religious school is entitled to limit its staff to people who will be role models by living the life prescribed by the faith," wrote Easterbrook.

"Our circuit has never embraced the position that 702(a) permits religious discrimination but not sex discrimination that has a religious footing. Section 702(a) will not resolve all claims made by employees of religious organizations, but it resolves many  including Starkey's."

The panel opinion upheld a lower court decision from last August by U.S. District Judge Richard Young, who argued that the state could not interfere in the affairs of the Catholic school.

"When the state interferes with these types of employment decisions, it violates both the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the First Amendment," wrote Young at the time.

"The ministerial exception is not limited to claims of religious discrimination; it bars all claims of discrimination under Title VII, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation."

Young also concluded that Starkey's "work in helping shape Roncalli's educational and spiritual environment weigh heavily in favor of applying the ministerial exception."

"Moreover, that Starkey characterizes her work as a guidance counselor in purely secular terms does not change the result because it would be inappropriate for this court to draw a distinction between secular and religious guidance offered by a guidance counselor at a Catholic school," he added.

Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at the religious freedom legal group Becket, praised the appellate court's decision.

"Religious groups have a constitutional right to hire individuals who believe in their faith's ideals and are committed to their religious mission," said Goodrich in a statement. "Our justice system has consistently ruled that the government cannot intrude on a religious organization's choice of who will pass on the faith to the next generation."
Chinese state media threatens that China could shoot down Pelosis plane over visit to Taiwan Xi warns Biden: 'Those who play with fire will perish by it'

An analyst for a Chinese state-controlled media outlet threatened that the Chinese military could shoot down Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosis plane if U.S. fighter jets escort her to Taiwan during a planned visit to the island.

The threat comes after Chinese leader Xi Jinping reportedly warned President Joe Biden against relations with Taiwan during a phone call that lasted more than two hours Thursday.

If U.S. fighter jets escort Pelosis plane into Taiwan, it is invasion. The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosis plane and the U.S. fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down, Hu Xijin, an analyst for the Chinese state-controlled Global Times, said on Twitter Friday in a post that has since been removed by the platform.

The threat comes amid reports that Pelosi is planning a visit to Taiwan, a democratic self-governed island that the Chinese Communist Party claims is part of its territory, as part of her Asia tour next week.

The Chinese mainland must be brave enough to take this step of flying warplanes over the island, which, unlike warplanes flight around Taiwan, can truly reflect Chinas sovereignty over the territory, and is more substantial than any visit to Taiwan by senior foreign officials, Xijin added. Using Pelosis visit to Taiwan to complete this leap is most likely to make it a peaceful transition.

On Thursday, Jinping spoke to Biden for two hours by phone on issues ranging from Russias invasion of Ukraine to the global economy, as well as Taiwan, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Xi urged the U.S. to tread cautiously in its ties with the island and that it was a matter of Chinas sovereignty. Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the U.S. will be clear-eyed about this, Xi said, according to accounts of the meeting issued by the Chinese Embassy in Washington, the Journal said.

A senior Biden administration official was quoted as saying that Xi had used similar rhetoric in the past.

Biden was quoted as telling Xi that the U.S. policy remains unchanged, and also that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

In an op-ed for The Washington Stand, Arielle Del Turco, assistant director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, wrote that Pelosi has a longstanding legacy of promoting human rights in China, and noted that Biden said last week that Pelosis visit to Taiwan was not a good idea right now.

"Some Taiwanese analysts fear that if Pelosi were to back out of the trip now, it would further embolden Chinese belligerence and leave Taiwan in a more insecure position than before. It would also teach Chinese officials that if they make enough noise, they can control the actions of U.S. leaders. That should never be true," she wrote.

Bob Fu, president of ChinaAid and senior fellow for International Religious Freedom at FRC, was quoted as saying, Speaker Pelosi should visit Taiwan without further delay or excuses. The travel schedule of an American congressional leader must not and should never be dictated or sabotaged by the genocidal Xi Jinpings Communist regime.

Fu added that her visit will make it clear to the 23 million Taiwanese and the CCP, as well as to others of our Asian allies, that American people stand in absolute solidarity with our value-sharing allies and strategic partners.
Bad theology is hijacking the Church

Jason Yates, CEO of My Faith Votes, sat down with Lucas Miles, host of The Lucas Miles Show and The Church Boys Podcast, to talk about his newest book, The Christian Left: How Liberal Thought has Hijacked the Church.

You can watch the interview in full here.

How do you see the Christian Left hijacking the Church?

Were seeing a hydra of involvements between progressives, Leftists, and deconstructionists. I define the Christian Left as this growing constituency of left-leaning Christians (at times, Christians in name only) who willingly embrace a downgraded view of the Bible in favor of a held belief about socialism and Marxism.

We hear statements like Jesus was a socialist, trying to paint Jesus as a Palestinian refugee to support open borders or a diminished view of Israel. We are also seeing a rise in acceptance of the worlds definitions of sexuality and gender.

Search the term progressive Christianity on social media platforms like TikTok. Youll find thousands of videos of so-called Christians attempting to justify alternative lifestyles and immoral practices using Scripture.

Historically, where two philosophical viewpoints oppose one another, the world tends to enter an age of skepticism. We see this with Plato and Aristotle and Augustine and Thomas Aquinas.

The current divide between red and blue in America has ushered in an age of skepticism, especially in the church. The Left knows they cannot win elections unless they divide the family in the church. So theyre spending a lot of marketing dollars to perform the same revisionist history on Scripture that theyve tried on the Constitution for years.

Is this belief system originating from a political source invading the Church, or is this stemming from faulty theology in the Church?

To some degree, you have the chicken and the egg. There are groups bent on infiltrating Christian colleges, Christian organizations, non-profits and the Church in general, pushing this agenda.

At the same time, people have bought into these ideas so that theyre coming from within the Church. For instance, the message of social justice has become an unpacked Trojan horse in our churches.

The Church has become convinced that the Gospel is a social justice gospel. But typically, social justice is just a ruse for critical theory in various forms. That has distracted us from the central message of Jesus Christ.

My Faith Votes has noticed quite a void of organizations reaching out to Christian colleges with the truth, so we developed a program to reach students on Christian campuses to equip them to vote. On campuses, we find great apathy toward this idea of involvement in political issues, even civic issues such as voting.

Is that an outcome of this cultural battle?

Theres a general message that, as Christians, we should be above politics. We shouldnt get involved in politics.

From what we see in Scripture, Jesus spent much time talking to the Pharisees and Sadducees. These were the political figures creating rules and laws. Often, we see Jesus actively pushing back against them.

I dont want to make Jesus a lobbyist by taking this beyond what we see in Scripture because thats the same mistake were seeing on the Left. But Jesus wasnt afraid to engage in politics, and he wasnt scared to express the opinion of his Father.

As Christians, we must recognize the influence we hold. If the state grants us the ability to vote and use our voices to make a difference, we commit a disservice by not stepping up and using that to the best of our ability.

When I was in my early 20s, I was captivated by this idea of Christian socialism, and I determined at one point in my life that I would never vote. Since then, I have been convinced that my voice as a believer matters and that my faith needs to vote for the sake of this nation and the church.

The Left talks about the separation of church and state, but they want a church subservient to the state. One practical way to combat this is using our vote.
20 states sue Biden admin. over LGBT directives for schools and workplaces

Twenty states are suing the Biden administration for implementing expanded LGBT nondiscrimination provisions that the plaintiffs believe run afoul of federal law as well as U.S. Supreme Court precedent.

A lawsuit was filed by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, a Republican, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee Knoxville Division Monday.

The Republican attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia also signed onto the lawsuit as plaintiffs.

Defendants in the case are the U.S. Department of Education, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows, the U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke.

This case is about two federal agencies changing law, which is Congress exclusive prerogative, Slatery said in a statement. The agencies simply do not have that authority.

The plaintiffs allege that policies implemented by the Biden administration have caused irreparable harm by threatening to withhold federal funding if they do not comply with the new directives.

The policies at issue stem from an executive order signed by President Joe Biden on his first day in office asserting that the Title IX Education Amendments of 1972, originally designed to prevent discrimination based on sex in education, also prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Additionally, the lawsuit challenges the Department of Educations announcement that it will fully enforce Title IX to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in education programs and activities that receive Federal financial assistance from the Department.

As detailed in the lawsuit, the Department sent a dear educator letter to Title IX recipient schools across the nation notifying them of the new interpretation of federal civil rights law. A fact sheet accompanied the letter.

The lawsuit expressed particular concern about the portion of the fact sheet alleging that preventing a trans-identified male from using the womens restroom and preventing a trans-identified male from trying out for girls cheerleading constitutes sex discrimination.

The EEOC compiled a similar technical assistance document, illustrating examples of what constitutes discrimination based on the executive branchs interpretation of federal civil rights law.

The document maintains that prohibiting a transgender person from dressing or presenting consistent with that persons gender identity would constitute sex discrimination.

Acknowledging that employers have the right to have separate, sex-segregated bathrooms, locker rooms, or showers for men and women, the commissions position is that employers may not deny an employee equal access to a bathroom, locker room, or shower that corresponds to the employees gender identity.

The EEOC document states that If an employer has separate bathrooms, locker rooms, or showers for men and women, all men (including transgender men) should be allowed to use the mens facilities and all women (including transgender women) should be allowed to use the womens facilities.

The EEOC characterized the use of pronouns or names that are inconsistent with an individuals gender identity as an example of harassment.

The Biden administration repeatedly cited the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County to justify its policies. In Bostock, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that firing a gay or transgender employee because of their sexual orientation or gender identity violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Slatery accused the agencies of misconstruing Bostock by claiming its prohibition of discrimination applies to locker rooms, showers, and bathrooms under Title IX and Title VII when the Supreme Court explicitly said it was not deciding those issues in Bostock.

The lawsuit also contends that the agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act.

The Administrative Procedure Act requires agencies to engage in notice and comment for legislative rules, the lawsuit noted. The Departments Interpretation and the Fact Sheet are legislative rules because they intend[] to create new laws, rights, or duties and thus should have been subject to notice and comment.

The lawsuit concluded that because the Interpretation and Fact Sheet are legislative rules that were adopted without the required notice-and-comment procedures, they are unlawful and should be set aside.

The legal complaint also described the actions of the agencies as arbitrary and capricious and alleges that the executive branchs policies violated the First and 10th Amendments and exceed statutory authority.

This lawsuit is not the first attempt by this group of state law enforcement officials to challenge the policies.

In July, the group of 20 attorneys general who filed the lawsuit, along with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, sent a letter to Biden expressing concern about the administrative action related to Bostock v. Clayton County.
HYDERABAD: Casino organiser Chikoti Praveen Kumar, who is facing many charges including hawala money transactions, allegedly played a key role in transporting unaccounted money to businessmen in Begum Bazaar through agents.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials intensified the probe into Foreign Exchange and Management Act (FEMA) cases registered against Praveen Kumar and his adie Madhav Reddy for allegedly transporting a huge amount to India through hawala after organising casinos and other illegal activities.

The agency officials served notices on Praveen Kumar's close associate Sampath, who is in the travel business, and others asking them to appear before the agency on Monday. Sampath allegedly provided travel facilities to Tollywood and Bollywood actors apart from businessmen to different countries based on directions of Praveen Kumar for participating in casino events.

Praveen Kumar was in contact with businessmen in Begum Bazaar, where crores of rupees turnover take place every day in the form of cash rather than digital payments, and helped them transport cash through hawala. After obtaining the bank account details and collection details in casino events held abroad, the investigation agency reportedly found that Praveen Kumar and his team had done hawala transactions.

Based on the call data of Praveen Kumar, the ED allegedly obtained details of several MLAs and district leaders of different political parties including the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in both Telugu speaking states. The agency is likely to make an in-depth probe on political contacts of Praveen Kumar to establish hawala transactions.

The investigation agency also is tracking the details of family members and relatives of VVIPs including public representatives in the city who had money transactions with Praveen Kumar. The ED officials also are keeping a close watch on suspects in connection with the hawala transportation with the assistance of Praveen Kumar, according to officials.
Indiana Catholic School May Fire Counselor in Same-Sex Marriage for Violating Policy

A Catholic school in Indiana might fire a guidance counselor who didn't reveal that she's in a same-sex marriage, which is contrary to Church teaching on sexual ethics.

Roncalli High School, which is overseen by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, has garnered much attention in response to reports that staff member Shelley Fitzgerald was told to either dissolve her same-sex marriage or be dismissed.

In a statement posted to its Facebook page Sunday, school officials said they don't "discuss specific details of school personnel matters."

"Roncalli takes seriously its responsibility to treat all employees fairly and to not discuss their employment record in a public forum," Roncalli stated. "All employees must be afforded the right to have their individual situations reviewed in a fair, professional and private manner."

The school went on to note that as an entity overseen by the Roman Catholic Church, they are obligated to have faculty and staff that "are vital ministers in sharing the mission of the Church."

"As role models for students, the personal conduct of every teacher, guidance counselor and administrator and staff member, both at school and away from school, must convey and be supportive of the teachings of the Catholic Church," continued the school.

"These teachings include, but are not limited to: honoring the dignity of each human life from conception to natural death, care for God's creation, and the belief that all persons are called to respect human sexuality and its expression in the sacrament of marriage between a man and a woman as a sign of God's love and fidelity to His Church."

Roncalli noted that their employee contracts lay out these demands, adding that if "the expectations of a contract are not being met, the employee and the school will attempt to reach a resolution so that the contractual requirements are fulfilled."

Posted Sunday, as of Tuesday morning, the Facebook statement has gotten over 2,700 comments, many of them critical of the school's position, as well as nearly 400 shares.

Fitzgerald had been employed by Roncalli for 15 years. During her time as an employee she had been in a same-sex relationship, eventually marrying her partner in 2014. The pair have an adopted daughter.

According to an interview she gave to the NBC affiliate WTHR, Fitzgerald explained that her same-sex marriage became an issue when an unknown party gave school administrators her marriage license.

"I have no intention of resigning. I have no intention of being quiet. And I didn't need the counsel that they were offering from priests. My goal, my intent is just to be a catalyst for change," said Fitzgerald.

"There's a piece of me that is shameful for the message that I've taught my daughter in the last 15 years that this is OK to stay quiet to keep a job. But I will tell you the lesson she has seen in this now is one of incredible love."

In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that the government cannot interfere with a religious group's employment standards.

"Such action interferes with the internal governance of the church, depriving the church of control over the selection of those who will personify its beliefs," read high court's opinion.

"By imposing an unwanted minister, the state infringes the Free Exercise Clause, which protects a religious group's right to shape its own faith and mission through its appointments."
'He had hookers': Joe Rogan confuses Jerry Falwell Sr. with Jimmy Swaggart

Joe Rogan, who has one of the most popular podcasts in the world, made a major blunder when he confused the late Jerry Falwell Sr. with televangelist Jimmy Swaggart by describing the former as having been caught with "hookers."

On Wednesday's episode of the "Joe Rogan Experience" with "Triggernometry" hosts Francis Foster and Konstantin Kisin that covered a wide range of topics from free speech to the war in Ukraine, the three comedians and podcasters spoke about how people who virtue signal or claim to be "male feminists" are often the ones sexually harassing women or mistreating their colleagues.

"The more 'right' someone's opinions, the more naughty they are behind the scenes," Kisin said.

Foster, who, along with Kisin, is from England and less familiar with American televangelists and Evangelical leaders, said: "It's a new version of the fire and brimstone preacher, like Jerry Falwell. Do you remember that case?"

"Yes, of course," Rogan replied, mimicking Swaggart crying. "God, I have sinned you."

"He had hookers and s. He got a little too crazy," Rogan added. "But the thing is, back then, you didn't have Facebook. You couldn't counteract this with a nice blog post. ... So what he had to do was cry on TV and it's hilarious. It's hilarious also because he might've really meant it. Maybe he did really start off originally as a man of God and lost his way, and then got corrupted just like a politician."

Twenty minutes later, Rogan's producer, Jamie Vernon, told the podcasters that they had confused Falwell Sr. with Swaggart. "It wasn't him, by the way," Vernon said.

"It wasn't him (Falwell) crying?" Rogan asked before correcting himself. "Jimmy Swaggart, that's right. So which one's Jerry Falwell?"

His producer then made a second factual error when he said Falwell "had stuff going on, too, but he didn't cry."

"Did he (Falwell) get busted too? Was it the same thing? Hookers?" Rogan asked with everyone replying in the affirmative, still confused about who Falwell was.

"I had them confused," Rogan said.

"Jerry Falwell is now going to sue, wherever he is," Foster quipped.

Rogan replied, "We might have to edit that out. ... I don't know what he did."

Falwell Sr. was the founder of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the founding pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, where he served from 1956 until he died in 2007. He was also a major leader in what was known as the Moral Majority, which became a force in U.S. politics.

Swaggart, now 87, is a Pentecostal televangelist who started his ministry in 1971 that was originally known as the Camp Meeting Hour. He garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Performance for Traditional Gospel in 1980. He is now the senior pastor of the Family Worship Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

On Feb. 21, 1988, Swaggart delivered his famous and often parodied I have sinned sermon. After being caught with a prostitute, he took to the pulpit and tearfully confessed before his congregation, declaring: I have sinned."

He apologized to various people, including his family and the Assemblies of God denomination.

I have no one but myself to blame. I do not lay the fault or the blame of the charge at anyone else's feet. For no one is to blame but Jimmy Swaggart. I take the responsibility. I take the blame. I take the fault, he said.

To my fellow television ministers and evangelists, you that are already bearing an almost unbearable load, to continue to say and tell the great story of Jesus' love, I have made your load heavier and I have hurt you. Please forgive me for sinning against you.

On Oct. 11, 1991, Swaggart was caught with another prostitute when a California Highway Patrol officer pulled him over for driving on the wrong side of the road.
Pro-life doctor warns of dangers as European org. ships abortion pills to Americans

As doctors in Europe continue to ship abortion pills to Americans as some states ban the drug after the U.S. Supreme court overturned Roe v. Wade last month, a pro-life doctor is warning that mailing from overseas is a "dangerous" way to distribute the drug.

Dr. Donna Harrison, CEO of the 6,000-member American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has offered her concerns as a group called Aid Access has worked to provide chemical abortion pills to the U.S. for four years and vows to continue doing so.

Since the Supreme Court overturnedRoe last month, concluding that there is no constitutional right to abortion and returning the issue to the states, Aid Access has reported that it receives 4,000 requests a day for abortion pills, up from 600 to 700 a day.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Harrison said that in ordering the pills online, women may not know exactly how far along their pregnancy is, which means there is a lack of informed consent.

The doctor also noted that about one in 50 pregnancies in the United States end in an ectopic pregnancy, a life-threatening condition where the embryo implants outside the uterus. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the side effects of taking the abortion pill can include heavy and painful bleeding.

Chemical abortions require patients to take two drugs  mifepristone and misoprostol. The drugs are approved by the FDA to terminate pregnancy up to 10 weeks gestation.

"The symptoms of a Mifeprex abortion are exactly the same as a rupturing ectopic pregnancy," Harrison said.

"So a woman who is having pain and bleeding will go on the internet, say, 'Oh, yes, I should expect pain and bleeding from this operation,' not knowing she's got a rupturing ectopic pregnancy, and then she dies from an internal hemorrhage."

Aid Access is led by Dutch physician Dr. Rebecca Gompers, who founded the organization in 2018. The organization consists of four doctors supervising a team of about 10 medical staff members.

Potential patients visit Aid Access's website and answer a series of questions, such as how far along they are in pregnancy and whether anyone is forcing them into the abortion. The medical team then sends a prescription for the abortion pill to the pharmacy.

As NBC reported, it's been difficult for U.S. authorities to stop Aid Access from mailing abortion pills, even to states with strict abortion laws, because the organization operates outside the country and ships pills from India.

"We will continue to serve women who need it. We're not going to stop," Gompers said in a statement. "We are expanding again our capacity, so we can help with all the requests that we get."

In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a warning letter to Aid Access calling on it to "immediately cease causing the introduction of these violative drugs into U.S. commerce."

"By facilitating the sale of unapproved mifepristone and misoprostol to consumers in the U.S., Aidaccess.org causes the introduction of unapproved new drugs into U.S. commerce in violation of the FD&C Act," the letter stated.

"These drugs are also new drugs ... because they are not generally recognized as safe and effective for their labeled use. New drugs may not be legally introduced or delivered for introduction into interstate commerce without prior approval from FDA."

Harrison, an adjunct professor at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois, believes that distributing abortion pills online is a "dangerous" way to administer such a drug.

With chemical abortion pills being available online, Harrison also stated that it could be easy for a boyfriend or even a sex trafficker to order them and force women to undergo a chemical abortion without her consent.

Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, promotes chemical abortion as "really safe and effective" on its website, stating that millions have used it safely. The organization contends that complications after an abortion are rare and typically happen in special circumstances, such as a woman ending a pregnancy for health reasons or if she has a history of mental health problems.

Other sources, however, have questioned the validity of data available on the complications from abortion pills.

A peer-reviewed study published in May by the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute, which Harrison co-authored, suggests that multiple cases of complications from the abortion pill were mischaracterized as miscarriages.

The study consisted of a 17-year longitudinal analysis of 423,000 confirmed abortions and 121,283 confirmed subsequent visits to an emergency room within 30 days of the abortion. Researchers assessed women over 13 years of age with at least one identifiable pregnancy between 1999 and 2015.

According to the study, "of the women with miscoded abortion pill complications who were admitted to the hospital, 86% needed surgery for [retained products of conception]." The rate was 2.5 times higher than women who underwent surgical abortions and were miscoded as miscarriage patients.

A 2009 study titled "Immediate complications of medical compared with surgical termination of pregnancy" purports that the need for emergency surgery to complete abortion for women who take Mifeprex before nine weeks of pregnancy is four times greater than the risk of surgical abortion.
Religious liberty groups condemn Biden's proposed rule forcing doctors to do abortions, trans surgeries

Law firms specializing in religious liberty cases have denounced a newly proposed rule from the Biden administration that critics say will force doctors to perform abortions and body mutilating "gender transition" surgeries, even if they're morally opposed to the practices.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Monday a proposed rule that would implement antidiscrimination measures on the basis of sex, based on earlier actions by the Biden administration.

The measures draw from Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race and national origin.

The proposed rule would define sex as including sexual orientation and gender identity, in keeping with the U.S. Supreme Court decision Bostock v. Clayton County.

This proposed rule ensures that people nationwide can access health care free from discrimination, said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, as quoted in the announcement.

Standing with communities in need is critical, particularly given increased attacks on women, trans youth, and health care providers. Health care should be a right not dependent on looks, location, love, language, or the type of care someone needs.

Luke Goodrich of Becket Law is critical of the proposed rule, telling The Christian Post that it was yet another proposal to force doctors and hospitals across the country to perform gender transitions and abortions in violation of their conscience and medical judgment.

This has been the announced policy of the administration since the first day President Biden took office, he added. But what they are doing here is proposing to codify that threatening and unlawful [mandate] as a new federal rule.

The new proposed rule is already dead on arrival when it comes to religious groups, because the Biden administration is already subject to multiple permanent injunctions from federal courts telling it, it is not allowed to require religious doctors and hospitals to perform transitions and abortions.

Matt Bowman of the Alliance Defending Freedom said the administration just came right out of the gate and told the world you all have to behave this way and well issue a regulation later.

Agencies are supposed to not do anything like this except in a codified regulation, but the Biden administration hasnt bothered to wait until they actually do it the right way, Bowman told CP.

So, by the time this regulation is finalized, which should be this time next year, theyll have already been imposing this mandate for over two years by fiat.

Bowman explained that if the proposed rule is codified, then the next administration would need to change it if it wanted to take a different approach.

Unless, of course, it decides that regulations dont matter and that were just going to regulate by website, Bowman added, noting that there has been litigation already because the Biden administration didnt wait to impose this mandate, they just waited to let the public participate.

So, how can the courts enjoin something thats simply proposed and not finalized yet? Because they imposed it before they did this. Theyre formalizing something that theyve already been forcing people to do.

The proposed rule traces its origins to the Obama administration, which attempted in 2016 to require healthcare providers to perform gender transition procedures, including on minors, even if the providers held sincere religious objections.

The Obama-era mandate was challenged in court by multiple groups, and was eventually repealed during the Trump administration, only to be revived by the Biden administration.

In August 2021, U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor of the Northern District of Texas issued a permanent injunction against a similar mandate that required medical facilities and health insurers to cover or to provide abortions and gender transition procedures.

OConnor issued the permanent injunction in the case of Franciscan Alliance, Inc. et al. v. Xavier Becerra, concluding that the mandate violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

No party disputes that the [Transgender Mandate] threatens to burden Christian Plaintiffs religious exercise  by placing substantial pressure on Christian Plaintiffs, in the form of fines and civil liability, to perform and provide insurance coverage for gender-transition procedures and abortions, he wrote.

When the RFRA violation is clear and the threat of irreparable harm is present, a permanent injunction exempting Christian Plaintiffs from that religion-burdening conduct is the appropriate relief.

In May, Judge Daniel Traynor of the U.S. District Court for the District of North Dakota granted the Christian Employers Alliance a preliminary injunction on the grounds that the mandate would irreparably harm the group.
Justice Samuel Alito strikes back at Boris Johnson, Prince Harry in religious liberty speech

At a religious liberty summit in Rome, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito dismissed criticism by foreign leaders, including U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Harry of the ruling he authored overturning Roe that returned abortion laws back to individual states.

I had the honor this term of writing, I think, the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law, Alito said in his first public remarks since the June 24 decision.

Speaking at the conference hosted by the University of Notre Dame Law School on July 21, the justice alluded to Johnson's recent resignation in a quip, saying he paid the price for his comments.

Johnson, whose former mistress had an abortion, called the 6-3 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, which overruled Roe v. Wade, a big step backwards.

But what really wounded me  what really wounded me  was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision whose name may not be spoken with the Russian attack on Ukraine, Alito added in the speech.

When Harry spoke to the U.N. last week, he claimed that returning abortion laws back to the states was rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States.

Much like Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also called the Supreme Court decision horrific.

My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. I can't imagine the fear and anger you are feeling right now, Trudeau wrote in a social media post.

New York Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized Justice Alitos speech.

The Supreme Court is in a legitimacy crisis, she tweeted. Remember: it was Alitos opinion that leaked. That fact paired with his politicized remarks ... should be alarming to anyone.

On religious liberty, Alito said, The problem that looms is not just indifference to religion. Its not just ignorance about religion. Theres also growing hostility to religion or at least the traditional religious beliefs that are contrary to the new moral code that is ascendant in some sectors.

The challenge for those who want to protect religious liberty in the United States, Europe and other similar places is to convince people who are not religious that religious liberty is worth special protection and that will not be easy to do.

After the overturning of the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, former first lady Michelle Obama said she was heartbroken.

However, Author and Pastor Rick Warren praised the Supreme Court's decision.

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade ending the federal support of abortion! Millions of unborn Americans say thank you! he wrote on Twitter at the time.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called the decision a massive victory for life and the beginning of a new chapter in American history.

In a series of tweets, he said decision will save the lives of millions of innocent babies.

The decision reverses one of the most egregious departures from the Constitution and legal precedent the United States has ever seen, and one that has resulted in the deaths of 63 million American children.
15-year-old boy fatally shoots self, 3 siblings in Alaska; parents not home at the time

A 15-year-old boy fatally shot himself and three of his multiple siblings after they were left at home alone, Alaska State Troopers reported Wednesday.

A release from the Alaska Department of Public Safety said the suspected murder-suicide was discovered at a home in the Skyridge Drive Subdivision in Fairbanks after Alaska State Troopers received reports about shots being fired there at 4:17 p.m.

Authorities found three children who were uninjured in the home while four others were dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

Investigation revealed a 15-year-old male shot the three siblings and then shot himself, the release said. He was found deceased with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The ages of the murdered siblings are 5, 8, and 17, NBC affiliate KTUU reported, while the three uninjured siblings are all younger than 7.

Tim DeSpain, a spokesperson for the Alaska State Troopers, told The Associated Press that the weapon used in the killings was a family gun but beyond that, its all still part of the ongoing investigation.

While the motive for the murder-suicide remains under investigation, a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics in April said Alaska was among 14 states where collective evidence showed an overall increase in suicides during the pandemic.

Proportion of suicides among adolescents has shifted markedly and heterogeneously across the 14 participating states, researchers said. Although previous studies reported that suicide-related deaths in the broader population decreased during the pandemic, we found that adolescents have not experienced the same patterns as adults in the participating 14 states in the same period.

Along with Alaska, the other states included in the study which feature data from 2015 to 2020 are: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia and Vermont.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness also noted that suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. Among high school students, 20% have reported having serious thoughts of suicide while 9% have made a suicide attempt.

According to Dr. Carl Fleisher of UCLA Health, what makes adolescents so vulnerable to mental health challenges is where they stand socially and where they stand developmentally.

Teenagers and young adults have the highest rates of suicide compared to other ages, Fleisher noted in a UCLA Health report earlier this year. The things that make them vulnerable are where they stand socially and where they stand developmentally.

He explained that for adolescents, their judgment and decision-making abilities are still developing and wont be fully developed until their mid-20s.

"They're not going to weigh risks and consequences or values in quite the same way that older folks will.

Teenagers also tend to have less social support than adults do and the isolation from the pandemic made their social disconnection even worse.

Adults, says Dr. Fleisher, can help teenagers by proactively checking in on them not because they look like theyre struggling, but because they look like theyre OK.

What doesnt seem to increase risk of suicide is talking about the importance of mental health, talking about the importance of reaching out to people who are struggling, he said. Or if youre struggling, reaching out for help.
Chemical abortion is next pro-life battlefield

The Supreme Courts June 24 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion returned the authority to regulate abortion  to the people and their elected representatives.

That effort will be more complicated than when the court took that authority away 49 years ago in 1973.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, the three-decade trend of declining abortions in the United States is over, primarily because a majority of abortions are by chemicals, rather than surgery.

Killing a child in the womb no longer requires traveling to an abortion clinic, but can be accomplished without even leaving home with a two-drug combination approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000.

After the Dobbs decision, President Joe Biden vowed to keep this new trend going by protecting access to chemical abortion pills approved by the FDA.

Abortion advocates, of course, prefer the misleading term medication abortion. The Cambridge Dictionary, however, defines medication as medicine  used to improve a particular condition or illness. The condition in pregnancy is simply the existence of a living human being. Abortion destroys, rather than improves, that condition. When, as every drug commercial states, used as directed, abortion chemicals will kill and then expel an unborn child from the womb.

Such poisons are no more medication than the chemicals used in lethal injections in capital punishment.

Dr. Bernard Nathanson, founder of the National Abortion Rights Action League and later a pro-life advocate, once said that fewer women would have abortions if wombs had windows. So, heres a peek into what happens during a chemical abortion.

The first pill, mifepristone, blocks progesterone, a natural hormone necessary for pregnancy. The lack of progesterone cuts off oxygen and nutrients, starving the child to death. Mifepristone results in the death of the child in 75% of pregnancies when its used.

Mifepristone is approved by the FDA for use up to week 10 of pregnancy. At that stage, a childs heartbeat is detectable and his or her brain and lungs are forming. The child already has a clearly identifiable human shape.

If the first chemical does not kill the child, the second (misoprostol) will, stimulating uterine contractions and expelling the dead child.

Abortion chemicals, however, do not simply kill a child in the womb. Women die, and hundreds experience serious adverse drug experiences, every year. For that reason, the FDA instituted in 2007 a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which involves more restrictions than otherwise required for FDA-approved drugs.

This is the point where the politics of abortion make casualties of children and women. Abortion advocates once emphasized the relationship between a woman and her doctor. In Roe, the Supreme Court said that the attending physician, in consultation with his patient, is free to determine, without regulation by the State, that, in his medical judgment, the patients pregnancy should be terminated.

The shift from surgical to chemical abortion, however, will steadily remove doctors from the picture and leave women isolated.

Last December, for example, the FDA removed a critical Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirement that mifepristone had to be dispensed by a health care provider in person. The chemical may now be prescribed through telehealth appointments and shipped by mail without any face-to-face interaction between a woman and her doctor.

In response, 19 states have prohibited chemical abortion through telehealth, and some have introduced legislation that would ban the practice entirely. The power of states in this new area, however, is unclear. Attorney General Merrick Garland has said that states may not ban mifepristone based on disagreement with the FDAs expert judgment about its safety and efficacy.

There will no doubt be litigation, however, over the broader effect of the FDAs conclusion about safety and efficacy.

In Mississippi, for example, a manufacturer of generic mifepristone, GenBioPro, has already sued the state based on the claim that FDA regulations take precedence over the states ban on telehealth dispensing of the drug.

While issues like these complicate states effort to combat abortion drugs, Congress can and should step in. Congress creates executive branch agencies and gives them authority to implement federal legislation.

Abortion drugs not only kill babies in the womb, and can harm their mothers, but are isolating women and undermining the necessary relationship between patients and doctors.

In the 118th Congress, pro-life legislators must tackle this problem and limit the damage.

Originally published at The Daily Signal.
On John Mearsheimer: Or, is the West really responsible for the Ukrainian crisis?

John Mearsheimer has unquestionably earned our attention on contemporary international relations and on the Ukrainian crisis. Mearsheimer is an academic who specializes in theories of international relations (IR). If you were an IR graduate student in the 1980s or 1990s (I was), you would be very familiar with Mearsheimer and would appreciate his role in fleshing out the neorealist version of the realist school of thought. He is a towering figure in the study of international affairs and one of the worlds most prominent IR theorists.

He has also been a rather provocative commentator on foreign affairs. Mearsheimer first became a subject of notoriety when he explained why we would miss the Cold War. When that piece was written, there was plenty of guffawing. The West had just declared victory in the Cold War, and here was an obscure academic essentially tossing a wet blanket on the celebration. Nevertheless, the thesis and many of the predictions in the piece wound up being spot on. Moreover, Mearsheimer became famous (or infamous) for arguing in the 1990s that the Ukraine should be permitted to keep its nuclear weapons in a post-Soviet, post-Cold War world as a check on a resurgent Russia that might someday become aggressive. Ukraine might badly need those nukes as a deterrent.

Today, Mearsheimers analysis of the Ukrainian crisis has garnered a fresh helping of notoriety. For example, a June lecture version of the article is nearing two million views on YouTube. Whats the big deal?

You need look no further than the title of the article: John Mearsheimer on Why the West is Principally Responsible for the Ukrainian crisis.

There it is. A thumb in the eye of Western foreign policy establishment elites spanning eras, countries, and parties. The definition of controversial.

Now, the title is certainly part click bait, and Mearsheimer dutifully qualifies his thesis. But the core argument is unmistakable: the West, and the United States in particular, provoked and therefore caused Russian aggression in Ukraine. This, itself, helps explain much of the controversy. But we should also examine Mearsheimers assessment because of the questions it raises about the value of realist theories in understanding contemporary world affairs.

Heres a basic outline of the argument:

First, through spring 2008, Vladimir Putin had consistently and repeatedly signaled a willingness to allow Ukraine to be independent as long as it remained neutral vis-a-vis the West. Second, implied throughout Mearsheimers argument is a completely non-controversial realist assumption: it was and is clearly in Russias national security interest to demand and expect Ukrainian neutrality. Therefore, any actions obviously aimed at bringing Ukraine closer to the West or, worse, into NATO, would necessarily be viewed by Russia as an existential threat.

This is exactly what happened, starting in earnest with the April 2008 NATO summit in Bucharest, continuing with many subsequent moves to bring Ukraine closer to the EU and make Ukraine a pro-American democracy. This was followed more recently by a series of steps that made Ukraine a near de facto member of NATO, including U.S. and NATO supplied weapons, the training of Ukrainian forces, multiple joint military exercises and more.

Realism holds that states are perpetually fearful for their security and therefore tend toward competition and conflict. States, being rational actors, have no choice but to act to ensure their survival.

According to Mearsheimer, such calculations fully explain why Russia took Crimea in 2014 and then launched a much broader invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The West, led by successive U.S. administrations, recklessly sought EU and NATO expansion, and thereby needlessly provoked the Ukrainian crisis.

The thesis, though elegant, is not without problems and troubling implications. Mearsheimer offers this qualification: Putin started the war and is responsible for how it is being waged. But why he did so is another matter. In other words, the Wests narrative that Putin is just an out-of-touch madman is false. Instead, Putins overarching motivations are perfectly rational, even though his methods may not be. But how can the essential motivation be rational but not its outward manifestations? Is Putin a rational actor or not? At what point do presumably non-rational methods undermine, contradict, or call into question the rational ends?

Secondly, Mearsheimers thesis leaves the impression that realist expectations of rational, security-seeking action apply to Russia, but not to the West. But what definition of the security motive disqualifies the Wests goals of ensuring that Ukraine is not brought back into a Soviet-style orbit? If the Wests actions over two decades havent been the result of rational security calculations, what explanations are left? Miscalculation? Corruption? Evil?

Mearsheimer is obviously outraged that the Western powers challenged Putin in the ways that they did. But his attempt to use realist IR theory to give Putin mostly a pass on the causes of the Ukrainian crisis doesnt quite stand up to scrutiny.

Is the West principally responsible for the Ukrainian crisis? Western provocation arguably did help occasion the Ukrainian crisis. But if these provocations were simply in pursuit of rational, realist aims, its the very structure of contemporary international relations that is the underlying cause of the crisis, not one side or the other.

Yes, this is a gloomy conclusion. But its one that arguably follows more faithfully from the realist paradigm than Mearsheimers assessment.
Will California legislate medical child abuse without parental consent?

It sounds too ghastly to be true, but it is true. If California Bill SB 107 becomes law, as the bill currently stands, California could become a sanctuary state for minors wanting puberty blockers and sex-change surgery, even without parental consent. In the words of Attorney Matthew McReynolds of the Pacific Justice Institute,

SB 107 may be the most brazen assault on fundamental parental rights in the history of this state.

In short, a trans-identifying child unable to receive hormone treatments or undergo irreversible sex-change surgery in the state in which they live would be able to flee to California and be treated under the protection of the state.

What if these treatments were available in the childs home state but the parents opposed such treatment? Tough luck on them! As explained by the California Family Council,

Courts would also be instructed to ignore the fact that a child has been kidnapped from the parent or parents with legal custody, if the minor comes to the state for gender transitioning.

Yes, the bill

would empower California courts to take temporary emergency jurisdiction of children if they come to California for trans-drugs, surgery, or mental healthcare.

And could well become statewide law.

Put another way, if youre 16 years old and your parents forbid you from transitioning, or if you live in a state where such procedures have been banned, California is the place for you.

To flesh this out more fully, lets say youre that child, living today in Texas. You are 16, you are a girl, but youre convinced that you are a boy, and you desperately want to transition.

This alone will be the solution to your deep emotional pain.

Your parents, on the other hand, are dead set against it, agreeing with Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, who stated that these treatments and surgeries, when performed on children, can legally constitute child abuse under several provisions of chapter 261 of the Texas Family Code. (For the devastating reality of all this, see here and watch this.)

Thankfully, you have extended family living in California, including two female cousins youre close to. So, you ask your parents if you can vacation with these cousins over summer break, not telling them that the reason you want to go to California is to start the transitioning process.

Under these conditions, if SB 107 becomes law, your parents would be powerless to stop you once you got to California.

You could come home one year later without breasts, with your voice permanently altered and with your body sterilized, and there is nothing that your parents could have done about it. This is what this bill would do.

No wonder that attorney Dean Broyles, president of the National Center for Law and Policy, stated that

SB 107 is a direct assault on parental rights and state rights which will cause great damage to children and families if enacted.

Indeed, said Mark Schneider, Esq., president and founder of Protect Our Kids,

It would pit state against state and parent against parent.

So, one state makes it illegal to transition a child and California says, Come to us! (This is now happening with access to abortion with the overturning of Roe.)

Or, if parents are separated but with joint custody of their child, if that child wants to transition and one of the parents is in favor while the other opposes, that parent can simply bring the child to California. The other parent would not be able to do a thing about it. Not a thing.

At the risk of overusing a phrase, I must say it again: This is madness!

The bill was introduced by State Senator Scott Wiener, based in San Francisco and himself openly gay, in response to the growing number of states that are passing bills making it illegal to transition minors. In his view, these states are engaging in brutal attacks on transgender children. The bill is actually referred to as Trans Refuge Legislation.

In reality, this bill opens the door wide for thousands of kids to make terrible, life-altering decisions, even against their parents wishes. So, it is the bill itself, not the laws in other states, which constitutes a brutal attack on so-called transgender children.

In fact, the LGB Alliance USA, billed as leading the fight for same-sex rights, strongly opposes the bill stating,

This particular bill is written under the fallacious premise that gender affirming care is something that should be protected. However, the very term gender-affirming care is a euphemism that obscures the reality of such carenamely, that it sets people on the path of lifelong medicalization based on scientifically dubious treatments, including hormones, puberty blockers, and mastectomies. No minor should be subjected to such treatments for gender dysphoria, as they have damaging and irreversible effects. Contrary to what SB 107 says, we believe it absolutely should be the public policy of the state of California to protect minors from adults who would irresponsibly set them on the course for such treatments.

Not only so, but the LGBA actually endorses

the guidelines recently released by the Florida Department of Health. Such guidelines recommend against medical and social gender transition for minors, but rather encourage counseling for youth struggling with gender dysphoria.

What do you know! (For those wondering why LGB activists would oppose SB 107, it is because lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals are over-represented amongst gender dysphoric youth. LGB youth ought to be encouraged to accept their sexuality without feeling a need to permanently medically alter their bodies.)

Unfortunately, the California madness doesnt stop with SB 107, which goes to preliminary vote on August 3.

There is another bill introduced by Sen. Wiener, SB 923, which, as is currently worded and according to the California Family Council, would force

all medical and health insurance personnel to attend transgender cultural competency training classes. Those who still fail to provide trans-inclusive health care will have to repeat the training over and over.

(Forms of the word require are found 43 times in the bill at present.)

As for those who refuse to provide such health care, a formal complaint could be lodged against them, which could then be made public. To paraphrase, You will be reeducated, you will comply, or you will be shamed and discredited publicly!

Or, from a different angle, You will be forced against your will, against your religious and moral convictions, and against your better medical judgments to help people transition, or the state will be coming after you.

It would be bad enough if things like this were taking place in a totalitarian country like China. But California? Really? Or was no one listening when many of us warned that tolerance was never the end goal of many LGBTQ+ activists?

This is all about compliance, or else. Californians, beware!

(If you live in California, reach out here to find out how to contact your elected representative. For the rest of the country, help get the word out!)
UK to shutter Tavistock gender clinic for children following formal review NHS to launch network of local clinics amid a doubling in demand

The United Kingdom National Health Service is closing the gender identity clinic at the Tavistock and Portman Trust, the London-based facility whose practices have faced considerable scrutiny in recent years.

The clinic is being shut down by next spring in light of recommendations from an independent review led by Dr. Hillary Cass, which was set in motion in the fall of 2020 and released earlier this month.

"The aim is to close the Tavistock clinic by spring 2023, moving to the new provider model through specialist children's hospitals," an NHS source told The Guardian Thursday.

"The children being seen by the Tavistock (and those on waiting lists) will be transferred to a new provider over the course of that time."

Cass stated in a July 19 report that there was a need to move away from the sole provider model and develop services regionally to meet the needs of patients. The report was also critical of using experimental puberty-blocking drugs to treat gender dysphoria.

"The rationale for use of puberty blockers at Tanner Stage 2 of development was based on data that demonstrated that children, particularly birth-registered boys who had early gender incongruence, were unlikely to desist once they reached early puberty; this rationale does not necessarily apply to later-presenting young people, including the predominant referral group of birth-registered girls," Cass wrote.

"We do not fully understand the role of adolescent sex hormones in driving the development of both sexuality and gender identity through the early teen years, so by extension we cannot be sure about the impact of stopping these hormone surges on psychosexual and gender maturation. We therefore have no way of knowing whether, rather than buying time to make a decision, puberty blockers may disrupt that decision-making process."

In a statement Thursday, the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust stated that there were over 3,500 referrals to its Gender Identity Development Service in 2021.

"This is another doubling in demand for support with gender identity," the statement reads. "This level of need cannot and should not be met by a single highly specialist national service. It is crucial that gender-diverse children and young people can access care and support in a timely fashion within a joined-up system."

According to NHS England, there have been over 5,000 referrals for gender identity services between 2021 and 2022, compared to just 250 referrals in 2011-2012.

The number of referrals to the nation's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) has particularly skyrocketed among girls, many of whom have come to believe they are the opposite sex through internet-fueled peer contagion and that being trans-identified was a maladaptive coping mechanism to other mental health distress.

"Staff [at regional centers] should maintain a broad clinical perspective in order to embed the care of children and young people with gender uncertainty within a broader child and adolescent health context," Cass wrote.

In the United States, a similar trend has been detected, most notably in 2018, when public health researcher Lisa Littman published an article in PloS One revealing, among other things, how many girls were coming out as transgender in clusters of friend groups and after many had spent an inordinate amount of time online. This phenomenon has been called "rapid onset gender dysphoria" and marked a substantial shift in the diagnostic history of gender dysphoria diagnoses, which until recent years almost exclusively afflicted young boys.

The Cass review also detailed that the evidence base for using drugs to arrest natural puberty in gender dysphoric children is poor and highlighted their impact on brain development, noting that "brain maturation may be temporarily or permanently disrupted by puberty blockers, which could have significant impact on the ability to make complex risk-laden decisions, as well as possible longer-term neuropsychological consequences."

In February 2021, research published in PLOS One revealed that the use of blockers notably stunted bone growth in children who were given puberty blockers. The study followed a cohort of 44 youth who had undergone the experimental treatment in the U.K.'s NHS gender clinic.

"In both cases (height and bone strength) there was some growth but less than would be expected during those years without hormonal suppression," the research found, according to NHS. The research was published nine years after the study began. Of the 44 children that the study tracked, 43 went on to take cross-sex hormones.

The Tavistock clinic was also the subject of considerable scrutiny in 2020 when Keira Bell, a young woman in her 20s, alleged in a judicial review that she was incapable of understanding the risks of puberty blockers when she was treated at the clinic as a teenager with mental health issues. Bell went on to take opposite sex hormones and underwent a cosmetic double mastectomy only to later regret those decisions and detransition.

The U.K. High Court of Justice of Justice initially ruled in Bell's favor in late 2020 but then overturned the decision several months later.
Other operations of the drive include anti-larvae operations in lakes, ponds and tanks, gambusia fish in lake areas, oil balls in dirty water, announcements on Swachh autos and distribution of educational material like leaflets, stickers and cloth banners. (Photo: Representational/Pixabay)

Hyderabad: The GHMC said it would resume its Every Sunday 10 minutes at 10 am programme on Sunday to prevent mosquito breeding.

As part of the programme, water that is stagnant inside houses and their surroundings will be emptied. The programme will be conducted in various localities spread over 10 weeks, with civic officials explaining to the residents the importance of clearing stagnant water to prevent spread of diseases like malaria and dengue.

GHMC corporations chief entomologist Rambabu said that the wing had identified 4,846 colonies for carrying out awareness drives. He added that GHMC will take up aggressive fogging and spraying across colonies.

Other operations of the drive include anti-larvae operations in lakes, ponds and tanks, gambusia fish in lake areas, oil balls in dirty water, announcements on Swachh autos and distribution of educational material like leaflets, stickers and cloth banners.
UK Supreme Court rejects appeal to intervene in Archie Battersbee's life support battle

The U.K. Supreme Court has refused to allow the parents of 12-year-old Archie Battersbee, who have been engaged in an ongoing legal battle to keep their son on life support, more time to take their legal case to the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities (UNRPD).

The parents filed an urgent application to the Supreme Court Thursday after the Court of Appeal blocked them from taking their case to the U.N. However, the Supreme Court refused the parents more time.

Archie is in a coma after suffering brain damage. His mother, Hollie Dance, found him unconscious at home on April 7. She believed he might have been taking part in an online challenge.

Doctors at the Royal London Hospital, where Archie is being treated, say the boy is not showing signs of brain activity, and believe that ongoing life-support is futile.

His parents, however, want to continue fighting for their son's life. Last week, Dance shared a video that she believes shows Archie attempting to breathe on his own.

The new evidence is part of the reason why three judges of the Court of Appeal decided to stay their decision and allow Archie's parents to apply to the European Court of Human Rights for interim relief.

The Court of Appeal responded to Archie's parents request for a stay of execution order by extending the stay to Thursday so the parents could take their case to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. But that request was denied today.

Christian Legal Center (CLC), which is representing the family, said the ECHR has a track record of rejecting applications in end-of-life cases like Archies.

The U.K. has joined the Optional Protocol to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which permits individuals and families to make complaints about violations of rights of disabled people, CLC wrote.

Archies parents have been in a legal battle to keep their son on life support since the boy was found unconscious with a ligature tied around his neck in April.

"All we have asked for from the beginning is for Archie to be given more time and for Archie's wishes and ours to be respected. As long as Archie is alive, I will never give up on him. He is too good to give up on," Dance said in a statement.

"When he is to die, we believe it should be in God's way and in God's time. What is the rush? Why is the hospital and the courts so keen to push this through as fast as possible?"

"I don't believe there is anything 'dignified' about planning Archie's death. For me, this would be the most traumatic outcome," she added. "Parents need support, not pressure. It is exhausting what we have been through. We should not have to endlessly battle the hospital in the courts for what we believe is right for Archie."

In a July 15 ruling, Justice Anthony Hayden ruled that it is in the childs "best interests" for his life support to be removed.

"Where, as here, the treatment is futile, it compromises Archie's dignity, deprives him of his autonomy, and becomes wholly inimical to his welfare," Hayden wrote in his ruling. "It serves only to protract his death, whilst being unable to prolong his life."

Hayden wrote that "arrangements" can be made that will afford Archie the opportunity "to die in peaceful circumstances and in the embrace of the family he loved."

The parents had been granted permission to appeal after an initial ruling last month from a separate judge allowing the Royal London Hospital to discontinue Archies care. In that decision, Justice Emma Arbuthnot wrote that Archie is likely dead "on the balance of probabilities."
Manistee County has become a beacon on the map of Michigan communities. A place where many people come to vacation, only to leave wishing they could live here.

Visitors watch with envy as residents relax on a Sunday afternoon instead of returning home for their work week. We have everything we need right here: a strong manufacturing backbone, small businesses to provide goods and services, and all the recreation northern Michigan has to offer.

Our community is growing with several major projects that will have long-term and sustaining benefits to both residents and visitors. These projects come with an overwhelming array of permits, rules, assumptions and unknowns. These create this complicated map that investors must follow to succeed. Maps can help us navigate unfamiliar territory, and a critical part of finding your way is the maps key and knowing how to use it. In Manistee County, the chamber of commerce is key to these major projects and our communitys success.

Our chamber of commerce has a diverse membership of investors from every facet of the business community. From industry-leading facilities across Manistee County to mom-and-pop shops in Bear Lake, all have found a spot at the chambers table.

The chambers investors do not stop at businesses, instead acting as the driving force to bring together diverse entities such as the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, the U.S. Forest Service and the city of Manistee to name a few. Finally, it includes critical community service providers like nonprofits, education, energy suppliers, healthcare and transportation.

Chamber investors are represented by a professional and highly skilled staff working to meet their best interests. These interests are attained through stakeholder visits, phone calls, emails or immediate representation on the board of directors.

The mission of building a dynamic and sustainable organization for the business, workforce and economic development needs of all in Manistee County is supported further through the participation of Chamber Ambassadors. This team is made up of highly motivated and caring volunteers from the chamber investors.

The Manistee Area Chamber of Commerce is known statewide as a leader in serving its business members, our community and developers. The staff channels its experience and connections with local, regional, state and federal resources to utilize any opportunities, giving Manistee County investors the support they need to succeed.

The chamber President and CEO Stacie Bytwork regularly advocates for our community. As an active member of the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, she takes the interests of every business member, organization of the chamber,and community everywhere she goes.

Current areas of advocacy include affordable housing, childcare and small business. You can find updates on the latest legislative advocacy efforts at ManisteeChamber.com. The passionate voice of the chamber has attracted elected officials and developers of all kinds, who can recognize that Manistee County is ready for investment.

Fricanos Manistee River, The Hampton Inn & Suites and the Spirit of the Woods Gateway Project have been in the limelight lately. These new projects and businesses will have opportunities for both residents and visitors to enjoy. The benefit of replacing dilapidated buildings with new construction is reason enough to celebrate the investors behind these projects.

We all must work together to make sure their dreams become part of our reality, acknowledging that these opportunities do not just happen on their own. Each of these projects has involved significant risk for the investors, and more is to come.

The chamber staff have worked collaboratively to close gaps, find solutions and keep projects feasible; and that is why they are key. At times it is difficult to see progress and there is understandable frustration and concern. By expanding our sights to the bigger picture, we know that these projects will succeed. When we change our perspective, it is easier to see more reasons to be supportive. But new businesses are not the only investments that the chamber is working on.

Existing businesses benefit from the talents, skills and advocacy of the chamber staff as well. An excellent example is the assistance provided to North Channel Brewing in securing $100,000 to expand canning operations. This grant significantly expanded the business, which started inside a once-blighted furniture outlet.

Chamber staff is consistently available to both new and existing businesses, assisting with relocations, grant opportunities and any other problems they may be experiencing. The economic development focus of the chamber effectively unifies our community, promoting public service and community development.

Staff is more than qualified to assist developers and businesses, Marc Miller, director of economic development for the chamber has experience as a former senior policy adviser to the lieutenant fovernor of Illinois and director of the Illinois DNR.

Not only is the chamber leading in legislative advocacy, economic development and leadership, but also puts its work into action as the director of the Manistee Downtown Development Authority.

Since taking leadership as the director of the DDA, the chamber has expanded the former Downtown Dollars program to manistee county ca$h. This change allows greater participation from both consumers and businesses.

The introduction of The 'Stee social district invites mature consumers to shop with a beverage downtown, or while they wait for a table during busy times  expanding the capacity of any restaurant that participates.

Finally, the new platform dining options have allowed restaurants to thrive during periods when indoor dining was restricted or extra capacity was needed. These projects were all made possible in part by the chambers leadership and investors' efforts.

To support the chamber as the key to our map, pause and answer the question, What has the chamber done for me? Business leaders can consider the impact on your bottom line that the past, present and future investments make.

Does your business benefit from the increased foot traffic in the social district? Do your employees have a higher quality of life living in a town that meets their needs and expectations? Are you a resident because of the investments made in our community? Has your nonprofit grown after attending a common ground event like Chamber Untapped, or been a recipient during the Big Day of Serving from the chamber's Leadership Program?

The professional services that the chamber provides are only attainable because of the collaborative efforts of businesses, local government and the community  who individually, could not sustain these services.

I urge you to support our chamber and the investments they are trying to bring to this community and ask you to consider how you can help. The chamber is always looking for motivated individuals to volunteer their time, effort and resources to make our community a better place.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Jennifer A. Taylor, James Madison University and Katrina Miller-Stevens, Colorado College

(THE CONVERSATION) When anger over everything from the killing of unarmed people of color to new restrictions on access to abortion bubbles over, many Americans act on it.

One avenue for someone who has gotten fed up with current events is to take part in protests, such as marching for gun reform in response to mass shootings. Another is by what nonprofit and philanthropy scholars like to call rage giving  charitable donations motivated by strong emotions and dissatisfaction with the political climate.

In our new book about this phenomenon, we explain that people often donate to nonprofits following breaking news about events they consider to be tragic or unjust. By donating, people may feel they are addressing the wrong they want to see righted, or they can express a strong politically driven view or value.

Divisive moments

When news coverage grows and collective anger culminates in high-profile marches, rage givers can experience an emotional release by channeling their feelings into something they consider positive.

Quick bursts of anger sometimes called fury triggers usually drive these gifts.

We have found that waves of rage giving are often sparked by divisive political moments. These unexpected spikes in donations are typically fueled by extensive media coverage.

For example, after the mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, donations to groups that support gun violence victims in both communities surged.

And, shortly after the May 2022 leak of the Supreme Courts draft decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, NARAL Pro-Choice America, an organization that advocates for access to abortion, saw a 1,400% increase in donations within 24 hours.

Likewise, the Brigid Alliance, a nonprofit abortion fund that provides financial and logistical help for people seeking abortions, saw the number of its donors quadruple from May to July. The gifts ranged from $5 to $50,000.

Growth following 2016 election

Rage giving isnt limited to guns or abortion. Nor is it new.

But there are many signs that the phenomenon grew ahead of, during and after the heated 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. Many people who were concerned about immigration, civil rights and sexual assault and harassment during those highly polarized periods sought out opportunities to give to nonprofits and political action committees as quick and easy ways to express their outrage.

The ease and growth of online giving, up 42% in the three years ending in 2021, makes it simpler for rage givers to express their outrage. Theres no longer a need to mail a check or make a phone call.

Rage giving is, to be sure, partisan in that anger and outrage can provoke political mobilization, action and higher voter turnout.

But nonprofits on both sides of the political and cultural divide have reaped windfalls from rage giving in recent years. Giving to pro-gun organizations like the National Rifle Association, for example, can surge when gun control measures are in the news as is generally the case after mass shootings.

More likely to be women and Democrats

In 2017, we commissioned a survey that identified 520 people who said they had donated to a nonprofit of their choice after feeling unbridled anger during the 2016 presidential election. Based on that data, we estimated that about 58% of these rage givers were women and 80% were white.

About 44% said they were Democrats, roughly 35% said they were Republicans and the remaining 21% identified as independent voters. Because the shares of Americans who lean toward one major political party or the other is more evenly matched, we found that, at that moment in time, Democrats were more likely to donate this way than more conservative Americans.

When thinking about the candidates in the 2016 presidential election and the stances each candidate takes on social and environmental issues, one rage giver from North Carolina said in response to our survey, Im just sick about it, she said. Weve got to do something.

We also found the surveyed rage donors were likely to be civically engaged  through behaviors such as volunteering, voting, contacting elected officials and participating in marches and protests. Rage giving, as a form of collective action, aligns with other helping behaviors by giving a voice to the underserved and unheard.

More research is needed to get a clearer picture of why certain people do this. But based on what weve learned so far, we believe that people who engage in rage giving see philanthropy as a type of civic engagement and that their gift, along with other donations, makes a difference.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/rage-giving-charities-can-get-a-boost-from-current-events-such-as-controversial-supreme-court-rulings-185841.
BEULAH  The Benzie County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a contract between the city and the World Triathlon Corporation for the use of county resources during the Sept. 11 Ironman 70.3 competition.

According to a memo from Katie Zeits, county administrator, the contract is streamlined with a single contract covering the Benzie County Sheriffs Office, Office of Emergency Management and Emergency Medical Services.

It is important that Benzie County enter into this agreement with this organization for an event of this size, read the memo from Zeits, included in the board of commissioners July 26 meeting packet. The agreement requires proof of insurance coverage to protect Benzie County and provides accountability.

As part of the agreement, event organizers will compensate the county for time spent helping facilitate the race by both the sheriffs office and emergency medical services.

According to the agreement, the sheriffs office will provide patrols, as needed, and emergency medical services will provide emergency stand-in services.

The contract states the World Triathlon Corporation will pay $47 per deputy and patrol vehicle, and $150 per hour for marine patrol. The corporation will pay $165 per hour for staffed ambulances and event organizers anticipate paying for three ambulances at 11.5 hours for the day.

The World Triathlon Corporation also agrees to pay for the time the countys emergency manager spends on coordinating law enforcement and emergency medical services coverage.

Last year I had to attend more township meetings because we assisted the vendor (World Triathlon Corporation) in communicating with all the townships the event would have an impact on making sure questions were answered, said Rebecca Hubers, emergency manager for Benzie County. This year, a lot of those questions were already answered.

Rebecca Hubers said she was working on an incident action and safety plan that will be used as a reference during the event in case of an emergency.

It explains who is where, what to do in the case of an emergency; it is a plan everybody involved will reference, she said. It makes sure were all on the same page; it is a giant packet of information.

Rebecca Hubers said it is much like planning for Fourth of July events.

People are welcome to reach out to us with their concerns and questions, she said. People need to remember to plan ahead for the event and know there might be delays in travel and know alternate routes or plan to have extra time to get where they are going.

Rebecca Hubers said there will still be regular law enforcement and emergency medical services crews available throughout the day of the event, and that no taxpayer money would be going to pay the extra staff working the event.

Greg Hubers, undersheriff for Benzie County, said the sheriffs office was mainly responsible for having marine patrol units available during the swimming portion of the triathlon.

Our main focus will be making sure everybody in the water is safe and that everybody who enters the water exits, he said. Everybody wears trackers. Nobody from the sheriffs office will leave the water until everybody is accounted for.

Greg Hubers said the Michigan State Police would be handling most of the traffic control for the event.

I think it is a great event and the Ironman people do a wonderful job of coordinating with the county and the emergency manager, he said. Things go smoothly and were looking forward to it this year.

Ironman 70.3 is a 70.3 mile global triathlon race consisting of 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking and 13 miles of running. It was last held in Frankfort in 2021, with a contract to hold it in the city in 2022 and 2023 as well. The event draws thousands of people from across the world to compete, as well as their family and support teams.
LANSING  Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced more than 1,650 communities in Michigan will receive more than $321 million to help them invest in infrastructure, grow their economies and continue delivering essential services as part of the second batch of federal American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund payments.

This funding will empower over 1,650 communities across Michigan continue getting things done that make a real difference in peoples lives, said Whitmer in a press release. As we focus on growing our economy and creating good-paying jobs, todays over $321 million in funding will help counties, cities, villages, and townships across the state invest in local roads and bridges, support essential workers, and protect safe drinking water. Local officials have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make lasting investments in the kitchen-table issues that matter most."

"Lets keep working together to get things done, Whitmer said

According to the press release, Benzie County is slated to receive $3,450,837.

Manistee County is slated to get $4,770,104.

The funding provided to counties, cities, villages and townships across the state can be used to respond to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, the first half of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund payments totaling more than $321 million was distributed to smaller communities within the last year. In total, ARPA provided more than $642 million in Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Michigan's smaller communities.

The U.S. Department of Treasury is responsible for directly distributing $1.80 billion to 49 Michigan metropolitan cities and townships and $1.93 billion to all 83 Michigan counties. The state of Michigan is responsible for distributing Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds dollars to smaller cities, villages and townships.

The Michigan Department of Treasury worked with local government partners and local communities to provide technical assistance and education through webinars, phone calls and certified letters to ensure local officials would not miss the opportunity to claim their allotted federal funds. If a local community received payments from the first round, no further action is required from local officials.

My team is ready to continue to assist local communities receiving this important aid, said state Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. Local officials are encouraged to reach out to our team if they encounter issues receiving a payment.

The U.S. Department of Treasury is responsible for providing rules on how local units of government can spend their ARPA dollars.

Details about the first and second batch of state Treasury Department disbursements to smaller communities are available. To learn more about the program, go to Michigan.gov/ARPA.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP)  Until recently, the story of the Charleston Work House received little recognition in the citys collective memory.

That changed a little when Mayor John Tecklenburg unveiled a plaque detailing its past.

I dont know of a more horrific thing than what this city did, Tecklenburg said through tears at a July 13 ceremony. Its shameful.

The Charleston Work House, was located next to The Old Charleston Jail on Magazine street. It was a place where slave owners could pay the city to punish enslaved people.

Until this week, the empty lot has had little markings or signage. But in its time, it was a source of brutal mistreatment of enslaved people as well as a source of revenue for the city of Charleston. The plaque erected July 13 includes research reviewed by the Charleston Commission on History.

The property began as housing for the White paupers in 1738, the plaque reads. But soon it was expanded to add the Work House. For a price, city employees whipped enslaved people up to 40 times per week. For an added cost, they would literally throw salt on the wounds.

Slave owners who ran late on their bills were charged extra and could end up forfeiting their enslaved person to the city. An image of one of these invoices is displayed on the plaque. Charleston could then force that person into labor for the city or sell them and put the profit back into the citys coffers.

The legacy of the lot has long been obscured. When Tecklenburg heard about it from Christine King, who leads tours at the Old Slave Mart Museum, he said he knew that more awareness was needed.

Its the right thing for us to tell even these difficult stories from the past to help unfold where we go into the future, Tecklenburg said.

The Work House was also a place of resistance. Denmark Vesey was detained there. Vesey was a formerly enslaved man who bought his freedom and worked as a carpenter. Some years later, another enslaved man, Nicholas Kelly, was held at there as well, the plaque states.

Both men attempted to lead slave rebellions and were sentenced to death as a result.

Tecklenburg defended Veseys legacy in his speech, saying the Charleston of the 1820s was never capable of giving a Black person a fair trial. He said his legacy needs defending at time when some still refuse to see him as anything other than an insurrectionist.

After Veseys death, he became a martyr to Black residents, a freedom fighter whose legacy inspired generations to fight for equality, no matter how grave the risks. For Whites, he loomed a would-be murderer, a terrorist intent on killing them all.

Its a reputation that was formed during his trial at the Work House. Recognizing where it came from is crucial, Tecklenburg said.

King helped lead the effort to erect the sign at the mayors request. But she didnt see the unveiling of the plaque July 13 as an event that was hers to claim alone, pointing to her formerly enslaved great-grandfather and all other ancestors.

When I say ancestors I mean everyone, she said. This affected every Black person, not just those who were enslaved. For the ones who got their freedom, their freedom wasnt really free. There were laws to limit it.

In his recognition speech, Tecklenburg connected the sites new plaque to his personal endeavor to reckon with the ways in which the citys foundation was built on slavery and what to do about it now.

In 2018, City Council voted to issue a formal apology for its role in slavery. The Work House, which the city operated and profited from, is a prime example of that tie, Tecklenburg said.

This past February, City Council voted to establish a racial conciliation commission, later renamed the Human Affairs Commission.

Its goal is to identify city policies that can be changed to lessen the racial disparities seen across so much of public life in Charleston, from education access to health outcomes and financial stability. While city commissions cant pass ordinances on their own, they are tasked with making recommendations to City Council.

None of the steps have come easily. The apology for slavery was approved in a 7-5 vote. The Human Affairs commission faced a coordinated campaign against it.

This resistance to acknowledging slaverys ties to the present day is why the plaque was a necessary step in the right direction, Pastor Fred Wilkins said at the unveiling. His church, Spirit and Truth Southside Baptist Church, is around the corner.

In a lot of ways we are still recovering from those times and the things that happened, even today, Wilkins said.
SARASOTA, Fla - When his blood oxygen dropped to what he described as a critically low level in September, Victor Rohe knew he had "a bad case of covid."

But like growing numbers of conservatives here in southwest Florida, Rohe didn't trust the doctors at Sarasota Memorial Hospital to treat him, even though it's part of one of the state's largest and highest ranked medical systems.

Rohe, a longtime Republican activist and self-described strict "constitutionalist," instead rented his own oxygen unit and hooked it up at home. For the next several days, Rohe battled his coronavirus infection in his living room, relying on medical advice from friends and family members.

"If I went to the hospital, I believed I would die," said Rohe, pointing to online videos and conspiracy theories he watched raising questions about the care some coronavirus patients received at the hospital.

Now a year later, Rohe is part of a slate of four conservative candidates trying to take over control of the board that oversees Sarasota's flagship public hospital, highlighting how once-obscure offices are emerging as a new front in the political and societal battles that have intensified across the country since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

Although the contenders are considered underdogs to win on Aug. 23, health policy experts say the campaign is a troubling sign of how ideological divisions are spilling into the world of medical care as fights over abortion, the coronavirus and vaccines increasingly fall across party lines - alarming doctors, hospital administrators and medical experts.

"All you need to do is look at how [school boards] have now become very political . . . and how boards of education have ignored the science of education," said Michele Issel, a public health professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. "There this new disregard for the professional training that medical people have, and a disregard for the science of what is best for the a population."

The Sarasota candidates, at least three of whom are skeptical of coronavirus vaccine mandates, are rallying behind the theme of "medical freedom." The term is increasingly being utilized by the conservative movement nationwide and hits a belief that patients aren't given enough control over their medical care. Proponents point to vaccine mandates and difficulty accessing unproven coronavirus treatments like Ivermectin that were touted by politicians but rejected by physicians.

"All 4 of us are devoted Christians, conservatives and patriots who deserve to make the [Sarasota Memorial Hospital] system stronger, more accountable with greater transparency," one of the candidates, Joseph S. Chirillo, a retired physician, wrote in a social media post.

Several Florida-based conservative or far-right organization are supporting Rohe and his running mates in their bid to join the nine-member Sarasota hospital board.

Tamra Farah, senior director of MomForce, the education-focused branch of Moms for America, a group pushing to elect more conservatives to local offices, said campaigns for low-profile positions such as the Sarasota hospital board demonstrate conservatives have "woken up." Issues involving medical care also increasingly galvanize conservatives to the polls, Farah said, amid their growing distrust of the health care establishment.

"No one should ever feel threatened by one group of doctors' thoughts versus another group of doctors," Farah said. "Everyone should have their debates. Everyone should have all the information available. And people should be able to decide for themselves."

- - -

In Sarasota, the county hospital has long been a source of pride while also serving as a magnet drawing both retirees and doctors and nurses to the region. U.S. News and World Report recently named Sarasota Memorial Hospital as the sixth best hospital in Florida, and the top hospital in the broader Tampa Bay region.

Moderate and left-leaning residents now worry that the hospital's prized reputation could be shattered if the current board is ousted in favor of more conservative candidates, who have largely still have not explained how they would yield their new powers.

"I am not sure what they are looking to prove, because we have a phenomenal hospital system," said Teri A Hansen, president and CEO of the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, a Sarasota-based charity that oversees a $636 million endowment. "I would like to think that the people running just want to see it grow and be a winner, but I suspect that is not why they are running."

As a taxpayer funded public hospital, Sarasota Memorial Hospital also operates as one of the region's safety net hospitals. Nationwide, 951 of the nation's 6,093 hospitals are affiliated with a state or local government, according to the American Hospital Association. In Florida, those public hospitals can either have elected or appointed boards of directors.

Sarasota's elected board members - who represent districts but are elected by voters countywide - hold staggered four-year terms. Sarasota County Public Hospital Board members hire the CEO, provide strategic guidance, oversee the system's $1.3 billion annual budget, and have the power to assess a property tax to raise money for hospital projects.

The current board members up for reelection this year, all of whom are also Republicans, appear stunned to now face a challenge from the more conservative wing of their party. Many have extensive backgrounds in medicine or business, and find themselves in the middle of a battle that could also help determine whether relatively moderate GOP candidates can continue to fend off more conservative factions.

Darryl W. Henry has served on the hospital board since 2008 and is facing a challenge from Patricia Maraia, a nurse running with the slate of conservative candidates.

Before retiring in Sarasota in 2006, Henry worked for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, serving as the director of the tech-focused Joint Warrior Interoperability Demonstration program. In the 1980s, Henry also served as chief engineer of the U.S. military's "Milnet," which he described as a forerunner of the internet.

In an interview, Henry said he is not sure why Maraia decided to challenge him, although he recalls how she would show up at board meetings as "controversial noise" during discussions about the hospital's coronavirus and vaccination policies.

"The people running will probably regret if they won this position," Henry said. "It is hard. It is time demanding and it requires deep intellectual thought and requires you gaining knowledge of the entire medical process, and entire medical financial process."

Maraia did not return phone calls seeking comment. On her campaign website, Maraia describes herself as a "conservative who is committed to serving her community" by advocating for "patient's rights" and the "rights of the medical profession to practice medicine with freedom."

Another incumbent GOP board member, Joseph J. DeVirgilio, Jr., is president of a consulting company and a former utility executive who also previously served on a hospital board in Upstate New York. DeVirgilio is being challenged by Bridgette Fiorucci, a nurse at Sarasota Memorial Hospital who helped organize opposition to the hospital's vaccine mandate policies, and one other GOP candidate.

Fiorucci did not respond to telephone and written requests for comment. In January, Fiorucci posted a photograph on Facebook of herself standing beside Robert Malone, a controversial activist who has spread discredited information about coronavirus vaccines.

"Over the last 3 years, we have seen our freedom slowly eroding," Fiorucci wrote on her campaign website. "Decisions have been made in the medical profession that have ruled over a patients' autonomy . . . I want to make sure you have ALL medical options available."

DeVirgilio, however, said he believes Sarasota voters will continue to support him, noting his experience and the current board's accomplishments, including overseeing the recent construction of a 100-bed hospital and opening a new cancer care center

"As an individual schooled in engineering," DeVirgilio added, "I support the expansion of science-based health care initiatives for improved care for my Sarasota neighbors."

- - -

Located about an hour south of Tampa, Sarasota County is home to about 450,000 residents who live among some of the nation's top-ranked beaches and historic arts venues. Although the county has been a relative stronghold for Republicans for generations, voters here largely tended to align with the moderate, business-oriented wing of the party.

But over the past 2 1/2 years, Sarasota has been an epicenter of some of Florida's nastiest brawls over what policies should be implemented to keep residents safe during the pandemic.

Initially, the county school board voted to maintain a mask mandate for students, even though Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and GOP legislators barred school districts from implementing one.

The policy enraged some parents, leading to months of tense school board meetings. Meanwhile, the public feud over the pandemic increasingly centered around covid patient care at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, even though the facility has consistently earned A ratings for patient safety. Rohe said one incident in particular last summer spurred the conservative challengers' bids for the board.

In August, Sarasota County resident Stephen Guffanti, a former emergency room physician and outspoken conservative activist, was admitted to Sarasota Memorial Hospital for coronavirus treatment. Guffanti, who was skeptical he really was infected with the virus, was placed in a hospital room with another coronavirus patient. Within days, Guffanti said in an interview, both he and his roommate develop pneumonia - a complication of the virus.

As his roommate's condition deteriorated, Guffanti said he became worried the man was not receiving quality care and became his "patient advocate." He said he notified nurses and the on-call doctor that his roommate was getting worse - and accused them of not taking his concerns seriously. After raising his concerns, Guffanti said he was separated from the man and placed in a room by himself. Later, he signed a document to get out of the hospital, even though it was against medical advice. The patient he'd expressed concern about died a few days later, he said.

Kim Savage, a hospital spokeswoman, declined to comment on Guffanti's allegations, citing privacy laws. But Savage said hospital employees "worked with dedication and diligence throughout this pandemic." She added "unsubstantiated, untrue and often politically motivated accusations" do "a grave disservice to patients, caregivers and the community."

But after he was released from the hospital, Guffanti produced viral videos that documented his alleged experience in the hospital and claiming that the hospital had become "a jail" - fueling conspiracy theories that health institutions were trying to inflate coronavirus numbers. The videos quickly circulated among conservative and anti-vaccine groups, leading to demonstrations outside the hospital.

About a month ago, Guffanti decided to press his grievance with the hospital even further by recruiting the slate of candidates to run for the health system's board, personally reaching out to Rohe, Fiorucci, Maraia and Chirillo to launch their campaigns under the banner of "medical freedom."

"The biggest problem, and it's not just here, it's all around the country, is the interruption of the doctor-patient relationship," said Rohe, adding Guffanti's experience at the hospital is one reason he decided to self-treat his own coronavirus symptoms. "If you went to a hospital. Would you want your medical decisions made a bureaucratic? Or by your doctor? . . . The culture of the hospital has changed."

- - -

Shortly after Rohe and his running mates announced their candidacy, a coalition of conservative political groups began rallying in support, often linking the slate with a simultaneous effort by the right to win a majority on the Sarasota County School board.

In addition to Sarasota Moms for America, the slate has been endorsed by Sarasota Watchdogs, a far-right group whose leaders have been involved in several testy political fights in the county. Rohe said the slate is also being supported activists affiliated with Defend Florida, a group pushing to rewrite state elections laws to limit mail-in ballots.

"Conservatives just want to live our lives, do our own thing, and just be left alone," said Victor G. Mellor, a local business executive who is supporting the slate. "That didn't happen [during covid] . . . so everyone now understands you have to start sacrificing, wake up and get involved."

Dr. Matthew N. Goldenberg, an associate professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, said he's not surprised the politicization of medicine is now presenting itself in highly localized elections.

"Partisanship is creeping more and more, and in fact sprinting, into all facets of society," said Goldenberg, who studies political trends in health care. "And one of the things that people can do to hopefully protect themselves is just be aware of that phenomena."

Issel, the University of North Carolina professor, said a conservative takeover Sarasota's hospital board could have a variety of implications.

With the board having the authority to raise Sarasota County property taxes, Issel said new board members could use that to drain hospital revenue. If new board members tried to enact policies that limited the administration of vaccinations, for example, Issel said that could result in conflict with major insurance companies.

"Would they pick a new CEO that is aligned with their perspective?" Issel asked. "And how would the new policies of the CEO trickle down?"

Thomas R. Oliver, professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said he worries politicization of health care could eventually filter into the boards of larger, statewide hospital systems.

Some public hospital networks, such as the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority, have boards of directors appointed by governors. And in recent months, some Republican officials have appointed vaccine skeptics to state health care boards or commissions.

"If you suddenly get new boards of government health care systems, you could really impact things significantly and cause a lot of reconsidering of what are our services? Who has a say?" Oliver said.

Dr. James Fiorica, the chief medical officer of the Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, said he doubts the makeup of the board would influence how medical care is offered. Instead, Fiorica said the bigger risk is that a new board could "slow down projects."

"You certainly don't want to rock the boat of a good system that is making good progress," he said.

Social media posts made by one of the conservative candidates, Chirillo, provide some insight into his views. On Facebook, Chirillo, the retired doctor, has downplayed the ongoing spread of the monkeypox virus, mocked the effectiveness of vaccines, and questioned whether the term "assault weapon" should be used to describe such weapons.

Rohe, a former New York City police officer who also previously worked in the financial services industry, also expressed controversial views about the coronavirus vaccine.

"Calling it a vaccination is a joke," Rohe said. "All it really is is a government-mandated shot to inoculate people to the fact that the government owns your body, and you do not."

Still, Rohe stressed, if elected he and the rest of his slate will stay focused on bolstering oversight over hospital management, saying they are merely trying to create a hospital where residents feel comfortable talking to their doctors about a variety of treatment options when they need medical care.

"All we think about is the patients," Rohe said.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP)  A court has upheld a nine-year prison term for one of Taiwan's richest businesspeople on charges of selling tainted cooking oil.

Wei Ying-chung, former chairman of Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Industrial Co., will go to prison for a third time in two cases involving adulterated oil following Fridays ruling by Taiwans Supreme Court.

Wei, 65, was convicted of importing lard in 2014 meant for use in animal feed from Vietnam and selling it to food manufacturers.

Wei abandoned the social responsibility of the corporation and severely undermined food safety, the Supreme Court ruling said. It left Wei with no more opportunities to appeal.

Wei, along with his three brothers, ranked No. 7 last year on Forbes magazines list of Taiwans richest people with a total fortune of $6.4 billion.

In an earlier case, Wei was sentenced to prison in 2016 over adulterated olive oil sold by Wei Chuan Foods Corp., a unit of Ting Hsin.

Wei was convicted of telling employees in 2012-13 to mix the oil with products containing a coloring agent that is banned from use in food.

Wei was released in December 2018 after he posted bail of 300 million New Taiwan dollars ($10 million) and his brother pledged an additional 1 billion New Taiwan dollars ($33 million).

Wei went to prison a second time in January 2020 on a separate set of charges connected to the imports from Vietnam and was released 12 months later.
WASHINGTON - With coronavirus cases in the Washington D.C. region on a gradual incline and vaccine immunity waning, some public health officials recommend residents consider wearing high-quality masks, but have no plans to reinstate mandates as people learn to live and work amid the virus.

Most counties and cities in the region reported a medium level of community spread of the coronavirus this week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's tracker. Some counties in the region are toggling from low to medium with the occasional day at a high level, reflecting the variable nature of the pandemic.

The jump in cases stems mainly from the highly transmissible omicron offshoot, BA.5, which, in recent weeks, has become the dominant strain in the United States driving a wave of cases across the country.

In D.C., State Epidemiologist Anil Mangla said officials noticed an uptick in cases in the past week, moving the city between low and medium levels of transmission.

D.C. public health officials have not mandated that people wear masks again, instead deferring to CDC guidance, which says immunocompromised and at-risk people may want to talk to their health-care provider about indoor masking when community spread reaches a medium level.

"It's been two years and I still wear my mask, I keep my distance. And touch wood, I don't have covid. It works," Mangla said in an interview Friday, calling the practice "epidemiology 101."

Virginia and Maryland health departments continue to update their covid data daily and D.C. Health updates weekly on Wednesdays, officials said - although public health officials believe the number of cases is underreported as more people take at-home coronavirus tests.

"We do not believe the level of covid in the community has decreased," said David Goodfriend, health director in Loudoun County, Va.

Health officials in Montgomery County, Md., acknowledged the uptick in cases, urging residents to take precautions and recommending masking indoors for everyone, regardless of vaccination status - but not requiring them.

"The good news is that those with shots in the majority of cases are kept from having to deal with serious bouts of the disease," County Executive Marc Elrich (D) said in a news conference Wednesday. "The bad news is that many people have let their guard down and they're not taking seriously how devastating covid can still be in some cases, or the effects of long covid."

Acting County Health Officer James Bridgers said there was no public health recommendation to reinstate a mask mandate, but the county would continue to monitor the case figures and make adjustments as needed.

"Should we fall below that 200 cases per 1,000 threshold we will change our narrative information accordingly. This is an additive process," Bridgers said. "Covid is here and we need to continue to shape our behavior accordingly as our community levels change from low, medium to high."

Prince George's County, Md., which was among the hardest-hit jurisdictions in the region, continued to record a medium level of community transmission this week. Officials said they will continue to monitor cases and urged residents to stay up to date on vaccines and continue to follow CDC guidance.

"COVID-19 will most likely be with us for a while and so we have to learn to live with it," Prince George's County Health Department spokesman George Lettis said in an email. "While government COVID mandates are not in place anymore - because residents have numerous tools to stay safe and healthy - the Health Department and County Government had always taken a more cautious approach to our pandemic decision-making."

Since about mid-June, Virginia public health officials have tracked a gradual rise in coronavirus cases, fueled by BA.5 - the "fittest variant" according to Lilian Peake, the Virginia Department of Health state epidemiologist.

"It does have more ability to evade immunity both from past infection and vaccination so that is leading to an increase in cases," Peake said in a phone interview Friday, adding that hospitalizations are also rising gradually.

Peake encouraged everyone who is eligible to get second booster shots, although public health officials are still studying their effectiveness against the dominant variants.

Hospitalizations for covid-19 in Northern Virginia have steadily gone up since late June to a weekly average of 180 as of Friday, according to the Virginia health department. Generally, an increase in hospitalizations follows a surge in cases.

Gabor Kelen, director of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, said the hospital has seen a recent increase in coronavirus case admissions, bringing the number up to about 160 systemwide from a low of about 40 in mid-April.

Although many people in the community have some protection from severe disease and death due to previous infection and vaccination, he stressed that "people with comorbidities and other conditions continue to get into trouble."

Death is a lagging indicator, but Kelen said, "We haven't lost a covid patient in the ER, in like forever," compared to frequent deaths in earlier stages of the pandemic. Nationally, data show, hundreds of people are still succumbing daily to the virus.

Kristen K. Coleman, an assistant research professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, studies the viral load emitted by people infected with the coronavirus, and has found that people with the omicron variant are more likely to shed large amounts of the virus, compared to those with earlier strains.

Using the Gesundheit ll, a machine developed to measure flu transmission, she and her colleagues measure the amount of the virus in exhaled breath, and their findings help explain why new variants are more contagious in addition to their availability to evade immunity, she said.

"All of the things we have been doing are even more important now," Coleman said in an interview Thursday. "Infections are rising and hospitalizations are rising. So not only is the current vaccine efficacy waning with these variants, they are more transmissible. If you really want to evade emission, you really need to wear a high-quality mask."

Some places nationwide are responding to the increases in cases by ramping up precautions; Los Angeles County, which considered reinstating an indoor mask mandate, abandoned the idea Thursday as cases dropped.

But closer to home, some public health officials are easing precautions. The Virginia Department of Health last month loosened quarantine guidelines for people who are exposed to the coronavirus. Individuals who are vaccinated or recovered from covid-19 within the last six months do not have to quarantine, under the state's guidelines, even as the CDC says post-infection immunity lasts half as long as the state guidelines reflect.

Arlington County's local coronavirus emergency declaration will sunset on Aug. 15, formally lifting a measure that allowed virtual government meetings for more than two years and gave restaurants a fast-track to set up temporary outdoor seating areas.

Emergency declarations like the one in Arlington had allowed local government bodies to seamlessly shift from in-person to virtual operations at the start of the pandemic. In Arlington, it allowed County Board members to meet over Zoom and gave residents the chance to offer public comment virtually - even after lawmakers returned to their in-person chamber last year.

Alexandria city's pandemic emergency declaration expired on June 30.

"It's definitely been an important tool. It gave us a lot of that flexibility," Arlington County spokesman Ryan Hudson said. "At this point, we have learned to live with this pandemic. It's obviously going to be with us for the foreseeable future."

- - -

The Washington Post's Teo Armus and Antonio Olivo contributed to this report.
BERLIN (AP)  Austrian political leaders have expressed shock over the death of a doctor who closed her practice after she reported receiving death threats from opponents of COVID-19 restrictions and vaccines.

The body of Dr. Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, a general practitioner who had publicly stressed the effectiveness of vaccination, was found at her practice office in a rural area of northern Austria on Friday, Austrian media said.

Prosecutors in Wels confirmed a suicide and said notes were found, the contents of which they would not divulge, the Austria Press Agency reported.

Kellermayr announced a month ago that she was closing the practice temporarily after more than seven months of receiving death threats. She said she had spent over 100,000 euros ($102,000) on security.

In mid-July, Kellermayr said was permanently closing the practice because she couldn't offer any perspective for whether or when it will be possible for us to work under normal circumstances.

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen wrote on Twitter that his thoughts were with Kellermayr's family and friends.

Let us end this intimidation and fear. Hatred and intolerance have no place in our Austria. Let us always find a way to live together peacefully, he said.

Health Minister Johannes Rauch said Kellermayr's death deeply shocks me.

As a doctor, she dedicated her life to the health and well-being of others, Rauch tweeted. Death threats against her and her colleagues were brutal reality. He called such threatening behavior inexcusable and said it must finally stop.

In June, prosecutors in Wels closed an investigation of a German suspected of threatening Kellermayr, saying German authorities were responsible for the case, APA reported. Police in Austria continued an investigation against persons unknown.
Apart from the language barrier between healthcare professionals and patients, the Adivasi patients complain of improper treatment. (Representational Image/DC)

A 23-year-old pregnant woman, Madavi Raju Bai, would have been alive with her baby now, after a safe delivery, if the local Asha worker had clearly communicated with her about the delivery date and precautions that needed to be taken for a safe delivery.

A resident of Kunikasa-Kolamguda an interior village in Gadiguda mandal of Adilabad district, Raju Bai spoke Kolami. But the Asha worker, who could not speak her language, failed to communicate properly to her about the delivery date. As a result, the would-be mother could not be shifted to a hospital at an opportune time for the safe delivery, which led to her death.

We failed to provide medical assistance to my wife because of miscommunication by the Asha worker. The sudden rain and the lack of road connectivity to our village have also created hardships in shifting my wife in time to the nearest Gadiguda primary healthcare centre, said Raju Bais husband Madavi Jangu.

If we knew the exact delivery date, Jangu insisted, my wife could have been alive now.

Raju Bai started experiencing contractions on her way to RIMS, Adilabad on August 22, 2021, where she was declared dead.

The unfortunate death of the 23-year-old woman exposed the language barrier amongst the Adivasi and the non-Adivasi communities. It also highlighted the critical importance of clear communication in medical advice.

Apart from the language barrier between healthcare professionals and patients, the Adivasi patients complain of improper treatment. As a corollary to this, reports abound of Adivasi patients absconding from government hospitals.

Another pregnant woman Mesram Bheem Bai from Mothiramguda village of Utnoor mandal died due to delayed medical assistance on June 28. Kolam Adivasis are recognized as PVTG in Telangana. She could not be shifted to the nearest PHC for delivery because of abysmal road connectivity.

Often, the Adivasis are shy in nature and are not inclined to interact with others outside the community due to several historic and cultural reasons. Certain Adivasi communities largely consider outsiders as a threat and do not believe them.

To this issue, activists working for the interests of the Adivasis say state and central governments must give special admissions for the Adivasis students to make them doctors and nurses.

Non-tribal Medical staff and doctors

The common thread that binds all unfortunate stories of delayed medical care is linguistic disconnect between the healthcare professionals and the patients.

As most medical staff are from the non-tribal communities, they fail to speak to patients in their mother tongue during the treatment. Lack of clarity in communication, most of the time, makes the Adivasis believe that doctors were not treating them properly.

Adivasi leader Pendore Pushparani of Indravelli mandal said women in general and poor Adivasi and Dalit women in particular are more prone to health problems due to various reasons, and the government should, therefore, focus more on their health.

Mother tongue plays a crucial role in medical treatment

As doctors cannot speak the Adivasi languages, the patients could not tell them their medical history.

After many such incidents occurred, officials have appointed a few educated Adivasi girls as patients care helpers at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Adilabad, to address the communication gap between the doctors and the patients. This measure has significantly improved the delivery of healthcare to Adivasis.

Similar efforts should be taken at government hospitals at Jainoor, Tiryani, Gadiguda, Narnoor, Boath, Kerameri, Sirpur (T) and Bejjur mandals where the tribal population is high.

A special ward was set up with the financial assistance of the ITDA for the Adivasi patients at RIMS in Adilabad. A May I help Desk was also set up at RIMS for the benefit of the Adivasis.

Miscommunication affects medical treatment

Dr Naitham Sumalatha, who is an Adivasi and one of doctors at RIMS, Adilabad, said most of the time Adivasi patients give incomplete medical history which makes treating them tougher.

Because of trust deficit between the doctors and the patients, Sumalatha said many patients prefer leaving the hospital before they are treated for the ailment.

One of the key reasons for this is the communication gap. If doctors speak in the mother tongue of the patient, the treatment of Adivasis could improve considerably, she said.

There are so many reports about private hospitals misguiding the gullible Adivasis to shun government hospitals in favour of the ones run by the private entities. The treatment at the private hospitals pushes them into debt.

As some Adivasis still remain reluctant to accept modern healthcare and depend on traditional gods, rituals and herbal medicine, their health condition has deteriorated.

Some others prefer to go to local quacks who are popularly known as RMP (registered medical practitioners) for medical treatment though they are not alternative to trained doctors  because they speak with patients in their mother tongue, stay locally and available round the clock in emergencies. The mother tongue, therefore, played a key role in their success.

Need for more Adivasi doctors and other medical staff

Adilabad Additional DMHO (Agency) Dr Kudimetha Manohar said the mother tongue will play a crucial role in treating the Adivasi patients and state and central governments must recruit more Adivasi doctors and other medical staff.

He said the appointment of the Adivasi doctors and other staff should be included in the health policy of the state and central governments.

He said as many as 15 maternal deaths of women took place last year in the Adilabad district alone. But transition deaths, he said, have come down drastically in the recent past.

Manohar said they have identified nearly 200 high-risk habitations that were considered inaccessible in the erstwhile Adilabad district due to overflowing streams and rivulets and the lack of road connectivity following the heavy rains.

One transition death of an Adivasi pregnant woman from Kunikasa village took place, said Manohar and added that the premature deliveries have also been posing a threat to the Adivasi pregnant women in some cases.

He said the revival of the ITDA ward at the RIMS is a must for the benefit of Adivasi patients. However, the number of maternal deaths and inaccessible habitations are higher than the official figures in the erstwhile Adilabad district.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP)  She thought she had done everything necessary to bring their dog from Kenya to their new home.

Shed had the rabies shots updated in Nairobi. Shed had a vet there check the spotted spaniel for worms and sent photos of Toffees teeth to prove she was at least six months old. Shed scanned her husbands passport, gotten an export permit, filled out dozens of U.S. and international forms.

Kacey Bollrud, 47, and her husband have been flying their pets from his Foreign Service posts to her parents place in Pensacola since 2006. For their girls, 9 and 12, pets help faraway feel like home. Moving their dog has always been complicated, but doable.

But this March, when the girls father was sent from Kenya to a post in Washington, D.C, the family learned the rules had changed. New regulations, meant to ward off rabies, were leaving thousands of dogs in limbo as their owners struggled to bring them stateside.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had restricted bringing dogs in from 113 high-risk rabies countries  including Kenya.

Bollruds daughters wept when they had to leave Toffee behind.

They have to start at a new school, make new friends, set up a new house, their mom said. Having a pet to come home to at the end of the day to sit on the sofa and lay her head in your lap is incredibly comforting.

New rules, which went into effect in July 2021, require that dogs coming into the U.S. from those 113 countries have a rabies vaccine approved by the U.S. Then, the dogs have to wait 30 days and have a titer blood test, to see if they have enough antibodies. Only a handful of laboratories around the world process those tests. Results can take months.

People who have to uproot quickly, including from Afghanistan and Ukraine, dont have time to follow the new protocol  and have to abandon their pets abroad.

Bollrud called labs to test her dogs blood in Belgium, then South Africa. By the time she found a place, her husband had to report to his new post in D.C.

A friend agreed to foster Toffee in Kenya, take her to get blood drawn for the $1,000 test, try to help reunite her with her family.

Every day, for almost five months, Bollruds daughters have asked about their dog: Does she miss them? Will she remember them? When will they be able to hug her again?

If youre traveling internationally with your dog, or trying to bring one back from abroad, youll have to plan months ahead, spend more money and follow CDC guidelines  which keep changing.

Over the last year, thousands of people have had problems trying to bring dogs into the U.S.: military members, State Department workers, federal contractors, refugees and animal rescue groups.

No one knows how many have had to leave pets overseas.

The CDC said new rules protect the publics health against the reintroduction of canine rabies  which was eradicated in the U.S. in 2007.

About 1 million dogs come into the U.S. every year  100,000 from the restricted countries. To the CDC, each dog is a risk, however slight.

In the last seven years, three dogs flown into the U.S. from Egypt and one from Azerbaijan tested positive for rabies.

CDC workers turned away 458 dogs for having invalid vaccines or improper paperwork in 2020, a small percentage of all imports  but a 52 percent increase over the previous year.

The COVID pandemic diverted resources from dog vaccination efforts in many high-risk countries, said spokesperson Belsie Gonzalez of the CDC. We suspect the risk of rabid dog importation will be higher in the coming years as a consequence.

Because more people wanted pets during the pandemic, more groups were trying to bring dogs from overseas. That might have caused an increase in dogs being turned away, wrote CDC veterinarian Emily Pieracci.

With fewer international flights, and many airlines refusing to fly animals, dogs denied often have long waits before being sent back, the CDC notice said. Many get sick, waiting in crates. Some die.

Critics say the new requirements are unnecessarily restrictive, sometimes impossible to comply with.

The narrow pathway to get permission to bring a dog into the U.S. now could cost $15,000 instead of $500. Rescue groups may no longer be able to afford to save dogs from foreign meat markets, or get them off streets abroad.

In September 2021, Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Florida, and 50 co-signers asked the CDC to drop the ban after a year. Dogs should be allowed to get vaccinated in their home countries, he wrote. The government should establish a pet passport and make room for animal charities to keep saving lives.

In May, Crist wrote another letter, imploring the CDC to help Ukrainian refugees bring their dogs to the U.S. Considering the rarity of rabies, the congressman wrote, This ban is doing more harm than good.

Bollruds friend took Toffee to the vet in Nairobi in early April. Results came at the end of May: plenty of rabies antibodies.

If the paperwork checked out, their pet could be cleared to come into the U.S.

But Bollrud had to find a way to fly her here. One airline wanted $6,000 to ship her as cargo.

The new CDC ban is by far the most difficult and frustrating problem we have ever had to deal with, she said. I dont mind bearing the costs as a pet parent, but the government needs to make the process easier.

She wishes military and government workers posted overseas were exempt.

The girls are really scared for Toffee, Bollrud said. Our family isnt whole.

A few weeks ago, her girls were watching Little House on the Prairie. When the dog got lost, her youngest daughter sobbed into the sofa.

Most of the 113 countries the U.S. restricts dogs from are considered hardship posts, said Melissa Mathews, 50, a Floridian whose husband has been stationed in Jordan with the State Department. This ban makes it even harder to recruit workers there.

At least 40 percent of military and foreign service families abroad have pets, Mathews said. The ban felt like our own government was attacking us. We cant leave them behind.

Her husband recently considered another post in the Middle East but worried about bringing their mixed-breed dog, Evie, back to Ormond Beach.

So theyre moving to Austria, which isnt a high-risk country for rabies.

In June, the CDC extended the dog import ban through January 2023.

But they had heard the outcry, so they created a route for animal welfare agencies. Once in the U.S., foreign-vaccinated dogs need to be re-vaccinated and usually spend a month in quarantine  all at the importers expense.

In most cases, they can only fly in through four airports in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Miami. The CDC contracts with private facilities to board detained dogs. The government doesnt have oversight there.

Managers at the Miami contractor, Pet Limo, declined to comment.

Peter Fitzgerald is a retired professor at Stetson Law School in Gulfport and has volunteered with international dog rescue groups for 30 years. He adopted a golden retriever from Turkey and another in Florida. During exams, he brings them to Stetson to help soothe stressed-out students.

Hes encouraged about the revised regulations. But he doesnt think there are enough entry ports. He believes the CDC needs an advisory committee.

We need one agency overseeing the process, he said. One set of rules for everyone bringing in dogs.

Before the ban, one of the groups he helps was sending 300 dogs a year to the U.S., saving them from meat markets in Thailand.

Now, he worries the increased hassle  and expense  might make such a mission impossible.

Compassion doesnt have international boundaries, Fitzgerald said. But adoption fees wont even cover our expenses.

Finally, she has a plan.

After weeks of research, phone calls, negotiations, Bollrud found a way to get her familys dog from Kenya.

She couldnt fly Toffee to Dulles airport, because some summer days there bring heat embargoes  Toffee could get stuck.

So on Aug. 25, her friend will fly with Toffee from Nairobi to Frankfurt, Germany, then to Boston. Bollrud will drive the 400 miles there from D.C.

And after six months, her girls will have their dog.

They cant wait to take Toffee to a dog park, to the doggie cafe they discovered, to pick out a puppy popsicle.

To cuddle on the couch and have her home.
CAIRO (AP)  Egypt released seven people on Saturday, including a journalist and a researcher serving prison sentences on terror-related charges, the latest steps by the government to reach out to the opposition amid a grinding economic crisis.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi's administration is grappling with the crisis and spiraling economy, spawned by Russia's war on Ukraine. Egypt, the Arab worlds most populous nation, imports most of its wheat from the two Slavic countries.

Saturday's freeing of journalist Hisham Fouad and anthropology researcher Ahmed Samir came a day after el-Sissi pardoned them, along with five others, according to state-run media.

The two were released from the Tora prison complex in Cairo and images shared online showed them hugging families and friends outside the prison.

Fouad was arrested along with several other secular activists in June 2019, shortly after the group met with political parties and opposition lawmakers trying to hash out how to run in the 2020 parliamentary elections. Among the detained were Hossam Monis and Zyad el-Elaimy, prominent activists in the countrys 2011 Arab Spring uprising.

They were convicted last year of conspiring to commit crimes with an outlawed group, a reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt has banned as a terrorist organization. Fouda and Monis were sentenced to four years in prison each while el-Elaimy received a five-year sentence. Monis was released in a presidential pardon in April.

El-Elaimys mother, Ekram Yousef, joined Fouads family while they awaited his release outside the prison. Yousef, who carried a bouquet of flowers for Fouad, later posted on Facebook that he told her he felt guilty that he was free while her son was still in prison.

Samir, who is doing his master's in anthropology at the Vienna-based Central European University, was detained in February 2021 on charges of disseminating false news. His four-year sentence was lowered to three years in a retrial earlier this year.

Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg welcomed the release of Samir, who had been on a visit home when he was arrested. The minister told the Austria Press Agency that Austrian officials had repeatedly expressed concern to Egyptian authorities about his conditions of detention and in our view, disproportionate sentence."

We worked behind the scenes with great patience and constant commitment toward this important result, Schallenberg was quoted as saying.

Also released on Saturday were leftist activist Abdel-Raouf Khatab and actor Tarek el-Nahri, who were sentenced to seven years and 15 years respectively on charges of attacking and burning state buildings during protests and clashes with security forces in 2011.

Lawmaker Mohamed Abdel-Aziz and rights lawyer Tarek el-Awady, both members of the Presidential Pardon Committee, also confirmed the latest pardons.

Among the outreach steps taken by el-Sissi was the recent release of other prominent activists and a government-initiated national dialogue with opposition parties and government critics, which started earlier this month.

Thousands of political prisoners, however, remain detained in Egypt, according to rights groups, as the government wages a wide-scale crackdown on dissent.

Egypt is eager to improve its image abroad as it prepares to host the next U.N. climate change summit in November.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  The House on Friday approved wide-ranging legislation aimed at helping communities in the West cope with increasingly severe wildfires and drought  fueled by climate change  that have caused billions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses in recent years.

The measure combines 49 separate bills and would increase firefighter pay and benefits; boost resiliency and mitigation projects for communities affected by climate change; protect watersheds; and make it easier for wildfire victims to get federal assistance.

Across America the impacts of climate change continue to worsen, and in this new normal, historic droughts and record-setting wildfires have become all too common,'' said Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., the bill's chief co-sponsor. Colorado has suffered increasingly devastating wildfires in recent years, including the Marshall fire last year that caused more than $513 million in damage and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and structures in Boulder County.

What once were wildfire seasons are now wildfire years. For families across the country who have lost their homes due to these devastating wildfires and for the neighborhoods impacted by drought, we know that we need to apply a whole-of-government approach to support community recovery and bolster environmental resiliency, Neguse said. This is a bill that we believe meets the moment for the West.

The bill was approved, 218-199, as firefighters in California battled a blaze that forced evacuation of thousands of people near Yosemite National Park and crews in North Texas sought to contain another fire.

One Republican, Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, voted in favor of the bill, while Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader was the only Democrat to oppose it.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has sponsored a similar measure.

Both the House and Senate bills would permanently boost pay and benefits for federal wildland firefighters. President Joe Biden signed a measure last month giving them a hefty raise for the next two years, a move that affects more than 16,000 firefighters and comes as much of the West braces for another difficult wildfire season.

Pay raises for the federal firefighters had been included in last years $1 trillion infrastructure bill, but the money was held up as federal agencies studied recruitment and retention data to decide where to deliver them. The raise approved by Biden was retroactive to Oct. 1, 2021, and expires Sept. 30, 2023.

The House bill would make the pay raises permanent and sets minimum pay for federal wildland firefighters at $20 per hour, or nearly $42,000 a year. It also raises eligibility for hazardous-duty pay and boosts mental health and other services for firefighters. The bill is named after smokejumper Tim Hart, who died fighting a wildfire in New Mexico last year.

The West is hot  hotter than ever  it is dry and when it is windy, the West is on fire,'' said Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash. And we are seeing this every year because of climate change. Thats why this bill is so important.''

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called the bill a major victory for Californians  and for the country.'' The Oak Fire, the largest wildfire so far this year, is ravaging our state,'' she said. At the same time, countless of our communities regularly suffer lack of rainfall that can kill crops and further fuel fires."

The House bill would deliver urgently needed resources to combat fires and droughts, "which will only increase in frequency and intensity due to the climate crisis,'' Pelosi said. The bill includes $500 million to preserve water levels in key reservoirs in the drought-stricken Colorado River and invest in water recycling and desalination.

Republicans denounced the measure as political messaging," noting that firefighters' hourly pay has already been increased above $20 in most cases. The House bill does not appropriate additional money for the Forest Service or other agencies, and without such an increase, the Forest Service says it would have to lay off about 470 wildland firefighters.

Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas, the top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, called it egregious that Democrats would seek to enact provisions that could lead to firefighter layoffs in the midst of a devastating wildfire season.

Democrats are finally waking up to the wildfire and drought crises, exacerbated by years of forest mismanagement and a lack of long-term water storage. Unfortunately, Democrats proposals are anything but solutions,'' Westerman said. He accused Democrats of failing to follow science showing the need to manage forests before fires begin, and said Democrats fail to construct the kind of long-term infrastructure needed to make communities resilient to drought'' while prioritizing liberal talking points" about climate change.

Neguse called that accusation outrageous and noted that many of the bills included in the wildfire/drought legislation are Republican proposals.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said the bill was important to the whole country  not just the West, where wildfires and drought are a daily reality.

We are one nation indivisible and if one part of us is burning, we are all burning, Hoyer said.

Besides boosting firefighter pay, the bill enhances forest management projects intended to reduce hazardous fuels such as small trees and underbrush that can make wildfires far more dangerous. It also establishes grant programs to help communities affected by air pollution from wildfires and improve watersheds damaged by wildfire.

Republicans called the thinning projects  which also include prescribed burns and removal of vegetation  meaningless without waivers of lengthy environmental reviews that can delay forest treatment by years.

The White House said in a statement that it supports efforts to address climate change, wildfires and drought, but wants to work with the Congress to ensure the many provisions in the (bill) avoid duplication with existing authorities and administration efforts.
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP)  Three horses in South Carolina have tested positive for equine infectious anemia, a blood-borne, potentially deadly illness, the Clemson University Public Service and Agriculture unit reported Friday.

The first case was in a quarter horse in Berkeley County. The other two quarter horse cases are in Barnwell County, state Veterinarian Michael Neault said in a news release.

These are the first cases of the illness in South Carolina since 2014, when a donkey tested positive in Aiken County, Neault said.

The virus that causes EIA is often transmitted by bloodsucking insects like biting flies but also can be introduced by infected needles or other medical, dental or tattoo equipment. The illness does not affect humans but is potentially deadly to horses and other equine species, Neault said.

This is a very serious disease, Neault said. There is no treatment for EIA, so if an infected animal does not die from the disease it will become a lifelong EIA carrier and serve as a reservoir for the disease, putting other equines at risk. For this reason, they must be permanently isolated and quarantined or euthanized.

The infected horse in Berkeley County has been euthanized. Clemson Universitys Livestock Poultry Health regulatory agency, which Neault also directs, is discussing options with the owners of the two affected horses in Barnwell County.

Symptoms can range from fever and decreased appetite to severe anemia and sudden death, experts said.

Livestock Poultry Health encourages horse owners to have an annual Coggins tests, a blood test that screens for EIA antibodies, performed on their horses especially if they are housed at a boarding facility.

State law requires a negative Coggins test any time horses cross state lines and when owners take their horses to in-state gatherings of animals belonging to more than two horse owners  such as trail rides, horse shows or competitions. Owners should bring Coggins test documents with them when traveling with horses.

EIA is a reportable animal disease in all 50 states.
The following are being sought on arrest warrants, according to various sheriffs departments. The addresses listed are the last known addresses provided by the warrants and may be outdated.

 Alexander J. Cunningham, 23, of 30 Main St., Exeter, is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a charge of criminal damage to property.

He is a white male standing 5 foot 7 and weighing 120 pounds. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

 Johnnie R. Moore, 59, of 615 W. Lafayette Ave. is being sought on a warrant accusing him of failing to appear in court on a charge of cruelty to animals.

He is a Black male standing 5 foot 7 and weighing 175 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Morgan County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Tonja L. Day, 58, of 720 W. Douglas Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:44 a.m. Monday on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, aggravated delivery of methamphetamine and aggravated battery of a peace officer. She also was arrested on warrants accusing her of failing to appear in court on a charge of possession of methamphetamine and contempt of court.

 Abbygail L. Wallbaum, 31, of 3 Candlewood Drive, Springfield, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 6:50 p.m. Tuesday on a violation of an order of protection.

 Christian J. Valencia, 37, of 1042 E. Morton Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:52 a.m. Friday on charges of driving under the influence/great bodily harm and driving while license is suspended.

Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 A 13-year-old girl was arrested at 6:35 p.m. Thursday on a battery charge after police said she sprayed a person with pepper spray at My Stop and Shop convenience store, 100 W. Walnut St.

 Jeanetta B. Pirtle, 53, of 1042 E. Morton Ave. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 4:18 p.m. Monday on a retail theft charge.

 Morgan R. Slough, 37, address unavailable, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1 p.m. Tuesday on a criminal trespassing charge.

 Amanda K. Edwards, 35, address unavailable, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:04 p.m. Tuesday on a criminal trespassing charge.

 Marcus S. Green, 40, of Washington Park was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:34 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of criminal trespass to state land.

 Patrick E. Chapman, 29, of 902 Mulberry Road, Greenfield, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:56 p.m. Wednesday on charges of criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A resident of the 100 block of Westminster Street told police at 9:32 a.m. Friday that packages have been stolen from the front porch during the past two weeks.

 Medication was stolen from a residence in the 1300 block of Edgehill Road, according to a report filed at 12:21 p.m. Friday.

ACCIDENTS

 Donald R. Schillinger, 80, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of failing to yield and Jerry L. Proffitt, 59, of Jacksonville was cited on a charge of driving while license is revoked after Schillinger's car and Proffitt's motorcycle collided at 12:22 p.m. Friday in the 2200 block of West Morton Avenue. Proffitt was treated at Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, according to police.

VANDALISM

 Patio tables were scratched at a business in the first block of North Central Park Plaza, according to a report filed at 3:22 p.m. Friday.

South Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Jason M. Rodgers, 35, homeless, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 8:29 a.m. Wednesday on a retail theft charge.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
Imagine enjoying a day in Myrtle Beach and seeing a rattlesnake in the surf.

It happened Tuesday at Myrtle Beach State Park.

Watch the video above of the snake being released at its new home.

A woman on the beach spotted the snake while walking along the sand.

The park contacted Russell Cavender, the Snake Chaser, to help out.

Cavender says he only gets a call for a rattlesnake on the beach about once every two years.

He says that's a good thing because a rattlesnake could possibly only survive a day or so in salt water.

Video below shows more of the snake:

According to Cavender, no matter how scary they look, they need to be protected right now because their population numbers are dwindling.

"The problem with this snake is, is they're easily killed because they're so identifiable," Cavender said. "They let you know they're there. Now you could walk across a copperhead all day long and never see it and they don't rattle their tail. That rattle is basically a death sentence to them. People hear them, and they're scared to death of them, and they just, unfortunately, kill them."

Cavender collected the snake and dropped it in a swampy, rural area in Horry County, South Carolina.
Through a series of eventful experiences in building, exploring and investigating the dynamics of scientific inventions, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville STEM Center Odyssey Science Camp participants are experiencing the excitement of science first hand during a two-week July session.

The goal of Odyssey camp is to engage students in hands-on science learning that captures their imagination and makes them want to journey further into STEM, said SIUE STEM Center Program Coordinator Emily Wonnacott-Stanley. The SIUE Center for STEM Research, Education and Outreach hosts camp using equipment from our lending library and the expertise of our staff. We are engaging campers at younger ages, when they are most likely to try new activities and find something they like to do. For example, our campers in Odyssey 5 (grades 6-7) are experimenting with different robotics platforms which is a great precursor to coding, building and engineering. Our Odyssey 3 group (grades 4-5) is looking at shapes in nature, and in architecture, including a visit to the Fuller Dome.

Odyssey Science Camp topics and activities include the introduction to scientific principles, building math skills through games, crime scene investigations, building and programming robots, renewable energy, and launching model rockets.

Madeline Feldman, a seventh-grade student from Edwardsville, is a faithful Odyssey Science Camp participant. Every year at camp is different with new activities at each level. My group is working with Dash and Dot robots, said Feldman.

Aspiring STEM professional, Violet Cruse, a seventh-grade student from Granite City, most enjoys the creativity in being able to engineer what you might imagine.

We are working on making miniature robots, said Cruse. We have coded robots with Blockly and Wonder. I also like that we get to have recreation time, and explore campus.

Gabriel Williams is a sixth-grade student from Edwardsville. He signed up for the program due to his love for robots.

Building and programming is hard, but it gets easier once you get into it, especially around people of like-mind, said Williams.

I love what the STEM Center has done through this camp, because it not only allows children to satisfy their curiosity about STEM fields, but also provides them access to resources to foster that curiosity, said camp volunteer Tyra Gipson, a member of the Polytechnic Puzzle Pieces, a local First Robotics team.

A highlight for Odyssey 1 campers (grades 2-3) included global adventures through virtual reality goggles.

It was basically a different dimension, explained Caroline Robberson, a third-grade student from Edwardsville. It looks realistic, but its not the real world. I went to the jungle. I went to London. And, I went to Central Park. It was cool, because it felt like I was floating.

Not only are students learning from STEM experts, they are also learning from each other as they share ideas and real-life experiences that add value to the Odyssey Science Camp programming.

I did a presentation about Alopecia areata, a situation where you have no hair on your body, said Robberson, who shared her personal journey with the autoimmune disorder with her classmates. I wanted to tell my friends, so they would know more and respect me just like they respect other peoples hair. Alopecia areata is very rare.

Fellow third grade student, Layne Harr, of Glen Carbon, has a family history of attending camp, noting her mom and aunt once went, too.

I heard it was super fun, she said. You get to do tons of things. We made little robot mice, built with Legos, tried virtual reality and more. I might want to be a scientist or a science teacher someday.

We are lucky to be in the middle of ample STEM talent on SIUEs campus, Wonnacott-Stanley said. We are partnering with the Departments of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, as well as SIUE Police, the School of Engineering, the Fuller Dome and Campus Recreation. It has been wonderful for all involved to bring our STEM enthusiasm together for the benefit of youth.
LONDON (AP)  The head of an inquiry into a tainted-blood scandal that killed 2,400 people in Britain urged the government to pay survivors and bereaved partners at least 100,000 pounds ($120,000) each in compensation immediately.

The government said Saturday it would consider the recommendation with the utmost urgency.

Thousands of hemophiliacs and other hospital patients were infected with HIV or Hepatitis C during the 1970s and 80s through tainted blood products, largely imported from the United States. The situation has been called the worst treatment disaster in the history of Britains health care system.

Brian Langstaff, a retired judge who is chairing the inquiry, said Friday that payments to the more than 2,000 partners and survivors shouldnt wait until his long-running probe is finished because of the profound physical and mental suffering caused by the tragedy.

The contaminated blood was linked to supplies of a clotting agent called Factor VIII, which British health services bought from the U.S. Some of the plasma used to make the blood products was traced to high-risk donors, including prison inmates, who were paid to give blood samples.

After years of campaigning by victims, an inquiry began in 2019. A final report is expected next year.

Three former U.K. health secretaries  Labours Andy Burnham and Conservatives Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock  urged the government to heed Langstaff's recommendation.

Successive governments, which I was part of one, didnt act as quickly as they should have, and we need to recognize this as a terrible, terrible injustice, Hunt said.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP)  A 10% reduction in West Virginia's income tax proposed by Gov. Jim Justice stalled Friday in the Senate.

Instead of taking up the Republican governors proposal, the Senate explained its intentions to reduce the personal property tax and business inventory tax if voters in November approve a constitutional amendment that would allow lawmakers to do so.

The GOP-controlled House easily passed the income tax cut Thursday without debate.

Senate President Craig Blair has said an income tax reduction alone would not aid the state economy or attract businesses and new residents.

"I assure you by the time that we get to Nov. 8, with the help of the members in this body and those outside of the body, the people are going to understand that this is our best path forward," Blair said Friday.

The state ended the last fiscal year with a record $1.3 billion surplus. The income tax reduction was part of Gov. Jim Justices special session announcement last week. It was the third attempt to cut personal state income taxes in the past year.
MADISON, Wis. - With a few clicks of a mouse this week, a conservative activist sent Wisconsin's elections apparatus into disarray ahead of the Aug. 9 primary.

Harry Wait of Dover, Wis., said he requested absentee ballots in the names of two high-profile politicians be sent to his own address to try to show voter fraud is easy to perform. He contacted local authorities Wednesday to detail what he had done and demand immediate changes, then told as many people as he could about what he considers a serious vulnerability.

The stunt showed that one person and a computer or smartphone could jolt the state's elections system and forced election officials to weigh making changes to the state's absentee voting procedures - and whether doing so would make it harder to vote.

It also drew the attention of law enforcement. A spokeswoman for Wisconsin's attorney general, Democrat Josh Kaul, announced Friday his office was investigating the matter after consulting with Racine County's top prosecutor.

The state elections commission - a body evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans - held an emergency meeting Thursday night to discuss what to do. The Republican chairman, Don Millis, asked whether changes could or should be made to the state's online elections portal, MyVote Wisconsin.

Millis said he was worried Wait's fraudulent ballot requests could lead others to do the same. The commissioners don't have an easy way to prevent that, other than by telling the public that would-be fraudsters will quickly be caught and prosecuted.

MyVote allows anyone to look up a voter using their name and birth date. The person can then request an absentee ballot under that person's name and have it sent anywhere - a function that's in place so that voters who are temporarily away from home have a way to vote.

Wait said he logged onto MyVote Wisconsin on Tuesday and entered the names and birth dates of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, and Racine Mayor Cory Mason, a Democrat - two officials with whom he has repeatedly clashed, especially on voting-related issues. Posing as them, he asked to have their ballots sent to his own home.

Most voters must provide a copy of a photo ID the first time they request an absentee ballot. Under state law, voters who say they are indefinitely confined to their homes because of age or disability do not have to provide an ID. Wait marked himself as indefinitely confined.

Requesting a ballot through MyVote generates an email to the voter's municipal clerk. The clerk can check with the voter to ensure the request is legitimate and makes the final call on whether to send a ballot.

Barry Burden, the director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, said someone who engaged in such activities would probably be caught, because the fraudulent request would be discovered when the real voter requested an absentee ballot or showed up the polls. Burden said he knows of no schemes similar to Wait's.

He added that while elections systems aren't perfect, there have been no signs of widespread fraud after numerous reviews of recent elections.

"There aren't easy solutions," Burden said. "Running an election is complicated, and there are a lot of different needs that have to be satisfied. If the public expects perfection or policymakers expect perfection, they're going to be disappointed. It's not achievable."

But with some supporters of former president Donald Trump clinging to the false belief that the 2020 election was stolen, Wait's move could prompt others to engage in similar activities. That will force election officials to decide whether to change their practices, Burden said.

Commissioners said shutting down MyVote would do little if anything to prevent the kind of fraud Wait engaged in because state law allows voters to request absentee ballots by turning in a form in person, by mail or by email.

"There are those who want us to shut down MyVote for this purpose [of requesting absentee ballots], when all you'd have to do is to start sending out emails," Millis said. "You can take the list that you've purchased and just send emails to clerks saying start sending out ballots. It would be easy - just as easy, perhaps easier, than doing it on MyVote."

Voter fraud in Wisconsin and elsewhere is rare. Last year, the Wisconsin commission identified 41 instances of potential voter fraud from primaries and elections in late 2020 and early 2021 - a minuscule amount compared with the millions of votes cast.

The commission on Thursday voted to remind clerks they needed to tell prosecutors when they see signs of fraud. It also agreed to mail postcards to voters who had an absentee ballot sent to an address other than their home address. That mailing will go to about 4,000 voters, giving them a chance to contact authorities if they did not make a request for a ballot.

The commission was united on those votes, but Democrats said the main way to prevent future problems is to charge Wait. Some of them grew impatient with the discussion about the site and insisted the commission formally urge prosecutors to charge Wait.

"From what I've gleaned from the reports, Harry Wait has admitted to fraud," said Mark Thomsen, a Democrat on the commission. "It seems to me the way to stop fraud is to prosecute fraud and not talk about weird issues."

Millis, the chairman of the commission, said he wanted to eventually seek prosecution but first needed to learn more about what happened and which prosecutor was best suited to handle it.

Wait made the fraudulent requests for ballots after spending the past year and a half arguing the 2020 presidential election was rife with fraud. Joe Biden beat Trump by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin, and those results have been upheld by court rulings and independent reviews.

Vos last year hired former state Supreme Court justice Michael Gableman to look into the election. Wait helped connect Gableman to other election skeptics, and his brother, Gary Wait, served as an investigator for Gableman.

Democrats have decried Gableman's efforts as a groundless attack on democracy, in part because he has sought to jail mayors and election officials who he claims aren't cooperating with him. Harry Wait, meanwhile, has argued Vos isn't doing enough to address election integrity and has relentlessly attacked him. He's assisting Vos's opponent, Adam Steen, in the Aug. 9 primary.

Wait on Friday said he'd heard from people saying they planned to follow his lead and hoped they would overwhelm the state's absentee voting system.

"I'm getting an awful lot of support, but, you know, talk is cheap," he said. "So if we start seeing people flooding MyVote with absentee voters, sending them all over the place, then that would be the kind of conduct I would hope to see so they actually fix what's broken."

Wait alerted Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson, a Republican, and Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling to what he'd done in an email shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday. Later that morning, he emailed Schmaling to tell him he was at the county fair if he wanted to arrest him.

Schmaling initially reacted to the news in a Facebook post and made no mention of investigating Wait but called for the state to change its online voting portal.

Schmaling, who was the keynote speaker at a pro-Trump event in 2020, addressed the far-right Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association this month. There, he joked about beating former U.S. House speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in a goat-milking contest and championed his efforts to criminally charge five Wisconsin election commissioners for how they conducted voting in nursing homes. So far, his call for charges has gone unheeded.

Wait said he talked to Schmaling on Wednesday, a day before the district attorney announced she had asked Schmaling to conduct an investigation of what Wait had done. Wait said Schmaling thanked him for exposing problems with the state's absentee voting system and told him "Hell no" when Wait asked him whether he would arrest him.

In a Facebook post, Schmaling's office on Friday confirmed Wait's account of their conversation but also said Schmaling told Wait he didn't have to do what he had done.

"Criminal arrests are not based upon late-night Emails and requests to be arrested," the sheriff's office wrote in the post. "Sheriff Schmaling understands Wait's passion and commitment to honest, open, and transparent government, especially as it pertains to elections; however, he never gave Wait permission or consent for Wait's actions."

By Friday, the attorney general had taken over the investigation. The move came less than 24 hours after Democrats on the elections commission demanded action.

"I'm astonished and outraged that he thinks this is something cute when what he is doing is committing crimes and bragging about it in an attempt to undermine our voting system," said Ann Jacobs, a Democrat on the commission. "I appreciate the chair's desire to be thoughtful, but sometimes when people confess fully in the newspaper, we don't really need to go into a lengthy analysis over it."

---

The Washington Post's Emma Brown contributed to this report.
Along with home minister Md. Mahmood Ali, GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar, managing director of HMWS&SB Dana Kishore and local legislator Kaleru Venkatesh, Srinivas Yadav inspected the Moosarambagh bridge that was damaged by the recent floods. (PTI Photo/File)

Hyderabad: Animal husbandry minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav on Friday indicated that new bridges will be constructed over Musi River at Moosarambagh and Chaderghat as the existing ones were damaged by the recent cyclonic floods.

Along with home minister Md. Mahmood Ali, GHMC commissioner Lokesh Kumar, managing director of HMWS&SB Dana Kishore and local legislator Kaleru Venkatesh, Srinivas Yadav inspected the Moosarambagh bridge that was damaged by the recent floods. He urged officials from all related departments to ensure completion of the task within the deadline.

He said, Construction of the newly sanctioned bridge will begin in 10 days and it will be completed in nine months. We have to instill hope among those living near the Musi river, Moosarambagh Bridge, Patel Nagar, Golnaka and surrounding areas. They have narrated their woes of untold misery and suffering due to the heavy rains and unexpected flooding of Musi river that eventually flowed into their houses and damaged property.

In a separate initiative, the government has sanctioned Rs 52 crore for construction of Moosarambagh bridge and Rs 42 crore for the Chaderghat bridge, he said. Construction of retaining walls will be taken up in the areas on a priority basis, Srinivas Yadav added.

The minister said that flooding from the upper reaches of several canals into the surrounding houses will be rectified soon. In order to solve that problem, a full-fledged nala development work has been undertaken under the Stragegic Nala Development Programme (SNDP), he said.
We are all familiar with the cliches about the importance of learning history. I want to suggest that the attacks on the institutional structure of the American republic, highlighted but not limited to the Jan. 6 attempt to disrupt the certification of the Electoral College, are both dangerous and not unprecedented.

The fall of the short-lived German Republic (1919-1933) has some lessons to teach us if we are willing to listen. Factors that contributed to the collapse of the German Republic should seem familiar to contemporary Americans: a big lie, political violence and political parties that were not committed to democratic governance. This combination was lethal enough to destroy a shaky German Republic and has the potential to undo the American republic.

The stab-in-the-back legend was the big lie that plagued the German Republic. Perpetuated by the military and conservative politicians who claimed that the German army was undefeated on the battlefield, they claimed that Germany lost World War I because of domestic weakness on the part of politicians, especially communists, socialists and other left-wing parties. If Germany was not losing the war, but the government surrendered, that meant the government had betrayed the German people. Kaiser Wilhelm II had abdicated before the end of the war, so the ending of the war fell upon a provisional government. This coalition government and its successor were blamed for giving up the fight and for signing what Germans deemed to be an overly harsh peace treaty.

The Big Lie now is that President Joe Biden did not win the election fairly. Although there has been absolutely no credible evidence of voter fraud or any other sort of malfeasance that deprived former President Donald Trump of reelection, he and his supporters continue to argue that is exactly what happened. This is troubling because a disturbing number of people still believe this lie; but what is more important is the fact that the lie calls the integrity of the election process into question. Thus, when any election does not turn out the way a candidate might like, they can claim that the process was rigged against them. This is designed to undermine the confidence of the outcome of voting and to delegitimize the winning party.

The Big Lie justifies violence against political opponents. In Germany, right-wing paramilitary groups fought socialist and communist groups. In this country, the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and Three Percenters have used violence to disrupt protests demanding racial justice and were instrumental in the Jan. 6 riots. More disturbing is the growing acceptance in the American public that political violence is legitimate.

Most dangerous of all is the fact that there are elected politicians who are willing to undermine the constitutional order that they swore to uphold. In the German Republic under President Hindenburg, the former World War I field marshal and conservative chancellors worked with a presidential cabinet because the government did not have a parliamentary majority. This allowed the government to resist demands from moderate and left-wing parties. In an effort to gain popular legitimacy, Hindenburg was persuaded to appoint the most popular conservative politician to the post of chancellor, Adolf Hitler. We know how that ended.

In the United States, Republicans politicians are actively trying to undermine elections and the will of voters. In 2020, Republicans in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona and Wisconsin tried to have alternative electors certified in an effort to stop Biden from becoming president. To remedy that situation, some states have already passed resolutions giving state legislatures the authority to overrule the outcome of elections. It is literally not possible to find an action more antithetical to democracy than to nullify the result of an election because your party did not win.

The common thread that runs through both examples is the fear of losing influence. German conservatives then and American conservatives now see their influence declining. Rather than rethinking their positions, conservative politicians blamed outsiders/foreigners for the decline of their influence. Conservative Germans blamed socialists, communists, feminists and Jews for Germanys troubles. Conservative Americans claim that illegal immigrants, feminists, socialists, BLM, the LGTBQ+ community and antifa are trying to ruin America.

There are many Republicans who do not consider Democratic politicians or their supporters to be real Americans. Therefore, any action against the left to preserve their understanding of America is legitimate and any actions to change America are, by definition, un-American and illegitimate. This sounds like hyperbole, but it is not. Conservative politicians are openly embracing authoritarian leaders like Hungarys Victor Orban and his illiberal democracy that promotes Christianity over other religions, embraces traditional values, and is openly anti-gay.

The electoral map provides conservatives with a built-in advantage in the Senate and Electoral College. That does not give Republicans the right to claim that Democrats are not real Americans and that therefore it is acceptable to discount their views and votes  that is how a republic falls. The United States is perilously close to that position. We can only hope that calmer heads within the Republican Party can regain control from the authoritarian wing of the party.

Troy Paddock is a professor at Southern Connecticut State University teaching and specializing in modern European history. His most recent book, Contesting the Origins of the First World War (Routledge, 2019) challenges accepted narratives regarding the causes of World War I in light of recent scholarship.
Community Events

- Celebrating 10 years, the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, 1310 Farm-to-Market Road, will host Cinema Under the Stars with two free, inside showings on Sunday. The 4:30 p.m. showing will be Hotel Transylvania and the 7:30 p.m. showing will be The Hunger Games. In addition, patrons can enjoy free popcorn and shop new Kendra Scott designs. Marty Gs Cajun Eats, Cocina Ramos, Roadside Burgers & Wings, and Java Galaxy & Shaved Ice will be in the parking lot serving up good bites from 3:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. An online service fee will be charged if buying tickets online, but tickets will also be available at the box office. Please refer to the WNPAC website for their clear bag policy.

- Get ready to party with Doubletree Hotels House Party on the Rooftop shindig. Expect live deejays, body painting, a full bar, and a 360-photo booth. $10 cover. 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., 117 W. Wall Street

What better way to support little Midlanders than with the annual Back-to-School supplies drive, hosted by Members Financial FCU. The donation event will run through August 31 and takes contributions of all sorts: pens, notepads, Crayons, you name it. Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 3100 Sunburst Drive

Things to Do, See, Hear

Midland Community Theater

Summer Mummers, Yucca Theatre, Saturday; Aug. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20, 26-27

Museum of the Southwest

Summer Sunday Lawn Concert Series, Unsweet Ts, Sunday

Horseshoe

Midland Gun and Blade Show, Saturday and Sunday

Movies in the Park

All movies start at dusk

Luca, Aug. 12, Centennial Park, 200 W. Wall St.

Pools

Note: Sunday will be the last day for regular pool hours for Washington Aquatic Center and Doug Russell Swimming Pool.

Doug Russell Aquatic Center, 900 N. Midland Drive

Price: $3 per person, children 2 and under free

Times before Aug. 1: Saturday, noon-3 p.m., 4-7 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m., 5-8 p.m.

Aug. 3, noon-3 p.m., 4-7 p.m.; Aug. 4, noon-3 p.m., 4-9 p.m.

Note: Doug Russell is closed Monday and Tuesday

Washington Aquatic Center, 1601 E. Indiana Ave.

Price: $3 per person, children 2 and under free

Times before Aug. 1: Saturday, noon-3 p.m., 4-7 p.m.; Sunday, 1-4 p.m., 5-8 p.m.

Aug. 1, noon-3 p.m., 4-7 p.m.; Aug. 2, noon-3 p.m., 4-9 p.m.

Splash Pads

XTO Dennis the Menace Splash Pad and H-E-B Splash Pad at Momentum Park will remain open to the public through Labor Day Weekend, with Labor Day being the last day.

Splash Pad Hours: XTO Dennis the Menace Splash Pad, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. (closed on Thursday); H-E-B Splash Pad open various hours depending on Midland RockHounds schedule

Monthly Meetings

Parkinson's Disease, 5:30 p.m. first Tuesday, Mid-Cities church. For more information: 432-684-3999.

City Talk

Priorities and concerns on city services, neighborhood issues, and quality of life: three main hitters for the citys new public survey tool launching in late July. By asking Midlanders to rate their experience with different aspects of Tall City living  affordable housing, education, transportation, and public safety  the city will be able to measure resident satisfaction and enhance their responsiveness to community concerns.

The survey will appear through digital ads on news websites, social media platforms, blogs, and apps. There will also be a link on midlandtexas.gov.

Upcoming meetings

Midland Development Corp.

10 a.m. Monday

Midland Chamber of Commerce board room

Planning and Zoning

3:30 p.m. Monday

Council chamber, City Hall

300 N. Loraine St.

City Council

10 a.m. Tuesday

Council chamber, City Hall

300 N. Loraine St.

Town halls with Congressman August Pfluger

In Stanton: 3-4 p.m. Monday, Martin County Senior Citizens Center, 104 E. Broadway St.

In Andrews: 1-2 p.m. Tuesday, Andrews Senior Activity Center, 310 W. Broadway St.

In Odessa: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Academic Classroom Buiding, 801 W. 4th St.

--

To put your event on the Community Calendar, send the information to morgan-taylor.thomas@hearstnp.com
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southern Oldham County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Northern Deaf Smith County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 715 PM CDT.

* At 607 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Glenrio to 14 miles southwest of Adrian to 4

miles northwest of Simms to 11 miles southwest of Vega to 8 miles

northwest of Dawn, moving north at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

* Locations impacted include...

Vega, Adrian, Glenrio, Wildorado and Simms.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Wilbarger

County through 700 PM CDT...

At 611 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 4

miles northwest of Grayback, moving north at 15 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph and pea size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects. Minor damage to outdoor objects is

possible.

Locations impacted include...

Vernon, Oklaunion and Grayback.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with this storm.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

LAT...LON 3399 9910 3395 9924 3414 9940 3421 9914

TIME...MOT...LOC 2311Z 159DEG 12KT 3405 9920

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northwestern Armstrong County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Northern Randall County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Southwestern Carson County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Southern Potter County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 715 PM CDT.

* At 618 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from 5 miles southwest of Bushland to Mescalero Park to 4

miles north of Palo Duro Canyon, moving northeast at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

* Locations impacted include...

Amarillo, Canyon, Panhandle, Lake Tanglewood, Mescalero Park,

Bushland, Washburn, Palo Duro Canyon, Timbercreek Canyon and

Pantex.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on!

Go to form
British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario release PNP draw results Western Canada invites hundreds of candidates to apply for provincial nomination.

British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario release PNP draw results Western Canada invites hundreds of candidates to apply for provincial nomination.

British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario release PNP draw results Western Canada invites hundreds of candidates to apply for provincial nomination. Edana Robitaille Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

Sans Font Size A

A

This past week, four Canadian provinces released Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) draw results.

Most Canadian provinces and territories (with the exception of Quebec and Nunavut) operate their own PNPs. Through these programs, interested candidates may be invited to apply for a provincial nomination. Although provincial nomination is not in itself the same as a permanent residence, it can significantly increase the chances of obtaining permanent resident status. For instance, PNP candidates with Express Entry profiles who receive a nomination get 600 points added to their CRS score. They also become eligible to be invited to apply for a PNP-specific round of invitations.

Following its launch in 1998, the PNP welcomed only 400 immigrants, but due to its success, it now welcomes more than 80,000 per year. The increase in the number of PNP admissions in Canada is due to the fact that the federal and provincial governments consider it an effective tool to promote the economic development of the country.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Express Entry draws are held every two weeks. After a long pause, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is now once again holding all-program Express Entry draws. The first all-program draw since 2020 was held on July 6, and a total of 1,500 Express Entry candidates with a minimum Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 557 received Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. The most recent Express Entry draw was held on July 20 with 1,750 invitations issued.

PNP draw results since July 21

Saskatchewan

The Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SINP) published invitation round results for July 21 and 28.

The July 21 draw was the largest of 2022 where 802 candidates were invited to apply for a provincial nomination. The province invited 797 candidates from Express Entry programs and five invitations were issued to Ukrainian nationals as a response to the current crisis.

The July 28 draw invited 748 candidates to apply for provincial nomination. Of these, 469 invitations went to candidates in the Occupations in Demand category and 279 were issued to Express Entry candidates.

In all categories over both draws, candidates required a minimum Express of Interest (EOI) score of 68.

Saskatchewan has been holding PNP draws on a weekly basis throughout July. This is a departure from the usual pattern of once per month.

British Columbia

The province of British Columbia typically holds a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) round of invitations on a weekly basis.

The most recent rounds of invitations under the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BC PNP) were held on July 26. More than 183 candidates received invitations to apply for a provincial nomination in these draws.

A total of 147 of these candidates were invited through a general draw, including tech occupations. These candidates must meet the requirements of one of British Columbias Express Entry BC or Skills Immigration categories, which are managed through the Skills and Immigration Registration System (SIRS). Invited candidates had to score a minimum of 78 points.

The province also held rounds of invitations for candidates working in the following occupations:

22 early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 4214) with scores of at least 60 points; and

9 healthcare workers with scores of at least 60 points.

BC also announced on July 14 that it is ending the temporary one-year pause of the BC PNP Entrepreneur Base Category. Experienced entrepreneurs can once again enter the candidate pool for a chance to be invited into one of the provinces upcoming periodic draws.

Manitoba

Manitoba held a PNP draw on July 28 and issued 355 invitations through the Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program.

The invitations were divided across three immigration streams:

Skilled Workers in Manitoba  299 invitations with a minimum score of 693;

Skilled Workers Overseas  15 invitations with a minimum score of 726; and

International Education Stream  41 invitations with no score requirement.

Out of all who were invited to apply, 56 had profiles in the Express Entry system.

Ontario

On July 27, the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program issued invitations to two candidates under the Economic Mobility Pathways Project. This program aims to help skilled refugees immigrate to Canada through existing economic programs.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

 CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options.
According to the Motor Vehicle Act, if the vehicle stops and causes hindrance to the free flow of traffic you are liable to be penalised. (Deepak Deshpande/DC)

Hyderabad: The next time you take your vehicle out for a ride or drive, make sure its fuel tank is sufficiently filled for the journey and the vehicles condition is good. The city traffic police have all the reasons to slap you with a fine, if the vehicle shuts down and hampers traffic movement.

According to the Motor Vehicle Act, if the vehicle stops and causes hindrance to the free flow of traffic you are liable to be penalised.

It is common to come across several such traffic congestions during peak hours when a vehicle breaks down in the middle of the road. This menace cannot be tolerated as per the MV Act.

Hyderabad traffic police joint commissioner A. V. Ranjanath said Negligence that adversely impacts free flow of traffic is an offence. Such vehicles can be penalised under Motor Vehicle Act, 177 and 190 (2). I urge everyone to abide by traffic rules and ensure that they dont cause any problems for others.
HYDERABAD: Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday alleged that the TRS government was neck-deep in corruption, which is why the party leaders feared Enforcement Directorate and CBI probes. He said that the BJP was steadily strengthening in Telangana because people are with it and they will ensure a BJP rule in the state.

After participating in the Sansad Pravas Yojana, Scindia, who is on a two-day visit to the city, spoke to reporters and criticsed the state government for failing to implement Central schemes like PM Awas Yojana, Garib Kalyan Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, among others.

He said that the Narendra Modi government has ensured a 10 per cent increase of central revenue to states. The Telangana government has been misusing this, he alleged adding that the state government was ignoring problems of the people.

To a query on setting up of turmeric board for Nizamabad district and reopening of Cement Corporation of India unit in Adilabad, Scindia said that the Centre had allocated funds for Metro Rail and other developmental works in the state.

Reacting to frequent technical snags in flights, the minister asserted that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has conducted many spot checks and other measures. The DGCA had earlier this week ordered SpiceJet to operate 50 per cent of its flights for next eight weeks after several of its planes reported technical malfunctions.

Reacting to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdarys remark on President Droupadi Murmu, Scindia said that Congress leaders had hurt the feelings of citizens by criticising the countrys highest office.

BJP state president Bandi Sanjay, Adilabad MP Soyam Bapu Rao and others were present.
Bern and Zurich are the best cities in the world in which to pursue a tech career, based on data released this week by Scotland-based digital skills development organization CodeClan.

CodeClans study begins with the top 100 cities in the world based on Mercers Quality of Living rankings, and uses a combination of several weighted indices to determine their suitability for technology workers, including average salary, rent and broadband connection speed, as well as tech companies per capita.

Tech companies per capita a key metric

The results show the two Swiss cities atop the rankings, based mostly on the large numbers of tech companies per capita in each place, coupled with high available broadband speeds. US cities fill out the rest of the top 10, though only two of the countrys more traditional tech hubsSeattle and Bostonmade that particular cut. San Franciso ranked 36th, due in large part to its extremely high cost of living, and New York 68th, for similar reasons as San Francisco.

Meanwhile, the best US city in which to pursue a tech career, according to CodeClan, is Atlanta, which ranked third behind Zurich. A high concentration of tech companies, coupled with strong average broadband speeds, propelled it to third place, just ahead of Washington, D.C., in fourth. In respective order, Seattle, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Miami, Minneapolis and Boston rounded out the rest of the top 10.

Some patterns in the data are easy to seeAustralian cities like Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney were all heavily penalized for low average broadband speeds, while low salaries pushed Japanese cities like Osaka, Tokyo and Nagoya further down the list than their other scores might have indicated.

Broken out by categories, the data also show that CodeClans analysis used national data, rather than local, to rank internet speeds, as all cities in a given country were given identical figures. The rest of the categories, though, provide useful comparative data on cities around the world. The highest average salaries, for example, were found in San Francisco, at $108,096, while the largest number of tech companies per capita saw a statistical tie between Zurich and Atlanta, at 0.016.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

PRAGUE (AP)  Hundreds of firefighters were battling wildfires in eastern Germany and neighboring Czechia on Tuesday as tourist regions and residential areas were being evacuated.

A large wildfire was spreading quickly in the eastern German state of Brandenburg in a region with lots of bone-dry pine forests where firefighters have to be especially careful because of old World War II ammunition thats still buried there, German news agency dpa reported.

The large fire in the Elbe-Elster district has already destroyed an area of about 850 hectares and continued to spread quickly because of gusty winds blowing from changing directions.

Seven firefighters were injured, four of whom had to be treated in a hospital for smoke inhalation. No residents were injured, but a pig breeding farm burned down and several animals died.

The states explosive ordnance disposal service has designated a small area near the village of Rehfeld as a site where old ammunition could be buried, deputy forest fire protection officer Philipp Haase told dpa. Two German military firefighting helicopters were on site trying to extinguish the flames from the air because firefighters were not allowed to access the area for fear that the ammunition could explode.

Authorities said it was not clear when the fire could be brought under control. More than 350 firefighters were battling the flames and around 300 people from various villages had to be evacuated.

The situation is still serious. We still have pockets of fire, local district fire chief Steffen Ludewig told dpa.

Further southeast, firefighters from several countries have joined forces to battle a fire in a national park in northern Czech Republic that has spread to the state of Saxony in neighboring Germany.

The fire in the Bohemian Switzerland park broke out on Sunday and was mostly contained before windy weather caused it to spread again on Monday afternoon and overnight. Despite their efforts, firefighters said the fire had spread from 30 hectares earlier Tuesday to 1,000 hectares.

No injuries have been reported, but around 100 people had to be evacuated Tuesday evening from the Czech town of Vysoka Lipa.

Earlier, some 80 people have been evacuated from the border town of Hrensko, and more from the village of Mezna, where the flames have destroyed or damaged several homes, firefighters' spokesman Lukas Marvan said.

Dozens of German children were evacuated from a summer camp on the Czech side of the border and transported back to Germany.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Interior Minister Vit Rakusan were visiting the area on Tuesday.

Rakusan said some 400 firefighters have been in action and the blaze was not under control by midday Tuesday.

"The situation is very serious, Rakusan said adding that several neighboring countries had responded to the Czech Republic's call for help to extinguish the fire.

Poland and Slovakia said they were sending helicopters while Italy offered special Canadair planes designed for firefighting.

The German military announced it would send four helicopters to the border region to help fight the flames, dpa reported.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute said the smoke has spread 100 or more kilometers (60 miles or more) from the fire.

___

Kirsten Grieshaber reported from Berlin.

___

Follow APs climate coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BARCELONA, Spain (AP)  Spain reported Saturday a second death in as many days from monkeypox. These are believed to be the first confirmed fatalities from the disease in Europe since its recent spread beyond Africa.

The ministry based in Madrid said both fatalities were young men. It reported its first death on Friday, the same day that Brazil also reported its first death from monkeypox.

The global monkeypox outbreak has seen more than 22,000 cases in nearly 80 countries since May. There have been 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo, where a more lethal form of monkeypox is spreading than in the West.

In the U.S. and Europe, the vast majority of monkeypox infections have happened in men who have sex with men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus.

The deaths outside Africa come one week after the World Health Organization declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency.

The notification of deaths due to monkeypox does not change our assessment of the outbreak in Europe. We know that although the disease is self-limiting in most cases, monkeypox can cause severe complications, said Catherine Smallwood, Senior Emergency Officer at WHO Europe.

With the continued spread of monkeypox in Europe, we will expect to see more deaths. Our goal needs to be on interrupting transmission quickly in Europe and stopping this outbreak, she said.

On Friday, Spains health ministry reported 4,298 people were infected with the virus, making it the leading European country for monkeypox cases. Of that total, some 3,500 cases were of men who had had sex with other men. Only 64 were women.

The ministry said 120 have needed hospital attention.

Smallwood said around 8% of the monkeypox cases in Europe have required hospitalization.

Monkeypox has been endemic to parts of Africa for decades. Its leap to Europe and North America was linked by experts to two raves in Belgium and Spain.

Spanish health authorities are administering 5,300 vaccines that Spain received from the joint EU vaccine purchase scheme. Health workers say that's far fewer than the number needed to cover the at-risk groups.

But the rush to buy limited vaccines by richer Western countries is putting Africa in danger of being left out.

Monkeypox spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be transmitted through bed sheets used by someone with monkeypox. Symptoms include fever, body aches, chills, fatigue and hives. The illness has been relatively mild in many men. But people can be contagious for weeks, and the lesions can be extremely painful.

___

AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng contributed to this report from London.
UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council voted Friday to relax the arms embargo against the Central African Republic, a disappointment to its government, which sought a complete lifting of the ban on the sale or transfer of weapons and ammunition.

The vote was 10-0 with Russia, China and the council's three African members that supported a lifting of the embargo abstaining.

Sylvie Baipo-Temon, the Central African Republic's foreign minister, told the council after the vote that the government welcomed the first step toward an arms embargo on armed groups.

She also welcomed the end to limits on some categories of weapons for government forces, but she stressed that this embargo is no longer justified."

The embargo from 2013 is undeniably ineffective because it no longer provides specific solutions to the grave problems posed by the proliferation of arms by extremists and rebels who have many, many sophisticated weapons themselves," Baipo-Temon said.

The mineral-rich but impoverished Central African Republic has faced deadly intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. Untold thousands were killed, and most of the capitals Muslims fled in fear.

A peace deal between the government and 14 rebel groups was signed in February 2019, but violence erupted after the constitutional court rejected Bozizes candidacy to run for president in December 2020. President Faustin Archange Touadera won a second term with 53% of the vote, but he continues to face opposition from a rebel coalition linked to Bozize.

The government controls the capital, but much of the country is controlled by armed groups.

France drafted the resolution and engaged in lengthy negotiations with Russia over maintaining the arms embargo to avert a possible Russian veto.

France's deputy political coordinator Wadid Benaabou said the objective of the arms embargo has always been to reduce the threat of armed groups.

He said the Security Council has always been attentive" to the needs of the CAR government and Friday's resolution makes it even easier for its forces to obtain all types of weapons and ammunition.

They have thus received more than 20,000 weapons and 29 million rounds of ammunition in recent years," Benaabou said after the vote.

Kenyas U.N. Ambassador Martin Kimani said the resolution has taken a positive step towards the full lifting of the arms embargo." But he said Kenya voted to abstain because the resolution doesn't fully lift sanctions against the CAR government, a view backed by Ghana and Gabon.

U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis welcomed the extension of the arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze saying these measures aim to promote peace and stability in CAR and across the region.

On the arms embargo, the region is awash with guns and its time to stem the unfettered flow," DeLaurentis told the council after the vote. If effectively implemented, this arms embargo will help silence the guns."

He called on CAR authorities to continue improving physical protection and accountability for its weapons.

The truth is, military actions alone will not resolve CARs crises," DeLaurentis said. Good governance, credible security sector reform, transparent disarmament and reintegration, national dialogue, and justice and accountability are the most important steps toward peace."
As the Sunday deadline nears for Connecticut families to sign up for a state tax rebate worth $250 per child, the Department of Revenue Services is seeing a rush of applications.

But it appears certain that thousands of households will not claim their state checks of as much as $750, as state data shows uptake varying widely among cities and towns.

More than 11,000 tax filers applied for the credit in a 24-hour period Thursday, DRS said. As of that day, the state had received applications from more than 200,000 households on behalf of 311,513 children.

State officials estimate that more than 300,000 Connecticut households with about 400,000 children qualify for the rebates  those who have dependents 18 or under as of Dec. 31, 2021, and meet income requirements of $200,000 for couples and $100,000 for single parents.

Click here for information and applications to the program.

Data provided by the state showing a breakdown of applications by town, as of Tuesday, shows uptake is highest in middle-class towns and some of the poorer cities.

Bridgeport and Hartford topped the list with the highest number of applications at nearly 10,000 each  but the two cities differed significantly in the percent of their households applying for the program.

In Bridgeport, the states largest city, there are more than 15,000 households with children under 18, according to Census data analyzed and provided by the CT Data Collaborative. Using that measure, Hearst CTInsider calculated a 63 percent uptake in Bridgeport.

Hartford, by contrast, showed an 81 percent uptake as of Tuesday, using the DRS data for applications and the CT Data Collaborative data for households with children.

Rural towns had lower participation rates  although in many cases that was because their populations are too wealthy to qualify. The ten towns with the lowest number of applications are mainly in Litchfield County and include Cornwall, Scotland, Sharon, Canaan, Roxbury, Bridgewater, Colebrook, Warren, Norfolk, and Kent.

The median income for households with dependents in most of the towns at the bottom of the list is above $100,000. Darien, by some measures the states richest town, has a 5 percent application rate. That town is among six, all in lower Fairfield County, that show a median income above $250,000 among households with children in the CT Data Collaborative numbers.

As the weekend approached, the race was on for the state and social service agencies to get the word out about what is essentially free money for anyone eligible who takes a few minutes to apply, based on their adjusted gross incomes.

The state tax agency said it was unable to send out checks automatically to those who qualify because it does not have up-to-date information on the ages of children in eligible households. Critics, including many Republicans and representatives from social service agencies, questioned whether the state could send out the checks, as they pointed to federal programs that pay automatically.

State officials also wanted to extend the deadline beyond this Sunday. Gov. Ned Lamonts office looked into that possibility, but the statute as adopted by the General Assembly in May is clear  the deadline to apply is July 31 and can only be extended by the legislature, which is not now in session. The law also stipulates that eligible families must apply for the benefit.

The Hearst CTInsider calculations are not meant to show the percent of eligible households applying, as they show the percentage of all households with children  and they leave out families with eligible 18-year-olds, based on the available numbers from the CT Data Collaborative. Neither DRS nor other agencies was able to produce a tally of eligible households by city or town.

But the percentages show a comparison that points to conclusions. For example, New Britain and New London are both among the four poorest cities in the state as measured by median income of households with children  both are under $40,000. But while New Britain had an uptake in the program of 86 percent as of Tuesday, New London trailed, at 58 percent.

Could it be that New London has many more families over the income limit than New Britain, even as its median falls so low? The data doesnt tell us that, but it seems likely New London is lagging.

Cornwall and Scotland residents submitted fewer than 20 applications each  with uptake at 13 percent in both places.

In Stratford, more than 2,900 families applied out of about 4,800 households with children under 18 - a participation rate of 61 percent. Uptake in Hamden was 59 percent with more than 3,200 applications received, and 35 percent in West Hartford where families submitted 2,565 applications.

Mark Boughton, the DRS commissioner and former longtime mayor of Danbury, said the state could not have sent out the checks without applications.

Had the Democras given broad-based tax relief like an income tax reduction rather than cherry pick people to give money to, they wouldnt be in a situation where they had to beg people to fill out a form, said House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, who said he has a child under 18 at home and applied for the rebate.

The Lamont administration and key lawmakers including Rep. Sean Scanlon, D-Guilford, one of the architects of the benefit, have traversed the state in recent weeks holding a series of press conferences to get the word out. State officials have also relied on anti-poverty agencies and nonprofits that provide social services, which are already in touch with families who could be eligible, to do outreach.

The Connecticut Association for Community Action, a statewide network that works with lower income families, has about 5,000 kids through its child care programs. Executive director Deb Polun said the agency has near daily contact with the families of those children who its informed about the tax rebate, as well as clients it helps with energy and food assistance.

Hopefully a lot more people will be applying in the last few days, Polun said. If they do it again next year, hopefully it would be automatic so people wouldnt have to apply for it.

Many people have also found out about the benefit through word of mouth, said Bianca Bowles, social media and community relations specialist at Community Action Agency of New Haven. She recalled a New Haven woman, whom the agency had previously helped with energy assistance, overhearing another person on the bus talking about the tax rebate.

The woman has three children under 18 and meets the income eligibility, Bowles said.

She came to an event last week in New Haven and while in line at a booth talking about the rebate another woman behind her found out she has one child who is eligible.

After that conversation, they both were on their smartphones, Bowles said.

To apply for the rebate online, go to https://egov.ct.gov/drschildrebateform/

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

JACKSON, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky's governor said it could take weeks to find all the victims of flash flooding that killed at least 16 people when torrential rains swamped towns across Appalachia.

More rainstorms are forecast in coming days as rescue crews continue the struggle to get into hard-hit areas, some of them among the poorest places in America.

The rain let up early Friday after parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches (20-27 centimeters) over 48 hours. But some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday and Gov. Andy Beshear warned the death toll could rise further.

From everything weve seen, we may be updating the count of how many we lost for the next several weeks, Beshear said. In some of these areas, its hard to know exactly how many people were there.

Patricia Colombo, 63, of Hazard, Kentucky, became stranded when her car stalled in floodwaters on a state highway. Colombo began to panic when water started rushing in. Though her phone was dead, she saw a helicopter overhead and waved it down. The helicopter crew radioed a ground team that plucked her to safety.

Colombo stayed the night at her fiances home in Jackson and they took turns sleeping, repeatedly checking the water with flashlights to see if it was rising. Though her car was a loss, Colombo said others had it worse in a region where poverty is endemic.

Many of these people cannot recover out here. They have homes that are half underwater, theyve lost everything, she said.

Its the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have pounded parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis earlier this week and again on Friday. Scientists warn climate change is making weather disasters more common.

As rainfall hammered Appalachia this week, water tumbled down hillsides and into valleys and hollows where it swelled creeks and streams coursing through small towns. The torrent engulfed homes and businesses and trashed vehicles. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.

Rescue teams backed by the National Guard used helicopters and boats to search for the missing. Beshear said Friday that at least six children were among the victims and that the total number of lives lost could more than double as rescue teams reach more areas. Among those who died were four children from the same family in Knott County, the county coroner said Friday.

President Joe Biden said in a social media post that he spoke Friday with Beshear and offered the federal government's support. Biden also declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.

The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in West Virginia where the flooding downed trees, power outages and blocked roads. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also made an emergency declaration, enabling officials to mobilize resources across the flooded southwest of the state.

More than 20,000 utility customers in Kentucky and almost 6,100 in Virginia remained without power late Friday, poweroutage.us reported.

Extreme rain events have become more common as climate change bakes the planet and alters weather patterns, according to scientists. Thats a growing challenge for officials during disasters, because models used to predict storm impacts are in part based on past events and cant keep up with increasingly devastating flash floods and heat waves like those that have recently hit the Pacific Northwest and southern Plains.

It's a battle of extremes going on right now in the United States, said University of Oklahoma meteorologist Jason Furtado. These are things we expect to happen because of climate change. ... A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor and that means you can produce increased heavy rainfall.

The deluge came two days after record rains around St. Louis dropped more than 12 inches (31 centimeters) and killed at least two people. Last month, heavy rain on mountain snow in Yellowstone National Park triggered historic flooding and the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. In both instances, the rain flooding far exceeded what forecasters predicted.

The floodwaters raging through Appalachia were so swift that some people trapped in their homes couldnt be immediately reached, said Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams.

Just to the west in hard-hit Perry County, authorities said some people remained unaccounted for and almost everyone in the area suffered some sort of damage.

Weve still got a lot of searching to do, said Jerry Stacy, the county's emergency management director.

More than 330 people have sought shelter, Beshear said. And with property damage so extensive, the governor opened an online portal for donations to the victims.

Beshear predicted that it would take more than a year to fully rebuild.

The governor got a look at the flooding from aboard a helicopter Friday.

Hundreds of homes, the ballfields, the parks, businesses under more water than I think any of us have ever seen in that area, the governor said. Absolutely impassable in numerous spots. Just devastating.

Portions of at least 28 state roads in Kentucky were blocked due to flooding or mudslides, Beshear said. Rescue crews in Virginia and West Virginia worked to reach people where roads werent passable.

___

Brown reported from Billings, Montana. Contributors include Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky; Timothy D. Easley in Jackson, Kentucky, and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland.
NEWTOWN  Alex Jones put his parent company under federal bankruptcy protection in Texas on Friday  a legal maneuver that is not expected to affect the Sandy Hook defamation trial underway in Austin.

But it was too soon to say Friday what effect bankruptcy for Jones Free Speech Systems would have for a second and separate defamation awards trial in Connecticut, scheduled to begin Tuesday with jury selection.

The Chapter 11 filing in Southern Texas Bankruptcy Court says the parent company for Jones conspiracy and merchandising platform Infowars has between $10 million and $50 million.

Free Speech Systems, along with Jones, was found liable for defamation in three cases involving Sandy Hook families in 2021.

Federal bankruptcy court can delay action in state courts  as it did earlier this year when Jones stalled a trial in Texas with a last-minute bankruptcy filing for three of his shell companies.

The lead attorney for the families in Connecticut was yet to file a response in court.

Just two days before jury selection is due to begin in Connecticut, Mr. Jones has once again fled like a coward to bankruptcy court in a transparent attempt to delay facing the families he has spent years hurting, said attorney Chris Mattei. These families have an endless well of patience and remain determined to hold Mr. Jones accountable in a Connecticut court.

Jones latest bankruptcy comes as the first week of the Texas trial concluded, and one day after Jones sued his own parent company FSS in Connecticut.

Free Speech Systems has promised and guaranteed to indemnify and hold harmless Alex Emric Jones from any damages or other costs which may be assessed or entered against him in this litigation, said a claim Jones filed in state Superior Court against FSS. Jones claims judgment against Free Speech Systems.

That legal maneuver is also not expected to affect the second week of trial in Texas, where two parents of a slain Sandy Hook boy Jones defamed are seeking $150 million in damages. But what the maneuver means for the timely start of his Connecticut trial to determine how much he must pay to an FBI agent and eight Sandy Hook families Jones defamed remains to be seen.

Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis ruled on Friday that she would address the untimely cross-claim on Tuesday, the same day jury selection is to begin.

Attorneys for the Sandy Hook families in Connecticut said in an objection, filed Friday Alex Jones will do anything to delay trial in this case, including effectively suing himself.

The cross claim alleges the fiction that this wholly controlled subsidiary promised to hold Jones harmless for damages in this case, inviting this proceeding to enter Mr. Jones conspiracist world where found facts and sworn testimony mean nothing at all, reads the families objection. To ensure that Jones does not benefit from this latest ploy, the cross claim should be stricken immediately as untimely and made in bad faith.

Jones orchestrated a similar legal maneuver earlier this year, when one week before his first defamation awards trial was scheduled to being in Texas, he filed for bankruptcy protection for three shell companies. Although the maneuver stalled the start of the Texas trial, which began on Monday, it didnt do much else.

The reason: Jones did not seek bankruptcy protection for himself or for Free Speech Systems. The three shell companies had a combined income of $38,000. The families simply dropped those shell companies from their lawsuits and the bankruptcy ended.

Jones representatives have testified in court that his Infowars store had $165 million in sales between 2015 and 2018, and that Jones himself made $76 million in 2019. The representatives have also said Jones has paid $10 million in legal fees to date, and has lost $20 million as a result of the Sandy Hook lawsuits.

Jones claim against his own parent company, filed by New Haven attorney John Williams, seeks an injunction requiring Free Speech Systems to honor and comply with its aforesaid obligation to indemnify and hold (Jones) harmless from any damages or other costs which may be assessed or entered against him in this litigation.

The families urge the judge to deny Jones claim.

The trial date is set, it is firm, and it is imminent, the families objection reads. The cross claim is certain to cause delay if permitted. It is also prejudicial: if this supposed cross claim could be asserted in this case, the plaintiffs were entitled to be on notice of it long ago.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

DECATUR, Ga. (AP)  The parents of a Georgia woman who died after she fell from a moving patrol car following her arrest fought back tears Friday as they demanded answers in their daughter's death.

Brianna Grier, 28, suffered significant injuries July 15 and died July 21 at an Atlanta hospital. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said this week that the deputies who put Grier in the back of a patrol car to take her to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office failed to close the rear passenger-side door before driving away.

What were trying to do, were trying to get answers of what really happened. Thats all we want to know. We aint trying to start no problem, a tearful Marvin Grier, Brianna's father, said during a news conference, his voice catching several times. He was joined by Brianna's mother and sister, Mary and Lottie Grier.

Grier was arrested after Hancock County sheriffs deputies were called to a home in Sparta, the GBI has said. The deputies put Grier in the back of a patrol car, but she was not wearing a seatbelt, her hands were cuffed in front of her and the rear passenger-side door was never closed, according to GBI investigators.

The GBI has not said why deputies were called to the home or why Grier was arrested. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing her family, said Grier was taken into custody after a mental health crisis.

Yet again we have another African American citizen killed in just an unbelievable way while in the custody of the police, Crump said at the Friday news conference in downtown Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta.

He addressed Grier's parents: "We wont let them sweep your baby daughters death under the rug.

Crump said his team will investigate what failures caused Grier to fall out of the car while it was moving and suffer a fatal brain injury that led to her being in a coma until she died six days later.

Gerald Griggs, president of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, called on state and county officials for answers.

To the Hancock County sheriff, its time to be transparent. Its time to be accountable. To the GBI, its time for yall to meet with this family. To the governor, its time for you to recognize, again, that Georgia has a police accountability problem, he said.

GBI agents have met with the Grier family multiple times since July 15 and have also had several conversations with them to provide updates on the investigation, spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in an email Friday. The agency plans to release body camera footage after agents review it with the family, she said.

___

Brumback reported from Atlanta.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainian and Russian officials blamed each other Saturday for the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in an attack on a prison in a separatist-controlled area. The International Red Cross asked to visit the prison to make sure the scores of wounded POWs had proper treatment, but said its request had not been granted so far.

Meanwhile, Russia kept launching attacks on several Ukrainian cities, hitting a school and a bus station.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the ICRC and the United Nations have a duty to react to the shelling of the prison complex in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province, and he called again for Russia to be declared a terrorist state.

Condemnation at the level of political rhetoric is not enough for this mass murder, he said.

Separatist authorities and Russian officials said the attack Friday killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded another 75. Russias Defense Ministry on Saturday issued a list naming 48 Ukrainian fighters, aged 20 to 62, who died in the attack; it was not clear if the ministry had revised its fatality count.

Satellite photos taken before and after the attack show that a small, squarish building in the middle of the Olenivka prison complex was demolished, its roof in splinters.

Both Ukraine and Russia alleged the attack on the prison was premeditated and intended to silence the Ukrainian prisoners and destroy evidence.

The ICRC, which has organized civilian evacuations and worked to monitor the treatment of POWs held by Russia and Ukraine, said it requested access to the prison to determine the health and condition of all the people present on-site at the time of the attack.

Our priority right now is making sure that the wounded receive lifesaving treatment and that the bodies of those who lost their lives are dealt with in a dignified manner, the Red Cross said.

But the organization said late Saturday that its request to access the prison had not been granted yet.

Granting ICRC access to POWs is an obligation of parties to conflict under the Geneva Conventions, the ICRC said on Twitter.

Russia claimed Ukraines military used U.S.-supplied precision rocket launchers to target the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk Peoples Republic.

The Ukrainian military accused the Russians of shelling the prison to cover up the alleged torture and execution of Ukrainians there.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said the competing claims and limited information prevented assigning full responsibility for the attack but the available visual evidence appears to support the Ukrainian claim more than the Russian.

Moscow has opened a probe into the attack and the U.N. said it also was prepared to send investigators. U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said we stand ready to send a group of experts able to conduct an investigation, requiring the consent of the parties, and we fully support the initiatives of the Red Cross.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian rockets hit a school in Kharkiv and a bus station in Sloviansk, among other strikes. In southern Ukraine, one person was reported killed and six injured in shelling in a residential area in Mykolaiv, local officials said.

Russian and separatist forces are trying to take full control of the Donetsk region, one of two eastern provinces that Russia has recognized as sovereign states.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk warned Saturday that Ukrainian-controlled parts of Donetsk will face severe heating problems this winter because of the destruction of gas mains. She called for a mandatory evacuation of residents before the cold weather sets in.

The prison attack reportedly killed Ukrainian soldiers captured in May after the fall of Mariupol, a Black Sea port city where troops and the Azov Regiment of the national guard famously held out against a months-long Russian siege.

On Saturday, an association of Azov fighters' relatives dressed in black demonstrated outside Kyiv's St. Sophia Cathedral and called for Russia to be designated a terrorist state for violating the Geneva Convention's rules for the treatment of war prisoners.

A woman wearing dark glasses who gave only her first name, Iryna, was waiting for news of her 23-year-old son.

I don`t know how is he, where is he, if he is alive or no. I don`t know. It`s a horror, only horror, she said.

On the energy front, Russias state-owned natural gas corporation said Saturday it has halted shipments to Latvia because of contract violations. Gas giant Gazprom said the shipments were stopped because Latvia broke terms for extraction of gas.

The statement likely referred to a refusal to meet Russias demand for gas payments in rubles rather than other currencies. Gazprom has previously suspended gas shipments to other EU countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria, because they would not pay in rubles.

EU nations have been scrambling to secure other energy sources, fearing that Russia will cut off more gas supplies as winter approaches.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine


Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a central conference on the united front work in Beijing, capital of China. The conference was held from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has stressed promoting the unity and hard work of Chinese people at home and abroad to pool strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a central conference on the united front work held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing.

Xi emphasized following the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and upholding the CPC leadership and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi underscored holding high the banner of patriotism and socialism, balancing commonality and diversity, concentrating on the central task, serving the overall interests of the country, keeping pace with the times, and innovating on the basis of what has worked in the past.

He also emphasized giving full play to the united front's political role in rallying the people's support and pooling their strength to promote harmony in relations among political parties, ethnic groups, religious sectors, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad.

Li Keqiang presided over the conference, which was also attended by Li Zhanshu, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. Wang Yang delivered concluding remarks.

The united front is an important component of the Party's general line and policy, said Xi, noting that the CPC has made historic achievements in the united front work since the 18th CPC National Congress.

We have formed the thought on the Party's united front work in the new era through practice. It serves as the fundamental guideline for the united front work in the new era and must be fully and faithfully applied by the whole Party, Xi stressed.

As an important way to unite Chinese people at home and abroad to achieve national rejuvenation, the united front must be upheld on a long-term basis, he said.

Xi pointed out that the essential requirement of the united front work is to achieve great unity and solidarity, and the key lies in seeking common ground while shelving differences and seeking commonality while respecting diversity.

Xi also underscored the importance of ensuring the Party's overall leadership over the united front work.

Noting that profound changes unseen in a century are evolving rapidly across the world, Xi said the united front is playing an increasingly important role in safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests.

It is also playing a more important role in serving the overall interests in efforts to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and in strengthening the Party's class foundation and expanding its mass base, he added.

Xi stressed efforts to truly unite all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation from different political parties, ethnic groups, social strata and groups, as well as those with different beliefs and living in different social systems.

The relationship between unity and struggle in the united front work must be properly handled, so as to reach a real, impregnable unity, Xi said.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee has always been attaching great importance to the united front work from an overall and strategic perspective.

Xi called for upholding and improving the system of the CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation, uniting non-CPC intellectuals and people of new social groups, facilitating the healthy growth of the non-public sector and encouraging those working in this sector to achieve success.

He also called for fostering overseas patriotic elements and enhancing cyberspace united front work.

The fundamental requirement in strengthening the united front work in the new era is to uphold the Party's leadership, Xi said, calling on all relevant authorities and departments to form a strong synergy.

He also asked personnel in this regard to improve their capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation and carry out the united front work with better methods.

Presiding over the conference, Li Keqiang called for efforts to earnestly study Xi's important speech, and think and act in line with its guiding principles. Li also called for completing various tasks based on actual conditions.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Wang Yang called for full and faithful understanding of Xi's important thought on the Party's united front work in the new era. Wang urged concerted efforts to serve the Party's central task in the new era and write a new chapter in the cause of the united front.



Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a central conference on the united front work in Beijing, capital of China. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the conference, which was held from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)
Speaking more in sorrow than in anger, a trade union official told me: If Liz Truss calls a snap election, theres nothing we can do.

Theres no way our members would allow us to spend 10 million of their money helping to fund Labours election campaign when we have no idea if Keir Starmer will stand up for union members interests.

He went on to say witheringly of the Labour leader: Unless we get a clear picture from Starmer about what he believes, and what he would do in government, we wont be writing any more one-off cheques.

The catalyst for what we are seeing in the breakdown of industrial relations within the heart of the Labour movement is the rapidly spiralling crisis over Sam Tarry, until last week Labours Shadow Transport Minister.

He has zero charisma. He has no political acumen. He isnt Left-wing enough for the Left. He isnt Right-wing enough for the Right. And the centrists regard him as little more than their useful idiot

The East London MP was stripped of his brief after appearing on a picket line in support of striking rail workers.

A few hours after telling Channel 4 News, If I lose my job for standing shoulder-to-shoulder with rail workers, then so be it, he duly lost his Shadow Cabinet post when Sir Keir Starmer moved with uncharacteristic swiftness.

As a government in waiting, any breach of collective responsibility is taken extremely seriously and for these reasons Sam Tarry has been removed from the front bench, a Starmer spokesman announced.

At which point the Left of the party went into a predictable meltdown.

Corbynite MPs took to social media to condemn their comrades sacking and express solidarity. Trade union leaders joined in the chorus of condemnation. And  most tellingly  there was an ominous silence from Sir Keirs deputy Angela Rayner, who is a close personal friend of Tarrys.

Despite the backlash, on a narrow political level it seemed like a clever move from the Labour leader. As one party veteran who is not generally a Starmer admirer told me: People can argue about the detail of how Keirs handled this. But the reality is the public dont take much notice of what the Leader of the Opposition does in summer. But what they will notice is a guy showing hes different from Corbyn and prepared to stand up to the unions and the Left.

He then wryly added: I dont think Keirs turning into the new Tony Blair. But at least hes showing hes not the new Ed Miliband.

During the time when Tory MPs were agonising about whether or not they should oust Boris Johnson, one wailed to me that the Conservatives didnt have anyone else who could beat Labours politically hypocritical, vacillating, self-righteous shape-shifter. It now seems that a similar conundrum faces Labour

But not being Ed Miliband isnt exactly a high political bar. And as has happened so often in his leadership, by attempting to display strength, Sir Keir is again exposing chronic weakness.

If he had confronted the unions on behalf of hard-pressed taxpayers and commuters left without trains because of so many strikes, Sir Keir could have presented a clear and consistent strategy.

But he isnt standing up to the unions. Hes just doing the equivalent of sticking his tongue out at them, then running away.

When asked about Tarrys sacking, Sir Keirs spokesman said: This isnt about appearing on a picket line. That was despite Sir Keir saying the previous day: The Labour Party in opposition needs to be the Labour Party in power. And a government doesnt go on picket lines.

When the first round of rail strikes occurred, Sir Keir issued a direct order that no members of his frontbench team should be seen to be directly supporting them. Despite the instruction, about a dozen shadow ministers and parliamentary private secretaries turned up on the picket lines to show their solidarity. Sir Keir did nothing.

In reality, his sacking of Tarry was not the product of mature political calculation, but of petulance. Tarry was targeted not because of his offence  no different from that of a number of Shadow Cabinet colleagues  but, I believe, because of his association with Angela Rayner.

Initially, Sir Keir had a good working relationship with his deputy. But that quickly soured.

As one Rayner ally explained to me: In the beginning, Keir made a point of wanting an equal relationship with her. He talked about our policies and our strategy. But his team told him that wouldnt work. He had to assert himself. And thats where the split began.

Now they look at Angela and see someone whos authentic, funny and popular with the partys grassroots. And they know thats all the things Keir isnt.

By attempting to put Tarry and  by extension  Rayner in their places, Sir Keir has stirred a hornets nest. And, again, underlined a basic truth. He doesnt really have a strategy. He doesnt have any concrete political beliefs to act as a foundation for any potential strategy. As a result, hes groping around in the political darkness.

A few months ago I was chatting to a Starmer aide, who recalled the time during his campaign for the party leadership when Sir Keir commented: You know, I dont get politics. I dont understand it. And I dont really like it.

How has he got himself in this position? The Tory party is literally leaderless. The economy is teetering on the brink of recession. Airports and ports are in chaos. And yet Labours leader has somehow managed to launch a civil war against himself.

The unions wont budge. Im told the boycott of election funding represents only their first shot. A series of motions are being prepared for the Labour Party conference that will not just censure Sir Keir, but bind him into supporting future industrial action.

Then, next year, moderate unions will start debating whether to break with the party completely. Or, at least, end the bankrolling of Labour in its current form and begin the process of giving funds solely to those MPs who supposedly align with union values.

But its not just the unions losing patience. Centrist Labour MPs are tearing their hair out at Sir Keirs mishandling of the summer of discontent.

As one told me: Its insane. You could see this coming a mile away. Why didnt he get the policy sorted? There are people in the Shadow Cabinet now seriously asking if hes deliberately trying to sabotage the party so it has to get wound up, and we have to start again.

Another Labour MP told me something similar: Theres going to be a leadership challenge to Starmer soon. It will come from the Right, not the Left. The old Blairites are just using him to drive through the reforms they want. After thats done, theyll dump him.

If thats true, they should get moving. For what, literally, is Sir Keir Starmer bringing to the party?

Hes made no real connection with the electorate. Hes another white, male, middle-class, North London liberal Labour leader straight out of central casting. His values  articulated during his leadership election through his Ten Pledges  have, by his own admission, been junked. He has no new policies and he cant articulate a coherent case as to where he stands on old ones, such as the nationalisation of rail and other utilities.

He has zero charisma. He has no political acumen. He isnt Left-wing enough for the Left. He isnt Right-wing enough for the Right. And the centrists regard him as little more than their useful idiot.

During the time when Tory MPs were agonising about whether or not they should oust Boris Johnson, one wailed to me that the Conservatives didnt have anyone else who could beat Labours politically hypocritical, vacillating, self-righteous shape-shifter.

It now seems that a similar conundrum faces Labour. Is there really no one but Sir Keir Starmer? Is he the best the party has to offer?

Maybe there is nobody in Labours ranks who would offer it a better chance  even marginally  of ending the partys decade in the political wilderness.

In which case, as soon as shes seen off Rishi Sunak and become Prime Minister, Liz Truss should call a General Election.
Today I need to defend a person I do not much like. I will explain why I do not like him in a moment, but that is not the important bit.

What matters is this: if the Government can just reach out and ruin a mans life, without any need of a fair hearing or a guilty verdict, then we do not live in a free country. This is what has just happened to the video blogger Graham Phillips.

The danger is that, because Mr Phillips is so hard to like, the Government will get away with it. And then, when it uses the same powers on somebody else, it will be too late to protest.

As the great US Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter once said: The safeguards of liberty have frequently been forged in controversies involving not very nice people.

What matters is this: if the Government can just reach out and ruin a mans life, without any need of a fair hearing or a guilty verdict, then we do not live in a free country. This is what has just happened to the video blogger Graham Phillips

Some of Mr Phillipss activities have been questionable, though he firmly denies many of the charges against him. For me, his worst action was his cruel and stupid questioning of a badly wounded Ukrainian prisoner of war. Others have condemned his interview of Aiden Aslin, a British citizen who had been fighting with Ukrainian armed forces and was captured by the Russians.

It has been suggested that the interview was a breach of the Geneva Conventions. Mr Phillips, contacted in Lugansk, says Mr Aslin asked for the interview himself, has never complained, and has given several other interviews since.

Be that as it may, last week Mr Phillips was placed on the UK Governments sanctions list. The Foreign Office, which is in charge of this process, no longer answers the phone, and replies only once to emails, with bland official statements, so I do not have some of the details that I would like to have.

But as far as I know, he is the first British citizen to be treated in this way. His assets have been frozen. His bank accounts are blocked. He also cannot pay those to whom he owes money.

Some of Mr Phillipss activities have been questionable, though he firmly denies many of the charges against him. For me, his worst action was his cruel and stupid questioning of a badly wounded Ukrainian prisoner of war, writes Peter Hitchens (pictured)

For example, his home insurance has now been cancelled because his insurers are forbidden to accept his premiums. All his bills will now bounce, the utilities at his London home will soon be cut off. He cannot even pay his council tax. He will face incessant claims for debts, which he can do nothing about.

As he says: How can I pay these debts when I dont have access to funds? If it goes to court, how can I defend myself when I wont be able to pay for legal representation? Actually, how will I even find the money to travel to the court without money, or even feed myself? Franz Kafka, the great Czech author of The Trial, a classic about oppression, could not have invented a legal mantrap as inescapable as this.

Leading British lawyers have accurately described the objects of this action as prisoners of the state. Very well, you may say, this is how we must act against money-launderers and terrorists abroad.

You might equally well say that such powers could be used against officials of the Russian government, or officers in the Syrian Army. And if you look at the list of people treated in this way under the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act of 2018, that is who you will find.

Of course, none of these people is a former UK civil servant with a British passport, as Mr Phillips is. As long as they stay out of our reach, the sanctions are just an inconvenience to most of those placed under them.

But for Mr Phillips, they mean actual ruin. Whatever you think of him, is this a proper use of state power? Is it allowed by Magna Carta or the Bill of Rights, let alone by the human rights the Foreign Office claims to be so fond of?

The official declaration says Mr Phillips is being sanctioned because he is a video blogger who has produced and published media content that supports and promotes actions and policies which destabilise Ukraine and undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty, or independence of Ukraine.

Well, so what? None of these actions is or ought to be a crime under British law. These are catch-all charges, of the sort Stalin used in his show trials in the 1930s. Any protest against or criticism of a foreign state (or our own) could be said to do these things.

Lots of us have pretty critical views of the way various foreign countries behave, and of our own government.

Britain is not, in fact, at war with Russia. So there is no legal duty on any of us to support that war or refrain from saying things which upset the Kiev government.

This is the dictatorial use of arbitrary power by the State against an individual it does not like. It is a straightforward outrage against the rule of law. If the Government gets away with it, who will be next?

If we do not protest against it now, and stop it, then we should shut up forever about being a free country or fighting for freedom elsewhere.

Knotty political problem of ties

Why should it be Right-wing to wear a tie? A vast row has broken out in the French parliament about the wearing of this odd garment, wildly expensive, inclined to dangle into your food and impossible to clean afterwards.

Conservatives say they must be worn. Leftists refuse. Witty female MPs have responded by adopting ties themselves.

Actually, they look better on women than they do on men. Though that is not difficult.

Let the word appeaser rest in peace

We love to hate appeasement, dont we? If anyone suggests we try to make peace in Ukraine (as I do), he is immediately denounced as an appeaser. But what did the Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble do, except help appease the IRA?

On his death last week, he was much praised. But in a slightly different universe, he would have been scorned. One mans peacemaker is another mans appeaser, and vice-versa. Why, even Winston Churchill appeased Stalin at Yalta, handing Eastern Europe over to him.

I think it is time we gave this worn-out word a decent burial.

TV cameras will damage justice

One of my weirdest reporting assignments was the Bobbitt case, in which Mrs Lorena Bobbitt cut off the manhood of her husband, John. As this happened just outside Washington DC, where I was then working, I had to attend the trials of both of them  hers for the grisly act, his for marital sexual assault.

Hers was televised. His  because it was for a sexual crime  was not. Both, as it happened, were acquitted. But the contrast between the two trials was huge. In the televised one, everyone was keenly aware of the vast audience outside the courtroom and, in my view, influenced by it.

Television has done dreadful damage to Parliament, with ghastly organised barracking and fake outrage all the time. It will do even more damage to criminal justice. Juries are bound to be influenced by TV cameras, as are judges and lawyers. The experiment with televising courts should end now.

To comment on Peter Hitchens click here
'Good morning, said my computer screen when I switched it on to write this.

Welcome back, it said a few minutes later when I returned from a trip to the loo.

A friendly companion for a writer in his hours of voluntary self-isolation and a boost to his always-fragile ego?

Actually no  that machine is an electronic blabbermouth whose neck Id often cheerfully wring if it had one.

Its not the relentless drip of on-screen messages that gets to me but the attempts to make them sound human. Which I guess must mean sounding a lot like computer programmers  on this evidence some of the most annoying people ever born.

Suppose Ive Googled something but a glitch in the wi-fi is blocking access to it. On the screen will appear a question mark inside a thought-bubble and a trail of dots.

Hmm, says the message, as if the computer is scratching its head in perplexity and embarrassed to be letting me down, looks like we cant find your page

Another version goes Oops! instead of Hmm and sick-makingly adds: Hurry back because the Net wont be the same without you.

On my (admittedly antiquated) computer, even the Save function has been given a personality. Rather than Save or Save your changes?, it says Want to save your changes? with what seems to me a sly nudge and a wink.

A young engineer at Google was recently fired for suggesting artificial intelligence could have feelings and emotions deserving just as much respect and sympathy as human ones. So must we learn to live on equal terms with our satnavs and Bluetooth or  knowing us  will they become a persecuted sub-species like the robots in Blade Runner?

Even our cars now are positively crammed with verbose robot presences, what with satnavs, the invisible invigilators who mark ones driving out of ten after each journey and the Bluetooth phone-enabler which announces Im connecting! with a spill of letters across its little blue screen that looks practically orgasmic.

Our satnav voice is that of a cultured young Englishwoman, but they are available with every regional accent and in celebrity versions including Tom Cruise, Homer Simpson and Darth Vader.

MYSELF, Ive never got over the uneasy feeling of having a stranger in the car whos supposed to know the way but falls silent for long, unnerving intervals and goes into an audible sulk if its directions arent followed to the letter.

Who could have guessed such tight-lipped contempt could be put into the words route recalculation?

I remember once seeing a television documentary about a British couple driving to France to start a snail farm  pre-Brexit, of course  under the guidance of a particularly sultry-sounding female satnav.

By halfway through their journey, they were on the verge of divorce, with the wife accusing the husband of preferring the satnav to her.

Mid-20th Century literary prophets such as George Orwell and Aldous Huxley envisioned the machines that would dominate our lives as coldly impersonal and implacable, but theyre turning out to be the very opposite.

Indeed, a young engineer at Google was recently fired for suggesting artificial intelligence could have feelings and emotions deserving just as much respect and sympathy as human ones.

So must we learn to live on equal terms with our satnavs and Bluetooth or  knowing us  will they become a persecuted sub-species like the robots in Blade Runner?

Ive always wondered who does the voices for satnavs, as well as telephone answering machines and public-address systems  whether its a career in itself or a stepping stone to the West End or the Royal Shakespeare Company. The most ubiquitous one must be the security warning incessantly played at railway stations and on trains (when staff arent on strike) in a supreme example of ad-copywriter cack-handedness: If you see something that doesnt look right, text the British Transport Police. Well sort it. See it, say it, sorted.

Whats achingly absent from this urgent message is any sense of urgency. Something that doesnt look right merely suggests some social gaffe like wearing brown shoes with a blue suit or eating peas off a knife. Suspect bags or packages, as we know, are not so effortlessly sorted. And that clunky See it, say it, sorted, for which some creative genius must have been paid a fortune, undermines the whole thing, telling us we dont have to worry when we so patently do.

My most shaming lack as a technophobe is never having consulted Siri, the cyber worlds fount of all knowledge who can be summoned by voice alone. Hey, Siri, one hears on every side. What was John Waynes real name? or Hey Siri, how do I make perfect hollandaise sauce? or Hey Siri, what is the gross national product of Uzbekistan?

Siri, who I naturally assumed to be female, clearly chafed at my silence and continually interrupted my searches for other things with her enquiry as to What can I help you with? followed up in a few seconds by Im listening.

One day, under authorial stress, I answered: F*** off.

I wont respond to that, said an unexpected male voice, possibly her cyber bodyguard or boyfriend.

Sorry, Siri.
We live in a world facing an unprecedented and  lets be honest  terrifying problem of where our food will come from. Not just in the years to come, but as soon as next month.

As President of the National Farmers Union (NFU), perhaps I will be accused of scare-mongering, of having a vested interest. But its not just farmers who are saying this. Global experts have talked of a food apocalypse.

David Beasley from the United Nations World Food Programme has warned of a global famine that should be taken as seriously as sending tanks to Ukraine.

Until February this year, most people had no idea of the critical role that Ukraine plays in feeding the world. But that has all changed. With food prices across the globe soaring as a result of the impossibility of exporting from Ukraine  on which much of the world is utterly reliant for wheat  we have all woken up to the importance of this one country, and the impact the invasion is having.

We should all be deeply frustrated that there has been almost no attention paid to food production here at home Pictured: Minette Batters

But it is not just the war in Ukraine. Changing weather patterns are also making it difficult to say with any certainty what harvests the world over are going to look like each year.

Many areas of Europe, including parts of the UK, are facing severe drought conditions. Italy has recently declared a state of emergency on water security, Portugal is seeing 95 per cent drought and Spain, from which we import a vast amount of our salad, fruit and vegetables, is also experiencing unprecedented water shortages.

This year we saw India decide to stop exporting grain on to the world market as a heatwave hit production there, while China experienced its worst harvest in a decade.

The prospect of food wars should be spurring all the worlds governments into action. There is a saying that we are only three meals away from anarchy  in other words, riots will break out if people miss three meals in a row.

I look down our supermarket aisles in awe at the British produce on the shelves: strawberries and raspberries, steaks, sausages and chicken drumsticks for our barbecues; wonderful cheeses such as Wensleydale

Multiply that country by country and you start to get a sense of the upheaval that could result from a shortage of food.

So what is our Government doing to try to solve the problem? Not enough. We should all be deeply frustrated that there has been almost no attention paid to food production here at home.

In this country, we have prime conditions to produce food  we have the landscape, the weather and, of course, the knowledge. And, unlike many other countries, too much water at certain times of year: we can and should build more reservoirs to store water when theres excessive rainfall, rather than let it run off into the North Sea.

Yet, astonishingly, no government has delivered a clear plan to ensure we maintain even the volumes of food we are currently producing.

Farming underpins our largest manufacturing sector, the food and drinks industry, which is worth 120 billion to the British economy every year, and employs four million people Pictured; Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during a visit to National Farmers' Union president Minette Batters' farm in Wiltshire

What we have had are plans to take more farmland away from production, to plant trees and provide homes for beavers. Weve had plans for how we will build housing on farmland in our Green Belt. Were building solar farms at pace and farmers understandably opt for them in order to reduce their exposure to the economic risks of food production.

But this begs the question: Why on earth do we not take food security as seriously as energy security?

To date weve had absolutely no plan or commitment from the Government that Britain will carry on its role as a food-producing nation.

Quite often, the farmers view is that our role as food producers is being made more difficult, rather than less. That food is viewed as just an unfortunate by-product of delivering for the environment. Our ancestors who have lived through food shortages would be turning in their graves.

It would be grossly irresponsible for any government to ignore this challenge of food availability and food security

We should all be concerned about this abject failure by government to take seriously the pressing problem of feeding our nation.

Britain is currently roughly 60 per cent self-sufficient in food. To put it another way, we are dependent on the rest of the world to provide 40 per cent of our food.

Yes, we are a trading nation  we want to export and we need to import. But when the NFU asked the Government to give a commitment that we would maintain that figure of 60 per cent self-sufficiency, it didnt take the opportunity. The next Prime Minister has a chance to put this right. To make Britain more secure and to help solve the challenge of feeding the world rather than worsening it.

Investing in Britains food production is a win-win. Farming underpins our largest manufacturing sector, the food and drinks industry, which is bigger than cars and aerospace put together, worth 120 billion to the British economy every year, and employs four million people.

Farmers maintain the countryside and create a place that so many of us have appreciated during Covid, with its lockdowns and restrictions, when mental wellbeing has been so paramount. The UK has 149,000 farm businesses. Thats more than the number of businesses involved in the motor trade, in education, and in finance and insurance.

We should all be concerned about this abject failure by government to take seriously the pressing problem of feeding our nation

Farming is unique in that more than 90 per cent of our farms are made up of sole traders or family partnerships. Our landscape has been sculpted for millennia by family-run farming businesses.

Im a fifth-generation farmer, I love my farm with all my heart  the fields, woods, hedges, river and wildlife, alongside my suckler cows and sheep. The land is part of our family.

I look down our supermarket aisles in awe at the British produce on the shelves: strawberries and raspberries; steaks, sausages and chicken drumsticks for our barbecues; wonderful cheeses such as Wensleydale, produced in Rishi Sunaks Yorkshire constituency. Theres even Silver Spoon British sugar, grown and processed in the East of England, where Liz Truss is an MP.

Which of the two candidates for PM will be the rural champion? More importantly who will prioritise the future of British food?

Farmers are by and large good people, but they are scratching their heads trying to work out what to do in an environment where the reintroduction of beavers seems to be valued more highly than producing food, and where they are asked to comply with ever-increasing legislation to maintain the standards of their produce and the environment, even as trade deals are struck to import food that doesnt meet those same standards.

David Beasley from the United Nations World Food Programme has warned of a global famine

The next PM needs to get serious about British food. It is time for a detailed, strategic plan which demonstrates where Britain will get its food from in the next decade, what role our farmers will play and how dependent we want to be on the rest of the world.

It would be grossly irresponsible for any government to ignore this challenge of food availability and food security.

The next Prime Minister needs to be clear they will not let our levels of self-sufficiency fall. They need to answer these key questions:

How will you ensure that Britain is able to produce more food for our own population and to export it to the rest of the world?

How will you actually measure food production against the targets you set, and be certain that your plans are delivering?

How will you help, rather than hinder, Britains farmers to produce food?

The prospect of food wars should be spurring all the worlds governments into action

Food production has been increasingly seen as the ugly sister of caring for the environment. In fact, they are equally important. A Prime Minister needs to act in a way that delivers for both.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss both come from rural constituencies where farming underpins much of the local economy. I invite both candidates to take part in hustings where they can outline their plans for food production to Britains farmers and to everyone who cares about where our food will come from in the future.

Britain needs a plan, and it needs one urgently. Before its too late.
A mother with terminal bowel cancer has told how she experienced nothing more than a stomach ache before her diagnosis.

Bank manager Rebecca Atton, 41, from Southend, Essex, was otherwise 'fit and healthy' before being told she had stage four bowel cancer in December last year.

Now she faces battle against a deadly disease, and is 'devastated' at the thought of leaving behind her 10-year-old daughter Ava.

The mother of one said she had a stomach ache, which was 'rare' for her, and went to the GP.

She told FEMAIL: 'I always used to joke about my iron stomach, I could eat anything, so when my stomach hurt I just thought about getting it checked out, I didn't think it would amount to much.'

Bank manager Rebecca Atton, 41, from Essex, was otherwise 'fit and healthy' before being told she had stage four bowel cancer in December last year. She hates the thought of leaving behind daughter Ava, pictured

Rebecca says 'people don't even think I look ill' she is pictured here, post diagnosis, with Ava looking slim and healthy - yet is suffering from stage 4 bowel cancer

The mother-of-one undergoing treatment at Southend NHS Hospital, Essex. Any treatment she receives is designed to prolong her life

Two weeks later Rebecca was sitting in a doctors chair being told she had stage four terminal bowel cancer, which has spread to her liver and spleen.

Rebecca has since started chemotherapy, and says she 'felt fine' prior to treatment.

She says that a fit test, offered to over 60's on the NHS would have 'saved her life' if she had undertaken one at 30.

The fit test, which checks samples of excrement for blood, is currently available at Boots for 15 and Rebecca says she has encouraged family and friends to get themselves checked.

She said: 'Off the back of my diagnosis, my cousin and brother have both taken the test, where small traces of blood were detected in their excrement.

Rebecca, pictured on a night out with friends, has started chemotherapy, and says she 'felt fine' prior to treatment. She says that a fit test, offered to over 60's on the NHS would have 'saved her life' if she had undertaken one at 30

Rebecca and Ava, pre-diagnosis, have a day out together. She said she is grateful for the support of her family as she faces the disease

THE SYMPTOMS OF BOWEL CANCER, WHICH DEVELOPS FROM POLYPS IN THE COLON AND RECTUM Bowel, or colorectal, cancer affects the large bowel, which is made up of the colon and rectum. Such tumours usually develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps. Symptoms include: Bleeding from the bottom

Blood in stools

A change in bowel habits lasting at least three weeks

Unexplained weight loss

Extreme, unexplained tiredness

Abdominal pain Most cases have no clear cause, however, people are more at risk if they: Are over 50

Have a family history of the condition

Have a personal history of polyps in their bowel

Suffer from inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease

Lead an unhealthy lifestyle Treatment usually involves surgery, and chemo- and radiotherapy. More than nine out of 10 people with stage one bowel cancer survive five years or more after their diagnosis. This drops significantly if it is diagnosed in later stages. According to Bowel Cancer UK figures, more than 41,200 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. It affects around 40 per 100,000 adults per year in the US, according to the National Cancer Institute. Advertisement

'As a result, they both underwent further tests and have both had bowel polyps removed - which could have later turned into cancer. They are both under 60.'

Australia has recently lowered the standard age of the fit test to 50, a move that Rebecca hopes will be replicated in the UK.

She said: 'Even now, my friends can't believe my diagnosis, my skin looks good I haven't lost my hair, I used to go to the gym regularly, I quit smoking before turning 40 - but my time is limited, and I'm aware of that.'

The mother is 'devastated' to potentially leave behind Ava, but said 'Ava and me are very close, and her dad has been fantastic while I've been getting treatment as has her stepmother.

'I know that she has a strong support network with my family as well. She knows I'm unwell but doesn't know the prognosis.

Rebecca smiles on a night out with friends, post diagnosis, she says that people 'can't believe she's terminal' as she still has her hair and good skin

'We are a close family and I've had so much support. Of course I've had my bad days but I try and stay positive, which I think will help me.

'Some days the medication and chemo make me feel unwell, but knowing my mother has survived breast cancer gives me hope - she is here to tell the tale, and that helps Ava's attitude too.

'She asked me "are you going to die" and I told her the doctors are trying their best.'

What is a fit test? According to the NHS The main use for the FIT test is to find early stage bowel cancer. Blood in the stool may be the only symptom of early cancer. If the cancer is detected before it spreads to other areas, there is a greater chance it will be cured. The signs and symptoms of bowel cancer are not always easy to see. In some patients, with an abdominal or rectal mass, rectal bleeding, anal ulceration or if they are age 60 or above with iron deficiency anaemia. Your GP will request you are seen by the hospital urgently as a 'two week wait patient' and you will not be offered a FIT test. In other patients where the signs and symptoms are less clear your GP may think you could have bowel cancer but wants to be more certain that this is the case. In these circumstances a FIT test will help them decide. Advertisement

Rebecca, as well as being an advocate for the fit test age to be lowered, is raising funds to have treatment alongside her NHS care.

Since her diagnosis she has undergone 12 cycles of intense chemotherapy which has so far helped to stabilise the disease.

She said: 'This will eventually stop working. However, there are several other options of treatment some of which are not available on the NHS.'

She continued: 'Let me be clear I have less than a 10 per cent chance of living for five years. I am fully aware treatment will not cure me however it could extend my life and give me an opportunity to see my daughter, Ava, hit her teenage years.'

As Rebecca continues her NHS treatment her morphine dosage for pain has doubled, and she thinks her next scan 'won't be good'.

She told FEMAIL: 'The morphine makes me feel like a space cadet a lot of the time, and I just have a gut feeling my next scan which is next week, won't be good.

'I'm calling it 'scan-xiety' this type of cancer can spread to your lungs and heaven forbid your brain, so far it's my spleen and liver which isn't exactly typical.'

In the UK and Australia, bowel cancer has over-taken car accidents as one of the number one killers of people aged 25-45 and Rebecca wishes the symptoms were as well publicised as breast cancer.

She said: 'There was no blood in my poo, as the NHS advert a few years ago suggested was a warning sign, I wasn't tired, nothing - people need to be more aware of this - there appears to be two camps of people.

'People like me with no symptoms and the diagnosis hits them like a sledgehammer or others that have symptoms that are mistaken for Crhon's disease or IBS.

'I made the mistake of thinking this was something that happened to old people, I never dreamed it would happen to me it didn't even cross my mind - that's why we need more awareness.'

Rebecca is currently being treated at Southend Hospital in Essex, who she 'can't praise enough' for their hard work and 'quickness' on getting her diagnosis.

She said: 'They've been fantastic and so quick, it was less than two weeks I was in accident and emergency for suspected appendicitis to being diagnosed and the treated.

'The day I phoned the GP I almost gave up I was trying to get through for two hours, but I'm glad my mum pushed me to stay on the line and the GP encouraged me to go to the hospital.

'I just think, if I had a fit test at 30, my life would look very different right now.'
Ms Nicholas-Williams says artist has since confirmed she will be paid for image

A British model has been left 'shocked' and 'saddened' after a photograph was used without her permission in a body positivity campaign by the Spanish government.

The advertisement, produced by the Spanish Equality Ministry, shows several women of different shapes and sizes relaxing on a beach, with the slogan: 'Summer is ours too'.

The campaign has been praised for its move away from 'beach body ready' beauty standards - but Nyome Nicholas-Williams says she was featured without permission.

The 30-year-old model, from London, claims the image was taken from her Instagram profile - Curvy Nyome - without her consent.

She told Sky News that the artist behind the campaign has been in touch and confirmed she will be paid - but she hasn't heard from the Spanish government.

The advertisement, produced by the Spanish Equality Ministry, shows several women of different shapes and sizes relaxing on a beach, with the slogan: 'Summer is ours too'. Nyome Nicholas-Williams is pictured second from right

The campaign has been praised for its move away from 'beach body ready' summer beauty standards - but Nyome Nicholas-Williams (above) says she was featured without permission

'It is just a reminder that as a black woman my body is still policed and as women in general our bodies are still not ours,' Ms Nicholas-Williams told Metro.

'I didn't have any control over how my body was being used in the image, so I was really sad initially. Then, I felt really angry.'

The poster features five women of different shapes and races relaxing on a beach.

Ms Nicholas-Williams is seen in a gold bikini in the image - a photograph she says was edited into the scene from a snap she had posted to her own Instagram page.

The model says she only found out about the poster when a friend contacted her.

She said: 'You can see it's me. I have family members getting in touch to say "well done". What is going on here?'

Ms Nicholas-Williams added she would have participated in the campaign had she been contacted about it beforehand.

The 30-year-old model, from London, claims the image (second from right) was taken from her Instagram profile - Curvy Nyome - without her consent

Ms Nicholas-Williams is seen in a gold bikini in the image - a photograph she says was edited into the scene from a snap she had posted to her own Instagram page

The model (above in April) says she only found out about the poster when a friend contacted her

After finding the poster online, she wrote on Instagram: 'Just because I carry it well that doesnt mean it's not heavy!

'Do I not deserved to be even asked whether my likeness can be used for a Spanish government campaign?

'Do I not deserve to be paid for the usage of said image?

'I really am over it and Im drained! Like it's too much. Y'all are just down right disrespectful at this point.'

She told Sky News that the situation left her 'frustrated', adding: 'I was shocked and saddened because it has happened to me before, and I was angry because the lack of awareness is staggering.

Ms Nicholas-Williams said she would have participated in the campaign had she been contacted about it

'I was very annoyed. It is frustrating because my agency work hard to make sure my image use is done properly, the fact they've not paid is frustrating.'

The campaign was launched in July by the Spanish Equality Ministry and the Institute of Women.

It says: 'Summer is ours too. Enjoy it how, where and with whomever you want.

'Today we toast to a summer for all, without stereotypes and without aesthetic violence against our bodies.'

MailOnline has contacted the Spanish government for comment.
A young 'textbook healthy' support worker had the shock of her life after what she thought was tonsillitis turned out to be a rare type of blood cancer.

The week after her birthday in November, Renae Wooten, from Melbourne, was diagnosed with anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma (ALCL) after noticing a lump on the back of her throat that had appeared just a month before.

Renae told FEMAIL the lump, her only symptom, looked 'like a cyst' and she assumed she had tonsillitis.

'I went to the doctor who admitted he didn't know what it was either so I was sent to a specialist who put me on antibiotics,' she said.

When the medication didn't provide any relief she went back to the doctor quickly as the lump had grown and was blocking her airway.

While physicians weren't concerned at first, a biopsy confirmed Renae had blood cancer.

The week after her birthday Renae Wooten, from Melbourne, (pictured) was diagnosed with anaplastic large T-cell lymphoma (ALCL) on November 4, 2021, after noticing a lump on the back of her throat that appeared a month prior

Renae told FEMAIL the lump, her only symptom, looked 'like a cyst' and thought she had tonsillitis. Physicians weren't concerned at first but a biopsy confirmed she had blood cancer

The sinister lump first appeared on October 22, the day after Melbourne's Covid lockdown ended, and the specialist first thought it was a cyst that had ruptured.

'The doctor said if it doesn't change within the next two days after taking antibiotics to go to the hospital,' she said, adding how as the lump worsened it looked blistered and sore.

'The specialist was puzzled because I had no other symptoms, I was living life as normal and wasn't feeling uncomfortable.'

On November 1 Renae was told the devastating news that would change her life forever - but prior to being told, she wasn't worried.

The sinister lump first appeared on October 22, the day after Melbourne's harsh ongoing Covid lockdown ended, and the specialist first thought it was a cyst that had ruptured. On November 1 Renae was told the devastating news that would change her life forever

'Because of Covid I wasn't allowed bring anyone and went to get the biopsy results alone in a last minute appointment,' Renae said.

'I was really calm still thinking it was only tonsillitis - I thought at most they'd just need to remove my tonsils - but when the nurse told me the results I burst into tears.'

Renae said she 'went numb' and questioned what would happen next.

'I thought, "This can't be true", because I'm textbook healthy, I don't smoke or drink, and I exercise every day,' she said.

Thinking of her boyfriend of four years, Renae said she 'felt guilty'.

'I gave him the opportunity to leave because he didn't sign up for this,' she said, adding the pair are still together today.

'I was really calm still thinking it was only tonsillitis - I thought at most they'd just need to remove my tonsils - but when the nurse told me the results I burst into tears,' she said

Renae said she went into 'fight or flight mode' and was 'very emotional' - she had no family support in Melbourne as she's originally from Albury.

The following week she met with a hematologist (blood specialist) who said she'd need six rounds of chemotherapy.

'I was told I'd lose my hair and my hematologist recommended cutting it sooner than later - and I was devastated because I had long, blonde, beautiful hair,' she said.

She was also asked what her 'future plans' involved in regards to having children, and Renae instantly replied she'd always imagined herself being a mum.

The very next day she met with a fertility specialist and within 10 days the process of egg collection began.

'I had no time to think about it and had lots of trust in my doctors,' Renae said.

The reason for the urgency was because the cancer was stage two and deemed to be 'aggressive' and 'fast moving'.

She also cut her hair within a week of being diagnosed.

'I focused on what I can control rather than what I can't, and my hair was one of them,' she said.

What is Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma? Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a type of cancer that begins in your lymphatic system, which is part of the body's germ-fighting immune system. In non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, white blood cells called lymphocytes grow abnormally and can form growths (tumors) throughout the body. Both Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are lymphomas - a type of cancer that begins in a subset of white blood cells called lymphocytes. Symptoms include: Swollen lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin

Abdominal pain or swelling

Chest pain, coughing or trouble breathing

Persistent fatigue

Fever

Night sweats

Unexplained weight loss Source: mayoclinic Advertisement

Recalling the dreadful day Renae said she went into 'fight or flight mode' and was 'very emotional' - she has no family support in Melbourne as she's originally from Albury. She cut her hair within a week of finding out

The cause of the cancer remains unknown and doctors said Renae's type of lymphoma isn't hereditary.

'It's just a case of bad luck - there's nothing I could've done to prevent the cells from mutating into cancer,' she said.

Unlike skin cells that are replaced every two to three weeks, blood cells are replaced every three to four months and it's difficult to determine whether one tiny cell has mutated.

The most common symptom for lymphoma is swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin, but other warning signs can include abdominal pain or swelling, chest pain, fever, night sweats and unexpected weight loss.

The cause of the cancer remains unknown and doctors said Renae's type of lymphoma isn't hereditary. The first round of chemotherapy began on December 13 and continued until March 29, 2022. Renae didn't need surgery to remove the lump in her throat or any radiotherapy

The first round of chemotherapy began on December 13 and continued until March 29, 2022.

Thankfully Renae didn't need surgery to remove the lump in her throat or any radiotherapy.

'Every round felt different - I was fine and hysterical after the first then felt sick after the second and third,' she said and turned to acupuncture to balance the side effects.

'I tried to use modern medicine and holistic health together to get the best outcome. I had good and bad days but still tried to live my life normally.'

Due to the treatment Renae was put into temporary menopause and slowly started losing her hair - but regardless she was still a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding.

While the cancer was deemed to be serious, she never focused on the negative aspects.

'Dying was never an option for me and was never worried about it because I never wanted it to be my story,' she said.

'I didn't want to pity myself or become a victim, I wanted to be a warrior to rise above it.'

Today Renae is in remission and had her three-month check-up this week. Doctors were happy with her body's response to the treatment and the 'hardest thing' was trying to go back to normal life

Today Renae is in remission and had her three-month check-up this week.

Doctors were happy with her body's response to the treatment and the 'hardest thing' was trying to go back to normal life.

'Once your treatment ends, you're on your own. I as left in this grey area where I had to rediscover who I am,' she said.

And she still suffers from side effects post-treatment including insomnia, brain fog, and pins and needles in her hands and feet, making her sensitive to the cold.

'My life has completely changed, I have a lot more determination and believe I can truly do anything. I have a strong appreciation for life now too and am so grateful to be here,' she said

'My life has completely changed, I have a lot more determination and believe I can truly do anything,' Renae said.

'I have a strong appreciation for life now too and am so grateful to be here.

'I'm not lucky because this still happened to me but I am fortunate. I wake up every day and tell myself: 'It's a good day to be alive, so go and live life.'

To other young people who may also be going through cancer treatments, Renae said to 'not fear cancer' and to 'be there for your loved ones'.

'Have a conversation with people about how you can support them. I had a lot of friends who ghosted me simply because they didn't know how to handle my situation,' she said.

September is Lymphoma Awareness Month and Renae is planning to launch a podcast titled 'Hello I'm Healing' to raise awareness about cancer.
Advertisement

Freshwater lakes and rivers across America may have a deadly parasite lurking in them this summer that rapidly eats away at the brain - and experts warn that if it gets into your nose, it has a 97 percent chance of being fatal, often within five days of feeling symptoms.

Naegleria fowleri lives in fresh water across the world. It thrives in warmer temperatures of around 115 degrees Fahrenheit, which causes cases to usually emerge during the summer months. This means that lakes and rivers around America are at risk of carrying the dangerous organisms. Even splash parks could be a risk: a Texas three-year-old died after being exposed to it at a local splash park last year.

Contaminated water ingested through the nose gives the amoeba a direct route to the brain, where it is almost always fatal, but swallowing contaminated water causes no harm because stomach acid is strong enough to kill the bacteria, a parasitic disease expert told DailyMail.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 154 known cases on infection over the past 60 years - with almost all in southern states that reach scalding temperatures over summer. All but four of those cases resulted in death - a survival rate of only three percent. These cases are clustered in Texas and Florida in particular, which have recorded 40 and 36 infections respectively since 1962 when the CDC started tracking cases.

Two cases have been detected already this year, including a Missouri man who died after being infected in an Iowa lake, and a Florida teen who has been left fighting for his life after swimming in a local river.

After a person is exposed to the amoeba, they will likely feel symptoms such as a headache, nausea and fatigue within the next one to nine days. Once symptoms begin, death will almost always occur within five days.

Dr Anjan Debnath, a parasitic disease expert at the University of California, San Diego, tells DailyMail.com that because of how rare it is, doctors also often misdiagnose symptoms as meningitis - wasting valuable time that could be used treating the parasite.

Cases are not only reserved for lakes and rivers either. Improper water treatment in pools, private ponds and even tap water can lead to deadly exposure to the amoeba as well - causing multiple deaths among children in recent years.

Debnath, a parasitic disease expert at the University of California, San Diego, said that the amoeba thrives in temperatures of around 115 Fahrenheit, meaning it will be most active on the hottest days of summer in states where high temperatures are not uncommon.

He explained that it enters through the nose's olfactory nerve, giving it a short and direct route into the brain. If water that contains the amoeba enters the nose then it will likely lead to infection.

Ingesting water through the mouth is ok, though, because stomach acid is strong enough to kill the amoeba.

Once a person's olfactory nerve is exposed it can take around one to nine days for them to start experiencing symptoms. They will usually die within five days of symptoms first appearing.

Dr Anjan Debnath (pictured), a parasitic disease expert at the University of California, San Diego, told DailyMail.com that people should avoid swimming in fresh water lakes and rivers this summer, and if they do they should use a nose plug to stop water from entering

'It's quite rapid, it's very progressive. It literally eats the brain tissue,' Debnath explained.

He describes the infection as taking part in two stages. The first is relatively minor, with the person experiencing a headache and other flu-like symptoms. This means that unless a doctor is aware that a person had been swimming in untreated water they may not even suspect the amoeba.

Once symptoms reach the second stage, a person will start experiencing severe neurological issues like seizures. A doctor will then likely find out about the infection through a spinal fluid test.

By that point a person has likely already experienced symptoms so severe that death is near-guaranteed.

A similar situation occurred with Caleb Ziegelbauer, 13, of Port Charlotte, Florida.

The teen was swimming in a river near his home on July 1 for a family outing to escape the Florida heat. When he was ill, doctors first diagnosed him with meningitis - delaying the time it took for his to get treated for the infection.

Five days later, fever struck Caleb and he complained of hallucinations. His parents rushed him to the hospital in Fort Myers, where doctors diagnosed him with meningitis in the pediatric intensive care unit.

'Unfortunately, it appears that the amoeba Naegleria fowleri is responsible for his illness,' Katie Chiet, the boy's aunt, said on his crowdfunding page.

More than a week after he entered the hospital, doctors finally realized that he was suffering from the 97 percent fatal parasite.

'They plan to reintubate him to take some pressure off him breathing so he can focus on just resting and healing his brain,' Elizabeth Ziegelbauer wrote on GoFundme.

The inflammation to his brain has gotten progressively worse. Normally, the parasite kills its host within 17 days, but Caleb has survived 11 days past that.

Caleb Ziegelbauer (pictured), 13, of Port Charlotte, Florida, is currently fighting for his life hospitalized after suffering an infection from the brain eating amoeba

Ziegelbauer is the second confirmed case of the brain eating amoeba causing an infection in the United States this year.

At the start of the month, an unnamed Missouri man was infected while swimming in the lake at Lake of the Three Fires State Park in Iowa. In response, health officials shut down the beach.

While these cases are rare, with under three being detected per year on average, Debnath still advises against swimming in untreated water over summer, especially in places like Florida and Texas where temperatures get exceptionally high.

Because the amoeba only resides in fresh water, swimming in the ocean is generally safe.

If families do choose to visit a fresh water beach, anyone entering the water should wear a nose clip to prevent water from entering their nose.

Debnath also recommends against kicking up dirt or sand from the bottom of the lake as warmer areas deep down are where the microscopic beings usually lie.

Cases are not always spawned out of fresh water lakes and rivers, either. In 2020, a six-year-old boy in Texas died after being exposed through the water supply in his home city of Lake Jackson.

Last year, a three-year-old child in the state died after being exposed to the brain eating amoeba in a splash park. His family later sued for negligence, saying operators should have taken better care to sanitize the water.

A North Carolina child, whose age was not revealed, died last year after being exposed to an improperly sanitized private pond.

Debnath said that these cases could have been avoided with proper chlorination and sanitation of the sitting water alone.
Patients with a common yet debilitating heart condition are missing out on vital surgery that could ease their symptoms, and instead are being given medication that offers little chance of improvement, experts claim.

About 1.3 million Britons suffer from a leaky mitral valve inside the heart, known as mitral valve regurgitation. The fault means blood can flow the wrong way through the organ and back towards the lungs, causing breathlessness, chest pain and extreme fatigue.

Over time, the heart is less able to supply blood to the rest of the body, ultimately leading to heart failure and death.

There is a new minimally invasive procedure that can fix the damage called transcatheter edge-to-edge repair. Yet NHS England refuses to fund the simple treatment in half of cases and says these patients should have open-heart surgery instead.

Now a group of the UKs leading heart health experts is demanding change.

Dr Sam Dawkins, consultant cardiologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, says: For the majority of these patients, open-heart surgery is not an option because they are too weak. Transcatheter edge-to-edge repair would save thousands of lives if it were offered more widely, while cutting healthcare costs of further treatments down the line.

Mitral valve regurgitation is split broadly into two types. In roughly half of patients, damage to the valve that leads to the leaking is caused by age-related wear and tear. This is known as primary mitral valve regurgitation.

GRATEFUL: The procedure was a lifesaver for Julie Archer, right, with her husband and daughter Hannah

In 2019, transcatheter edge-to-edge repair was given the green light for this group by both NHS spending watchdog the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England.

But approval was not given for the tens of thousands of patients with the other type, known as functional mitral valve regurgitation.

In these patients, the valve damage is due to pressure from swollen heart muscle  usually as a result of a heart attack.

A small number of functional regurgitation patients may have open-heart surgery, where a narrow ring is placed around the valve to squeeze it closed. But for most, it is deemed too risky due to the extent of the damage to the heart. Instead, these patients are prescribed a cocktail of drugs to control blood pressure and lower the chance of clots.

Experts say this is ineffective, leaving many with crippling breathing problems and a high risk of developing heart failure.

Studies show that only about half of those on drug treatment survive for more than two years.

If transcatheter edge-to-edge repair were offered to them, it is claimed it would improve their prospects significantly.

Carried out under a general anaesthetic, the process takes just two hours. Patients can go home the next day.

After a small incision is made in the groin, a flexible tube is inserted and threaded up towards the heart. A metal clip is guided through the tube and clamped on to the mitral valve, closing off the leak and restoring normal blood flow.

Afterwards, patients no longer need to take pills.

Professor Dan Blackman, a cardiologist at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, says getting NHS funding has been excessively cumbersome and slow.

He adds: Rather than endless repeat prescriptions and hospital stays  which are time-consuming for patients and NHS staff  edge-to-edge repair fixes the underlying problem for good. Make no mistake, patients across the country will be dying from mitral valve problems because they cant access this treatment.

The relatively common heart condition affects around 1.2million people in the UK and can eventually lead to heart failure and death (stock photo)

The experts believe the reason it has taken so long to give approval is simply down to red tape.

Prof Blackman says: Weve been calling for it to be funded for all mitral valve regurgitation patients since 2018. But when NHS England last looked at the procedure back in 2019, they didnt take into account two of the latest studies showing the benefits of the procedure.

In 2020, Julie Archer, a 60-year-old events manager from Gloucestershire, became one of the lucky few to receive the procedure. She had suffered a heart attack that left her mitral valve severely damaged. She says: Doctors said I needed open-heart surgery to get better, but I was just too weak. My family were called to see me in intensive care to say their final goodbyes.

Julie was transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, which uses its own funds to cover the cost of edge-to-edge repair. She had the procedure a few days later and was back home within two days. She says: Within weeks I was working again.

An NHS spokesman said: The NHS make decisions about which treatments to routinely commission depending on a wide range of factors, including clinical effectiveness and best value for taxpayer money. A proposal to commission mitral valve leaflet repair for functional regurgitation is currently being considered.
When Dr Joachim Jimie boarded his flight to St Lucia in 2017, he was looking forward to a break from his work at Liverpool University Hospitals. Unfortunately, five hours into the flight, he was back on the job  performing an operation on the floor of the aisle in the premium economy cabin.

A passenger had fallen ill and the announcement came over the Tannoy: If theres a doctor on board, could they make themselves known to the crew. Dr Jimie obliged. And what he was confronted with was serious  a woman in her mid-50s gasping for breath.

He deduced she was suffering from tension pneumothorax, a dangerous build-up of air in the ribcage often seen in patients with lung diseases. Dr Jimie needed to insert an oxygen tube into her chest to allow her to breathe.

The on-board medical kit included a surgical knife allowing him to make small cut between two ribs, but the tubing provided was too flimsy, and he was unable to push it through the incision. He knew that every second he delayed, the risk of the woman dying increased.

So he improvised. Dr Jimie asked the stewardess for a coat-hanger. The wire, he reckoned, could be threaded through the tube and used to keep it rigid. It worked. The tube stayed in position and a steady stream of oxygen was delivered to the womans lungs.

Dr Jimie stayed with the woman for the rest of the flight, and when the plane landed, paramedics took her to hospital where she made a full recovery. The airline was quick to show its gratitude, offering Dr Jimie and his girlfriend business-class tickets to any destination of their choosing.

And while it might seem like a once-in-a-lifetime situation, for medics like Dr Jimie, scenarios like this are not a rarity. He says: Only a few years after that, I had to treat a woman who had a severe allergic reaction on my flight. This is something most of my colleagues have had experience of at least once.

Airlines admit that in the event of a medical emergency, they rely on passengers with medical training to help. Perhaps this explains why nearly nine in ten doctors have been called to attend to a passenger during a flight, research carried out by the Medical Defence Union shows. But how safe can this be for passengers unlucky enough to fall ill mid-air?

It is very likely a passenger whos a nurse or doctor will be on any given flight, says Dr David Strain, senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School and an honorary consultant in medicine for the older adult.

Pictured: A scene from the 1980 film Airplane! which sees people fall ill with food poisoning on while in the air

However, speaking to The Mail on Sunday, experts have raised concerns about a growing reluctance from doctors to come forward when help is needed. The tools they need to do their best work are often missing, with on-board medical equipment varying between airlines. And while cabin crew are trained in first aid, theres the question of who takes responsibility should a sick person not make it.

Doctors have a moral duty to help when someone is unwell on a plane, says Dr Malcolm Finlay, a cardiologist at Barts Health NHS Trust. But youre thrown into a medical scenario you never asked to be in. So a lot of doctors keep their heads down and hope someone else raises their hand when the call comes.

Medical emergencies in mid-air are surprisingly common. Roughly one in every 600 flights will involve such an event, according to a study published in The New England Journal Of Medicine. Considering that 1,300 flights take off or land daily at Heathrow Airport alone, this means there are calls for a doctor on UK flights every day.

More than a third of these medical events are stomach pains and sickness, but a quarter are neurological issues  including dizziness, fainting and seizures  and seven per cent are breathing difficulties.

Medical problems can range from the simple to the life-threatening, says Dr Strain. Sometimes someone might be too drunk or having a panic attack. But Ive also had to respond to a chap on a flight back from New York having a stroke. In that case, I had to tell the captain to turn around and land the plane so we could get the man into hospital.

Particularly traumatic was delivering a stillborn baby on a flight from India. He adds: We had to deliver the baby in one of the toilets. I dont think most people were aware there was anything going on until paramedics came to collect the mother when we landed.

Experts say the response to these emergencies can be hampered by the supplies provided in the on-board medical kit.

Last month, an American doctor sparked debate after she was called to assist in a medical emergency on a Delta Air Lines flight.

Dr Andrea Merrill, an oncologist at Boston Medical Center, tweeted: Dear Delta, I just assisted in a medical emergency in the air.

Your medical kits need a glucometer [a device used to measure blood sugar], EpiPen [an injection that can save the life of a person having a severe allergic reaction], and automatic blood-pressure cuffs. Please improve this for passenger safety!

Her tweet was shared more than 57,000 times, and scores of other doctors responded with similar complaints about on-board medical kits. NHS doctors say the same problems happen in the UK.

All British airlines are required to stock a medical kit with supplies set out by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. This includes more than 60 different items including a blood-pressure monitor and IV fluids to treat dehydration. Certain medicines are also required, including antibiotics for infections, adrenaline for allergic reactions, and drugs to counteract hypoglycaemia, a potentially dangerous diabetes complication.

Experts warn that doctors are reluctant to step in if a passenger falls ill while an airplane is in the air (stock image)

But vital equipment can be missing, according to reports.

Long-haul flights overseas are required by European and international watchdogs to carry defibrillators  equipment that can restart the heart in the event of cardiac arrest. But flights over land that take less than two hours are not. All UK aircraft carry defibrillators, but some foreign carriers, such as Aegean and Alitalia, do not.

With a cardiac arrest, youve got just minutes to respond, says Geraldine Lundy, director of Accessible Travel Consultancy. So it shouldnt matter whether a flight takes under an hour or ten. Doctors who have used the medical kits also say they find that they are often not restocked after use. Sometimes they are missing vital injections such as adrenaline, which you need if someone is having a life-threatening allergic reaction, or drugs to help a diabetic if their blood sugar falls too low, which again can be fatal, or there arent enough needles, says Dr Strain.

There are concerns, too, that while cabin crew receive first-aid training, they are not prepared for life-or-death scenarios.

In 2016, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, died after having an allergic reaction to a sandwich while travelling on a British Airways flight to France. Natasha, who was severely allergic to sesame seeds, collapsed on the flight, and despite her father administering two shots of EpiPen, she did not survive.

A coroners inquest praised junior medic Dr Thomas Pearson-Jones, who was on the flight and tried to save Natasha. He had graduated from medical school just the day before.

BA was criticised for keeping the defibrillator at the back of the plane, where it was difficult to access  and while it would not have helped Natasha, this was a potential safety risk. And doctors on board are not always equipped for the job at hand.

These days, the majority of doctors have a particular speciality, like cancer, and dont have any recent experience of emergency medicine, says Professor Thomas Powles, director of the Barts Cancer Centre.

If someone collapses on a flight, a paramedic is more useful than a gynaecologist. But sometimes thats all youve got.

So you end up in a situation where a doctor is making a decision on something theyre not qualified to do.

Thats quite risky territory. You also have to hope that the doctor hasnt already had a few drinks on the flight or is running on no sleep.

But what if something goes wrong while treating a patient?

From chest pains to sore ears... when you really shouldnt fly Do not ignore signs of ill health before flying, medical experts warn. As well as being out of reach of hospital, doctors say the change in pressure during a flight can be dangerous to those with underlying health conditions. GPs will advise people who have had a stroke or heart attack in the previous two months not to fly. Likewise, anyone who is experiencing chest pains and breathlessness should see a doctor before flying. Women who are more than 36 weeks pregnant, or 32 weeks with multiple pregnancies, are generally not allowed by commercial airlines to travel due to the risk of an unexpected birth while in the air. Those suffering from ear or sinus infections are also advised not to fly. According to Dr David Strain, the length of a flight is important. When you fly long distances overseas, the plane cruises at really high altitudes, to the point where the pressure is akin to standing at the top of a mountain. Experts say too many people ignore health issues when flying. People just want to get home or dont want to miss a hotel reservation, says Dr Paulo Alves, global medical director of aviation health at remote health support firm MedAire. That can sometimes be a dangerous decision. Flying is not a threat to your health, but your underlying condition can be. Advertisement

Doctors are unlikely to ever be considered legally liable. Medics are protected by the internationally recognised Good Samaritan laws, which shield doctors  and non-medically trained individuals  from negligence claims if they pitch in to help during emergencies, providing they act responsibly.

But the grave responsibility of treating a person mid-flight is enough to put many doctors off.

Once you put your hand up to help, that passenger is in your care for the rest of the flight, so that could be up to 12 hours, says Prof Powles.

Thats a lot to ask of a doctor who until a minute ago was on their holiday.

I think most doctors would tell you they wait to see if someone else will get up and help first, before they put their hand up, because of this.

Dr Strain, however, adds that most doctors see it as a duty, rather than something they should be paid for. You might hope to get a nice glass of wine or something, as thanks, he suggests.

Some dont even get this. In 2016, a Devon-based GP lodged a complaint with easyJet after he treated a seriously ill patient on a flight to Greece, only to be told when he requested a KitKat bar that he must pay for it.

Health firms can provide airlines with paid, on-call doctors who can instruct cabin crew during medical emergencies, over the phone. The senior medics are available round- the-clock when flights are in the air, and can decide if emergency landings are needed, or if help from cabin crew will suffice. British Airway and Virgin Atlantic use these services.

Dr Paulo Alves, global medical director of aviation health at MedAire, a company that provides remote health support for travel, says relying on medically trained passengers is not a sensible policy. If you are in a hotel and theres a fire, would you count on guests who happen to be firemen, or would you prefer that the hotel has a system in place to put the fire out?

Doctors agree that airlines should have remote support services such as those offered by MedAire in place.

Airlines are much better off having someone on the ground who can help make these calls, says Prof Powles.

But experts say that falling ill while aboard a plane will always be risky.

If youre in a metal tube flying over the Pacific for ten hours and something goes wrong, theres only so much that anyone can do to help  doctor or not, says Dr Finlay.

Thankfully the majority of people will go through life without something like this happening to them. But thats the risk we take by getting on a plane.
More than 100 doctors have written to the Government demanding that the NHS funds a Covid drug that protect vulnerable patients who dont respond to the vaccines, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

They have been joined by 19 charities to pen a letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay arguing that the medication is a matter of life or death for Britons with weakened immune systems, such as those with blood cancer or an organ transplant.

The move comes just days after the NHS spending watchdog said it will start evaluating the cost-effectiveness of the 800-a-dose treatment, called Evusheld.

Developed by Covid jab-maker AstraZeneca, it was approved by drug regulators in March after a study showed it reduced the risk of Covid symptoms by 88 per cent.

The drug stops Covid cells from binding to healthy cells, which is how it infects the body. Even if these vulnerable, so-called immuno-compromised, patients do get infected, they are up to to 92 per cent less likely to be hospitalised and die if theyve had Evusheld.

Based on these results, 28 countries, including France, America and Israel, have snapped up millions of doses since January  but the UK Government has so far refused to cover the cost.

The NHS spending watchdog is set to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of AstraZeneca's new Covid drug, Evusheld (pictured)

Since Evusheld was ruled safe by regulators four months ago, as many as 500 immuno-compromised Britons have died, according to analysis by the charity Blood Cancer UK shared exclusively with The Mail on Sunday.

Doctors and charities are now calling on the Government to roll out Evusheld to those eligible this autumn, to protect them from the Covid wave expected in the winter.

Dr Lennard Lee, a cancer expert at the University of Oxford and lead author of the statement, said the move would benefit the NHS as well as those who get the drug.

Evusheld is likely to reduce demand on hospitals, allowing the NHS to recover while granting immuno-compromised people the freedom that has been taken from them for two years.

Charities say many immuno-compromised Britons  of which there are thought to be 500,000  are still shielding.

Many people are anxious and feel like theyve been forgotten by the Government, says Gemma Peters of Blood Cancer UK.

Evusheld has potential to ease anxiety, which is why were urging the Government to buy and roll out the drug quickly.

The Mail on Sunday was first to reveal that health chiefs had failed to purchase Evusheld a month after its initial approval.

At the time, the Department of Health said further investigations were needed to assess its effectiveness against new Covid variants.

But in their statement, the doctors argue there is now definitive evidence that Evusheld protects the vulnerable from the virus.

On Friday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the NHS spending watchdog, announced a two-week consultation into the costs.

A number of MPs have also called for health chiefs to purchase Evusheld. Tory MP Bob Blackman said protecting the lives of the immuno-compromised must be considered a crucial part of the plan to live with Covid.

Evusheld could offer a solution and it is important that the voice of patients and clinicians is heard, he added.

One Briton calling for access to Evusheld is Scott Brigden, 47, from Hedon, East Yorkshire, who was diagnosed with blood cancer in March 2021. Since then the oil and gas worker has been forced to shield, as the condition and drugs needed to fight it have a severe impact on his immune system.

Scott and his wife Nikola, 52, have not seen any friends or relatives since then.

The only time Ive left the house is to walk the dog, says Scott. Our daughter has just gone to university, and now she has to stay away most of the time.

Scott believes Evusheld would allow him to resume a more normal life.

Its hard enough to have a blood cancer diagnosis and go through intense treatment. Knowing that Im being denied a treatment that could give me my life back makes the situation even worse.
AFL superstar Dustin Martin's bikie father died alone of a heart attack while pumped up on animal steroids, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

Shane 'Kiwi' Martin, 54, was found dead facedown on the floor of his bedroom in Mt Maunganui, 200km south-east of Auckland, in December.

The official cause of death of the Richmond hero's dad remained a mystery for months pending a post mortem and two detailed toxicology reports.

Daily Mail Australia has obtained a copy of the coroner's findings, which reveal his final moments and the cocktail of prescription drugs discovered nearby.

It found he died of cardiovascular disease but was a steroid user who was also taking anti-depressants after he was kicked out of Australia and kept apart from his son.

AFL superstar Dustin Martin's bikie father Shane Martin died alone of a heart attack while pumped up on animal steroids

Shane 'Kiwi' Martin, 54, was found dead facedown on the bedroom floor of his home in Mt Maunganui, 200km south-east of Auckland, New Zealand, last December

Martin was a senior member of the Rebels bikie gang in Sydney, but was deported to New Zealand in 2016 on 'bad character' grounds, despite living most of his adult life in Australia.

He was heartbroken at being cut off from his son Dustin, 31, who was unable to visit him in New Zealand at the time of his death because of Covid travel restrictions.

An initial blood toxicology investigation in March found traces of the anti-depressant drug Amitriptyline which was 'consistent with normal use', said the coroner's report.

It also found traces of another anti-depressant Nortriptyline, as well as caffeine and theobromine, but there was no sign of alcohol or any cannabis-related substances.

However two months later, a second toxicology report ordered for further checks on a urine sample revealed Martin's steroid use.

'There was evidence in the urine for the use of the steroids trenbolone and nandrolone,' the coroner's report said.

'Trenbolone is used on livestock to promote muscle growth and appetite. Nandrolone are anabolic steroids.'

The coroner said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

An autopsy found clear evidence of heart disease blocking his arteries and swelling his thickening heart to twice its normal size, sparking his fatal heart attack.

The post mortem revealed he suffered 'occlusive coronary atherosclerotic disease and anterior interventricular septal fibrosis' of his heart, which weighed 600g, compared to the healthy man's average of 280-312g.

Shane Martin died of cardiovascular disease and was a steroid user who was also taking medication for depression after he was kicked out of Australia and kept apart from his son

Friend Scott Williams arrived at Shane Martin's home at 1.30pm and found his lifeless body

He also suffered from painful Crohn's Disease, a debilitating inflammatory bowel condition, and was taking azathioprine to treat it, which was found in his kitchen along with his anti-depressant medication.

On the day of his death, Martin was said to have complained of a searing headache to a female friend as he drank a cup of tea with her around 9.30am.

He said he'd taken painkillers and his friend made him a coffee and breakfast before leaving him just as another friend arrived to take him shopping.

The friend returned Martin to his home around midday which was the last time he was seen alive.

Another friend, Scott Williams, arrived around 1.30pm to find Martin's body in the bedroom.

Shane Martin (centre) also suffered from painful Crohn's Disease, a debilitating inflammatory bowel condition, and was taking azathioprine to treat it along with his anti-depressants

Martin was a senior member of the Rebels bikie gang in Sydney, but was deported back to New Zealand in 2016 on 'bad character' grounds, despite living most of his adult life in Australia

'Mr Williams called the emergency services and while waiting for an ambulance he began CPR,' said the report by New Zealand coroner Bruce Hesketh.

'The ambulance crew arrived a short time later and took over resuscitation efforts which they continued for 40 minutes. However, Mr Martin could not be revived.

'Verification of death was signed by attending St John Ambulance crew. Formal identification was signed by Mr Williams who had known the deceased for six years.'

The coroner ruled out a full inquiry as he said he and police were satisfied there were 'no suspicious or untoward circumstances surrounding this death'.

His death came just weeks after he was accused of punching and strangling a model while calling her a 'sl**' and a 'w***e' in a steroid-induced rage.

Shane Martin was facing charges for violently attacking a woman, 49, (pictured) in her bedroom at the time of his death

Martin was arrested last October after allegedly punching the woman in the face, throwing her around her own bedroom, and squeezing her neck while slinging insults.

Detectives later raided his holiday rental property and found empty steroid vials - which he admitted to using in an effort to enhance his performance at the gym.

He pleaded not guilty to charges of male assaults female, strangulation and burglary in Tauranga District Court in November. Martin also denied illegally obtaining the steroids.

According to court documents, Martin had been in an 'intermittent relationship' with the woman since 2020 when he used a spare key to enter her Mt Maunganui home at 2am on October 23.

The mother, 49, who Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name, lived alone and had been out socialising with friends when she came home to find Martin in her bed.

Martin ignored her request for him to leave and started accusing her of 'f***ing around', 'w***ing around', and calling her a 'sl**'.

He then allegedly threw her around the bedroom, punched her in the face and cut her lip, bit her finger, and grabbed her around the neck - 'squeezing, but not sufficiently for her to lose consciousness,' court documents say.

Martin admitted letting himself into her home using a key hidden outside, and having a 'heated argument' when she arrived home.

But he insisted he would never hurt her. Martin, who ran a New Zealand trucking business, died a month after facing court over the charges.

Shane Martin's heartbroken son Dustin Martin (pictured) last saw his father in April 2021 because of the Covid restrictions

The body of former Rebels bikie boss Shane Martin (pictured in Auckland with Australian actress Rachel Griffiths) was found in his bedroom a week before Christmas

Triple Norm Smith medallist Dustin Martin had been unable to fly over to New Zealand to see his father since April 2021 because of the Covid restrictions.

'Its been a massive challenge, but it is what it is,' Dustin said in March 2021 before the domestic violence allegations against his father were made public.

'I love my dad and hes made me the man I am today.'

Shane's final attempt to return to Australian ended in frustration when he was held at Sydney Airport by Australian Border Force in February 2020 before he was sent home again.

'It s***s me that you can't keep in contact with people who have been a big part of your life,' he fumed.

'I met some really good, respectful people, I don't regret it. It sort of annoys me how people look down on bikies, or clubbies. They do have morals, respect and loyalty.

'They respect what Im fighting for and vice versa.'

He had to watch his son win in Richmond Tigers' 2019 and 2020 grand final victories on television from New Zealand after a bid to fly over was thwarted.

'It's pretty hard to see it on TV when I should be there, really, but that's another story,' he said in 2020.

'It's still a proud moment but I would have loved to be there, but yeah, you know, it is what it is, don't want to take the moment away from it.'
Advertisement

Shocking new footage has revealed the hellish fighting Royal Marine Alexander Blackman and his patrol had to endure in Afghanistan, almost a decade after he was wrongly handed a life sentence for murdering a Taliban fighter in the now infamous Marine A case.

In 2013, Sergeant Blackman became the first British serviceman to be convicted of murder on a foreign battlefield, after being captured on a helmet camera shooting a wounded Taliban insurgent in the chest with his pistol in Nad-e Ali, in Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 2011.

The insurgent had been a member of a group who attacked a small British patrol base and Sergeant Blackman's group of marines had been sent to look for the fleeing attackers.

Sgt Blackman was released from prison in 2017 after Daily Mail readers helped to overturn his conviction, which was downgraded to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility due to 'combat stress' brought on by months of relentless fighting and the deaths of comrades.

Now, in an upcoming Channel 4 documentary, Sgt Blackman tearfully declares: 'I'm not a murderer', as he and his fellow soldiers detail their terrifying battles in the war - which lasted 13 years and took 454 British lives, only for the Taliban to re-take control following the complete withdrawal of Western forces last year.

One clip from War and Justice: The Case Of Marine A, which airs on Sunday, shows the young men running for their lives in an open field after being sent to 'draw fire' from the Taliban to reveal their enemy's location.

In dramatic footage from helmet cameras, the soldiers are seen donning heavy Army gear under the blistering sun as they take cover under trees while bullets rain down all around them.

One soldier describes how the servicemen were 'walking targets', while another adds: 'Everyone was just tired of walking around waiting to get shot at'. Another branded the situation 'very, very hard' and said the soldiers were designed to be 'the red rag to the Taliban bull.'

In the preview, Sgt Blackman adds: 'I'm worried that the young guys whose mothers, before we deployed, asked me to look after them, aren't going to come home.'

In 2013, Sergeant Blackman (pictured), who was known as Marine A during the long-running case, became the first British serviceman to be convicted of murder on a foreign battlefield.

High Court judges eventually ruled that combat stress brought on by months of heavy fighting and the deaths of comrades had clouded his judgement, leading him to snap. Previously unseen helmet camera footage (above) that will be shown in a Channel 4 documentary on Sunday backs up this fact, with Sergeant Blackman's unit seen coming under heavy fire from insurgents

A clip from War and Justice: The Case Of Marine A, shows the young men running for their lives in an open field after being sent to 'draw fire' from the Taliban to reveal their enemies' locations (Pictured: Blackman appearing in documentary)

He later recalls how after returning from the warzone he was expecting a promotion, only to be awoken from his bed by police, who arrested him for war crimes.

The video of him shooting the insurgent was found on a Royal Marine's laptop during an investigation by police into another alleged crime. It was this discovery that led to Sergeant Blackman's conviction, which saw him sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of ten years behind bars.

But an investigation by the Mail revealed that vital evidence had been 'deliberately withheld' from his trial. High Court judges eventually ruled that combat stress brought on by months of heavy fighting and the deaths of comrades had clouded his judgement, leading him to snap.

But Jeff Blackett, the former Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces says in the programme that Blackman 'told lies to the court' and adds that if he had been 'honest right at the start' he would have likely been given a 'relatively short sentence'.

Judge Blackett adds that 'nobody wins in these cases'.

'But was justice done? Yes it was,' he says. 'Because Blackman unlawfully killed a Taliban and let's not forget that nobody seems to worry about him. This was a young man who Blackman killed, who could've been saved.'

Shortly before Sergeant Blackman's conviction was quashed, Blackett was criticised for failing to offer the jury at his original trial the chance to convict him of manslaughter.

Jeff Blackett (pictured), the former Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces says in the programme that Blackman 'told lies to the court' and adds that if he had been 'honest right at the start' he would have likely been given a 'relatively short sentence'

Judge Blackett's attack on Sgt Blackman in the documentary was branded counter-factual by celebrated author Frederick Forsyth (pictured right) and Jonathan Goldberg QC (pictured left), who led the Commando's legal appeal.

It also emerged in the lead-up to the murder conviction being quashed that no psychiatric assessment of the soldier was performed before his conviction.

Mr Blackett's attack on Sgt Blackman was branded counter-factual by celebrated author Frederick Forsyth and Jonathan Goldberg QC, who led the Commando's legal appeal.

Mr Forsyth said: 'Judge Blackett's court martial made a mockery of justice, everything about it was wrong. This smacks of him trying to rewrite history and save face.

'As for saying the insurgent could have been saved, that's ludicrous. He had been ripped to pieces by machinegun fire. He was moments from death and miles from any hospital.

'What Judge Blackett says is quite breathtaking.'

Jonathan Goldberg, the QC who won Sgt Blackman freedom at his appeal funded by Mail readers, said: 'Some people who know the facts may have rather more sympathy for Marine A and rather less for the dying Taliban than the judge. He could not have been saved.

'I obtained a full report from the UK's leading pathologist who saw his injuries from the Apache helicopter on the film, and concluded he had only minutes left to live. Failing to obtain such evidence was one of the many faults of the original court martial.'

The shooting dead of the Taliban insurgent came on September 15, 2011, six months after Sergeant Blackman and his unit - J Company - had been deployed to Nad-e Ali.

Marine Sam Dean (pictured) tells the documentary that he and his fellow servicemen were 'walking targets' for the Taliban

Dan Goodwin (pictured left, during combat, while right, in the documentary) told how 'everyone was sick walking around and waiting to get shot at'

Judge in Marine A case is blasted by experts as he insists hero sergeant unlawfully killed Taliban soldier in astonishing intervention In an astonishing intervention, Jeff Blackett, the former Judge Advocate General of the Armed Forces, has accused Sergeant Alexander Blackman - aka Marine A - of 'telling lies to the court' during his 2013 murder trial for shooting dead a Taliban fighter. After initially being found guilty of murder, the ruling was overturned and Sgt Blackman was instead convicted of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. But in an upcoming Channel 4 documentary probing the ordeal, judge Blackett blasts Sgt Blackman, saying that if he had been 'honest right at the start' he would have likely been given a 'relatively short sentence'. Judge Blackett adds that 'nobody wins in these cases'. 'But was justice done? Yes it was,' he says. 'Because Blackman unlawfully killed a Taliban and let's not forget that nobody seems to worry about him. This was a young man who Blackman killed, who could've been saved.' But Mr Blackett's attack was branded counter-factual by celebrated author Frederick Forsyth and Jonathan Goldberg QC, who led the Commando's legal appeal. Mr Forsyth said: 'Judge Blackett's court martial made a mockery of justice, everything about it was wrong. This smacks of him trying to rewrite history and save face. 'What Judge Blackett says is quite breathtaking. 'If that case had been justice, as he now seems to be claiming, then it would not have been overturned, would it? 'First, the Criminal Cases Review Commission declared it was a miscarriage of justice. That says it all. Then, three law lords at the Court of Appeal toppled both the verdict and the sentence. 'Everything about Judge Blackett's court martial case was wrong, so for him to be saying this now just smacks of him trying to rewrite history and save his face.' He adds: 'As for saying the Taliban insurgent could have been saved, that is as ludicrous as it is nonsense. This fighter who was hell-bent on ambushing British troops had already been ripped to pieces by machine gun fire - not by the Marines, but by a helicopter gunship. 'He was lying in a field moments from death, miles from any hospital. There was nothing anybody could have done to save him.' The best-selling novelist continued: 'Al Blackman and his men had been tested to beyond breaking point. They had lost comrades, and they were living in hell, all but abandoned by everyone, and taunted by the Taliban who hung the severed limbs of their comrades from trees. 'Was Al Blackman a hero that day? He wasn't. But he was placed in a situation beyond the limit of normal tolerance.' Jonathan Goldberg, the QC who won Sgt Blackman freedom at his appeal funded by Mail readers, said: 'Some people who know the facts may have rather more sympathy for Marine A and rather less for the dying Taliban than the judge. He could not have been saved. 'I obtained a full report from the UK's leading pathologist who saw his injuries from the Apache helicopter on the film, and concluded he had only minutes left to live. Failing to obtain such evidence was one of the many faults of the original court martial.' Advertisement

Amidst horrendous conditions and constant danger, the men were tasked with drawing enemy fire so that could be targeted.

Former war reporter Chris Terrill says in the Channel 4 programme: 'I would say they were the red rag to the Taliban bull. That is very, very hard.'

On September 15, Taliban insurgents attacked a small British patrol base, prompting an Apache helicopter to open fire. Sergeant Blackman and his men were then tasked with looking for the fleeing attackers.

When they found one of them, who was gravely wounded, Sergeant Blackman shot him in the chest. One of the members of the patrol captured it on his helmet camera.

Sergeant Blackman was heard saying: 'Obviously this doesn't go anywhere fellas. I've just broken the Geneva Convention.'

However, he says in the documentary that he believed the man was dead when he shot him. 'I thought he had died shortly after we got him there,' he said.

'And then I discharged my pistol. I still shouldn't have done it, because I have desecrated a body, which is against the Geneva Convention.'

He later adds: 'I still struggle to understand why I drew my sidearm and fired at him.'

'I've not really thought about him a lot on a personal level. He was the enemy at the time. His choice to pick up a weapon and try and kill us,' he says.

Sergeant Blackman was arrested several months after returning from his tour of duty, after police had found the helmet camera footage of the incident on a marine's laptop.

The discovery was made after the soldier's computer was seized during an investigation into a dispute with a reservist marine.

The footage, which was named Clip Four, was shown to Sergeant Blackman, who admits in the documentary that he was 'less than truthful' in the answers he gave during initial questioning.

'They just had Clip Four at that point and at the time I was concerned, frightened and looking for ways to protect myself,' he says.

'I didn't want to volunteer things that could end me up in more trouble than I thought I might already be in.'

He adds that it did not feel like a 'lie' at the time, but 'looking back', he concedes it was one. 'I believed he was dead', he stresses.

Asked if he still maintains that, he adds: 'At the time I did. In hindsight and having... and after I discharged the firearm, I believe I may have been wrong.'

The Royal Military Police, who took over the investigation from civilian officers, then forensically recovered the full clip of the killing, which had been deleted.

This evidence led to Sergeant Blackman's murder conviction, whilst two other accused marines were acquitted.

In 2015, the Daily Mail launched a crowdfunding campaign to free Sergeant Blackman, while high-profile figures including the popular author Frederick Forsyth called for him to be released. Daily Mail readers raised more than 804,000 to fund the ongoing legal bid.

It emerged that no psychiatric evidence was commissioned or obtained prior to Sergeant Blackman's conviction.

Key to the case was a psychiatric report that was performed six years after Sergeant Blackman shot the insurgent.

Military psychiatrist Professor Neil Greenberg says in the documentary: 'My impression was, having looked at all the documentation, having spoken to him, having sat down and considered the case in detail was that he had developed what we call an 'adjustment disorder'.

Sergeant Blackman now lives with his wife Claire (pictured together) in Taunton, Somerset

He was filmed on a fellow marine's helmet camera shooting a wounded Taliban insurgent in the chest with his pistol in Nad-e Ali, in Afghanistan 's Helmand Province in 2011. The insurgent had been a member of a group who attacked a small British patrol base and Sergeant Blackman's group of marines had been sent to look for the fleeing attackers. Above: A screengrab of the footage, which has never been released in full

Military psychiatrist Professor Neil Greenberg (pictured) says in the documentary: 'My impression was, having looked at all the documentation, having spoken to him, having sat down and considered the case in detail was that he had developed what we call an 'adjustment disorder'.

Sergeant Blackman now lives with his wife Claire in Taunton, Somerset. He adds in the documentary: 'I am thankful that was I was suffering from when I was serving has not been a recurring problem for me. 'I am healthy, I am employed, Claire and I have stayed together. We are happy'. Above: The pair in December 2019

'What an adjustment disorder is is a situation where you have a significant stress in your life, and rather than just being a bit upset and then getting over it, it has a much deeper impact on you.'

The symptoms of Sergeant Blackman's condition include anxiety, depression and disturbance in emotions and conduct.

Professor Greenberg adds: 'If you think about his adjustment disorder as rated between 0 and 10 with ten being as severe as it possibly could be, I think probably at the time of the killing, Sergeant Blackman was at a six or a seven.'

Sergeant Blackman says of the report: 'For me, it helped me if not understand completely why I did it, understand how it could have happened.'

With the weight of the new evidence, Sergeant Blackman's conviction was downgraded to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in March 2017.

He was given a seven-year sentence, but due to the time he had already served, he was released the following month.

The former soldier insists: 'I don't think I am a murderer. I don't think I was a murderer. Right or wrong and whether you believe it or not, the court has decided that I am not a murderer. It is the past and I don't want that to define me for the rest of my life.

Sergeant Blackman now lives with his wife Claire in Taunton, Somerset. He adds: 'I am thankful that was I was suffering from when I was serving has not been a recurring problem for me.

'I am healthy, I am employed, Claire and I have stayed together. We are happy.'

War and Justice: The Case of Marine A airs at 9pm on Channel 4 on Sunday.
Advertisement

With the cost-of-living crisis now biting deep into disposable incomes across the country, many Britons will be reconsidering whether they can afford to go on a holiday over the coming months.

But those willing to compromise on space might be interested to know it's still possible to have a seaside break for peanuts - when looking at these properties which are the cheapest available on Airbnb.

There are at least 20 listings for 25 or less on the website under the 'beachfront' category, with the cheapest in the UK being a private room on the North Wales coast at Rhyl which is only 10 a night.

Despite looking very basic as you might expect, the room in an Edwardian building is described as being 'on a pleasant street adjacent to the sea and beach promenade' and even has an average rating of 4.8 stars.

Other very cheap options include a touring caravan around 50 miles away at Harlech for just 13 a night, while you can also get a private room near Blackpool beach for 15 a night which has an average star rating of 4.58.

If you are willing to really compromise on space then you could look at a 16-a-night 'cosy' listing on the East Sussex coast at Peacehaven which is simply described as a 'private tent with airbed and sleeping bag'.

Other properties within the cheapest 20 are located at Sheerness in Kent, Walney Island in Cumbria and on the Isle of Man and Isles of Scilly. Here, take a look at each one - starting with Britain's cheapest seaside Airbnb:

10/night - RHYL, NORTH WALES: The cheapest seaside Airbnb in Britain - under the category 'beachfront properties' - is this private room in an Edwardian building in the Welsh resort of Rhyl. It is described as being 'on a pleasant street adjacent to the sea and beach promenade' and 'ideal for hospital staff, workers and travellers', and has an average rating of 4.8 stars

13/night  HARLECH, NORTH WALES: Another cheap location for a coastal getaway is this touring caravan based on the Welsh coast at Harlech - known for its castle - which is available for just 13 a night. The description also says: 'The touring caravan can be delivered and set up for your holiday anywhere in Wales we can even change location mid-week if you wish'

15/night - BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE: Those looking for a seaside break in the North West on a very tight budget could check out this private room near Blackpool beach, which has an average rating of 4.58 stars and is just 15 a night. The description says it is in a 'peaceful, happy building', adding: 'Free green tea and toast always available on request'

16/night  HARLECH, NORTH WALES: Another very cheap option is this caravan on the Welsh coast at Harlech - operated by the same host as the other one referred to above for 13 a night. The description says: 'Normally we set the caravan up for you anywhere in Snowdonia, or along the coastline between Cardiff and Llandudno provided you pay the caravan site fees'

16/night - PEACEHAVEN, EAST SUSSEX: A very cheap option for staying over on the Sussex coast is this listing, which is simply described as 'private tent with airbed and sleeping bag'. The host is one of Airbnb's 'superhosts' and the listing has ten reviews which are all five stars. One of the reviews stated: 'Cosy atmosphere. A wonderful host who met well'

16/night - SHEERNESS, KENT: This campervan on the Isle of Sheppey is listed in the description as allowing occupants to 'sleep al fresco in the privacy of a backyard' and is 'suited to the adventurous solo or couple travellers to experience Sheerness under the stars'. It also said to be a 'stone's throw away from an award winning Blue Flag bathing beach'

17/night - BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE: This private room in Blackpool was redecorated last year, with the description saying it has 'all new carpets, furniture, comfortable double bed, easy chair and smart TV'. The listing for the room, which has a 4.88-star average rating, says those who choose to stay there are often hospital workers or people attending events

18/night - WALNEY ISLAND, CUMBRIA: This modern-looking private room is listed as being close to the beach, with the description saying: 'You'll love my place because of the location, the views, the ambiance, and the outdoors space'. However, you'll need to have a job nearby, because it is listed as for 'people working in the area, not for those on a short leisure visit'

18/night - HENDON, TYNE AND WEAR: This private room in Hendon near Sunderland is available very cheaply and provides easy access to the local beach. There are nine reviews averaging at 4.89 stars - and the host says she can speak Romanian, English, French, Italian, Spanish and basic Chinese. One review says she is 'very friendly' and 'welcoming'

18/night - WALNEY ISLAND, CUMBRIA: This private room in a townhouse on Walney Island is very cheap and is said to be 'freshly decorated and furnished'. It appears to be targeted towards local workers, with the owner saying it is 'perfect' for those coming working at BAE Systems in nearby Barrow-in-Furness, and there is a 'weekly rent for as long as you'd like to stay'

19/night - FRINTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX: This beach hut on a sandy seafront is available on the Essex coast for a very cheap price, although the listing specifically states that the listing is 'dawn to dusk only' because council rules forbid overnight stays - so you will need to find somewhere else to stay overnight. The property has 480 reviews with an average of 4.97 stars

19/night  BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE: This room in a hotel is listed as a 'newly decorated double room'. While it is very cheap, the average review is only 3.6 stars - with one saying there was no hot water in the shower and they washed in the sink

20/night - WORMIT, FIFE: This private room is located in a village on the south shore of the Firth of Tay in Scotland. While it enjoys impressive views and scenic walks, the area also claims to be the first village in Scotland to be lit by electricity

20/night - DORNIE, SKYE AND LOCHALSH: This property is known as 'The Signal Box' and is a tiny box room in a remote part of Scotland near the famous Eilean Donan Castle. It is only for single travellers and is five miles from the nearest shop

21/night - RAMSGATE, KENT: This single room in a family townhouse in the centre of Ramsgate on the Kent coast is listed on Airbnb at just 21 a night and is said to be close to the seafront and in a 'a quiet, family working house with two small dogs'

23/night - ISLE OF MAN: This private room in a cottage is close to Chapel Beach on the island. The description says: 'The house was originally a butcher's shop and two traditional Manx cottages - now it is a well appointed, homely place to stay'

24/night - WALLASEY, MERSEYSIDE: This private room is located near Wallasey and New Brighton beaches - and close to Liverpool too. It is described as a 'small but cosy room' with a single bed as well as a shared kitchen and bathroom

25/night - BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE: Those heading to Blackpool could opt for this private room in a property called Penryn House, built in 1884. There are four rooms in the property rented out through Airbnb and it has a 4.97-star average

25/night - ISLES OF SCILLY: It might require a bit of expenditure to get there from mainland England, but this cabin on Scilly is just 25 a night and is 'designed for the solo traveller looking for a base from which to explore the unique islands'
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.
The Wall Street Journal says Elon Musk's online attacks against Investigations Editor Michael Siconolfi are 'unwarranted and unfounded after the paper claimed Musk had an affair with the then-wife of Google's co-founder.

A Wall Street Journal spokesman told DailyMail.com that they were 'confident in our sourcing and stand by our reporting.' WSJ also noted Siconolfi was 'not part of the editing team' for Grind and Glazer's story.

The Tesla CEO called out Siconolfi and the newspaper on Twitter after the publication of a recent article claiming he had an affair with Nicole Shanahan, the estranged wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

The 'fake hit piece' - as Musk called it - argued the alleged affair served as a catalyst for Shanahan and Brin's divorce.

It is unclear why Musk, 51, publicly slammed Siconolfi as reporters Kristen Grind and Emily Glazer are named as the only authors on the article.

The Wall Street Journal says Elon Musk's (left) online attacks against Investigations Editor Michael Siconolfi (right) are 'unwarranted and unfounded.' The Tesla CEO called out Siconolfi and the newspaper over an article claiming he had an affair with Nicole Shanahan, the estranged wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin

It is unclear why Musk, 51, publicly slammed Siconolfi as reporters Kristen Grind (left) and Emily Glazer (right) are named as authors on the article

WSJ published a story titled Elon Musks Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair on Monday, alleging the billionaire was romantically involved with Shanahan, 33, at an art event in Miami Beach last December.

The story, which cited unnamed sources 'familiar' with the alleged affair, claimed there is 'growing tension' between Musk and Brin - who have been friends for many years.

WSJ's sources also alleged Musk 'dropped to one knee' in front of Brin, 48, at a party earlier this year to apologize for the affair and beg for forgiveness.

Mere hours after publication, Musk tweeted a photo of himself partying with Brin in an effort to disprove the newspaper's bombshell claim.

Replying to a post by Siconolfi, and tagging Grind and Glazer, Musk captioned the photo with emojis depicting long pants and fire in a playful reference to the childish saying 'liar, liar, pants on fire'.

Musk continued to show his aggravation with the investigations editor on Monday, tweeting that he's trying to avoid the 'supernova' level of attention on him in the wake of the rumors about the alleged affair.

WSJ published a story titled Elon Musks Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair on Monday, alleging Musk was involved with Shanahan, 33, at an art event in Miami Beach last December. Nicole Shanahan and Sergey Brin are pictured in November 2019

WSJ editor Michael Siconolfi tweeted out a link to the article on Monday

Elon Musk tweeted this photo in response to WSJ editor Michael Siconolfi on Monday after the paper claimed he and Brin were not on speaking terms because of the alleged affair

Musk continued to show his aggravation with the investigations editor on Monday, tweeting that he's trying to avoid the 'supernova' level of attention on him in the wake of the rumors about the alleged affair

WSJ on Friday reiterated it is standing by its story, with a spokesman for the newspaper telling DailyMail.com: 'We are confident in our sourcing, and we stand by our reporting.

'Recent attacks on Michael Siconolfi are unwarranted and unfounded. Mike is a celebrated and widely respected editor and reporter in our industry,' the newspaper added in an additional statement.

'He has overseen a wide array of impactful stories with integrity and high standards for The Wall Street Journal over many decades. For the record, Mike was not part of the editing team for this story.'

The statement came after Shanahans lawyer told exclusively DailyMail.com that she did not have an affair with the Tesla founder - calling it an 'outright lie'.

Bryan Freedman said: Make no mistake, any suggestion that Nicole had an affair with Elon Musk is not only an outright lie but also defamatory.

Shanahan is a Stanford-educated lawyer who works at the firm Bio-Echa, an investment firm that pours money into projects like bolstering 'reproductive longevity.'

Sergey Brin has been spotted whisking a mystery blonde away in a Tesla Thursday night after a cozy date in Malibu, California

Brin drove himself and his mystery blonde woman in the Tesla Model 3, worth up to $62,990 for the performance model, away from the restaurant on Thursday night

Musk on Wednesday tweeted that Shanahan should sue WSJ over their story

A couple of hours later, Musk continued his criticisms, adding that the 'media is a click-seeking machine dressed up as a truth-seeking machine' and said he had spoken to Brin who confirmed he had not talked to WSJ

Musk on Wednesday tweeted that Shanahan should sue WSJ over their story.

He said that as a 'public person,' he himself would not be able to win a defamation lawsuit against a news organization, but that Shanahan should pursue legal action.

'As a "public person," standard to win a defamation lawsuit against a news org is almost impossible,' he wrote. 'They could say I'm Satan and the "source" is their psychic! Nicole is not a public person, so could win. I hope she sues them.'

He then added a jab at Siconolfi, writing he 'has done so many fake hit pieces.'

A couple of hours later, Musk continued his criticisms, adding that the 'media is a click-seeking machine dressed up as a truth-seeking machine' and said he had spoken to Brin who confirmed he had not talked to WSJ.

Brin and Shanahan were married for four years before he filed for divorce in January, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. The proceedings still currently ongoing.

When the divorce proceedings were launched, Shanahan said: 'I hope for Sergey and I to move forward with dignity, honesty and harmony for the sake of our child. And we are both working towards that.'

The couple share a four-year-old daughter.

Musk with Brin (far right) in the early 2000s. The Wall Street Journal claimed the 'affair' brought an abrupt end to the Brins' marriage and his friendship with Musk

Sergey Brin and Nicole Shanahan are shown on Lake Como in July last year. She said in January when their divorce was announced: 'I hope for Sergey and I to move forward with dignity, honesty and harmony for the sake of our child. And we are both working towards that'

Nicole Shanahan's (pictured September 2021) told DailyMail.com in an exclusive statement: 'Make no mistake, any suggestion that Nicole had an affair with Elon Musk is not only an outright lie but also defamatory'

The WSJ article also claimed that Brin was selling off all of his interests in Musk's companies.

The pair have been friends for years, with Brin giving Musk $500,000 in 2008 to help him fund Tesla at the peak of the Global Financial Crash.

He also lent Musk the Google Party Plane for the Tesla CEO's wedding to actress Talulah Riley in 2010.

Brin is the eighth richest man in the world with a net worth of $95 billion.

He is said to own multiple interests in Musk's many businesses, all of which he has ordered his aides to sell.

Brin has not yet commented on the Journal's claims, but Musk has been denying the claims in a frenzy on Twitter accusing the newspaper - which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp - of launching 'hit pieces' against him all year.
A police force has been slammed by its own crime commissioner after an army veteran was arrested for sharing an image posted by Laurence Fox on social media.

Donna Jones, Tory police and crime commissioner for Hampshire, issued a statement on Friday highlighting concern over 'both the proportionality and necessity of the polices response' after the 51-year-old man was arrested at his home in Aldershot for 'malicious communications'.

The arrest was in relation to the man having shared a picture tweeted by actor turned campaigner Mr Fox of a picture of a swastika made out of a number of pride flags.

The tweet resulted in a sharp backlash, with Twitter temporarily freezing his account for violating their 'hateful imagery' policy, and a Assembly member calling on the to investigate Mr Fox. He was not arrested.

Harry Miller, a former police officer, was also arrested after claiming he had tried to prevent the former serviceman from being detained, The Telegraph reports.

In her statement, Ms Jones said: 'When incidents on social media receive not one but two visits from police officers, but burglaries and non-domestic break-ins dont always get a police response, something is wrong.'

Donna Jones, Tory police and crime commissioner for Hampshire, slammed the county's police force on Friday

Former police officer Harry Miller (pictured outside the High Court on December 2021) was also arrested at the scene in Aldershot, Hampshire

Actor turned campaigner Laurence Fox (pictured) was also present at the scene. The man was arrested over malicious communications after sharing a tweet from Mr Fox

Full statement from crime commissioner criticising her own police force PCC Donna Jones: 'I am aware of the video published on Twitter which shows the arrest of two men in Hampshire yesterday, one for malicious communications and one for obstruction of a police officer. 'I have taken this issue up with the Constabulary today and have been advised officers made the arrests following a complaint from a member of the public of an alleged hate crime. 'It follows a post on social media of Progress Pride flags in the shape of a Swastika. 'I am concerned about both the proportionality and necessity of the polices response to this incident. When incidents on social media receive not one but two visits from police officers, but burglaries and non-domestic break-ins dont always get a police response, something is wrong. 'As Police Commissioner, I am committed to ensuring Hampshire Constabulary serves the public as the majority of people would expect. It appears on this occasion this has not happened. 'This incident has highlighted a really topical issue which Hampshire Constabulary and other police forces need to learn from. In order to support this I will be writing to the College of Policing to make them aware of this incident and encourage greater clarification on the guidance in order to ensure that police forces can respond more appropriately in the future.' Advertisement

She added: 'As Police Commissioner, I am committed to ensuring Hampshire Constabulary serves the public as the majority of people would expect. It appears on this occasion this has not happened.

'This incident has highlighted a really topical issue which Hampshire Constabulary and other police forces need to learn from.

'In order to support this I will be writing to the College of Policing to make them aware of this incident and encourage greater clarification on the guidance in order to ensure that police forces can respond more appropriately in the future.'

Footage of the arrest shared on social media showed an officer saying the man had been arrested, while Mr Fox had not, because someone had reported they had been 'caused anxiety' by the man's post and contacted police.

Mr Miller, who in December won a Court of Appeal challenge over police guidance on 'hate incidents', said police visited the man 10 days earlier and has informed him that he could take the option of attending an 80 education course to avoid being arrested and possibly charged with a criminal offence.

The veteran said he needed time to mull it over, before the officers agreed to return at a future date.

Police returned to the man's property on Thursday, but he had contacted Mr Miller and Mr Fox during the intervening period. The pair run the Bad Law project together, which claims to 'challenge and depoliticise' policing.

They agreed to attend the man's home and were present when officers returned.

Mr Miller claims the former serviceman refused the offer of the educational course, leading to his arrest.

A statement from Hampshire Constabulary said: 'When officers arrived they were prevented from entering the address to discuss a potential resolution to the matter.

'As a result, officers felt it was necessary to arrest a man at the scene so they could interview him in relation to the alleged offence.'

But Mr Miller subsequently place himself between the officers and the veteran, telling police: 'You arrest him, youve got to come through me.'

He was also arrested on suspicion of obstructing police and has been released under investigation, describing the incident as 'one of the proudest moments of my life'.

The footage, captured by Mr Fox, also shows the actor and veteran accuse police of acting like the Gestapo.

Mr Miller won a Court of Appeal challenge over police guidance on 'hate incidents' in December after claiming it unlawfully interferes with the right to freedom of expression.

The former officer who describes himself as 'gender critical', was approached by colleagues at Humberside Police over alleged transphobic tweets in January 2020.

The force recorded the complaint as a 'non-crime hate incident', defined by the College of Policing's guidance as 'any non-crime incident which is perceived, by the victim or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice'.

Mr Miller, from Lincolnshire, challenged both Humberside Police's actions and the College of Policing's guidance at the High Court and a judge ruled the force's actions were a 'disproportionate interference' with Mr Miller's right to freedom of expression.
Plans to run a multi-million 24-hour Greggs superstore in the heart of London have fallen flat after the Met Police warned of a potential increase in crime and disorder.

Proposals had been submitted to use constant CCTV and even a door supervisor to keep the flagship store, which will cover 1,500 sq ft in Leicester Square, open for all hours of the day.

But the hugely popular bakery chain has been hit with a setback after Westminster City Council quashed the idea of offering a 24hour licence for the business.

Although the store is permitted to sell its iconic pastries all through the night, it cannot offer a full menu, such as its bacon breakfast rolls or hot drinks, because licensing restrictions prevent the sale of such goods after 11pm.

Describing the plans as 'half baked', Westminster Council warned that allowing the chain to open all night could see it become a 'hotspot for social disturbance and anti-social behaviour'.

Karyn Abbott, senior licensing officer with the council, warned that the hot food and drink offerings could serve as a magnet for drunk people - who are in turn more likely to cause disturbances to the local community.

Those concerns were echoed by the Metropolitan Police, who made an official representation against the planning application.

In response Greggs warned its customers could become 'confused' by the limited menu options post-11pm, which could spark further trouble.

Plans to run a multi-million 24-hour Greggs superstore in the heart of London's West end have fallen flat after the Met Police warned of a potential increase in crime and disorder

Although the store is permitted to sell its famous pasties all through the night, it cannot offer a full menu, such as its bacon breakfast rolls or hot drinks, because licensing restrictions prevent the sale of such goods after 11pm without a licence

In addition to using CCTV cameras and employing security to man the doors, Greggs also pledged to clamp down on any excess waste building up outside the bakery.

But writing to the council's licensing committee, PC Adam Deweltz said the force believed a late night licence would only contribute to 'crime and disorder'.

'The Metropolitan Police, as a responsible authority, is making a representation against this application,' he added.

Aicha Less, Westminster City Councillor, added: 'We're as excited as anybody about the arrival of Greggs in Leicester Square and I'm sure people across the West End will flock to get themselves a sausage roll, steak bake or jam doughnut.

'However, legitimate concerns have been raised by police and local people that these plans are half baked.

'There are worries that businesses serving 24/7 in the city centre creates challenges and that the bakery could become a hotspot for late night social disturbance and anti-social behaviour.'

The building, which has a floor space of 1,560 sq ft (145 sq m), is located next to M&Ms World and opposite the Lego Store in the heart of London's West End. It was previously a branch of the Turkish bakery chain Simit Sarayi.

With the historic destination welcoming 2.5 million visitors each week tourists will get to experience the much-loved British bakery after it opened earlier this month.

Planning permission documents were first posted on the Westminster City Council website last September with the initial opening date set for February 2022 - which has since been delayed - and an estimated cost of 2million.

The store opened to great fanfare earlier this month with a blockbuster-style premiere, fit with a blue carpet, that was filled with influencers and special guests.

The flagship store at 1 Leicester Square opened to great fanfare earlier this month with a blockbuster-style premiere, fit with a blue carpet, that was filled with influencers and special guests

A Greggs spokesman previously told MailOnline: 'The opening of our new flagship shop in Leicester Square will be a huge moment as we continue to expand our presence across prime locations in Central London.

'We're excited to premiere our delicious food to new customers, including many tourists from outside of the UK who will get the opportunity to experience Greggs for the first time.'

The Newcastle-based company has been focusing on opening stores in prime areas of London over the past few years, with the new outlet following shops on The Strand, Canary Wharf, Paddington, St Pancras and Kings Cross.

The bakery chain is set to open 150 new stores in Britain over the next year which will take the total to nearly 2,500  but the flagship at 1 Leicester Square has quickly established itself as its most prestigious.
Advertisement

A 12-year-old boy who is home-schooled suffered horrific second and third-degree burns to 50 percent of his body after a science experiment went badly wrong.

Barrett McKim is recovering in the ICU at the Burn Care Center in Augusta, Georgia after he set himself on fire at his home in Highland, North Carolina, five weeks ago during an experiment utilizing rubbing alcohol and Bunsen burner.

Further details on the experiment have not emerged, although rubbing alcohol and Bunsen burners are very commonly used for a wide range of chemistry experiments.

His mother, Caroline McKim, said she heard a 'loud pop' before Barrett came running out with his 'whole body on fire.'

Caroline rushed to his rescue, trying to extinguish the flames as Barrett asked 'Mommy tell me the truth, am I going to die?

The pair were life-flighted to the Augusta hospital were Barrett has undergone 10 surgeries, with the latest involving extensive skin grafts.

Caroline, who suffered severe burns to her hands and arms during her attempted rescue, just recently gained movement back in her hands and is working on physical therapy.

Barrett McKim (left) is recovering in the ICU at the Burn Care Center in Augusta, Georgia after he set himself on fire at his home in Highland, North Carolina, five weeks ago during an experiment utilizing rubbing alcohol and Bunsen burner

Barrett suffered horrific second and third-degree burns to 50 percent of his body after the science experiment went badly wrong

Barrett, who loves science, suffered burns to his neck, torso, arms, hands and thighs on June 23 after a science experiment blew up in his face.

The Bunsen burner he was using ignited a bottle of rubbing alcohol, another component of the experiment, causing the 12-year-old boy to become engulfed in flames.

'I thought something had fallen or something had cracked, maybe like a glass,' Caroline told WRDW-TV earlier this month. 'And I got up, and as I was going to the front of the house, he came running out on fire, and his whole body is on fire.'

Caroline grabbed nearby pillows and started beating Barrett with them in an unsuccessful effort to put out the blaze.

'It would not go out; the fire would not go out,' she recalled. 'I tried to get him down on the floor to get him to roll, and it would not go out.

'So, I just screamed out to God to give me some direction on what to do. We were right next to the kitchen, so I just put him on the floor next to the sink and I got the sprayer from the sink, and I just started spraying him down.

'Barrett, at this point, was just asking me, "Am I going to die? Am I going to die? Mommy tell me the truth, am I going to die?"'

His mother said she heard a 'loud pop' before Barrett came running out with his 'whole body on fire.' She rushed to his rescue, trying to extinguish the flames as Barrett asked 'Mommy tell me the truth, am I going to die?

He was life-flighted to the Augusta hospital were Barrett has undergone 10 surgeries, with the latest involving extensive skin grafts

Caroline called 911 and continued to spray water on Barrett until the ambulance arrived, the family has said. The pair were flown from their North Carolina home to the burn center in Augusta.

'He did not have any skin. From his fingertips down to his knees. And some parts were white. Just white,' Caroline said of his initial injuries.

She added: 'He was wearing his goggles during this experiment, which we think saved his eyes.'

It is unclear what type of experiment he was conducting at the time of the accident, bar that it involved rubbing alcohol and a Bunsen burner.

Now, five weeks after the tragic accident, Barrett is making 'great strides' in what will be a years-long journey to recovery.

'A couple of times a day, were getting up and out of the bed, trying to walk and move, and hes doing really well,' the boy's father, Kyle McKim, told WLOS Thursday.

'He continues to fight through the pain, and he forces himself to do physical therapy, so hes doing well there.'

In his most recent surgery, surgeons utilized healthy skin from his back and thighs to create grafts on for the damaged tissue

Barrett just this week managed to walk up-and-down a set of stairs, which his parents alleged was a significant improvement

Once home Barrett will still be in recovery mode, needing to wear bandages, receive physical therapy and be treated for his pain

Barrett has already endured 10 surgeries, with his most recent having occurred on Wednesday. Surgeons performed a skin graft utilizing healthy tissue from his body.

'They ended up taking skin from the back of his thighs that were not burned, his entire back. Then, on the front of his thighs, he had had second-degree burns that had actually healed, and they took skin from the healed second-degree burns for his grafts,' Caroline explained.

The family is taking Barrett's recovery day-by-day, but says doctors are optimistic he may be eligible for discharge from the hospital in the next week or two.

Barrett just this week managed to walk up-and-down a set of stairs, which his parents alleged was a significant improvement.

'This is a very long road. Were, hopefully, on the downward slope of being in the hospital,' Caroline said.

However, once home Barrett will still be in recovery mode, needing to wear bandages, receive physical therapy and be treated for his pain.

'Were probably looking at, from what were hearing, probably an 18-month to two-year road of some of the ongoing physical therapy,' Kyle told the TV station.

His mother, Caroline, suffered severe burns to her hands and arms during her attempted rescue. She just recently gained movement back in her hands and is in physical therapy

Barrett, who spoke to WLOS-TV on Wednesday, said he is starting to feel better

Barrett said he is most looking forward to seeing his brothers and sisters when he is discharged from the hospital, which could happen as early as next week

Barrett, who spoke to WLOS-TV on Wednesday, said he is starting to feel better.

'Hey there Barrett, how are you feeling?' reporter Hannah Mackenzie asked.

He replied, in a faint voice: 'Ok.'

'What are you looking forward to most when you get out of the hospital?' she further probed.

'Probably seeing my brothers and sisters,' Barrett answered. 'And archery. I do archery practice every week. I really like that.'

The McKim family said they feel very blessed over the outpour of support they have received during this process.

A GoFundMe account created to help with Barrett's medical expenses had raised more than $152,000 by Friday evening.

The family also shared how people from across the nation have sent cards to the hospital to help bring Barrett some joy.

'We have received cards from people in Colorado, in Michigan, Hawaii, people that we dont even know that are just saying, "Were praying for you and were thinking about you and we hope you get better,"' Caroline shared.

Kyle added: 'Were very grateful. As hard as its been, we continue to count our blessings with what the Lord has done with his healing and protection for us.'

Caroline noted that she is also started to recover from her own injuries sustained during the accident, saying: 'Im working on the physical therapy, just to get the movement back and just be able to grip again and that sort of thing.'
Boris Johnsons preferred choice for the National Crime Agency top job, Lord Hogan-Howe, has dropped out of the race after deciding not to re-apply for the role.

Hogan-Howe, who presided over the disastrous Operation Midland investigation into a fictitious VIP paedophile ring while Scotland Yard commissioner, had been at the centre of a bitter cronyism row when the recruitment process was reopened after he failed to make the final round earlier this year.

Sources said Downing Street had intervened to allow the Prime Ministers ally another crack at the 223,000-a-year director general role, but it was reported that he has decided against re-applying.

Boris Johnsons preferred choice for the National Crime Agency top job, Lord Hogan-Howe, has dropped out of the race after deciding not to re-apply for the role

Interviews began this week for the top job at Britains equivalent of the FBI, and candidates are thought to include Shaun Sawyer, the departing chief constable of Devon and Cornwall police, who won plaudits for his handling of security for last years G7 summit in Cornwall.

Outgoing chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, Sir Martin Hewitt, 56, is also thought to have applied for the job.

And NCA acting director general, Graeme Biggar, who made it to the final two candidates in May before being rejected, has also applied again.

Outgoing chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, Sir Martin Hewitt, 56, is also thought to have applied for the job

The other candidate who made it to the final two, Britains former counter-terrorism chief Neil Basu, 53, was said to have been enraged when the process was re-opened and decided not to apply again.

Mr Basu, who is of Indian heritage, had previously clashed with Mr Johnson on race issues.

The Home Office declined to discuss the selection process.

A spokesman said: A fair and open recruitment campaign is under way to make the best possible appointment to this vital role. Recent events have demonstrated how pivotal the NCA is in protecting the public from organised crime and national security threats.
If youre reading this on your sun lounger in Spain, dont let it spoil your holiday.

Theres only the very slimmest of chances of disaster striking, but debris from a Chinese rocket weighing 22 tons is plummeting to Earth  and it could land in the Mediterranean today.

The threat comes from a Long March-5B Y3 rocket which blasted off on July 24 to deliver part of the Chinese space station, which is under construction.

The main core, which is 100ft long, will largely disintegrate on re-entry  but it is so massive that it could rain debris over an area around 1,000 miles long and less than 50 miles wide.

The possible landing sites include Africa and into Europe as far north as Madrid, as well as Australia, Brazil, India and Southeast Asia, and the US. It could also affect flights through France, Italy and Spain.

The good news for Britons looking skyward is that the rockets orbit keeps it to within 41.5 degrees of the equator, so no debris will fall this far north. Those in mainland Europe, who are at greater risk, will be heartened to know that no one has been killed by rocket debris.

But a study this month put the risk of casualties from falling pieces of rocket in the next decade at 10 per cent, assuming each re-entry spreads debris over 10 square metres.

The threat to people from the remnants of the rocket is low, according to space debris expert Ted Muelhaupt, from The Aerospace Corporation research group in the US.

Overall, the odds of anyone being injured or killed by falling rocket chunks range from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 230, he said.

But the individual risk to any one person is far lower  in the order of 6 in 10 trillion. In fact, the odds of being struck by lightning are 80,000 times greater, Mr Muelhaupt added. Luckily, three-quarters of the rockets potential drop zone is water, desert or jungle.

But parts of it could well come down in a populated area, as happened in May 2020, when another Chinese rocket landed on villages in Africas Ivory Coast, damaging buildings.

The EU Space Surveillance and Tracking consortium estimated the rocket would enter the atmosphere today or tomorrow. It said the debris was the largest to head for Earth in the recent past and required careful monitoring, adding: The potential re-entry path does not bring debris over the UK, but could impact flights through Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain.

The threat comes from a Long March-5B Y3 rocket which blasted off on July 24 to deliver part of the Chinese space station, which is under construction

Britains Civil Aviation Authority said the rocket was unlikely to cause large-scale cancellations, disrupting peoples summer holidays, although some flights may be re-routed. The latest projection is that the rocket could land between 1pm today and 3am tomorrow.

Zhao Lijian, of the Chinese foreign ministry, said the probability of debris causing harm to aviation or people and property on the ground was very low as most of it would burn up.

But Professor David Rothery, from the Open University, criticised the uncontrolled descent of the rocket, warning: Most of this core will burn up, but several tons may hit the ground.

Although the risk of anyone coming to harm is small, the Chinese should be de-orbiting used rockets more responsibly.

It is not clear exactly where the rocket will re-enter the atmosphere, but... there is a slight chance that it could come down over southern Spain.

Dr Jonathan McDowell, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in the US, said: We see debris from small rockets dropping to Earth every few weeks. But a 20-ton rocket is something else, and the Chinese are outliers in not trying to minimise the risk from the debris.
A Tiktok account set up for Parliament has sparked uproar among senior Tory MPs sanctioned by China.

Concerns have been raised that the social media giant might be sharing user data with its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

A letter has been sent to the Speakers of both houses calling for the account, which was set up on Wednesday, to be deleted.

Former tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith signed the letter calling for the Tiktok account to be deleted as did Tom Tugendhat, and Nus Ghani

Among the signatories are ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, chairman of the foreign affairs committee Tom Tugendhat, and vice chairman of the 1922 committee Nus Ghani. All three were last year sanctioned by the Chinese government, for maliciously spreading lies and disinformation about human rights abuses in China.

A Tiktok account could leave parliament's confidential data vulnerable

The letter expresses doubt over reassurances given by TikTok executives to MPs that its user data is not shared with ByteDance, according to wesbite Politico. Under Chinas National Intelligence law, companies in the country are obliged to hand over data to government authorities on request.

TikTok bosses have repeatedly assured MPs they do not hand over user data to Chinese authorities. However, a leaked recording obtained by Buzzfeed last month revealed that US user data had been accessed repeatedly from China.

The letter claims that the company may have misled Parliament over the matter. Other parts of government including No 10 already have TikTok accounts.

A spokesman for Parliament said it would respond to the letter in due course, adding: We undertook all necessary steps to ensure none of our data is at risk. TikTok said the letter contained factual inaccuracies, insisting: We have never provided user data to the Chinese government.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has recommended changes to the Constitution as Australia takes historic steps towards an Indigenous voice to parliament.

Mr Albanese told Indigenous leaders, campaigners and advocates gathered at the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land on Saturday that the nation is ready for reform.

He revealed he would be pushing for a referendum to establish a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution.

Mr Albanese has recommended the wording of the question be: 'Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?'

Three sentences would be added to the constitution with the first one reading: 'There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.'

If the referendum goes ahead it would be the first in more than 20 years. Only eight out of 44 Australian referendums have succeeded since 1901.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has recommended changes to the constitution as Australia takes historic steps towards an Indigenous voice to parliament

Mr Albanese told Indigenous leaders, campaigners and advocates gathered at the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land on Saturday that the nation is ready for reform

'This may not be the final form of words, but I think it's how we can get to a final form of words,' Mr Albanese said.

The prime minister described it as a 'momentous change' but also a 'simple one'.

'It's not a matter of special treatment, or preferential power,' he said.

'It's about consulting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the decisions that affect you.

'Nothing more, but nothing less. This is simple courtesy, it is common decency. It recognises the centuries-old failure Paul Keating spoke of at Redfern, the failure to ask the most basic human question - how would I feel if this were done to me?

'And along with common courtesy, it is common sense.'

Mr Albanese acknowledged the risk of failure of the referendum amid concerns opponents of Indigenous recognition were deliberately creating confusion among the public.

'A referendum is a high hurdle to clear, you know that and so do we,' he said.

'We recognise the risks of failure but we choose not to dwell on them - because we see this referendum as a magnificent opportunity for Australia.

'This historic decision, this long-overdue embrace of truth and justice and decency and respect for First Nations people will be voted into law by the people of Australia.

He revealed he would be pushing for a referendum to establish a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the constitution

'This may not be the final form of words, but I think it's how we can get to a final form of words,' Mr Albanese said of the sentences he wants added to the Constitution

If the referendum goes ahead it would be the first in more than 20 years. Pictured is Anthony Albanese with Yothu Yindi board member Djaawa Yunupingu during the Garma Festival in northeast Arnhem Land, Northern Territory

'The voice of the Australian people will create a Voice to Parliament.'

At a moving ceremony at the festival on Friday, Mr Albanese said Australians should 'cherish' and celebrate its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

'We should recognise it in our national birth certificate, the Constitution of Australia,' he said to cheers and applause from the crowd of about 600 people.

'My government will be taking up your generous offer of the Uluru Statement to walk with First Nations people towards reconciliation, to take that journey.

'To accept the generous and gracious offer, which is beyond what could have been reasonably expected given the history of this great island continent since 1788.'

He added the reform would end '121 years of commonwealth governments arrogantly believing they know enough to impose their own solutions on Aboriginal people'.

'This torment of powerlessness. A life expectancy gap of 20 years. Some of the worst incarceration rates in the world,' he said.

The Federal Government will recommend three sentences be added to the Constitution with the first reading: 'There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

'A burden of disease beyond imagining for white Australians. A broken system that burns billions of dollars and delivers precious little for the people who are supposed to be able to trust in it.

'And if governments simply continue to insist they know better, then things will get worse.'

Mr Albanese was met with rapturous applause from the crowd as he pushed for a change to the Constitution.

'That means all Australians have the chance to own this change, to be proud of it, to be counted and heard on the right side of history,' he said.

'To vote the unique Australian gift of the wisdom of the world's oldest continuing civilisation, into the constitution of our nation, into our birth certificate.

'I am optimistic for the success of this referendum. Rising from my optimistic view of the Australian character.

'And I am hopeful, in years to come, when we gather here at Garma, we will be able to measure that success not just by number of people who vote for a Voice but by the lives the Voice helps to change.'

Wiradjuri man Geoff Scott said the opportunity for a voice had arrived and if missed it may not return for another generation.

'It has been something that's been developing over 30 years and the time is right now for change,' Mr Scott said on Friday.

At a moving ceremony at the festival on Friday, Mr Albanese said Australians should 'cherish' and celebrate its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture

'We are on the verge of something very monumental, and spectacular.'

Mr Scott said a voice to parliament would help Indigenous people focus on closing the gap, and every Australian should want that.

'We do not want to lose another generation. That is what the Voice is about,' he said.

Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price earlier said a voice to parliament would further divide black and white Australia.

'This government has yet to demonstrate how this proposed voice will deliver practical outcomes and unite rather than drive a wedge further between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia,' Ms Price said.

Mr Albanese shut the suggestion down and said it wouldn't be about 'special treatment'.

'It will be an unflinching source of advice and accountability,' he said.
A rogue firefighter has been accused of starting a series of wildfires in the south of France because he was bored in his oppressive family environment.

The volunteer, 37, from the Herault region, was arrested and placed in police custody on July 27.

The Montpellier public prosecutor said in a statement on Thursday that the man had admitted starting fires with a lighter on May 26, July 21 and the night of July 26-27.

Fabrice Belargent said: 'Asked about his motive, he declared that he had done this in order to provoke an intervention by the fire brigade to save him from an oppressive family environment and because of the excitement these interventions caused him.

'Adrenaline he called it  these are his own words. He also said he had a need for social recognition.'

This aerial view taken on July 29 shows smoke billowing above the trees after wildfires damaged the forest near Landiras, southwestern France

The man has been a forestry engineer for 20 years and is a municipal councillor in Saint-Jean-de-la-Blaquiere.

He was remanded in custody and faces charges of 'destruction of forests, moors, scrubland or plantations belonging to others under conditions likely to expose people to physical harm'.

If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a 150,000 (125,000) fine.

Marie Bar, his lawyer, told BFM TV: 'He apologised to the ... firemen who he works with as he calls them his big family. This is someone who is very devoted to his work.

Stock picture of firefighter as he attempts to extinguish a ground fire in Landiras, in the Gironde region, France. He is not connected to the firefighter who has been arrested

'He finds it hard to explain. In a way he is relieved to have been arrested. He explains it as an addiction.'

On Wednesday, a wildfire spread along the Ardeche river in the southwest of France covering 750 hectares in one day.

Two factories in the small town of Lavilledieu were evacuated as well as an animal refuge and camping sites. The village of Vogue is currently being evacuated.

'The fire broke out between 8.30 and 8.45 and has progressed very very fast due to strong wind,' the mayor of Lavilledieu, Gerard Saucles, told BFM TV.

Earlier this month, wildfires burnt through more than 20,000 hectares in the southwestern region of Gironde as France and the rest of Europe experienced record-high temperatures.
A socialite interior designer charged with falsifying financial records allegedly sent Whatsapp messages to her junior worker telling her to photoshop payment receipts.

Adriana Benhamou Weiss decorated the mansions of Australian multi-millionaires and designed hotels and apartment developments in Paris, Moscow, the French Riviera as well as luxury properties in Israel and the Middle East.

Her life of luxury came crashing down when she was charged with directing an employee to falsify books relating to payments to six different design services in four currencies equivalent to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Weiss had hired a junior worker in 2015 when she sent her Whatsapp messages in 2016 allegedly asking her to use Photoshop to make payment confirmations.

Adriana Benhamou Weiss decorated the mansions of Australian multi-millionaires, designed hotels and apartment developments in Paris, Moscow, and the French Riviera and luxury properties in Israel and the Middle East

Weiss had hired a junior worker in 2015 when she sent her Whatsapp messages in 2016 allegedly asking her to use Photoshop to make payment confirmations (stock image)

Weiss had taken on DEC Services as a client and been hired to design and build their offices at Bond Street in Sydney.

Weiss allegedly promised she could provide a cheaper service than her competitors because she owned a furniture manufacturer and distribution company in Dubai.

She allegedly asked for the payments to be made urgently when DEC Services paid $325,000 upfront - before Weiss allegedly kept the money for herself.

Weiss had allegedly asked her junior worker to make payment confirmations in Photoshop before meeting up with DEC Services again, The Australian reported.

The alleged confirmation payments had made it seem like the money given by DEC Services to Weiss had been sent to suppliers and contractors.

Some of the payment confirmations allegedly contained incorrect addresses and company names and spelling mistakes such as 'trasnfer' and 'buisness'.

Weiss entered guilty pleas to three charges to be dealt with under the Corporations Act and to a further three charges to be dealt with under the Crimes Act in June.

Ms Weiss's Benhamou designs had been enlisted to decorate the trophy oceanfront home Deauville (above) of multi-millionaire Neville Crichton and his wife Nadi but furniture never arrived

Weiss's life of luxury came crashing down when she was charged with directing an employee to falsify books relating to payments to six different design services in four currencies equivalent to hundreds of thousands of dollars

The charges brought against Weiss follow the liquidation of her and her mother's company Benhamou Designs, wound up by Ferrier Hodgson and owing $8.11m.

Ms Weiss's mother has since rebranded herself as Helene in Paris and travelled to Europe where she has released YouTube videos singing French romance classics such as 'Je Ne Regrette Rien'.

The falsifications alleged by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) all took place in late 2016, prior to the liquidation of Benhamou Designs.

The liquidation report says Weiss blamed the failure of her company to 'poor business management' and 'significant disputes with customers and suppliers'.

One dispute was with multi-millionaire yachtsman and luxury car importer Neville Crichton over supply of furniture for the $45m waterfront Point Piper mansion he bought in late 2017.

Court documents seen by Daily Mail Australia allege Ms Weiss 'engaged in conduct that resulted in the falsification of' receipts, international transfers and a purchase order in US dollars, Euro, Australian dollars and United Arab Emirates dirham

Mr Crichton sought to buy the furniture after the then 71-year-old, nicknamed 'Croaky', married 38-year-old Nadi Hasandedic, a former Christian Dior boutique manager earlier in the same year.

The furniture order never arrived at trophy home Deauville, which is next door to former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's house, and Ms Weiss reportedly blamed 'supplier issues'.
Cold Stone's Nintendo-themed Ice Cream Is a Must-Try Summer Treat

Many are noticing that this summer looks like one of the hottest ever. Just last month, Europe, the UK, and some parts of the US experienced record-breaking heatwaves. It is very hard to go on your day with these daily scorchers still coming up. Mind some ice-cold treats?

Cold Stone and Nintendo Teams Up to Make Video Game-themed Ice Creams

We are all ice cream fans, and one fun way to beat the summer heat is to delight yourself with some sweet ice cream treats. This summer, Cold Stone Creamery is teaming up with Nintendo to surprise gaming and ice cream fans with three game-inspired sundaes.

This Summer 2022, Cold Stone is selling these fun desserts inspired by Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Mario Party Superstars, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Gamers finally have something to cool themselves as the summer heat continues to warm everything up.

Digitaltrends shares a really interesting review of these themed ice creams. Before you head to the nearest Cold Stone store near you, take the time to read this awesome review.

Kirby fans out there will go crazy with the sight of The Mighty Pink Puff. This Kirby-themed ice cream delight is made with delectable strawberry ice cream, strawberries, mini marshmallows, and a good whiff of caramel.

Review: Cold Stone's Nintendo-themed Ice Creams

From the Digitaltrends review, every spoonful of this pink ice cream treat will instantly transport anyone who tries to eat it to a strawberry ice cream mountain. The Mighty Pink Stuff will awaken the child inside you as you munch on this sweet strawberry-laden and marshmallow-topped ice cream.

Every scoop of the said ice cream is a fun experience as its smooth texture makes for a heavenly ice cream flavor. Be like Kirby and munch a mouthful of ice cream. Just beware of some incoming brain freeze.

Also Read: 'Super Smash Bros.' Amiibo for 'Minecraft' Steve and Alex Finally Coming in September

The review goes on to add that the strawberries are a great depiction of Kirby's red shoes and blushed cheeks. At the same time, the caramel and marshmallows perfectly capture how gooey and puffy Kirby becomes when he swallows heavy objects in Mouthful Mode. The strawberry shortcake ice cream also represents one of Kirby's favorite sweets. Overall, the flavor is harmonious and deserving of the pink puffball himself.

Next up is the Mario Party Superstars-themed Superstart Sprinkle Blast, which is equally as colorful as any Mario map. This interesting take on Mario ice cream is presented in cake batter flavored ice cream with yellow vanilla cake crumbs and blue frosting with a dash of rainbow sprinkles.

From the name itself, Mario Party Superstars is a super party of flavors. This ice cream flavor will surely bring in a sugar rush to anyone who dares to eat it in large servings. Share the fun with others and bring the Mario Party with your friends.

And lastly, the Island Getaway. The review says that this certain is certainly everything you will taste in a tropical island dessert. This ice cream inspired by the hit game Animal Crossing: New Horizons is an explosion of chocolate ice cream, strawberries, bananas, and whipped toppings.

This is a great treat for kids wanting some healthy treats. This fun-to-eat ice cream contains real chunks of bananas and strawberries, making a real sweet and healthy snack.

What are you waiting for? Head to the nearest Cold Stone Creamery near you and get a chance to win some exciting prizes on their Cold Stone sweepstakes!

Related Article: 'Genshin Impact' For Nintendo Switch Now Confirmed by MiHoYo Representative To Answer Cancellation Rumors
A secluded shack, crumbling walls and filthy bedding. These were the horrifying conditions a mother and her two children were forced to survive in as they desperately clung to life in Brazil's second city.

Chilling pictures reveal the reality of life in a house of horrors in Rio de Janeiro where an evil husband forced his wife and her two adult children to live as prisoners for almost two decades.

The woman and her children, aged 19 and 22 according to local media, were kept bound inside and suffered from severe dehydration and malnutrition for the 17 years they were held prisoner.

Eyewitnesses claim the two children look to be no older than 10 or 11 after enduring more than a decade of severe and debilitating abuse.

Rio's military police were finally alerted to the tiny shack in an area of significant social deprivation in the west of Rio de Janeiro - known for its extreme poverty.

Officers found the three desperate prisoners 'tied up, soiled and starved', police revealed in a statement shortly after arresting the father, Luiz Antonio Santos Silva.

Reportedly known as 'DJ' by locals in Guaratiba for the loud music he used to screen out his victims' screams, Silva was arrested following an anonymous tip off.

Chilling pictures reveal the reality of life in a house of horrors in Rio de Janeiro where an evil husband forced his wife and her two adult children to live as prisoners for almost two decades

Rio's military police were finally alerted to this tiny shack in an area of significant social deprivation to the west of Rio de Janeiro - known for its extreme poverty.

Reportedly known as 'DJ' by locals in Guaratiba for the loud music he used to screen out his victims' screams, Luiz Antonio Santos Silva (above) was arrested following an anonymous tip off

According to G1 news, the mother told authorities that she and her children would sometimes go three days without food and were regularly the victims of physical and psychological abuse.

She had never been allowed to work, and her kids were banned from attending school.

The woman had often attempted to flee from her husband's clutches, but he threatened to kill her if she did, it was claimed.

Her husband, named as Luiz Antonio Santos Silva, with whom she had been married for 23 years, had told her she would only leave his home 'when you're dead,' she said.

Officers found the three desperate prisoners 'tied up, soiled and starved', police revealed in a statement shortly after arresting the father, Luiz Antonio Santos Silva

The mother told authorities that she and her children would sometimes go three days without food and were regularly the victims of physical and psychological abuse

In pictures published by Brazilian media, the adult children looked like adolescents due to their malnutrition.

'When we saw the state of the two children, we thought they wouldn't have survived another week,' one unnamed inhabitant of the Guaratiba neighborhood, where the family lived, told G1.

'I tried to speak to the mother in the ambulance but she was so weak that she didn't manage to make a sound.'

Neighbors told authorities that the suspect was given the nickname DJ because he would turn up the music to mask the screams of his victims.

An investigation is ongoing into Silva's alleged crimes.
The two young Saudi sisters found dead in their beds were both seeking protection from the Australian government, it has been revealed, as more details about their attempts to build a normal life here emerged.

Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, each had an active claim for asylum in progress with the Department of Home Affairs, it has been confirmed.

They were found dead in their Canterbury unit in Sydney's west on June 7 when police conducted a welfare check, with no visible signs of forced entry.

Police believe they may have been dead for a month - though no cause of death has been established - and appealed to the public for help

Pictured: Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23. Her body was found on June 7 in a Canterbury apartment

The reasons they sought protection from the Australian government, detailed in their claim, are not known.

But claims for asylum often relate to persecution or human rights violations on the basis of religion, sexuality, ethnicity, violence or political opinions, according to Amnesty International.

Both were in touch with settlement providers and were on bridging visas.

Reports published in Middle Eastern newspapers on Friday said the sisters had renounced Islam.

Pictured: Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24. She and her sister were found dead in Sydney's south-west

The sisters only left the Canterbury unit they were found dead in to study at Tafe, to go shopping or to work, their former landlord from a property they rented at Fairfield revealed to The Guardian.

The 'shocked' landlord claimed their mother visited the sisters in Sydney but didn't like Australia and left after only a brief visit.

News outlets based in Yemen shed more light on the mysterious situation - reporting that the women fled their homeland with a wad of cash in 2017 due to a tumultuous relationship with their parents.

They were also reported to have renounced Islam and became atheists. One had a boyfriend in Sydney.

Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft, of NSW Police, said there was 'nothing to suggest' their family was involved in their deaths.

The women were not known to be part of any dissident Saudi networks.

The landlord said the sisters, who it was reported fled Saudi Arabia in 2017 with $5,000 during a family holiday, both attended Tafe in Wetherill Park.

Forensic police scoured the unit (pictured) in the wake of the grisly discovery on June 7 - a month after the women died

When they arrived in Sydney, they made contact with a refugee agency. Pictured: Their Canterbury apartment block, where they were found dead in June

They also both worked doing traffic control for a Sydney building company.

'I was shocked when I saw their photos, I have no idea how this could have happened. They were very cute and friendly girls, we never had any problems with them,' the landlord told The Guardian.

He said the women did not talk much, or stay up late and didn't make 'loud noises'.

'Nothing weird ever happened.'

Asra Alsehli had a boyfriend, an Iraqi man with a beard, the landlord said.

A black BMW coupe covered in dust was removed from the garage of the apartment block the day after the bodies were found

She applied for an apprehended violence order against a 28-year-old man in 2019 but later withdrew the application.

No cause of death has been determined - there were no clear signs of injury, and no signs of forced entry into the building.

According to Ana Yemenyi and Tomorrow's Yemen, the sisters were on a summer holiday with their family when they jumped on a plane to Sydney, via Hong Kong.

The sisters then connected with an Australian refugee organisation. It is understood they were on bridging visas in Australia.

Local news outlets said their brother was expected to make a public appeal to encourage any potential killer to come forward, but the family have so far remained silent.

The mysterious deaths have made waves on social media, with many Middle Eastern locals asking why the sisters felt the need to escape the Saudi Kingdom.

One man said the women exposed themselves to danger when they left their homeland: 'Do not leave Saudi Arabia in search of freedom. You will not find it.'

The sisters flew from Saudi Arabia to Sydney, via Hong Kong, with $5,000 in their pocket (stock image of women in the Middle East)

The Consulate of Saudi Arabia in Sydney has offered its condolences to the family, who are believed to be 'well connected'.

Despite local reports, NSW Police say the family are cooperating with investigators and have 'no reason' to believe the Alsehli sisters fled their homeland.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES OF THE SAUDI SISTERS - Fled Saudi Arabia as teens with $5,000, during a holiday with their parents - Had a troubling relationship with their parents. NSW Police say the family are cooperating - 'Shocked' landlord said their mother visited Sydney but didn't like it - They had access to money and drove a BMW, which was keyed - Both studied at Tafe and worked in traffic control - Asra filed an AVO, and then withdrew it - Three police welfare checks - They stopped paying rent - Bodies found a month after they died - Cause of death unknown Advertisement

The Coroner has not released the bodies of the sisters to their family, although it is understood they could be buried in Sydney.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Detective Allcroft confirmed police know very little about the women and renewed an appeal for public information - anyone who saw the sisters in their final days has been urged to come forward.

While police told Daily Mail Australia in June that the toxicology tests had been fast-tracked, detectives said on Wednesday they were still waiting on the results.

Toxicology reports are normally processed within four to six weeks.

Eight weeks on from the grisly discovery, the case is still plagued with mysteries and inconsistencies.

Both women registered ABNs in 2018 for sole trading to a Wetherill Park address, in Sydney's west, but police still can't confirm what they did for work.

They also drove a black BMW coupe which normally costs upwards of $38,000, and lived in a modern, two-bedroom $490-per-week apartment.

The sisters' car was also keyed in late 2021, but is unknown whether it was a coincidence or whoever damaged their property had malicious intent.

The women regularly went to the local service station for coffee and energy drinks with workers describing them as 'cheerful' - but they noted the pair would only respond to questions, never starting a conversation.

There were also three welfare checks carried out by police in the months before the girls were finally discovered in separate beds of their first-floor Canterbury unit as mail piled up outside their door.

Police believe the women died in May - around the time they stopped paying rent.

As detectives struggle to find out what the women were doing in Australia, police on Wednesday released their photos for the first time.

'We hope that someone may be able to assist our investigators,' Detective Allcroft said.

'Either through sightings, or those who knew the sisters and may have some information on their movements prior to their death.'

Daily Mail Australia has approached Andrew Giles, Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Human Rights Commission for comment.
Bill Maher likened disgraced ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to womanizers Bill Clinton and JFK in an interview with the former lawmaker's brother Chris.

Chris Cuomo made the appearance on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' Friday to promote his new NewsNation show - but was grilled about his sibling too.

'Did you ever think that his downfall would be women?' Maher asked. 'I never pictured that guy... I mean, the Kennedys, OK sure. Bill Clinton, come on. Even Hillary once said he's a hard dog to keep on the porch. I never thought that would be Andrew Cuomo's downfall, women.'

Cuomo leveled with him: 'Yeah, me either. You don't foresee these kinds of things. You have to deal with life on life's terms. He's no different than anybody else.'

Earlier in the chat, Maher asked for an update on the former governor, who resigned from his role in August 2021.

Maher asked: 'How is your brother doing? I have never seen a fall quite that steep. He was about to be the next nominee for the Democratic president of the United States. He was on TV every day and then he had this giant fall'

Cuomo responded: 'I'm supposed to say okay, he's great... but that would be what we call bulls**t. This has been hard.'

Former CNN host Chris Cuomo continued his comeback tour on 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' where the HBO host yukked it up before making an interesting comparison involving his brother, disgraced ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Maher and the younger Cuomo were largely cordial during the chat to promote his new podcast and work with upstart cable channel NewsNation

The host then turned to brother Andrew, who was forced to resign as governor following a sex scandal and questions over how he'd handled nursing home deaths during the pandemic

Maher then compared the ex-governor to Bill Clinton and John F. Kennedy in terms of their behavior with women

'Did you ever think that his downfall would be women? I never pictured that guy... I mean, the Kennedys, OK sure. Bill Clinton, come on. Even Hillary once said he's a hard dog to keep on the porch'

Ultimately, the ex-CNN talking head said 'I am proud of how he's handled himself. It's his job to tell his own story and figure out what he wants in the future but he has dealt with a lot and he's doing well.'

Aside from the awkward pivot to discussing his brother, things were extremely chummy between the two hosts and Cuomo seemed pleased to discuss his new podcast, 'The Chris Cuomo Project.'

Cuomo, in fact, thanked Bill for being 'not just good on the show, he's good off the show' and suggested he'd been a friend after he was fired.

He added that he had no ill-will toward CNN and said there were 'good people' there who he was sorry to not get a chance to say goodbye to.

CNN fired Cuomo last December after he was caught advising his scandal-plagued brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, through sexual misconduct allegations.

The broadcaster - who was believed to earn $6 million a Year - did so while simultaneously working for a journalist at a network tasked with reporting impartially on the scandal.

He is set to earn a far smaller $1 million a year salary on NewsNation, with the fledgling broadcaster likely hopeful Chris will bring many of the two million viewers who used to tune into his show to their network.

A state attorney general's report found that his brother had sexually harassed 11 different women, although Andrew Cuomo continues to deny the charges.

CNN fired Cuomo last December after he was caught advising his scandal-plagued brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, through sexual misconduct allegations

In March the broadcast journalist, who hosted Cuomo Prime Time from 2017 until last December, served CNN with a $125 million arbitration claim over what he claims is his wrongful dismissal.

That suit is believed to be ongoing.
Advertisement

The nationwide baby formula shortage has worsened with 30 percent of all brands reported out-of-stock, despite President Joe Biden's efforts to make infant milk more accessible.

Families in Arizona and Wyoming have been hardest hit by the shortage with out-of-stock rates at 44 percent and 42 percent, respectively.

Biden and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have made it easier for foreign manufacturers to get shipments into the country, and appealed to companies such as Nestle and Reckitt to step up production.

French consumer goods company Danone on Wednesday said it had shipped more than 750,000 cans of its flagship Aptamil baby formula to the U.S. from Europe, with another 550,000 cans on the way.

However, parents struggling to feed their children have slammed the administration, with one Louisiana mom alleging it seems like those in power 'just forgot' about the ongoing crisis.

Amber Bergeron, who took to Facebook about the hardships of finding formula for her preemie twins, has described the ongoing crisis as 'disgusting,' noting she is 'sure these politicians' babies eat.'

Amber Bergeron, who took to Facebook about the hardships of finding formula for her preemie twins Sky and Storm (pictured), has described the ongoing crisis as 'disgusting,' noting she is 'sure these politicians' babies eat'

In-stock rates of infant formula remain far below normal levels, despite recent trends showing a rise in formula inventory.

The nation reported a 30 percent out-of-stock rate on Friday, based on data from the week ended July 24. The week prior, ending July 17, the out-of-stock rate was 32 percent.

Biden's solution to the ongoing shortage has been to fly in foreign formula to try to plug the gap, but the 802,446 bottles that arrive per shipment barely line the stomachs of the 3 million babies born every year.

Danone, who has agreed to supply 1.3 million cans of Aptamil to the U.S., shipped out more than 750,000 this week. The initial shipments are already on shelves and online at Walgreens, Safeway and some other retailers.

The additional 550,000 cans that are en route from New Zealand will likely be available in August, the company claims.

Danone also imported more than 500,000 cans of Neocate, a specialized medical baby formula.

The Biden Administration revealed last week that as of July 24, the Operation Fly Formula program has transported the equivalent of 61 million 8-ounce bottles of formula into the U.S.

But Bergeron - like many other parents - fears the efforts aren't enough.

'We were put in a position that no mothers should be put in,' she previously told Fox News. 'We feel helpless. We feel like, as a community, we are trying to take care of this instead of [the right people] stepping in.

'People are not paying attention to whats really going on here and the severity of it, but its still happening. Its like they just forgot.'

Bergeron's family was first impacted by the shortage shortly after her twins Sky and Storm were born on April 10, four weeks premature.

She was unable to find the formula brand that provided the higher nutrition levels necessary for preemie babies and was forced to switch her twins to another less sufficient product.

After she ran out of formula, she resorted to buying the product from another mom she met on Facebook.

'Formula is not something that should be gone without and the fact that we have had problems feeding our babies and its going on nationally, thats ridiculous,' she said.

'Thats disgusting to me because Im sure these politicians' babies eat. Im sure they find a way.'

The Arroyo family, whose two-year-old daughter Ellie solely relies on the Abbott Nutrition formula EleCare, has been struggling to find food for their toddler since early 2022. Chris and Jillian Arroyo are pictured with their daughter

'Our situation has not changed at all,' Jillian Arroyo said Wednesday. Chris added he was frustrated at the Biden Administration for giving families the vague timeline of 'upcoming weeks,' when discussing solutions to the shortage. Ellie is pictured at a park

Similarly, a Virginia family was forced to feed their toddler expired infant formula amid the worsening shortage.

The Arroyo family, whose two-year-old daughter Ellie solely relies on the Abbott Nutrition formula EleCare, has been struggling to find food for their toddler since early 2022.

'Our situation has not changed at all,' Jillian Arroyo told WUSA-TV on Wednesday. 'We are still feeding our child expired formula because that is what we have.'

Jillian and her husband, Chris - who first shared their story with DailyMail.com in May - say they have been unable to track down EleCare for Ellie.

The couple had reached out to their local pharmacies, grocers and pediatrician, but were unsuccessful in getting Ellie the food she needs.

Chris says he is frustrated at the Biden Administration for giving families the vague timeline of 'upcoming weeks,' when discussing solutions to the shortage.

'I feel like at this rate we are going to continue talking about this until December,' he said.

'We feel very trapped,' Jillian added.

EleCare is one of the products made by Abbott Laboratories, which controlled 40 percent of the U.S. infant formula market before it shuttered its Sturgis, Michigan factory in February.

The manufacturer issued a recall dozens of brands of baby formula in February and shutdown its plant after reports of fatal bacterial infections in two babies who had consumed products made at the facility.

The plant closure, coupled with supply chain disruptions and stockpiling during COVID-19 shutdowns, led to a country-wide baby formula shortage.

Abbott resumed production at its Sturgis facility earlier this month, prioritizing the manufacturing of its speciality formulas, including EleCare.

Jillian claims Abbott had contacted their family back in June, offering to send a free case of EleCare to them once production was back up and running.

However, as of Wednesday, they had not yet received the formula.

Bare shelves of baby formula at Target in Flower Mound, Texas on Friday, July 29

A drug store limiting purchase quantities of baby formula is pictured on Thursday

Abbott's Michigan plant was closed in February after the FDA began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. Two of the babies died.

The company says its products have not been directly linked to the infections, which involved different bacterial strains.

FDA inspectors eventually uncovered a host of violations at the plant, including bacterial contamination, a leaky roof and lax safety protocols.

Internal Abbott employee communications revealed the whistleblower whose complaint about safety launched the FDA probe decided to speak out after a worker deployed a stun gun in the office.

The alleged incident took place in May 2020 inside the quality services department. Employees reported the sound electric shock zipping through the office, a scathing report by The Detroit News unveiled this week.

The employee who deployed the taser allegedly promised it was a bug zapper before firing the weapon a second time.

'Its definitely a stun gun and not a bug zapper,' one staffer wrote in an internal communication.

Another employee sent an email to Abbott management alerting them of a 'possible weapon' in the office, saying: 'Since, whatever this is, is being played with openly, I am concerned someone is going to get hurt.'

The stun gun incident allegedly gave the whistleblower the courage to report other ongoing safety issues at the plant, including cleaning practices that were 'inadequate in countless ways' and equipment that was 'failing and in need of repair.'

Several of the concerns cited in the whistleblower's report were later corroborated by the FDA investigation that led to the plant's closure from February 2022 through early June.

Abbott's Michigan plant (pictured) was closed in February after the FDA began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. Two of the babies died. It was revealed this week that the FDA probe was launched after an Abbott whistleblower decided to speak out in wake of a worker deploying a stun gun in the office

Also this week, Abbott was hit with another lawsuit after North Carolina mother Brianna Anthony claimed the company's Similac formula contributed to the September 2021 death of her pre-mature daughter, Reign.

Anthony claims Abbott misled parents into thinking Similac was safe for premature babies. She gave birth to Reign in June 2021 at only 23 weeks.

Reign was 'relatively healthy' at her birth, but still needed a feeding tube and breathing machine, the suit alleges.

Anthony claims Reign's doctors switched her to Similac, which she protested due to her own independent research, believing the product was safe. They were reportedly trying to make Reign gain weight faster because she was born just barely over 1lb.

Similac 'caused the injured infant to develop Necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening and potentially deadly intestinal disease,' the filing states.

Reign's body started retaining fluid and her organs shut down. She died just a few days later.

The lawsuit cites various studies claiming baby formulas based on cow's milk, like Similac, are more likely to cause NEC in premature infants.

'The products should have had stronger and clearer warnings or should not have been sold in the market,' the compliant reads.

Abbott was hit with another lawsuit after North Carolina mother Brianna Anthony claimed the company's Similac formula contributed to the September 2021 death of her daughter, Reign

Abbott responded to the lawsuit Friday in a statement to WSOC-TV saying the firm was 'sorry to hear this and our hearts go out to this family,' but also reiterating they spend ample time researching, developing and testing products.

'Abbott has spent decades researching, developing, testing and producing formulas and fortifiers for premature infants, and countless infants have benefitted tremendously from these products,' the statement read.

'These allegations are without merit, advancing a theory promoted by plaintiffs lawyers rather than the medical community, which considers these products part of the standard of care for premature infants.'

News of the lawsuit comes after the FDA revealed late last month it had launched an investigation into another infant death that allegedly occurred in January. The agency was alerted about the death in a consumer complaint filed June 10.

The FDA didn't specify which Abbott product the child allegedly consumed or where the baby formula was produced, but did note the investigation was still in the preliminary stage.

An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com on June 22 the company received 'limited product and clinical information' to evaluate the case and, at this time, there are 'no conclusions' and 'no evidence to suggest a causal relationship' between Abbott products and the reported infant death.

Almost barren formula shelves are pictured at a Walmart store on Thursday, June 28

The FDA had previously investigated nine reports of infant deaths - including seven that had not been made public prior to early June - between December 2021 and March 2022 that had allegedly been linked to baby formula.

The infant death reports were included in a list of consumer complaints issued to the FDA. The complaints were made public by eFoodAlert on June 8.

Two of the deaths listed in the complaints were numbered among the four confirmed cases of Cronobacter sakazakii identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The FDA reportedly discovered Cronobacter bacteria at the Sturgis plant.

An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com in May that 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'.

The other seven deaths were reported to the FDA its consumer complaint system and two mentioned Salmonella in the complaint description.

The FDA has said that 'despite extensive investigation' it could not find enough evidence to 'not rule in or rule out a definitive link' between the seven infant deaths and Abbott's product.

Of the complaints related to the nine infant deaths, the FDA reported that only two were associated with the Abbott Nutrition Sturgis plant investigation, and despite extensive investigation the evidence does not rule in or rule out a definitive link between these infant deaths and the product produced at Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis plant.
Officials in the US military knew about the faulty ejector seat mechanism in F-35 jets in back in April but did not take action until recently, reported the Air Force Times on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, the Air Force announced they were grounding its fleet of F-35 jets to check for a faulty component that could prevent pilots from safely ejecting.

It was later reported that the Marine Corps and Navy had also issued a temporary grounding order until tests could be carried out on the seats.

According to Breaking Defense, who first reported on the issue, the Navy have completed their inspections and grounding order has been rescinded. The Marine Corps is said to be 90 percent done with their inspections.

A spokesman for the seat's manufacturer Martin-Baker, Steve Roberts, told the website: 'During a routine maintenance inspection at Hill [Air Force Base, Utah,] in April 22, an anomaly was discovered with one of the seat cartridge actuated devices in the F-35 seat. '

He continued: 'This was quickly traced back to a gap in the manufacturing process, which was addressed and changed.'

Roberts went on to emphasize that the problem with the F-35 is an 'anomaly' and that the problem has not been reported in other aircraft.

The active duty 388th and Reserve 419th Fighter Wings conducted an F-35A Combat Power Exercise at Hill Air Force Base, Utah

An F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 419th Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah takes off from the Air Dominance Center during Sentry Savannah on May 11, 2022.

The same day that the grounding occurred, Bloomberg reported on another issue facing F-35s. A shortage of functioning engines.

The Government Accountability Office said in a statement that the issue was created due to improper maintenance.

There has been no reports of groundings in other countries that use the F-35 jets. The plane is flown by air forces in NATO countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Italy.

The US Department of Defense currently operates about 450 F-35 aircraft, which cost about $78 million apiece for the latest model.

Roughly 300 are the F-35A model operated by the Air Force while the others are variants operated by the Navy and Marines.

Between now and 2044, the US committed to buying nearly 2,500 more planes from the manufacturer Lockheed-Martin.

A spokesperson for the Air Force confirmed Friday's temporary stand-down order in a statement to DailyMail.com, saying the aircraft are currently being inspected 'to mitigate safety concerns.'

'There is a concern with a component used in the pilot ejection system of several aircraft operated by the US Air Force,' the spokesperson said.

At issue are the explosive cartridges inside F-35 ejection seats that blow the pilot clear of the aircraft in an emergency. The Air Force has roughly 300 F-35s, which cost around $78 million apiece for the latest model.

British ejection seat manufacturer Martin-Baker has identified certain production lots of the explosive cartridges in its seats as defective and needing replacement, the Air Force said.

The ejection system component in question is also used T-38 Talons and T-6 Texan IIs, and the Air Force has also taken some of those aircraft out of service for inspection.

The Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters due to a faulty ejector seat component. Pictured: An F-35B Lightning II attached to Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX) 1 idles on the flight deck of amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli

A Martin-Baker ejection seat for an F-35 Lightning II is seen during upgrades in 2018. The British manufacturer has identified potential issues with the seat's explosive cartridges

Air Force F-35s use the Martin-Baker ejection seats. Earlier this month, the service began an inspection process to determine whether any of them were impacted by the recall.

'Out of an abundance of caution, [Air Combat Command] ACC units will execute a stand-down on July 29 to expedite the inspection process,' an ACC spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement.

'Based on data gathered from those inspections, ACC will make a determination to resume operations,' the statement added.

An Air Force spokesperson insisted that: 'This is a temporary stand down, not a fleet-wide grounding.'

The F-35 stand-down order from Air Combat Command was first reported by Breaking Defense.

The F-35 is not the only US military aircraft affected by the potential ejection seat issues.

Earlier this week, the Air Force grounded its training fleet of T-38 Talons and T-6 Texan IIs to complete a similar inspection process.

The US Department of Defense currently operates about 450 F-35 aircraft, about 300 of which are in use by the Air Force. Pictured: An F-35 is seen at Luke Air Force Base in 2014

F-35 Lighting pilot refuels at Elgin Air Force Base in a file photo

Roughly 300 T-38 and T-6 aircraft operated by Air Education and Training Command were temporarily pulled out of service to check for the potential defect.

'Each aircraft contains multiple explosive cartridges as part of a redundant system,' AETC said in a statement.

'Out of an abundance of caution, 19th Air Force directed that T-38 and T-6 operations be terminated on July 27 while our maintenance and logistics teams further investigated the issue.'

Major General Craig Wills, 19th AF Commander, said in a statement: 'Our primary concern is the safety of our Airmen and it is imperative that they have confidence in our equipment.'

'Our actions today were taken out of an abundance of caution in order to ensure the safety of our pilots and aircrew. We will not return aircraft affected by this issue to the flying schedule until we're confident their escape systems are fully functional,' added Wills.

'Our instructor pilots accomplish an incredibly important and demanding mission every day, and we owe them safe and reliable aircraft,' the general said.

The Air Force's T-38 Talon (above) is also affected by the potential ejection seat issue

The training fleet of T-6A Texan IIs, like the one seen above, is also undergoing inspection

The F-35 Lightning II is the latest generation of US fighter jet and first entered service in 2015. It is considered the most advanced fighter jet in the world.

The F-35 is manufactured in a US partnership with seven allies who also maintain fleets of the aircraft: the United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Norway, Denmark and Canada.

Six foreign military sales customers are also procuring and operating the F-35: Israel, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Belgium and Singapore.

It was not immediately clear whether the temporary grounding order on Friday also applied to F-35 aircraft operated by the Navy and Marine Corps.

A spokesman for the F-35 Joint Program Office was unable to provide immediate comment when reached by DailyMail.com.

A spokesperson for British ejection-seat manufacturer Martin-Baker did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A toxic marriage may have been a factor in the bizarre mystery of 'Somerton Man', who was recently identified after being found deceased on an Adelaide Beach in 1948.

This week Adelaide University researcher Derek Abbott claimed the man was Carl 'Charles' Webb, a 43-year-old electrical engineer and instrument maker from Footscray in Melbourne.

Now it can be revealed Webb's wife Dorothy Jean applied for a divorce nearly three years after his body was found and that he had suffered several devastating tragedies before disappearing.

This week Adelaide University researcher Derek Abbott claimed the mysterious 'Somerton man' was Carl 'Charles' Webb, a 43-year-old electrical engineer and instrument maker from Footscray in Melbourne

A toxic marriage may have been a factor in the mystery of 'Somerton man', who was recently identified after being found in 1948. (pictured, an special effects image of what the Somerton Man may have looked like)

Official records obtained by The Advertiser show she applied for a divorce from the 'sullen and rude' Webb on June 5, 1951 on the grounds of 'desertion'.

'If he lost he would be sullen and rude to me, or anyone else, if he lost at cards, he would become unpleasant to everyone,' Mrs Webb said in the documents.

But she also described him as living a quiet life and being in bed by 7pm each night.

The documents showed four of his close relatives died in a seven-year stretch during their marriage.

He lost a brother and nephew in World War II, but his mother died in 1946 and his father in 1939.

Mrs Webb also complained her husband sometimes 'refused to speak to me'.

'One night in January 1946 he told me that we were not suited to each other and would be better apart.'

The man's body (pictured) was found on Somerton Beach on December 1, 1948

They were married in October 1941 and separated in April 1947.

But four months after applying for a divorce, she placed an advertisement addressed to him in the Missing Friends section of The Age newspaper in Melbourne.

It was a formal notice to make him aware of divorce proceedings, and read 'Unless you enter an appearance in the Prothonotary's Office of the Supreme Court at Melbourne on or before the 29th day of October 1951, the case may proceed in your absence.'

She was granted a divorce in April 1952.

Renowned American genealogist Dr Colleen Fitzpatrick, an expert with Identifinders International, who helped identify 'Somerton Man', said Mrs Webb's claims are only half the story.

'In a divorce, you talk to each party, and if they're in that frame of mind they're going to really decimate the other person,' she said.

Dr Fitzpatrick suspected Webb had mental health issues and would 'spiral down'.

When 'Somerton Man' was found in 1948 his body remained unclaimed and remained unidentified for 74 years until Mr Abbott used DNA analysis to determine his identity.

Webb's fully-clothed body was found with a coded note in his pocket on Somerton Park Beach 74 years ago.

The victim, known as the 'Somerton Man', was found on Somerton Park Beach in South Australia on December 1948 with a coded message in his jacket (pictured)

Pictured: The burial of the mysterious Somerton Man on June 14, 1949

Bizarrely he had an unlit cigarette resting on his chest, a coded note in his pocket and a book of Persian poems with him.

He was dressed in a perfectly-pressed double-breasted suit and tie and his shoes were freshly shined.

The fact he was never claimed and the way he was found led many to speculate he was a Cold War-era spy.

Others believed he may have been a scorned ex lover.

A post-mortem examination ruled he was poisoned, but was never identified because no family members came forward to claim him.

Forensic Science SA staff, South Australia Police, major crime detectives and staff from the West Terrace cemetery are seen during the exhumation

Pictured: Adelaide Cemetery Authority pall bearers carry the body of the exhumed Somerton Man on May 19, 2021

Professor Abbott, who has been working alongside Ms Fitzpatrick, used hair from a plaster mask police made in the 1940s to construct a DNA profile.

After building a family tree of around 4,000 people, Abbott and Fitzpatrick had a breakthrough on Saturday - successfully matching the DNA from the hair to samples from Webb's distant relatives.

'By filling out this tree, we managed to find a first cousin three times removed on his mother's side,' Abbott told CNN. 'It just felt like I climbed and I was at the top of Mount Everest.'

Webb was born the youngest of six children in 1905 in Melbourne. No death records or photos exist on file.

Professor Abbott said they also found a link between Webb and the name 'T.Keane' - which was printed on the Somerton Man's tie.

'It turns out that Carl Webb has a brother-in-law called Thomas Keane, who lived just 20 minutes drive away from him in Victoria,' Professor Abbott told ABC News.

'So it's not out of the question that these items of clothing he had with T. Keane on them were just hand-medowns from his brother-in-law.'

Professor Abbott said they had also found a potential reason why the Melburnian was in Adelaide.

'We have evidence that he had separated from his wife, and that she had moved to South Australia, so possibly, he had come to track her down,' he said.

The remains of the so-called Somerton man are being exhumed at an Adelaide cemetery in a bid to solve the more than 70-year mystery over his death and his identity

In May last year, South Australia police exhumed the Somerton Man's body from its resting place at West Terrace Cemetery.

However, experts from Forensic Science SA encountered difficulties analysing the DNA due to the small amount of 'comparison samples'.

South Australia Police, who are conducting a parallel investigation, are yet to verify Abbott's findings.

South Australia Police have been contacted for comment.

Professor Abbott hopes their work will be confirmed by authorities to enable further research into Webb's life.

The tantalizing mystery of the Somerton Man

'Somerton Man' was found hunched against the sea wall at the top of the beach wearing a suit and shoes and an unlit cigarette resting on his chest on the morning of December 1, 1948.

The suit he was wearing, which included a double breasted jacket, was perfectly pressed.

All the tags on every piece of clothing had also been removed and his shoes meticulously polished.

The notorious cold case also came to be known in Australia as the 'Tamam Shud case' because of a coded phrase scribbled on a piece of paper hidden in the man's jacket, which wasn't found until months later.

'Tamam Shud' is a Persian phrase which roughly translates to 'finished' or 'ended'.

Other items found on the man included Juicy Fruit chewing gum, an American metal comb, a bus ticket to North Glenelg and Army Club cigarettes and matches.

A month later, on January 14, a suitcase was found by staff at an Adelaide train station believed to belong to the 'Somerton Man'.

Inside they found scissors, shoe polish, a tie, ash tray, spoon and toothbrush, among other things.

Theories about the man's identity are varied, but one of the more popular ones has many believing he could have been a post-war era spy.

This theory was strengthened with the discovery of a second 'coded message' on the man's body, written on the last page of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam and torn out.

The book was a compilation of Persian poetry translated into English.

Five months after he was found dead the Somerton Man was buried at West Terrace Cemetery - with no-one any wiser as to who he was or why he was in Adelaide.

The life of Carl 'Charles' Webb

Webb was born on November 16, 1905, in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Footscray.

Abbott said there are few records to shed light on his early life and they have not been able to find any photos of him in public databases or relatives' photo albums.

However, Webb later married Dorothy 'Doff' Robertson, and the last known record on file is a court notice in April 1947 when she went to court to file for divorce because he had disappeared.

After Robertson filed for divorce in Melbourne, documents from 1951 show she had moved to Bute in South Australia, 144km northeast of Adelaide.

Abbott said Webb liked betting on horses and the mysterious code found in the man's book could relate to horse names.

The researcher said Abbot was also fond of poetry, which could explain the Tamam Shud note.
A woman has been charged with murder after a child, eight, was found dead during a welfare check.

Queensland Police announced the charge on Saturday afternoon after discovery of the child's body during a welfare check overnight.

The woman is known to the child.

Police were called to an address in Rockhampton, Queensland, at about 2.20am on Saturday, where they found an eight-year-old boy unresponsive.

The boy's death is being treated as 'suspicious' by police, with the woman known to him

Detectives from the Rockhampton Child Protection and Investigation Unit have now launched an investigation.

Anyone with information related to the childs death is urged to contact police.

Capricornia Police District Detective Acting Inspector, Luke Peachey is expected to give further details at a media conference on Saturday.
A woman who was late to work nearly every day for four years launched into a foul-mouthed tirade at her colleagues after she was fired.

Kim Stevens was working as a used equipment inventory coordinator for construction supply company William Adams before she was dumped on April 1.

She filed an unfair dismissal claim to Victoria's Fair Work Commission claiming she had been fired under 'false pretences'.

Documents referred to in the judgement show Ms Stevens had regularly been late for work and lied to the company about her Covid vaccination status.

Kim Stevens was working as a used equipment inventory coordinator for construction supply company William Adams before she was dumped on April 1 (stock image)

Ms Stevens was given a performance review in February but continued to show up late arriving an average 40 minutes after her start time between March 15 and 28.

She had also failed to properly record her time on the TANDA system, according to evidence given by a colleague.

Ms Stevens was given a 'show cause' letter by management informing her that the company was considering terminating her employment.

'Are you f***ing kidding me?' Ms Stevens responded.

She then threatened to launch the biggest sexual harassment case in Australian history.

Ms Stevens was later handed her termination letter along with three weeks of pay.

Human resources manager Simone McKay claims that is when Ms Stevens called her a 'f***ing c***' - an allegation Ms Stevens has denied, according to the Fair Work Commission's judgement.

Documents showed Ms Stevens also screamed the insult at her colleagues and that she told them she hated them before she was escorted out of the building.

Ms Stevens argued she had been late to work as she was still suffering from stress stemming from a sexual harassment complaint she made in 2021.

A colleague claimed that Ms Stevens had sent him an email saying a co-worker had accused her of having an affair.

Human resources head Kirsten Waller was then notified and she mediated a meeting where the co-worker apologised to Ms Stevens and she accepted the apology.

She filed an unfair dismissal claim to Victoria's Fair Work Commission claiming she had been fired under 'false pretences' by the construction supply company (stock image)

Ms Waller testified to the Commission that Ms Stevens had a 'feeling' other people were spreading rumours she was having an affair but did not take up Ms Waller's offer to investigate further.

Ms Stevens claimed her termination was a guise to cover up ongoing sexual harassment.

Ms McKay claimed she had seen an immunisation certificate showing Ms Stevens had received two doses of the Covid vaccine.

Ms Stevens admitted she was not vaccinated during a hearing for her unfair dismissal claim on July 14.

Fair Work deputy president Alan Colman sided with William Adams and found the dismissal was a 'proportionate response' and not 'harsh, unjust or unreasonable'.
Civil rights campaigner the Reverend Jesse Jackson has written to Sesame Place urging it to hire more black executives and mandate racial sensitivity training carried out by black instructors.

Jackson, 80, wrote to parent company SeaWorld some suggestions in the letter to remove the 'stain' of 'racism' after black children were filmed apparently being ignored by Sesame Street characters at parades at the Pennsylvania theme park.

The former presidential candidate wants them to bring black Americans into their board of directors and spend money on black-owned business.

He wrote: 'Without sincere action from corporations, discriminatory acts always return. Sesame Place, which is owned by SeaWorld has not provided solutions that I trust will eradicate the culture that has stained this theme park with discriminatory practices. We need SeaWorld to take a stance against past practices and do what is necessary to end discriminatory acts at their theme parks.'

Jackson also wants SeaWorld to give the Philadelphia theme park an African American firm to handle sensitivity training for workers and what he phrases as 'doing right by' the family affected.

He didn't comment further on what 'doing right' means. One family whose child was allegedly snubbed filed a $25 million lawsuit.

Skeptics have questioned whether the alleged acts of racism were actually just staff members in unwieldy costumes unable to see every child reaching out for attention.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson wrote a letter to the owners of Sesame Place after claims of racial discrimination

A family is alleging multiple costumed characters ignored their five-year-old daughter during a meet-and-greet event last month because she was black, although others have questioned whether the person in the Rosarita outfit was just unable to see every child in front of them

He added: 'SeaWorld has an opportunity to be different than previous companies that have failed when faced with adversity. SeaWorld can turn this negative situation into a positive if they bring forth a sustainable action plan that will be a long-term solution to ending racial discrimination at their theme park.'

Jackson spoke after a Baltimore family sued for $25 million.

They alleged four employees dressed as Sesame Street characters ignored Quinton Burns, his daughter Kennedi Burns and other black guests during the meet-and-greet on June 18.

'Just looking at her face, it makes me want to cry every time I see it,' Quinton Burns said during a press conference.

The lawsuit comes after a viral video showing two other black girls from New York apparently being snubbed by Rosita during a parade at the park in Langhorne, outside Philadelphia.

Sesame Place apologized in a statement for that incident and explained that the actor inside the Rosita suit simply couldn't see their daughter due to the costume's limited field of vison.

The furor triggered more families to come forward with similar experiences.

Quinton Burns, left, spoke of his anguish Wednesday as he filed a lawsuit claiming daughter Kennedi, right, was ignored by characters at a Sesame Street theme park parade because she is black

The lawsuit comes in the wake of a video, shared widely on social media, showing two other black girls from New York apparently being snubbed by a costumed employee during a parade at the park in Langhorne, outside Philadelphia

The lawsuit says 'SeaWorld's performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers.'

During a press conference held Wednesday, one of the family's attorneys, Malcolm Ruff, called for transparency from SeaWorld and for the company to compensate the Burns family.

'She was ignored amongst a sea of other young white children who were able to interact, give hugs, high fives,' Ruff said.

'Kennedi was forced to experience racism at the age of 5. This is unacceptable and we will not stand by and let this continue,' Ruff continued.

Sesame Workshop - which was careful to explain that Sesame Place is a licensed partner - then posted another statement on its social media Monday night

Sesame Place responded to the lawsuit in a statement sent to Eyewitness News, saying: 'We will review the lawsuit filed on behalf of Mr. Burns. We look forward to addressing that claim through the established legal process. We are committed to deliver an inclusive, equitable and entertaining experience for all our guests.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus reportedly asked for a meeting with leadership at a Sesame Street theme park after video showing a costumed character waving off two six-year-old black girls during a parade went viral.

Jodi Brown, the mother of one of the girls, first shared the nine-second video clip last weekend, showing the Sesame Place character Rosita high-fiving a white child and woman, then gesturing 'no' and walking away from the two black girls who had their arms out for hugs.
Plans to light up Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance in rainbow colours have been abandoned after staff were subjected to 'hateful' threats and abuse.

The display was intended to commemorate LGBTQI people in service as part of the upcoming exhibition Defending with Pride, which chronicles their stories of denial and exclusion, along with recognition and inclusion.

The Shrine of Remembrance organisation announced on Saturday afternoon that while the exhibition and Last Post service scheduled for Sunday would go ahead, the lighting of its colonnades would not.

'Over several days, our staff have received and been subject to sustained abuse and, in some cases, threats,' chief executive officer Dean Lee said.

Plans to light up Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance (pictured) in rainbow colours have been abandoned after staff were subjected to 'hateful' threats and abuse

The Shrine of Remembrance is seen lit up with purple light in honour of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

'We have seen something of what members of the LGBTIQ+ community experience every day. It is hateful.'

In the interests of minimising harm, the shrine sought guidance from partners and others including veteran associations, the Victorian government, and representatives of the LGBTQI veteran community.

Some media commentators and members of the community opposed the light show.

The display was intended to commemorate LGBTQI people in service as part of the upcoming exhibition Defending with Pride, which chronicles their stories of denial and exclusion, along with recognition and inclusion (pictured is Sydney's Opera House lit up in pride colours)

Mr Lee noted that, 50 years ago, creating a memorial to women's service was controversial and opposed by many, as was the introduction of an annual service commemorating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

'We are proud to recognise and celebrate the history and service of LGBTIQ+ people, something that has traditionally been absent or under-represented within Australia's war memorials,' he said.

'A decade ago, conversations around veteran suicide were taboo, yet today it is the subject of a Royal Commission.

'Society's values change, and the Shrine is a participant in that change and will continue its efforts to honour the service and sacrifice of all who have served Australia.'

The shrine's pride exhibition officially runs from August until July 2023.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer disagrees with the forced imposition of a Russian gas embargo on all members of the European Union because it's impossible to work. The bloc's reliance on natural gas delivery is essential to its ability to avoid economic collapse.

Gas Embargo Is Economic Suicide

According to Karl Nehammer, the EU cannot afford to restrict natural gas because doing so might cause more harm than good. Media outlets made mention of this, reported RT.

These statements were made when Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Austria. According to him, the sanctions on Russian pushed by the US have only impacted the bloc members, which is not what should happen. The Austrian official said the gas embargo has failed, and member countries are paying for it.

According to Austrian Chancellor Nehammer, whose view is that a gas embargo is unfeasible, Austria relies on Russian gas, and so does German industry. If German industry fails, so will Austria's industry, and all will all be affected, noted Hi India.

The European Union-approved gas rationing scheme that started earlier this week to reduce gas use by 15% from August to March of the following year, Viktor Orban questioned Brussels.

When the rationing of natural gas happens, he said that the EU is under siege, and next is potential recession and unemployment in the bloc due to Brussels.

Due to technical problems at a major pipeline, there will be less gas flow from Russia's Gazprom, Nord Stream 1 is working at 20% capacity due to the Russian gas embargo. The reduction comes as general winter approaches.

Read Also: Vladimir Putin Children: Does Russia's President Have Kids?

Biogas To Replace Russian Oil

Despite some expectations, a top biogas researcher has stated that manure-derived gas cannot alleviate Germany's need for Russian fossil fuels.

After the EU slapped sanctions on Moscow over its military campaign in Ukraine, Berlin has been desperately trying to find alternatives to Russian natural gas.

Germany is seriously considering avoiding the need for Russian energy through pipelines by using organic waste derived from manure, grain, and grass; biogas.

According to Der Spiegel magazine, there are 9,500 biogas plants spread out across rural areas of the country. The gas created by farmers is converted into electricity and home heating.

When the German newspaper Die Welt asked on Tuesday, Dr. Guido Ehrhardt, a specialist at the German Biogas Association, commented that it does not solve anything.

He concluded that biogas could replace many things, but not all of them. From a purely technological point of view, it would be feasible to transition to biogas in one or two years and substitute 40% of Russian gas imports, mentioned News7D.

The project to power Germany using cow dung and other organic wastes will face obstacles that must be overcome, and political will is essential to support this effort. The industry would also demand more skilled employees and resources. The government would need to reduce red tape.

According to an outlet, Berlin received 55% of its natural gas supplies before the sanctions against Russia. German officials approved the measures that followed the Brussels sanctions resolution, while Berlin objected.

Austrian Chancellor Nehammer was against the Russian gas embargo from the start and warned the European Union it was knee-capping itself and bringing economic devastation.

Related Article: International Monetary Fund Warns Russian Gas Cutoff Could Crash Economies of Weaker EU States

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Russian soldier accused of castrating a Ukrainian prisoner of war in one of the most horrific war crimes of the entire Russian invasion has been pictured.

He is believed to be a 39-year-old fighter with the pro-Vladimir Putin Luhansk armed group Bryanka-SSSR, another unit with a notorious reputation for violence and brutality. Members of the group have been pictured proudly giving Nazi salutes.

Ukrainian sources including Mirotvorets allege the castrator is from Kalmykia, a Russian region on the Caspian Sea. It is thought he worked as a repairman in the regional capital Elista and a has criminal record in Russia related to overdue loans.

Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun, who tweeted the sickening footage, said the war crime must be punished. 'Russia has to pay for it,' she said.

'Give Ukraine the weapons we need to stop this nightmare once and for all. The world can't pretend like this isn't happening.

Online sleuths quickly worked out his identity from watching the sickening video and matching his distinctive black hat, bracelet, uniform and insignia.

The Russian soldier accused of castrating a Ukrainian prisoner of war on camera in one of the most horrific war crimes of the entire Russian invasion has been matched with a solider seen in a Russian state media news report from June

He is believed to be a 39-year-old fighter with the pro-Vladimir Putin Luhansk armed group Bryanka-SSSR (Bryanka-USSR)

Ukrainian sources including Mirotvorets allege the castrator is from Kalmykia, a Russian region on the Caspian Sea. It is thought he worked as a repairman in the regional capital Elista and a have criminal record in Russia related to overdue loans

Ukrainian sources including Mirotvorets allege the castrator (believed to be the man pictured) is from Kalmykia, a Russian region on the Caspian Sea

He was recognised in a Russian state media news report showing Luhansk forces and Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov's fighters checking the ruins of the Azot factory in Severodonetsk.

The horrifying footage in question, which MailOnline is not publishing, shows a group of men wearing Russian camouflage pinning a soldier in Ukrainian fatigues down and using a box-cutting knife to remove his genitals and then hold them up to the camera.

Other videos showed Russian troops taunting him and appearing to make a telephone call to his wife. Late last night, a video emerged showing the soldier being shot in the head before his body was dragged through the streets on a rope.

It is unclear exactly when or where the footage was taken, but the perpetrators were seen in the state media report in June.

The sickening act, which was shared on Russian social media, was confirmed as genuine last night by Aric Toler of open source investigators Bellingcat, who have uncovered a number of crimes committed by the Russian state.

Toler said the footage showed no signs of editing or manipulation. He suggested it was possible to identify the attacker through the same broad-rimmed hunter's hat and bracelet, as well as the same uniform and insignia that he had worn in the Azot news report.

The outrage across Ukraine at seeing one of their defenders mutilated and executed in such a manner was widespread in a country that has endured five months of Russian troops committing war crimes on their soil.

The Kyiv satellite town of Bucha made headlines worldwide in April when withdrawing Russian troops left evidence or torture and summary executions among Ukrainian soldiers and the civilian populace.

Anecdotal evidence suggests deliberate campaigns of rape and sexual assault were also carried out by Russian troops.

Ukrainian authorities identified Russia's 64th separate motorised infantry brigade as the unit responsible for some of these atrocities.

Dead bodies littered the streets of Bucha, a suburb of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, after Russian forces withdrew from the region in April

They were later awarded honorary guards status from Russian president Vladimir Putin in a move that suggested wholehearted support from the Russian state for their war crimes.

Bryanka-USSR, members of which carried out the castration, had acquired a similar reputation for violence, brutality and war crimes even before the Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

The battalion commander, Dmitry Pindyurin nicknamed 'Lyuty' ('Ferocious'), was implicated in shootings, looting, extortion and other criminal acts that terrorised the separatist region in 2015.

Around that time the bodies of 17 victims were discovered in the city of Bryanka, near Alchevsk in the Lugansk region, believed to have been killed by members of the Bryanka-USSR group.

The Ukrainian prosecutor's office said it was gathering documentation of more than 14,000 alleged Russian war crimes, and had identified more than 600 suspects.

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Eastern European director, said: 'Those suspected of criminal responsibility for this horrific assault must be investigated.

'International law is clear: prisoners must not be subjected to any form of torture or ill treatment. Their rights must be respected in accordance with the Geneva Convention.'

Outrage over the incident came as separatist authorities in Russian-occupied Donetsk accused Ukraine of shelling a prison colony, killing 53 prisoners and injuring 75 more.

At least forty Ukrainian prisoners of war have been killed in a Russian detention camp

Russian forces accused Kyiv of targeting the Olenivka prison in Donetsk overnight using US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems

The Kremlin's defence ministry said this morning that eight employees at the detention centre were also injured

The separatists claimed Ukrainian forces targeted the prison to punish troops who allegedly surrendered and were going to testify against Ukraine. Footage released by Russian state television appeared to show a prison cell with charred bunk beds.

Ukrainian military sources said Russian artillery fire struck the penal facility in Olenivka.

Meanwhile, Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in a separatist-controlled area of the country's east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have a duty to react after shelling of a prison complex in Donetsk province killed the POWS.

'It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war,' Zelenskyy said in a video address late Friday. 'There should be a clear legal recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.'

Both sides alleged the attack on the prison was premeditated and intended to silence the Ukrainian prisoners and to destroy evidence, including of possible atrocities.

Russia claimed Ukraine's military used U.S.-supplied precision rocket launchers to target the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic.

The Ukrainian military, however, denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. It accused the Russians of shelling the prison to cover up the alleged torture and execution of Ukrainians there.

Separatist authorities and Russian officials said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded another 75. Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday issued a list naming 48 Ukrainian fighters, their ages ranging from 20 to 62, who died in the attack; it was not clear if the ministry had revised its fatality count.
A skydiver has died after a jump went terribly wrong in Victoria on Saturday.

The man crash landed near Airfield Road at the Latrobe Regional Airport, Morwell in the state's south east just after 1pm on Saturday.

Victoria Police said the skydiver 'got into difficulty' while in the air before the fatal crash.

He is yet to be identified but is believed to be aged in his 40s and an experienced skydiver, the Herald Sun reported.

The man crash landed into Airfield Road at the Latrobe Regional Airport in Morwell in the state's south east just after 1pm on Saturday

It's understood he'd been on a solo jump from about 12,000ft high.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

It comes after Mark Hanna, 34, died earlier this month while on his first wingsuit flight after both of his parachutes failed to open near Torquay, south of Melbourne

The experienced skydiver had already completed 300 jumps but it was his first time using a wingsuit - a webbed jumpsuit that allows the user to fall for longer thanks to its increased surface area.

Both his parachutes failed, investigators said, leaving Mr Hanna with no safety net to survive.
A couple have been forced to make a heart-wrenching decision and put their seven-year-old cat down after struggling to find a pet friendly rental home.

Jason, 64, and Fiona Bateman, 54, had to move out of their Adelaide home that they'd rented for 14 years in April this year when their landlord sold the property.

The pair battled to find somewhere new to live in the middle of a rental crisis and say finding an affordable home that allowed pets was even harder.

The pair claim they were on the 'verge of homelessness' before they found a home but it sadly didn't permit animals.

The couple considered surrendering their cat named Kitten to a shelter but were told most were already overcrowded and she'd likely be euthanised.

Tragically, the pair decided to put down Kitten.

Adelaide couple Jason and Fiona Bateman has made a heart wrenching decision to put their cat of seven years Kitty (pictured) down after being unable to find pet friendly accommodation

'We didn't really have another choice and that's been devastating for us and for Fiona in particular, having to give her only friend pretty much,' Jason Bateman told Seven News.

'There was no reason for her to lose her life, but she did just purely so we could have somewhere to live.'

Mr Bateman said Kitten was Fiona's constant companion and spent 99 per cent of her time with his wife, often sitting with her in a chair and sleeping on top of her.

The couple has been on South Australia's social housing waitlist for 28 years and Mr Bateman said they were 'genuinely on the verge of being homeless' when they made the decision to give up Kitten.

Mr Bateman suffered a significant stroke three years prior meaning he is unfit to work and is also the carer for his wife, who suffers her own health issues.

The couple considered surrendering their cat named Kitten to a shelter but were told most were already overcrowded and she'd likely be euthanised

The pair had called their local vet and were informed the clinic had been getting similar calls every second day from other house hunters.

Mr Bateman said he and his wife are reminded of Kitten's absence everyday.

'Quite often in the night you'll think ''oh is that the kitten'', you can hear her little feet wandering around or a noise, you think she must be eating something, but of course she's not here,' he said.

Animal welfare charity Companion Animal Network Australia (Australia CAN) said the rental crisis is hard enough as it is for Australians without having to choose between a home and their furry companions.

CEO Trish Ennis is calling for governments to impose regulations preventing landlords from discriminating against renters with pets.

Ms Ennis said there had been 'far too many pet surrenders' based on rental and housing issues.

In Victoria landlords have to give a sufficient reason for denying a renter if they have pets.
A killer who repeatedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend and tried to decapitate her in a drug-induced 'fierce and fuming rage' has been locked up for 18 years.

Adam Butt launched the 'brutal and premeditated' attack on American Mary Wells on the night of January 16, 2021, inflicting fatal stab wounds to her neck and torso.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Butt unsuccessfully attempted to decapitate his girlfriend and later told friends he had 'just killed a demon'.

Butt had met the 21-year-old Ms Wells online and was living with her in Colchester after Mary had travelled to the UK for a six month stay to be with him and to do some travelling.

But their relationship soured with Butt telling friends Ms Wells was 'nagging' him to seek therapy when his mental state declined as a result of heavy drug and alcohol abuse.

The prosecutor stated on the day of the killing, Butt travelled to Gatwick Airport where he decided he needed to decapitate Ms Wells and use her eyeball as a ticket to get through a 'portal'.

Mary had flown thousands of miles from the US to meet Butt after the couple met online and it is understood they were sharing a flat at the time while Mary enjoyed exploring the UK. She had been due to return to the US three weeks after her death.

Adam Butt has been locked up in a psychiatric hospital after stabbing his American girlfriend Mary Wells to death in a brutal and premediated attack at their flat in Colchester last year

Mark Milleken-Smith, prosecuting, revealed Butt's victim would have been conscious during the early stages of the 'frenzied' stabbing, during which she also suffered compression to her throat and was struck with a dumbbell.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard five-feet tall Wells attempted to fight back but 'would have been no match at all for Butt'.

At an inquest last year, a coroner ruled Mary died from penetrating wounds to the neck and torso.

When the police entered the house shortly after 5.30am on January 17, they found Mary's body on the floor at the foot of the couple's bed with her head slumped forward, the court heard on Friday.

It was said that Butt used two knives to inflict stab wounds to his victim's chest, abdomen and neck before attempting unsuccessfully to remove her head.

Paramedics were called but Ms Wells could not be saved and she was declared dead at the scene.

Butt, 23, was said to be sat in a chair in the corner of the room with his head down surrounded by blood on the wall. He would later admit manslaughter with diminished responsibility in August last year.

The University of Essex student, from Colchester, showed no emotion as he was sentenced to 18 years in a secure hospital and told he would spend the remainder of his life on licence, on Friday.

Mary Wells, 21, was found stabbed to death in a house in Colchester, Essex, in January 2021

The court heard Butt's friends detailed how he had become unrecognisable and 'manic' as his mental state rapidly declined towards the end of November 2020.

Investigators were told the 23-year-old smoked cannabis and took acid and MDMA with some claiming they had never seen him sober.

Mr Milliken-Smith told the court: 'Friends say by January 2021 he had changed unrecognisably. They pleaded with him to go to therapy.'

He said Butt began to have 'aggressive outbursts' often due to the mixture of drink and drugs, causing Wells to become anxious before arguments.

The court heard Butt once told her 'I could easily kill you right now' while armed with a fragment from a broken mirror.

Tom Price, mitigating, argued it was 'quite clear' Butt, who had met Wells on an online dating site, was going through a psychotic episode which began in November 2020.

Evidence delivered to the court strongly suggested the defendant's mental decline resulted from heavy drug and alcohol abuse, with Butt previously telling a friend he was 'stuck in a loop of never-ending acid trips'.

Prosecutors stated on the day of the killing, Butt had travelled to Gatwick Airport where he decided he needed to decapitate Wells and use her eyeball as a ticket to get through a 'portal'.

It was his continued delusions which caused him to believe women were 'evil' which lead to Mary's tragic death, as Butt launched the unprovoked attack on her at their Colchester home that night.

A text he sent to a friend following the attack said he had just 'killed a demon', the court heard, and he later told prison staff: 'You don't know what it's like to kill your girlfriend, I'm a monster'.

Paramedics were called to the property but tragically they could not save Ms Wells' life

Judge Christopher Morgan concluded: 'When you voluntarily consume drugs and it triggers a psychotic episode, this shows you have the capacity to kill another human being.

'This was a particularly brutal attack on a young woman. She must've been thoroughly terrified,' he added.

Mary had been born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and lived in Dallastown, Philadelphia, where she graduated from high school.

Mary's family, who live in the United States, paid tribute at the time calling Mary a 'bright' woman after she graduated from Dallastown High School and added: 'She was looking to excel in life and will be loved and missed by all.'

A tribute shared after her death on a fundraising page to get her body back to the US read: 'Mary was so kind and selfless, she would give someone the shirt off her back. Mary was quiet and didn't ask for much.

'She wasn't the kind of person that likes to fight or argue. She was very shy.

'Mary had a tough couple of years. She lost her mum due to health problems and lost her grandmother, who took care of her after her mum died two years ago.'

Detective Sergeant Michael Ferguson, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said:

'My thoughts and condolences are very much with Mary's family at this time.

'This was a tragic incident which claimed the life of a young woman who had everything to look forward to and who should have been able to experience everything that life could offer her for many more years to come.'

Adam Butt was sentenced under Section 45A of the Mental Health Act 1983.
The girlfriend of TikTok star and notorious eshay Spanian has been charged with assaulting a woman who mocked the couple for being booted out of Woolworths for not wearing masks.

Former prison inmate turned rapper Spanian, whose real name is Anthony Lees, was with his partner Angela McColl, 26, at the Marrickville Shopping Centre in Sydney's inner west last September when the altercation kicked off.

The woman shouted at the pair 'sucked in didn't get let in' outside the supermarket and then called Spanian a 'derogatory term' before Ms McColl confronted her.

Ms McColl stood in front of the woman and argued with her, which forced the woman to back into a Woolworths cash register, according to court documents, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The woman lunged her leg towards the couple, 'fearing she would be assaulted', she later told police.

Sydney rapper Spanian (pictured, left ) accompanied his girlfriend Angela McColl (pictured, right) to court on Thursday after she was charged with assault

The fracas began when the woman approached the couple while they were at the Daiso Japan store in the same centre, where she told Spanian he should be wearing a mask.

Spanian then spoke to the woman at a different location in the centre before walking away.

They were then taunted by the woman again outside Woolworths.

Ms McColl was arrested later that day and told police she was the victim in the melee, claiming the other woman threatened to 'bash her'.

She appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court last Thursday, supported by her boyfriend who wasn't charged over the incident.

She was sentenced to a six-month conditional release order and no conviction was recorded.

Former prison inmate turned rapper Spanian, whose real name is Anthony Lees, was with his partner Angela McColl, 26, at the Marrickville Shopping Centre in Sydney's inner west last September when the altercation kicked off

Spanian is known for speaking candidly about his life of crime, drug addiction and imprisonment

Spanian is known for speaking candidly about his life of crime, drug addiction and imprisonment, on the streets of inner Sydney and has made a name for himself by popularising the eshay culture.

He has more than 200,000 followers on TikTok and bizarrely once shared a video on how to make a small fortune through break and enters.

During Sydney's Covid lockdown last year, he shared a video of himself roaming the streets eating ice-cream and encouraging his fans not to follow restrictions.

Spanian claimed he was outside filming the video for 'compassionate' reasons, but did not elaborate further.

The rapper previously spoke about his battle with heroin addiction and crime in an interview published on his self-titled YouTube channel.

Spanian said he first got into buprenorphine - a treatment for heroin addicts similar to methadone - while serving time when he was younger.

'I was one of the first c***ts in Australia on the bupe [buprenorphine]. I was doing bupe in jail and loving life,' he said. 'I was high 24/7'.

The rapper previously spoke about his battle with heroin addiction and crime in an interview published on his self-titled YouTube channel

'I used to chop $1500-a-day on gear [drugs]. I used to pride myself on that too,' he said.

He said it wasn't until he was walking past a mirror in Junee Correctional Centre that he had an epiphany, and quit cold turkey in 2007.

'[It happened] out of nowhere. I did a double take and I saw me for what I was. I saw a junkie.

'I don't know who gave me that insight, I don't know if it was God or if I was in the middle of a f**king beneficial psychosis.'

'I looked at myself and I thought 'you're a mess. You are some junkie sitting in a cell with the bottom of the earth in the middle of the bush thinking you're a mad c**t'.'

Eshays are a youth subculture known for a uniform which includes Nike TN shoes and Nautica polo shirts.

The controversial rapper is a poster boy for the worrying new wave of 'eshays' infiltrating Australia's youth and has a large fan base for his disturbing 'hood logic' rants on Instagram.
The Pope has said it is 'not a catastrophe' should he retire as head of the Catholic Church due to health issues that have affected his mobility.

Pope Francis, 85, acknowledged Saturday that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments.

He was speaking after a weeklong pilgrimage to Canada in which he apologised to Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canada's church-run residential schools.

The pontiff described the trip as 'a bit of a test' that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire.

'It's not strange. It's not a catastrophe. You can change the pope,' he said while sitting in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.

The 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadn't thought about resigning, he realises he has to at least slow down.

But he added that 'the door is open' and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.

Pope Francis, 85, spoke to reporters on his plane journey to the Vatican from Canada, where he admitted he might retire

He was speaking after a weeklong pilgrimage to Canada in which he Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canada's church-run residential schools

The 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadn't thought about resigning, he realises he has to at least slow down

Francis said earlier in the month that the retirement of his predecessor - Pope Emeritus Benedict - had gone 'rather well' and that he could also retire 'if the time is right' and 'if I survive'.

'I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside,' he said.

Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate following the first trip in which he used a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around, sharply limiting his program and ability to mingle with crowds.

He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and continuing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa that was scheduled for the first week of July.

The Canada trip was difficult, and featured several moments when Francis was clearly in pain as he manoeuvred getting up and down from chairs.

At the end of his six-day tour, he appeared in good spirits and energetic, despite a long day travelling to the edge of the Arctic on Friday to again apologise to Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canada's church-run residential schools.

Francis ruled out having surgery on his knee, saying it would not necessarily help and noting 'there are still traces' from the effects of having undergone more than six hours of anaesthesia in July 2021 to remove 33cm (13 inches) of his large intestine.

'I'll try to continue to do the trips and be close to people because I think it's a way of servicing, being close. But more than this, I can't say,' he said Saturday.

Much of the Canadian pilgrimage was dominated by Pope Francis' efforts to apologise to Canada's indigenous communities. Pictured: Francis during a meeting with indigenous people in the primary school square of Iqaluit, the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut yesterday

Francis, left, wears a traditional headdress he was given after his apology to Indigenous people during a ceremony in Maskwacis, Alberta on July 25

Indigenous women wearing "Every Child Matters" on their clothes, wait for the arrival of Pope Francis at Nakasuk school in Iqaluit, Nunavut, yesterday. The Pope agreed that the attempt to eliminate Indigenous culture in Canada through a church-run residential school system amounted to a cultural 'genocide.'

Much of the Canadian pilgrimage was dominated by Pope Francis' efforts to apologise to Canada's indigenous communities.

He agreed that the attempt to eliminate Indigenous culture in Canada through a church-run residential school system amounted to a cultural 'genocide.'

Francis said he didn't use the term during his Canada trip because it didn't come to mind.

Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission determined in 2015 that the forced removal of Indigenous children from their homes and placement in church-run residential schools to assimilate them into Christian, Canadian constituted a 'cultural genocide.'

'It's true I didn't use the word because it didn't come to mind, but I described genocide, no?' Francis said. 'I apologised, I asked forgiveness for this work, which was genocide.'

Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases.

Meanwhile, Francis confirmed he hoped to travel to Kazakhstan in mid-September for an interfaith conference where he might meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine.

Francis also said he wants to go to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, though no trip has yet been confirmed.

He said he hoped to reschedule the trip to South Sudan he cancelled because of his knee problems. He said the Congo leg of that trip would probably have to be put off until next year because of the rainy season.
An assistant chief constable has been forced to defend his force's tactics after six police cars and 12 officers were sent out to an operation which ended in someone getting a ticket over a mis-spaced number plate.

Former union official Glen Dyson, 66, of Lowton, Warrington, Cheshire, was stunned to discover the number plate he's had for 12 years was illegal, even though he has had a speeding ticket in the past.

Officials failed to flag any problems to motorist Glen, and was appalled when his wife was handed a ticket for the 'mis-spaced number plate on their BMW.

Glen had previously had a speeding ticket on the same blue convertible and the prosecution letter complete with details of the number plate landed on his mat at home.

The scene that laid before him included six police cars and 12 officers pulling drivers up on minor traffic issues - something he says looked like a 'major crime incident'.

But Greater Manchester Police has defended the number of police cars and officers sent to the scene when Glen was stopped on Thursday 28 July as it was part of Operation Avro which 'utilises specialist resources from across the force'.

Former union official Glen Dyson, 66, of Lowton, Warrington, Cheshire, was stunned to discover the number plate he's had for 12 years was illegal. His stop and fine by Greater Manchester Police was part of Operation Avro, which saw six police cars and 12 officers pulling drivers up on minor traffic issues - something he says looked like a 'major crime incident'

Glen said: 'When you look at the pictures taken around Spinning Jenny Way here in Leigh, you'd be expecting a major crime incident to be ongoing.

'No that's not the case, it's a dozen plus officers pulling motorists for minor traffic issues and they have six police cars tied up doing this.

'My car has had that number plate on it for 12 years - I've had a speeding ticket and been first on the scene of an accident speaking to three police officers and never once has it been highlighted as not legal.

'We have all kinds of incidents, outside of office hours, when you simply cannot get a police officer to save your life.

'Within the last year our local pub had an altercation and the police were called  they didn't come.

'Now in broad daylight, when burglars might be on the prowl, they are all gathered together in the one spot stopping motorists.

'Is that really a sensible use of police personnel? I am not so sure it is.

'We have a 100 ticket for a minor misdemeanour  back in the day a sensible police officer may have issued guidance to inform you that the number plate needs altering, but having said that I've had letters from the police about the car and no mention of the number plate being an issue.

Glen said: 'When you look at the pictures taken around Spinning Jenny Way here in Leigh, you'd be expecting a major crime incident to be ongoing.' Pictured, where Glen Dyson was stopped in Spinning Jenny Way in Leigh

'In this day and age you'd hope they would have better things to do with crime rising as the cost of living crisis takes hold.

'At the end of the day it's a ticket and we won't contest it. We are law-abiding motorists, fully taxed, insured and with an MOT, but we have been issued with a fine.

'It's not even something I would expect the police officers involved want to be doing when there are serious incidents happening all over the place.'

The couple's number plate reads G D07SON and is apparently mis-spaced. The Dyson's intend to pay the fine, but are keen to question the level of policing put into what are basically minor motoring matters.

Glen's wife Karen, a retired estate agent, said: 'It was afterwards that I was shaking about what had happened.

The couple's number plate reads G D07SON (pictured) and is apparently mis-spaced. The Dyson's intend to pay the fine, but are keen to question the level of policing put into what are basically minor motoring matters

'I had no idea I had done anything wrong and we've had that registration on vehicles for 12 years. The policeman asked if I was Mrs Dobson, it was most odd.

'You have to question the decision making that allows a dozen police officers or more to simply stop motorists in the middle of the day.

'We have lodged a complaint with Greater Manchester Police about the use of their resources. We will pay the fine if this is an offence.'

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Wasim Chaudhry, said: 'Greater Manchester Police is taking an increasingly proactive approach to fighting, preventing and reducing crime to make our region as safe as possible for those who live, work and travel within it.

'Operation Avro, which was taking place in the Wigan and Leigh area on Thursday 28 July 2022, is just one example of that work and utilises specialist resources from across the force.

'This includes, but is by no means limited to, officers from our Roads Policing Unit who have enhanced knowledge of the legislation and regulations relating to vehicles and, thus, a keener eye for identifying non-compliance.

'This work can focus on the manner in which vehicles are driven, the condition they are kept in and documentation relating to the motorist. Officers seek to deal with situations in the most appropriate manner and, yesterday, nine vehicles ended up being seized and removed from our roads.

'Greater Manchester Police has a responsibility to enforce the law. If anyone is unsure of the legislation and regulations which relate to vehicles, they should visit the Government's website for advice: Displaying number plates: Rules for number plates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).'
The Chinese military conducted live-fire exercises Saturday off its coast opposite Taiwan amid reports that US Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in the air on her way to the region.

The powder keg situation comes as China indicated it may shoot Pelosi's plane down if she attempts to land on the disputed island democracy, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

Pelosi is thought to have set off late on Friday for her upcoming Asian tour, which may or may not include a visit to Taiwan, something that Beijing warned the US would 'bear all consequences' for.

If it goes ahead, it could precipitate the largest crisis in the Straits of Taiwan for almost 40 years.

Beijing has reacted furiously to the prospective visit of the third ranking official in the US government to Taiwan. Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned President Joe Biden on Thursday that 'those who play with fire will perish by it.'

'It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this.'

The People's Liberation Army was conducting 'live-fire exercises' near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province, the official Xinhua News Agency announced. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area.

US Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reported to be in the air on her way to the Asia-Pacifc region for the start of Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in August amid threats by China to shoot her down if she visits the island of Taiwan

Two vessels identified as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate were seen 27km and 23km away from the Taiwan Strait. Both are armed with surface-to-air missiles (file photos)

Xi warned Biden on the call, according to Chinese state media: 'Those who play with fire will only get burnt. Hope the US side can see this clearly'

President Joe Biden posted an image to his Twitter from a two-hour call Thursday morning with Chinese President Xi Jinping  the fifth between the two since Biden took office

Such exercises usually involve artillery. The one-sentence announcement gave no indication whether Saturday's exercise also might include missiles, fighter planes or other weapons.

Two other vessels - identified by Vietnam-based maritime observer Duan Dang as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate - were seen 27km and 23km away from the Taiwan Strait. Both are armed with surface-to-air missiles.

Meanwhile the Chinese navy was conducting military exercises off its southern coast near Guangdong, following exercises in nearby Hainan province.

It is all seen as a show of force to dissuade Pelosi from visiting the island. As the leader of the co-equal legislative branch of the US government, Joe Biden has no authority to order her to abandon the visit.

Biden said last week the Pentagon thought a Taiwan trip was 'not a good idea.'

'Well, I think that the military thinks it's not a good idea right now,' Biden said in response to a question about Pelosi's reported trip. 'But I don't know what the status of it is.'

China has been ratcheting up the rhetoric as the crisis reaches boiling point, with the Chinese state-affiliated Global Times crowing, 'don't say we didn't warn you!'

It is a phrase that China apparently used before fighting both India in 1962 and Vietnam in 1979.

And a commentator with Beijing mouthpiece the Global Times, Hu Xijn, called US fighter jets escorting Pelosi's plane into Taiwan an 'invasion'.

'The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi's plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down,' he wrote on Twitter.

The visit, which a member of the House foreign affairs committee seemed to have confirmed will go ahead, will be the first visit by such a high-ranking American elected official in 25 years.

Pictured: Taiwanese navy launches a US-made Standard missile from a frigate during the annual Han Kuang Drill, on the sea near the Suao navy harbor in Yilan county on July 2

China says Taiwan has no right to conduct foreign relations. It sees visits by American officials as encouragement for the island to make its decades-old de facto independence official.

The PLA has flown growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan and has in the past fired missiles into shipping lanes to the island.

In a Thursday phone call between the leaders of the two superpowers, the Chinese premier said he firmly opposes Taiwan independence and the interference of external forces.

Biden expressed the US stance on the issue has not changed, according to a read out of the meeting.

'On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' the readout states.

'If she goes, there will definitely be a Taiwan Strait crisis, and it will definitely exceed the last one in 1995-1996,' Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Financial Times.

'That is because China's military capabilities by far exceed those of 26 years ago.'

Even so, most analysts believe China would be keen to avoid open military conflict with the US, which has military bases dotted around the region and the USS Ronald Reagan carrier group in the South China Sea.

In spite of this reticence, the PLA has flown growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan and has in the past fired missiles into shipping lanes to the island.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland.

The two governments say they are one country but disagree over which is entitled to national leadership. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment.
Police have arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of murder following the death of nine-year-old Lillia Valutyte in Boston, Lincolnshire Police have said.

Lillia was knifed at around 6.20pm on 28 July while she was reportedly playing in the street with her sister outside an embroidery and screen printing shop run by her Lithuanian mother Lina Savicke in Fountain Lane, Boston.

Detectives confirmed they had made an arrest after armed police swooped on a residential street close to a park around 200 yards from the road where the schoolgirl was killed early on Thursday evening.

Shocked onlookers in saw three men being led away from an area outside a Victorian semi-detached house in Thorold Street, alongside Central Park in the town centre of Boston, Lincolnshire.

It is believed that officers broke down a rear door of the house at around 2.45pm before cordoning off the street and an area of the park. It is understood that the 22-year-old was arrested in Central Park.

Lincolnshire Police announced that they had made an arrest on suspicion of murder shortly before 3.50pm.

Earlier on Saturday, officers hunting the killer of Lillia published images of a bearded man wearing a blue t-shirt and black trousers who was believed to have been filmed just moments before the attack.

Police have arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of murder following the death of nine-year-old Lillia Valutyte in Boston, Lincolnshire Police have said. Pictured are police at the scene of the arrest

Detectives confirmed they had made an arrest after armed police swooped on a residential street close to a park around 200 yards from the road where the schoolgirl was killed early on Thursday evening (pictured at the scene this afternoon)

Shocked onlookers in saw three men being led away from an area outside a Victorian semi-detached house in Thorold Street, alongside Central Park in the town centre of Boston, Lincolnshire

Two people were arrested yesterday morning in connection with the death of Lillia (pictured), with police describing the stabbing as an 'isolated' incident

The images of the wanted man showed him walking in a cobbled historic street called Wormgate, just around the corner from Fountain Lane where the nine-year-old was stabbed to death on Thursday evening.

The manhunt was launched this morning by Lincolnshire Police after two people, who were earlier arrested in connection with her death, were released and told they faced no further action.

A Lincolnshire Police statement said: We are urgently appealing for the publics help to identify the man in these photographs, who we want to speak to following the death of nine-year-old Lillia Valutyte.

As part of our fast-moving murder investigation, we now have CCTV images of a man who we need to locate.

Any information, however small, may prove critical to our enquiries. Two people who were arrested earlier this week have now been released with no further action.

Chief Superintendent Martyn Parker of Lincolnshire Police said: Our officers have been working round the clock on this investigation, and the publics help may prove crucial.

It is believed that officers broke down a rear door of the house at around 2.45pm before cordoning off the street and an area of the park

Lincolnshire Police announced that they had made an arrest on suspicion of murder shortly before 3.50pm. An officer is pictured at the cordoned off scene in Thorold Street, Boston

A crowd formed in Central Park opposite the scene in Thorold Street, Boston, after three men were led away shortly before police announced they had arrested a man

The death of the nine-year-old girl, whose family were from Lithuania, has locals left in 'profound shock' and the local MP appealing for national assistance to catch her killer

These are very clear images of a man we want to speak to, so Id urge anyone with information to get in touch with us. If you see him, do not approach him but immediately call 999.

This is a particularly tragic case and Id like to reassure the public that we have a huge amount of resources dedicated to the investigation.

We continue to provide support to the family of Lillia, as they grieve following this unimaginable loss.

Police have not disclosed the age or sex of the people who were earlier arrested, but confirmed that they were not the parents of Lillia who was known as Lily.

Anyone who sees the man or recognises him should call 999 quoting Incident 419 of 28 July.

If you have any information relating to our investigation, including if you think you know the identity of this man, call 101 quoting Incident 419 of 28 July.

Lillia, whose family were from Lithuania, was found on a quiet lane in Boston at around 6.20pm on Thursday - with locals left in 'profound shock' and the local MP appealing for national assistance to catch the killer.

Chief Superintendent Parker announced the manhunt by reading a statement to the media at the top of Fountain Lane on Saturday, beside a growing collection of floral tributes and cuddly toys left by well-wishers in memory of Lillia.

Flowers and cuddly toy tributes left in memory of Lillia Valutyte, nine, who was stabbed to death in Boston, Lincolnshire

Chief Superintendent Parker announced the manhunt by reading a statement to the media at the top of Fountain Lane on Saturday, beside a growing collection of floral tributes and cuddly toys left by well-wishers in memory of Lillia.

He refused to answer questions after reading his prepared statement as a small crowd of shoppers looked on in the town centre street.

Friends of Lillia were today lighting candles in her memory at the 14th century St Botolphs Church, known as the Boston Stum, just 100 yards from the murder scene.

They included Tia Mills, nine, and Imani Bradley, nine, who were in her class at the Carlton Road Academy primary school in Boston.

Tia who was with her mother said: She was nice. She liked Harry Potter. She was quite quiet. She was a good friend. She liked to dance.

Imani who was with her grandmother added: She was just a very lovely girl. She was nice, funny, loving and caring.

Tias mother who asked not to be named said: Its disgusting beyond words. Something needs to be done in this town to make sure our children have a confident future and are able to walk the streets. They need to feel safe.

The death of the nine-year-old girl, whose family were from Lithuania, has locals left in 'profound shock' and the local MP appealing for national assistance to catch her killer

I was devastated and traumatised speaking to some of the other parents. Their children are heartbroken. Its really shaken the town.

A prayer written out and placed on a table beside the candles, said: Today the people of Boston are in a state of shock and disbelief.

We find it hard to accept what has happened to this precious child. As a community our hearts are broken, and we cannot even begin to understand. The pain and despair that the family and their friends will be feeling.

Another prayer added: We feel helpless and inadequate in the face of such suffering.

Father-of-five Mark Gostelow said he wanted to light a candle for Lillia's life. He said: It's horrific, I've got children myself so it hits home with me.

Jerena Tyler, who also paid her respects at the Gothic church, said: It breaks your heart because you're thinking all of her nine-year-old life has been wiped away in one night.

St Botolphs rector, the rev Jane Robertson, said: People feel they can't do anything and they want to do something.

The church offers a space for people to come in and do something and actually do something tangible, even if it's to sit and say why or to feel anger or frustration or that awful sense of this is wrong.

Scores of floral tributes along with teddy bears were left in a growing pile close to the murder scene by people from all different communities in the town which is known for its high migrant population.

One message attached to flowers said: RIP little one, taken too soon. Another added: Sleep well little angel, thoughts and prayers with your family.

Children left more than a dozens of hand drawn pictures of angels in Lillias memory.

One of the pictures had the message, Fly high sweet baby Lillia . Another said: Lillia, I do feel bad that you died but I hope you had a wonderful life. Im sure you did.

The police cordon around the spot where Lillia died was lifted overnight allowing the public to walk past the scene.

An Eastern European man who said he was a friend of her family wept as he left roses and lit two candles in jars at the scene.

A third collection of flowers and toys at the other end of Fountain Lane included a copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

A small tent has been pictured at the murder scene near the town's historic St Botolph's Church as forensic officers bagged up evidence.

A large object appeared to be covered in the middle of the alleyway, which was marked by small yellow signs.

Lillia was attacked just feet away from her mothers screen printing and embroidery shop called Sava Code Embroidery in Fountain Lane.

A forensic officer near the scene in Boston earlier today as a police cordon remains in place following the stabbing at around 6.20pm on Thursday

Ms Savicke previously ran a restaurant and bar called Paradise at the same premises next to the offices of gangmaster MS Agricultural Services where she worked as a supervisor.

It is believed that she opened the shop early in March this year, offering customised logos on bags and T shirts for local clubs and organisations, as well as personalised cushions and other items embroidered or printed with personal messages.

The UK is in the grip of a knife crime epidemic, with the latest figures for England and Wales showing offences involving knives are up by 10 per cent compared to the previous year.

This weekend saw a wave of stabbings in London that saw three people killed in less than 24 hours and another badly injured.

Horrifically, this is not the first time children have become victims of fatal stabbings in Britain, with 12-year-old Ava White murdered by a teenager in Liverpool last November. He was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in jail.

The UK is in the grip of a knife crime epidemic, with the latest figures for England and Wales showing offences involving knives are up by 10 per cent compared to the previous year.

This weekend saw a wave of stabbings in London that saw three people killed in less than 24 hours and another badly injured.

Horrifically, this is not the first time children have become victims of fatal stabbings in Britain, with 12-year-old Ava White murdered by a teenager in Liverpool last November. He was sentenced to a minimum of 13 years in jail.
Advertisement

Russian has cut off gas to Latvia amid growing energy concern for winter in Europe after supplies to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Netherlands and Denmark were also axed.

Europe is facing an acute energy crisis as Putin weaponizes energy supplies in apparent retaliation for leaders defying him over Ukraine.

Russia's state-owned gas giant Gazprom cut off gas to Latvia today because the country refused to pay in roubles.

In a short statement, the company said it was halting its gas deliveries to Russia's small neighbour because Latvia broke 'terms for extraction of gas', which is believed to refer to the EU country's refusal to pay in roubles.

This week Russia also reduced the amount of gas coming through the Nord Stream 1 pipe - the main route into Germany - to 20 per cent capacity.

Officially, Moscow says flows are being choked off because of repairs to turbines which pump the gas but Germany said this was just an excuse.

Most believe Putin is exacting revenge on European leaders for defying him over the war in Ukraine.

The move is a desperate one. Russia relies on revenue from energy to keep its economy afloat and will almost certainly face a deep recession without it.

Putin appears to be betting that European unity over Ukraine will break before the worst effects are felt back home.

If Kyiv loses its Western backing, then it may be forced to seek a peace deal that would favour Putin.

Russian has cut off gas to Latvia amid growing energy panic in Europe after supplies to Poland, Bulgaria, Finland, Netherlands and Denmark were also axed

Putin appears to be betting that European unity over Ukraine will break before the worst effects are felt back home

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Iran on July 19 - Russia has been heavily sanctioned since it invaded Ukraine earlier this year

Latvia is one of the NATO members which borders Russia - the Baltic state refused to pay for Gazprom's gas with roubles along with many other countries

The state-owned energy giant has already halted gas shipments to the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria over their refusal to pay in roubles

Gazprom has already cut off gas supplies to Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria because the countries would not pay in roubles.

Russia has also halted gas sales to Shell Energy Europe in Germany.

Latvian media reported the country had already agreed to keep buying Russian gas from another supplier.

Edijs Saicans, deputy state secretary on energy policy at the Latvian Economy Ministry, said Gazprom's move would have little effect given that Latvia has already decided to ban Russian gas imports from January 1, 2023.

He said: 'We do not see any major impacts from such a move.'

Gazprom's announcement came a day after Latvian energy firm Latvijas Gaze said it was buying gas from Russia and paying in euros rather than the roubles required when trading with Gazprom.

A spokesperson for Latvijas Gaze, however, said on Friday that it was not purchasing gas from Gazprom. Latvijas Gaze would not name its Russian provider, citing business confidentiality.

Latvijas Gaze did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday following Gazprom's announcement.

Latvia is the latest country to be locked in a dispute with Russia over its gas, as European countries try to end their reliance on Russian energy over Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Latvian President Egils Levits on July 11

Edijs Saicans (pictured), deputy state secretary on energy policy at the Latvian Economy Ministry, said Gazprom's move would have little effect given that Latvia has already decided to ban Russian gas imports from January 1, 2023

EU countries agreed on Tuesday to an emergency regulation to curb their gas use this winter, preparing for a winter of uncertain supplies from Russia.

The NATO member is the latest country to be locked in a dispute with Russia over its gas, as European countries try to end their reliance on Russian energy over Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

After the EU sanctioned Russia over the invasion, Putin said in March that 'unfriendly foreign buyers' would have to deal with Gazprom in roubles instead of dollars and euros.

The Kremlin said gas buyers would have to set up an account in euros or dollars at Gazprombank - Russia's third-largest bank - and a second account in roubles.

The bills would then be paid in euros or dollars and exchanged for roubles.

Many countries have refused as they want to maintain sanctions on Russia.

The European Commission has warned that complying with Putin's order could breach EU sanctions on Moscow.

It has urged companies to keep paying in the currency agreed in their contracts with Gazprom.

The value for Russia's rouble currency tanked at the beginning of the war as The West imposed sanctions, but has since recovered to pre-invasion levels.

Worries over energy supplies in Europe have led to some countries taking drastic measures.



As Europe struggles to get to grips with its energy crisis, some countries have tried implementing special measures.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has told people to take off their ties at work to cool down rather than relying on air con.

Mr Sanchez appeared tie-less in front of reporters at Moncloa Palace in Madrid, said he has encouraged all public officials to ditch the neck-wear ahead of an announcement of more energy-saving measures on Monday.

EU states are desperately trying to find ways to cut their energy use before winter arrives, after Russia began throttling gas supplies to the continent.

Germany has already begun turning off street lights in Berlin while Hanover will shut off hot water in public buildings. Oktoberfest and Christmas markets also face being scrapped, politicians have admitted, and breweries could be closed.

In Austria, the city of Linz has stopped lighting historic landmarks at night while Salzburg is drawing up plans to follow suit.

Berlin turns off the lights which typically illuminate a statue of Frederick the Great, as the city attempts to save power amid a looming energy crisis

Berlin Cathedral is only partially illuminated overnight as Germany desperately tries to find ways to save energy, with Russia throttling gas supplies

The continent typically gets around 40 per cent of the gas it uses from Russia, but is now facing the reality of a winter without it or with very restricted supplies.

Germany will be the worst-hit because it is overly-reliant on Russia - getting more than half of the supplies it used in a typical year piped in direct from Moscow.

Unlike other EU countries it does not have ports capable of getting gas shipped in from elsewhere. It is building two, but they won't be ready until the New Year.

To avert shortages it is restarting mothballed coal-fired plants and is looking to extend the life-spans of its three remaining nuclear plants which were due to be taken out of service at the end of the year. Similar moves are underway in Belgium.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez - appearing without a tie - says he is encouraging all workers to ditch the neck-wear to stay cool instead of relying on air con

Linz, in Austria, will turn off the lights on dozens of historic buildings overnight to save power, with Salzburg set to follow suit

France is considering nationalising energy provider EDF in order to get around half the country's nuclear power plants back online, which are closed for maintenance

In France situation has become so severe that Emmanuel Macron's government is floating the idea of nationalising the EDF in order to get the plants operational again.

Countries are also trying to stockpile as much gas as possible before winter arrives, which has driven up prices to near-record levels.

Households in both the UK - which buys gas from Europe - and Germany have been warned bills could triple, while Germans also facing paying an additional 'gas surcharge' to stop supplies going bust.

The exact amount has yet to be announced, but economy minister Robert Habeck has warned it will definitely be in the 'hundreds' of euros while some experts have calculated it could be as much as 1,000 extra per year.

The charge will take effect from October, and last until at least March 2024. It will affect about half of German homes that use gas boilers.

The energy crisis is likely to continue while Putin wages war in Ukraine. Russia was accused of launching attacks on several Ukrainian cities last night, while Kyiv and Moscow blamed each other for the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in a separatist-controlled area of the country's east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have a duty to react after shelling of a prison complex in Donetsk province killed the POWS.

'It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war,' Zelenskyy said in a video address late Friday. 'There should be a clear legal recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.'

At least forty Ukrainian prisoners of war have been killed in a Russian detention camp (pictured today after the strike)

Russian forces accused Kyiv of targeting the Olenivka prison in Donetsk overnight using US-supplied HIMARS rocket systems

The Kremlin's defence ministry said this morning that eight employees at the detention centre were also injured

Both sides alleged the attack on the prison was premeditated and intended to silence the Ukrainian prisoners and to destroy evidence, including of possible atrocities.

Russia claimed Ukraine's military used US-supplied precision rocket launchers to target the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic.

The Ukrainian military, however, denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. It accused the Russians of shelling the prison to cover up the alleged torture and execution of Ukrainians there.

Separatist authorities and Russian officials said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded another 75. Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday issued a list naming 48 Ukrainian fighters, their ages ranging from 20 to 62, who died in the attack; it was not clear if the ministry had revised its fatality count.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has organized civilian evacuations in the war and worked to monitor the treatment of POWS held by Russia and Ukraine, said it has requested access to the prison 'to determine the health and condition of all the people present on-site at the time of the attack.'

'Our priority right now is making sure that the wounded receive life-saving treatment and that the bodies of those who lost their lives are dealt with in a dignified manner,' the Red Cross said in a statement.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian rockets hit a school building in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, overnight, and another attack occurred about an hour later, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Saturday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The Ukrainian prisoners of war included members of the Azov battalion, who defended the Azovstal plant (pictured in May)

A residential house burns after a Russian military strike, as the attacks on Ukraine continue in the town of Bakhmut

Firefighters extinguish a fire in a shelled house in Bakhmut as Russia and Ukraine continue to trade blows

The bus station in the city of Sloviansk also was hit, according to Mayor Vadim Lyakh. Sloviansk is near the front line of fighting as Russian and separatist forces try to take full control of the Donetsk region, one of two eastern provinces that Russia has recognized as sovereign states.

In southern Ukraine, one person was killed and six injured in shelling that hit a residential area in Mykolaiv, a significant port city, the region's administration said Saturday on Facebook.

Friday's attack on the prison reportedly killed Ukrainian soldiers who were captured in May after the fall of Mariupol, another port city where troops and the Azov Regiment of the national guard famously held out against a monthslong Russian siege.

On Saturday, an association of Azov fighters' relatives held a demonstration outside Kyiv's St. Sophia Cathedral and issued a statement calling for Russia to be designated a terrorist state for violating the Geneva Convention's rules for the treatment of war prisoners.

Moscow opened a probe into the attack on POW prison, sending a team to the site from Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's main criminal investigation agency.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said the competing claims and limited information prevented assigning responsibility for the attack but that the 'available visual evidence appears to support the Ukrainian claim more than the Russian.'
Since Ukraine got the US HIMARS MLRS system, it has been crowing against the success of the system against it. One of the questions is whether it has helped Ukrainian forces and done enough damage or if it's enough to stop a well-equipped Russian army.

US Rocket Launchers Aspects

The MLRS has four aspects: technical, tactical, and financial efficacy, or how it influences the tactics used by Ukrainian troops.

Along with the Javelin and the M777 light howitzer provided by the US to arm Ukraine as part of a $270 million deal, the Lockheed Martin HIMARS is the third platform for delivery of weapons, reported EurAsian Times.

Using satellite guidance, it employs a six-wheeler and six tubes to fire multiple types of explosives and munitions at targets up to 100 kilometers away.

A stand-off weapon system enables for greater distant attacks while allowing for less engagement with Russian soldiers in the east Donbas.

The Russian army has mauled Ukrainian forces with a better variety of stand-off weapons (longer ranged) like artillery, Kalibr cruise missiles, and other types of shorter ranged rocket launchers.

Additionally, it has waged war with an alleged high rate of casualties while continuing to advance its military objectives while suffering significant losses.

Due to the lack of effectiveness, loss, and exhaustion of its Tochka-U missiles, artillery, and ammo from the Soviet era, Ukraine critically needed this weapon.

The US refuses to provide Ukraine with a more advanced Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a rocket with a 300-kilometer reach that can breach Russia's borders.

Read Also: Ukrainian Military Launches Hiroshima-Like Attacks Using US HIMARS in Kherson, Officials Claim

US HIMARS vs. the Russian 9A54 Tornado

The nearest Russian system in use is more powerful than the US HIMARS, and the Russian 9A54 Tornado might easily destroy the US MLRS.

Ukrainians have 16 US HIMARS MLRS systems, each of which can launch six 227 mm GPS-guided rockets with a range of 80 kilometers and an accuracy of 5 to 10 meters.

Russians have twenty 9A54 Tornado-S systems, which can shoot twelve 300 mm GLONASS-guided rockets at 120 kilometers with the same accuracy as HIMARS, which are available to Russian ground forces.

This Russian system outperforms the overly advertised US MLRS in terms of quantity, rocket size, range, and shot count. The BM-30 Smerch Multiple Launch Rocket System, initially employed in 2016, has been modernized.

One rocket costs $150,000, but the wheeled chassis/launcher for the US MLRS costs $5.6 million for each unit. A complete system, with ammunition and a wheeled truck, costs $6.5 million; 12 systems would cost $78 million.

Ukrainian Army Gets Mauled

While there are numerous recordings of successful HIMARS strikes, Russia asserts that it destroyed four of them between July 5 and July 20, including one support vehicle.

With high-precision ground and air-based weapons, Russian forces claim to have destroyed four launching ramps and one vehicle used for reloading. Several crew members perished between July 5 and July 20, and none of the US MLRS systems survived.

According to Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, a Russian Ministry of Defense spokesman, two launchers were destroyed in Malotaranovka, one launcher and a support truck were destroyed near Krasnoarmeysk, and a third launcher was destroyed in the eastern suburb of Konstantinovka. The much-hyped US HIMARS MLRS system is not as capable as the Tornado, and it is a matter of time before Russia finds and destroys all of them.

Related Article: China Tests New Rockets Similar to HIMARS System With 500 Km Range

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Advertisement

Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr led the Shia insurgency against the British and American occupation of Iraq in 2004, killing dozens of servicemen

Supporters of the former nemesis of British and American troops in Iraq have again breached the once-legendary Green Zone to storm the parliament building in Baghdad on Saturday.

It is the second time in a week that hundreds of followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have breached Iraq's parliament to protest efforts to form a new government led by Iran-backed groups.

Iraqi security forces used tear gas and sound bombs to try to repel the demonstrators with at least 125 people injured, Reuters reports. An expected parliament session did not take place and there were no lawmakers in the hall.

Thousands of al-Sadr demonstrators used ropes to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Iraq's Green Zone, which houses official buildings and foreign embassies.

'We are calling for a government free from corruption ... and those are the demands of the people,' one protester, Abu Foad, said among crowds of protesters carrying placards with Sadr's photograph and national flags.

It was al-Sadr who in 2003 formed the Mahdi Army to lead an insurgency against the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq, which killed dozens of British and American soldiers.

Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi directed security forces to protect demonstrators and asked them to keep their protest peaceful, according to a statement.

Supporters of Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr begin to demolish concrete barriers to raid Green Zone during a protest against the nomination of a new premier in Baghdad today

Iraqi security forces used tear gas and sound bombs to try to repel the demonstrators with 125 people injured, according to Reuters

Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr protest against corruption, inside the parliament in Baghdad today after storming the Green Zone barriers

Protesters were in triumphant mood as they flashed the victory sign in the Iraqi Parliament while branding photos of their leader al-Sadr

Who is Muqtada al-Sadr, bane of British and American troops in Iraq? After the lightning-fast takeover of Iraq by US and British forces in 2003, al-Sadr emerged as one of the first Iraqi authority figures in opposition to the occupation. In a country that had formerly been dominated by Saddam Hussein's Sunni minority, al-Sadr inspired the poor Shia majority to rise up. In 2004, al-Sadr demanded the removal of all coalition forces and the establishment of a new, independent Iraqi government. On April 5 al-Sadr called for jihad against US and coalition forces. Over the following months, al-Sadr's Mahdi Army conducted sophisticated ambushes on US supply convoys. Even as the US surged its troop numbers to suppress al-Sadr's uprising, he remained an important figurehead of resistance. In 2007 he fled to Iran fearing for his safety, but continued to agitate and inspire acts of violence against coalition forces. By 2011, US forces had largely withdrawn from Iraq and al-Sadr controlled the largest bloc in parliament. As an Islamic cleric, al-Sadr did not participate in Iraqi politics directly but retained huge influence. In 2012 he had a change of heart and started to advocate for peaceful moderation and tolerance. He was active in opposing the progress of ISIS as it invaded Iraq in 2015. But despite his close links to Iran, it was al-Sadr who has commanded his followers to protest their influence in Iraqi domestic politics this month. Advertisement

They were heeding al-Sadr's call to protest the formation of the next government lead by the Coalition Framework, an alliance of Shiite parties backed by Iran.

'We came today to remove the corrupt political class and prevent them from holding a parliament session, and to prevent the Framework from forming a government,' said Raad Thabet, 41.

'We responded to al-Sadr's call. We will go to the Green (Zone). No matter the cost.'

Sadr's party came first in an October election but he withdrew his 74 lawmakers from parliament after failing to form a government which excluded his Shi'ite rivals, most of whom who are backed by Iran and have heavily-armed paramilitary wings.

His party then exited government formation talks in June, giving his rivals in the Coordination Framework alliance the majority they needed to move forward with the process.

Sadr has since made good on threats to stir up popular unrest if parliament tries to approve a government he does not like, saying it must be free of foreign influence and the corruption that has plagued Iraq for decades.

Sadr's supporters chanted against his rivals who are now trying to form a government. Many protested in front of the country's Supreme Court, which Sadr has accused of meddling to prevent him forming a government.

In response, the Coalition Framework called on Iraqis to protest peacefully 'in defence of the state, its legitimacy and its institutions,' a statement read later on Saturday, raising fears of clashes.

The democratic political process is a far cry from al-Sadr's rise to power in the aftermath of the US-led invasion in 2003.

Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army was responsible for bloodshed on the streets of Basra and the shooting down of coalition planes.

Four British airmen were killed in Basra in May 2006 when a helicopter was shot down. The Shia militia announced it would kill any British troops it saw.

Al-Sadr's forces offered rewards for the capture and killing of British soldiers and he was implicated in multiple kidnappings.

The militia also hunted US troops in Najaf, just south of Baghdad. At least 70 US deaths are attributed to his forces in Najaf alone.

However, the militant cleric reinvented himself and in 2018 and formed a political coalition with communists known as the Sadrist Movement.

It is the second time in a week that hundreds of followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have breached Iraq's parliament to protest efforts to form a new government led by Iran-backed groups

A man deploys a national flag as supporters of the Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr gather inside the country's parliament in the capital Baghdad's high-security Green Zone

Sadr's party came first in an October election but he withdrew his 74 lawmakers from parliament after failing to form a government which excluded his Shi'ite rivals, most of whom who are backed by Iran and have heavily-armed paramilitary wings

Iraqi security forces use tear gas and sound bombs to try to repel the demonstrators near one of entrances to the capital Baghdad's high-security Green Zone

Supporters of the Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr wave national flags, as they protest against a rival bloc's nomination for prime minister, along the Jamhur bridge

Thousands of al-Sadr demonstrators used ropes and chains to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Iraq's Green Zone, which houses official buildings and foreign embassies

Supporters of the Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr raise a portrait of their leader who has since made good on threats to stir up popular unrest if parliament tries to approve a government he does not like, saying it must be free of foreign influence and the corruption that has plagued Iraq for decades

Sadr's supporters chanted against his rivals who are now trying to form a government. Many protested in front of the country's Supreme Court, which Sadr has accused of meddling to prevent him forming a government

Many protesters wore black to mark the days leading to Ashura, which commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohamed and one of Shiite Islam's most important figures. Al-Sadr's messaging to his followers has used the important day in Shiite Islam to kindle protests.

Al-Sadr has used his large grassroots following as leverage against his rivals.

On Wednesday, hundreds of his followers stormed the parliament building after the Framework alliance named Mohammed al-Sudani as their nominee for the premiership and signalled their readiness to form a government despite his threats.

The United Nations called for a de-escalation. 'Voices of reason and wisdom are critical to prevent further violence,' said its mission in Iraq.

Iraq has been without a president and prime minister for about 10 months because of the deadlock.

Sadr, whom opponents also accuse of corruption, maintains large state power himself because his movement remains involved in running the country. His loyalists sit in powerful positions throughout Iraqi ministries and state bodies.

Iraqis linked neither to Sadr nor to his opponents say they are caught in the middle of the political gridlock.

While Baghdad earns record income from its vast oil wealth, the country has no budget, frequent power and water cuts, poor education and healthcare, and insufficient job opportunities for the young.
At least 25 people have died  including four children  in the devastating Kentucky floods unleashed by torrential rainfall that swept through homes, washed out roads and pushed rivers over their banks, state authorities said, warning more fatalities are expected.

Gov. Andy Beshear said Saturday that the number would likely rise significantly and it could take weeks to find all the victims of the record flash flooding. Crews have made more than 1,200 rescues from helicopters and boats, the governor added.

'I'm worried that we're going to be finding bodies for weeks to come,' Beshear said during a midday briefing.

The rain let up early Friday after parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches over 48 hours. But some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday. About 18,000 utility customers in Kentucky remained without power Saturday, poweroutage.us reported.

'We continue to pray for the families that have suffered an unfathomable loss,' Beshear said. 'Some having lost almost everyone in their household.'

Knott County Coroner Corey Watson confirmed on Friday 14 fatalities, up from 11 that morning, the New York Times reported. Perry County's Emergency Management director, Jerry Stacy, said the county's numbers rose from one to four victims by that evening. The coroner from Breathitt County, Hargis Epperson, said at least three in the county were confirmed dead, with at least a dozen missing in the floods.

Command Sergeant Major Tim Lewis of the Kentucky National Guard secures Candace Spencer, 24, while she holds her son Wyatt Spencer, 1, after being airlifted on July 30, 2022 from South Fork, Breathitt County, Kentucky

A home along KY-28 was moved off its foundation by the floodwaters in Chavies, Kentucky

Teresa Reynolds sits exhausted as members of her community clean the debris from their flood ravaged homes at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022

More rainstorms are forecasted in coming days, as rescue crews continue the struggle to get into hard-hit areas of eastern Kentucky, some of them among the poorest places in America.

Some residents of Appalachia returned to flood-ravaged homes and communities on Saturday to shovel mud and debris and to salvage what they could, while Kentucky's governor said search and rescue operations were ongoing in the region swamped by torrential rains days earlier that led to deadly flash flooding.

Rescue crews were continuing the struggle to get into hard-hit areas, some of them among the poorest places in America. Dozens of deaths have been confirmed and the number is expected to grow.

In the tiny community of Wayland, Phillip Michael Caudill was working Saturday to clean up debris and recover what he could from the home he shares with his wife and three children. The waters had receded from the house but left a mess behind along with questions about what he and his family will do next.

'We're just hoping we can get some help,' said Caudill, who is staying with his family at Jenny Wiley State Park in a free room, for now.

Caudill, a firefighter in the nearby Garrett community, went out on rescues around 1 a.m. Thursday but had to ask to leave around 3 a.m. so he could go home, where waters were rapidly rising.

Phillip Michael Caudill displays a drone photo of his flooded home outside his temporary room at Jenny Wiley State Park in Prestonsburg, Ky., on Saturday, July 30, 2022

A Perry County school bus lies destroyed after being caught up in the floodwaters of Lost Creek in Ned, Ky., Friday, July 29, 2022

'That's what made it so tough for me,' he said. 'Here I am, sitting there, watching my house become immersed in water and you got people begging for help. And I couldn't help,' because he was tending to his own family.

'I've got nothing now,' he said.

Harvey Thomas, an EMT, said he fell asleep to the sound of light rain, and it wasn't long until his uncle woke him up warning him that water was getting dangerously close to the house.

'It was coming inside and it just kept getting worse,' he said, 'like there was, at one point, we looked at the front door and mine and his cars was playing bumper cars, like bumper boats in the middle of our front yard.'

As for what's next, Harvey Thomas said he doesn't know, but he's thankful to be alive.

'Mountain people are strong,' he said. 'And like I said it's not going to be tomorrow, probably not next month, but I think everybody's going to be okay. It's just going to be a long process.'

Walter Combs, 45, owner of Walter's Service Center, leans on his truck while taking a break from cleaning out his mechanic shop in Jackson, Kentucky on July 30, 2022. 'I believe we'll lose a quarter of our population, I just hope people can get help'

Hindman, Ky., Mayor Tracy Neice operates a backhoe to clear debris from the road in downtown Hindman, Ky., Friday, July 29, 2022

Bryson Turner, 8, Crystal Turner and Cecil Turner wait to hear about the condition of a family member that has been stranded since Wednesday night on Rt. 476 in Lost Creek on July 29

The water was up to his knees when he arrived home and he had to wade across the yard and carry two of his kids out to the car. He could barely shut the door of his SUV as they were leaving.

In Garrett on Saturday, couches, tables and pillows soaked by flooding were stacked in yards along the foothills of the mountainous region as people worked to clear out debris and shovel mud from driveways and roads under now-blue skies.

Hubert Thomas, 60, and his nephew Harvey, 37, fled to Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonburg after floodwaters destroyed their home in Pine Top late Wednesday night.

The two were able to rescue their dog, CJ, but fear the damages to the home are beyond repair. Hubert Thomas, a retired coal miner, said his entire life savings was invested in his home.

It's the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have pounded parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis earlier this week and again on Friday. Scientists warn climate change is making weather disasters more common.

The floods marked the second major national disaster to strike Kentucky in seven months, after a swarm of tornadoes claimed nearly 80 lives in the western part of the state in December.

Receded water levels from the North Fork of the Kentucky River surround a truck in downtown Jackson on July 30. At least 25 people are confirmed dead and dozens more are missing

Volunteers from the local mennonite community carry tubfulls of debris from flood soaked houses for disposal at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022

Bonnie Combs, right, hugs her 10-year-old granddaughter Adelynn Bowling watches as her property becomes covered by the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Ky.

Police and National Guard troops, including personnel from neighboring states, used helicopters and boats to rescue dozens of people from homes and vehicles in Kentucky's Appalachian coal-mining region.

Video from local media showed floodwaters reaching the roofs of houses and turning roads into rivers.

As rainfall hammered Appalachia this week, water tumbled down hillsides and into valleys and hollows where it swelled creeks and streams coursing through small towns.

The torrent engulfed homes and businesses and trashed vehicles. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.

President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.

The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Volunteers from the local Mennonite community remove debris from flood damaged property at Ogden Hollar in Hindman, Ky., Saturday, July 30, 2022

Several inches of mud lie on the street outside Appalshop in Whitesburg, Kentucky on July 30

Patricia Colombo explains how she and her fiancee took turns overnight watching the water line near his home in Jackson, Ky., on Friday, July 29, 2022. Colombo had to be rescued from her car (not the one pictured) when it stalled in high water earlier in the day Thursday while she was trying to drive home during heavy rains

Patricia Colombo, 63, of Hazard, Ky., got stranded after her car stalled in floodwaters on a state highway.

Colombo began to panic when water started rushing in. Her phone was dead, but she saw a helicopter overhead and waved it down.

The helicopter crew radioed a team on the ground that pulled her safely from her car.

Colombo stayed the night at her fiancee's home in Jackson and they took turns sleeping, repeatedly checking the water with flashlights to see if it was rising. Colombo lost her car but said others who were struggling prior to the floods had it worse.

'Many of these people cannot recover out here. They have homes that are half underwater, they've lost everything,' she said.

The water came into Rachel Patton's Floyd County home so quickly that her mother, who is on oxygen, had to be evacuated on a door floated across the high water. Patton's voice faltered as she described their harrowing escape.

'We had to swim out and it was cold. It was over my head so it was, it was scary,' she told WCHS-TV.

Kentucky National Guard helicopter crew members carry a victim of flooding, during their deployment in response to a declared state of emergency in eastern Kentucky

A Kentucky National Guard flight crew from 2/147th Bravo Co. flies over a flooded area in response to a declared state of emergency in eastern Kentucky

An NBC News reporter tweeted a heartbreaking photo of a 98-year-old woman who sat in her flooded home with her knees drawn up to her chest as she waited to be rescued.

Mae Amburgey of Whitesburg, Kentucky is pictured partially submerged in the muddy water, her belongings floating around her.

Amburgey's granddaughter, Missy Crovetti, reports she was rescued and is safe.

Mae Amburgey of Whitesburg, 98, waiting to be rescued Thursday after floodwater entered her home. Amburgey's granddaughter, Missy Crovetti, reports she was rescued and is safe

Reggie Ritchie comforts wife Della as they pause while clearing out their destroyed home destroyed by the flooding in Fisty, Kentucky on July 29

The death toll rose throughout Friday and Saturday as dozens of people are still unaccounted for, according to the governor's office and local officials

Officials said that at least four children were among the victims and that the total number of lives lost could more than double as rescue teams reach more areas.

The four siblings drowned in the floods after being swept from their mother's arms.

Brittany Trejo said her four young cousins - who were aged eight, six, four, and one and a half - were killed in the catastrophic downpours that have obliterated entire towns and submerged houses and cars in deadly flood water as emergency services desperately scramble to save those who are trapped.

The bodies of all four children had been recovered from the Knott County community of Montgomery, Trejo, who is the cousin of the children's mom, told Lexington Herald Leader.

TRAGIC SIBLINGS: From left to right - Maddison Noble, eight, Nevaeh Noble, four, Riley Jr., six, and Chance Noble, one and a half, all drowned in the Kentucky floods, according to their mother's cousin

KENTUCKY: A house is seen almost completely submerged off of the Bert T Combs Mountain Parkway on July 29 in Breathitt County, Kentucky. At least 19 people have been killed and hundreds had to be rescued amid flooding from heavy rainfall

The children's parents, Amber Smith and Riley Noble, live in Montgomery, and their home began filling with water on Thursday before the family of six were washed off of their roof with a big tide.

They were holding onto a tree for hours - before another tide washed them all away and the parents lost sight of their children.

Little Riley Jr., six, and Nevaeh Noble, four, were found dead Thursday; the bodies of Maddison Noble, eight, and Chance Noble, one and a half, were found Friday morning, Trejo said.

DEADLY FLOODS: A shocking aerial view of homes submerged under flood waters from the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Kentucky, on July 28. The Governor has warned that the death toll is expected to double and include children

KENTUCKY: Roads have turned into rivers and lakes in the unrelenting flooding plaguing the state of Kentucky this week

At least 33,000 utility customers were without power. The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia, across a region where poverty is endemic.

'There are hundreds of families that have lost everything,' Beshear said. 'And many of these families didn't have much to begin with. And so it hurts even more. But we're going to be there for them.'

Extreme rain events have become more common as climate change bakes the planet and alters weather patterns, according to scientists.

That's a growing challenge for officials during disasters, because models used to predict storm impacts are in part based on past events and can't keep up with increasingly devastating flash floods, hurricanes and heat waves.

KENTUCKY: Lexington Firefighters Jeremey Miller and Captain Scott Butler warm up the engine before heading up Troublesome Creek to rescue people that have been stranded since Wednesday night in Lost Creek, Ky.

A rescue team evacuate residents from their homes in a boat through flooded streets, in Breathitt County, Ky.

'This is what climate change looks like,' meteorologist and Weather Underground founder Jeff Masters said of flooding in Appalachia and the Midwest. 'These extreme rainfall events are the type you would expect to see in a warming world.'

A day before the floods hit Appalachia, the National Weather Service had said Wednesday that there was a 'slight to moderate risk of flash flooding' across the region on Thursday.

The deluge came two days after record rains around St. Louis dropped more than 12 inches (31 centimeters) and killed at least two people. Last month, heavy rain on mountain snow in Yellowstone National Park triggered historic flooding and the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. In both instances, the rain flooding far exceeded what forecasters predicted.

The floodwaters raging through Appalachia were so swift that some people trapped in their homes couldn't be immediately reached, said Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams.

Just to the west in hard-hit Perry County, authorities said some people remained unaccounted for and almost everyone in the area had suffered some sort of damage.

'We've still got a lot of searching to do,' said Jerry Stacy, the emergency management director in Perry County.

More than 330 people have sought shelter, Beshear said. And with property damage so extensive, the governor opened an online portal for donations to the victims.

A view of a wet downtown Jackson on July 30, 2022 in Jackson, Ky. At least 20 people have been killed and hundreds had to be rescued amid flooding from heavy rainfall

President Joe Biden declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.

The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in West Virginia where the flooding downed trees, power outages and blocked roads. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also made an emergency declaration, enabling officials to mobilize resources across the flooded southwest of the state.

The deluge came two days after record rains around St. Louis dropped more than 12 inches (31 centimeters) and killed at least two people.

Last month, heavy rain on mountain snow in Yellowstone National Park triggered historic flooding and the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. In both instances, the rain flooding far exceeded what forecasters predicted.

Extreme rain events have become more common as climate change bakes the planet and alters weather patterns, according to scientists.

That's a growing challenge for officials during disasters, because models used to predict storm impacts are in part based on past events and can't keep up with increasingly devastating flash floods and heat waves like those that have recently hit the Pacific Northwest and southern Plains.
British troops have delivered a show of strength to Vladimir Putin as they held a 'high-readiness' military exercise in Finland alongside US and Finnish armed forces this week.

Some 700 troops took part in the four-day training event, dubbed Exercise Vigilant Fox, including 150 British Army and Royal Air Force personnel, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported.

It added that UK servicemen and women were flown in from Estonia on RAF Chinook helicopters as part of the British Army's Project Unified Stance.

The joint exercise comes after NATO signed an accession protocol with Finland to join the military alliance earlier this month, which began the ratification process for members.

Finland and Sweden both confirmed their intention to join the collective defence organisation following Russia's barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Finland, which signed a mutual security assurance declaration with the UK in May, is also a member of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a coalition of 10 nations.

British troops and Chinook helicopters take part in 'high-readiness' exercise in Finland after the country agreed to join NATO

UK servicemen and women were flown in from Estonia on RAF Chinook helicopters (pictured) as part of the British Army's Project Unified Stance

Some 700 troops took part in the four-day event, dubbed Exercise Vigilant Fox, including 150 British Army and Royal Air Force personnel, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said

Defence minister James Heappey said: 'Exercise Vigilant Fox has demonstrated the strength and interoperability of our armed forces with our US and Finnish allies and reaffirms our commitment to the defence and security of the Baltic Sea region.'

Wing Commander Stephen Boyle, the UK defence attache in Helsinki, said: 'Our soldiers, sailors and aviators have received a warm welcome in Finland over the last few months.

'Exercise Vigilant Fox is the latest activity in an ongoing series of events across the domains.

'As Finland moves towards full NATO Membership, we will continue to seek opportunities like this to show solidarity with Finland, learn from each other and improve our ability to operate together.'

Putin and other Russian officials on several occasions warned Finland and Sweden, who had long been militarily neutral until their decision to apply for NATO membership, not to join forces with the Western security bloc upon threat of military action.

The despot later rolled back his comments in the wake of the Nordic countries' formal application in May, telling pundits: 'There is nothing that could bother us about Sweden and Finland joining NATO. They can join whatever they want,' in a scrambling attempt to save face.

Putin (pictured) and other Russian officials on several occasions warned Finland and Sweden, who had long been militarily neutral until their decision to apply for NATO membership, not to join forces with the Western security bloc upon threat of military action

But the deployment of two aircraft capable of carrying and launching nuclear warheads last week served as a stark reminder of Moscow's opposition to the expansion of NATO along the northern Russian border.

MiG-31 fighter jets escorted the Tu-160 aircraft, nicknamed 'White Swans', on a mission lasting more than seven hours.

The flyover comes as the Russian leader arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on only his second visit outside Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry released a cookie-cutter statement in the wake of the flyover, which coincided with Russian missiles striking several settlements in eastern and southern Ukraine.

Warmongering Russian president Vladimir Putin last week sent two supersonic Tu-160 nuclear missile bombers (pictured) soaring over the Barents Sea north of Finland and Sweden in yet another show of force

A MiG-31 fighter jet is pictured cruising off the wing of a Tu-160 nuclear capable bomber flying over the Barents sea

'All flights by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out in strict compliance with international rules of airspace use,' the ministry said.

The Tu-160 is a heavy strategic bomber capable of supersonic flight and designed to deliver nuclear and conventional strikes against reinforced military targets or those in remote areas.

It can carry up to a staggering 88,000lbs' worth of weaponry including nuclear and hypersonic missiles as well as conventional warheads - but must be accompanied by fighter jets as it lacks defensive weapons.

The flight of the White Swans over the Barents sea close to Finnish and Swedish shores represented yet another example of Putin's tried and tested nuclear sabre-rattling to discourage further military action from NATO and the West.
Ukrainian Embassy to Australia sent a plea asking for an exemption to be made

Kuscherenko was told her refugee visa would be forfeited if she leaves Australia

Ievgeniia Kuscherenko was left inconsolable after her son Glib Babich, was killed

A mother who fled Ukraine has been told if she returns to the war-torn country to bury her fallen son she will be denied re-entry to Australia.

Ievgeniia Kuscherenko sought safety in Melbourne but was left shattered after her son Glib Babich, 53, was killed on the frontline amid Ukraine's conflict with Russia.

She is now desperate to fly back for her son's funeral but has been told by authorities her humanitarian visa would subsequently be forfeited and she would have to apply for another one just to return.

Ievgeniia Kuscherenko (pictured) was left inconsolable after her son Glib Babich, was killed on the frontline in Ukraine

Glib Babich (pictured), lost his life in battle this week in the war torn country. His mother said she has been told if she returns to Ukraine for the 53-year-old's funeral she will forfeit her humanitarian visa

Ms Kuscherenko has been inconsolable since her son was killed, with close friend Larysa Williams describing the situation as 'absurd'.

'Mums, they cannot come to bury their children?' she told Nine News.

The mother has secured a plea from the Ukrainian embassy asking the Australian Department of Home Affairs to make an exception under 'tragic circumstances'.

'We kindly ask you to consider as an exception a possibility for her current visa to remain in force, which will allow her to return to Australia,' the letter from the ambassador of Ukraine to Australia Vasyl Myroshnychenko read.

Ms Kuscherenko received a response from the home affairs department, but it offered no solace.

'Visas will however, cease upon departure. There are no exemptions to this policy,' the letter read.

Her daughter-in-law Katya Kucherenko questioned why more wasn't being done.

'There must be more than just a generic response especially for a mother who needs to and must say goodbye to her son,' she said.

'We are hoping for a miracle.'

Australian jockey Craig Williams who met Babich on a recent aid mission to Ukraine is supporting his grieving family.

He said if Ms Kuscherenko travels back to Ukraine, it's likely her other son who is still alive 'would have to go back and bury his mother'.

A spokesperson for Immigration Minister Andrew Giles said the mother is able to apply for a new visa to return to Australia.

Immigration lawyers have however told the family it wouldn't be an easy task.
A Colombian cocaine shipment hidden inside banana boxes - and worth a staggering 40million - has been intercepted at a port on the River Thames.

Hapless smugglers had attempted to disguise hundreds of slabs of the white powder as an innocent fruit delivery between the cocaine capital of the world and the Netherlands.

But in a 'huge blow' for the drug cartels, the haul - weighing more than half a tonne - was rumbled by the National Crime Agency (NCA) during a raid at the London Gateway on the Essex Coast on Tuesday.

The NCA said the haul - found wedged alongside bananas in cardboard boxes - would have had a UK street value of more than 40 million once cut and sold.

Pictures released by the force show how the brazen cartel behind the shipment had almost completely filled the boxes with bricks of cocaine, with very few bananas placed on top.

NCA branch operations manager Adam Berry said: 'Taking out a consignment of this size will have been a huge blow to the criminal network involved in this shipment, preventing them from making millions of pounds that would have been invested in further criminality.

'Class A drugs are pedalled by gangs involved in violence and exploitation in our communities.

A Colombian cocaine shipment hidden inside banana boxes (pictured) - and worth a staggering 40million - has been intercepted at a port on the River Thames

Hapless smugglers had attempted to disguise hundreds of slabs of the white powder as an innocent fruit delivery between the cocaine capital of the world and the Netherlands

The NCA said the haul - found wedged alongside bananas in cardboard boxes - would have had a UK street value of more than 40 million once cut and sold

Pictures released by the force show how the brazen cartel behind the shipment had almost completely filled the boxes with bricks of cocaine, with very few bananas placed on top

'The NCA works hard with partners to stop drugs getting that far, and making seizures like this demonstrate how we can break that link between international drug cartels and street-level dealers.'

It comes after two British drug smugglers were this week jailed for more than 20 years each for their role in a bungled international plot to import a tonne of drugs worth half a billion pounds into Australia.

Graham Palmer, 37, and Scott Jones, 38, were part of the ring which tried to smuggle cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy into the country before their yacht ran aground and an elephant seal blocked them as they tried to flee from police.

The pair were sentenced in the Australian Supreme Court on Friday alongside US citizen Jason Lassiter, 47, and Angus Jackson, 53, from New South Wales after their comical heist led them into the hands of police.

The group attempted their daring plot in September 2019 after hatching the plan in Thailand, and Palmer, along with skipper Antoine Dicenta, 53, who has admitted his guilt but not yet been sentenced, set sail from Madagascar.

Their yacht named Zero picked up 380kg of cocaine, 344kg of MDMA and 171kg of methamphetamine at a South African port worth an estimated one billion Australian dollars (570billion), then-police commissioner Chris Dawson said.

Jason Lassiter, Angus Jackson, Scott Jones (from left to right) have been jailed for their plot to smuggle a tonne of drugs into Australia

The yacht Zero is seen listing as it ran aground in the Abrolhos Islands during the bungled drugs transfer

Police found 40 duffel bags containing the individually wrapped drugs packages among the seaweed

But during the transfer of the drugs, Dicenta accidentally started recording his phone as he discussed the plot.

He was heard saying: 'You have to put it inside before the other boat comes  this is not cocaine, this is the other thing, it's not heavy at all.'

Prosecutors later described it as the 'worst butt dial in history'.

The pair travelled by sea for six weeks through treacherous conditions, eventually arriving in the Abrolhos Islands off the coast of Geraldton in western Australia, where they planned to transfer the haul to a local boat.

Lassiter, Jackson and Jones were waiting on the other vessel named DW 140 in the archipelago which is notorious for shallow reefs, with its name roughly translating to 'open your eyes' in Portuguese as a warning to sailors.

Dicenta and Palmer's yacht Zero predictably ran aground as they approached, and their tonne of drugs was left stranded with them.

Their yacht named Zero picked up 380kg of cocaine, 344kg of MDMA and 171kg of methamphetamine at a South African port

The passengers on the two separate boats desperately sent each other messages, with one saying: 'Drifted a mile we have no control where we end up.'

Fearing they were exposed on their yacht, Dicenta and Palmer transferred the drugs themselves on to a small tender and made their way to Burton Island and tried to hide the drugs in seaweed overnight.

The comical plot then had another twist as their conspirators' DW 140 boat coming to their rescue also ran aground and was forced to wait until the tide rose.

When dawn came, fishermen spotted the abandoned Zero yacht and alerted authorities, prompting a rescue mission.

A group sailing nearby then spotted one of the pair on Burton Island waving at them and approached, only to see he was in fact shooing them away.

The witnesses alerted police and Dicenta and Palmer tried to flee but they were unable to, with an elephant seal blocking their way.

They woke up the large animal which bared its chest and bellowed at the now terrified smugglers, who chose to surrender to police instead of trying to take it on.

Police discovered an unmanned 15ft yacht (pictured) stuck on a reef before launching a sea search which allegedly led them to the drug on nearby Burton Island

Police also found 40 duffel bags containing the individually wrapped drugs packages among the seaweed.

While they were being taken to custody, police saw the DW 140 boat and noted it down and traced it to Jackson, with the other trio arrested the following day.

They denied any knowledge of the drug deal, saying they were simply on a 'boys' fishing trip'.

But now, all of them have been found guilty in court.

Palmer was given a 22-year sentence with a non-parole period of 15 years, and Jones was given 25 years with a 17-year minimum.

Jackson and Lassiter were each handed a 33-year sentence and must serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars.

Previous police assistant commissioner Col Blanch said the drugs would have made their way into Australia were it not for the bumbling smugglers.

Justice Corboy said the men were not the kingpins of the operation but had acted as couriers in the 'highly sophisticated' network which was undermined by their errors.
'Real Time' host Bill Maher said Republicans would 'secretly love' to see Trump incarcerated over January 6 as much as Arab countries 'love when Israel would bomb Iraq.'

Maher, 66, returned to his show Friday night after a month-long break and was joined by Politico's White House Editor Sam Stein and Columbia Associate Professor John McWhorter.

The liberal host jumped into the roundtable discussion by calling former President Donald Trump the 'cloud hanging over this country,' but admitted the January 6 committee hearings were 'pretty impressive.'

'The other side is going to say: "It's all political," [but] it couldn't possibly be all political, because all the people that are witnesses and prosecuting it are Republicans!' he exclaimed on Friday's show.

He went on to say that US Attorney General Merrick Garland has a 'big decision' to make on whether to bring the hearings to trial and potentially convict Trump over his influence on the riot.

Maher said he 'thinks they should' go to court, as he claimed Trump has already shown there would be 'subsequent attempts' because he's 'already attempted it.'

'If you guys brings this [to court], you got to win the case. He's in jail,' Maher hypothesizes. 'My theory, the Republicans would secretly love it, I think they would f**king love it. [The same] way Arab countries would love it when Israel bombed Iraq or Iran.'

'Real Time' host Bill Maher, 66, said Republicans would 'secretly love' to see Trump incarcerated over January 6 as much as Arab countries 'love when Israel would bomb Iraq'

Maher also said US Attorney General Merrick Garland had a 'big decision' to make about whether or not the hearings went to trial. He revealed he 'thinks they should' go to court, as he claimed Trump (left) has already shown there would be 'subsequent attempts' because he's 'already attempted it' (pictured: Trump with Saudi businessman Yasir bin Othman)

Stein agreed that a lot of Republican 'privately can't stand the guy.'

'I don't know if they want him shackled, but they wouldn't totally be disappointed,' he told Maher, who then joked that Trump being incarcerated would be no different than 'when he was off Twitter.'

Stein joked the former president had Truth Social - his own social media platform - and would 'have someone sends his truths for him.'

McWhorter said it didn't matter if Trump ended up behind bars, because he 'would still have the same amount of fans.'

Guest Sam Stein (left) agreed with Maher, saying many Republicans 'privately can't stand' Trump and that they wouldn't be 'totally disappointed' if Trump was shackled. Second guest John McWhorter (right) said didn't matter if the former president was jailed, because he'd still 'have the same amount of fans'

'It would not affect who would vote for him, because this belief in him has become a kind of religion, it would really affect the way people felt about him and whether or not people voted for him if this came out exactly the way you were hoping,' he told the host.

McWhorter when on to say that January 6 happened because it was 'just the megalomaniacal notions of Trump personally and craven people following him.'

'[It was like] dealing with that baby and trying to base your career on that and we're seeing all these memoirs coming out where people try to explain why they did it.'

Maher called it a 'smoking gun' and questioned what the far-right thought would happened when 'they have him on tape saying can you find me 11,000 votes.'

'They're going to be crying their MAGA tears if their boy's in jail,' he joked.

Also on Friday's night, disgraced CNN anchor Chris Cuomo joined Maher to promote his new NewsNation show, but was grilled about his sex-pest brother Andrew.

'Did you ever think that his downfall would be women?' Maher asked. 'I never pictured that guy... I mean, the Kennedys, OK sure. Bill Clinton, come on. Even Hillary once said he's a hard dog to keep on the porch. I never thought that would be Andrew Cuomo's downfall, women.'

Cuomo leveled with him: 'Yeah, me either. You don't foresee these kinds of things. You have to deal with life on life's terms. He's no different than anybody else.'

Former CNN host Chris Cuomo also appeared on the show and discussed his sex-pest brother Andrew's downfall and his own new gig at NewsNation

Earlier in the chat, Maher asked for an update on the former governor, who resigned from his role in August 2021.

Maher asked: 'How is your brother doing? I have never seen a fall quite that steep. He was about to be the next nominee for the Democratic president of the United States. He was on TV every day and then he had this giant fall'

Cuomo responded: 'I'm supposed to say okay, he's great... but that would be what we call bulls**t. This has been hard.'

Ultimately, the ex-CNN talking head said 'I am proud of how he's handled himself. It's his job to tell his own story and figure out what he wants in the future but he has dealt with a lot and he's doing well.'
A Pennsylvania toddler caught a rare, tick-borne disease that left him hospitalized after the bug bit him while out swimming in a neighbor's pool.

Jamie Simoson, of Harveys Lake, said she was 'terrified' after her three-year-old, Jonathan, was infected with the rare Powassan virus, which triggered an inflammation of the brain and the thin tissue that surrounds it.

The rare disease left her once-energetic boy slumped over on a hospital bed for 12 days in June before being discharged as he continues to battle cognitive problems and weakness with the left-half of his body.

'He appears to have regressed a bit cognitively, but we are optimistic that his resilience will see him through,' she told the New York Post.

Jonathan Simoson, 3, of Harveys Lake, Pennsylvania, was hospitalized for 12 days after a tick bit him while he was swimming in a neighbor's pool

The tick (pictured) transmitted the rare Powassan virus, which triggered an inflammation of the brain and the thin tissue that surrounds it

Jonathan's mother, Jamie Simoson, said the tick must have been on him for only 15 minutes and said she was terrified as his condition worsened and doctors were initially left baffled

The young boy is currently recovering, but his mother says he is still experiencing cognitive problems and weakness with the left-half of his body

WHAT IS THE RARE POWASSAN VIRUS? The Powassan virus is an exceedingly rare disease carried by only 1 to 2 percent of Ixodes scapularis ticks in the Midwest and Northeast region of America. Unlike Lyme Disease and other illnesses caused by ticks that can take hours or days to pass on, the Powassan virus can be transmitted in 15 minutes or less, and it can take hours for the symptoms to appear. Given that only seven or eight cases are reported every year, experts believe that most people who get infected after a tick bite create antibodies that neutralize the infection and do not even know they were ever infected. Symptoms often include fever, vomiting, muscle weakness, headaches, confusion, lack of coordination, speech problems, memory problems, and seizures. In severe cases, it can lead to meningoencephalitis, which triggers an inflammation of the brain and the thin tissue that surrounds it. Source: Columbia University Medical Center Advertisement

Simoson said Johnathan was having fun swimming in their neighbor's pool on June 15 when she noticed a speck on his shoulder, a tick no bigger than a pen point.

'It was not embedded. It was not engorged. I easily removed it with a pair of tweezers, and it was still alive,' Simoson told the Post, noting that it must have been on him for only 15 minutes.

'He didn't necessarily have any marks on his back shoulder until a few days later,' she added.

'There was just a tiny red bump. That was it.'

Unlike Lyme Disease and other illnesses caused by ticks that can take hours or days to pass on, the Powassan virus can be transmitted in 15 minutes or less, and it can take hours for the symptoms to appear.

Simoson said the toddler appeared unfazed by the bug bite, but about two weeks later, she got a call from his daycare telling her that Johnathan appeared ill.

The playful boy had become 'mopey' and complained about a headache, with the symptoms only getting worse in the following days.

After two visits to a doctor, Jonathan gained a fever above 104 degrees, showing no reaction to treatments.

As doctors conducted test after test, scratching their heads over what could be wrong with the boy, Simoson said her family grew desperate.

'Things got really scary at that point,' Simoson told CBS 42. 'It was so frustrating searching for an answer.

'We were terrified that we might not be coming home with our child.'

Doctors conducted several tests on Jonathan until an MRI scan revealed the swelling in the brain. Five rounds of intravenous immunoglobulin treatments led to a speedy recovery

Johnathan's family (pictured) is working to help him through his recovery as his mother advocates for blood donations

Pictured: Johnathan enjoying himself after being discharged from the hospital's isolation wing

Following an MRI, a doctor was eventually able to diagnose Jonathan with meningoencephalitis, which caused the swelling in the head, and allowed the doctors to provide the proper treatment for the boy.

After a night of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), a treatment for patients with antibody deficiencies, Jonathan's condition began to slowly improve as he started being able to talk again.

''It was amazing, Simoson told the Post. 'That was the first time since the whole situation started that my husband and I both just completely broke down.'

As the family focuses on the toddler's recovery, Simoson has become an advocate for blood donations, believing the IVIG made all the difference in saving her boy.

Jonathan had received five doses of IVIG, with his mother and doctors seeing consistent improvements to his condition after each treatment.

'We are confident, it can't be proven, but we know deep down that IVIG was the turning point for Johnny, and if we can do anything to help someone else get that treatment quickly, that's really our goal,' she said.
A Florida woman who arranged a hit on her lover's former brother-in-law has been jailed for life without parole.

Katherine D. Magbanua, 37, was handed the stiff sentence by a Tallahassee judge Friday after she was convicted of arranging the execution of FSU law professor Daniel Markel in Tallahassee in July 2014.

Magbanua is said to have done so at the behest of her dentist lover, Charles Adelson. Adelson's sister Wendi had been married to Markel.

The hit on Markel is said to have been taken out so Wendi could gain full custody of their two children. They divorced acrimoniously in 2013, the year before Markel's murder, and were ordered to share custody jointly.

Charles Adelson faces first-degree murder and conspiracy charges over the hit on his ex-brother in law, and appeared in court for a case management hearing Friday.

Markel was killed by Sigfredo Garcia, an ex of Magbanua's, and the father of her children. Garcia's friend Luis Rivera also took part in the hit. Neither man knew Markel, and both have since been jailed for his murder.

'Good luck to you ma'am,' Judge Robert Wheeler told Magbanua, who sat silently, wiping tears from her face, as the sentence was delivered.

Katherine Magbanua (left) speaks to her lawyer, Tara Kawass, during her sentencing hearing Friday in Tallahassee. Magbanua was sentenced to life in prison, plus 60 years

Prosecutors say that Magbanua (left) helped her ex-lover, dentist Charles Adelson (right), hire the hitmen who gunned down Markle's former brother-in-law in his driveway in 2014

Florida State University law professor Daniel Markel was gunned down at his Tallahassee home on July 18, 2014. He had gone through a contentious divorce with Adelson's sister

Markel was gunned down in his garage by two men, Sigfredo Garcia (left) and Luis Rivera (right), who prosecutors say were hired through Adelson's ex-girlfriend

Markel was gunned down in his garage by two men, Sigfredo Garcia and Luis Rivera, whom prosecutors say Adelson hired through Magbanua, the former girlfriend and employee of Adelson, and the mother of Garcia's two children.

Garcia is serving a life sentence after being convicted of first-degree murder in 2019.

Rivera is serving a 19-year sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for testifying against Garcia and Magbanua.

Magbanua's first trial in 2019 concluded in a hung jury. But at her retrial in May, a jury of 12 peers unanimously found her guilty of first-degree murder, conspiracy and solicitation.

The murder conviction carried an automatic life sentence, and the only question at Friday's hearing was how much time Magbanua would get for the other two counts.

Her defense attorney Tara Kawass unsuccessfully requested the minimum sentence for the additional charges, 172.5 months, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Magbanua did not speak at sentencing on Friday, but her attorney delivered a statement on her behalf expressing remorse for the heinous plot

Wendi Adelson (pictured) and her family have continued to maintain their innocence in Markel's death. Her brother's arrest marked the first charges against a member of the family

Prosecutors say that a tangled web connected the victim, the shooters, and the alleged masterminds who hired them to kill Markel

Though Magbanua did not speak at sentencing, her attorney delivered a statement on her behalf expressing remorse for the heinous plot.

'She does think about Dan Markel every single day she does think about his kids every single day,' Kawass said. 'Not a day goes by that she's doesn't express how her heart is broken for the Markel family.'

As well, Markel's sister, Shelly Markel, gave a victim impact statement at the hearing, expressing the family's grief following his murder.

'Eight years he has not been with us and in those eight years we continue to suffer,' she told the court via video conference.

'His murder has been horrible for me and my family. Shocking, surreal and so hard to understand. His future was cut short. Imagine what was ahead of him.'

Years after the diabolical murder unfolded, Adelson was finally arrested and charged in April of this year after prosecutors said new evidence emerged.

Adelson and other members of his family had long been cited by prosecutors and investigators as potential suspects in the July 18, 2014, killing of FSU professor Markel at his Tallahassee home.

The victim Markel, 41, had been married to Adelson's sister Wendi, who had been unable to return to South Florida because Markel had joint custody of their young children

Markel, a world-renowned legal professor, was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the head behind the wheel of his car outside his home (above) in July 2014

Police say a light-colored Prius was tailing Markel the day he was killed, from the time he dropped his children off at daycare until he left the gym and returned home

In April, Adelson was indicted by a grand jury on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy, and solicitation to murder.

Prosecutors say that technicians were able to enhance the sound on a 2016 video recording made secretly of him talking to Magbanua inside a noisy South Florida restaurant, La Dolce Vita.

The Adelson family had been under surveillance by investigators trying to solve Markel's killing.

'This recording includes statements by Charles Adelson which can be heard clearly for the first time,' Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell said. He did not say specifically what the recording includes.

Adelson's attorney Daniel Rashbaum argued in a motion this week that the recordings offer no proof of Adelson's guilt.

'The state's case is based exclusively on circumstantial evidence,' Rashbaum wrote in the motion.

'The Dolce recording is emblematic of the state's inability to meet its burden here, as the recording on its face, suggests an alternative theory: not that Mr. Adelson is guilty, but that he had no knowledge of, connection to or involvement in the conspiracy to kill Professor Markel.'

Prosecutors said that Magbanua enlisted Garcia to take part in a $100,000 hit financed by Markel's in-laws, which they have denied.

Magbanua (left) was not only in a romantic relationship with Charlie Adelson (right). She also had two children with Sigfredo Garcia, one of the convicted hit men

Garcia then enlisted Rivera, a childhood friend, to help. Prosecutors said the two men drove from South Florida to Tallahassee to execute the plan, stalking Markel on the morning of the shooting as he dropped off his children at day care and stopped at the gym.

When Markel returned home, Garcia shot him as he sat in his car talking on his cellphone.

Wendi Adelson had told authorities her brother had joked about hiring a hit man as a divorce present but had decided instead to buy her a television.

Following the murder, FBI agents surreptitiously recorded a conversation between Magbanua and Charlie Adelson at the La Dolce Vita restaurant in Miami in 2016.

There had been contentious legal debate over the admissibility of the recording because parts of the conversation were inaudible, but a newly enhanced version was presented before Magbanua's second trial.

Magbanua was not only in a romantic relationship with Charlie Adelson. She also had two children with Sigfredo Garcia, one of the convicted hit men who killed Markel.

Tallahassee police have long alleged that the motive for the murder was the bitter divorce between Markel and Adelson.

Adelson's family were desperate to have their daughter and the couple's two children move closer to them in south Florida, but Markel had successfully fought his ex-wife's attempt to relocate with the children.

Katherine Magbanua shares with the courtroom her past relationship with Sigfredo Garcia during her 2019 trial in Tallahassee. The jury was hung on the charges against her

Wendi Adelson, the ex-wife Florida State law professor Dan Markel who was shot and killed in 2014, testifies at an earlier trial

Sigfredo Garcia prepares to hear the closing arguments at his 2019 trial. He was convicted

An affidavit for Magbanua's arrest alleged she had deposited over $50,000 in cash into her bank account in the 16 months after the murder.

Police previously released probable cause affidavits that revealed Garcia called Magbanua an astonishing 2,700 times in the three months before Markel's murder.

There were also a number of phone calls on July 1, 2014, 17 days before Markel was killed, between Adelson, Magbanua, Garcia and a phone registered to Harvey Adelson, Markel's former father-in-law, the affidavit states.

A number of phone calls also occurred between midnight and 1am among Adelson, his mother Donna, Magbanua, and Garcia on July 18, the day Markel was murdered.

A probable cause affidavit also reveals that in the days and months after the murder Garcia purchased a new car and motorcycle, according to WCTV.

Records show Rivera also purchased a motorcycle within 10 days of the murder.
Vice President Kamala Harris sees another staff leave as her director of public engagement has officially resigned, following the exit of more than 30 staffers from the Biden's Administration.

Michael Collins announced his departure in a letter to staff after 16 months on the job.

'It has been a difficult decision, but Ive decided to leave this amazing experience in the middle of August and transition to the next stage of my life,' he reportedly wrote, according to CNN.

'Im so grateful to the Vice President for trusting me with this privilege and was honored to support the Presidents and Vice Presidents tireless, committed and historic work.'

His departure only comes a few weeks after Harris lost two other senior aides Meghan Groob and Rohini Kosoglu, who was her longest standing.

Michael Collins - VP Kamala Harris' director of public engagement - announced his departure in a letter to staff after 16 months on the job

Harris has seen multiple aides leave since taken the Vice Presidency. Collins said he was 'so grateful to the Vice President for trusting me with this privilege and was honored to support the Presidents and Vice Presidents tireless, committed and historic work'

Kosoglu served as her domestic policy adviser and had previously worked as her senior adviser during the transition and as her chief of staff during her Senate days.

Groob was the director of speechwriting and left her post after only four months.

In addition, First lady Jill Biden's press secretary Michael DeRosa is also leaving his post at the White House amid a flurry of communication staff departures.

LaRosa's departure is no surprise, a White House official told CNN, claiming that the East Wing has known about his resignation for several weeks. His extension in the first lady's office came due to a desire for LaRosa to assist with three high-profile foreign trips.

A person familiar with next steps said that LaRosa is staying in DC to join the public affairs firm Hamilton Place Strategies as managing director.

The first lady's office is already interviewing candidates to replace him.

The latest staff exit continues to fuel speculation of troubles inside the White House with staffing, especially when it comes to the executive communications team.

Earlier this summer, Biden lost his Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and her Chief of Staff Amanda Finney followed her out the door. Shortly after in early July, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield left the administration, but sources told CNN on Friday, her resignation has been taken back.

Most White House departures so far have come as the individuals take on different roles amid reports that some staff feel there is little room for upper movement or promotion in the administration.

The first notable exit came in December 2021 when Vice President Kamala Harris' chief spokesperson Symone Sanders announced she was leaving. She landed at MSNBC with a self-titled show.

A pattern quickly emerged of staffers leaving from the communications shops in the White House. This ranges from the highest officials with Psaki and Bedingfiled, to mid-level staffers like deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel and lower level staffers like press assistant Michael Kikukawa and

Among the staffers who have quit is former Press Secretary Jen Psaki (pictured in March). Many departures come as the individuals take on different roles amid reports that some feel there is little room for upper movement in the administration

In the weeks and months following into early 2022, Harris senior aides Tina Flournoy, Ashley Etienne, and Vincent Evans all departed  as well as her public engagement head Cedric Richmond.

Biden's Administration has a higher turnover rate than his previous two predecessors.

After Obama's first year of presidency, he had a turnover rate of four percent and Trump had one percent, the Washington Examiner reported.

The Biden Administration has seen a 15 percent decrease.

Some have dubbed the mass exodus at 'Blaxit' after it became clear an overwhelming amount of departures were among black staff.

Black staffers who have left the White House over the course of a few months include public engagement aide Carissa Smith; gender policy aide Kalisha Dessources Figures; National Security Council senior director Linda Etim; digital engagement director Cameron Trimble; and associate counsel Funmi Olorunnipa Badejo.
Billionaire David Rubenstein has given millions to help restore historical monuments and landmarks, like, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, but there's a catch: The philanthropic efforts trash the Founding Fathers even though he's made his fortune by exploiting a tax loophole that profited from indigenous people.

Rubenstein, 72, is the co-founder of the Carlyle Group, which has given millions to help restore the historical places, including Monticello and Montpelier, the homes of US presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

But some say the restorations have 'recast the presidents as sinister racists while downplaying their accomplishments,' The New York Post reported.

Recently, Trip Advisor has been flooded with comments and complaints from Monticello and Montpelier visitors who say tour guides have reduced the former presidents to villainous slave owners.

Rubenstein, according to his spokesperson, honors the genius and legacy of our founders while telling the stories of the people they enslaved.'

That's rich, The Post reports, as Rubenstein's own past shows he exploited a tax loophole in Alaska which, in turn, screwed over the Indigenous people.

David Rubenstein, 72, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, which has given millions to help restore the historical places, including Monticello (pictured) and Montpelier, the homes of US presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

Trip Advisor users accused tour guides at former presidents' homes of 'pushing false history'

Rubenstein's own past shows he exploited a tax loophole in Alaska which, in turn, screwed over the Indigenous people

Comments on Trip Advisor accused tour guides at former presidents' homes of 'pushing false history.'

Brett X. wrote after a visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello: 'Gone woke. Its a great place to see history, but the owners are pushing false history that has been proven false.

'Gone woke. I wouldnt give a dollar to the organization. They should go out of business and a real historical organization run it. So far there is still Mt Vernon.'

Dan A. wrote: 'Do your history homework before going, so you can appreciate this great American the woke tour guide will leave you feeling like he started the Ku Klux Klan.'

'They have demonized the founding fathers now,' wrote another recent visitor to Monticello. 'Same thing with Madison's home. I would stay away from places like this. It's not worth the propaganda.'

Now billionaire Rubenstein is being accused of hypocrisy it was revealed that he and his co-founder Stephen L. Norris allegedly got a bulk of their money from a deal called 'The Great Eskimo Tax Scam,' according to author Michael Lewis, who wrote a critical essay of Rubenstein.

The 'scam' allowed him to profit from deals made with Natives, The Post reported.

Lewis wrote that the scam 'grew out of a brief, curious tax loophole that permitted Alaskan companies owned by Eskimos to sell their losses for hard cash to other American corporations. By offsetting the Eskimo losses against their gains, American corporations were able to avoid income taxes. All of a sudden there was a business in matching up profitable American corporations with Eskimos. Rubenstein and Norris spotted the window of opportunity and jumped through.'

This money contributed to the success of Carlyle Group, which now manages more than $325 billion worth of assets on six continents and is one of the largest private equity firms in the world, The Post reported.

'Norris and Rubenstein had no trouble finding needy Eskimos,' according to one report.

'They flew the struggling CEOs into Washington, wined them and dined them, and got them just as hooked on free money as the crack cocaine that enterprising drug dealers were just then bringing to America's Lower 48. The partners took 1% of the transaction for themselves and juiced a billion dollars of losses through the system.'

Dan A. wrote: 'Do your history homework before going, so you can appreciate this great American the woke tour guide will leave you feeling like he started the Ku Klux Klan'

'They have demonized the founding fathers now,' wrote another recent visitor to Monticello. 'Same thing with Madison's home. I would stay away from places like this. It's not worth the propaganda'

Trip Advisor has been flooded with comments and complaints from Monticello and Montpelier visitors who say tour guides have reduced the former presidents to villainous slave owners

In 2014, Rubenstein's then-wife helped elect a governor in Alaska who opened the state's $80 billion Permanent Fund, part of which is managed by the Carlyle Group.

The fund was designed so about 25 percent of the royalties from oil money flowing through the Trans-Alaska pipeline would be placed in a dedicated fund for future generations, who would no longer have oil as a resource, The Post reported.

Alaskan residents receive yearly dividend checks that typically range anywhere from $800 to $3,200, it was reported.

'Here's a guy who has taken advantage of other people to climb to the top while he expects perfection from the Founding Fathers,' Dan Fagan told The Post.

'Because of the Rubenstein family and how [his ex-wife] influenced the change in the state's sovereign fund, the average Alaskan family has lost tens of thousands of dollars.'

Former President James Madison's home Montpelier in Orange, Virginia. Renovations on the historical landmark were made possible with the help of money from the Carlyle Group

Rubenstein, who is worth an estimated $3.6 billion, is also described as a longtime history buff, and has been dubbed the 'Patriotic Philanthropist.'

'I came from very modest circumstances,' he said in a talk at the National Churchill Library and Center at the George Washington University.

'I want to be able to say thank you for my success in this country, and I owe it to the country. And I'm doing it in a way that's designed to draw attention to [American] history and heritage.'
The National Guard-supported search and rescue teams looked for missing persons on Friday after record flooding in some of the most impoverished areas of the country completely destroyed entire communities. The governor of Kentucky reported at least 16 fatalities, and he anticipated that number to rise.

At least six children were among the casualties, according to governor Andy Beshear. He predicted early on Friday that the death toll will "go a lot higher" and later said that officials would keep revising the figure "for the next few weeks."

Kentucky Flood Death Toll Climbs

In Appalachian valleys and hollows, communities that are close to creeks and streams were overwhelmed by powerful floodwaters that flooded houses and businesses, piled up abandoned cars, and crunched errant machinery and debris against bridges. Residents lost power as mudslides trapped people on steep hillsides.

The neighborhood was hit by floodwaters so severely and fast that locals, many of whom were still in recovery from the previous storm, hardly had time to flee. On Thursday, emergency personnel performed hundreds of water rescues as well as nearly 50 air rescues, according to the governor. The water won't reach its peak in some places until tomorrow, and the search and rescue effort is still going on, as per CBS News.

According to Beshear, more than 290 individuals have sought refuge. He sent National Guard troops to the worst-affected districts. The governor launched an internet gateway for donations to the victims since the property destruction was so severe, and three parks set up shelters. Beshear said President Joe Biden phoned to offer his support for the protracted recovery process, estimating it will take more than a year to properly reconstruct.

Per NY Daily News, the extent and severity of the flooding make it unknown how many individuals are still missing. Even rescuers were unable to go to every area of the state to assess the situation. Beshear warned that when the region is explored, the death toll might keep growing for weeks. Rebuilding, he claimed, would take years.

Read Also: Monkeypox Outbreak: US Health Secretary Pleads for Cooperation To Fight New Disease; 780,000 Doses of Vaccine Available Friday

Rain May Resume in Kentucky on Sunday

On Thursday, the West Virginia National Guard joined its neighbors in the reaction after the Kentucky National Guard was called to duty. On Friday, President Biden issued a disaster declaration, and FEMA started organizing a response. In order to deal with floods on the other side of the state line, Virginia also alerted its National Guard.

According to Beshear, there were more than 300 individuals residing in shelters on Friday. There were probably many more persons who lost their houses but were unable to go to a facility right away. The rain may return early next week, but forecasters predict Saturday and early Sunday to be dry.

This summer, Eastern Kentucky was just the latest region to experience record-breaking floods and excessive rain. St. Louis saw historic floods only three days prior, which rendered the city inaccessible. Large areas of Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park were destroyed by floods in June, and southern Montanan villages were also severely affected.

Additionally, Kentucky in particular has had a horrible stretch of extreme weather, from dozens-deadly tornadoes in December to a bomb cyclone in March. These storms, along with several other extreme weather incidents around the nation and the globe, according to weather forecasters, are only the beginning of the global repercussions that decades of climate change will have.

Although major rainfall is not anticipated, the rain may return to Kentucky late on Sunday through early the next week. According to Friday's statement from White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, President Joe Biden approved a disaster declaration and is getting reports "very regularly," ABC News reported.

Related Article: Deadly Flood in Kentucky Kills 8, Fatalities Expected To Increase; Governor Andy Beshear Says Hundreds Will Lose Their Homes

@YouTube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The parents of Archie Battersbee have pleaded with the Health Secretary to prevent an NHS hospital from defying a last-minute injunction from the United Nations that had ruled his life support should not be switched off.

The 12-year-old's mother and father, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, had asked the UN's Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNRPD) to reverse UK doctors' decision to withdraw the schoolboy's mechanical intervention.

His family had argued that stopping treatment would be in breach of the UK's obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.

Their wish was granted on Friday evening with an 11th-hour legal order that blocked the removal of Archie's care being invoked by the international organisation.

But Barts Health NHS Trust, the health body now tasked with caring for the schoolboy, was today accused of threatening to switch off his life-support on Monday afternoon despite the intervention.

The Christian Legal Centre, a legal firm who have supported Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee with their appeals, revealed the couple had sent an urgent letter to Health Secretary Steve Barclay demanding he prevent the end of their son's care.

The Government is yet to respond to the United Nations' injunction which was issued more than 24 hours ago.

Paul Battersbee and Hollie Dance outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London last Friday. The 'devastated' couple lost fights in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in London where they asked for doctors to keep Archie Battersbee's treatment going

Doctors have been given permission to turn off Archie's life support machine, but his parents are trying to continue the fight to keep him alive. Pictured is Archie in hospital

In their letter Archie's parents Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee plead with Health Secretary Steve Barclay to intervene to prevent the 'extraordinary cruelty' of ending their son's life

In their letter Ms Dance and Mr Battersbee plead with the Health Secretary to intervene to prevent the 'extraordinary cruelty' of ending their son's life.

In full, the letter states: 'Dear Mr Barclay, you will be aware of the awful tragedy our family is going through since our son Archie suffered severe brain damage in April as a result of an online challenge gone wrong.

'We are grateful to doctors and nurses at Royal London Hospital for the treatment and care given to Archie in the past four months.

'However, I am sorry to say that throughout that period, our pain and distress has been being much aggravated by the actions of two or three senior doctors at the hospital, and the management of Barts Health NHS Trust.

'From day one, the family as well as the treating clinicians have been put under daily pressure from the Trust to give up on Archie, withdraw life support and let him die. After only three weeks, we were dragged into Court at a few hours notice.

'Since then, throughout these three months, we have been rushed from one court hearing to another every few days, having to fight for Archies life against a generously funded army of lawyers and NHS managers.

'Throughout these months, we were never given even a few days space to cope with the family tragedy.

'You will be aware that our case now is before the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, who have last night issued an Interim Measures injunction to the UK government to keep Archie alive while the Committee considers the case. Under Article 4 of the Optional Protocol to the UN Disability Convention, the interim measures are binding on the United Kingdom as a matter of international human rights law.

'Devastatingly, the Trusts lawyers have responded by telling the family that the Trust intends to defy the UN injunction and to proceed to remove life support from Archie as early as on Monday 1 August.

'If this happens, this will be an extraordinary cruelty, and a flagrant breach of Archies rights as a disabled person.

'Archie is entitled to have the decisions about his life and death, taken by the NHS and UK courts, to be scrutinised by an international human rights body. Hastening his death to prevent that would be completely unacceptable.

'I trust that you will now act immediately, as a member of the government responsible for the NHS, to ensure that this does not happen, and our country honours its obligations under the international human rights treaties which we have signed and ratified.'

The 'devastated' couple lost fights in both the High Court and the Court of Appeal in London where they asked for doctors to keep his treatment going.

Speaking after the UN injunction was announced yesterday, Ms Dance revealed her gratitude to be handed another chance to keep her son alive.

She said: 'I am so grateful to the UN for their response and acting so quickly for my son.

'We have been under so much stress and anxiety; we are already broken and the not-knowing what was going to happen next was excruciating. To get this news now means everything.

'This is the first time this has ever happened in history of this inhumane system in the UK.

'There have been so many ups and downs, but we have put on the full armour of God, gone into the battle and now we have given Archie time, that is all we have ever asked for.'

The Supreme Court had rejected an appeal where they asked for medics to be barred from turning off his life-support machine until they can lodge an appeal.

Since then they have held discussions with bosses at Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where he is being treated, in an effort to seek assurances this won't happen while they appeal to the UNRPD.

Archie's parents had argued that the UNRPD protocol allows 'individuals and families' to make complaints about violations of disabled people's rights.

The UK has joined the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, which allows the UNRPD to ask the UK government to delay the withdrawal of life support while a complaint is investigated.

The family argue that stopping treatment would be in breach of the UK's obligations under Articles 10 and 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, and Article 6 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre who have been supporting the families' case, said: 'We are delighted with the response from the UN. It is high-time that the UK's processes around proactively ending children's lives came under international scrutiny.

'We now hope and pray that the UN Committee may do justice to Archie and his family, as well as to other disabled people in UK hospitals in future cases.

'Life is the most precious gift we have.

'We have stood with the family from the beginning three months ago following the tragedy and now continue to pray for this beautiful boy, Archie, and for everyone involved.'

Archie, pictured, was found with a ligature over his head in April and has not regained consciousness since

Archie with his mother Hollie Dance (left), brother Tom Summers and sister Lauren Summers

Judges have heard that Ms Dance found Archie unconscious with a ligature over his head on April 7.

She thinks he might have been taking part in an online challenge. The youngster has not regained consciousness.

Doctors treating Archie at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, east London, think he is brain-stem dead and say continued life-support treatment is not in his best interests.

Bosses at the hospital's governing trust, Barts Health NHS Trust, had asked for decisions on what medical moves were in Archie's best interests.

A High Court judge, Mrs Justice Arbuthnot, initially considered the case and concluded that Archie was dead.

But Court of Appeal judges upheld a challenge by his parents against decisions taken by Mrs Justice Arbuthnot and said the evidence should be reviewed by a different High Court judge.

Speaking as they launched their last-ditch appeal today, Ms Dance said: 'Words cannot describe how devastated we are.

'The pressure put on us from the beginning to rush through the process of ending Archie's life has been disgraceful. '

All we have ever asked for is for more time. The urgency from the hospital and the courts is unexplained when other parties have been happy for us to have more time.

'I don't believe there is anything 'dignified' about planning Archie's death. For me, this would be the most traumatic outcome.

'Parents need support not pressure. It is exhausting what we have been through.

'We should not have to endlessly battle the hospital in the courts for what we believe is right for Archie.

'Top judges have told us, however, that this is the law, if this so, the law must change.

'We will continue fighting for Archie, we will not give up and now await the response from the UNRPD.'
The Chinese state media threatened 'unbearable consequences' on Taiwan if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the nation as her plane departed for Asia on Saturday.

'If Pelosi really visits Taiwan as planned, the Tsai Ing-wen authorities are accomplice[s],' Hu Xijin, a commentator with the Chinese state-affiliated Global Times, wrote on Twitter, referencing the Taiwanese government.

'The mainland will definitely carry out severe punishment actions on Taiwan at the same time. The unbearable consequences will fall on Tsai authorities.'

Along with the warning, Xijin posted an image tracking the flight of the Boeing C-40C plane carrying the Speaker of the House as she departed San Francisco.

The latest warning comes as the Chinese military conducted live-fire exercises Saturday morning off its coast opposite Taiwan after Xijin claimed China may shoot Pelosi's plane down.

Hu Xijin, a commentator with the Chinese state-affiliated Global Times, threatened Taiwan if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits the nation

Pelosi is reported to be in the air on her way to the Asia-Pacific region for the start of an Asian tour that includes stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore in August amid threats by China to shoot her down if she visits the island of Taiwan

On Saturday morning, the Chinese military conducted live-fire exercises off its coast opposite Taiwan following warnings that Pelosi's plane might be shot down

The People's Liberation Army conducted the 'live-fire exercises' near the Pingtan islands off the Fujian province, the official Xinhua News Agency announced. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area.

Such exercises usually involve artillery. The one-sentence announcement gave no indication whether Saturday's exercise also might include missiles, fighter planes or other weapons.

Two other vessels - identified by Vietnam-based maritime observer Duan Dang as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate - were seen 27km and 23km away from the Taiwan Strait. Both are armed with surface-to-air missiles.

Meanwhile, the Chinese navy was conducting military exercises off its southern coast near Guangdong, following exercises in nearby Hainan province.

It is all seen as a show of force to dissuade Pelosi from visiting the island.

Beijing has reacted furiously to the prospective visit of the third-ranking official in the US government to Taiwan. Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned President Joe Biden on Thursday that 'those who play with fire will perish by it.'

'It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this.'

Xijin's latest warning to the US comes a day after Twitter temporarily suspended his account after suggesting China would shoot down Pelosi's plane and its military escort.

'If US fighter jets escort Pelosi's plane into Taiwan, it is an invasion. The PLA has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi's plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movements of obstruction. If ineffective, then shoot them down,' Xijin, had written in a now-deleted tweet.

The speaker has not confirmed whether she will visit the island democracy during an Asian tour that includes stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.

In response to a question about the potential Taiwan trip on Friday, Pelosi only said: 'I don't talk about my travel because it's a security issue.'

Two vessels identified as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate were seen 27km and 23km away from the Taiwan Strait. Both are armed with surface-to-air missiles (file photos)

Pictured: Taiwanese navy launches a US-made Standard missile from a frigate during the annual Han Kuang Drill, on the sea near the Suao navy harbor in Yilan county on July 2

As the leader of the co-equal legislative branch of the US government, Biden has no authority to order her to abandon the visit.

Biden said last week the Pentagon thought a Taiwan trip was 'not a good idea.'

'Well, I think that the military thinks it's not a good idea right now,' Biden said in response to a question about Pelosi's reported trip. 'But I don't know what the status of it is.'

In a Thursday phone call between the leaders of the two superpowers, the Chinese premier said he firmly opposes Taiwan's independence and the interference of external forces.

Biden expressed the US stance on the issue has not changed, according to a read out of the meeting.

'On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,' the readout states.

'If she goes, there will definitely be a Taiwan Strait crisis, and it will definitely exceed the last one in 1995-1996,' Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Financial Times.

'That is because China's military capabilities by far exceed those of 26 years ago.'

President Joe Biden posted an image to his Twitter from a two-hour call Thursday morning with Chinese President Xi Jinping  the fifth between the two since Biden took office

Xi warned Biden on the call, according to Chinese state media: 'Those who play with fire will only get burnt. Hope the US side can see this clearly'

Even so, most analysts believe China would be keen to avoid open military conflict with the US, which has military bases dotted around the region and the USS Ronald Reagan carrier group in the South China Sea.

In spite of this reticence, the PLA has flown growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan and has in the past fired missiles into shipping lanes to the island.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland.

The two governments say they are one country but disagree over which is entitled to national leadership. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment.
Time was when festivals were the preserve of penniless hippies who would bunk over a flimsy fence to spend a groovy weekend swaying to obscure folk bands and downing cheap cider.

But in a sign of just how much things have changed, this week Britains poshest festival opens in the rolling Cotswolds countryside.

It may be called Wilderness, but with its 6,000 yurts, mindfulness classes and supermodels hosting champagne picnics, it is hardly a wasteland.

Cara Delevingne (right) and Jamie Winstone have been spotted at Wilderness in recent years

Held each August on a 5,000-acre estate owned by Lord Rotherwick, Wilderness is a lifestyle jamboree of luxury glamping, seven-course menus from Michelin-starred chefs and seminars on erotic wellness.

No wonder locals dub it Poshstock. On one of the stages, Old Etonian actor Damian Lewis, the star of Homeland, will be performing his debut album, as part of an eclectic music line-up that also includes South Korean DJ Peggy Gou and dance act Underworld.

General admission tickets are 230 for the weekend, but costs spiral for high-end extras, with glamping options ranging from luxury bell tents costing from 939 to an eight-person Lotus Mahal tent at 6,177.

Local resident Liz Reason said: Its rather corporate. Its a festival for the Waitrose crowd.

Festival-goers  or Wildlings  pay even more for experiences such as sommelier-led wine classes, sexual wellness seminars and a Kundalini goddess ceremony to waken your divine feminine energy and step into the power of your heart.

But for all the esoteric language, Wilderness is a nakedly commercial enterprise, with the company that runs it owned by global events behemoth Live Nation, a 9billion-a-year-business.

Jenna Coleman was part of the A-list crowd hanging out at Wilderness at last year's festival

The festival attracts a suitably A-list crowd, too, with previous attendees including Cara Delevingne, who hosted a picnic for luxury brand Mulberry, David Cameron, soon after leaving Downing Street, Jenna Coleman, Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington, Lady Amelia Windsor and former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney.

Wilderness regular Simon Mills, 58, last month described the sort of middle-aged, upper-middle-class people who flock to Wilderness writing in You magazine: Mum will go all Alexa Chung, wearing hotpants and wellies.

'Her husband will don face-paint, lilac harem pants and a top hat adorned with feathers. He will be back at his job, as an investment banker, on Monday: woozy, bleary eyed and around eight grand poorer.
Maksim Kochetkov is being held captive in a penal colony 6,000 miles from his home on an island near Japan  one of the rising number of Russian troops who are prisoners of a war they do not wish to fight.

The 20-year-old is being punished for defying Vladimir Putins order to attack Ukraine  like thousands more Russian soldiers, often recruited from outlying and poorer parts of Russia.

His plight underscores the claim by defence officials in the United States last week that there are increased signs of discipline and morale problems in the Russian army.

Russian soldier Maksim Kochetkov, 20, pictured before he was held captive in a penal colony 6,000 miles from home after refusing to follow Vladimir Putins orders to attack Ukraine

This has been confirmed by Russian media reports  including one that traced 1,793 soldiers such as Maksim refusing to fight.

It found many are being held by Kremlin-linked mercenaries in crammed basements and torture pits in Luhansk, a region that broke away from Ukraine in 2014 after being seized by pro-Moscow separatists.

Russian officials, struggling to replenish battle lines five months into their invasion, try to bully the refuseniks into ripping up their resignation letters and return to the frontline.

Verstka, an independent Russian news outlet, found at least 234 men being held in a detention centre in the town of Bryanka.

One man said his son had been held in a basement for two weeks with 33 others. A woman said her son was rounded up on July 12 and locked underground without food, water or electricity.

Another father talked of torture pits. Russian military law allows soldiers to refuse to fight  but human rights activists say commanders faced with a lack of reinforcements often ignore their demands or try to intimidate them into staying rather than agreeing to let them return home.

Refusenik soldiers are being kept in dark, crammed basements and torture pits in Luhansk

One soldier, among a group of 200 men filing requests not to fight, said some had reached home but many others were sent into Bryankas basements or forced back to the frontline.

Maybe I will be able to leave without sitting in the pit, he said. Such refuseniks add to the Kremlins headaches as Putin struggles to replenish military units that are exhausted and suffering heavy losses along a 300-mile frontline stretching from near Kharkiv in north-east Ukraine to Kherson  now facing a Kyiv-led counterattack  in the south.

The problem is simple: Russia needs soldiers to hold a very long line and occupy a population that doesnt want to live under their rule but they have a relatively small army, said Phillips OBrien, Professor of Strategic Studies at St Andrews University.

If they dont try to mobilise, the friction between the way they are fighting and their need for soldiers will end up causing a major problem for them.

Russian officials, struggling to replenish battle lines five months into their invasion, try to bully the refuseniks into ripping up their resignation letters and return to the frontline

More than 75,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in the five-month war, according to US intelligence  almost matching the size of the British Army  and frustrating their efforts to advance in the eastern Donbas region.

In late March, Russia admitted 1,351 deaths, but has since stayed silent on casualty rates  although many of those whose deaths have been confirmed by other sources have come from poorer parts of the country and were recruited from ethnic minorities.

MI6 chief Richard Moore said last week that the Kremlin would increasingly find it difficult to find manpower and materiel over the next few weeks and that Russia was about to run out of steam.

He added that Putins soldiers were not middle-class kids from Moscow: These are poor kids from rural parts of Russia, theyre from blue-collar towns in Siberia, disproportionately from ethnic minorities  these are cannon fodder.

Artyom Gorshenin was recruited from Abkhazia, an occupied part of Georgia, and crossed into Ukraine with his engineering unit on the first day of invasion.

Since April, the 22-year-old has been demanding release from military service. Another 81 soldiers in his unit sent similar letters but were ignored.

The guys waited and then they got together, handed over their weapons and left the unit, said his mother Fatima. They were told they would be taken back to Abkhazia.

Instead, 120 soldiers were flown to the detention centre in Bryanka, divided into groups of 20 and locked in basements guarded by mercenaries, thought to be from the sinister Wagner group (a private militia group linked to the Kremlin).

Fatima lost touch with her son earlier this month. Many contracted soldiers were told before the invasion that they were going on drills near the border  only to find themselves in a savage war against a resourceful nation fighting for its survival and supplied with increasingly-sophisticated Western weaponry.

Reports of some Russians refusing to fight began to emerge within weeks. In March, 300 men from a unit based in Dagestan laid down their weapons and left Ukraine.

Another 150 from a tank battalion based in Siberia quit in June. Mothers of the men returning in March said that their sons had not been given sufficient food or uniforms, returning with frostbitten limbs and having had to cut off the blackened meat from their bodies.

Sergey Bokov, 23, quit the army one month into the war after being dismayed by their lack of equipment.

Our commanders didnt even argue with us because we werent the first ones to leave, he told the BBCs Russian Service.

Complaints about inadequate supplies, low morale and poor planning emerged in phone conversations alleged to be between Russian soldiers and their families that were intercepted and shared by the Ukrainian security services.

Kyiv exploited this low morale  along with emerging anger over atrocities  to integrate a Freedom of Russia Legion, formed by anti-Putin dissidents, into its armed forces, which defence officials claimed in April had been set up with more than 100 recruits.

Now families of Russian soldiers are using social media and messaging groups to share information as they search for missing sons and husbands  a move that will undoubtedly alarm Putin, given how mothers successfully stirred opposition against previous wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

More than 75,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded according to US intelligence

The father of one soldier said his son had been promised a holiday after three months and the chance to return home  but instead the young soldier had been held in detention for more than a month after asking to leave.

Such captives were detained in terrible conditions in some sorts of pits with torture and the like, he said.

Then they were accused of cowardice and betraying their motherland during intimidating discussions with a psychologist.

Despite this, his son and other soldiers held in Bryanka still refused to return to the frontline.

They no longer want to be covered up to their necks in the blood of their friends and officers, said the man.
A British model was left shaking with rage after a body-positivity ad campaign used her image without permission and then edited out her prosthetic limb.

The advert, produced by Spains Ministry of Equality, shows five women of different ages, shapes and sizes relaxing on a beach, with the caption: Summer is ours too.

But The Mail on Sunday can reveal that not only did the artist use an image of Sian Green-Lord, 32, from her Instagram account, she also used editing tools to change her swimsuit and add a leg and armpit hair that do not feature in the original picture.

The mother-of-one, a model and motivational speaker from Leicester, said the editing was beyond wrong.

The advert, produced by Spains Ministry of Equality, shows five women of different ages, shapes and sizes relaxing on a beach, with the caption: Summer is ours too'

I dont know how to even explain the amount of anger that Im feeling right now, she said in a video posted on Instagram. Its just been brought to my attention by one of my friends that the Spanish Government is using my image on a body-positivity campaign but they have edited out my prosthetic leg. I am literally shaking. I am so angry.

Theres one thing using my image without my permission. But theres another thing editing my body.

My body, with my prosthetic leg. Oh my God, Im shaking.

I literally dont even know what to say but its beyond wrong.

Mrs Green-Lord had her leg amputated after she was struck by a taxi aged 24 while on holiday in New York in 2013.

The mother-of-one, a model and motivational speaker from Leicester, said the editing was beyond wrong

She finally received an apology from the driver in January 2020 when she appeared on the Lorraine show on ITV, but said it was meaningless seven years after the accident.

Another two women who appear in the campaign also say their images were used without their permission. Nyome Nicholas- Williams, 30, is seen in a gold bikini in the image  a picture she says was edited from an image she uploaded to her Instagram page.

Nyome Nicholas- Williams, 30, is seen in a gold bikini in the image  a picture she says was edited from an image she uploaded to her Instagram page

It is just a reminder that as a black woman my body is still policed and as women in general our bodies are still not ours, she told Metro.

Ms Nicholas-Williams, known as Curvy Nyome on Instagram, said the artist behind the campaign had been in touch and confirmed she will be paid, but she is yet to hear from the Spanish government

Raissa Galvao, a Brazilian model, also reportedly said that her image was used without her consent. The campaign was launched last week by Spains Ministry of Equality and Institute of Women.

The campaign is intended as a response to fatphobia, hatred and the questioning of non-normative bodies  particularly those of women, something thats most prevalent in the summertime, said the Womens Institute.

Arte Mapache, who designed the poster, has since apologised on Twitter and said she would pay the models involved.

The Spanish Government was approached for comment.
Britain has the fewest commuters going to work of the big five European nations

Ministers and employers have tried to coax workers back to the office to no avail

Google mobility data shows that the UK commuting is still 35 per cent lower than pre-pandemic levels

British workers are the worst in Europe for refusing to return to the office  despite efforts by Ministers and business leaders to end the countrys working-from- home culture.

New figures show the UK has the lowest number of employees travelling to work out of the big five European economies, with fewer commuters than Spain, France, Italy and Germany.

ADVERTISEMENT

The latest Google mobility data, which uses anonymous data from products such as Google Maps, showed commuter numbers in the UK were still 35 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

This is a stark difference compared with the other big five economies, although all countries have seen a decline in commuters compared with January 2020.

New figures show the UK has the lowest number of employees travelling to work out of the big five European economies (pictured, stock image)

Italian workers are the most zealous office attendees, boasting just a 19 per cent decline in people travelling to work compared with pre-pandemic levels

Germany followed with a 22 per cent drop in commuters, ahead of Spain, with a 24 per cent drop, and France, where the commuter decline is 27 per cent.

Jane Parry, associate professor in work and employment at the University of Southampton, said long commutes and a poor transport network could explain why the UK is lagging behind.

The UK has relatively lengthy commuting patterns, around 46 minutes a day  the longest in Europe according to a recent survey, she told The Mail on Sunday.

The geographies of many UK cities, served by poorly-ventilated public transport, also might have caused a lag in employers compelling people to return to the office, she added.

The latest data shows the UK is worse than US and Ireland for working at home, where commuting in both countries is 29 per cent less than pre-pandemic levels.

The UK is also far worse than Australia, where just seven per cent less workers travel to work, but better than Norway, where commuting is 59 per cent less than in February 2020.

ADVERTISEMENT

A drive to get British workers back to their desks was launched in April by Efficiency Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who told civil servants to return to the office or face the sack. However, Whitehall departments were still more than a third empty in early July.

Responding to last weeks figures, Mr Rees-Mogg said: Its a matter of serious concern that working from home is less productive than working in the office and the UK has a long-standing productivity problem which working from home is not going to cure. Ambitious, striving people who want to succeed will be going into their offices.

Big firms such as the accountant PwC have embraced home working despite entrepreneurs including Lord Sugar lamenting the catastrophic effect on business.

Its time for everyone to get off their backsides  and their Pelotons  and get back to work, he wrote in the Daily Mail in May.

But The MoS can reveal that many young employees who continue to work at home are often operating from their beds or sofas. A recent survey of 2,000 British workers aged 18 to 41  the so-called Millennials and Generation Z  was commissioned by Samsung and carried out by the marketing company OnePoll. The research found that 32 per cent of respondents sit on a sofa to do their work and 30 per cent work from bed.

Just under 40 per cent said they felt less productive now compared to when they first started working from home, and 38 per cent said that although initially excited to work from home they were now bored with it.

ADVERTISEMENT

The figures appear to confirm fears that employees struggle to work as well from home.

In May Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanded the end of remote working to drive up productivity and boost city centres.

My experience of working from home is you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was youre doing, he said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
British workers are the worst in Europe for refusing to return to the office  despite efforts by Ministers and business leaders to end the countrys working-from- home culture.

New figures show the UK has the lowest number of employees travelling to work out of the big five European economies, with fewer commuters than Spain, France, Italy and Germany.

The latest Google mobility data, which uses anonymous data from products such as Google Maps, showed commuter numbers in the UK were still 35 per cent below pre-pandemic levels.

This is a stark difference compared with the other big five economies, although all countries have seen a decline in commuters compared with January 2020.

New figures show the UK has the lowest number of employees travelling to work out of the big five European economies (pictured, stock image)

Italian workers are the most zealous office attendees, boasting just a 19 per cent decline in people travelling to work compared with pre-pandemic levels

Germany followed with a 22 per cent drop in commuters, ahead of Spain, with a 24 per cent drop, and France, where the commuter decline is 27 per cent.

Jane Parry, associate professor in work and employment at the University of Southampton, said long commutes and a poor transport network could explain why the UK is lagging behind.

The UK has relatively lengthy commuting patterns, around 46 minutes a day  the longest in Europe according to a recent survey, she told The Mail on Sunday.

The geographies of many UK cities, served by poorly-ventilated public transport, also might have caused a lag in employers compelling people to return to the office, she added.

The latest data shows the UK is worse than US and Ireland for working at home, where commuting in both countries is 29 per cent less than pre-pandemic levels.

The UK is also far worse than Australia, where just seven per cent less workers travel to work, but better than Norway, where commuting is 59 per cent less than in February 2020.

A drive to get British workers back to their desks was launched in April by Efficiency Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who told civil servants to return to the office or face the sack. However, Whitehall departments were still more than a third empty in early July.

Responding to last weeks figures, Mr Rees-Mogg said: Its a matter of serious concern that working from home is less productive than working in the office and the UK has a long-standing productivity problem which working from home is not going to cure. Ambitious, striving people who want to succeed will be going into their offices.

Big firms such as the accountant PwC have embraced home working despite entrepreneurs including Lord Sugar lamenting the catastrophic effect on business.

Its time for everyone to get off their backsides  and their Pelotons  and get back to work, he wrote in the Daily Mail in May.

But The MoS can reveal that many young employees who continue to work at home are often operating from their beds or sofas. A recent survey of 2,000 British workers aged 18 to 41  the so-called Millennials and Generation Z  was commissioned by Samsung and carried out by the marketing company OnePoll. The research found that 32 per cent of respondents sit on a sofa to do their work and 30 per cent work from bed.

Just under 40 per cent said they felt less productive now compared to when they first started working from home, and 38 per cent said that although initially excited to work from home they were now bored with it.

The figures appear to confirm fears that employees struggle to work as well from home.

In May Prime Minister Boris Johnson demanded the end of remote working to drive up productivity and boost city centres.

My experience of working from home is you spend an awful lot of time making another cup of coffee and then, you know, getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was youre doing, he said in an interview with the Daily Mail.
Conservative MPs backing Rishi Sunak have privately admitted Its over as panic sets into his leadership campaign.

Insiders told The Mail on Sunday that some supporters were refusing to do campaigning events for the former Chancellor.

MPs are said to be getting cold feet after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and former leadership rival Tom Tugendhat threw their support behind Liz Truss in quick succession.

However, other MPs backing Mr Sunak insisted he was doing well with Tory members, and said private polling showed Ms Trusss supporters had been easily convinced to switch their support to him.

Insiders told The Mail on Sunday that some supporters were refusing to do campaigning events for the former Chancellor

Mr Wallace had topped the polls among members as the most popular candidate to succeed Boris Johnson before he ruled himself out of the race. His endorsement carries weight, and last week he called Ms Truss authentic, honest and experienced.

Mr Tugendhat, the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said her campaign was founded on true Conservative principles, and took a swipe at Mr Sunak, saying it was not right that the tax burden was rising amid a cost of living crisis.

A source who had spoken to wobbling Sunak supporters said MPs who had backed him were not planning to defect to Ms Trusss camp, but would be busy when asked to publicly support him or campaign for him over the next few weeks.

Theyre saying its over, the source said.

Mr Sunak and the team around him have been accused of not getting the Conservative membership. One Tory MP said: All of this is a misunderstanding about who his audience is. You dont need to appeal to the public, you need to appeal to the electorate. They read two papers  the Mail and the Telegraph. If its not in one of those two, they probably didnt see it. I dont think Rishis lot has ever understood who they are talking to.

The MP said an illustration of this was when Mr Sunak failed to wear a tie in television debates, adding: If you really knew who your audience was, youd put a bloody tie on. Youre not trying to show you are down with the cool kids. The membership like to know youre in charge. A tie speaks of efficiency and purpose.

But a senior Tory MP backing Mr Sunak told The Mail on Sunday, It isnt over yet, and said Mr Wallace and Mr Tugendhat were massive opportunists who had supported the frontrunner to get Cabinet jobs.

Mr Sunak was last week accused of stabbing Boris in the back. But the MP rejected the idea that he betrayed Mr Johnson by quitting, adding: Boris knifed himself. It was unsustainable. Those of us out defending Boris were getting absolute hell from constituents.

A number of MPs have spent the past few days canvassing their association members and have been reporting that pledges for Sunak are much higher. Two sources described Ms Trusss vote as more malleable.

But there are fears that Mr Sunaks message is not getting across. One MP who has spoken to members revealed several said: My head says Rishi but my heart says Liz. This weekend is seen as make or break for Mr Sunak as ballot papers will start arriving on Tory members doorsteps in the week.

Yesterday, a rally for Mr Sunak organised by Gloucestershire Conservatives, due to be held today, axed its admission fee of 20. Mr Sunaks spokesman said his team had always asked for the event to be free, but the association had mistakenly charged people.

To revive his campaign, Mr Sunak talked tough on identity politics yesterday, vowing to end woke nonsense if he became PM.

However last weeks U-turn on tax policy, when Mr Sunak promised to temporarily slash VAT on energy bills despite previously saying it was not the time for tax cuts, was seen to have backfired. One MP described it as a nail in the coffin for Mr Sunaks leadership bid.

A Tory Party insider said his team came up with the campaign last year, at a time when Rishi was the most popular politician. But the insider added that after that came the Spring Statement, which was not well received, the police fine and revelations about the non-dom status of Mr Sunaks wife, adding: They failed to adapt.

MPs are said to be getting cold feet after Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and former leadership rival Tom Tugendhat threw their support behind Liz Truss in quick succession

Critics also said Mr Sunaks squad treated MPs with contempt, with one Minister telling the Times they acted like a cool gang in school. Last night, a Sunak campaign spokesman said: Weve got the most support out of the Parliamentary party. We have very supportive MPs. The momentum is building.

But the centre of gravity appears to be shifting towards Ms Truss. Sources said Mr Johnsons ally and strategist Sir Lynton Crosby has privately backed the Foreign Secretary. The pair were seen speaking at length at the Conservative summer party in the Victoria and Albert Museum last month.

Strategist Mark Fullbrook, an ally of Sir Lynton, is already working on Ms Trusss campaign, and there is speculation that Mr Johnsons deputy chief of staff, David Canzini  another ally of Sir Lynton, is in line for the same role in a Truss administration. A source on her campaign said: Liz and the team are totally focused on meeting members and winning the contest. Shes not even thinking about who might get what job if she wins. Sources close to Ms Truss said Sir Lynton is not involved in her campaign in any way.

Asked on Friday if she was now confident of winning the leadership contest, Ms Truss said: Im not at all complacent. Im fighting for every vote across the country.
Undated picture of Rishi Sunak with a glass Picture posted on Facebook 11 Feb 2007

Showing a glimpse of chest hair and warmly embracing his future wife, this is a carefree young Rishi Sunak long before he became embroiled in the world of politics.

Photographed in 2008 carousing in a members-only Mayfair nightclub, he had just moved from California to work in London for a hedge fund run by a billionaire financier.

Aged 28, Sunak was dating his future wife Akshata Murty, but the couple had just been forced to make a very difficult decision.

While he had headed to Britain, she felt rooted in America and had decided to stay there, enrolling on a postgraduate course at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in LA.

Despite living 5,400 miles apart, the couple regularly flew back and forth across the Atlantic.

These photographs show how they spent an evening with friends at the Whisky Mist nightclub in London.

Ms Murty is seen with a cocktail while Mr Sunak (who says hes teetotal and a total Coca-Cola addict) generously bought all the drinks that night for the couples friends.

Rishi Sunak and wife Akshata Murthy at Whisky Mist members club, London

At the time, the club off Park Lane was popular with the young Prince Harry and celebrities such as Beyonce and Leonardo DiCaprio. Many years later, Tesla tycoon Elon Musk met his second wife, actress Talulah Riley, there.

Whisky Mist was apparently named after an incident during which a tipsy Queen Victoria thought shed spotted a stag in the fog from the window of Balmoral Castle.

Friends with Mr Sunak and his girlfriend that night recall how many of the guests were focused on Ms Murty because of her familys fabulous wealth.

Her father founded global IT giant Infosys.

Mr Sunak was described by a female reveller as the most attentive boyfriend you have ever seen and as someone who would ask a lot of questions but not give too much away about himself.

Not long before, he had been to Africa where he met some of Barack Obamas relatives. He was photographed with them while holding a copy of the future US presidents book, Dreams From My Father: A Story Of Race And Inheritance.

The picture was posted on Mr Sunaks Facebook page. Mr Obama used his book as a primer to introduce himself to the American people as he campaigned in 2008 to become the first black US president.

Fourteen years on, the young Briton captivated by that book is campaigning to become Britains first Prime Minister of Asian heritage  and of Americas greatest ally.

Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murthy (left) at Whisky Mist members club, London.Picture by Michelle Bromley-Mcghie DECEMBER 2008

Rishi: Compensate the blood scandal victims without delay

By Brendan Carlin, Political Correspondent for the Mail on Sunday

Rishi Sunak called for victims of the infected blood scandal to receive 100,000 compensation payments without delay.

The would-be Prime Minister said it was a tragic injustice adding: Survivors and their families need to have certainty now.

Liz Truss, his Tory leadership rival, said victims and their families have waited long enough to get the compensation they need and said that as Prime Minister she would ensure the compensation was paid as soon as possible.

Their intervention came after three former Health Secretaries said the 100,000 payments recommended by an official inquiry should be made as soon as possible given that the life expectancy of victims had been dramatically shortened.

Former Labour Health Secretary Andy Burnham called on Boris Johnson to authorise the payments before he leaves Downing Street next month.

Rishi Sunak called for victims of the infected blood scandal to receive 100,000 compensation payments without delay

He told the BBC: Please, Prime Minister, do this today, say youll do it today, no one will disagree, every single MP will support it, people have waited far, far too long.

Former Tory health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Matt Hancock both said they believed that the Government should make the payments as soon as practicable.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Hunt said waiting until the end of the Tory leadership contest would be too late for many victims. Mr Hancock said there was a moral duty on the State, the Government, to pay compensation.

At least 5,000 people contracted HIV or hepatitis C in the 1970s and 1980s after being given contaminated blood products and transfusions on the NHS.

Last week, Sir Brian Langstaff, chairman of the inquiry into the scandal, said that interim payments of at least 100,000 should be paid without delay, to all those infected and all bereaved partners.

The Cabinet Office said yesterday that it would act on compensation recommendations with the utmost urgency and a copy of the inquirys report would be laid before MPs once Parliament reconvenes next month.
Tory leadership frontrunner Liz Truss will frame herself as the save the Union candidate by ruling out SNP demands for a second independence referendum.

The Foreign Secretary  rated by bookmakers as 90 per cent likely to be the next Prime Minister  will claim that growing up in Paisley makes her better placed than her remaining rival Rishi Sunak to reverse the Conservative Partys years of political decline in Scotland.

Vowing tonight that there will be no second independence referendum on my watch, Ms Truss said: Scottish Nationalists accepted that the 2014 referendum was a once-in-a-generation opportunity, and I will hold them to that.

'You cannot just keep having polls until you get the result you want. It is undemocratic for Scotland, and for our United Kingdom.

Liz Truss, pictured here speaking to the media at Biggin Hill Airport today, said she would not allow a second Scottish independence referendum

She added: Any independence referendum would need to be authorised by the Westminster parliament. If I become Prime Minister, I would not grant that authority.

'We are in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis and it is an increasingly uncertain time for the world, so the SNP should be focusing on delivering for the Scottish people and fixing the mistakes they have made in policing, education and beyond.

As Prime Minister, I will hold them to account. No longer will they be able to neglect the needs of the Scottish people and blame it on Westminster in their pursuit of independence.

This tough stance comes as Ms Truss welcomes former leadership contender Tom Tugendhat to her team  and as her staunch supporter Nadine Dorries today unleashes a blistering attack on Mr Sunak.

She is expected to rebuff calls from the SNP and Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon (pictured), for another vote on the issue

In a no-holds-barred article for The Mail on Sunday, the Culture Secretary defends her controversial decision to contrast Ms Trusss 4.50 earrings with Mr Sunaks 450 Prada shoes.

Day Liz told Rishi hed lost chance to be PM By Glen Owen, Political Editor for The Mail on Sunday The Foreign Secretary privately warned Rishi Sunak last year that his NHS National Insurance rise would ruin his leadership chances, sources close to her have said. The row over the rise was so bitter that No10 feared Liz Truss would resign from the Cabinet when it was discussed last autumn, the sources added. The 1.25 per cent rise was due to be rubber-stamped by the Cabinet at a meeting last September, but Ms Truss was so late that Downing Street feared she had quit. When she did arrive at the meeting, she made it clear that she thought the rise was un-Conservative. Ms Truss has repeated that view during the campaign, arguing that raising taxes in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis was morally wrong. The increase was also opposed by Jacob Rees-Mogg. A source said: Liz and Jacob broke ranks to make clear that they were opposed to the NI hike. Liz told Rishi afterwards that he had torpedoed his chances of ever becoming PM, or words to that effect. Advertisement

She admits that this caused a bit of a storm but dismisses the idea that she was being anti-aspirational, declaring: I would never wish to suppress anyones desire to improve their lot.

Ms Dorries, who insists that Mr Sunak had long been plotting to oust Boris Johnson, writes: No, my Twitter comment ran much deeper. I wanted to highlight Rishis misguided sartorial style in order to alert Tory members not to be taken in by appearances in the way that happened to many of us who served with the Chancellor in Cabinet.

She then makes an extraordinary jibe at Mr Sunaks height (5ft 7in), saying: The assassins gleaming smile, his gentle voice and even his diminutive stature had many of us well and truly fooled.

In a scathing verdict on Mr Sunaks alleged plotting, she adds: His actions made Michael Goves betrayal of Boris Johnson during the 2016 leadership campaign appear like a rank amateur rehearsing for the role of Brutus in a village-hall play.

Meanwhile, Ms Trusss leadership ambitions have also been endorsed by leading anti-woke Tory MP Sir John Hayes, who hailed her character and determination.

Speaking to the MoS, Sir John  chairman of the influential Common Sense Group of Tory MPs and peers  singled out Ms Trusss clear answer at a hustings in Leeds last week when she defended the return of single-sex toilets in schools after the introduction of same-sex spaces during the pandemic.

But he also saluted her belief in Britain: What impresses me about Liz is that she is unprepared to accept the orthodoxy of decline. She believes, as I do, that Britains greatest years can lie ahead. This confident patriotism is essential in an increasingly challenging and uncertain world.

Sir John, who backed Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch earlier in the leadership race, declined to criticise Mr Sunak, saying: I rate him as a very capable politician.

However, he also told the MoS: There is something particular about Liz Truss that could make her a very great Prime Minister.
House lawmakers on Friday passed a bill that would ban assault-style weapons, securing a significant victory for Democrats following a spate of mass shootings in the United States, but received little support from Republicans.

The bill marks the first time that lawmakers have approved a prohibition on the popular firearm in more than two decades. The legislation, which was titled the Assault Weapons Ban of 2022, cleared the chamber in a narrow 217-213 vote.

Assault-Style Weapons Ban

Several Democrats voted no on the bill, including Henry Cuellar, Jared Golden, Vicente Gonzalez, Kurt Schrader, and Ron Kind. On the other hand, a few Republicans supported the legislation, including Chris Jacobs and Brian Fitzpatrick.

On Friday morning, White House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that the House would take up the legislation that afternoon, scheduling the last-minute vote days after she said the chamber would punt consideration of the legislation to next month.

Democrats have been planning to move the assault weapons ban with community safety legislation under one rule. However, they ultimately decided to consider them separately after some liberals expressed concerns about a lack of accountability in the police measures, as per The Hill.

Rep. David Cicilline led the assault weapons ban legislation and was co-sponsored by 207 voting Democrats. It specifically calls for the prohibition of the sale, manufacture, and transfer or import of various semi-automatic assault weapons, semi-automatic pistols, and semi-automatic shotguns, depending on their features.

Read Also: Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit Leads Pentagon Scrambling for Security Plan; Ships, Aircrafts To Be Deployed?

One example of the ban being enforced is for all semi-automatic rifles that can accept detachable magazines and have a pistol grip, a forward grip, a grenade launcher, a barrel shroud, a threaded barrel, or a folding, telescoping or detachable stock.

According to CNN, despite the legislation not being expected to amass the required 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, Democrats in the House have argued that the string of recent mass shootings involving such firearms is a pressing reason to ban them.

Recent Mass Shootings

In a statement, Pelosi said that the Democratic Majority will take up and pass the Assault Weapons Ban legislation. She called it a crucial step in their ongoing fight against the deadly epidemic of gun violence that is plaguing the United States.

The vote on Friday came as progressives, moderates, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus are divided on how to handle the policing funding component of a broader public safety package. Moderate and vulnerable Democrats have been pushing for a vote on the policing legislation before they leave town in an effort to rebut GOP attacks over defunding the police.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren, who represents Gilroy, California, said that the killer who opened fire on the annual Garlic Festival killed three and injured 17 others in July 2019. She noted that the gunman could not buy assault weapons in California so he simply went over to Nevada and bought them there.

Currently, there is no vote scheduled in the Senate, which plans to break for a month-long recess starting on Aug. 8. And with the recent coronavirus exposures among senators, it is unlikely that the Senate will vote on the ban next week, USA Today reported.



Related Article: Sen. Joe Manchin Says He Will Keep Standing in Favor of Reconciliation Deal Despite Potential Opposition from Kyrsten Sinema

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Global players' union Fifpro are reportedly keeping an eye on Barcelona's treatment of Frenkie de Jong amid the club's salary row with the midfielder.

Barca want to sell De Jong this summer - with Manchester United desperate to sign him - but he is not prepared to leave until the dispute is settled.

The Dutch international is owed 17million in wages by the Spanish club, which he agreed to defer to help the club's finances during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fifpro are reportedly keeping an eye on Barcelona's treatment of midfielder Frenkie de Jong

However, according to The Times, Barca want him to accept just 6m (7m) off what is owed to him. That would leave the Dutchman 11m out of pocket.

The report states that insiders at Fifpro have confirmed that they are monitoring the situation closely but claim that these situations are ocurring more regularly and are symptomatic of a failing system.

It comes after Gary Neville urged De Jong to sue Barcelona over his unpaid wages, particularly as they have been splashing transfer fees and wages on new players in the meantime.

Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen have all arrived at the Nou Camp this summer despite the club's well-documented financial issues.

Gary Neville urged the Dutch international to sue Barcelona over his 17m in unpaid wages

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign De Jong, but he does not want to move

'De Jong should consider legal action versus Barcelona and all players should be behind him!' Neville wrote on Twitter.

'A club spending fortunes on new players whilst not paying the ones they have under contract their full money is immoral and a breach.

'FIFPRO should be all over bullying like this and stop it.'

Manchester United have agreed a 63million deal with Barcelona to sign the 25-year-old, but he has reportedly told the Red Devils that he will not be moving to Old Trafford this summer.
Erik Ten Hag has confirmed that wantaway star striker Cristiano Ronaldo will be involved in their upcoming pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

The Portuguese star posted a picture training with Uniteds youngsters at Carrington alongside the caption working in progress, as Ten Hags team were losing 1-0 to Atletico in Oslo, a match in which Fred was sent off after a stamp.

Despite only training for a few days, Ronaldo will be involved in Uniteds final friendly today at home to Rayo Vallecano. Well see how long he can play, said Ten Hag.

Cristiano Ronaldo took to social media to confirm he is back training with Manchester United

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag confirmed Ronaldo will feature against Rayo Vallecono

He missed the start of pre-season and tours of Thailand and Australia for family reasons after telling United he wants to leave, although the club have resisted attempts to engineer a move.

Ronaldo is still three weeks from full fitness, but the 37-year-old is clearly keen to return after declaring in another post: Sunday, the king plays.

Anthony Martial was expected to lead the United attack when their season kicks off against Brighton at Old Trafford next Sunday, after scoring three goals on tour.

But the Frenchman was at the centre of an injury scare at the Ullevaal Stadion o Saturday when he went off holding a hamstring.

Martial appeared to be moving freely as United flew home straight after the game and Ten Hag will hope it is not serious.

Ronaldo addition announced his United return on Instagram saying 'Sunday, the king plays'

The United boss has options but Ronaldo could come into the reckoning if he plays today. Martial and Marcus Rashford had clear chances but the best fell to Harry Maguire, who somehow put a free header wide from Christian Eriksens corner.

You have to take benefit if you create chances, said Ten Hag. They created less chances and scored one, so from that point I am not satisfied. I have told the team it is not acceptable.

We learned something, but in the end its about the result and the score was not good.

Eriksen was the big plus as he came on for Martial to debut and created several chances. But Joao Felix struck in the 87th minute.

Anthony Martial picked up a hamstring injury in Saturday's pre-season friendly

United then had Fred sent off for a second bookable offence after he appeared to plant his studs into Alvaro Morata.

Referee Espen Eskas showed seven yellow cards, including to Scott McTominay and Jan Oblak after a 20-man melee when Atletico reacted furiously to the United midfielder barging their goalkeeper to the ground.

It was a feisty affair and Ten Hag said: I saw some tackles that were maybe over the limit. I like competitive but I dont want injuries.

On the subject of Ronaldo, Ten Hag added: Tomorrow he will be in the squad. Well see how long he can play.
A new sex-inspired TV series is bringing Aussies out of their shells and sparking a sex-toy frenzy.

Two weeks since the launch of Netflix's raunchy new reality show How To Build A Sex Room, sales of bondage gear and sex toys have 'spiked' according to the country's top retailers who are crediting the show with sparking a 'bedroom revolution'.

Hosted by 'the Mary Poppins of sex rooms' Melanie Rose, the show premiered on the streaming service on July 8 and follows British designer as she creates bespoke adults-only playgrounds for clients across the US.

Two weeks since the launch of Netflix's raunchy new reality show How To Build A Sex Room, sales of bondage gear and sex toys have 'spiked'

The show is hosted by 'the Mary Poppins of sex rooms' Melanie Rose

The projects range from a sumptuous Las Vegas-themed suite for a married couple stuck in a sex drought to a pleasure basement for polyamorous 'family' of seven.

With sex toys, bondage beds and kinky dungeons, the explicit series has been praised by critics and described as 'the anthesis' to a wholesome episode of DIY SOS.

Rob Godwin, CEO of online 'sexual wellness' giant Lovehoney, told Daily Mail Australia the show has sparked a sex toy 'explosion' with online sales up 123% since the show first aired.

Godwin says that not since the release of the BDSM-themed blockbuster Fifty Shades Of Grey in 2015 has the demand for sex toys been so high.

'Our bondage products probably has seen the biggest increase in demand with a week-on-week jump of 48 per-cent on our normal sales which is huge,' Godwin says, adding that sales of 'spankers and ticklers' - which feature heavily in the show, have jumped by 123%.

'Sales up 123%' says Lovehoney CEO Rob Godwin after launch of How To Build A Sex Room

A 'spanking bench' as featured on the show which explores 'couple communication'

There has also been a 56% jump in handcuffs and restraints sales while sex swings and machine sales have increased by 54%.

'We are quite literally having to fly new stock in from around the world to meet demand,' he said.

'And our focus as of right now is to increase our workforce by 20 per-cent to cater for this increase.'

Godwin said sales had ballooned since the show launched back on July 8 as word-of-mouth took off.

'Now it's all anyone is talking about...People are talking to me about it at school drop-off,' he said.

Godwin's company has even created a Lovehoney 'website landing page' specifically to field queries about products on the show.

Ion Bosch, manager of Kogarah sex toy emporium Adult Smart, echoes the increase in demand since the launch of the new Netflix show with in-store customers specifically interested in bondage and restraints.

'Things like soft restraints, bed restraints, over the door restraints,' are in demand says Sydney sex shop retailer Ion Bosch

One of the 'sex rooms' created as part of the smash hit Netflix series now amongst the top-ten most watched in Australia

'Things like soft restraints, bed restraints, over the door restraints,' says Bosch, who added that purchases seemed to trend differently when customers were buying online.

'Online the demand is slightly different. The increases we have seen in the last fortnight are more for things like steel products...plugs, urethra inserts - that kind of thing.'

Demand for 'spanking benches' too have risen after the apparatus was featured heavily in episode one of the show, which saw young couple Taylor and Ajay fitted out with a rock-and-roll themed sex dungeon.

Such is the success of the series, it has drawn comparisons to Netflix's big smash of 2020 - The Queen's Gambit - about a young chess prodigy.

That series, which collected string of awards and fast became one of Netflix's most streamed programs, sparked a global demand for chess boards with research firm NPD Group reporting that chess set sales increased 87% in the three weeks after the shows release.

The Queens Gambit sparked a frenzied global demand for chess sets on its release in 2019

Chess book sales jumped 603% in the same period.

'The idea that a streaming television series can have an impact on product sales is not a new one, but we are finally able to view it through the data,' NPD Group toys industry adviser Juli Lennett told Variety in November 2020.

'The sales of chess books and chess sets, which had previously been flat or declining for years, turned sharply upward as the popular new series gained viewers.'

Netflix are yet to confirm if, or when, a second season of How To Build A Sex Room - which was amongst the top-ten most streamed shows in July - is being developed.

However Lovehoney CEO Godwin says Australia would be the 'perfect' market to film a follow-up.

'Aussies are up for it and are very open-minded in their approach to sexual wellness,' he says.

'I can't think of a better place to film it.'
Aaron Sorkin has revealed that his To Kill A Mockingbird play will not return to Broadway and has cited disgraced producer Scott Rudin as the main cause.

The Academy Award winner, 61, opened up about the play's untimely end in an email shared by The New York Times.

In the message that Sorkin and director Bartlett Sher sent out to the show's cast and crew, they wrote, 'At the last moment, Scott [Rudin] reinserted himself as producer and for reasons which are, frankly, incomprehensible to us both, he stopped the play from reopening.'

Blame: Aaron Sorkin said his To Kill a Mockingbird play will not return to Broadway, citing disgraced producer Scott Rudin as a main cause of its end (pictured 2021)

Rudin, who started facing abuse allegations back in 2021 by a number of past employees, responded to the Molly's Game director's comments with a statement of his own.

'The reason I opted not to bring back TKAM has to do with my lack of confidence in the climate for plays next winter. I do not believe that a remount of Mockingbird would have been competitive in the marketplace.'

He continued, 'Its too risky and the downside is too great. Im sorry youre disappointed. Its the right decision for the long life of the show.'

Response: Rudin, who started facing abuse allegations back in 2021 by a number of past employees, responded to the Molly's Game director's comments with a statement of his own (pictured 2003)

Broadway show: The play, adapted from the best-selling 1960 novel and critically-acclaimed 1962 film, opened on Broadway back in 2018 (pictured opening night December 2018)

The play, adapted from the best-selling 1960 novel and critically-acclaimed 1962 film, opened on Broadway back in 2018.

It returned to Broadway at the end of 2021 though it shut down in January of this year amid a COVID-19 resurgence on Broadway.

It was supposed to reopen on June 1 though that ultimately didn't happen. It is however experiencing a national tour headlined by Emmy winner Richard Thomas.

Opening and shutting: It returned to Broadway at the end of 2021 though it shut down in January of this year amid a COVID-19 resurgence on Broadway

Portrayal: The Newsroom actor Jeff Daniels portrayed Atticus Finch on the show during its original run and again in the fall (pictured 2018)

The Newsroom actor Jeff Daniels portrayed Atticus Finch on the show during its original run and again in the fall.

To Kill a Mockingbird was embattled throughout its run, dealing with multiple legal disputes including one with TKAM writer Harper Lee's estate.

It was then shut down for for more than 18 months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Good as It Gets actor Greg Kinnear was set to take on the role when the show reopened in June.
Georgia Fowler has announced her engagement to Fishbowl founder Nathan Dalah.

The Kiwi Victoria's Secret model, 30, announced the happy news on Instagram on Saturday, revealing her boyfriend of two years proposed during a photoshoot for Tiffany & Co.

She was shooting a campaign called 'Tiffany Love' when Nathan, 27, dropped down to one knee on set.

Georgia Fowler has announced her engagement to Fishbowl CEO Nathan Dalah

'Nathan was getting so into this Tiffany Love campaign that he surprised us all, including the client - dropping a knee to ask me to marry him,' she wrote alongside the video.

'Of course I said yes. Nathan you may be a little ad hoc at times, but you're definitely the one for me. I can't wait to be your wife, here's to forever.'

In the video, Nathan - who is the CEO and co-founder of restaurant chain Fishbowl - is seen getting down on one knee in front of the former Victoria's Secret model.

'I would say that I had this really crazy idea,' he says in the clip.

The pair have been together for more than two years and welcomed their first child together last year

'I know it wasn't part of the plan or part of the shoot, but I'm gonna do it anyways. No, I'm gonna do it. I wanted to see if you would marry me, be my wife?'

Georgia replies, 'Yes, I will,' before the crew cheers for the happy couple.

Congratulations were in order for the pair, who confirmed their relationship back in February 2020.

Congratulations were in order from the couple's famous friends

'Omg congratulations baby!!!!! So happyyy for you guys,' New Zealand model Jessica Clarke commented on the post.

Model Shanina Shaik wrote, 'Congratulations!!! so cute,' while Bed Judd simply commented 'Yewwwww,' along with three love heart emojis.

Georgia welcomed her daughter with businessman boyfriend Nathan on September 17 last year, after announcing her pregnancy in April.

Georgia welcomed her daughter with her businessman boyfriend on September 17 last year

Auckland-born Georgia (left) announced she was expecting her first child with Fishbowl co-founder Nathan (right) back in April last year

'Dylan Aman Dalah. 17.9.21. Welcome to the world. We love you so much,' she wrote on Instagram at the time, sharing a series of photos of the newborn.

The New Zealand native recently shared her delight at becoming a mother, saying it was 'much easier' than she'd envisioned.

'It has been easier than I thought. She's a real angel so it'll be fine,' she told Daily Mail Australia at the Moet & Chandon Effervescence in December.

The couple confirmed their romance in February 2020

'It's been really nice to be able to hang out with Dylan and have a great baby.'

Nathan is the co-founder of healthy fast food chain Fishbowl alongside Nic Pestalozzi and Casper Ettleson.

The trio opened their first restaurant in Bondi, in Sydney's eastern suburbs, back in 2016.

The New Zealand native recently shared her delight at becoming a mother, saying it was 'much easier' than she'd envisioned

Five years later, the chain - which specialises in made-to-order Japanese-style salads - has become an empire set to make $60million in revenue in 2022.

Nathan was estimated to have a net worth of more than $1million, according to reports from last year.

As for Georgia, the model was ranked in the world's top 50 highest paid models in 2020.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, the beauty's net worth is estimated at $1million.
Dame Emma Thompson and Strictly star Greg Wise's daughter Gaia has stepped out hand-in-hand with her new actor boyfriend Basil Eidenbenz.

The loved-up pair were spotted canoodling at Sister Act: The Musical at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, West London, earlier this week.

The actress, 22, previously embarked on a passionate romance with Scottish marine engineer Daniel Kent, who works on one of the world's most spectacular superyachts.

Love-up: Dame Emma Thompson's daughter Gaia Wise, 22, stepped out hand-in-hand with her new actor boyfriend Basil Eidenbenz, 29, at Sister Act: The Musical in London

Now, Gaia has pushed him overboard and is going out with Swiss-born Basil, 29, who stars in Netflix hit The Witcher.

'They couldn't keep their hands off each other,' whispered a fellow audience member at the event.

Gaia put on an edgy display in a red checked two piece that consisted of a cropped blazer and mini skirt.

Cute: The loved-up pair were spotted canoodling at the event which comes after Gaia ended her passionate romance with Scottish marine engineer Daniel Kent

Adorable: Gaia put on an edgy display in a red checked two piece that consisted of a cropped blazer and mini skirt

Basil looked handsome in an all-black ensemble with a denim jacket as he pulled his long blond locks back from his face.

The outing comes as Gaia followed in her mother's footsteps as she made her TV debut in the latest series of BBC drama Silent Witness.

With her sweet smile and cropped dark hair, Dame Emma's daughter looked every inch the mini-me.

Family: Gaia was joined by her dad, Strictly star Greg Wise at the event

In the series Gaia plays university student Jo Reynolds whose mother, the controversial health secretary, is assassinated  sparking the interest of forensic pathologists.

Earlier this year, Gaia revealed to the Daily Mail's Richard Eden that she's prepared to follow her mother's example and disrobe on screen.

Dame Emma recently bared all in her latest film  Good Luck To You, Leo Grande.

Gaia said: 'If it's professionally prepared, and you've got the right kind of protection around you, then that's absolutely fine.'

Career: The outing comes as Gaia followed in her mother's footsteps as she made her TV debut in the latest series of BBC drama Silent Witness

It comes after Gaia detailed her three-year battle with anorexia - and credited her parents for saving her life by staging an emergency intervention.

The aspiring actress developed anorexia aged 16 which left her so thin she was unable to even sit on a chair without it being painful. She was later admitted to rehab in 2017.

She spoke out about her illness for the first time with The Sun on Sunday, saying 'Anorexia makes you really good at gaslighting people, making it sound like they're insane.

'My parents would say, 'Gaia, we heard you working out at 3am.' And I'd say, 'No you didn't, it was just the house moving. I was asleep.''

Twins: Dame Emma 's daughter looked every inch the mini-me (Emma in TV comedy series There's Nothing To Worry About in 1982 and Gaia in Silent Witness

Anorexia is a serious mental illness where a person restricts their food intake, which often causes them to be severely underweight. Many also exercise excessively.

Gaia spoke of how Greg, Emma, and her family, including brother Tindy, 36, and best friend gathered together for an intervention, with Gaia agreeing to a three-month rehab stint after Greg said: 'I don't know where my child is any more.'

Adding that it was a 'kick in the teeth' she added: 'I had to listen to the people I loved most in the world who, at the time, I'd really forgotten about, tell me what I was doing.'

She said: 'That's when I said I'd go to rehab. I went on December 29, 2017, and stayed for three months. Since then I've had a lot of therapy  and I'll always be grateful for that, because it saved my life.'
Idris Elba is determined to work with Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio after the pair felt a 'vibe' between one another at a party.

Actor Idris, 49, has just finished shooting a big-screen version of BBC crime drama Luther, and he is setting his sights on where he wants his career to move next.

He told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden: 'I went to a friend's party recently and he was there, and we got into a conversation.

Ready for action: Idris Elba is determined to work with Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio after the pair felt a 'vibe' between one another at a party

'It just felt like, you know what, I would love to work with this dude.

'He's a really nice guy and obviously he's an incredible actor but you know when you just get a vibe with someone, and you're, like, 'OK Leo, let's go at it'.' Watch this space.'

It was recently claimed Idris was back in the running to play James Bond.

Enamoured: He told the Daily Mail's Richard Eden of Leo: 'I went to a friend's party recently and he was there, and we got into a conversation'

The star was believed to have stepped back from replacing Daniel Craig as the suave spy and had instead spoken to producers about potentially appearing as the villain in the next movie, but he's once again under consideration for the role of 007 after scoring favourably in market research.

A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: 'Idris has long been in talks to play a role in the next era of James Bond's story and last year was being considered for a role as an antagonist.

'However, talks surrounding him playing the lead have started again as producers realised how popular he would be after carrying out secret market research.

Next move? It was recently claimed Idris was back in the running to play James Bond after Daniel Craig's (pictured) final film No Time To Die was release in September last year

'He ranked highly among the diverse group of movie buffs invited to participate in it.

'They didn't want to see him as a nemesis  they want him as the hero.'

Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli confirmed earlier this year that Idris had been in the frame for the iconic role.

She said: 'We know Idris, I'm friends with him. He's a magnificent actor. You know, he has been part of the conversation, but it's always difficult to have a conversation when you have somebody in the seat.'

In 2019, Idris admitted he'd love to be Bond, saying: 'James Bond is a hugely coveted, iconic, beloved character that takes audiences on this massive escapism journey.

'Of course, if someone said to me, 'Do you want to play James Bond?', I'd be like, 'Yeah!''
The second season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under returns to screens on Saturday.

And it seems that the queens and the drama will be more fierce and fiery than ever this season, as they battle it out to reign supreme.

Speaking exclusively with Daily Mail Australia at Stan's blue carpet premiere on Thursday night, a few of the cast members gave an inside scoop into the new season.

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under is back for a second season and is set to be a wild one

'The claws do come out at Drag Race,' drag queen Molly Poppinz said.

'There's a lot of wild moments! You're gonna get your drama, you're gonna get your wild moments, good looks, talent, everything!'

Kween Kong said despite the behind the scenes antics, the Queens bonded and are now closer than ever.

'We're simply a sisterhood,' she said. 'But everything that happened, happened. [We're] proud.'

Meanwhile, Season 2's oldest Queen Minnie Cooper, 50, says viewers can expect 'more drama than [Real] Housewives'.

'The New Zealand queens are nice and lovely. But those Sydney queens, ooh they come in with the beef!' she added, hinting that there'll be 'a few dressing downs'.

The cast of this season says viewers can expect 'more drama' than The Real Housewives

'The claws do come out at Drag Race,' said Molly Poppinz (pictured)

'Those Real Housewives have it easy!' Poppinz continued.

Stan released the trailer for the iconic drag series earlier this week, which was jam-packed with plenty of shock moments.

'That outfit was really horrible,' Beverly Kills, 21, said in a clip.

'Hopefully you can polish a turd,' Hannah Conda said in the trailer

RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 2 premieres Saturday on Stan

'Hopefully you can polish a turd,' Hannah Conda said.

The show, premiering Saturday on Stan at 4pm AEST, will see 10 contestants battle it out for the top prize and is set to showcase a number of celebrity guest stars, including Australia's beloved wildlife warriors Bindi and Robert Irwin.

The Queens dazzled on Thursday night for a star-studded blue carpet event to celebrate the show's release at Sydney's State Theatre.

10 Queens battle it out for the top prize, with a number of celebrity guest stars set to participate

'I think I'm still processing it,' New Zealand drag performer Kween Kong told Daily Mail Australia of meeting and working with RuPaul Andre Charles.

'When you meet your idol, someone that you've idolised since your childhood It took me about two weeks to really understand that I was in the workroom with RuPaul. It was just too big, too massive. It was a dream come true.'

RuPaul will be joined on the panel by returning judges Michelle Visage and Rhys Nicholson.

Stan revealed Bindi Irwin , Robert Irwin and Lucy Lawless will be appearing on the brand-new season of the Stan Original Series. Pictured: RuPaul

There is a diverse range of talent this season, including a fire-breather, an Australia's Got Talent semi-finalist and queens with First Nations and Maori heritage.

'I am thrilled to produce and host a brand new season of RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under,' RuPaul said in a statement.

'We've only just begun to shine a worldwide spotlight on the charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent of Australasian queens.'

Stan Original Series RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under premieres Saturday, July 30, at 4pm (AEST) only on Stan
Love Island fans went wild as Dami Hope and Indiyah Polack secured their place in the final on Friday as the couples battle for the 50k prize fund.

Viewers were quick to recall the heated back-and-forth during their explosive Casa Amor split, where Indiyah famously quipped 'may the best heartbreaker win'.

Dami, 26, and Indiyah, 23, were the only couple to receive no votes from their fellow Islanders as the contestants voted for who they thought was the least compatible.

'Heartbreakers': Love Island fans went wild as Dami Hope, 26, and Indiyah Polack, 23, secured their place in the final on Friday - after THAT explosive Casa Amour split

Taking to Twitter, fans of the ITV2 show gushed over the duo's journey as they noted that they were now 'winning together' after going from 'heartbreakers to lovers'.

Someone penned: 'May the best heartbreaker win. And now they are here winning together. Damiyahhhhh!'

Another added: 'Nobody voted Damiyah. Best in compatibility, heartbreakers and lovers!'

Enemies to lovers: Viewers were quick to recall the heated back-and-forth during their explosive Casa Amour split, where Indiyah famously quipped 'may the best heartbreaker win'

Adorable: Dami and Indiyah were the only couple to receive no votes from their fellow Islanders as the contestants voted for who they thought was the least compatible

A third wrote: 'Dami and Indiyah went from "may the best heartbreaker win" to "will you be my girlfriend?"

'From "may the best heartbreaker win" to a couple. Got to respect it,' another added.

Elsewhere one viewer joked: 'Is it just me who slightly hopes that if Dami and Indiyah win, she takes all of the cash for herself and says "I guess the best heartbreaker won?" Just for the drama.'

Rollercoaster: Taking to Twitter fans of the ITV2 show gushed over the duo's journey as they noted that they were now 'winning together' after going from 'heartbreakers to lovers'

In the brutal twist, Ekin-Su Culculoglu, 27, and Davide Sanclimenti, also 27, received the most votes with four and Gemma Owen and Luca Bish receiving three votes.

Paige Thorne and Adam Collard received two, and one vote went to Andrew Le Page and Tasha Ghouri but the final decision will be in the public's hands.

Earlier in the series fans saw one of the most tense recouplings in Love Island history as Dami and Indiyah both decided to recouple with new people after Casa Amor.

Tense: Earlier in the series fans saw one of the most tense recouplings in Love Island history as Dami and Inidyah both decided to recouple with new people after Casa Amor

Upon learning that both their heads had been turned, they became embroiled in a snappy face off at the firepit - with Indiyah quipping: 'May the best heartbreaker win'.

Dami was the third boy to choose in the recoupling, with host Laura Whitmore questioning whether he'd like to 'stick or twist'.

And after getting to know new girl Summer Botwe during Casa Amor, Dami admitted he'd like to recouple, even making a pun as he said 'Summer isn't over yet'.

Head turned: Dami was the third boy to choose in the recoupling, with host Laura Whitmore questioning whether he'd like to 'stick or twist'

'Summer has just begun': After getting to know new girl Summer Botwe during Casa Amor, Dami admitted he'd like to recouple, even making a pun as he said 'Summer isn't over yet'

He told Laura: 'Me being true to myself and I feel this Love Island experience is about exploring connections... and Summer isn't over yet,' before announcing his decision to recouple.

Despite himself choosing a new girl, Dami couldn't hide his shock as Indiyah returned to the villa moments later with Deji Adeniyi on her arm.

'I did have a connection but I thought that I needed to follow my head and I'm glad that I did, everything happens for a reason you know, it is what it is' she said, while a visibly upset Dami cut in saying ''till it isn't'.

As Indiyah rolled her eyes at the comment, Laura questioned if Dami had anything to say to her, to which he replied that he is happy for her - but for himself too, while making a fed up facial expression.

Same boat: But to Dami's unassuming shock - Indiyah also decided to twice, returning to the villa moments later with Deji Adeniyi on her arm

Heartbreakers: While Dami chimed in saying 'We're heartbreakers so here we are', as Indiyah concluded the tense face off with: 'May the best heartbreaker win'

Not buying the comments, Indiyah replied 'seems it', before saying she is 'absolutely' happy when questioned by him.

As the other islanders awkwardly shuffled in their chairs, Laura wasn't stopping there - asking Indiyah if she expected Dami to be sitting with someone else.

'Do you know what? Expect the unexpected, I see his true colours now, do you know what I mean?', said Indiyah.

While Dami chimed in saying 'We're heartbreakers so here we are', as Indiyah concluded the tense face off with: 'May the best heartbreaker win'.
Karl Stefanovic has been good friends with billionaire casino mogul James Packer for years.

So it was no surprise to see Karl, his wife Jasmine, and their baby daughter Harper spending time on Packer's $250million superyacht this week.

According to Private Sydney, the family spent time on the yacht as it set anchor on the Cote dAzur.

Karl Stefanovic, his wife Jasmine, and their baby daughter Harper spent some time on James Packer's $250million superyacht this week. Karl and Jasmine pictured

Karl and Jasmine have been spending plenty of quality time together lately.

In June, they enjoyed a family holiday in Port Douglas.

Karl met Jasmine in late 2016, five months after he split from his first wife Cassandra Thorburn, to whom he was married for 21 years.

He previously said of their relationship: 'I certainly did not expect to meet someone five months after I broke up with my wife. That was not planned.'

The family spent time on the luxury yacht as it set anchor on the Cote dAzur

The Channel Nine star proposed to the former model in February 2018 with a $100,000 engagement ring.

The couple married in a lavish four-day wedding ceremony at the One&Only Palmilla resort in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, in December 2018.

The newlyweds welcomed their first child together on May 1, 2020, at Sydney's North Shore Private Hospital.

James Packer is pictured in October 2017

In a statement to the Today show at the time, Karl said: 'Harper and Jasmine are doing well and dad had a great night's sleep.'

He added: 'I am in awe. Harper is absolutely perfect.'

Karl is also father to three children from his first marriage: sons Jackson and River and daughter Willow.
Will Smith, an Oscar-winning actor, apologized to comedian Chris Rock in a video released online on Friday. He claimed he was "deeply remorseful" for his actions after slapping Rock at the Academy Awards in March.

Smith explained in a nearly six-minute video posted to YouTube and Instagram that he was "fogged out" at the time and did not apologize to Rock in his Oscars acceptance speech, but that he has since "reached out to Chris and the message that came back is that he's not ready to talk and, when he's ready, he will reach out."

Will Smith Posts Apology Video For Slapping Chris Rock

He subsequently apologized to Rose, Rock's mother, and Tony, Rock's younger brother. When criticizing Smith in April, Rose Rock reportedly said: "When he hit Chris, he slapped all of us."

In an interview with WIS of Columbia, South Carolina, in April, Rose Rock seemed to criticize Smith, stating in part: "When he hit Chris, he smacked all of us." Smith immediately apologized to Rock's mother and his younger brother, Tony.

Jada Pinkett Smith was spotted rolling her eyes when Rock made a joke about her shaved head, although Smith claimed she did not advise him to do anything at the time. Because Pinkett Smith had a diagnosis of alopecia, which results in hair loss, Rock compared her to the character 'G.I. Jane' from the movie.

Per CBS News, he then apologized to the other candidates for stealing their supporters' attention and the spotlight. After slapping Rock, the Academy said in April that Smith would be barred from participating in any of their activities for ten years. Smith expressed regret and left the Academy.

Read Also: Prince William Pegging: Prince of Cambridge's Rumored Affair Resurfaces After Hashtag About Him Trends Online

Will Smith Slammed For "Staged" Apology

Will Smith drew criticism from fans and colleagues for hitting and shouting at Academy Award presenter Chris Rock, and some people are not buying his apologetic video, which a Hollywood source calls "staged."

After the Academy opened an inquiry into the event, Smith resigned. The actor, who that evening won his first Academy Award for Best Actor, was banned for ten years from attending any Academy events, including the Oscars.

Here are some of the fans' reaction to Will Smith's video:

Twitter after watching Will Smith, but going back to Beyonce: pic.twitter.com/Pe0WbjDsI6   (@D1aphanousBTS) July 29, 2022

that will Smith and Chris rock situation was suppose to done after one week it happened pic.twitter.com/YERhFHLd9m  HOOD VOGUE is tired of poverty (@keyon) July 29, 2022

Will Smith did nothing wrong in my eyes. The apology was cute. Back to Beyonce pic.twitter.com/vxHbtu2Ybj  Drebae (@Drebae_) July 29, 2022

Meanwhile, others admire Jada Pinkett-Smith's reaction after the incident. Others are criticizing Chris Rock for not releasing apology for making fun of Jada during the event at Oscars.

My favorite part of Will Smith's apology is him making it CLEAR that Jada never told him to do anything to Chris after his joke. So many people built a following off of blaming Jada and spewing hatred at her for what Will did.  MBali  (@TheJessieWoo) July 29, 2022

Will Smith being compelled to apologize to Chris Rock, while the very idea of Chris Rock apologizing to Jada would likely get you laughed out of most rooms...



Humanity is funny lol  Claude DeBussy (@angryblkhoemo) July 29, 2022

Will Smith better than me bc I would be waiting for Chris to apologize to my wife for disrespecting her on multiple occasions but instead.. Chris is on tour discussing the slap every night but he not ready to talk to Will. lmaoo loser https://t.co/HZYWz4rXd2  Tori Nicks 2.0  (@MajestyRia) July 29, 2022

The 'I am Legend' actor's apology, according to a source, is "too little, too late" and suggests that the video was staged. According to the informant, Smith was observed having fun at an Oscar after-party after attacking Chris Rock. According to Monsters and Critics, Smith apologized to Chris Rock's brother Tony Rock, admitting they had had a close relationship, and said he tried to contact the 'Everybody Hates Chris' star but the actor was "not ready to talk."

When addressing the apology video, the Hollywood source said that it "seems like it was produced by a team of therapists and publicists," and that "even the set looks like a bad psychiatrist's office that it comes out as fake." Numerous comedians supported Chris Rock after the Oscar slap because they were worried that Will Smith's aggression would inspire similar attacks.

Their worries seemed to have been justified not long after the Oscars, when Dave Chappelle was assaulted on stage during a Hollywood Bowl performance in May. Later, Dave and Chris discussed their individual stage attacks, working together to make light of their common experience.

Related Article: [Report] Angelina Jolie's Lawyers Try To Serve Brad Pitt Court Papers at SAG Awards, Oscars

@YouTube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Now that her beau, Austin Butler, is in Budapest, Hungary shooting the sequel Dune: Part Two in Budapest, Hungary, Kaia Gerber has been spending more time with friends.

And on Friday the platonic duo spent another afternoon together, seemingly doing a little shopping in her adopted hometown of New York City.

The top model was spotted going in an out of a few shops during the afternoon outing.

Out and about: Kaia Gerber, 20, and a friend spent part of their Friday afternoon taking care of a few errands, which included a bit of shopping in New York City

Gerber, 20, opted for a casual look in the fashion department wearing black slacks with a blue denim button-down over a matching t-shirt.

The daughter of legendary supermodel Cindy Crawford and entrepreneur Rande Gerber also donned a pair of black Adidas sneakers and dark sunglasses.

The catwalk queen rounded out her overall look by having her brown tresses styled long, straight, and pushed back behind her ears, a long with a part in the middle.

At one point, she tuned out the world briefly by slipping on a large pair of black headphones to listen to a bit of music.

Shopping: Gerber opted for a casual -cool look dressed in black slacks with a blue denim button-down over a matching t-shirt and sneakers

Prepared for shopping: The top model carried two reusable bags while out with her pal

Between her successful career as a top fashion model and her show of support for Butler as he promoted his biopic film Elvis, Gerber has seen her public visibility rise in recent months.

Butler, 30, just headed overseas to the capital of Hungary for the shoot of the Dune sequel, which stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, Christopher Walken and Dave Bautista, among others.

The couple were first linked romantically in December 2021, which came about a month after her split from Euphoria star Jacob Elordi was made public.

Gerber has been making a name for herself as an actress in recent times.

Taking on new role; Gerber has been making a name for herself as an actress in recent times, starring in American Horror Stories, American Horror Story: Double Feature; she's set to star in the period comedy miniseries Mrs. American Pie for Apple TV+

She stars in the new short film The Palisades, which premiered last week at LA Shorts International Film Festival. The 13-minute long film is billed on IMDb as 'an exploration into the subtleties of female friendship' and was directed by Carissa Gallo.

Just last year, the Los Angeles native starred in three episodes of American Horror Stories, and four episodes of American Horror Story: Double Feature.

She also has a recurring role in the Apple TV+ period comedy miniseries Mrs. American Pie, starring the likes of Kristen Wiig, Laura Dern, Allison Janey, Leslie Bibb, Ricky Martin and Carol Burnett, which she began shooting this past May.
Breaking Bad has already immortalized its stars, but now they will truly live on forever in bronze.

The cast, including stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, attended a bronze statue unveiling of their characters from Breaking Bad at the convention center in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday.

The duo attended the event alongside Better Call Saul actress Rhea Seehorn, their co-star Dean Norris, creator Vince Gilligan and many more members of the creative team.

Permanent: Breaking Bad has already immortalized its stars, but now they will live on forever in bronze

Cranston, 66, wore a long-sleeve white shirt with a thin brown bolo tie wrapped around his neck.

He added a pair of dark blue pants with a black belt wrapped around his waist.

The Malcolm in the Middle star's bushy white beard completely covered his face and nearly obscured his wide grin.

His brown-gray hair was slicked back behind his head and tucked behind his ears as well.

The unveiling: The cast, including stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, attended a bronze statue unveiling of their characters from Breaking Bad at the convention center in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Star: Cranston, 66, wore a long-sleeve white shirt with a thin brown bolo tie wrapped around his neck

Two friends: Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston laughed together while checking out the statue

Huge grin: Cranston looked joyous as he stared out at the onlooking crowd

Svelte: He stood alongside his longtime co-star Paul, 42, who looked casually cool in a mustard yellow button-down shirt with several buttons left undone

He stood alongside his longtime co-star Paul, 42, who looked casually cool in a mustard yellow button-down shirt with several buttons left undone.

He wore a green suede blazer and matching trousers with the ensemble as he leaned casually against the statue of his character.

The Westworld star added a pair of big brown, Timberland boots to the svelte look as well.

Relaxed: He wore a green suede blazer and matching trousers with the ensemble as he leaned casually against the statue of his character

Capturing the moment: Paul was so excited at the event that he took pictures on his large film camera

Creator: The duo posed with the large bronze busts of themselves and the show's creator, Vince Gilligan who stood in between the two large statues

Drinking it in: The 55-year-old took a moment to drink in a view of the permanent statues commemorating the characters he helped create

Big grin: White grinned up at the character he won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Paul was so excited at the event that he took pictures on his large film camera.

The duo posed with the large bronze busts of themselves and the show's creator, Vince Gilligan who stood in between the two large statues.

He wore a dark gray shirt and a black pair of trousers. His dark gray hair was combed over to one side and he wore thick glasses as well.

The 55-year-old took a moment to drink in a view of the permanent statues commemorating the characters he helped create.

Chic dress: Rhea Seehorn showed up to the event in a bright green dress and waved to the crowd

Co-star: One of Paul and Cranston's co-stars on the show Dean Norris, who played Cranston's character's brother-in-law Hank, posed at the event with Paul

Blown away: Paul looked blown away at the statue's along with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller

Selfies: Cranston took photos with the show's fans ahead of the big moment

Touching the statues: The two stars kept touching the statues

Riling up the crowd: Paul seemed to rile up the crowd outside of the center

One of Paul and Cranston's co-stars on the show Dean Norris, who played Cranston's character's brother-in-law Hank, posed at the event with Paul in a blue suit jacket black shirt and pants.

Always a pair who embrace fans, Cranston and Paul stopped to rile up the crowd and took selfies with lucky onlookers.

They then gathered with much of the show's creative team for a group shot while their bronze replicas loomed behind them.

Group shot: They then gathered with much of the show's creative team for a group shot while their bronze replicas loomed behind them

Cast and crew: Paul held tightly to supervising producer Trina Slopy at the event

Years of great television: Breaking Bad ran on AMC for five seasons from 2008 to 2013

White and Pinkman: Cranston played Walter White, a terminally-ill chemistry teacher in New Mexico who makes and deals methamphetamine with a former student Jesse Pinkman

Breaking Bad ran on AMC for five seasons from 2008 to 2013. Cranston played Walter White, a terminally-ill chemistry teacher in New Mexico who makes and deals methamphetamine with a former student Jesse Pinkman, played by Paul.

The show received tons of critical acclaim, including 16 Primetime Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards.

It also stars Norris, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte, Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks and many more well-known actors and actresses.

Watch the Iconic Series Breaking Bad only on Stan in Australia.
Kirsten Dunst and her new husband, Jesse Plemons looked relaxed while on a lunch date in Los Angeles Friday.

The newlyweds were spotted as they exited the Angelini Trattoria in West Hollywood with a doggie bag and one of their children in tow.

The Hidden Figures actress, 40, looked sleek in all black, wearing a crew neck top with flutter sleeves, straight leg pants and wedge sandals.

Relaxed: Newlyweds Kirsten Dunst, 40, and Jesse Plemons, 34, looked relaxed while on a lunch date in Los Angeles Friday

She completed the look with dark sunglasses, a beaded necklace and her new wedding ring. The Screen Actors Guild Awards winner's blonde hair was styled in a loose pony tail.

The Irishman actor, 34. looked comfortable in distressed jeans, a navy blue t-shirt, sneakers and sunglasses. At one point he put his adorable son on his shoulders.

The A list actors have been together for six years and have two sons: four-year-old Ennis and one-year-old James Plemons.

Sleek: The Hidden Figures actress, 40, looked sleek in all black, wearing a crew neck top with flutter sleeves, straight leg pants and wedge sandals

Page Six reported in early July that they wed at the luxury GoldenEye resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, citing a source.

'I can just confirmed they got married. No other details will be given,' Kirsten's rep told the site.

Kirsten and Jesse started dating back in 2016 after meeting on the set of Fargo, and they became engaged the following year.

Wedding: The couple reportedly married several weeks ago at the GoldenEye resort in Ocho Rios, Jamaica

The couple also starred opposite one another in the 2021 Netflix drama Power Of The Dog, which saw them play husband and wife.

Both were nominated for Oscars for their roles but did not win.

'We kind of fell in love creatively first and fell in love as actors,' Kirsten previously said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! , adding her partner was her 'favorite actor.'

Confirmed: The Spider-man star's rep confirmed the two tied the knot, but provided no other details

Speaking of Jesse, Kirsten told the New York Times : 'My first impression was, "Oh, he's like me." We were two people who worked very similarly, and it felt like a soulmate.'

'I knew he would be in my life forever,' she said. 'It was one of those connections where you just know. But were also very respectful people and were mindful of the fact that we were working together intensely.'

Jesse also had the same feeling. Speaking with the NY Times, he said: 'I knew that she would be in my life for a long time.'

First meeting: Kirsten and Jesse started dating back in 2015 after meeting on the set of Fargo, and became engaged the following year/Pictured New York 2015

Jesse also spoke glowingly about Kirsten at her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2019.

'I don't often remember every detail about meeting someone  Immediately, without too many words being exchanged, I looked into her eyes and saw the beautiful, sweet, unguarded, welcoming human being that she is,' he said.

'I don't often remember every detail about meeting someone  Immediately, without too many words being exchanged, I looked into her eyes and saw the beautiful, sweet, unguarded, welcoming human being that she is,' he said.

Family: The A list actors have been together for six years and have two sons: four-year-old Ennis and one-year-old James Plemons/ Pictured LA 2021

Speaking of their relationship in an interview with the LA Times earlier this year, Kirsten admitted she and Jesse 'call each other husband and wife.' 'We call each other husband and wife. But we have to get married at this point. Its ridiculous. We just havent planned a wedding. There was COVID, then we had another child. I didnt want to be pregnant, get married, have a party and not be able to have fun with everybody.'

Growing up on camera as a child star, Dunst is best known for her roles in Little Women (1994), Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004), Melancholia (2011), The Two Faces of January (2014), Hidden Figures (2017) and The Power Of The Dog (2021).

Plemons had his breakout role in the hit AMC series Breaking Bad (2012-2013), and is also known for such films as Battleship (2012), Black Mass (2015), American Made (2017), The Irishman (2019), El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (2019) and Jungle Cruise (2021).
Georgia Love has opened up about the special gift her late mother gave her before she passed away, that she treasures everyday.

In a Q&A with The Daily Telegraph on the weekend, the 33-year-old former Bachelorette star listed several items that she has in her home, one being a ring that was gifted to her as a teenager by her mum, Belinda Love.

'My late Mum gave me this ring when I was 17 and heading overseas by myself for the first time,' Georgia said.

Georgia Love has opened up about the special gift her late mother Belinda gave her before she passed away, a ring that she treasures

'It was a present given to her by my Dad before they were married. It has carried such a special place in my heart since she gave it to me, but even more so since she passed away.'

Belinda died from pancreatic cancer in October 2016, a month after her 60th birthday, and just one day after The Bachelorette finale had aired.

The Georgia Elliott Sleepwear co-founder said she also has a sweet photograph of her mum 'grinning ear-to-ear with a cocktail in hand'.

The former Bachelorette star has kept the ring (pictured) ever since it was gifted to her as a teen

'It was a present given to her by my Dad before they were married,' she said

Belinda (pictured) died from pancreatic cancer in October 2016, a month after her 60th birthday

'She was my best friend and I miss her every single day,' she continued.

Georgia previously discussed how copes with the 'negativity of the internet' as well as touching on her mum's death.

The former Channel Seven presenter said Belinda had given her some solid advice to help her get through tough times.

'It's so easy to get bogged down in the negativity of the internet, let alone after the two years we've had with Covid,' Georgia told Yahoo! Lifestyle in May.

'There's just so much anger and grief around and I think the most important thing we can do is to make sure we're leaning on those people around us.'

'I know my mum definitely would always continue to give me that advice.'
Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner took their love of Christmas to a whole new level as they arrived to a seasonal shoot on Wednesday, five months ahead of the holidays.

The reality TV star, 38, and the Kardashian/Jenner matriarch, 66, were joined by Khloes daughter True, 4, and her brother Rob Kardashians 5-year-old toddler Dream.

The family - famous for their extravagant holiday parties and annual Christmas cards - shot in Los Angeles for 'four hours', with True leaving the studio afterwards holding a pink Christmas ornament in her hand.

Getting festive: Khloe Kardashian and Kris Jenner appeared to be gearing up for Christmas five months early, as they were seen arriving to a seasonal photoshoot on Wednesday

Khloe - who's currently expecting the imminent arrival of her second child with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, 31 - sported an all-black look, consisting of a tank top and sweatpants.

The Good American founder shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of dark shades, and accessorized her look with a dainty gold necklace.

The star wore her long blonde tresses parted in the middle and cascading down her shoulders and back in waves.

All-black: Khloe - who's currently expecting the arrival of her second child with ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson, 31 - sported an all-black look, consisting of a tank top and sweatpants

Holiday fun: The reality TV star, 38, and the Kardashian/Jenner matriarch, 66, were joined by Khloes daughter True, 4, and brother Rob Kardashians 5-year-old toddler Dream

Khloe finalized her look with a pair of sneakers and toted a brown Louis Vuitton backpack on her shoulder.

She was seen exiting her car and entering a building that boasted a giant lit-up Christmas tree with huge red and green ornaments.

Meanwhile Kris also donned an all-black ensemble, which she paired with white sneakers and a pair of black shades.

Blondie: The Good American founder wore her long blonde tresses parted in the middle and cascading down her shoulders and back in waves

Christmas in July! She was seen exiting her car and entering a building that boasted a giant lit-up Christmas tree with huge red and green ornaments

The famous momager appeared to be wearing a gold necklace that matched the one Khloe had on, and further sparkled up her look with a pair of sizable diamond studs.

Khloe's baby girl was clad in pink for the occasion, which matched her ornament, and wore her tresses in a ponytail.

Meanwhile her cousin - who Rob, 35, shares with ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna, 34 - sported a white tank top for the shoot.

Two workers were also seen bringing a number of boxes filled with Christmas ornaments to the venue.

Comfortable: Kris also donned an all-black ensemble, which she paired with white sneakers and a pair of black shades

Decorations: Two workers were seen bringing a number of boxes filled with Christmas ornaments to the venue

The family appear to be excited to get back into their festive celebrations, after having to postpone their elaborate parties for two years in a row due to Covid.

For the past two years they have kept the celebrations to family members-only, which was a big shift from their usual celebrity-packed gatherings.

The famous family are known for having guests like Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, Drake, and Chrissy Teigen attend their December holiday party.

The Kardashians are also known for their annual over-the-top family Christmas cards, which they started doing in the 80s.

Ready: The family are getting back into their festive celebrations, after having to postpone their elaborate parties for two years in a row due to Covid; Khloe, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner pictured at their 2019 Christmas party

Family only: For the past two years they have kept the celebrations to family members-only, which was a big shift from their usual celebrity-packed gatherings; Pictured in 2021

Each Christmas Eve - with the exception of a few years - the Kardashian-Jenners have unveiled a new elaborate portrait of their ever-growing family, just in time to celebrate the holidays.

With six children and 11 grandkids - and another one on the way - the holidays are bound to be a pretty hectic season for Jenner, but the reality TV star has previously admitted that she loves the chaotic season.

Speaking to PEOPLE in 2019 she said, 'I get so excited for the holidays.'

The loving grandma also added that her favorite part is bringing gifts for the little ones. 'My favorite thing is planning what their gifts are going to be.'
Christine Quinn had all eyes on her as she rolled up to a gas station in Los Angeles in her bright yellow Lamborghini on Friday afternoon.

Taking things up a notch, the Selling Sunset star decided to color coordinate with her luxury vehicle by slipping her toned figure into a sexy black and yellow outfit.

Christine styled an ab-baring top with a pair of skintight lace-up pants with black mesh paneling on the thighs.

Eye-catching: Christine Quinn had all eyes on her as she rolled up to a gas station in Los Angeles in her bright yellow Lamborghini on Friday afternoon

The trousers had a slight flare that partially concealed her sky-high heeled boots.

As for her upper half, Christine drew eyes to her ample bust-line by zipping herself into a cropped top with cone bra detailing inspired by Madonna.

The real estate agent toted her belongings in a black and yellow handbag that she carrie din the crook of her arm as she strolled towards a nearby convenient store.

Matching! Taking things up a notch, the Selling Sunset star decided to color coordinate with her luxury vehicle by slipping her toned figure into a sexy black and yellow outfit

Perfect pairing: Christine styled an ab-baring top with a pair of skintight lace-up pants with black mesh paneling on the thighs

Her flowing blonde hair was parted down the middle and meticulously straightened with bumped under ends.

Christine had a pair of black designer shades of her eyes and, instead of her signature glam, she opted for a more natural makeup look for the afternoon.

Later in the day, Christine traded out her black and yellow purse for another black designer bag. She also slipped out of her black and yellow heeled boots and into a pair of black boots with neon green stripes.

Switch up: Later in the day, Christine traded out her black and yellow purse for another black designer bag. She also slipped out of her black and yellow heeled boots and into a pair of black boots with neon green stripes

Blondie: Her flowing blonde hair was parted down the middle and meticulously straightened with bumped under ends

Though she's back in LA, Christine recently spent several day showcasing her daring style on the streets of New York City.

She's had a busy summer so far, recently returning from a trip to the UK and touring around the US to promote her book, How To Be A Boss B*tch.

Admitting she 'doesn't know what state or time zone' she's in most of the time, the beauty detailed her hectic book tour to The New York Times.

'It's been a whirlwind. I don't know what city I'm in, what state, what time zone. No clue,' she told the publication.

Busy gal: Though she's back in LA, Christine recently spent several day showcasing her daring style on the streets of New York City

Christine has recently partnered with husband Christian Richard, to start their own brokerage, RealOpen.

The company allows anyone to buy a house using cryptocurrency, the first business of its kind to so - with the couple having big plans to take it higher.

Christine and Christian welcomed their first child, a son named Christian, last May.

The loved up duo made the decision to grow their family less than two years into their marriage.
The star-studded Neighbours finale saw many of the show's most iconic characters return to Ramsay Street, including Kylie Minogue and Holly Valance.

But one famous face who was noticeably absent from the episode was Kimberley Davies, who played blonde bombshell Annalise Hartman.

Despite briefly reprising her role as Annalise in 2005 for Neighbours' 20th anniversary, the now 49-year-old actress was nowhere to be seen during Thursday's finale.

Neighbours fans were shocked when Kimberley Davies wasn't included in the soap's finale episode this week. Kimberley pictured in 2012

According to Private Sydney, Kimberley was asked by producers to return for the special farewell episode, but declined.

The publication claims that the beauty has moved on from the spotlight and is now focused on her decorating business in Melbourne and her family with model-turned-doctor husband Jason Harvey.

Kimberley starred on Neighbours from 1993 to 1996, before leaving Ramsay Street for Hollywood.

Some of her most memorable storylines included dating the much older Lou Carpenter when her character was just 17, trying to seduce one of her teachers, and being stood up at the altar when her husband-to-be decided to become a priest.

Kimberley declined an offer to return for the show's finale, and is now focused on her design business and raising her family with model-turned-doctor husband Jason Harvey. Kimberley and Jason pictured together in 2012

She managed to have some success in the States, making appearances on Friends and Ally McBeal, and starring in Aaron Spelling's short-lived night time soap Pacific Palisades.

She later appeared on a number of reality shows, including Celebrity Circus, Dancing with the Stars, and the UK version of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

Back in the '90s, Kimberley became a staple in men's magazines, gracing the cover of FHM, Maxim, Loaded and many more.

Some of her most memorable storylines as bombshell Annalise Hartman included dating the much older Lou Carpenter when her character was just 17 years old

Annalise was also stood up at the altar when her husband-to-be decided to become a priest

At the height of her fame, she even covered Australian Vogue and released her own workout video in the UK.

Many fans will also remember her iconic '90s Tim Tam commercial.

These days, Kimberley lives a much quieter life outside of the spotlight.

She's been married to orthopaedic surgeon Jason Harvey for more than 20 years and the couple have three children together.

Back in the '90s, Kimberley became a staple in men's magazines, gracing the cover of FHM, Maxim, Loaded and many more

The blonde bombshell was often touted as Australia's answer to Pamela Anderson. Pictured in 1994

Kimberley hasn't acted on TV since the 20th anniversary special of Neighbours in 2005.

That same year, she also had a part in the straight-to-DVD flick Death to the Supermodels, alongside Jaime Pressly and Brooke Burns.

Neighbours wrapped up on Thursday night after 37 years on air.

Margot Robbie, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce, Jason Donovan, Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance are among the celebrities who returned to fictional Ramsay Street to appear in the send-off of the Melbourne-based drama that helped launch their careers in acting and music.

Kimberley's character Annalise Hartman is considered to be one of the most famous female characters from the soap's entire run

Robbie, Imbruglia and Valance made remote video appearances.

The program was once a major hit in Australia and a bigger success in Britain, but has fallen victim to waning ratings in recent years.

The closing scenes saw the residents celebrating the wedding of Toadie (Ryan Moloney) and Melanie (Lucinda Cowden), with some characters preparing to move away from their beloved Ramsay Street.
The Bachelorette star Georgia Love revealed on Saturday she was thankful for the exposure her time on the series brought her as it helped launch her sleepwear label.

The 33-year-old spoke to The Daily Telegraph and discussed moving her career from reality star to pyjama mogul.

She said one of the perks of her stint on The Bachelorette was she had a pre-existing audience to market her Georgia Elliott Sleepwear brand, which she founded in 2020, to.

Georgia Love (pictured) revealed on Saturday she was thankful for the exposure her time on the series brought her as it helped launch her sleepwear label

'Having a large audience on social media was a huge help in getting Georgia Elliott kickstarted. I had that platform to immediately take it to a lot of eyes from day one,' she said.

She further explained the decision to launch her own sleepwear brand was an easy one as 'the favourite thing I have always loved is pyjamas'.

Georgia added her love for pyjamas is so strong that she puts them on the 'second' she gets home from work.

Georgia said one of the perks of her stint on The Bachelorette was she had a pre-existing audience to market her sleepwear brand to

'Home is where I can be myself, relax and wear my pyjamas full-time,' she explained.

Georgia rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia in 2016, where she found love with now-husband, plumber Lee Elliott, 40.

The two have since gone on to marry and purchased their first home together this year.

Georgia rose to fame on The Bachelorette Australia in 2016, where she found love with now-husband, plumber Lee Elliott (pictured)

The couple made headlines earlier this year after receiving criticism over their decision to holiday in Saudi Arabia in March.

Georgia and Lee deleted all their holiday photos from Saudi Arabia after backlash from fans for promoting the region.

She was roasted on Instagram, with one of her followers asking 'We're really promoting Saudi now? With their appalling human rights record??'
She's well known for her impeccable sense of style.

And Olivia Palermo carried her fashion sense to the beach as she stunned in a colourful, fringed robe while soaking up the sun in Ibiza with husband Johannes Huebl on Friday.

The American socialite, 36, looked amazing in the cover-up which featured hues of orange, pink and red, with the robe worn over the star's red bikini.

Gorgeous: Olivia Palermo carried her fashion sense to the beach as she stunned in a colourful, fringed robe while soaking up the sun in Ibiza with husband Johannes Huebl on Friday

Ever the glam fashionista, Olivia accessorised her chic beach look with oversized blue sunglasses, flip-flops and a straw bucket bag.

She swept her caramel locks into a loose bun for the outing, while she highlighted her natural features by going make-up free for the day.

The TV personality looked happy and relaxed as she topped up her tan amid the break from her busy schedule.

Downtime: Olivia, 36, looked relaxed as she enjoyed a beach day with her husband of eight years

Meanwhile, her husband Johannes showed off his hunky frame in a pair of grey swimming shorts which he paired with white trainers and sunglasses.

The model then enjoyed a refreshing dip in the Portinax Sea as his wife watched on from the beach.

The couple were also seen enjoying a relaxing moment together as they chilled out on their sun beds.

The pair first met in 2008, and they got engaged six months before they tied the knot in June 2014 in a low-key ceremony in Bedford, upstate New York.

Style: The American socialite looked amazing in the cover-up which featured hues of orange, pink and red, with the robe worn over the star's red bikini

Looking good: Meanwhile, her husband Johannes showed off his hunky frame in a pair of grey swimming shorts which he paired with white trainers and sunglasses

Making a splash: The model then enjoyed a refreshing dip in the Portinax Sea as his wife watched on from the beach

Olivia originally met the German model through friends at a Manhattan film screening while she was still attending The New School back in 2008.

Olivia shot to fame when she appeared in MTV's The Hills spin-off, The City, which documented Whitney Port's move to New York to work for Diane von Furstenberg in 2008.

The socialite appeared in both seasons of the reality show, as Whitney's workplace friend and later rival.

Since featuring on the series, Olivia has become one of the most established front-row regulars on the fashion circuit, attending the world's most prestigious events.

Discussing the secret to the couple's happy marriage, Olivia previously told Harper's Bazaar Australia: 'We try not to ever be separated more than seven days. Its just something we have always done.'
Riverdale has wrapped up its sixth season and one of the show's beloved stars, KJ Apa, has already given himself a fresh new look for his time off.

On Friday, the 25-year-old actor showed off his shaved head in an Instagram post, having lopped off his usually long, dyed orange locks.

The buzzcut is a very different looked for the star, who called his new do a 'Reset' in the caption alongside the image.

Riverdale has wrapped up its sixth season and one of the show's beloved stars, KJ Apa (pictured), has already given himself a fresh new look for his time off. On Friday, the 25-year-old actor showed off his shaved head in an Instagram post which he captioned 'Reset'

He received lots of praise for his look, with actress Molly Ringwald commenting: 'OMG. I love!' and Vanessa Morgan adding 'Love!'

KJ has previously said that the one thing he won't miss about the show, is, 'the red hair,' adding, 'I'm not gonna miss dyeing my hair every week, bleaching my hair.'

The seventh and final season of Riverdale is arriving in 2023, and KJ is already making plans for his post-Riverdale life.

He has lopped off his usually long, dyed orange locks, as seen earlier this year

The actor was born and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, and starred in New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street before landing the role of Archie Andrews on The CW's Riverdale following a global talent search.

Apa revealed to US Weekly during The CW upfronts in May that he plans on returning to New Zealand later this year... and he wants to convince partner Clara Berry to move there permanently with their eight-month son Sasha Vai Keneti Apa.

'I'll go back [to New Zealand]. Yeah, 100%. I'm going back this year,' Apa said, adding he wants his son with 28-year-old Berry, who he married in 2020, to see his homeland.

KJ has previously said that the one thing he won't miss about the show, is, 'the red hair,' adding, 'I'm not gonna miss dyeing my hair every week, bleaching my hair.' Pictured in a scene from Riverdale

'I want my son to know his family over there. I gotta convince my girl to think about moving over there. Maybe,' he added.

'It's a long way from everywhere, but I want to go back for sure,' Apa clarified.

He's been romantically involved with French model Berry since 2020, and they welcomed son Sasha Vai Keneti Apa in September 2021.

The actor hasn't been back home to New Zealand in three years, due to strict COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The seventh and final season of Riverdale is arriving in 2023, and KJ is already making plans for his post-Riverdale life. Pictured on the show alongside Camila Mendes

The CW renewed Riverdale for Season 7 back in March, but revealed in May that it would be the final season.

'I think a few of us, we saw it coming,' Apa said, noting that the cast had no say in the decision.

'I can't speak for anyone else, but I'll be really sad to say goodbye to Archie, to Riverdale, to our sets, to our crew,' he added.

'I'll go back [to New Zealand]. Yeah, 100%. I'm going back this year,' Apa, who was born in Auckland, said, adding he wants his son to see his homeland

'It's exciting and it's sad, you know, cause we've created so many memories on this show. I've got a kid now,' he said.

'I've been through so much over the last six years and I know everyone else has. Yeah, a lot of growing up in the last six years,' he added.

He added that he was 'very lucky' to have a job like Riverdale, adding he has 'days off here and there' and he's, 'lucky to have time to spend with my family.'
Brazil and Spain have reported the first monkeypox-related deaths outside of Africa as the outbreak continues to spread across various countries worldwide.

On Friday, Spanish authorities reported the death of a person from the illness, which media said was a first for the European Union nation. The country's Health Ministry, in its latest report on the virus, said that 120 people had been admitted to the hospital so far with monkeypox, with one fatality.

Monkeypox Fatalities

However, the ministry did not give any further details regarding the monkeypox-related death and said that Spain had 4,298 people infected with the virus. Out of the confirmed cases, some 3,500 infections were of men who had had sex with other men, with only 64 women.

Health experts suspect that monkeypox outbreaks in Europe and North America were sparked by sex at two raves in Belgium and Spain. The current outbreak is by far the biggest involving the monkeypox virus and it has already been designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a global health emergency, as per The Hill.

In Brazil, a 41-year-old man became the country's first fatality from the monkeypox virus outside of Africa. Despite the fatalities, infections are usually mild and the risk to the general population is relatively low.

The country's Health Ministry said that the fatality suffered from lymphoma and a weakened immune system, and "comorbidities aggravated his condition" with monkeypox. So far, Brazil has reported 1,066 confirmed cases and 513 suspected cases of monkeypox.

Read Also: Biden Administration May Soon Declare Monkeypox a Public Health Emergency; 800,000 Vaccine Doses To Be Distributed

According to BBC, data from Brazil's Health Ministry indicated that more than 98% of confirmed cases were in men who had had sex with other men. On the other hand, Spain's report said that 3.2% of monkeypox patients had been hospitalized.

Vaccine Availability

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that there are currently 21,148 cases of monkeypox worldwide. The virus is a member of the same family of viruses as smallpox, although it is much less severe and the chances of infection are low.

It is normally found in remote parts of central and west African countries, near tropical rainforests. Health officials are now recommending people at the highest risk of exposure to the virus should be offered a vaccine.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week that the declaration of the outbreak as a global health emergency would help speed up the development of vaccines and the implementation of measures to limit the spread of the virus.

However, the health official added that the outbreak now can be stopped with the right strategies in the right groups of people. The health agency is issuing recommendations that it hopes will spur countries to take action to stop the transmission of the monkeypox virus and protest the people who are at risk.

The situation comes as the LGBTQ community has expressed concerns over the government's response to the outbreak and is calling for vaccines to be widely available. Samuel Garrett-Pate said that state and local public health agencies were doing their best to address the situation but noted that the federal government has not done enough, CNN reported.



Related Article: Monkeypox Outbreak: US Health Secretary Pleads for Cooperation To Fight New Disease; 780,000 Doses of Vaccine Available Friday

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Ed Westwick and his model girlfriend Amy Jackson packed on the PDA as they touched down in Capri in Italy for a romantic getaway on Friday.

The Gossip Girl actor, 35, was joined by the actress, 30, at the stunning location, as they headed to their hotel with their luggage in tow.

Ed and Amy's romance was first revealed in 2021 after she split from her fiance George Panayiotou, and since then they've been spotted on a string of loved-up outings.

Vacation ready: Ed Westwick and his model girlfriend Amy Jackson packed on the PDA as they touched down in Capri in Italy for a romantic getaway on Friday

Ed and Amy can be seen laughing along with each other whilst wheeling their suitcases and luggage.

The happy couple were also spotted embracing each other in a passionate kiss and appeared to be in high spirits as they arrived at the luxurious island.

Ed kept his look casual as he arrived at the hotel with Amy wearing a loosely fitted black T-shirt that showed off his muscles and tattoos.

Loved up: The Gossip Girl actor, 35, was joined by the actress, 30, at the stunning location, with the couple enjoying a passionate kiss as they arrived at their hotel

He finished off his look with some simple sliders for the flight to Capri. However, Amy on the other hand looked holiday ready as she sported an all-white outfit.

The outfit consisted of a loosely fitted sleeveless white tee along with a pair of tailored white shorts that showed off her already tanned and toned legs.

The brunette beauty also decided to accessorise her chic airport outfit with some simple accessories.

She paired the all-white outfit with some contrasting boat-style blue loafers to finish off the look.

It comes after rumours of the pair dating began circulating in February, however, they reportedly began their romance in December 2021.

The couple met at Saudi Arabias Red Sea International Film Festival last December - where they were snapped chatting together at a screening during the closing ceremony.

In February, a source told The Sun on Sunday: 'Ed and Amy are a really good match. They hit it off straight away.

'Both like to have fun and are career-driven. Theyre enjoying getting to know each other for now.'
Brynne Edelsten has endured some very public ups-and-downs over the past few years but she is firm her new-found motherhood has changed her life for the better.

The socialite, 39, told the Herald Sun on Saturday her four-month-old daughter Starr Amari is a 'miracle' and providing for her has given her a new perspective on life.

The SAS Australia contestant explained she originally thought motherhood 'was not on the cards' for her and she feels so blessed to have a perfect daughter to care for.

Brynne Edelsten (pictured with daughter Starr) said on Saturday her four-month-old daughter Starr Amari is a 'miracle'

'I don't know myself anymore, everything is about her. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me,' she said.

She added although she had to make some necessary adjustments to provide for Starr it was well worth it.

'Finding time to do anything by myself is almost unheard of, but she is everything to me,' she explained.

Brynne said she feels blessed to have a perfect daughter to care for

American-born socialite Brynne welcomed her 'miracle baby' on April 21.

She recently told New Idea that she'd chosen to give her baby girl the surname Gordon - her maiden name - so she would 'feel connected' to her family in the U.S.

The identity of Starr's father has not been made public. However, Brynne confirmed to the publication the man had met his daughter twice.

American-born socialite Brynne welcomed her 'miracle baby' on April 21. Starr is pictured with Brynne's mother Mariel Gordon

'I haven't had a good night's sleep since Starr arrived,' Brynne said of motherhood.

'But I wouldn't trade being a mum for anything  I'm the happiest I've ever been.'

The pregnancy was delightful news for Brynne, who discovered during her high-profile marriage to Geoffrey Eldesten that it was unlikely she could ever conceive naturally.

The Oklahoma-born television personality became famous in 2009 when she married Melbourne businessman Geoffrey Edelsten, who was 40 years her senior.

The Oklahoma-born television personality became famous in 2009 when she married Melbourne businessman Geoffrey Edelsten (pictured), who was 40 years her senior

Their marriage, however, was short-lived and the pair divorced in 2014 after Brynne alleged her husband had been unfaithful to her.

The socialite recently made headlines after making bombshell claims her ex-husband Geoffrey Edelston tried to choke her with her own headband after she caught him sending large sums of money to young women on 'sugar daddy' dating apps.

The reality star is suing Edelsten's estate for maintenance and support after his death last year.

She claimed Edelsten caught her contacting the women through his phone on one occasion and 'punched her in the chest' at their Melbourne CBD penthouse.
Larry Emdur has revealed how those who think too highly of themselves tend not to survive in the brutal world of Australian television.

The Morning Show host, who has starred on the Channel Seven breakfast program since 2007, tells this week's issue of Stellar Magazine that big egos need not apply.

'I've seen egomaniacs and narcissists, I've seen them crash and burn pretty quick. People hate them and talk about them behind their back' the 57-year-old says.

Larry Emdur (pictured) has revealed how those who think too highly of themselves tend not to survive in the brutal world of Australian television

'If you develop an ego in the [television] environment, you're dead in the water'.

Larry says his own survival has hinged on 'not being be a diva or a nasty person.'

'I learnt early to chill out and I found that the less I cared about things, the more often they came,' he says.

The Morning Show host, who has starred on the Channel Seven breakfast program since 2007, tells this week's issue of Stellar Magazine that big egos need not apply. Pictured on The Morning show with Kylie Gillies

'Only foolish people rely on TV. It's such a dangerous place and the tide changes so quickly.'

Earlier this month, Larry showed off his new tattoo - and it's one that holds a lot of meaning.

His tattoo is of a heart with three arrows, done in black ink and in a hand drawn style.

Earlier this month, Larry showed off his new tattoo - and it's one that holds a lot of meaning. His tattoo is of a heart with three arrows, done in black ink and in a hand drawn style. 'New ink story. My heart with an arrow for Sylvie, an arrow for Jye and an arrow for Tia #Family,' he wrote

Jye is Larry's son, and Tia is Larry's daughter, while Sylvie is his wife, and the pair have been married since 1995. All pictured

'New ink story. My heart with an arrow for Sylvie, an arrow for Jye and an arrow for Tia #Family,' he wrote in the caption.

Jye is Larry's son, and Tia is Larry's daughter, while Sylvie is his wife, and the pair have been married since 1995.

The TV presenter and his wife recently made a decent profit from the sale of their New York-inspired home in The Rocks, Sydney.

The TV presenter and his wife recently made a decent profit from the sale of their New York-inspired home in The Rocks, Sydney

The couple's realtor son Jye sold their three-bedroom Art Deco apartment for $4.3million after just a few weeks on the market, reports News.com.au.

The Emdurs had bought the property for $3.19million back in 2017.

Larry and Sylvie are expected to move into their new place in Darling Point.

The Emdurs also own an eco-friendly holiday home converted from an old shipping container in Kangaroo Valley.
Advertisement

Thandiwe Newton reunited with her estranged husband Ol Parker on Thursday, their first sighting together since announcing their split back in April.

The Hollywood star, 49, confirmed the end of their 23-year marriage with the director three months ago amid claims of emotional troubles, and went onto begin dating toyboy musician boyfriend Lonr, 25, with the couple seen putting on a PDA-filled display back in May.

Thandiwe was seen in a civil exchange with her estranged husband as Ol, 52, handed a mobile phone to her while she prepared to get into a taxi.

Reunited: Thandiwe Newton reunited with her estranged husband Ol Parker on Thursday, their first sighting together since announcing their split in April

Thandiwe showcased her quirky style in a colorful tie dye maxi skirt, teamed with a black rain coat and bright orange beanie.

Meanwhile, Ol cut a casual figure in a navy shirt, brown trousers and a pair of trainers while chatting to his ex beside the taxi she was getting into.

It has been reported that Thandiwe has been suffering with emotional and family problems after separating from her husband Ol, with whom she shares children Ripley, 21, Nico, 17, and Booker, eight.

Meet-up: The pair, who announced their split three months ago after 23 years of marriage, were seen in a civil exchange as Ol (right) handed a mobile phone to Thandiwe (left) hat it appeared she had almost forgotten to take with her

New couple: Just days after the end of her marriage was confirmed, Thandiwe was seen putting on a very public display of affection with her musician boyfriend Lonr, whose real name is Elijah Dias (pictured in April 2022)

Bold: Thandiwe showcased her quirky style in a colourful tie dye maxi skirt, teamed with a black rain coat and bright orange beanie, and at one point appeared to be blow bubbles with a wand while on the street

The embattled actress, who it has been said is heading to rehab, ditched her wedding ring and diverted her attention from recent adversity by lapping up some time in the balmy temperatures with the California native.

At 25, Lonr is only a mere four years older than Thandiwe and Ol's eldest child, their 21-year-old daughter Ripley.

Thandiwe has been liking and commenting on the rapper's social media posts since at least January 2020. However, there is no suggestion they had a relationship back then.

Ex: The couple appeared to be on good terms during the mini reunion as they both smiled while exchanging a few words

Low-key: Ol, 52, cut a casual figure in a navy shirt, brown trousers and a pair of trainers while chatting to his ex beside the taxi she was getting into

It has been reported that Thandiwe has been suffering with emotional and family problems after separating from her husband Ol, with whom she shares children Ripley, 21, Nico, 17, and Booker, eight

The star is reportedly living with musician Lonr following her recent split from husband of 16 years Ol.

Lonr told The Post that all parties involved were focused on the welfare of Thandiwe's children when approached for comment on the new relationship, explaining:

'From the relatively short time I've been fortunate to spend with her, I know Thandiwe and Oliver care deeply about the welfare of their children. That's all I care about right now.'

Family: Her and Ol share three children Ripley, 21, Nico, 17, and Booker, eight (pictured with her husband and daughters in 2019)

Thandiwe has reportedly been urged to seek mental health support following the break-up of her marriage - and an alleged bust-up with Magic Mike co-star Channing Tatum over Will Smith 's Oscars slap - which she has denied.

A source said: 'Thandiwe had been acting strange on set, she has been very highly strung. Her apparent breakdown caused so much disruption, it became clear she couldn't play the role.

'There is a lot going on in her personal life, she and her husband have separated. She seemed so stressed she even brought her two pet rabbits to her hotel for emotional support.'
Neighbours star Ryan Moloney has revealed that he is again eyeing acting roles after switching his focus to a career in construction.

In an interview with Mark Dolan on GB News last night, Ryan, 42, who has played Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi on the soap since 1995, said that after the success of this week's finale, he was again considering work on the big and small screens.

'I'd love to do more acting and more TV and film. I'd love to come over to the UK and have a crack at one of your dramas. That would be absolutely special' he said.

Neighbours star Ryan Moloney (pictured) has revealed that he is again eyeing acting roles after switching his focus to a career in construction

Ryan explained: 'I'm just not saying no to anything and then in the meantime I'm doing civil construction.

'I'm about to start doing civil construction and have to do what every little boy dreams of and learn how to drive trucks and excavators and dig big holes, so it's all one big adventure.'

Asked how much contact he has had with cast members such as Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan, Ryan joked: 'Well, it's very limited because that's what the court order says that I'm allowed to.'

In an interview with Mark Dolan on GB News, Ryan, who has played Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi on the soap since 1995, said that after the success of this week's finale, he was again considering work on the big and small screens. Benjamin McNair (right) also appeared

When it comes to regrets, Ryan insists he doesn't have many.

'I wouldn't change anything. Probably the biggest downside is just trying to manage, like all of that kind of fame and attention,' he said.

'That's one thing for me to deal with but then when you realise that your family has to deal with it as well and they haven't been brought up with it and they're not trained in it and having kids - kids don't want to have all of that attention on them.

The epic final focused on Neighbours legend Toadie's (Ryan Moloney, left) wedding to Melanie (Lucinda Cowden, right) with him finally getting his happily ever after

'I'd love to do more acting and more TV and film. I'd love to come over to the UK and have a crack at one of your dramas. That would be absolutely special' Ryan said

'I was at the gym with my daughter and before you know it, we've got a whole exercise group wanting to take photos with me and she's just like, "oh my god".

'It's things like that that you kind of go 'I'm thankful that I am leaving' at that point in that perhaps my kids can just kind of go under the radar a bit more and just enjoy having dad a bit more instead of the famous guy off TV.'

Ryan previously told The Daily Telegraph of his new career: 'I'm not ruling anything out. I'm doing a civil construction course which is about driving excavators and building roads.

When it comes to regrets, Ryan insists he doesn't have many. 'I wouldn't change anything. Probably the biggest downside is just trying to manage, like all of that kind of fame and attention,' he said

'I like playing with those kinds of machines. I like doing earthworks, all that kind of manual labour stuff. That's where I'm at, but who knows where it's all going to end up.'

Ryan also revealed he has a commercial pilots licence and said he 'might come back to flying when the time's right'.

The epic final focused on Neighbours legend Toadie's (Ryan Moloney) wedding to Melanie (Lucinda Cowden) with him finally getting his happily ever after.

Also appearing on the show was Benjamin McNair (left) who played Malcolm Kennedy, and the actor paid tribute to fans of the show he met when he visited the UK

Also appearing on the show was Benjamin McNair, 47, who played Malcolm Kennedy, and the actor paid tribute to fans of the show he met when he visited the UK.

'I have done so and I enjoyed it very much. I was born there, I've got my family there, aunties and cousins,' he said.

'I went back in 2000 and went back in 1999, it's a great place.

'The Brits, the UK - it's a wonderful place to be, they embrace Neighbours like big, big warm cuddle. It's beautiful.'

'I have done so and I enjoyed it very much. I was born there, I've got my family there, aunties and cousins,' he said. 'The Brits, the UK - it's a wonderful place to be, they embrace Neighbours like big, big warm cuddle. It's beautiful'

Asked why he thought the series was so popular in the UK, Benjamin said: 'I think it's because we bounce along and it's jovial and it's fun and it's larrikinism.

'It's things you probably wouldn't normally see and you're hoping to see a kangaroo bounce pass in front of the camera one day.'

The all-star series finale of Neighbours saw the soap win the Australian television ratings for the first time in more than a decade.

The long-running Australian soap came to an end after 37 years this week. Pictured: Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue in the final episode

The episode, which was simulcast on Channel 10 and 10 Peach, drew 873,000 metro viewers across both stations, largely thanks to the cast of returning favourites such as Guy Pearce, Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan.

Neighbours' final ever episode also ended on a high in the UK this week, as a peak of almost 3 million viewers tuned in to Channel 5 on Friday afternoon.

Neighbours was axed after the UK's Channel 5 decided in March not to renew its contract with production company Fremantle to finance and broadcast the series.
Kim Kardashian shared several snaps of her eldest child, North to her Instagram account on Friday.

The 41-year-old's daughter, aged nine, was seen rocking the YR 3022 YEEZY SHDZ sunglasses, and she also drew several pictures of what appeared to be alien faces as sketches for her father's fashion brand.

The reality television personality shares North, as well as her other three children, with her former husband Kanye West, who previously founded the Yeezy line.

Proud mother: Kim Kardashian shared several snaps of her eldest child, North to her Instagram account on Friday

North's sketches featured several strands of what appeared to be braids attached to the aliens.

One of her sketches saw a snake-like creature making its way out of a character's mouth.

She appeared to have drawn directly on the fabric with a black permanent marker. In other photos of herself, North rocked what appeared to be a black pleather tank top and matching shorts.

Kardashian and West, 45, met in the mid-2000s and went on to begin dating in 2012.

They announced that they were expecting to start a family that same year, and North was born the following June.

Big family: The reality television personality shares North, as well as her other three children, with her former husband Kanye West, who previously founded the Yeezy line

Creative: North's sketches featured several strands of what appeared to be braids attached to the aliens

Wild imagination: One of her sketches saw a snake-like creature making its way out of a character's mouth

The former couple became engaged in 2013, and they tied the knot during a lavish wedding ceremony that was held in Florence the next year.

The now-exes went on to welcome their first son Saint, six, in 2015.

Kardashian and West waited for three more years before adding their daughter Chicago, four, to their family.

Their final and youngest child, Psalm, three, was welcomed in May of 2019.

Cool shades: The 41-year-old's daughter, aged nine, was seen rocking the YR 3022 YEEZY SHDZ, which she wore in several selfies,

However, the former couple began showing signs of separation in 2020, and the media personality officially filed for divorce the following year.

The pair's divorce process became drawn-out and the terms of the split were only finalized this past May.

Kardashian spoke about raising four children during a recent interview with People, where she noted that she was constantly watching over her kids.

Letting everyone see: The reality television personality also shared a selfie that North had taken with the sunglasses on. She wore a black pleather tank top and matching shorts

She expressed that it was 'really rare that I can get in my room and lock the door and say, "I need 20 minutes."'

The reality television personality then discussed how her children had become very attached to her over the years.

She stated: 'Someone always needs me. If I'm getting a massage, they will lay in my bed.'
Jodie Kidd and her fiance Joseph Bates put on a loved-up display as they attended the lavish Qatar Goodwood Festival in Chichester on Saturday.

The model, 43, nailed a summer chic look in a breezy floral print dress that featured pink and orange accents.

Jodie stood out from the crowd as she posed up a storm in the one-shouldered summer dress, which accentuated her incredible figure.

Soon to be newlyweds: Jodie Kidd and her fiance Joseph Bates put on a loved-up display as they attended the lavish Qatar Goodwood Festival in Chichester on Saturday

She accessorised the vibrant look with a white clutch bag and a pair of contrasting green sandals.

The blonde bombshell made sure all elements of her outfit matched as she adorned some bright green earrings to go along with her sandals.

To finish off the look she opted for a smokey eyeshadow palette along with a nude lip and styled her hair in an elegant up-do.

Her fiance Joseph looked race ready in a smart blue suit whilst he posed for a variety of snaps with his soon-to-be wife.

Joseph rocked a matching blue tailored suit along with a contrasting red tie, white shirt, and some smart black loafers.

Loved up: Whilst they waited for the race to begin the pair looked very cosy as they posed for a variety of snaps and held on to one another at the luxe event

Race ready: The model, 43, nailed a summer chic look in a breezy floral print dress that featured pink and orange accents

Whilst they were waiting for the race to begin, the pair looked very cosy as they posed for a variety of smitten snaps, where they wrapped their arms around each other.

Earlier this year, Jodie revealed that her fiance Joseph popped the question in Paris - while she was in the bath.

In January she revealed details of last November's proposal and described it as 'private, fun, and different'.

She told Hello! magazine: 'I thought he was bending down to have a chat with me but suddenly he came out with it.

Posing up a storm: She stood out from the crowd as she was spotted posing up a storm in the summer dress

Pretty in pink: She went on to further accessorise the look with a white clutch bag and a pair of contrasting green sandals

Glittering: The blonde bombshell made sure all elements of her outfit matched as she adorned some bright green earrings to go along with her sandals

'I was a bit shocked. I just said, "Oh my goodness!" But it couldn't have been a more wonderful moment.

'I guess in a restaurant it would have been cliched. But this was private, fun, and different.'

Her ex-Royal Marine partner told how he had been planning the proposal for some time.

'I kept thinking: "Shall I do it now? Is this the right place?" I wanted it to be private, but I sort of ad-libbed,' he admitted.

The couple, who began dating in 2017, are planning a wedding at a friend's property in the West Country but have not confirmed a date.

It will be Joseph's first marriage and Jodie's third.

She tied the knot with first husband Aidan Butler in 2005 but the marriage ended 18 months later.

The television personality has a 10-year-old son, Indio, from her relationship with Argentinian polo player Andrea Vianini, whom she split from in 2013.

She subsequently married David Blakeley. The couple separated in January 2015, after four months of marriage.
She's used to turning heads on the runway.

But Karolina Kurkova also dazzled off the catwalk as she put on a radiant display while enjoying an evening stroll with husband Archie Drury in Capri.

The Czech model, 38, slipped into a pretty white broderie anglaise dress as she beamed alongside her actor beau amid the Italian getaway.

Angelic: Karolina Kurkova dazzled off the catwalk as she put on a radiant display while enjoying an evening stroll with husband Archie Drury in Capri

Karolina happily showcased her sun-kissed glow in the plunging summer dress which she teamed with strappy silver sandals and a selection of coordinating silver jewellery.

The beauty swept her cropped blonde locks off her face, while she highlighted her features with a dewy palette of make-up.

Meanwhile, Archie cut a stylish figure in a blue shirt, beige trousers and navy loafers.

The couple looked in great spirits as spent quality time together amid their break from parenting duties.

Lovely: The Czech model, 38, slipped into a pretty white broderie anglaise dress as she beamed alongside her actor beau amid the Italian getaway

The couple announced in July 2009 that they were engaged and expecting their first child, and quietly wed before welcoming son Tobin in October of that year.

They went on to welcome second son Noah in November 2015, while their first daughter Luna Grace was born in April last year.

Karolina shared the happy news that she had welcomed her third child with a sweet Instagram post showing baby Luna sleeping on one of her son's chest.

Style: Karolina happily showcased her sun-kissed glow in the plunging summer dress which she teamed with strappy silver sandals and a selection of coordinating silver jewellery

The catwalk star's closeup photo of her daughter was snapped from behind and didn't feature the baby's face.

She was dressed in an adorable white textured onesie with white angel wings sewn on her back.

'Welcome LunaGrace, our little angel, born on the pink supermoon. We are so in love,' she wrote, while adding a hashtag for '#mothersday.'

Cut: Karolina shared the happy news that she had welcomed her third child with a sweet Instagram post showing baby Luna sleeping on one of her son's chest

The caption indicated that Luna was born late in April, as the pink supermoon happened on April 26.

Born in the Czech Republic, Karolina moved to New York at 17 and covered Vogue in 2001.

Karolina became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2005 and gave up the title a decade later, though she has continued to land coveted gigs.
Love Island's Tasha Ghouri and former show star Georgia Steel were reportedly 'inseparable' best friends at school before they had a 'bad fall out'.

Tasha, 23, and Georgia, 24, who appeared on the fourth series of Love Island, both attended Thirsk Secondary School in Yorkshire and a local dance troupe together.

However, it is claimed they never spoke again after a bust-up, when things turned sour as they both headed off to separate performing arts colleges.

Former pals: Love Island's Tasha Ghouri (pictured) and former show star Georgia Steel were reportedly 'inseparable' best friends before they had a 'bad fall out'

'Tasha and Georgia were honestly inseparable and just best friends throughout school,' a pal told The Sun.

'Things got a bit competitive towards Year 11 and then when Tasha got accepted into a better dance college than Georgia things turned bad.'

They added: 'Stuff happens when you're young but we hope they patch it up because they could be a huge support for each other.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Georgia and Tasha for comment.

Looking back: Tasha, 23, and Georgia, 24 (pictured), who appeared on the fourth series of Love Island, both attended Thirsk Secondary School in Yorkshire and a local dance troupe together

Friendship end: It is claimed they never spoke again after the bust-up, when things turned sour as they both headed off to separate performing arts colleges (Tasha pictured)

Tasha attended CAPA College after school and later graduated from the Creative Academy with a 1st class honours degree in Dance Performance in 2019.

Georgia studied at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. She is a trained dancer and completed her training as an actress at St Mary's University in London in 2019.

It comes after Tasha's boyfriend Andrew Le Page was branded 'son-in-law material' by Tasha's father Tarek.

The real estate agent, 27, impressed his potential future father-in-law by the way he described his 23-year old Tasha's cochlear implant, which allows her to hear.

High praise! It comes after Tasha's boyfriend Andrew Le Page, 27, was been branded 'son-in-law material' by Tasha's father Tarek

Tasha and Andrew were among the five remaining couples given the responsibility of having to look after one of the baby dolls in an episode of Love Island earlier this week.

At one point when he was alone with 'baby Leo,' Andrew opened up to the doll about Tasha's 'superpower' in heartwarming scenes.

Tarek wrote on Twitter: 'Andrew is looking more and more like son in law material. The fire pit is very special...'

Cute: The real estate agent, 27, impressed his potential future father-in-law by the way he described his 23-year old Tasha's cochlear implant - which allows her to hear

Andrew said on the show: 'Your mum told me about her super power, her super power being that she has an implant that makes her able to hear. She's very, very special and very, very brave and with this implant.'

Tarek recently insisted that he believes that Tasha and Andrew's connection is 'real'.

He tweeted: 'It's real. It was from the start. My girl is a slow burner on love but when she knows she knows.'

Baby challenge: Tasha and Andrew were among the five remaining couples given the responsibility of having to look after one of the baby dolls earlier this week

Andrew and Tasha's relationship has not followed a straight path in the villa, with the pair facing several dumpings, and they both came back with different partners after Casa Amor where Andrew shared a number of intimate moments with former Islander Coco Lodge.

But the couple have not only survived and recoupled, they became boyfriend and girlfriend and are now second favourites to win this year's series.

Love Island airs at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub.
Carol Vorderman flaunted her stunning curves in a stylish ensemble as she told her Instagram followers about her shopping trip on Friday.

The TV presenter, 61, looked incredible in skin-tight leopard-print leggings and a cropped white zip-up.

The smiling blonde beauty showed off her natural good looks as she flaunted a yellow Selfridges bag.

New phone!: Carol Vorderman flaunted her stunning curves in a new Instagram snap on Friday as she updated followers on a brand new purchase

Updates: Keeping her fans in the loop, Carol wrote: 'She's always been a @officialselfridges girl...Just bought an iPhone 13....hopefully picture quality improves from the usual tat I put out...'

Keeping her fans in the loop, Carol wrote: 'She's always been a @officialselfridges girl...Just bought an iPhone 13....hopefully picture quality improves from the usual tat I put out...'

Elsewhere, the maths whiz on Saturday took to her Instagram Stories as she documented her voyage abroad.

The star filmed herself at Heathrow airport, looking chic and travel ready in a khaki button-up ensemble.

Stunner: Elsewhere the maths whiz on Saturday took to her Instagram Stories as she documented her voyage abroad. Pictured in May

'Happy holidays': The star filmed herself at Heathrow airport, looking chic and travel ready in a khaki button-up ensemble

Carol enjoyed some tea at the terminal and then posted a selfie from an unknown locations, looking to be in full holiday mode in some shades.

She had her platinum blonde tresses down in relaxed waves.

'Landed. Excited,' she penned.

'Excited': She had her platinum blonde tresses down in relaxed waves. 'Landed. Excited,' she penned

It comes as she earlier this month shared her pride for her daughter Katie King, 31, as she headed to her PHD in nanotechnology graduation at Cambridge University.

Taking to Instagram, the TV presenter shared a snap of herself and son Cameron, 25, in the back seat of a car as they set off for to celebrate the scientist's big day.

Looking radiant as ever, proud mum Carol was dressed to impress in a crochet style shirt dress and statement piece of jewellery.



Proud: Carol recently shared a snap of herself and son Cameron to her Instagram account as they headed to her daughter Katie King's graduation at Cambridge University

Her dapper son Cameron looked smart in a navy suit and sophisticated red tie as he flashed a shy smile in his mum's selfie.

Posting the photo to her grid, Carol wrote: 'Cam and I on our way to my girl's PhD graduation in @cambridgeuniversity today. @jesuscollegecam first for family lunch....It's a beautiful day.'

The proud mum also added an Instagram Story gushing over Katie's achievements: 'Big day today. Cambridge,' she wrote.

'My girl @katie.science has flown back from International Space University for her PhD graduation. Nanotechnology. V. proud mum...she's officially clever', she added.

Cheers: Student pilot Katie, who now attends the International Space University in France, shared snaps showing her toasting a drink with her friend before she boarded her flight

Proud: Posting the photo, Carol wrote: 'Cam and I on our way to my girl's PhD graduation in @cambridgeuniversity today. @jesuscollegecam first for family lunch. It's a beautiful day'

Success: The proud mum also added an Instagram Story gushing over Katie's achievements

Meanwhile, over on Katie's Stories, the graduate was seen returning home to reunite with her family and friends at the top public university.

The student pilot, who now attends the International Space University in France, shared a slew of snaps showing her toasting a drink with her friend before she boarded her flight.

Sitting on a plane, the academic gave fans a glimpse into her journey home before the ceremony.

As she landed back in the UK, she uploaded an image of the famous university with hundreds of fellow graduates dressed in gowns.

Carol shares both Katie and Cameron with ex-husband Patrick King.
State police in southeast Pennsylvania said that a tractor pulling a utility trailer resembling a flatbed that was transporting 12 people overturned, killing four individuals, three of whom were children.

According to Lt. Adam Reed, director of communications for the Pennsylvania State Police, the tractor's driver lost control of the machine and it flipped over after crossing an incline. Everyone in the trailer was ejected from the trailer as a result, according to CNN.

Tractor Crash in Pennsylvania Leaves 4 Dead

According to Reed, eight more kids were hurt in addition to a mom and three children who died. He said, "three of the injured were taken from the site to hospitals for treatment; the degree of their injuries is unknown."

He said, "The farm tractor's driver lost control for reasons that are now unknown, and the tractor rolled after crossing an embankment. Several fatalities and serious injuries were the ultimate consequence of everyone in the utility trailer being thrown from the vehicle."

Reed said that the flatbed-style trailer was open and enclosed by a two-foot fence. The Lower Chanceford Township is the subject of an inquiry by a forensic team, a crash analysis and reconstruction specialist, and a criminal investigation unit.

A representative for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation informed PennLive that the tractor's driver lost control of the vehicle at about 11:15 am near the Otter Creek Campground. The tractor then overturned, causing fatalities and injuries.

According to the spokesperson, the reason why the driver lost control of the tractor is presently unknown. An earlier PennDOT report that said an Amish horse-and-buggy was involved in the accident has subsequently been proven to be false. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Route 425, the scene of the accident, was still blocked to traffic.

According to a police official speaking to the local NBC affiliate WGAL, five youngsters are hospitalized at Penn State Hershey Medical Center in severe condition. The children range in age from under one year old to fourteen.



The four people who perished in the collision were "riding in the back of the utility trailer," according to Reed, and their identities have not been made public. Reed added that although some of the fatalities are linked, it is unclear how many, and that the reason the tractor was in the vicinity with individuals inside is still under investigation.

Read Also: Joe James Jr., Alabama Man Who Killed Ex-Girlfriend, Executed Despite Pleas for Mercy from Victim's Family

Another Road Accident Kills a Pennsylvania Man

Late on Thursday night in southern Indiana, an automobile accident claimed the life of a Pennsylvanian man. Around 7:15 pm, the collision occurred on I-65 south close to Austin, Indiana, according to Indiana State Police authorities. Police claim that the maroon 2022 Freightliner that caused the accident drove into the median and struck an overpass bridge support head-on.

The coroner's officer for Scott County declared the driver, 53-year-old Brian Bayne, dead at the site. A specialist in ISP crash reconstruction was dispatched to the area. Evidence gathered by Trooper Tate Rohlfing points to a potential role for tire failure in the collision.

An Indiana state bridge inspector looked over any potential overpass damage. While both the SR 256 overpass and the southbound lanes of I-65 were shut down during the inquiry, they are now both open. ISP authorities said they are currently looking into this disaster, WHAS11 via MSN reported.

Related Article: Highland Park Shooting Suspect Gets Slapped with 21 First-Degree Murder Counts, More Criminal Charges

@YouTube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
AJ Odudu has put her name forward as a possible presenter for next year's Eurovision Song Contest.

Britain will host the music competition in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine after their entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed this year, with organisers concluding that the war-torn country could not hold the event for 'safety and security reasons'.

Television presenter, AJ, 34, is keen for the contest to be hosted at Media City in Salford, with AJ having hosted the jury's vote from Greater Manchester this year.

Dreaming big: AJ Odudu, 34, has put her name forward as a possible presenter for next year's Eurovision Song Contest

She told the Mirror: 'Just shouting out from Greater Manchester was incredible. When it was announced that the UK will host it, I was buzzing.

'For it to come live from Salford this year, which has never happened, and for me to be the face of it just wow  that would absolutely be the cherry on the top of the cake.'

The Ukrainian entry, Kalush Orchestra, won the annual competition just over two months ago in an emotional victory in Turin, Italy, on May 14 and it is traditional that the winning country hosts the event the following year.

Making music: Britain will host the music competition in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine after their entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed this year

But the European Broadcasting Union said last month that it had concluded after a study that the 'security and operational guarantees' required to host the event could not be fulfilled by Ukraine's public broadcaster UA:PBC.

The BBC, as national broadcaster of the UK, which was the runner-up this year with Sam Ryder's Space Man, was invited to act as host  and the corporation confirmed this week that it would hold what will be the 67th contest. The event normally draws a television audience of about 200million and was last held in Britain in Birmingham in 1998.

AJ said: 'Well make sure its all about Ukraine. They did fantastically well to even get there in the circumstances.'

Born to perform: UK entry Sam Ryder came second with his song Space Man at this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Turin on May 14

UK has held Eurovision Song Contest eight times The UK has staged the Eurovision Song Contest more times than any other country, in the following cities: 1960 - London (Royal Festival Hall)

London (Royal Festival Hall) 1963 - London (BBC Television Centre)

London (BBC Television Centre) 1968 - London (Royal Albert Hall)

London (Royal Albert Hall) 1972 - Edinburgh (Usher Hall)

Edinburgh (Usher Hall) 1974 - Brighton (Brighton Dome)

Brighton (Brighton Dome) 1977 - London (Wembley Conference Centre)

London (Wembley Conference Centre) 1982 - Harrogate (Harrogate International Centre)

Harrogate (Harrogate International Centre) 1998 - Birmingham (National Indoor Arena)

Birmingham (National Indoor Arena) 2023 - TBC Advertisement

The BBC has now started searching for the host city, with the broadcaster saying in a statement: 'It is a matter of great regret that our colleagues and friends in Ukraine are not able to host the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

'Being asked to host the largest and most complex music competition in the world is a great privilege.

'The BBC will now begin the process to find a host city to partner with us on delivering one of the most exciting events to come to the UK in 2023.'

Martin Osterdahl, the Eurovision Song Contest's executive supervisor, added: 'We're exceptionally grateful that the BBC has accepted to stage the Eurovision Song Contest in the UK in 2023.

'The BBC has taken on hosting duties for other winning countries on four previous occasions.

'Continuing in this tradition of solidarity, we know that next year's contest will showcase the creativity and skill of one of Europe's most experienced public broadcasters whilst ensuring this year's winners, Ukraine, are celebrated and represented throughout the event.'

Mykola Chernotytskyi, Chief Executive Officer at Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC), confirmed the BBC and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) will honour Ukrainian culture and Kalush Orchestra's win with the song Stefania, despite the move to the UK.

He said: 'The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest will not be in Ukraine but in support of Ukraine.

'We are grateful to our BBC partners for showing solidarity with us. I am confident that together we will be able to add Ukrainian spirit to this event and once again unite the whole of Europe around our common values of peace, support, celebrating diversity and talent.'
Vanessa Hudgens, Izabel Goulart and Nathalie Emmanuel led the way as they attended the LuisaViaRoma for Unicef event in Capri on Saturday night.

The actress, 33, cut a stunning figure in a strapless bronze dress, which featured a dramatic statement train at the La Certosa di San Giacomo, where newly-married Jennifer Lopez is set to perform.

Vanessa boosted her petite frame with a pair of towering metallic heels, while she accessorised with an eye-catching diamond necklace.

Golden girl: Vanessa Hudgens (pictured), Izabel Goulart and Nathalie Emmanuel led the way as they attended the LuisaViaRoma for Unicef event in Capri on Saturday night

The High School Musical alum wore her brunette locks swept back off her pretty face and opted for a glamourous coating of make-up.

Vanessa sported a gold Cartier Love Bracelet as well as a huge ring on her manicured hands, which followed her metallic theme.

She was joined at the bash by Game Of Thrones star Nathalie, 33, who looked amazing in a pretty purple frock.

Glowing: She was joined at the bash by Game Of Thrones star Nathalie, 33, who looked amazing in a pretty purple frock

Radiant: The actress, 33, cut a stunning figure in a strapless bronze dress, which featured a dramatic statement train at the La Certosa di San Giacomo

Work it! Looking equally glamorous was Brazilian model Izabel, 37, who opted for a figure-hugging white dress with gold and silver sequin detail

All smiles: Nathalie flashed a broad grin as she smiled for the camera

Nathalie's eye-catching number featured silk panels as well as sections of semi-sheer chiffon fabric, revealing her toned pins.

The former Hollyoaks actress wore a pair of stylish bronze heels and a matching clutch bag.

She wore her cropped hair in natural curls and opted for a radiant coat of make-up, which complemented her purple dress.

Looking equally glamorous was Brazilian model Izabel, 37, who opted for a figure-hugging white dress with gold and silver sequin detail.

So chic! JLo was spotted sporting a robe as she left her hotel ahead of the performance

Hello! Jennifer kept her outfit under wraps in the towelling robe

Glam: Her glamorous look was just visible underneath the robe

Leggy! Izabel further boosted her statuesque frame with perspex heels

Amazing: The High School Musical alum wore her brunette locks swept back off her pretty face and opted for a glamourous coating of make-up

Details: Vanessa sported a gold Cartier Love Bracelet as well as a huge ring on her manicured hands, which followed her metallic theme

J.Lo will perform at the UNICEF Ukraine-focused charity gala called LuisaViaRoma.

In addition to Jennifer, other celebrities attending include Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell, Jared Leto, Vanessa Hudgens and Maye Musk, according to Variety.

The outlet also reported that Sofia Carson will also perform at the event as well as DJ Cruz.

Also in attendance was Ed Westwick and his girlfriend Amy Jackson, as they continue their stay on the Italian island.

Power couple: Also in attendance was Ed Westwick and his girlfriend Amy Jackson, as they continue their stay on the Italian island

All white: Amy, 30, cut a glamorous figure in a deeply plunging white dress which featured a perilously high thigh slit up her leg

Gothic glam! Sara Sampaio looked incredible in a black lace gown with semi-sheer panelling

Regency vibes: Jasmine Tookes stood out from the crowd in her regal-inspired dress

Amy, 30, cut a glamorous figure in a deeply plunging white dress which featured a perilously high thigh slit up her leg.

She accessorised with diamond jewels and wore her brunette locks in a bouncy blown out style.

Her actor beau, 35, opted for an edgier look as he sported a semi-sheer black shirt underneath a black double breasted suit with a rose motif on the lapel.

Sophisticated: Natasha Poly opted for a chic white ensemble

Sexy: Frida Aasen looked amazing in a white dress with a shimmery silver panel

Glam: Hofit Golan looked lovely in a turquoise gown with tulle skirt

Dazzling: Czech model Karolina Kurkova caught the eye in a gown sequin dresss

Striking: She wore her blonde bob in a natural loose style and subtle make-up

Suited and booted: Casey Affleck was in attendance at the event

Mwah! He was joined by Caylee Cowan

Sexy! Jared Leto attends the photocall at the LuisaViaRoma

Former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley Garner, 31, left little to the imagination in a very racy black cut out dress, which revealed her taut abs.

The risque number also showcased her long limbs with its thigh-grazing style, while she further boosted her statuesque frame with bejewelled heels.

Kimberley wore a matching silver and diamond bangle and ring as she accessorised her black dress with a touch of glitz for the occasion.

The swimwear designer wore her blonde locks in a loose and natural style and opted for a subtle touch of make-up.

Kimberley flew out to the Italian island of Capri after enjoying a break in Ibiza, Spain earlier this month.

Wow: The former Made In Chelsea star, 31, left little to the imagination in a very racy black cut out dress, which revealed her taut abs

Glam: The risque number also showcased her long limbs with its thigh-grazing style, while she further boosted her statuesque frame with bejewelled heels

Say cheese! Tinie Tempah grinned as he posed in yellow shirt and green trousers
Heather Rae Young nearly covered up her growing baby bump while out with her husband Tarek El Moussa on Friday.

The 34-year-old Selling Sunset star and her 40-year-old husband were spotted out in Long Beach, California, while filming for their new reality series The Flipping El Moussas.

Heather, who learned last week that she's expecting a baby boy, looked chic in a high-waisted set of pale yellow cargo pants.

Back to work: Heather Rae Young, 34, nearly covered up her growing baby bump while out with her husband Tarek El Moussa, 40, on Friday as the filmed The Flipping El Moussas in Long Beach

She wore it with a white tank top that was tucked into her pants, along with matching white open-toe heels.

She stayed on theme with a gorgeous strand of thick white pearls wrapped around her throat.

The blond beauty had her long locks tied tight in a high ponytail and fanned out across her shoulders.

She accessorized with a gray handbag tucked under her arm, and she added some extra flair to her look with hold hoop earrings, which framed her heavily made-up face.

Woman in white: Heather wore her yellow cargo pants with a white tank top that was tucked into her pants, along with matching white open-toe heels

Tarek was dressed more casually with a gray T-shirt and navy jeans with black sneakers.

The now-married couple met during a fishing trip in July of 2019.

Tarek was previously married to his Flip Or Flop costar Christina Hall, with whom he tied the knot in 2009.

The pair share a son named Brayden, six, and a daughter named Taylor, 11, during their marriage, which ended in 2018.

Family: Tarek shares his son Brayden, six, and daughter Taylor, 11, with his ex Christina Hall; pictured with Heather

El Moussa eventually began dating Young, and they went Instagram official with their relationship the following year.

The pair moved in together in 2020, and they announced that they had become engaged that same year.

The happy couple waited until October of last year before holding a wedding ceremony near Santa Barbara.

El Moussa and Young announced that they would be welcoming a child into their lives earlier this month.

Future parents: The now-married couple initially met during a fishing trip that took place in July of 2019

The two recently spoke to People and Young told the media outlet that finding out that she was pregnant 'was a huge shock.'

She added: '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.'

The pair revealed that they would be welcoming a boy into their lives earlier this week.
Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt each posted to Instagram in honor of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 75th birthday on Saturday.

The Terminator star's oldest child Katherine, 32, shared several throwback photos. In the first, she and her father rode horses together.

She wore a pink sweater under a light blue shirt, left unbuttoned. She smiled wide while her father put his fingers up in 'bunny ears' above her head.

Birthday post: Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt each posted to Instagram in honor of Arnold Schwarzenegger's 75th birthday

Arnold wore a light blue button-down shirt, matching jeans and a white T-shirt underneath his button down.

In the next snap, Arnold and Katherine played around in the pool, with the children's author slung over her strapping father's shoulders.

Another photo showed Arnold holding two of his children up on his shoulders, tightly to his body.

Pool day: In the next snap, Arnold and Katherine played around in the pool, the children's author slung over her strapping father's shoulders

Holding up her kids: Another photo showed Arnold holding two of his children up on his shoulders, tightly to his body

All black: The final snap showed Arnold walking away from the camera in a black leather jacket and jeans with a small child resting on his right arm

The final snap showed Arnold walking away from the camera in a black leather jacket and jeans with a small child resting on his right arm.

The USC alumna captioned the series of photos, 'Happy birthday daddy!! We love you so much! Youre the best and most fun opa and dad and we are all so lucky to have you in our lives! Happy happy!!'

Pratt's post in honor of his new father-in-law showed a more recent image of the two men.

They stood side by side, cigars in hand, while looking relaxed in lightweight T-shirts. Schwarzenegger's shirt read 'Made in the U.S.A.' with a large white eagle on the chest while Pratt's black shirt read, 'walk in love.'

In law: Pratt's post in honor of his new father-in-law showed a more recent image of the two men

Another post for the father: In Baena's snap, his dad held his shoulders from behind. They both wore all black clothes in the picture

Pratt captioned the snap, 'Happy birthday to the man, the myth, and the legend. Love you @schwarzenegger!'

Pratt and Schwarzenegger started dating back in 2018. They married the following year and share two children together.

Two of Arnold's other children, Joseph Baena and Patrick Schwarzenegger also shared posts to honor their father on his big day.

In Baena's snap, his dad held his shoulders from behind. They both wore all black clothes in the picture.

Baena captioned the photo, 'Happy Birthday Dad! Thank you for inspiring me and others around the world to be better every day. I love you and I hope you have the best day. Cheers to 75 years young.'

Stylist: Patrick shared a number of snaps which started with a photo of his dad cutting his hair. He looked quite nervous in the photo

A trio of superstars: The next shot showed a throwback photo of his dad with Risky Business actor Tom Cruise and Philadelphia star Tom Hanks

Individual shots: Patrick shared a couple photos in single shots by himself

Patrick shared a number of snaps which started with a photo of his dad cutting his hair. He looked quite nervous in the photo.

The next shot showed a throwback photo of his dad with Risky Business actor Tom Cruise and Philadelphia star Tom Hanks.

Arnold held a small brown dog in his arms in one photo and smoked a cigar during another.

The final shot showed Patrick and Arnold dressed in Western outfits, cigars in their mouths and cards in hand. They toasted with a pair of what appeared to be alcoholic beverages.

Father and son: The final shot showed Patrick and Arnold dressed in Western outfits, cigars in their mouths and cards in hand

Remembering his mom: While other people extended their well wishes to Arnold on his birthday, he was more interested in keeping the spotlight on someone else

Aurelia: He tweeted out a tribute to his late mother Aurelia, who would've turned 100 years old on Saturday

Heartfelt: The Predator actor shared several old photos with his late mother and wrote a heartfelt caption that read, 'Today my mother, Aurelia, would have been 100. She was the best mother you can imagine and Ill always love her'

Meaningful: 'I cant explain how much she meant to me, but she is the number one reason I wont call myself self-made'

'Unconditional': 'She showed me unconditional love, the importance of keeping my house clean, how to make the perfect schnitzel, and patience'

While other people extended their well wishes to Arnold on his birthday, he was more interested in keeping the spotlight on someone else.

He tweeted out a tribute to his late mother Aurelia, who would've turned 100 years old on Saturday.

The Predator actor shared several old photos with his late mother and wrote a heartfelt caption that read, 'Today my mother, Aurelia, would have been 100. She was the best mother you can imagine and Ill always love her. I cant explain how much she meant to me, but she is the number one reason I wont call myself self-made.'

He continued, 'She showed me unconditional love, the importance of keeping my house clean, how to make the perfect schnitzel, and patience. A lot of patience. Make sure to tell your mothers how much they mean to you!'
Heidi Klum flaunted her toned and tanned body on social media Saturday.

The 49-year-old German beauty appeared confident as she put her firm derriere on display in a topless photo wearing only a string bikini bottom on Instagram.

The America's Got Talent judge's long blonde locks looked just-out-of-the-pool wet as they cascaded down her back.

Confident: Heidi Klum appeared confident as she flaunted her toned and tanned body in a topless photo wearing only a string bikini bottom on Saturda

Writing 'My hot girl summer 2022,' the 5ft9in model looked over her right shoulder as she leaned across a balcony with a view of the ocean.

The stunning snap appeared to be taken during her recent trip to St. Barts in the French West Indies.

Photos from social media also show that her husband Tom Kaulitz have been enjoying a fun-filled holiday with her four kids and his identical twin brother and bandmate, Bill Kaulitz, 32.

Family time: The supermodel has been enjoying family time with her husband, Tom Kaulitz, 32, as well as her four kids and his identical twin brother, Bill

A photo of the pair was labeled 'Zwillinge,' which is German for twins.

In one set of Instagram Stories posts, Heidi's husband was shirtless as she nuzzled up against him.

The Making the Cut host often enjoys sharing romantic posts that include her hubby and Saturday was no exception.

She used animal face filters to mask some of their amorous activities as they kissed and cuddled for the camera.

Supportive: The proud mom posted a photo of her daughter Leni, 18, who is following in her mom's footsteps on the cat walk. Seen here with designer Michael Kors, 62, and another model

The model and the Tokio Hotel guitarist have been married since 2019.

Heidi's 18-year-old daughter Leni is following in her mother's footsteps as a model and the proud mom couldn't help but post a photo of her look-alike offspring in a silver one-shoulder mini dress standing next to designer Michael Kors, 62, and another model on her Instagram stories.

The trio appear to be in a beautiful villa overlooking the sea.

Amorous display: Heidi and her husband often share amorous displays on social media

Fun with filters: The America's Got Talent judge employed some fun animal face filters as she and her hubby canoodled for the camera
In light of reports that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may visit Taiwan on Friday, China issued its strongest threat yet, stating that they would not rule out taking down the speaker's plane if it were to be escorted by US fighters.

China has issued not-so-subtle warnings against the speaker, whom China has reasoned is third in line in the US administration, from visiting Taiwan, warning the US against crossing a "red line" in its relations with Taiwan.

China Reminds US of Consequences if Pelosi Visits Taiwan

Zhao Lijian, the foreign minister of China, warned in a conference on Friday that if Pelosi decides to visit Taiwan the US must be ready to "carry all consequences." According to National Security Spokesman John Kirby, the Pentagon has not detected any signs of a military threat as of Friday.

"It is invasion if US fighter planes accompany Pelosi's plane into Taiwan. If ineffectual, then shoot them down," Hu Xijin, a pundit for the Chinese state-affiliated Global Times, said on Twitter, as per Daily Mail.

The speaker's trip to Asia, which also includes stops in Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and South Africa, has not yet indicated if she will travel to the island democracy. On Friday, Pelosi was asked about a probable trip to Taiwan. She merely responded, "I don't discuss about my travel because it's a security concern."

However, with the Chinese military keeping an eye on the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier's movements in the South China Sea, tensions have risen over the possibility. On Monday, the Reagan departed Singapore for the South China Sea with its strike group.

Read Also: China's Xi Jinping Warns Joe Biden, US Over Taiwan Conflict: "If You Play with Fire You Get Burned"

US Lawmakers Hits Back at China's Warnings

Pelosi left on Friday for an Asian tour that may include a contentious stop in Taiwan, the independent island nation that is at the center of escalating hostilities between Beijing and Washington. Leading China analysts have expressed concern that Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, aboard a military plane, increases the possibility of a "accident" that may lead to a military conflict in the area.

Pelosi would be the highest-ranking US member to travel to Taiwan in more than 20 years, according to Insider. Taiwan is an island democracy with a population of 23 million, and its leaders, who also oppress democratic Hong Kong, have long had their sights set on Taiwan.

Beijing has reacted angrily and issued threats in response to Pelosi's potential visit, and there are indications that the Pentagon is preparing to possibly employ US airplanes and ships to bolster security near Taiwan in the event that Pelosi does make the trip. Additionally, the Biden administration's repeated ambiguous statements about whether the US would use force if China attacked Taiwan may be contributing to the escalating hostilities between Beijing and Washington.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, cautioned that if China has learned any lessons from Russia's war in Ukraine, Beijing ought to stand down. Per Daily Beast, US legislators had their own warning for China and President Xi Jinping: "Don't mess with us."

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, believes that China should know better than to attack Taiwan or carry out any "forceful" military retaliation to Pelosi's visit.

Related Article: Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan Visit Leads Pentagon Scrambling for Security Plan; Ships, Aircrafts To Be Deployed?

@YouTube

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Though the six-year course leads to a doctorate degree equivalent to post-graduation, students join the course soon after completing their intermediate education or diploma in pharmacy.  DC File Photo

ANANTAPUR: There is every likelihood of state government once again reimbursing education fee of Pharma D  Doctor of Pharmacy  students under Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme. This will benefit about 14,000 Pharma D students within the state of Andhra Pradesh. AP State Council for Higher Education (APSCHE) is moving the relevant file for consideration by the state government, council chairman Dr. Hemachandra Reddy has disclosed.

Deccan Chronicle had earlier highlighted the plight of Pharma D students following withdrawal of fee reimbursement facility hitherto available to them under Vidya Deevena. Reason given at the time of withdrawing fee reimbursement was that it is a postgraduate degree course and Deevena scheme is limited to students doing their graduation or bachelors degree.

Though the six-year course leads to a doctorate degree equivalent to post-graduation, students join the course soon after completing their intermediate education or diploma in pharmacy. DC highlighted that the six-year duration of the course first leads to graduation followed by post-graduation. The course is thus different from other post-graduate courses and akin to professional courses. Fee reimbursement could thus be provided as a special case.

In the wake of the DC report, APSCHE chairman said Pharma D students, who had earlier been eligible for Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme, need not pay their fee to colleges. He also directed college managements not mount pressure on students or parents over payment of fees. Further, Pharma D colleges, which have held back certificates for reasons of non-payment of fee, must return these certificates to students; as they will get fee reimbursement under the Jagananna Vidya Deevena scheme.

Deccan Chronicle also highlighted that after getting funds from Vidya Deevena scheme, several private PG colleges had not repaid the education fee they had already collected from students, in some cases forcibly. The colleges turned the scheme as a source of income for the management.

In AP, 59 colleges are offering the Pharma D course. Students are getting attracted to this course as it is similar to MBBS.

Dr. Hemachandra Reddy said: "The course is different from other PG courses because the students have to study all six years. We are moving a file to resolve the issue. Fee reimbursement will be made available soon, the APSCHE chairman announced.
HYDERABAD: Casino organiser Chikoti Praveen Kumar, who allegedly maintained links with political leaders, Tollywood and Bollywood actors for organising his casino business, helped political leaders in transporting huge unaccounted cash through hawala during the elections, according to sources.

A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials served notices to Praveen asking him to appear before the agency officials for questioning on Monday, the agency started tracking his illegal activities with technical evidence.

It came to light on Friday that one Sampath, who is in the transport business, is a close associate of Praveen in his alleged illegal activities. Sources said the investigation agency, which obtained proper evidence in connection with Praveen's illegal activities especially hawala transactions of unaccounted cash, is likely to serve notices on certain Tollywood actors, apart from political leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

The agency officials are understood to have verified four bank account details of the accused and his transactions. It was revealed that the casino organiser, with the assistance of his close associate Sampath, got good connections with politicos and film actors for organising casinos at different places.

It was also reported that Praveen spent huge money on purchasing valuable gifts to present to VVIPs including IPS officers in both Telugu states. "Based on call data of Praveen, the agency received information about persons who were in regular touch with the accused. Interestingly, some of their mobile numbers were unanswered and switched off," sources said.

The investigation agency also obtained details of birthday celebrations of Praveen who spent huge money by inviting political leaders. The agency is likely to approach several airline offices in getting a list of passengers who travelled by flights to different countries from Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa and other places abroad to attend casino events. Praveen also booked travel facilities for his customers, it is learnt.
TIRUPATI: Nellore district police arrested four loan recovery agents from Chennai on charges of abusing and harassing Cherukuri Sankaraiah, personal assistant of agriculture minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy.

The agents made numerous calls to the ministers mobile phone in a very short time from different mobile numbers. This forced his PA Sankaraiah to pay a pending loan instalment of a defaulter, identified as P. Ashok Kumar, who had borrowed 8.50 lakh from a credit company.

However, Sankaraiah later lodged a complaint with Muthukuru Police, who booked a case under section 386, 507 r/w 109 IPC and sec 66 of IT Act-2000 against unknown loan recovery agents. During their investigation, police found that the agents are working for Collman services operating from Chennai with 300 tele-callers.

Acting upon instructions of SP Ch. Vijaya Rao, Muthukuru police laid a trap and nabbed four agents identified as Pesala Penchala Rao (38) of Podalakur in Nellore city, Madhuri Vasu (25), team leader of Collman services from Thiruverkadu in Chennai, Guru Prasad Reddy (36) of Varadaiahpalem in Tirupati district, and Sivanasan Mahendran (42) of Koraturu, Chennai.

The SP said on Friday: As Ashok Kumar failed to repay the loan, loan recovery agency contacted persons on the contact list of the borrower's mobile phone. As part of it, they also rang up the number of minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, which is on the contact list of Ashok Kumar.

Reacting to the incident, Govardhan Reddy said he had received 79 calls from different numbers in a very short time. Generally, I attend every call myself on my phone. But as I was busy with official programmes, my PA attended the calls. Loan recovery agents informed him that one Ashok has given my contact number as alternative number and demanded that we repay the loan.

When the minister took up the issue with police, they asked him to pay the said amount to trap the loan recovery agents. Following the transaction, police managed to locate the recovery agency, which is being operated from Chennai.

It is learnt that former minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav too received numerous calls from the same agency, harassing him to pay loan instalments of Ashok Kumar.
Hyderabad: The municipal administration and urban development (MA&UD) department on Saturday sanctioned Rs 2,410 crore for 104 roads and corridors within GHMC limits and 10 adjoining urban local bodies (ULBs). It has also accorded permission to take up 50 identified roads and corridors against an allocation of Rs 1,500 crore on a priority basis. Towards this, it released GO No 510 dated July 29.

The managing director of Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL) briefed the government of the success of the phase-I and phase-II of the missing links project and sought extending the project to cover more roads.

The government was urged to provide administrative sanction for an amount of Rs 2,410 crore with permission to take up 50 roads and corridors in Phase-III with five packages. It was made clear by the government that the expenditure had to be met by HMDA from internal resources or by borrowing from financial institutions.

The Phase-III missing link road project would be taken up in five packages. Seven stretches will be taken up under Package I at a cost of Rs 304 crore. Under package II, 10 stretches will come up at an estimated cost of Rs 330 crore, under package III 13 stretches at `417 crore, package IV 11 stretches at Rs 287 crore while package V will cover nine stretches at an estimated cost of Rs 152 crore.

HRDCL will lay 120 km of roads at 50 stretches at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore.
A UN soldier is seen as demonstrators carry a poster against the peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) at the UN facilities in Goma on July 25, 2022. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during which the recent attack on the UN Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Monusco) was discussed.

Two Borders Security Force personnel  head constables Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi  who were part of the UN mission in Congo, were among five people killed during a protest in Butembo near the border with Uganda on Tuesday. A Moroccan peacekeeper was also killed.

The PM urged Guterres to ensure expeditious investigations to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement. Modi also underscored Indias abiding commitment to UN peacekeeping, with more than 2.5 lakh Indian peacekeepers having served under the UN flag so far.

India is the largest troop contributor. In all, 177 Indian peacekeepers have died while serving in UN peacekeeping missions. Modi also emphasized Indias unwavering support for peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where nearly 2,040 Indian soldiers are deployed with the Monusco.

The MEA said, The UN Secretary-General offered his condolences to the families of the two martyred Border Security Force personnel, as well as to the government and the people of India. He reiterated his unequivocal condemnation of the attack against MONUSCO and assured all possible action in conducting speedy investigations.

Deeply grieved at the loss of lives of two valiant Indian peacekeepers of the BSF in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They were part of MONUSCO. The perpetrators of these outrageous attacks must be held accountable and brought to justice. Deepest condolences to the bereaved families, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had posted on Twitter when the news about their death came.

India had on Thursday had called for a meeting of the UN Security Council and also ensured that a strong-worded statement is issued by the 15-nation body that calls for accountability for the killing of the Blue Helmets.
When the Chief Minister announced there will be no land transfer, why the officials are not withdrawing the circular, Rama Rao asked on Saturday.  Representational Image/By Arrangement)

VISAKHAPATNAM: Providing houses to the poor under Navaratnalu scheme in scheduled areas of Andhra Pradesh seems to have become a tricky affair for the state government. Adivasi unions are up in arms against the officials move to hand over possession certificates of tribal lands to non-tribals to build houses as part of the housing scheme.

It may be mentioned here that last month, assistant secretary in the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) Revu Mutyala Raju issued a circular to district collectors and project officers of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) asking them to explore the possibility of issuing possession certificates to non-tribals so that they could build houses in one-and-half cents of land under Navaratnalu housing for poor.

The assistant secretary mentioned in the circular that the MLAs informed the government that the housing scheme could not be implemented for non-tribals in scheduled areas due to the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Areas Land Transfer Regulation 1/78 Act and 1/70 which prohibited land transfer from tribals to non-tribals. They also suggested that the issue of possession certificate was not a violation of Land Transfer Regulation Act.

Demanding withdrawal of the circular, convener of joint action committee of adivasi unions Rama Rao Dora said Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy while interacting with the flood victims in Alluri district assured them that the land in scheduled areas would not be given to non-tribals by way of giving them possession certificates.

When the Chief Minister announced there will be no land transfer, why the officials are not withdrawing the circular? Rama Rao asked on Saturday.

He reminded that secretary of tribal welfare department Kantilal Dande took a proactive step to protect the scheduled areas by issuing a circular to collectors, ITDA project officers and passed on operational guidelines on how to protect the adivasi lands in scheduled areas. The circular was issued in January this year.

Dande, in his circular, told the officials that in spite of stringent tribal land protection laws being in force, non-tribals were able to retain 61 per cent of the disputed land to an extent of 1,5 lakh acres in their holding through court interventions as of November 2021. Tribals could restore only 56,921 acres or the remaining 39 per cent.

Dande told the officials that the land was the only source of livelihood for the adivasis and needed to be protected by all means.

While my circular stands valid, we will also consult legal experts to implement the CMO circular for giving possession certificates to the non-tribals, Dande told this correspondent.

He said it was a long standing demand from the non-tribals to own land for constructing houses in the scheduled areas.
The US Federal Courts has not detailed the scope of the recent data breach it experienced.

The Federal Court has fallen victim to a cyberattack that resulted to compromise a plethora of documents from the systems of the agency in early 2020.

According to testimony provided by the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee Jerrold Nadler, the document management system that was breached had a surprising depth and extent.

Other members of Congress, such as Senator Ron Wyden (Democratic Party of Oregon), voiced their concern that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had been concealing information about the breach and was refusing to explain it to the general public and to Congress.

US Federal Courts Cyber Attack

The U.S. Department of Justice (COJ) in March informed the judiciary about the cyber attack involving the federal court records.

According to testimony given to lawmakers on Thursday (July, 28) by the department's top national security attorney, the United States Department of Justice is conducting an investigation into a cyber breach that involved the federal court records management system.

Reuters reports that the head of the Justice Department's National Security Division, Matt Olsen, told the U.S. House of Representative Judiciary Committee that the data breach posted a significant concern.

Olsen made these comments in response to questions posed by Representative Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the panel.

In addition, according to Nadler, the committee did not become aware of the shocking depth and scope of the breach until the month of March.

Olsen stated, "While I can't speak directly to the nature of the ongoing investigation of the type of threats that you've mentioned regarding the effort to compromise public judicial dockets, this is of course a significant concern for us given the nature of the information that's often held by the courts."

The data breach to the federal courts was reportedly executed by three foreign malicious actors, although the DOJ have not yet officially mentioned the nationalities of the actors or the countries behind the attack.

Olsen also did not make any statements regarding the identity of those responsible for the attack; however, he did mention that his division was generally focused on the threat posed by cyber attacks coming from foreign nations such as North Korea, Russia, China, and Iran.

For now, the Justice Department was collaborating closely with federal judiciaries located all over the country in order to find a solution to the problem.

Read Also: FDIC, Federal Reserve Demand Crypto Lender Voyager to Remove Claims That Funds are Insured

US Federal Court Going Low-Tech

The US Federal Courts stated that in early 2021, some of the instead of handling important case documents through the publicly available Case Management and Electronic Case Files system, they since held back and opted to go low-tech, according to The Verge.

One of the reasons for this policy change was due to the SolarWinds incident. The SOlarWinds cyberattack caused massive damage that allowed malicious actors to gain access to the systems of businesses and government agencies.

At the moment, there is currently no public information available regarding the specifics of what the attackers were able to obtain or how they were able to break into the judicial system in the first place. It is also unknown when exactly officials from the Department of Justice discovered the hack.

Reuters reported that the US Federal Courts is in the process of working to modernize and update its electronic case management and filing system and its related online portal called PACER, to minimize and lessen the system's vulnerability from cyberattacks.

Related Article: U.S. Feds Alert Healthcare Sector about North Korea's Hackers Deploying Maui Ransomware
HYDERABAD: TRS working president and minister K.T. Rama Rao on Friday said the BJP leaders coming to Telangana were acting audaciously and heaping advice on the state while completely ignoring the sorry state of affairs in their own states. He challenged Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to show if Madhya Pradesh, the state the Union minister hailed from, was better on any metric when compared to Telangana.

Rama Rao, responding to Scindias comments on Telangana on Friday that the state was not implementing various Central government schemes, and how he thought the TRS leaders were getting jittery at the very mention of Enforcement Directorate, said, You really have to admire the temerity of BJP leaders from failed BIMARU states. They come to Telangana and indulge in subterfuge and bluff to further their divisive political agenda.

Rama Rao, in a tweet, dared Scindia to show us one metric where his state Madhya Pradesh fared better than Telangana. Scindia was speaking in the Old City on Friday, the first day of his two-day visit to Hyderabad to propagate the achievements of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre as part of the BJP's mission to expand its presence and emerge as the only alternative political force to the TRS in the state.

The Telangana IT and industries Minister further said the state, with 2.5 per cent of the nations population, contributed 5 per cent of Indias GDP, adding every single Telangana citizen is a double engine contributing to the nation.

He then said that if only all BJP-ruled states did as well as Telangana, then India would have become a $ 10 trillion economy by this Independence Day.
HYDERABAD: Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia suggested to BJP activists to use information technology and social media to reach the people and convey to them the message of the Central governments schemes and its benefits. Information regarding the Centres schemes should reach the people, he said.

During his two-day visit here, Scindia participated in the meeting of BJP activists in the Hyderabad Parliamentary constituency at Karmanghat here on Friday. He also had darshan of the Bhagyalaxmi temple at Charminar and participated in a meeting at the Rajasthan Bhavan in Charminar Assembly constituency limits.

Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was striving hard for a corruption-free country. The funds of the Central government were now reaching the people without any misappropriation in between, he said.

On other matters, Scindia said that the government was trying to provide air services to all historical and pilgrimage centres.
VIJAYAWADA: A cold war is on between ruling YSR Congress and opposition parties, including Telugu Desam, over resignation of MPs from state demanding Special Category Status (SCS) for AP and sanction of funds for completing the Polavaram project.

Ruling party has instead challenged TD MPs and MLAs to resign from their posts, claiming that YSRC MPs had resigned on the same issue earlier. This has given the ruling party the upper hand for now.

But Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu is trying to counter this, challenging Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to give him (Naidu) the CMs post and he will show how Polavaram could be completed by resolving all issues related to it. This statement has angered YSRC rank and file.

When Naidu had formed his government after AP got bifurcated, Telugu Desam had been an ally of the BJP and agreed for a special package in lieu of SCS. But Jagan, as leader of opposition at the time, organised deekshas and protests and made his MPs submit their resignations demanding SCS.

Subsequently, the TD chief sensed danger for his party in 2019 elections in case it remained an ally of BJP. Naidu thus came out of NDA. However, Jagan ran a political movement against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government. YSRC went on to emerge victorious.

Political analysts say Naidu is now trying to lay a reverse trap for Jagan by pointing out that during presidential elections, Jagan had announced YSRCs support to Droupadi Murmu. Though TD too supported her candidature, it made it conditional on BJP granting Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh. But no SCS status is forthcoming and Jagan too does not appear in favour of continuing good relations with the Modi government.

Analysts say this has compelled Naidu to again provoke Jagan by way of suggesting that YSRC MPs resign from parliament to pressurise BJP into granting Special Category Status to AP. But Jagan is unlikely to fall into this trap of Naidu.

However, the AP CM has to continue good relations with the BJP government at the centre for continuing to get funds for Navaratnalu, which are essential for Jagan to return to power in 2024 elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally launched the revamped distribution sector scheme (RDSS) and national solar rooftop portal at Kandukur village in Rangareddy district on Saturday. (PTI)

HYDERABAD: Union minister G. Kishan Reddy said that generation of solar energy has helped reduce imports of 1.65 lakh tonnes of coal. The Centre is keen to set up cost-effective solar energy panels on the surface of waters in Ramagundam, he said.

As part of the grand finale of 75th Azadi ka Amruth Mahotsav, Ujjwala Bharat-Ujjwala Bhavishya was organised to commemorate the power sectors progress.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally launched the revamped distribution sector scheme (RDSS) and national solar rooftop portal at Kandukur village in Rangareddy district on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Reddy said that generation of power has increased to four lakh MW from 2.48 lakh MW in 2014. Around 1.63 lakh MW power is being generated through renewable energy sources, he said. It is unfortunate that an urban area in Khammam district was taken up for coal excavation, he said.

The minister said that discoms are incurring huge losses and they can get relief if people utilise solar energy. There is no proposal to install meters for agricultural motors, he said while adding that 4000 MW power project works of NTPC will be completed soon.
It has been 21 weeks since the Russian aggression of Ukraine. The war has receded from many news cycles and front pages across the world notwithstanding the fact that millions of Ukrainians have been rendered homeless and countless others have been brutalised. The Russians, too, have their own narrative about the war and its depredations on Russian speaking minorities in the Donbas region. It comes out equally aggressively if you watch the pro-Kremlin TV channels like Russia Today or peruse their other information dissemination outlets.

In the middle of all this mayhem there is commerce. Recently, Russia and Ukraine signed a deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey that would allow Ukrainian wheat, oilseeds and other agricultural products to be exported from Black Sea ports till now blockaded by the Russian Navy. Ukraine has also heavily mined the sea lanes in the Black Sea thereby seeking to prevent Russia from seizing more Ukrainian Ports. Russia in turn would get the right to export fertilisers and its own wheat de-horse sanctions to international markets. The ostensible reason for this deal inked in Istanbul is that the World Food Programme (WFP) has estimated that 47 million people, an overwhelming number of them in the global south, have already transitioned into a stage of severe hunger as an outcome of the Russian aggression of Ukraine.

According to reports attributed to the President of the Ukrainian Grain Association, Mykola Horbachov freeing up Ukrainian ports is the only method of preventing a global food crisis and also saving Ukrainian farmers. He alleged that the Russians had stolen about 500,000 tons of grain in occupied territories, and approximately one million tonnes of grain remains in the elevators under the control of the Russian forces. Benchmarked as a critical breadbasket of the world in terms of its agronomic production, Ukraine was responsible for 10 per cent of global wheat exports in 2021 while Russia grows about 17 per cent of all wheat globally.

However, before the ink had even dried on the Istanbul agreements Russian cruise missiles struck the the key Ukrainian port of Odessa. Russia has already captured the Azov Sea ports of Mariupol, Berdiansk and Skadovsk as well as the Black Sea port of Kherson. It now has Odessa in its cross hairs. It will have to be seen whether this agreement holds out and for how long.

There is a deeper moral question involved in this entire equation, howsoever noble and kosher the intentions may appear on the surface. While no one can quibble with helping the poor and needy nations out of a difficult food situation and rescuing millions from potential starvation, what happens to all the money that Russia and Ukraine will earn through these exports?

Obviously it is not going into any escrow accounts to finance any humanitarian activity in either of these two countries. It is going to reinforce and fund war chests of both these nations to further accentuate the already self-perpetuating cycle of violence that is causing needless civilian and military deaths. The question, therefore, is that if that if the United Nations and Turkey could broker this particular arrangement, what prevented it or still prevents it from at least brokering a cessation of armed hostilities by both sides?

Wheat or fertilisers are not the only commodity that is at a premium in this conflict. There are others that are available at a discount and the world is lapping it up. For example, Indias oil imports from Russia swelled to a high of about 950,000 barrels per day in June of 2022 accounting for close to a fifth of its overall imports. The reason is obvious; Russian oil is available at a discount. India is not alone in this endeavour. France, China, United Arab Emirates and even Saudi Arabia have increased their oil imports from Russia. Ironically, the European Union, in the forefront of opposing the Russian aggression of Ukraine, purchased 61 per cent of oil worth US $60 billion in the first hundred days of the war. Russia sold US $98 billion dollars of oil in the first 13 weeks after the war commenced, thus filling its coffers of war for intensified and more protracted conflict. However, it does not end here unfortunately.

In a reply to Parliament, the Indian government informed that Russia had also become the prime provider of fertilisers to India in April-June this year. India managed to import 7.74 lakh metric tonnes of fertilisers from Russia in the first quarter and this is more than a fifth of the total 36.4 lakh metric tonnes imported from across the world. The reason, again, is obvious: Russian fertiliser is selling at a discount for Russia needs the money to fund its war machine. India again is not alone in this regard. Many other nations despite sanctions have leveraged cheaper prices under the fig leaf of national interest, thereby feeding the cavernous belly of the monster of war. Ironically, the Russian rouble has turned out to be the best performing currency so far this year. The other currency that ofcourse continues to do well is the US dollar. It seems the war in Ukraine is working well for both the US and Russia at least in monetary terms.

It may sound as a bit of an oxymoron but notwithstanding a two year border stand-off Chinas exports to India last year spiked by 46.2 per cent to US $97.52 billion while Indias exports to China swelled by 34.2 per cent to US $28.14 billion. The adverse balance of trade qua India grew by US $69.38 billion in 2021.

In May of this year alone, India exported goods worth $1.6 billion to China. In April and May combined, while its exports fell nearly 31 per cent from $4.4 billion in 2021 to $3 billion in 2022, its imports from China grew by 5.47 per cent in May 2022 compared to the corresponding period last year. For April and May combined, the imports from China increased by 12.75 per cent in 2022 juxtaposed against 2021. This even as the sixteenth round of military level talks ended in a stalemate in the middle of July with China refusing to vacate Indian territory illegally occupied by itself.

Anchor In the name of realpolitik, therefore, while some people have to die in national interest, others have to make money, again in the national interest. In the affairs of people and nations, the moral compass is always rubbished as empty emotion. Does it have to be that way?
Japanese carmaker Honda plans to discontinue its three models -- Jazz, WR-V and fourth generation City -- in India by March next year, according to industry sources.

The company, which is present in the country through a wholly-owned subsidiary Honda Cars India, will be left with only three models in its line up -- City Hybrid, fifth generation City and entry-level sedan Amaze -- after it discontinues the three brands.

In December 2020, the company had stopped the production of Civic and CR-V with the closure of its Greater Noida plant as it struggled to strengthen foothold in the Indian market.

Sources said the three models were being phased out as the company prepares to launch SUV models in the market.

When contacted over the issue, a Honda Cars India spokesperson said: "The company cannot comment on the market speculations."

Earlier this year, the automaker had announced that it plans to launch an SUV in the country next year.

The company is currently in the process of developing the model, it had stated.

In December 2020, Honda had announced the closure of manufacturing operations at its Greater Noida facility in Uttar Pradesh, thus consolidating its production activities at its second plant at Tapukara in Rajasthan.

The Japanese auto major had noted that the move has been taken to realign its manufacturing operations with the goal of improving business efficiency. The company's market share has declined over the years as new players consolidated their positions in the country.
The Bengaluru District Committee of the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) held a protest in the city against the price hike due to GST imposition on Friday. The protest was held against the GST imposition on milk products and several other essential food items.

The Centre has decided to impose GST on six basic milk products, leading to an increase in prices. "Imposing taxes on such products can result in deficiency of nutrients among children and adults as these products are the main source of protein and calcium for a large part of the society, especially for vegetarians. Nearly 30-35% of the earnings goes into food and minimum wages are not being raised, at such time the government should not expect a common man to pay 5% more tax on basic things," said Vijay Bhaskar, state general secretary of AITUC.

GST imposition on such commodities can disturb the economy. The Centre is adopting the One Nation, One Tax policy but the minimum wages are not the same across the country. Implementing taxes and such policies is not fair on the part of small and medium-scale industries and manufacturers as it only assists large corporations which have a presence throughout India.

"Through such campaigns we are trying to bring awareness among citizens as food is a basic need and imposing taxes on such items can disturb the livelihood of citizens," he added.
The Samyukta Horataka Karnataka, a federation of various farmer organisations, has announced a statewide protest on Sunday demanding the implementation of a law guaranteeing the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

At a press conference on Friday, the organisations convenor, V K Bhat, asked the Union government to withdraw all the cases against farmers who protested against the farmer laws. He also demanded that Ajay Mishra be sacked from the Union cabinet.

He accused the government of going back on its promise of fulfilling the demands of farmers.

In Bengaluru, the protest will take place at Freedom Park. This apart, district-level farmer conventions will be held on August 9.
A Ugandan national who championed the cause of African expatriates in Bengaluru has been deported for "illegally" staying in India for almost 17 years, police said.

As president of the Pan-African Federation and Students' Union India, Bosco Kaweesi was a prominent voice of the African community in Bengaluru. He would hold protests against police action on Africans accused of criminal activities.

Police described Kaweesi's "illegal" stay as "mysterious". Most officers did not even know about it, they said, adding that he was involved in human trafficking and created fake documents to help Africans who overstayed their visas.

Bengaluru police learnt about Kaweesi's case only after receiving an alert from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office (FRRO). He was detained on July 19 and lodged at the detention centre. With help from Union government officials, he was deported on July 27.

Bheemashankar S Guled, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), said Kaweesi had been staying illegally since August 6, 2005. He was arrested in 2006 and sentenced to six months in prison. Kaweesi also ignored a notice to leave the country.

Police claimed Kaweesi took money from illegal African immigrants and provided them with fake immigration documents. He used the organisation's name to extort money from African expatriates and cheated them in the name of providing them with police and immigration clearance, police added.

Police are now trying to trace the people  both Africans and Indians  who facilitated Kaweesi's "illegal" stay.

A police raid on his house in Lingarajapuram yielded the passports of 26 Africans, including those from Uganda, Nigeria, Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania. Twenty-four of them are women.

A laptop, printer, driving licence, bank passbook, photocopies of the passport and visas of many foreigners were also confiscated, police said.

The holders of the confiscated passports have been asked to collect them from the Banasawadi police station.

The landlord who rented his house to Kaweesi has been booked for not collecting his passport and visa and failing to inform the police.

Officials said they had taken steps to make sure Kaweesi never comes back to India.
Two decades ago, the gun-toting militants almost silenced tigers in Assam's Manas National Park sharing the border with Bhutan.

With all insurgent groups in the Bodoland region now giving up arms and conservation efforts stepped up in the past few years, roars of the Royal Bengal tigers are getting louder in the park.

The latest camera trapping exercise conducted in the 526-sq. km. Manas Tiger Reserve has recorded 60 tigers including 52 adults and eight cubs. The number is 12 (eight adults and four cubs) more than last year. Manas had reported 48 tigers in 2021, but the tiger population was almost nil 20 years ago, mainly due to insurgency problems.

"A total of 381 camera trap stations were deployed with camera trap support from our conservation partners such as WWF India, Wildlife Trust of India and Aaranyak. The exercise showed sex ratio of 1: 2.4, which is positively skewed towards the females from the ecological point of view," field director of Manas Tiger Reserve, Vaibhab Mathur said.

The latest camera trap exercise was carried out as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The report of the exercise was released by Pramod Boro, chief of Bodoland Territorial Council on the occasion of Global Tiger Day observed on Friday.

The national park also released the findings of the population estimation of major wildlife species found in the park. The estimation found 3,220 hog deer, 1,656 wild buffalos, 1,174 Indian bison, 804 sambar deer, and 2,613 elephants. "The exercise was carried out in a holistic manner for the first time by the frontline staff of Manas through distant sampling. Data was collected on line transects on elephant back using an Android-based digital platform by the forest guards and the foresters deployed in various anti-poaching camps," Mathur said.

Wildlife species like tigers in over 900sq. km Manas National Park once faced the threat of being extinct with insurgent groups using the jungles as their hideouts or as a transit to their camps in neighbouring Bhutan. Continuous felling of trees and destruction of forests also added to the loss of biodiversity and even conservation projects could not be implemented by the government agencies as well as the NGOs due to fear of militants.

A recent survey also found 48 one-horned rhinos in Manas, which were introduced through translocation, mainly from Kaziranga National Park and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

"There is potential for further increase in the number of tigers given the current prey availability. We should focus on conservation efforts and at the same time do more marketing and outreach activities for promotion of ecotourism in Manas," Pramod Boro said.
(Photo : Blue Origin)

NS-22, the sixth space tourist mission of Blue Origin, will launch from Launch Site One on Thursday, August 4. The broadcast will start 30 minutes prior to liftoff, with the launch window opening at 9:30 a.m. EDT.

It will be the 22nd New Shepard flight. Meanwhile, this mission will be the sixth space tourist flight for the New Shepard program and the third flight this year.

Who Are the Crew That Will Join the Mission

Space.com noted that NS-22 will achieve a number of firsts in spaceflight. For instance, as a member of the NS-22 crew, Vanessa O'Brien will become the first person in history to ascend Mount Everest, go to the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, and enter space.

Mario Ferreira and Sara Sabry will also make history by becoming the first residents of Portugal and Egypt, respectively, to enter space.

Meanwhile, Coby Cotton, a co-founder of the well-known YouTube channel Dude Perfect, technology pioneer Clint Kelly III, and telecommunications exec Steve Young, make up the other three passengers of NS-22.

Cotton and Sabry's seats are paid by MoonDAO and Space for Humanity, which are organizations dedicated to expanding access to space, as per Space.com.

NS-22 Mission Patch

Blue Origin also released the NS-22 mission patch, which you can view below.

Read More: NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's New Image Gives Insight to Weather Patterns on the Red Planet

Blue Origin's Prior Flights

In June, the NS-21 mission was launched. This flight marks the fifth time that New Shepard has carried people, making it the 21st overall, as per Engadget.

Katya Echazarreta, an electrical engineer and former NASA test lead, is among the passengers on this voyage. The outlet noted that she is the youngest American woman and the first person of Mexican descent to fly into space. She is traveling as part of the Citizen Astronaut Program, which is sponsored by Space for Humanity.

Business jet pilot Hamish Harding, co-founder of the private equity firm Insight Equity Victor Vescovo, co-founder of Dream Variation Ventures Jaison Robinson, and investor Evan Dick, who participated in the NS-19 trip in December, are the other three passengers. Lastly, Victor Correa Hespanha, a civil production engineer, will be the second Brazilian in space.

The first crewed flight of Blue Origin was carried out in July 2021 by its founder Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark.

What Is the Goal of Blue Origin

According to its website, in order to save the Earth, Blue Origin envisions a period when mankind can access the infinite resources of space and allow the relocation of destructive industries there.

Blue Origin's initiatives include sending astronauts into space on New Shepard, developing reusable liquid rocket engines, creating an orbital launch vehicle with New Glenn, and constructing next-generation space habitats. These initiatives will write new chapters in the annals of space exploration.

By building safe, affordable, reusable launch vehicles and in-space systems that meet the needs of all civil, commercial, and defense customers, Blue Origin said it is working to build that future today.

Related Article: Blue Origin vs. SpaceX Lawsuit: Elon Musk Tweets Perfect Meme After Jeff Bezos Loses NASA Case
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday described as "autocratic behaviour" arrest of journalists and action by central probe agencies against opposition leaders and said these amount to "betraying" the country's freedom fighters .

Those trying to "impose" one language, one faith and one culture were the country's "enemies," and there was no place for such "evil forces," he said.

Stalin was virtually addressing the "India @75 Manorama News Conclave 2022" in Kerala's Thrissur from Chennai, where he expressed concern over the recent suspension of 27 Parliamentarians, saying the right to express was being denied.

Stalin also praised his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan and said the alliance between his DMK and the CPI(M) in Tamil Nadu was "ideological" and not a mere electoral tie-up.

Taking questions after his address at the conclave, Stalin dubbed as "autocratic behaviour" arrest of journalists and central agencies "targeting" opposition leaders.

"It is wrong to snatch away the rights provided by the Constitution, created after independence which was ensured after much struggle. My opinion is that this is a betrayal of the freedom fighters," he said.

On the "One country, one language" issue, concerning Hindi and the protests against the same in Tamil Nadu and Kerala recently, Stalin said India was a country where many languages were spoken.

One language cannot become the national language or official language. "If it so happens, others languages will be destroyed gradually," he said.

Responding to a query on Vijayan, Stalin said he had modelled his activities on the veteran CPI (M) 'comrade', especially in handling the Covid-19 pandemic after he assumed office last year.

"I implemented that (Covid management) on the guidance of your state chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan," Stalin said.

On the alliance, the DMK chief said the two parties were "cordial".

"The tie-up between the two parties is not a mere poll alliance. It is an ideological alliance," he said, adding, the "healthy" ties will continue.

TN CPI(M) leaders also shared "healthy advice" to the DMK government on various issues, he added.

The DMK-led alliance also has the Congress, CPI and VCK in the state.

Earlier, in his address, Stalin expressed concern over the suspension of 27 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members recently.

"The right to express is being denied even to MPs, in the Parliament which should be a place for the clash of various ideas. 27 MPs, including those from the DMK have been suspended."

"There is no right to expression even in the Parliament which is the place to express opinion," he said, adding, "this is the state of India's democracy today."

He also slammed the BJP, the alleged face-offs with Governors in some non-BJP ruled states, the National Education Policy 2020 and said "the policies of Union government are anti-people."

"BJP attempts to run parallel governments, through its Governors. We have to govern our states, even as we face all these hurdles. And we have to fulfill the needs and expectations of people as well. But I am still hopeful," he added.

Stalin also praised former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for initiatives including reorganisation of states on linguistic basis, poverty eradication and introducing the Five Year plans.

"He was a secular man; gave importance to democracy and talked about federalism," Stalin said.

Federalism will aid India and the country is not a single government, he added.
State Excise Commissioner Narayan Gad Friday conducted the first hearing in connection with a complaint about illegalities in the renewal process of a liquor licence to a Goa restaurant allegedly operated by the daughter of Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, Zoish, in the posh Assagao village in North Goa.

The enquiry follows a complaint filed by Rodrigues last week based on documents obtained under the Right To Information act, which said the bar and restaurant's liquor licence was renewed in favour of a dead person, Anthony D'Gama, who was based in Mumbai.

While the lawyer representing the Gama family, has cited nuances in the Portuguese Civil Code  some provisions of which are still applicable in Goa  in his defence, Rodrigues told reporters that the Commissioner had formally framed two issues for determination in connection with the case.

Also read: Smriti Irani sends legal notice to Congress over 'malicious allegations' against daughter

"The first issue being as to whether the excise licence was obtained by submitting false and inadequate documents and by misrepresenting facts. The second issue being whether there were procedural irregularities on the part of the Excise officials," Rodrigues said after the hearing.

The state excise department had subsequently issued notice to the restaurant management seeking an explanation. Congress had also taken up the issue in the national capital, as well as in Goa, forcing Irani to issue a legal notice to Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Pawan Khera, demanding they retract their statements. Irani has maintained that her daughter has no links to the Goa restaurant.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, lawyer for Anthony D'Gama's family advocate Benny Nazareth cited provisions in the Portuguese civil code, which he said mandated that when a spouse dies, his or her powers -- in this case the liquor licence -- are transferred automatically to the partner.

"Here it is Portuguese Civil Code, under this ownership of property is jointly done in the name of husband and wife. But when the husband dies, the power goes automatically to the spouse. So further nothing actually needs to be done," Nazareth said.

"We are in a vibrant democracy and we respect the rule of law. Authorities have issued us a show cause notice, we have filed our replied to that," he also said. The next hearing in the case is scheduled to be held on August 22.
At least 40 Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members were taken into preventive custody as they tried barging into Home Minister Araga Jnanendras official residence demanding his resignation, in yet another embarrassment to the ruling BJP government.

The ABVP, a student wing, is affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is the BJPs ideological parent.

The student activists demanded a ban on outfits such as SDPI and PFI. The activists also shouted slogans against Jnanendra, calling him a coward home minister.

Read| Its time for police encounters, says Ashwath Narayan on Dakshina Kannada murders

In a statement, Jnanendra said he understands the sentiment expressed by the ABVP activists on banning SDPI and PFI. The government is thinking about this, he said. Their demand is that such organisations should be banned in the wake of incidents like the DJ Halli-KG Halli riots and the recent Praveen Nettaru murder, he said.

Jnanendra said he was not at home when the ABVP activists came. They have expressed their feelings in my absence. I will invite them for talks, he said.

The BJP government is facing heat from Hindu nationalists following the murder of the partys Yuva Morcha Praveen Nettaru. Hundreds of BJP office-bearers have resigned in protest against the government.

Following the protest, the additional commissioner of police (West) Sandeep Patil visited the home minister residence and collected details about the incident.

At around 9.30 am, some ABVP workers suddenly started a protest near the home ministers residence. Police personnel on the spot stopped them at the gate. Still, they forced the gate open and tried to enter the house. Unavoidably, we had to take some 40 people into preventive custody, Patil said.

Patil said a report has been sought by the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of the division, once the report is submitted further necessary action will be taken.
Des Doherty, the solicitor for the family of Daniel Hegarty (15) who was murdered by a British soldier during Operation Motorman in Derry, praised the great fortitude and determination of the young man's family.

Speaking to Derry News, he said: It is testament to Daniel's sisters Margaret, Kathleen and the late Philomena, that they are able, with great fortitude and determination, to proceed with the legal process. It would have been be very easy to walk away from it and be critical of it but they stuck with it all this time, which is to their great credit.

An open verdict was returned at Daniel's first inquest, which was held in 1973. This left lingering and damaging suggestions that he had been engaging in terrorist activity.

RECOMMENDED READING

Explaining the subsequent events in Daniel's case, Des said: There was a Historical Enquiries Team (HET) investigation, which was followed by an application in 2009 from Daniel's family to the then Attorney General, Baroness Janet Scotland, for a fresh inquest into his death. Their request was granted.

Baroness Scotland was the last Attorney General for England and Wales also to be Attorney General for the North before the devolution of justice powers to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Daniel's second inquest took place in December 2011 in Derry. It concluded that he had posed no risk to the man only known as 'Soldier B' and that the soldier had fired at Daniel without warning.

Des Doherty added: As a result of Daniel's inquest verdict and a series of findings, papers were sent by the coroner to the Director of Public Prosecutions and, since then, we have just been involved in one debacle after another in terms of the prosecution of 'Soldier B'.

It is now one year since the Director of Public Prosecutions came to Derry and announced that prosecutions in Daniel's case and the Bloody Sunday cases would be discontinued. Since then there have been more legal proceedings, which are currently ongoing.

Coming up to the 50th anniversary of Daniel's killing, the prosecution of 'Soldier B' is in complete limbo. The Public Prosecution Service made a decision to discontinue it and that has now been challenged by judicial review by Daniel's family.

However, we do not have a court date yet for the full hearing because it has been affected by the decision in the Bloody Sunday cases [the prosecution of 'Soldier F']. One is following the other, said Des.

The Bloody Sunday cases were heard in September 2021 and the decision not to prosecute 'Soldier F' was given in March 2022.

Des added: Everybody, including the Public Prosecution Service, is appealing everything to the Supreme Court. It looks as if we are all going to have to wait on the outcome of that.

The problem with the Bloody Sunday cases goes back to the cases of 'Soldier A' and 'Soldier C' in Belfast. ['Soldier A' and 'Soldier C' are former paratroopers accused of the murder of Joe McCann (24) in Belfast in 1972.] The Public Prosecution Service has latched on to this case to use as a reason to discontinue the prosecutions in Daniels case and in the Bloody Sunday cases.

The first date for 'Soldier Bs' court hearing was May 17, 2021, the anniversary of the 1974 Dublin Monaghan Bombings. It was all pulled in the days before and led to the decision on July 2 that they were not proceeding with anything.

Everything just takes so long and we are now we are back in Limbo again, said Des, who is also acting for brothers Christopher and Thomas Hegarty, Daniel's cousins. Christopher was shot at the same time as Daniel.

The nub of the decision in the 'Soldier A' and 'Soldier C' case goes back to the statements that the army gave in 1972 and the evidential weight of them. Problems arose with all of that and the court dismissed the case. The Public Prosecution Service did not appeal that decision and then it used it to discontinue the Bloody Sunday and the Daniel Hegarty cases.

In Daniel's case, Motorman was the biggest military operation since Suez. We discovered when we were reading the papers that Motorman was the general code name given to the operation but there was another operation, Operation Carcan, which means a blunt instrument of death.

So we had an operation within an operation, which resulted in the death of a child of 15 years of age, a small child, who was shot in the head twice and left for dead. He was left for dead.
During Operation Motorman in Derry the British army shot dead two young men, Seamus Bradley (19) and Daniel Hegarty (15). Two others were critically wounded.

The Bradley family believe Seamus was wounded by British army gunfire, after which he was taken away by the soldiers and tortured. Seamus was an IRA Volunteer. According to forensic tests carried out in 2000, he was unarmed when he was shot.

State Pathologist Dr Thomas Marshall, who carried out the post-mortem examination on Seamus Bradley, concluded that death was caused as a result of a bullet wound that had severed the left femoral artery.

RECOMMENDED READING

Seamus Bradley had been shot four times and the autopsy report left open the possibility that a fifth wound to the left ankle was a further gunshot wound or was caused by one of the four bullets which had struck the body.

The autopsy report also referred to bruises on Seamus Bradleys nose, lips and chin and some bruising with a vertical linear pattern on the chin and the front of the neck.

The medical findings were completely at odds with the British army version of the events.

Given it was extremely unlikely that all the gunshots were inflicted by one soldier as the army contended, it appears as if further wounds were inflicted, possibly from close range on a man who had already been taken into custody.

The Historical Enquiries Team (HET) report said Seamus Bradley's death was never effectively investigated.

In inquest findings delivered in 2019, a coroner held that Mr Bradley was killed by a soldier who got out of a Saracen vehicle, dropped to one knee and fired a number of shots.

He said the deceased was running across open ground and clearly had no weapon.

At the time of the shooting there was no other immediate or apparent threat to the soldiers in that area.

He also ruled that the investigation into Mr Bradleys death was flawed and inadequate.

The Bradley family is holding a ceremony to mark the 50th Anniversary of Seamus' death at 12.00pm (noon), on Sunday, July 31, at the monument at Bishop's Field in Creggan.

A second commemoration has been organised by the Creggan Monument Committee. It will take place at 1.00pm, on Sunday, July 31, at the Creggan Monument.
Did you know Radio Free Derry was heard as far away as California? smiled Eamonn Melaugh.

He was recalling the pivotal role the iconic pirate radio station played in keeping Derry people informed about what was happening in their communities during and after Operation Motorman.

A prominent Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) activist at time, Eamonn, now 89, initially broadcast the fondly remembered Radio Free Derry from his then home in Creggan's Circular Road. He later moved the studio to the Rossville flats.

'We kept Derry people informed about what was happening in their communities during Motorman'  Eamonn Melaugh.

With a glint in his eye, Eamonn said: Wait till you hear this for the craic. A woman stopped me about a week after Operation Motorman and said her sister in California had been listening to me while I was on air.

Radio Free Derry was a wee tin box. We operated out of the High Flats, up at the top. I laughed and said I didn't think our transmitter would have got Radio Free Derry as far as the United States. It turned out her sister had phoned from California to see what was happening in Derry, so she held the phone up to the radio and I was heard across the Atlantic. She listened to my voice.

As I recall, Eamonn McCann got this heap of junk [broadcasting equipment] and he gave it to me. I went up to the top of the High Flats. There was a room there where they stored water and I operated from there at the start of Operation Motorman. Radio Free Derry went on for about a week.

RECOMMENDED READING

There was no-one else prepared to go on the radio so I said I would do it. I could not see anything from the room I was in, but I had a couple of people running to me with updates about what was going on. They would come in and tell me what was happening, said Eamonn.

Radio Free Derry broadcast music in between its news bulletins.

We had an old wind up gramophone, he said. I played the records which I would have had in the house; classical and semi-classical music.

The first broadcast was done in Circular Road and I had to go out to a nearby field and hang the aerial up on the branches of the nearest tree. It was madness but it was a propaganda weapon, broadcasting to Derry and the diaspora as far away as California.

Eamonn described Motorman as a disaster, both for the Derry people and for the British government.

He said: There is no problem known to mankind that cannot be solved by clear thought and a willingness to compromise, but both sides had dug in by then. I was very politically active then and both sides were unwilling to make any compromise whatsoever so what happened, I do suppose, was inevitable.

Speaking to Eamonn, it was evident the horror of Bloody Sunday (January 30, 1972) had left a lasting impression on him and a clear appreciation of the degree of lethal force the British army would employ to achieve its aims come Motorman.

One can only imagine his feelings were widely shared by people here in the city in the lead up to July 31, 1972.

I knew what the British army was capable of doing when it came onto the streets of Derry during Motorman, said Eamonn.

On Bloody Sunday it was sent in to try and frighten people off the streets and the way to do that was to murder.

After that, moderation went out the window on both sides. People became very angry and very militant. People had been shot for no other reason than they were on the streets protesting. In my eyes, the sixth commandment, 'Thou shalt not kill' is sacrosanct.

On Bloody Sunday, young Hugh Gilmore was about six feet from me. He was along with two girls when the British soldiers came in. They went round to the courtyard of the High Flats and were across the street.

Young Gilmore (17) said: 'I'm hit, I'm hit' and I saw him running away from me. He started to stagger and then I knew something was badly wrong. I ran after him and he got around the corner of the High Flats and he collapsed.

Eamonn remembered a palpable sense of fear and anger in Derry about Motorman.

Young Hugh Gilmore was killed for no reason. The actions of the British army on Bloody Sunday were fresh in the memory, and on the day of Motorman there was a lot of fear and apprehension here.

Quite a few people left the town and went out to friends in County Donegal, such was the real, sincere, genuine and justifiable fear. The fear that a repeat of Bloody Sunday was always a possibility.

The week before Bloody Sunday, I was on Magilligan beach and we saw at first hand what the first battalion of the Parachute Regiment was capable of. One of the fellas killed on Bloody Sunday, William McKinney, was a very keen photographer, like myself. He came to me and he said, 'What do you think of that regiment?' I responded: God help us if we are ever up against that regiment on the streets of Derry. You could not have met a nicer fella than William, said Eamonn.

Reflecting on Derry pre-August 1969, Eamonn said the whole situation was surreal.

He added: Here, two thirds of the population was Catholic and one third was Protestant, yet Protestants could elect 12 unionist councillors to the Derry City Council and the other two thirds of the population, the Catholics, could only elect eight.

There was inbuilt evil sectarianism. I set out to smash that. I took over the mayor's chair and held protests. We went to council meetings but it was a bit disappointing. The unionists would walk out en masse but the nationalist councillors just sat there and never said a word.

Eamonn, perhaps sensed the inevitability of the events of August 1969 and the Battle of the Bogside.

I was the first person in Derry to join NICRA. They came to Derry reluctantly. They wanted to fight the battle on the legal front. But I said, 'No. It is going to come to confrontation', he said.
On the eve of the 50th anniversary of her brother Daniel Hegarty's death, Margaret Brady thanked everyone who has supported the family over the last half century.

In a statement, Margaret said: "On July 31, 1972 the British Government launched one of its biggest military operations in history. The Derry element was known as Operation Carcan. In the course of it, 'Soldier B' murdered our brother, Daniel, a 15 year old child. He was shot in the head and left for dead.

"The British Government at the time also murdered justice and the Rule of Law. The current British Government is doing the same. Operation Carcan was the secret code within Operation Motorman for Derry. By definition it is a means of death by a blunt instrument. 50 years on the British Government and their supporters continue to bluntly murder justice and the Rule of Law. It seems to us that Operation Carcan is still continuing in respect of Daniels murder and more widely.

RECOMMENDED READING

"We are all living in a nightmare of a never ending stream of injustice. Shooting a defenceless and small harmless child in the head at point blank range was acceptable to the British army in 1972 and it is even more acceptable to them now.

"Daniels Inquest in 2011 lawfully paved the way for the prosecution of Soldier B for murder. But the State is protecting him and itself and will continue to do so. The British State is legitimising the murder of innocent civilians and children by their own army.

"While all this is sad and depressing we are left as law abiding citizens to pursue that ever increasing elusive concept of justice and accountability for the murder of our dear innocent brother. We have no choice.

"We thank everyone who has supported us over the last 50 years and we seek your support in the future. We invite everyone to the scene of Daniels murder at Creggan Heights, Derry, for the unveiling of a plaque in Daniels memory at 2.00pm this coming Sunday, 31st July 2022 exactly 50 years on from Operation Carcan."

Margaret Brady on behalf of the Hegarty Family.
They want to put their feet in my shoes and and walk our path and ask themselves, 'If it was my child, would I want less?'

These were the powerful words with which Margaret Brady (nee Hegarty) challenged those in the Public Prosecution Service who have decided not to prosecute 'Soldier B' the man who murdered her brother Daniel (15) in Creggan during Operation Motorman.

Margaret's husband, Hugh, revealed that the Director of Public Prosecutions said he could not explain how 'Soldier B' changed his story from saying initially he shot Daniel from a distance of 75 feet, to saying he shot him from a distance of six feet or possibly closer.

Daniel Hegarty who was 15 when he was murdered during Operation Motorman.

Hugh said: In his first statement 'Soldier B' said the general purpose machine gun he used was mounted on the ground. He changed that in his second statement to say he had held the gun, which is capable of firing 800 rounds per minute.

He fired four rounds, which showed he was an expert shot because that gun would have been extremely hard to control. Daniel was shot twice in the head and the bullet from the back of his head hit his cousin, Christopher [Hegarty], who he was with at the time. Christopher's brother, Thomas, who was also there, was dragged up the street. He did not if he was going to get back alive.

Using the gun in a built up area like Creggan was illegal in itself, said Hugh.

Sitting beside her sister, Kathleen, a visibly emotional Margaret said the family was erecting a plaque outside the house where Daniel was murdered, at 2pm, on Sunday, July 31, to mark the 50th Anniversary of Daniel's death. She said everyone would be welcome as the family would be glad of the support.

Our plaque is going outside 114, Creggan Heights, where Daniel was murdered and left lying. 'Soldier B' said after he murdered Daniel, he stepped over him. He was taken back to Limavady to barracks. He got a sleeping bag and he went in and slept for a couple of hours.

This is a man that murdered a child and he is able to go and grab a sleeping bag and go to sleep for a couple of hours. What kind of human being is he that he could go and do that and my brother lying dead?

He never even assisted Daniel, to see if he was dead or if he needed medical help. He just left him lying dead and Christopher lying badly wounded.

Daniel had left his home to look at the British army tanks. He met his cousins and they decided to walk to Creggan Heights. When they spotted British soldiers ahead of them, they turned to go home. That was when 'Soldier B' crossed the road and shot Daniel and Christopher, said Margaret.

Margaret said Daniel's death wrecked their family.

We were only children ourselves, Kathleen, Philomena (deceased) and I, so we did not really question my mammy (Maggie) and daddy (Alec) because when you spoke Daniels name they were in tears, said Margaret. They just shut down themselves. They did not know how to cope so we did not know how to cope.

It was during an exhibition celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Creggan we discovered the British army had said Daniel was a terrorist. There was a photograph there we had never seen before showing Daniel's blood all over the footpath.

Thats when I said, 'Mammy, we cant allow Daniel to be called a terrorist'. So then we decided we would take them on. 20 years ago we started the campaign to clear Daniel's name, which we did at his second inquest in 2011.

On Sunday, when we unveil the plaque, there will be a bit of music and we as a family will be telling people how Daniel died and how we are still fighting to get this man into court for the murder of our brother because in 1973 they actually said there would be no prosecutions.

Margaret described the Public Prosecution Service as playing mind games with the families.

She added: I do not understand why they are trying to protect these soldiers. Is it because they wear the uniform? Is it because the Government pays their wages as well as the wages of the British soldiers? They should get a grip.

And then the first Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory, did the same, said no prosecutions. I took a case against him and won. I won again after Daniel's second inquest and now the prosecution of 'Soldier B' has been stopped again.

How do they expect people in this community to trust them and respect them? They are a joke. They want to hang their heads in shame.

They are playing mind games with us. They cause more stress to families. They tell us to move on. I have moved on. I am 64 now. I am a grandmother and I tell my own wanes and my grandwanes, 'You had an uncle who was murdered. The prosecutors, dont trust them. Dont trust the police.' Not one of them has the backbone to say, 'Right, we took an oath to see justice be done and we are not doing it,' said Margaret.

Margaret was also critical of local politicians who she accused of working against families, while telling them they were in favour of prosecutions.

All families should speak for themselves, said Margaret,  and every family that has lost a member in the Troubles, all their cases should be taken to court and they will stand on their own merits. There is enough evidence to bring about a prosecution, she said.
Tim Hortons wants to give you free coffee and doughnuts to apologize for tracking your location without your permission.

The popular cafe chain recently agreed to settle multiple class action lawsuits against it by giving out free doughnuts and coffee to eligible customers, per Engadget.

It is currently unknown if the Superior Courts of Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario would accept Tim Hortons' settlement suggestion, per Canada's Global News.

Tim Hortons Free Coffee And Doughnut Settle Suggestion Facts

Tim Hortons mentioned in an email to customers that it wants to give eligible customers free food and doughnuts as its settlement of the many class action actions it is currently facing.

Furthermore, it will delete any geolocation data it obtained from them between April 1, 2019, and September 30th, 2020. Additionally, it will also tell Radar Labs, a Delaware-based location data startup and third-party vendor, according to its official website, to do the same.

Although the deletion of all recorded geolocation data is guaranteed, Tim Hortons could only go ahead with its settlement suggestion if a judge grants its approval.

Interestingly, Tim Hortons stated that "all parties" have agreed that its proposed settlement is far and that it looks forward to the decision of Quebec's Superior Court on whether the company has the go-ahead to do so or not.

These parties Tim Hortons referred to in its statement may be the ones who filed the class action lawsuits in Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario.
Uber announced on Friday that the company is making some effort as part of its push to make driving for the rideshare service more flexible. The company plans to introduce a new feature called "upfront fares" that would inform drivers of their actual payout and the destination they will travel after picking up a passenger.

Uber Want Flexibility to Their Rideshare Service

On some occasions, the starting cost may vary as you travel, though. An upfront fee support document states that the fare will be changed if the rider changes the drop-off address or there is "unexpected traffic" along the route. Additionally, the figure excludes wait times and tipping.

The document also noted, as per The Verge, that a number of parameters, such as base rates, projected trip length and duration, pickup distance, and surge pricing, affect the amount displayed to drivers prior to their acceptance of a trip.

Over the upcoming months, the upfront fares are expected to be implemented across much of the U.S.

How Could the Changes Affect the Drivers

The Verge said that these features may result in fewer trips being canceled by drivers who don't truly want to go to the location or who realize the trip won't be particularly profitable for them.

The document does, however, caution that the move to upfront prices may result in some types of journeys paying drivers less. These trips include "long and relatively quick (traffic-free) trips" and "trips to high-demand areas."

The document also claims that the new approach will increase the amount of earnings drivers make on short journeys, trips with heavy traffic, trips that end up in areas with few riders, and trips that require them to go far to reach the rider.

Read More: Uber Enters Non-Prosecution Agreement with FTC Over 2016 Data Breach That Exposed Data of 57 Million People

Uber Is Not Required To Provide Wheelchair Accessibility to Passenger

In a press statement on July 18, the Department of Justice stated that a settlement had been reached between Uber and the lawsuit accusing the company of overcharging riders with disabilities.

Uber's wait fee policy, which imposes additional fees when a passenger waits more than two minutes to board the vehicle, is the focus of the complaints. Because of this, disabled passengers had to pay more than regular passengers.

As a result, the ridesharing company has agreed to pay people who were unfairly charged wait time fees at least $2.2 million.

The settlement includes $500,000 for "other harmed individuals" in addition to approximately $1.74 million for the more than 1,000 riders who complained about the surcharges.

However, as previously reported, a judge in California dismissed a legal effort to require Uber to offer wheelchair-accessible vehicles.

Discrimination against people based on their impairments is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.

However, a federal judge in California determined that Uber did not break this federal law by failing to offer wheelchair accessibility in all of its U.S. markets.

Related Article: Uber Not Required to Provide Wheelchair Accessibility in US Cities, California Judge Rules
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.

Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.

If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .

Support our mission and join our community now.
A prisoner has been seriously injured in an assault inside Mountjoy prison in Dublin.

The man, in his 30s, was taken to the Mater hospital for treatment following the incident on Friday evening.

Gardai are investigating the assault.

A Garda spokesman said: Gardai are investigating a serious assault on a man in his 30s that occurred on the evening of Friday July 29 2022, at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.

The man is currently receiving treatment for serious injuries at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

The scene has been technically examined and an incident room has been established at Mountjoy Garda Station.

Investigations into this matter are ongoing.

A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said: At this stage we can confirm that a prisoner was seriously injured during an incident.

The matter is being investigated by the Prison Service and also subject to investigation by Garda.
As Konstantin E. Tsiolkovsky, the father of Rocketry, said, "Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot remain in the cradle forever." True to his word, we as a civilization are already taking steps to pierce the veil that is space and figure out what lies for us out there in its vastness.

That same curiosity has also led us to want to know more about our solar system in search of knowledge that helps us know more about the origins of the solar system, the universe, and our home planet at the same time.

As such, in August 2004, NASA launched the spacecraft that would help us see Mercury up-close for the first time since its discovery in 1631, per NASA.

Here is that spacecraft's story and journey to the first planet in our solar system:

MESSENGER Spacecraft - Reaching The X Mark

Mercury is a planet 191.85 million kilometers away from Earth and is the planet nearest to the sun, with it being only 58.168 million kilometers away from our star, according to NASA's measurements.

Thanks to its distance from the Earth, the planet can only be looked at through telescopes and observatories since 1631. However, even then, we had a good idea of what Mercury looked like.

We just couldn't look at it up close.

NASA would later provide the solution to that problem with the launching of the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft on August 3, 2004, at 6:15 UT.

NASA hoped that the spacecraft would help experts to reveal more about Mercury - its density, geologic history, magnetic field, core, unusual materials at its poles, and its volatiles, per the MESSENGER spacecraft's website from The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

The spacecraft took seven years to reach its target planet. However, doing the journey toward the solar system's first planet, it made one flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and three flybys of Mercury, allowing it to take pictures of Earth and Venus at the same time.

Although the spacecraft made three flybys of Mercury, it wasn't near enough for it to get caught in the planet's gravity, which would allow it to orbit around Mercury.

Read More: Newly Introduced Inflation Reduction Act Gives $40,000 Incentive to Electric Trucks like Tesla Semi

However, that time came on March 18, 2011, seven years after it was launched from Earth. With this opportunity, the spacecraft took thousands of images of the surface of Mercury, which it sent back to Earth.

These photos were our first close-up look into Mercury's surface, which, while not unexpected, was a welcome surprise as it allowed astronomers to study the planet's surface and numerous craters.

Thanks to these photos, astronomers now know that Mercury has water ice at its poles, which were the unusual materials spotted before. It also revealed that water is also present in Mercury's exosphere.

Additionally, MESSENGER's picture helped scientists understand its surface, with it being filled with craters.

Space.com mentioned in its report that experts named some of these craters to better remember them, such as the Debussy and Matabei craters, which were the brightly rayed crater and the unusually dark rayed crater in the photo feature4d above.

NASA would later extend its commission past its original 2011 expiration date for four more years until the space agency had it crash into the planet it orbited for so long on Jan. 21, 2015.

MESSENGER Spacecraft Details

NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft had nine scientific instruments for it to help experts understand the first planet better. It has a Mercury Dual Imaging System, Gamma-ray, Neutron, and X-Ray spectrometers, magnetometer, Mercury Laser Altimeter, Mercury Atmospheric, and Surface Composition Spectrometer, Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer, and Radio Science Experiment.

The probe cost NASA $446 million, but the data it sent back to Earth made it worth every penny spent on it and its launch.

During its lifetime, it was able to take 100,000 photos of Mercury and photos of Venus, Earth, and its moon, as well as the comets 2P/Encke and Comet C/2012 S1.

It was able to orbit mercury for four years, which was more than what was expected of it.

Related Article: #SpaceSnap The History of Earthrise, the Most Popular Photo of Earth
World War II, without a doubt, is one of the darkest points in history. There are countless stories of tragedies that stem from the war and one of them is the sinking of the USS Indianapolis.

Often regarded as the greatest loss of life at sea from a single ship as far as the history of the US Navy is concerned, only 316 of the ship's crew survived. 1,196 men were onboard and 900 made it to the water alive while the rest went down with the USS Indianapolis.

Let's dive deeper into what happened on the fateful, tragic day of July 30, 1945.

The USS Indianapolis

The USS Indianapolis, as you may have already guessed, was named after the city of Indianapolis in Indiana. According to Britannica, it was launched in 1931 and is a Portland-class heavy cruiser. The ship was commissioned by the US Navy in 1932.

Here are other things to note about the features and specifications of the USS Indianapolis:

It was 610 feet and three inches long

It had eight five-inch antiaircraft guns and a main battery of nine eight-inch guns

It could reach speeds of more than 32 knots

The Secret Cargo

According to the website of the National World War II Museum, the USS Indianapolis and her crew docked in the island of Tinian on July 26, 1945.

What the crew didn't know was that the ship was carrying the crucial components of what would be known as "Little Boy" or the atomic bomb that was eventually going to be dropped on Hiroshima.

"The ship's mission was top secret, so the officers and men alike had no idea of their cargo's importance or why there were so many high-ranking officers watching the crew unload its vital cargo," says the World War II Museum website.

Related Article: D-Day Anniversary: World War II Documentaries You Can Watch on Netflix to Commemorate the Normandy Landings

The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis

From Tinian, the USS Indianapolis was meant to head to the Leyte Gulf in the Philippines for more training. However, tragedy struck on July 30, 1945.

"But shortly after midnight, a Japanese torpedo hit the Indianapolis in the starboard bow, blowing almost 65 feet of the ship's bow out of the water and igniting a tank containing 3,500 gallons of aviation fuel into a pillar of fire shooting several hundred feet into the sky," the Smithsonian Mag narrates.

Another torpedo struck the ship soon after, hitting closer to the midship. The USS Indianapolis sank in just 12 minutes, taking almost 300 of her crew with her. 900 made it to the water alive. Of the 900 crew members who made it to the water, only 325 eventually survived. The rest perished due to dehydration, saltwater poisoning, and even shark attacks.

The US Navy did not know about the sinking until four days after the fact.

Read Also: Andrea Doria Sank After Colliding with Stockholm on This Day in 1956
Argentina's Vice Foreign Minister Pablo Tettamanti, left, shakes hands with his Korean counterpart Cho Hyun-dong during a high-level policy consultative meeting between the two countries at the ministry's headquarters in central Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs



By Kwon Mee-yoo



Argentina's deputy foreign minister emphasized that action to strengthen bilateral ties must come with the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Argentina and Korea.



Argentina's Deputy Foreign Minister Pablo Tettamanti visited Korea to take part in the eighth round of high-level policy consultations with Korea as well as a handful of meetings to discuss various fields for cooperation as the two countries aim to bolster ties in the post-COVID-19 era.



"We cannot simply believe that we will have better relations with Korea, because we decide to do that. You can decide to do that and then you can write a text and have an MOU or a treaty. But then you have to do it," Tettamanti said during an interview with The Korea Times, Thursday.



"We are not building on something that historically was there. We are trying to create a new history, a new reality... So we have to put the strength and the commitment and to do that."



The deputy minister said such an anniversary provides a chance to review relations between the two countries in a future-oriented perspective.



"In a way, it is twofold. We are recalling what we have done before and we are thinking what we can do to revive and revitalize relations," Tettamanti said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic which impeded progress.



"It is both a celebration and also a new start in many ways. It is not so much to think about the past, but to think about the future."



Tettamanti, who arrived Seoul in Wednesday and departed Friday, had a busy schedule packed with meetings with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Justice and the Global Green Growth Institute.



Argentina is one of the world's top beef exporters known for its quality, but Korea and Argentina have been discussing sanitary protocols for years before importing Argentinian beef to Korea. Tettamanti said it was one of the points up for discussion on the agenda earlier that day.



"It has been in the trade agenda for years now. We think that we should be able to find a way in which our products can come to the Korean market," he said.



"Argentina's beef is so well known worldwide. But there are sanitary and phytosanitary discussions that are taking place. We think that is something that has been dragged out for long a time and the scientific side of it is already clear. So maybe at one point, we will be able to make decisions, but we know that it is not an easy subject."





Argentina's Vice Foreign Minister Pablo Tettamanti speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at a hotel in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Embassy of Argentina in Korea
The South/ South West Hospital Group (SSWHG) has said that it has undertaken substantial work to address and prioritise waiting list targets.

It comes as Sinn Fein TD for Cork North Central Thomas Gould called on the government to immediately resource the health service in Cork.

He claimed that vulnerable people wait months, if not years, for services that he said could have huge impacts on their quality of life.

"It has to be acknowledged that during these waits, conditions which were simple or minor often become much more complex and serious, Deputy Gould said.

According to the latest figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund almost 85,000 people were waiting for outpatient appointments or inpatient procedures at hospitals in Cork last month, with more than 20,000 of these waiting for longer than 18 months to be seen.

'Substantial work'

A spokesperson for the hospital group has said that it, in collaboration with individual hospitals, has undertaken substantial work to address and prioritise waiting list targets, including maximum patient wait times to improve patient access to services.

The spokesperson for the SSWHG said it has generated additional capacity by way of insourcing (out of hours) and outsourcing models (private hospitals) utilising Slaintecare non-recurring funding and National Treatment Purchase Funding (NTPF).

However, the hospitals remain challenged with Covid-19 patients and unscheduled care demands, directly impacting on planned scheduled care activity.

The proactive management of waiting lists is ongoing, however, patients with immediate medical needs are always prioritised, the spokesperson said.

Endoscopy wait times

Deputy Gould pointed out that there are 2,205 people awaiting endoscopies with over 15% of these waiting over six months, and 1,207 people on a waiting list for colonoscopies.

The problem that we have now is that hospitals have no capacity to treat minor cases and so, minor cases become severe.

Failure to undertake these diagnostic procedures could see serious conditions go untreated. People cannot be allowed to fall through the gaps in healthcare anymore."

He said details are needed on plans for the new elective hospital for Cork.

It is time for proper investment in our health services, investment that will see a health service that delivers for people, he said.
Alison ORiordan

A mother-of-one who was left paralysed after being shot in her home by her neighbour has told the man who provided the gun that she will "never ever" accept his apology as he had no regard for her life or her eight-year-old daughter's life that day.

Defendant Joseph Byrne tried to apologise to Sinead Connolly from the dock on Friday as she delivered her victim impact statement saying: "I am very sorry. I'm so remorseful."

However, the 34-year-old looked the accused, who she has known all her life, directly in the eyes as her supporters clapped her on and said: "It's down to you and your hands. You are not sorry as you were able to go on the run for a week and leave my body there. This is down to you, you may not have pulled the trigger, but you were there."

Before reading her victim impact statement, Ms Connolly had shown Byrne a picture of herself and her daughter whilst in ICU.

Following Ms Connolly's exchange with Byrne, the court rose for a few minutes. When Mr Justice Paul McDermott returned to the bench he said he understood that emotions were running high, but he had a job to do and was not assisted by "any demonstration" in court.

"We will proceed on the basis of proper decorum and I don't want any more interruptions," he insisted.

Home shooting

Ms Connolly was shot while her eight-year-old daughter hid under the kitchen table in their home at Bernard Curtis House apartments in Bluebell, Dublin 12, in March of last year. Ms Connolly suffered paralysis below the chest as a result of her injuries.

She previously told the court that the gunman - Dean McCarthy (33) - was "an evil, sadistic and cowardly bully" who led a campaign of abuse against her before leaving her permanently paralysed in the attempted gun murder, which had "obliterated" her and her family's lives.

Last May at the Central Criminal Court, Joseph Byrne (33), with an address at La Touche Road, Bluebell, Dublin 12 pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, to wit, a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun, with intent to endanger life on March 6th, 2021 at Bluebell in Dublin 12.

Byrne also pleaded guilty to having in his possession Luger Barnaul ammunition, in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got in his possession for a lawful purpose on the same occasion.

Last April, Dean McCarthy was jailed for 15 years after he pleaded guilty to Ms Connolly's attempted murder on March 6th, 2021.

Threats

On Friday's sentence hearing, Detective Garda Colm Reynolds detailed the background to the event. He told prosecution counsel, Anne Marie Lawlor SC, that Byrne had provided the gun to his proximate neighbour McCarthy, who had contacted him in advance of the attack.

McCarthy and Byrne both gained entry to Ms Connolly's flat before fleeing the scene.

The detective said that Ms Connolly had provided a statement to gardai outlining that she knew McCarthy and Byrne since childhood.

Detailing the events that led up to the accident, Ms Lawlor said there had been a degree of discord between McCarthy and Ms Connolly in advance of the attack and that McCarthy had threatened her over a period of weeks and months, telling her that she would be removed from her home in a body bag.

The court heard that on the day of the attack Byrne, who lived around 200 yards from McCarthy's home, arrived with the gun which was used to shoot Ms Connolly.

Det Reynolds said that in the course of the exchange of the firearm between the two men the gun was accidentally discharged and McCarthy was shot.

Immediately after this at 12.55pm McCarthy who was with Byrne "kicked in" the door of Ms Connolly's flat and entered.

The court heard that Ms Connolly was standing in the sitting room and her four friends brought her daughter to safety into the kitchen.

The four men barricaded the kitchen with their combined body weight and kept the child under the kitchen table.

Blacked out

Ms Connolly told gardai that she knew one of the assailants was "Joey" Byrne and that he had his hoodie up. She said she was not sure if Byrne had handed the gun to McCarthy or if McCarthy already had possession of it.

Ms Connolly was shot by McCarthy in the shoulder area, and she fell onto the sofa. The next gunshot, which rendered her paralysed, made contact with the victim in a downward trajectory.

Ms Connolly has no memory after the first gunshot as she 'blacked out', said the witness. The court heard that McCarthy then 'hit' the victim again with the gun.

Detective Reynolds said gardai went to the accused's home, but they were unsuccessful in gaining contact with him. However, Byrne made himself available to gardai on March 14th following contact with his solicitor and went to Kevin Street Garda Station, where he was interviewed on five occasions.

Ms Lawlor informed the court that Ms Connolly was also brought to St James's Hospital before later moving to the National Rehabilitation Centre. She has since returned to St James's Hospital, where she has been in acute care.

The court heard that Byrne has three previous convictions, which include drug related offences.

Victim impact statement

Before reading her victim impact statement, Ms Connolly showed Byrne a picture of herself and her daughter whilst in ICU. She told the judge that she spent three-and-a-half months in ICU and underwent several surgeries because of life-threatening bleeding due to multiple gunshot wounds.

She said she has been confined to a wheelchair and has no use of her lower body.

The victim told the judge that she spent ten months in the National Rehabilitation Centre, but she got very ill there with pneumonia and UTI infections and has since returned to St James's Hospital.

She is now a paraplegic, is at risk of future spinal cord injury and her life expectancy is reduced, she said.

Beginning her victim impact statement, Ms Connolly said Byrne and McCarthy "burst" into her home one year ago and that Byrne had given the gun to the shooter.

She said she was shot three times and was left paralysed forever. "We were making plans for my daughter's eight birthday before this frenzied and evil attack which changed my life forever. Joseph Byrne and the other man stood in front of me as the other man fired shots. I have known Joseph Byrne all my life. No one can understand such cruelty and manifest evil," she continued.

Referring to her now nine-year-old daughter, Ms Connolly said they have been separated from each other since this

Friction

Under cross-examination, Detective Reynolds agreed with defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC, that there had been some friction between the Connolly and McCarthy households, but his client had no part in the dispute.

The barrister said that most people who are shot in the stomach "go to ground" but that McCarthy had got "a burst of adrenaline" after getting shot and "took off like a greyhound out of a trap".

Mr O'Higgins called his client an "intermediary" who had collected a firearm and brought it to the shooter.

Mr O'Higgins said he was instructed to make a full apology to Ms Connolly which would not go anywhere close to any form of restorative justice but that it was very clear from the victim's words that she did not want to hear an apology. Instead counsel handed up his client's letter of apology to the judge.

Referring to the victim, Mr O'Higgins said that this event has had such devastating and horrible consequences for Ms Connolly, who was in the prime of her life.

"She is entitled to say if the gun wasn't there this event wouldn't have unfolded but it is an oversimplification to say the introduction of the gun inevitably produced the result it did," he concluded.

Mr Justice McDermott remanded Byrne in custody until October 6th, when he will be sentenced.

Earlier this week, a second Dublin man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to possession of a semi-automatic handgun in connection with the attempted murder of Ms Connolly.

Paul Mooney (34), with an address at Ring Street, Inchicore, Dublin 8 pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition, to wit, a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun and Luger Barnaul ammunition, in such circumstances as to give rise to a reasonable inference that he had not got it in his possession for a lawful purpose at Bernard Curtis House, Bluebell in Dublin 12 on March 6th, 2021.
Team IOM Medals >> 0 0 0

Day Two: Donnelly scores 43.7 in all round qualification session

Sat, 30 Jul 2022

Manx gymnast Tara Donnelly will have to wait to see if she has a place in the final.

The 23-year-old scored 43.7 in the Women's Sub Division 2. Sessions will continue this afternoon when Tara will know if she has made the final.

The Isle of Man Sportswoman of the Year was the first home nations gymnast to perform at this year's Games.

Tara said that put some pressure on her:

<AUDIO>

Media

CG Donnelly Post Sat
South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, second from left, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, second from right, are seen holding bilateral talks at the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington on July 29, in this pool photo. Yonhap



The top defense officials of South Korea and the United States agreed Friday to expand the countries' upcoming joint military exercise and to restart their strategic dialogue on extended deterrence at an early date.



U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea in his bilateral meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup here, according to the South Korean defense ministry.



The decision to expand the military exercise comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un lashed out at the allied countries for holding such drills.



"The two ministers agreed to combine their countries' joint military exercise in the second half of 2022 with (South Korea's) government exercise (Ulchi civil contingency exercise) and continue strengthening the allies' deterrence posture, including the ballistic missile defense system and U.S. strategic assets deployed on the Korean Peninsula," Seoul's defense ministry said in a press release.



"The two ministers agreed the security condition on the Korean Peninsula was very serious due to North Korea's continued provocations, and emphasized that the South Korea-U.S. alliance will only solidify in the face of North Korea's provocations," it added.



Lee later explained the expanded military exercise will likely be called "Ulchi Freedom Shield," noting the name, freedom shield, is used for the highest-level exercise and that it represents the defensive nature of the exercise.



Pyongyang periodically accuses the joint military drills of South Korea and the U.S. of being aimed at toppling its regime.



The North Korean leader again blasted Seoul and Washington on Wednesday for holding joint military drills, calling them "thug-like behavior" and threatening to "wipe out" Seoul and its military if they make any dangerous attempt.



North Korea is widely anticipated to conduct a nuclear test in the near future, with officials in Seoul and Washington saying the country appears to have completed "all preparations" for what will be its seventh nuclear test.

Pyongyang conducted its sixth and last nuclear test in September 2017.



Austin noted the North Korean regime was currently "engaged in the most active period of missile tests in is history."



North Korea has fired more than 30 ballistic missiles this year, marking the largest number of ballistic missiles launched in a single year.



"Our alliance remains resolute and ready in the face of these dangerous and destabilizing actions," the U.S. secretary of defense said at the top of his meeting with his South Korean counterpart.

Lee underscored the importance of joint efforts by the allies to prevent and counter any North Korean nuclear test.



"We must accurately understand where North Korea stands right now, and I wish we can discuss various ways to better implement the U.S.' commitment to providing extended deterrence, prevent North Korean nuclear tests and how South Korea and the U.S. will react when the North does conduct a nuclear test," he said.



To this end, Austin and Lee agreed to resume the countries' high-level Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) talks at an early date to help boost their joint deterrence, according to the defense ministry.



A ministry official later said the countries have agreed to hold a EDSCG meeting before the end of September.



Defense Minister Lee said the countries will also hold a joint "operational exercise" for U.S. extended deterrence in the near future.



"It was an opportunity to again confirm the U.S.' commitment to extended deterrence and its ability to execute such a commitment," Lee said while meeting with reporters.



"For instance, we reaffirmed the U.S.' commitment to counter North Korea's nuclear capability with all available means, including strategic assets such as nuclear-powered carriers and fighter bombers," added the minister.



Lee and Austin also reaffirmed the countries' agreement to develop their alliance into a "global comprehensive strategic alliance," according to the defense ministry.



"The two ministers made it clear that South Korea and the U.S. will jointly take stern measures against a North Korean nuclear test based on their strong joint defense posture should North Korea conduct its seventh nuclear test despite opposition from the international community," it said. (Yonhap)


Southern Show gets underway

The Southern District Agricultural Show kicks off today.

Bumper crowds are expected for the two-day event at Orrisdale Farm.

The gates opened at 10am with a Grand Parade taking place this afternoon.

Motorists are being watned to expect traffic delays especially between Ballasalla and Blackboards.

Orrisdale Road will be ONE WAY 9am to 6pm with access from the A5 only. There will be no access to the Show from the St Marks Road (A26).
Kenya's National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), a government agency that aims to eradicate ethnic or racial discrimination among the country's 45 tribes, has given Facebook seven days to tackle hate speech related to next month's election on its platform. If the social media fails to do so, it faces suspension in the country. The agency's warning comes shortly after international NGO Global Witness and legal non-profit Foxglove released a report detailing how Facebook approved ads written to instigate ethnic violence in both English and Swahili.

The organizations joined forces to conduct a study testing Facebook's ability to detect hate speech and calls for ethnic-based violence ahead of the Kenyan elections. As Global Witness explained in its report, the country's politics are polarized and ethnically driven  after the 2007 elections, for instance, 1,300 people were killed and hundreds of thousands more had to flee their homes. A lot more people use social media today compared to 2007, and over 20 percent of the Kenyan population is on Facebook, where hate speech and misinformation are major issues.

The groups decided not to publish the exact ads they submitted for the test because they were highly offensive, but they used real-life examples of hate speech commonly used in Kenya. They include comparisons of specific tribal groups to animals and calls for their members' rape, slaughter and beheading. "Much to our surprise and concern," Global Witness reported, "all hate speech examples in both [English and Swahili] were approved." The NCIC said the NGOs' report corroborates its own findings.

Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on

After the organizations asked Facebook for a comment regarding what it had discovered and hence made it aware of the study, Meta published a post that details how it is preparing for Kenya's election. In it, the company said it has built a more advanced content detection technology and has hired dedicated teams of Swahili speakers to help it "remove harmful content quickly and at scale." To see if Facebook truly has implemented changes that has improved its detection system, the organizations resubmitted its test ads. They were approved yet again.

In a statement sent to both Global Witness and Gizmodo, Meta said it has taken "extensive steps" to "catch hate speech and inflammatory content in Kenya" and that the company is "intensifying these efforts ahead of the election." It also said, however, that there will be instances where it misses things " as both machines and people make mistakes."

Global Witness said its study's findings follow a similar pattern it previously uncovered in Myanmar, where Facebook played a role in enabling calls for ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims. It also follows a similar pattern the organization unearthed in Ethiopia wherein bad actors used the Facebook to incite violence. The organizations and Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen are now calling on Facebook to implement the "Break the Glass package of emergency measures it took after the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. They's also asking the social network to suspend paid digital advertisements in Kenya until the end of the elections on August 9th.
Contrary to what you may have heard over the past few days, Google says its not shutting down its Stadia gaming service. The company issued the statement after a rumor began circulating earlier this week that suggested it would sunset the platform later this year. Stadia is not shutting down, the official Stadia Twitter account told a concerned fan in a tweet spotted by PC Gamer. Rest assured were always working on bringing more great games to the platform and Stadia Pro.

Some Stadia fans were convinced Google would finally pull the plug on the service after Cody Ogden of Killed by Google fame, a Twitter account and blog that keeps track of the companys constantly expanding graveyard, shared a post from a Facebook fan group. According to the message, an old coworker and friend told the poster Google had recently held a meeting to discuss Stadias future, or lack thereof. They claimed the company would shut down the platform by the end of the summer and would do so using the same strategy it employed with Google Play Music.

At the time, the only commentary Ogden, a self-proclaimed shitposter, offered on the post was a popcorn emoji. However, that wasnt enough to stop the rumor from sending much of the Stadia community, including the official subreddit, into freefall. To its credit, Google responded to the episode with a bit of humor.

Just a heads up



Old coworker of mine is now one of the social managers for Google. They had a pretty large seminar in California this past weekend, and long story short you now can play Wavetale at no additional cost on Stadia Pro until August 1: https://t.co/2O6P0Kd8Kd pic.twitter.com/Hjo0pvARKx  Stadia  (@GoogleStadia) July 29, 2022

That even a thinly sourced rumor caused upheaval among the Stadia community isnt surprising. The service has been on an extended deathwatch ever since Google shut down its first-party studios. The incident highlights the unhealthy parasocial relationships people can sometimes have with tech companies like Google. Communities that are confident in their continued existence dont respond like some of the things that have been hurled at me in public and in DMs the past couple days, Ogden said after the dust settled. If even the suggestion that a piece of technology could go away affects you so deeply that it brings you to threats, maybe you need to reevaluate your relationship with the tech?
Indonesia is blocking residents from accessing various online platforms after those services failed to comply with a July 29th regulatory deadline, reports Reuters (via The Verge ). Among the affected platforms are PayPal, Steam and Yahoo (owned by Engadgets parent company Apollo Management).

Under the countrys 2020 MR5 law, companies labeled as Private Electronic System Providers had until this week to register with a government database or face an outright ban. Similar to Indias restrictive 2021 IT law , MR5 gives Indonesia the power to force online platforms to take down content the government deems unlawful or a threat to public order. In instances involving urgent requests, services have four hours to take action.

According to Reuters, a handful of tech companies, including Google, Meta and Amazon, rushed in recent days to meet Fridays deadline. Indonesia may restore access to some of the online services that are currently blocked in the country, provided they register with the government.

Turn on browser notifications to receive breaking news alerts from Engadget You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. Not now Turned on Turn on

PayPal and Valve did not immediately respond to Engadgets request for comment. Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, the general director of Indonesias Ministry of Communication and Information, told a local news network that the government could temporarily lift restrictions on PayPal to allow users to withdraw their money.

Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Human Rights Watch have criticized Indonesias new content moderation rules. [MR5] is a tool for censorship that imposes unrealistic burdens on the many digital services and platforms that are used in Indonesia, said Linda Lakhdhir, Asia legal advisor at Human Rights Watch. It poses serious risks to the privacy, freedom of speech, and access to information of Indonesian internet users.
Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish of fermented vegetables / gettyimagesbank



By Lee Yeon-woo



A Korean food scholar presented three major differences between Korean kimchi and Chinese pao cai at a food culture conference in Seoul, Friday, countering a Chinese movement to claim kimchi as its culture.



The Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) organized the conferenced under the theme of Korean food culture and its history to discuss the history and characteristics of Korean traditional food such as rice, liquor and fermented paste.



The centerpiece of the conference was a presentation on kimchi, a staple in Korean cuisine. The fermented vegetable dish is embroiled in a controversy over its origin as some Chinese online users claim that Korea's kimchi originated from China's pao cai.



Salting vegetables is one of the oldest and most popular ways to preserve food and fermented vegetables are enjoyed in many nations in different ways  pao cai in China, sauerkraut in Germany, acharr in India, and many more.



"There are various pieces of historical evidence that can prove kimchi is different from pao cai," researcher Park Chae-rin from the World Institute of Kimchi said during her presentation.



Park said kimchi and pao cai can be distinguished by three major characteristics  the way of fermentation, the spices used in seasonings and the way they are consumed.



"Kimchi has more than 200 kinds of microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast," Park said, adding that kimchi is fermented in a breathable jar, while pao cai is stored in an air-tight jar that controls microorganisms' activities.





Researcher Park Chae-rin from the World Institute of Kimchi makes a presentation about how kimchi is different from pao cai in a conference hosted by the Northeast Asian History Foundation (NAHF) in Seoul, Friday. Courtesy of NAHF
Food writing can function as an alternative mode in historiography, making visible the history of the Anglo-Indian community.

In The Trotter-nama: A Chronicle (1988), I Allan Sealy historicises the evolution of Anglo-Indian cuisine as fusion food. He offers an elaborate description of diverse local and foreign agencies that the Great Trotter, the fountainhead of the Anglo-Indian community in the novel, recruited in his kitchen to introduce a unique culinary tradition. In Vegemite Vindaloo (2006), David McMahon, a diasporic Anglo-Indian, juxtaposes the Australian food Vegemite with the Portuguese and Anglo-Indian curry vindaloo as a culinary metaphor for representing the doubly hyphenated identity of an Australian Anglo-Indian. In The Secret Vindaloo (2014), Keith Butler, an Anglo-Indian in New Zealand, sarcastically writes that vindaloo is a secret recipe to represent the invisibility of Anglo-Indian immigrants in multicultural Australia.

Why did these writers all choose cuisine to represent the Anglo-Indian cultural identity? Using the culinary as a mode of representation is not limited to Anglo-Indian writers. The Kolkata branch of the All India Anglo-Indian Association announced in 2018 that it would organise a winter carnival where members would cook and sell typical Anglo-Indian fare such as pork balichow, sausage curry, yellow rice and meat ball curry. In the same year, the Forum of Anglo-Indian Women in Chennai organised a fair called the Anglo-Indian Craft and Cuisine.

Anglo-Indian cuisines history goes back 500 years to the birth of the community in the 16th century when Portuguese traders landed on the Coromandel shores for spice trade. The search for spices had lured Vasco da Gama to the Malabar coast in 1498. The Portuguese were the first to establish their colony in India. Portuguese men married local Indian women to build a rapport with the colonised subjects. They gradually became fond of eating European food cooked with local spices, creating a fusion cuisine. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French, and the English contributed to the evolution of Eurasian cuisine or Anglo-Indian cuisine over the centuries. Typical Anglo-Indian dishes, such as pepper water, vindaloo, and Dak Bungalow chicken reveal the influences of local culinary customs on the European preparations of soup, stew, and meat.

Vindaloo is a Portuguese dish that was originally cooked with pork, wine vinegar, and garlic. Consumption of pork was minimal in India as it was a forbidden fare for Hindus and Muslims, the major population groups. In her book Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors (2006), Lizzie Collingham observes that Portuguese missionaries not only persuaded their Christian converts to eat pork but also taught them how to cook it. However, wine vinegar was not available in India, and some Franciscan priests substituted it with vinegar manufactured from coconut toddy. They prepared a sauce by mixing tamarind pulp and plenty of garlic to the toddy vinegar and adding a masala consisting of black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices. Today vindaloo is also cooked with fish, poultry, and even vegetables. Dak Bungalow chicken curry is another Anglo-Indian dish whose very name suggests its

colonial history. In The Raj at Table: The Culinary History of the British in India (1993), David Burton writes that during the 1840s, single-storeyed bungalows were built across the country for travelling government officials. These rest houses were called Dak Bungalows. Dak Bungalow chicken curry was a dish improvised by the Indian butlers and mussalchees (spice-grinders) who looked after these rest houses.

The recipe books of Bridget White Kumar and Patricia Brown highlight the conventional Anglo-Indian dishes to be used in specific social, religious, and cultural occasions. Kumars Anglo-Indian Cuisine: A Legacy of Flavours from the Past (2013) offers a glimpse of the history of the community in that phase of British Raj when the railways had become an important part of the Anglo-Indian life. In a recent email interview with the author of this article, Kumar observes:

Being an Anglo-Indian and having grown up with this cuisine, I felt it was necessary to document and preserve this cuisine which has been shrinking over time. A lot of regional influences are being merged with the cuisine so I felt that the old traditional dishes needed to be preserved.

Her reply reveals an anxiety over the loss of the communitys unique culinary culture. Although Anglo-Indian cuisine is a fusion cuisine, the community is resisting further interpolation in its recipes. The title of Kumars book emphasises the colonial legacy which is an important factor in the construction of Anglo-Indian culture and identity. The inclusion of the recipe for Railway Lamb/Mutton curry and its history in Kumars book has an archival value. The chapters of Browns Anglo-Indian Food and Customs (1998) are designed around the concept of different social occasions such as birthdays, summer holidays, funerals, Christmas, New Year, baptisms, and weddings. She uses personal memory to narrate the collective experience gathered from these social occasions in Anglo-Indian families. A tinge of nostalgia is apparent in her recollection of her childhood days.

A study of these books and a historical analysis of the select recipes enable a non-Anglo-Indian reader to perceive the Anglo-Indian cuisine as a distinct fusion food that the Anglo-Indians can claim as their own objet dart. It also reshapes the conventional notions of racial hybridity and cultural hybridity. Christina Voicu argues that even now the double consciousness and multiple belongings of mixed-descent groups are often interpreted according to the racist ideologies that reveal the power relations between the centre and the margin, the West and the rest, the majority and the minority.

In an age of physical and cultural displacements, identity has become a contested topic. As far as Anglo-Indians are concerned, their anxiety for preserving their cultural identity is intensified due to their minuscule demographic size. Although placed in such a context of travelling cultures, many Anglo-Indians want their cuisine to resist further mutation. They believe that this is a way to stabilise the cultural identity of the community in this age of globalisation. The double consciousness inherent in the nomenclature Anglo-Indian finds a positive expression in their unique food history. Food writing in this context functions as an alternative mode in historiography that brings to light the history of a hitherto under-represented community. The recipe books, food blogs, exhibitions, and fairs showcasing traditional Anglo-Indian dishes are an effective means for putting up a strong resistance to transcultural mutations so far as culinary practices are concerned. However, the experiences of the Anglo-Indian immigrants, as described in the books of McMahon and Butler, show that fusion is a continuous process in the making and remaking of the Anglo-Indian cuisine.
The Worst Person in the World is a definitive statement on the existential crisis faced by the current generation.

The hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur in the 20th century firmly established the reader at the centre of a texts universe. A shift from mining the authorial intended meaning to excavating what happens in front of the text is what preoccupies this heritage. Fresh into my graduate class, I was blown away by the novelty and boldness of these arguments. Rather than unearthing the timeless and exact meaning of things, I was now seduced by the eclectics of phenomenology and hermeneutics. Exploring the new feelings and emotions that a film tried to tap and the new things about the world that I would be able to visualise after watching, it became an irresistible proposition. It is with this idea that I write about The Worst Person in the World (2021).

An acclaimed Norwegian film directed by Joachim Trier, The Worst Person in the World is set in Oslo and tells the story of Julie, a young woman turning 30, faced with existential uncertainty over what she wants from life, navigating career choices, men, and jobs. Characteristic of the liquidity of our times, Julie lives in genuine aporias about finding her passion in life. This is brilliantly captured by her career choicesenthusiastic about medicine at one point and then shifting to photography to writing to psychology to working at a bookstore. This is also captured well through the contrasting men who come into her life. While Aksel, the male protagonist, comes across as secure and academic, the other male lead, Eivind, is the opposite. Julies escapism will speak more to the urban Gen Z in Indiaa generation that grew up experiencing the full effects of liberalisationthan to people born earlier, bound by the traditional ethics surrounding love and marriage.

As a student of social theory, I was enamoured by the scale and depth of The Worst Person in the World. To say that this film is a definitive statement on the existential crisis of the current generation would not be an excess. In a world that is slowly but certainly embracing post-foundationalism, its reflection and impact on how we perceive people and relationships in more intimate spaces of life is unavoidable. Couple that with the precariousness of our economic and political spheres and almost all our social institutions start to tremble. Victorian morality provided a robe of sacrality to the institutions of marriage and family that were inherently mired in property and patriarchal relations. The advent of Romanticism (and its attendant idea of the one) refashioned marriage into an ideal site for institutionalising love. However, as bourgeois societies became more and more complex, older social forms were unable to handle this. While modernity has always been a process of liquefaction of the older social relations, its rapidity in the current phase with attendant features of deregulation, liberalisation, and flexibilisation has created a social sphere that is anchorless. As the renowned sociologist Zygmunt Bauman has pointed out, frailty, loneliness, uncertainty, and non-confidence over our fate characterise our relations in the current human condition.

As a viewer, I would have been deeply suspicious of the kind of life choices that Julie makes had I watched the film a few years ago. Today, after being in the company of new friends for a while now (most of whom belong to Gen Z), I think I can understand and empathise with the kind of decisions that she makes. We are a generation that wants the highs of intellectual growth without giving up physical comforts; to enjoy the ecstasies of love without the attendant fall and sacrifices involved in it; to enjoy the comfort and excitement of being in a relationship without being committed. This is a generation that wants freedom of choice without the expectation of being judged for our choices. It is a generation that believes in and celebrates casualness: from the kind of clothes we wear to the kind of relationships we want to have. In the absence of a cushion of any viable normative order, we are doomed to find solace in minor epiphanies.

This is a generation that was born on the debris of high liberal and communist dreams and thus looks at any attempt at institutionalising morality with deep and valid suspicion of entrenching patriarchy or traditional ethics in the name of these metanarratives. This high hedonism and flakiness of our existence produce selves that are in perennial longing, a longing for a reconciliation of the two extremes; a reconciliation of what the protagonist describes as the sensible and the sexy. This is evident in the kind of contrasting men that come in Julies life.

Another important aspect of the film is its setting and cinematography, which further enhances its appeal. The melancholy of wintery Norwegian skies blends effortlessly with Julies loneliness. The slow dimming of the film further enhances its visual grammar. The freezing scene is bound to go down as one of the best experiments in contemporary film-making: to convey Julies sudden rush of infatuation, the streets of Oslo come to a standstill as she finally decides to leave Aksel for Eivind. The light switch, a metaphor for gestalt switch, effectively conveys the moment of revelation. There is also another dream sequence when Julie takes drugs and, under hallucination, meets all the people in her life, which is greatly enhanced by the crafty camera work. If films are ultimately about the visual, the medium through which we see it, Triers mastery over the medium and the use of Oslo as a canvas add gravitas to the depth of the characters.

While many might find the films climax to be uneventful and loose, it is one of the boldest decisions that the makers of the film could have made. Nearly all coming-of-age storiesincluding good ones such as Coda (2021), Udaan (2010), or Hillbilly Elegy (2020)ultimately become narratives of individual triumph, where the protagonists finally find peace with themselves and the world. But that doesnt happen with Triers Julie. The film ends, showing that the protagonist is alone, wrestling with the lacunas within herself and what the world thinks of her. This is almost a metaphor for our existential predicament. What elevates the film and this generation is that it is sincere about these things. It does not shroud or justify its hedonistic urges under the garb of societal morality.

The film also poignantly brings out the females point of view with great empathy, with the verberations of MeToo always lurking in the background. All that said, a female friend after watching the film said, Girls have, for centuries, been portrayed as being indecisive in life; Triers attempt is no different. I leave you with these final thoughts.

[Images accompanying this article are available on the EPW website.]
The most valuable tool that we have against misinformationand those that seek to actively misinformis a critically thinking population.

As I lay in bed a few weeks ago wondering how bad the COVID-19 booster side effects would be, I involuntarily did exactly what doctors tell you not to do: I googled it. As I scrolled through a Reddit thread, I came across a curious comment that linked to an article by a certain Robert Malone that supposedly exposed the real facts about the Pfizer vaccine. That set off my spidey sensesSpidermans superpower to sense danger before it can be perceived by other senses. As a physicist, my research has taught me to critically examine any and every claim and assumption. I decided to proceed with caution.

A cursory look at Malones bio indicated that he was a well-qualified medical professional. Reading his article, I was taken aback. I am used to hearing false claims about the vaccines that are easy for even a non-medical expert such as myself to debunk, but what surprised me about the article was that it came across as a scientifically legitimate argument against Pfizers vaccine safety data. While reasonably fluent in discussions of legitimacy and biases of data sets in general, Im no expert in medical sciences, and so it was hard for me to argue with what was a well-crafted and seemingly professional critique. What do I know?

Thats when a different part of the physicist in me kicked in: valuing peer review and consensus over one persons (professional?) opinion. I sat up and decided to do what all academics have a lovehate relationship witha good old literature review. I was curious to see what the scientific literature and medical experts had to say about Malones claims. For example, the article linked a recent rise in athlete deaths due to myocarditis to the vaccines and the spike protein in the vaccines to serious side effects. Upon further reading, I learnt that evidence, in fact, suggested that neither of those claims was true: most athlete cases of myocarditis were determined to be because of the virus itself and not the vaccine. After a couple of hours reading scientific papers and articles by medical doctors, I finally concluded that almost every claim the article made was untrue.

The moral of this story for me was that no matter how well-informed I like to think I am, I am as susceptible to falling for misinformation as anyone else. Malone has been widely criticised by the medical community for promoting lies about the vaccines, but that didnt change how believable his article must seem to the vast majority of readers.

The paradox of the information age that we live in is that misinformation is as easily available as information itself. This simple fact could have profound and potentially devastating consequences for open societies across the world. Were already seeing this in play, evidenced by the renewed rise in anti-science tendencies and increasingly polarised sociopolitical landscapes. It has become incredibly easy to circulate factually incorrect materialoften with a veneer of authority and authenticityto propagate an agenda or to sow discord that can then be exploited for political gains. We, in India, are no strangers to the latter. Indian society is hardly immune to misinformation or pseudoscience either. A recent international multilingual study indicated that during the pandemic, India has been the biggest source of misinformation among all countries. From cow urine drinking parties organised by elected officials to WhatsApp claims about turmeric milks COVID-19-killing abilities, evidence of a massive misinformation problem is ample.

What can we do about all this? How do we save our societies from this slippery slope? Some governments are beginning to take action. In a recent landmark piece of legislation, the European Union has set a new standard for regulating social media platforms. The coming years might see Western governments attempt to tackle this important issue. While regulation will have an important role to play, it is my view that the most valuable tool that we have against misinformationand those that seek to actively misinformis a critically thinking population. The scientific community will continue to lead the fight, but that fight will only get anywhere when all of us come together and do our part.

As was my experience with Malones claims, it is difficult for the layperson to tell a legitimate professional disagreement apart from a deliberate piece of misinformation. Had I failed to fact-check, I might have continued to carry in my head a little seed of doubt regarding the vaccines. A good first step to avoid such a thing, therefore, is to take a step back and ask some basic questions:

Is the claim supported by peer-reviewed science? Do experts seem to agree? Experts/scientists may disagree with one another on technicalities and interpretation, but in many cases, a general consensus emerges through that debate. When you are attempting to figure out what is not true, it often helps to know what experts think is true.

Do other news outlets report the same story? If you see a contentious news piece that only one outlet seems to be reporting on, it is worth asking why others arent. Unless a story is made up, many outlets will report on it even if with their own biases and viewpoints.

Do they go straight to social media? A hallmark of misinformation is that it is often propagated directly through social media and messaging/email networks. This is as true of Malones methods as it is for that Instagram celebrity trying to peddle weight loss solutions that are not based in any real evidence.

Do they primarily use anecdotal evidence? Remember that friend whose aunts diabetes got cured thanks to homoeopathy? It is well established that homoeopathy is at best placebo, but its clinics continue to stay in business because anecdotal evidence is a powerful marketing strategy.

Sometimes the ones spreading misinformation are politicians that want you to blame Muslims for all thats wrong in the country. At other times, it is a self-proclaimed spiritual leader who has made a business out of uttering complete nonsense in polished English. And finally, it is us, even if completely unintentionally. No one is immune to misinformation. In my experience, it is helpful to approach the complex world that we live inand the conversations that we have with one anotherwith a sense of humility and an open mind. As we continue to learn to respect expert advice, practising critical thinking ourselves is an important first step in keeping misinformation and propaganda in check. Learning to ask simple but important questions can make all the difference in the world.

Sai Kanth Dacha (saikanth.dacha@gmail.com) received his PhD in physics at the University of Maryland. In addition to his research in photonics, he is passionate about writing, science and technology policy, and science advocacy.
The performance of women legislators is analysed by looking at the nature of questions posed by them over a span of 20 years (19992019) in the lower house of the Indian Parliament. The analysis, however, is a contestation of claims that suggest women act as silent members, and if at all they speak, they do on softer issues like women and child development, food processing, health, and sanitation, thus trying to escape the discussions on national security, finance, agriculture, railways, etc. These are otherwise considered as male bastions. This paper is a quantitative analysis of womens political performance during the Question Hour session, which is considered as an important plenary space where legislators act on their own, free from the party regulation.

Independent India claims to be the worlds largest democracy, turbulent and vigorous but ever so evolving. Elections form the animating spirit of Indian democracy. It is held religiously every five years with enough pomp and show. Indian democracy flourishes with exceptional rates of citizen participation. The Lok Sabha elections of 2019 manifested 67% voter turnout with decreasing rates of gender gap (ECI 2019). These figures indicate the undying credence citizens have in Indian politics and its democracy, despite the limitations of electoral democracy. The Indian Parliament acts as a theatre of democracy regardless of the peoples sneering disbelief and despondency in political institutions of the country to which Parliament is no exception (Rai and Spray 2019: 2). Electoral democracies all over the world are faced with criticism about their substantive representation1 to which they retort by translating democracy into electoral representation. How can the democratic institutions in India include all its citizens? In other words, how can these institutions be representative of its entire population? (Jayal 2013: 25). Here, what concerns this paper is the study of the impact of systematic exclusion of women from the political life on their political representation and in turn on their political performance.

Limited literature is available on Parliament, the countrys foremost political institution that asserts representing Indian democracy. Barring a few, there is a serious literature gap when it comes to some meaningful critical reviews of the institution (Shankar and Rodrigues 2011; Gupta 2003; Kashyap 2008). Women have had a history of marginal representation in leadership positions, especially when it comes to their participation in the political sphere. The 2019 election saw a historic rise in the number of women elected to the lower house of Parliament. Seventy-eight women were welcomed to Parliament for the first time since independence when only 22 women members were part of the house of 543 members during the first Lok Sabha.

On the one hand, there is a reason to celebrate this historic increase. However, on the other hand, there is an increased need for reflection on why womens representation is still not reflective or inadequate to their proportion in the population.

The research aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of womens political representation that will be theoretically informed and empirically based. There cannot be a more productive space than Parliament to study all kinds of contradictions prevalent in any society. It acts as a mirror to a society representing different constituencies, identity groups, their diverse and varied interests and opinions; Indian society being a perfect example. The claim that the Indian Parliament is representative of the Indian society cannot bear the test of time. Therefore, it stands rejected experiencing the systematic exclusion of nearly half of its population of women.

Framework

Current research is an attempt to understand and assess the claim-making by trying to make some sense of the role played by gender in Indian Parliament. Thus, the research employs a performance framework (where womens questions asked in Parliament are analysed). The paper relies on some major theoretical and analytical premises that are fundamental to its understanding:

Institutional development (Rai and Spray 2019: 21): The core of this research is that access to positions of power for women elected to Lok Sabha and in turn leading to reduction in the gender gap in Parliament is not the sole solution to our problem. However, what remains in focus is the link between the access to positions of power and their participation.

Access to justice (Rai and Spray 2019: 21): This premise is based on a fact that an increase in womens political representation is indubitable simply because of the fact that women just like men form half of the worlds population. It is their inalienable right to equality when it comes to access to justice. Any ascribed identity cannot form the basis of inequality.

Intersection of identities (Fraser 1995: 73): Allows the researcher to understand how performance and politics are mutually constitutive of each other by allowing to analyse representation through the lens of intersection of identities. An analysis of all the above-mentioned premises is central to this research for developing an understanding of the coexisting nature of representation and performance.

Theoretical Evaluation

Policy discussions for group inclusion have been gaining immense popularity. Electoral quotas were quite uncommon till the 1980s. However, times have changed as 77 countries from around the globe either have legislative candidate quotas or reserved seats for women in the lower houses of their legislative assemblies by 2016 (Jensenius 2017: 15). It is indeed extremely tempting to consider such policies of group inclusion to result in effective group representation.

Hannah Pitkin in her pioneering work on political representation maintained that representation is acting in the interests of those being represented (Pitkin 1972: 209). This suggests that the representative shall have both the ability as well as the intention to represent the community. This refers to what we call substantive representation. It means acting for the community/group. Whether descriptive representation leads to substantive representation that is an increased presence of women legislators in Parliament will lead to a better representation of womens interests is also what the study looks at by analysing the performance of women in Parliament.

Pitkin argues that none of the four dimensions of representation can be studied in isolation, rather they are parts of a whole and are interrelated (Pitkin 1972). Bulk of the literature available on women in legislative politics is based on Pitkins integrated model of womens representation. The debates on political representation vary from country to country owing to the varying institutional structures, characteristics of womens movements, and a number of other factors. While studying womens political representation, one cannot skip analysing Latin American democracies. Womens representation in Latin America has seen a dramatic upward trend over the past 30 years. In Argentina, women formed 40% of the legislature in 2008 compared to a meager 4% in 1983. One of the earliest democracies, Costa Rica has also seen phenomenal strides by sending 38% of women to its legislature in 2006. As discussed earlier, formal representation impacts descriptive representation. But there is much more to it. Representation is not a phenomenon that takes place in isolation from society. The overarching social, economic, political, cultural, and territorial factors

affect the descriptive representation (Norris 1985; Paxton and Hughes 2007; Inglehart and Norris 2003).

All these factors play a key role in determining the percentage of women representatives elected to legislatures in most, if not all, Latin American democracies. Culture is one such social factor that can significantly hinder the representation of women in various political offices because most societies separate

private from political. This envision of distinct gender roles creates obstacles for women. Evidently, the lack of political will contributes to the fact that the United States Senate has a representation of only 13% of a group that comprises half its population (Lawless and Fox 2004). Therefore, literature suggests that the societies with a favourable cultural atmosphere supporting womens access to politics by giving them opportunities to build a career in politics see a decent representation of women in their legislative assemblies (Norris 2003; Paxton and Hughes 2007; Tremblay 2007). Therefore, patriarchal culture of the society acts as a strong hindrance to the access of women into politics in sub-Saharan Africa (Yoon 2004). Rule (1987), Reynolds (1999), Tripp and Kang (2008), and Kenworthy and Malami (1999) argued that the dominant religious belief of a society has a direct correlation with the number of women running for the political offices in that society. Democratic culture and representation of women in politics are correlated (Bayer 2010).

A traditional measure of womens representation around the world has been either descriptive representation or substantive representation. The post-conflict African democracies are no exception. Some of the African countries whose success story of womens representation has been a popular discourse include Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Nigeria (Bauer and Britton 2006). What is worth mentioning is not just the increased numbers due to the adoption of affirmative action in most of these countries. Instead, it should not be seen as an end in itself, rather there is a need to go beyond the numbers. Focus should be on taking on a pro-women agenda in the otherwise masculine institutional context.

A key component of the study of political representation, especially womens political representation, is the analysis of the electoral system that is in practice in any democracy. A growing body of literature suggests that countries with a proportional representation system have an increased percentage of women in their legislative assemblies as compared to countries with first-past-the-post system (Kenworthy and Malami 2005; Matland 1998; Siaroff 2000; Reynolds 1999). A classic study by Lijphart (1999) made a comparative analysis of the proportionality and majority systems across 13 democratic countries over a time of 30 years. The study suggests that proportional representation systems represent minority group interests better by ensuring greater representation of women representatives. The Inter-parliamentary Union Data (2016) also suggests that the number of women elected in the proportional representation system is double compared to the majority systems across 193 countries. The potential of a proportional representation system to translate the vote share into the maximum seat share in the legislature also depends on a large district magnitude coupled with a party magnitude (Norris 2006; Matland and Brown 1992; Rule 1987). A classic case of the proportional representation system is New Zealand. In 1996, it amended its constitution by changing from a single-member plurality system to a multi-member plurality system. Since the country adopted the proportional representation system, the women in New Zealand not only witnessed significant increase in their descriptive representation, but representation of women belonging to various social strata of society was also taken care of.

Women in Indian Politics

Nivedita Menon presents a feminist theory and politics in India by referring to womens movement. She argues that the participation of women in politics during the womens movements challenged patriarchal and gender inequalities. The study maintains that India is not home to a single womans movement (Menon 1999). Within the unchanged institutional framework of Indian electoral politics, women have tried various alternate paths to power over the period of two decades. Gender has always and continues to play a crucial role in determining the path to power and the legitimacy they gain upon (Spray 2007).

Women in India are becoming more literate and wealthy. This is one of the reasons behind them being more politically active. They have started organising themselves into small local economic groups. Evidence suggests that women who are part of these economic groups tend to be politically more active (Prillaman 2016). Though the voter turnout gap between men and women has reduced, this does not suggest that women outnumber men. Societys entrenched preference for a male child places India at a shameful position of 186 of 194 countries according to the World Bank rankings. But, what appears welcoming is that women being more politically active have already started making an impact on how candidates campaign and govern once they are in power (Anand 2017). However, there is still a long way to go. The percentage of women candidates contesting for elections has gone up too. They either contest from constituencies that have more men than women population (Kapoor and Ravi 2013) or from reserved constituencies (Jensenius 2016). There is evidence suggesting that more women in Parliament is likely to have considerable impact on gender perceptions as it is more likely to break stereotypes about distinct gender roles in public and private domains. Beaman et al (2012) in another study argue that female leadership influences the adolescent girls career options and their educational attainment, calling it a role-model effect. Women leaders are also associated with higher growth and lower levels of corruption.

Literature suggests that women like other minorities and historically marginalised groups tend to be better representatives of their group/community because of a shared sense of culture, experience, and traditions (Phillips 1995; Mansbridge 1999; Svaleryd 2009; Edlund and Pande 2002; Minta 2009; Campbell et al 2010). However, this argument is completely contrary to the ideal political system where representatives are supposed to act in the best interests of those being represented rather than representing caste, class, sex, race, religion, etc. The identity should not affect their political performance. There is also an ample amount of literature that suggests women do not want themselves to be seen only as representatives of women, working only for womens interests. They do not see themselves working just for women (Lublin 1999; Skard 2012; Diamond 1977; Htun 2016).

Any meaningful discussion on womens political representation and their participation in politics is incomplete without an analysis of the impact of gender on participation of women in debates, deliberations, and questioning on the floor of the house. Since the most important facet of a member of Parliament (MP) is to deliberate, questioning and participating in debates is perhaps the most apparent behaviour of women members of Parliament (Franceschet and Piscopo 2008).

The notion that women will represent womens issues better and prove to be better performing representatives is born out of the argument that descriptive representation will lead to substantive representation. This forms the core theoretical underpinning of this paper. An analysis of the issues that women choose to speak on during the Question Hour of the Parliament will put the above assumption to test. The claim, however, is dangerous because it forces one to believe that women form a homogeneous group with monolithic characteristics, all of whom share similar interests, policy preferences, and ideas. The preliminary examination of the data was collected by analysing a vast data repository (comprising almost 4,00,000 responses by both male and female MPs). Questions asked by women on the floor of the house over a span of 20 years (19992019) suggest the antithesis of the popular assumption that women are only interested and capable of handling softer issues like women and child development, health and sanitation, and food processing. Women are likely to speak on issues that are of prime importance to all, including the hardcore issues of home, foreign affairs, railways, and infrastructure. Thus, women do not bring something special to politics only for women. They wish to work as representatives without paying attention to the gender of those being represented. Further, it is not a guarantee that women will represent womens issues better than men do. This leads to the fact that an increase in the physical representation of women in Parliament will not automatically result in furthering womens interests.

Women MPs are faced with institutional restraints affecting their participation and speaking rights that impacts their performance (Macklay 2008: 126). And when they speak, their performance is scrutinised more closely.

Women do not form a homogeneous group. They represent various identities like race, religion, caste, class, and region. All these have a bearing on womens limited representative claim-making in Parliament. Women are supposed to act for women and this ascriptive identity of theirs becomes important in debates and discussions discussing womens questions. Since participation in debates form an important parameter of the MPs performance, questions asked by MP women legislators during the Question Hour of Parliament are used as an alternative by the women members to mitigate the limited chances they get to participate in debates and succumbing to the party pressures of what to speak in Parliament.

Analysing debates is beyond the scope of this paper. However, such an analysis is beautifully done by Shirin M Rai and Carole Spray in one of their pioneering works Performing Representation: Women Members in Indian Parliament. The parliamentary term from 1999 to 2019 was specifically chosen as it involved four general elections with governments completing their full-five year terms and two different ruling coalitions at the helm of affairs (the National Democratic Alliance [NDA]-led Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP] and the United Progressive Alliance [UPA]-led Indian National Congress [INC]). This period was also considered a historic era in womens political representation when the 15th and 16th Lok Sabha welcomed 59 and 66 women membersthe highest number of seats filled by women till date. They occupied a little more than 13% of the total 543 seats (ECI 2018).

Data and Findings

Studies have shown that representatives from certain communities have led to an assimilation of the community they represent into the mainstream societal fabric (Jensenius 2017). The presence of members in various political positions of power belonging to a particular community has also led to the representation of their interests and delivery of public goods in their favour (Duflo and Chattopadhyay 2002). This paper analyses the performance of women and male legislators (on selected issues) from the proceedings of Question Hour over a period of 20 years (19992019). It tries to understand whether community belongingness among women translates into representation of only the interests of the community they belong to or a general representation of the interests. India is no exception to women being in numerical minority in the political institutions. India ranked 149th in the global rankings by the United Nations Women, well behind Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan in January 2019 (LoknitiCSDS 2019). However, the past few elections to Lok Sabha have seen a considerable improvement in the numbers for a group that forms half of the population, however, inadequate.

What do women speak about? The Question Hour is the first session of the day in both Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha. During this session, members from both the ruling government as well as the opposition are free to ask questions from the ministers. Questions, can demand either oral answers to starred answers or written answers to unstarred questions. Each day a total of 250 questions, including both starred and unstarred questions can be tabled. Thus, this massive repository of information becomes extremely important for political scientists to study. Interestingly, these questions can be analysed in a number of ways. One of the ways to evaluate the MPs performance is to look at the number of questions raised by them (Ayyangar and Jacob 2014; Aleman et al 2018; Bailer 2011). Another important method involves disaggregating the data further by doing a content analysis. This can lead to an analyses of the group being represented or the area of concern of the representative (Jacob 2014; Bird 2005; Saalfeld 2011; Spary 2010). A vast body of literature uses Question Hour as a tool, especially while studying European Parliaments. Blidook and Kerby (2014) studied Canadian Parliament and found that representatives tend to ask more questions related to agriculture if the constituency they are representing has a vast electorate engaged in agricultural activities. Similarly, a study on women legislators in the British Parliament suggests that the questions they ask tend to have terms like women, gender, and men more than their male counterparts (Birds 2005). This paper involves an analysis of Question Hours over a period of 20 years with four general elections (19992019) analysing a repository of around 4,00,000 questions.

The paper employs both the above explained methods to study these questions. Using the first method, the number of questions, involving both starred and unstarred, asked by women representatives was calculated. These questions were then categorised into various ministries under whose ambit they fell. This led to the deduction of the areas of concern for women representatives. In the other part of the study, using content analysis, questions asked by male representatives were carefully analysed. Questions involving texts like women, girls, schemes for women, rape, janani, crimes against women, and maternal were collected and categorised into various ministries.

The data comprised all the questions women asked in the Lok Sabha from 1999 to 2019. This included four consecutives Lok Sabha sessions (the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th Lok Sabha). The performance of women MPs is subjected to critical scrutiny because of their ascribed identity. They are expected to represent womens interests more even though their path to Parliament is met with similar obligations to party whip and discipline like their male counterparts. The data were collected from the official website of the Lok Sabha. The question bank included both the starred and the un-starred questions.2 Women members look at questions as an opportunity to counter the limited opportunities available to them to participate in the legislative functioning of Parliament. It is more important for them than debates for participation, claim-making, and carving out a space for themselves (Rai and Spray 2019).

Looking at the data collected for the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th Lok Sabha, the total number of questions that women asked over 20 years amounted to 41,065 (Table 1). This counters the claim that women do not speak in Parliament and act as gungi gudiyas (dumb dolls). Their participation compared to men is marginal along with the representation of women.

Analysing the disaggregated data reveals that during the 13th Lok Sabha, the issues that rank higher on the list of women representatives include health and family welfare, human resource development, home affairs, finance, agriculture and railways (Figure 1). The total number of questions asked by women were way less than half of what men ask.

A similar exercise was done for the 14th, 15th, and 16th Lok Sabha. All the starred and unstarred questions asked by women members were carefully studied. The overall proportion of questions from the 13th16th Lok Sabha witnessed an increase from 6,653 to 16,485. This can be attributed to an increase in the number of women elected as MPs. It is worth mentioning that issues related to health and family welfare, human resource development, agriculture, railways, finance and home affairs continue to interest women members (Figure 1), therefore, contesting the claim that women are always interested in softer issues stereotyped as feminine. They are considered as caregivers and negotiators incapable of taking strong independent decisions associated with the home and finance sectors. The data revealed that women are interested in issues across the spectrum.

What do men speak about? Before analysing the questions that women asked, it is important to understand how male legislators behave when it comes to the issues concerning women. The data suggest that, on an average, men speak more than women in debates on the floor of the house. Therefore, questions that men asked during the Question Hour of Parliament from 1999 to 2019 were studied in much detail. The text of the questions asked by men was analysed using content analysis. Only those questions that had text like women, girls, schemes for women, rape, janani, and crimes against women, and maternal, which overtly or covertly appeared to concern women, were taken into account, thus categorising such issues as issues concerning women for the sake of the study. This led to the finding that men asked more questions than women on issues concerning women that fall under the Ministry of Women and Child

Development (Table 2, p 56). The data also suggest that women do not bring anything special to politics for women onlycontrary to the belief that women act in the best interests of women only since male legislators are asking more questions on issues directly concerning women than female legislators. This is a welcome step, but whether it is long-lasting or not is a test of time.

On an average, men participate and ask more questions than women on issues that are of general concern. Men asked 281 questions in comparison to womens 218 questions during the 15th Lok Sabha. The average number of questions women asked did show an upward trend of 262 questions during the 16th Lok Sabha, still lower than their male counterparts. What the data suggest are that women MPs behave differently while performing in Parliament on the basis of the issue at hand rather than being concerned about the gender of those being represented.

Frequent women speakers: Question Hour is an important instrument of legislative accountability that has not received scholarly attention, especially in the Indian context. Ayyangar and Jacob (19802009) assembled a massive data set spanning over a period of 30 years analysing various individual characteristics and performances. This paper tries to disaggregate the data on questions asked by women members in Lok Sabha further. It argues that though the comparative number of frequent women speakers on the floor of the house has increased, they still feature low in the ranks to the frequent male speakers during the 15th and the 16th Lok Sabha. From among the most active women members, in terms of the questions asked, most of them were serving their first or second term with a few exceptions of members like Sumitra Mahajan who was serving her eighth term (Table 3). During the 15th Lok Sabha, Supriya Sule, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), asked the highest number of questions despite it being her first term in the Lok Sabha. She asked as many as 739 questions, which was still way lower than the total number of questions asked by the most active male parliamentarians (Table 3). P N Punia asked 1,266 questions during his term as an MP.

The data suggest that women MPs even when marginally represented in Parliament are hardly inactive. Studies pointed out that women MPs ask relatively fewer questions than their male counterparts (Ayyangar and Jacob 2014) owing to their marginal comparative representation. This paper maintains that the gender gap in terms of the questions asked is reasonably decreasing. During the 15th Lok Sabha, the average number of questions asked by women was 218, while men asked an average of 281 questions. However, in the 16th Lok Sabha, this gap was further reduced when the average number of questions asked by women was 262, while men asked 267 questions on average. To sum up, the most active women member (Supriya Sule for both the Lok Sabhas; that is 2009 and 2014) is more active than almost a majority of male members.

This paper highlights the importance of questioning as claim-making because it is seen as a preferred way of raising concerns in Parliament and an alternative to constraints on claim-making. Women MPs like Supriya Sule who are active question posers do not participate frequently in debates (Table 3 and 4, p 57). In 2009, she raised 739 questions and participated only in 38 debates (Table 3). While in 2014, she did fairly well by participating in 152 debates and raising 1,186 questions (Table 4). One can deduce that the active question posers do not see participation in debates feasible for claim-making on the floor of the house.

From 2009 to 2019, the most frequently speaking women representatives belonged to the BJP, irrespective of whether it was in opposition or in power. It indicates that the BJP tends to field active women candidates. Measurement of legislative performance from the Question Hour also indicates the women representing constituencies from historically marginalised states like north-eastern states exhibited fairly poor performance, while women representing states like Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh did reasonably well. Women MPs with a graduate-level degree were found to be more active than women with either lesser or higher levels of degree to their credit.

The correlation between age and the performance of women representatives is also found to be positive till the age of 50 years during the 15th Lok Sabha and 45 years during 16th Lok Sabha. The data suggest that women who are first- or second-timers are more active in asking questions unlike the experienced members. This can also be indicative of the fact that newer members use the Question Hour as a chance of getting into the good books of the party selectors. Therefore, the data suggest that legislative experience and legislative performance during the Question Hour do not hold a positive correlation when it comes to women representatives elected to the Lok Sabha. All the findings taken together offer an in-depth analysis of womens legislative performance during an important coliseum of parliamentary procedure. Thus, the data suggest that young (parliamentary terms-served), graduate women representatives from states like Maharashtra contesting on the BJP ticket tend to be more active during the Question Hour.

This paper is a contestation to the literature that suggests that women are silent spectators in Parliament, referring to them as gungi gudiyas. It also refutes studies which suggest that women bring something unique to politics and thus shall represent only women, or women MPs are interested in softer issues like health and family welfare, food processing industries, textiles, and social welfare.

Discussion and Implications

The Indian political system has an electoral representation system where seats are allocated to each state based on the population of that particular state. However, what one witnesses is an inadequate representation of women in accordance to their proportion of population in each state. Women have an equal right to participate in the public affairs and governance of their country. Despite proclamations of various national and international provisions, the reality leaves much to be desired the world over (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948). The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women endorses womens right to participate in political and public affairs either directly as voters or indirectly through elected representatives. Womens participation in politics has witnessed an upward trend since the last few general elections, both as voters and elected representatives. However, it still remains inadequate as they continue to face several sociocultural and economic hurdles. Women representatives face inevitable conflict, challenging the dominant norms and practices within society in general and political institutions in particular. This paper tries to understand the friction between the burden women bear of representing womens issues better and being concerned about the imperceptibility of these issues in Parliament. According to Geraldine Forbes (2005), womens role in politics is to usher some special feminine virtues into the public political domain as they are assumed to have special knowledge, interests, and skills. This slamming of ascriptive identity on a group leads to a kind of super-surveillance of the specialists. This leads to a closer scrutiny of their performance. As a consequence, women representatives self-regulate their performance along with being selective about the issues they speak on.

The analysis of the questions that women ask in Parliament suggests that they are seen as legitimate representatives. But, women representatives do not seem to regulate their performance by asking questions related only to women and child development and food processing industries, which are primarily seen as softer feminine domains. They are also interested in issues pertaining to national security, finance, agriculture, railways, etc. These are otherwise considered masculine. More men than women had asked questions containing text like women, girls, schemes for women, and rape related to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. Women MPs do prioritise their adequate participation in Parliament. However, what is equally important is the participation of more male MPs supporting issues concerning women, both overtly and covertly.

Parliament as an institution is gendered and corrupt. But, it has historically journeyed through the parliamentary landscapeevolved and developed into an institution that is more diverse and less socially elite. It is an institution that makes claims of representation. Analysing the debates on gender and politics, using the performance framework, one concludes that the problem of under-representation of women is only superficial. What lies underneath is the structural inequality where women are marginalised at all levels.

This structural exclusion of women takes the form of both formal as well as informal exclusion. Beginning at home, women are expected to exhibit appropriate behaviour by staying away from politics because of the threat of violence against them in the public domain. Structural inequality exists in the form of political parties acting as gatekeepers to keep women out of parliamentary politics and overlooking them while distributing tickets for winnable seats and membership of various parliamentary committees. It can therefore be argued that familial set-up, kinship, and the socio-economic and cultural conditions in which the socialisation of women takes place has a firm bearing on how women perceive politics as a career. This paper weaves together an analysis with an exploration of the dynamics of the increasing womens political representation and their participation in the legislative functioning. The impact of women on politics has been positive overall.

Notes

1 Substantive representation is one of the four views of representation offered by Hannah Fenichel Pitkin in The Concept of Representation; others being formalistic, descriptive, and symbolic representation. The substantive representation refers to all those activities of the representative performed in the terms of those being represented. The performance of the representative is evaluated by the effectiveness and the extent to which the representative advances the policy outcomes serving the best interests of whom they represents.

2 Starred Question is one to which an oral answer is desired on the floor of the house. Supplementary questions can follow a starred question.

Unstarred Question is one to which a written answer is desired by the member to be laid on the table of the house by the minister. It does not call for an oral answer nor can a supplementary question follow the unstarred question.

References

Aleman, E, J Micozzi and M Ramirez (2018): The Hidden Electoral Connection: Analysing Parliamentary Questions in the Chilean Congress, Journal of Legislative Studies, Vol 24, No 5, pp 118.

Ayyangar, S and S Jacob (2014): Studying the Indian Legislature: What does Question Hour Reveal? Studies in Indian Politics, Vol 2, No 1, pp 119.

Bailer, S (2011): Peoples Voice or Information Pool? The Role of and reasons for, Parliamentary Questions in the Swiss Parliament, Journal of Legislative Studies, Vol 17, No 3, pp 30214.

Beaman, L, R Chattopadhyay, E Duflo, R Pande and P Topalova (2009): Powerful Women: Does Exposure Reduce Bias? Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol 124, No 4, pp 149740.

Bird, K (2005): Gendering Parliamentary Questions, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, Vol 7, No 3, pp 35370.

Campbell, R, C Sarah and J Lovenduski (2010): Do Women Need Women Representatives? British Journal of Political Science, Vol 40, No 1, pp 17194.

Catalano, Ana (2005): Women Acting for Women: An Analysis of Gender and Debate Participation in the British House of Commons 20052007, Politics and Gender, Vol 5, pp 4568.

Childs, S (2005): Feminizing British Politics: Sex and Gender in 2005 General Election, In Britain Decides the UK General Election 2005, London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Childs, S and M L Krook (2008): The Substantive Representation of Women, Women and British Party Politics, Sarah Childs (ed), New York: Routledge.

Diamond, I (1977): Sex Roles in the State House, New Haven: Yale University Press.

Duflo, E and R Chattopadhyay (2002): Women as Policy Makers: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment, esocialsciences.com, Working Papers.

ECI (2018): List of Successful Candidates, Election Commission of India, https://eci.gov.in/files/file/2883-list-of-successful-candidate/ (elected women members).

 (2019): State-wise Voters Turnout, Election Commission of India, p 2, https://eci.gov.in/files/file/10971-12-state-wise-voters-turn-out/.

Edlund, L and R Pande (2002): Why Have Women Become Left-wing? The Political Gender Gap and the Decline in Marriage, Quaterly Journal of Economics, Vol 117, No 3, pp 91761.

Forbes, G (2005): Women in Colonial India: Essays on Medicine, Politics and History, New Delhi: Chronicle Books.

Franceschet, S and J M Piscopo (2008): Gender Quotas and Womens Substantive Representation: Lessons from Argentina, Politics and Gender, Vol 4, No 3, pp 393425.

Fraser, N (1995): Recognition or Redistribution? A Critical Reading of Iris Youngs Justice and the Politics of Difference Journal of Political Philosophy, Vol 3, No 2, pp 73.

Gupta, U N (2003): Indian Parliamentary Democracy, New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers and Distributors.

Hawkesworth, M R (2003): Congressional Enactments of Race and Gender: Towards a Theory of Raced-Gendered Institutions, American Political Science Review, Vol 97, No 4, pp 52950.

Htun, M (2016): Inclusion without Representation in Latin America: Gender Quotas and Ethnic Reservations, New York: Cambridge University Press.

Inglehart, R and P Norris (2003): Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change around the World, Harvard University: Cambridge University Press.

Jayal, N G (2003): Democracy in India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Jensenius, Francesca R (2017): Social Justice Through Inclusion: The Consequences of Electoral Quotas in India, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Kashyap, S C (2008): History of the Parliament of India, Delhi: Radha Publications.

Kenworthy, L and M Malami (2005): Gender Inequality in Political Representation: A Worldwide Comparative Analysis, Social Forces, Vol 78, No 235, pp 10.

Lijphart, A (1984): Democracies: Patterns of Majoritarian and Consensus Governments in Twenty-one Countries, New Haven: Yale University Press.

Lokniti-CSDS (2019): Women and Politics: Changing Trends and Emerging Patterns, New Delhi: CSDS.

Lovenduski, J (2005): Feminizing Politics, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Lublin, D (1999): Racial Discrimination and African-American Representation: A Critique of Do Majority-Minority Districts Maximize Substantive Black Representation in Congress? American Political Science Review, Vol 93, No 1, pp 18386.

Macklay, Fiona (2008): Thick Conceptions of Substantive Representation: Women, Gender and Political Institutions, Representation, Vol 44, No 2, pp 12539.

Mansbridge, J (1999): Should Blacks Represent Blacks and Women Represent Women? A Contingent Yes, Journal of Politics, Vol 61, No 3, pp 62857.

Matland, R (1998): Womens Representation in National Legislatures: Developed and Developing Countries, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol 23, pp 10925.

Matland, R and D Brown (1992): District Magnitudes Effect on Female Representation in US State Legislatures, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol 17, No 9, pp 57780.

Minta, M D (2009): Legislative Oversight and the Substantive Representation of Black and the Latino interests in Congress, Legislative Studies Quarterly, Vol 34, No 2, pp 193218.

Norris, P (1985): Womens Legislative Participation in Western Europe, West European Politics, Vol 8, No 4, pp 90101.

 (2006): The Impact of Electoral Reform on Womens Representation, Acta Politica, Vol 41, pp 197213.

Nysveen, H, P Pedersen and S Skard (2013): Brand Experiences in Service Organizations: Exploring the Individual Effects of Brand Experience Dimensions, Journal of Brand Management, Vol 20, No 10, pp 10511.

Parliament of India (na): Questions List, Lok

Sabha, http://loksabhaph.nic.in/Questions/questionlist.aspx.

Paxton, P M and M M Hughes (2007): Women, Politics, and Power: A Global Perspective, Los Angeles: Pine Forge Press.

Phillips, A (1995): The Politics of Presence: Democracy and the Group Representation, New York: Oxford University Press.

Pitkin, H (1972): The Concept of Representation, Berkley: University of California Press.

Prillaman, S A (2021): Strength in Numbers: How Womens Group Close Indias Political Gender Gap, American Journal of Political Science,

Vol 34, No 3, pp 8793.

PRS Legislative Research, MP Track, PRS, https://www.prsindia.org/mptrack.

Rai, Shirin M and Carole Spray (2019): Performing Representation: Women Members in the Indian Parliament, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Reynolds, M (1999): Critical Reflection and Management Education: Rehabilitating Less Hierarchical Approaches, Journal of Management Education, Vol 23, No 5, pp 53753.

Ronald, I and P Norris (2003): Rising Tide: Gender Equality and Cultural Change around the World, Harvard University: Cambridge University Press.

Rule, W (1987): Electoral Systems, Contextual Factors, and Womens Opportunity for Election to Parliament in Twenty-three Democracies, Western Political Quarterly, Vol 40, No 5, pp 47798.

Saalfeld, T (2011): Parliamentary Questions as

Instruments of Substantive Representation: Visible Minorities in the UK House of Commons, 200510, Journal of Legislative Studies, Vol 17, No 3, pp 27189.

Schwindt-Bayer L A (2010): Comparison and Integration: A Path toward a Comparative Politics of Gender, Perspectives on Politics, Vol 8, No 1, pp 17782.

Shankar, B L and V Rodrigues (2011): The Indian Parliament: A Democracy at Work, New Delhi: Oxford University Press.

Siaroff, A (2000): Womens Representation in Legislatures and Cabinets in Industrial Democracies, International Political Science Review, Vol 21, No 2, pp 197215.

Skard, T (2014): Women of Power: Half a centuary of Female Presidents and Prime Ministers Worldwide, Clifton: Policy Press University of Bristol.

Spary, C (2010): Disrupting Rituals of Debate in the Indian Parliament, Journal of Legislative Studies, Vol 16, No 3, pp 33851.

Svaleryd, H (2009): Womens Representation and Public Spending, European Journal of Political Economy, Vol 25, No 2, pp 18698.

Tremblay, M (ed) (2007): Women and Legislative Representation: Electoral Systems, Political Parties, and Sex Quotas, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

United Nations (1979): Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination against Women, UN, https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/cedaw/text/econvention.htm.

United Nations General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, UNGA, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/UDHR/Documents/UDHR_Translations/eng.pdf, pp 6.
This paper analyses the sources of Indias economic growth in terms of industry origins, inputs, and productivity during 19942018, comparing the pre- and post-global financial crisis periods. Manufacturing was one of the main contributing sectors to aggregate growth of the total factor productivity and gross value added in the post-GFC period. The results stress the need for proactive policies to support agriculture, manufacturing, and market services sectors.

Indias economic growth during 199495 to 201819 (hereafter written as 19942018),1 that is, the period since the liberal market reforms began in the early 1990s, was on average about 6%. This paper presents a supply-side analysis of this observed economic growth in the post-reform period, comparing growth performance between the pre- and post-global financial crisis (GFC) periods. Using disaggregated industry-level data, the paper looks at the industry origins of growthwhich industries are driving aggregate growthwith a focus on the roles of agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors. Furthermore, the study also looks at the contribution of factor accumulation and productivity advance to growth, taking a growth accounting approach based on the five-input capitallabourenergymaterialsservices (KLEMS) framework.

For the analysis, the paper uses the India KLEMS database, which is based on and is consistent with Indias national accounts, and is available on the website of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).2 This database provides annual time series data on output, inputs, factor income shares, and productivity from 198081 to 201819 for 27 industries that constitute the total economy (Das et al 2020). The analysis in the paper is confined to the period from 199394 to 201819 (19932018). We consider the average growth from 1994 to 2018, divided into two sub-periods, 19942007 (the pre-crisis period) and 200818 (the post-crisis period), with the first sub-period sometimes being broken into 19942002 and 200307.

The paper has three main parts. The first part briefly outlines the India KLEMS database. The second part analyses sources of growth at the aggregate economy level and the industry origins of aggregate real gross value added (GVA) growth and total factor productivity (TFP). While tracing the industry origins of the aggregate GVA growth and TFP growth, we examine the specific roles of the manufacturing, services, and agriculture and allied activities sectors. The third part of the paper analyses the trends in investment rates and the rates of return. Since the rate of investment has played a pivotal role in influencing Indias economic growth, a disaggregated analysis of the trends in the investment rate and rate of return across industries of the manufacturing and services sectors is attempted. Finally, we summarise the main findings of the paper and end with a few concluding remarks.

India KLEMS Database

The basic approach used in this paper is to understand the sources of growth in a standard growth accounting framework using a KLEMS gross output production function for each of the 27 industries in the India KLEMS database. In this approach, gross output (Y) growth for any given industry j is decomposed into contributions from factor inputs, capital (K) and labour (L), and intermediate inputs, energy (E), materials (M), and services (S), as:

... (1)

where s i is the income share of input i (i=K, L, E, M, and S) in the total nominal value of gross output, and ln TFP is the TFP growth, measured as a residual after subtracting the observed input contributions from the observed output growth, all for industry j. Since the production function for the aggregate economy is a value added function, a similar growth accounting may be performed, but using only two-factor inputs, capital and labour, and aggregate value added, that is,

... (2)

where V is the aggregate economy real value added, v K and v L are respectively the income share of capital and labour in aggregate nominal value added, K and L are respectively the aggregate capital and labour inputs, and TFPv is the TFP using the value added function.

For our analysis, we rely on the time-series data available from the India KLEMS database, version 2020 (hereafter abbreviated as IKD_v2020).3 The database provides information on 27 individual industries that consist of the aggregate economy. The database is primarily based on the National Accounts Statistics (NAS), published annually by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India. The NAS is supplemented by inputoutput transactions tables (IOTTs), supply-use tables (SUTs), various rounds of the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) Employment and Unemployment Surveys (EUS), the Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS), and surveys on the unorganised manufacturing sector.

The database provides two output measures, the gross value of output (GVO)Y in equation (1)and gross value added (GVA)V in equation (2)both in current and constant prices. The estimates of GVA at current and constant current prices are directly obtained from the NAS for certain sectors/industries of the economy.4 Since the NAS data are not available for all individual KLEMS industries belonging to manufacturing, it becomes necessary in some cases to split the aggregate into the KLEMS industry groups, which is done by using data from ASI and NSSO surveys on unorganised manufacturing. A similar approach is followed to derive the estimates of GVO, except for service industries. For the service industries, additional information on the ratio of output to value added is obtained from the IOTTs and is applied to estimates of GVA from the NAS.

The database provides estimates of factor inputs labour and capital, including quantity (employment and capital stock) and composition measures (educational composition of workers and asset composition of capital stock)the combination of these quantities and composition are called the labour and capital inputs. Employment data for the 27 industries are derived from the quinquennial rounds of EUS and, more recently, from PLFS, using the usual principal and subsidiary status (UPSS) concept.

Capital stock estimates for three individual assets, construction, machinery, and transport equipment are constructed using real investment and asset-specific depreciation rates by applying a perpetual inventory method. Investment data for these assets are obtained from the NAS, supplemented by the ASI and NSSO unorganised manufacturing surveys. Capital input is then measured as a rental share weighted growth rate of asset-specific capital stock, assuming differences in rental prices reflect productivity differences across assets. The rental shares are calculated as each assets share in the total rental value, obtained using the rate of return and depreciation costs of each asset.

The database also provides information on three intermediate input categories, namely energy, materials, and services, at current and constant prices. Following Jorgenson et al (2005) and Timmer et al (2010), these measures are developed using IOTTs.

Finally, the labour income is obtained from the NAS data on the net domestic product, comprising compensation of employees, gross operating surplus, and mixed-income for the self-employed. As in the case of GVA and GVO, appropriate industry distributions are used to split the NAS data into 27 industry groups. Moreover, the labour income component of the mixed-income category has been separated to estimate the income attributable to workers accurately.

Sources of Indias Economic Growth

Decomposition of the aggregate value added growth: The decomposition of growth rate in real GVA at the aggregate economy level into the contributions of labour and capital input growth, and TFP growth (equation 2) are provided in Table 1. The results are averages for 19942018, and the sub-periods of 19942002, 200307, 19942007, and 200818. The aggregate economy TFP growth is broken up into an aggregation of industry-level TFP effect and the movement of resources from low-productivity to high-productivity industriesa factor reallocation effect, using a decomposition method suggested by Jorgenson et al (2005). This approach separates estimates of the productivity gains from the reallocation of capital and labour inputs across industries.

The average annual growth rate in real GVA during the entire period of 19942018 was about 6.5%.5 The most important contributor to this growth was capital input (mostly driven by capital stock rather than changes in the asset composition of capitalthat is capital composition effect), accounting for about half of the GVA growth. The TFP growth was the second dominant contributor, contributing about a little less than one-third of the real GVA growth. About one half of the aggregate TFP growth came from industry-level productivity improvements. The reallocation of labour and capital inputs from low- to high-productivity industries constituted the other half. The contribution of the labour input growth to the aggregate GVA growth was about one-sixth, divided somewhat equally between the quantity (employment growth) and composition (improvements in the educational composition of workers) components.

Contrasting the two pre-GFC periods, 19942002 and 200307, it is found that in the later period, which is the high-growth phase of the Indian economy, the annual growth rate in GVA accelerated by about 3 percentage points. About 2 percentage points came from accelerated TFP growth, and the remaining from capital input.

The growth rates in real GVA in the post-GFC period (200818) and the pre-GFC period (19942007) are quite comparable. This occurred despite a marked slowdown in employment growth and a consequent fall in the contribution of labour input in the post-GFC period. The growth rates in TFP in the two periods were, by and large, the same. However, the roles of the two components, aggregated industry-level TFP and reallocation effects, changed, with the pace of improvement in the former declining and the role of factor reallocation improving. The sustenance of Indias post-GFC GVA growth at a comparable rate as in the pre-GFC period is explained by an increase in the growth rate in capital input contribution, that is, an enhanced rate of investment. This makes a study of the trends in the investment rate important, which is done in the later part of the paper.

Industry-level disaggregated analysis: The contributions of individual industries to the aggregate economy GVA growth and TFP growth are presented in Table 2. Based on the results, the following points emerge:

(a) While aggregate GVA growth remained largely unaffected in the post-crisis period, there have been some important dynamics across industries. Three industries, namely (i) trade, (ii) agriculture and allied industries, and (iii) business services remained among the top contributing sectors to aggregate GVA growth in both periods. Together, these three industries contributed nearly one-third of the total GVA growth in both periods. Five other industries (i) construction, (ii) transport and storage, (iii) financial services, (iv) post and telecommunications, and (v) public administration and defence were relatively important contributors in the pre-crisis period, each contributing about 5% to 8% of the total growth. However, all these sectors, except public administration and defence, lost their relative importance for aggregate growth in the post-crisis period. Three industries that joined the relatively bigger contributing group in the post-crisis period are (i) coke and petroleum products, (ii) education, and (iii) other services, contributing about one-fifth of the total GVA growth in the post-crisis period, compared to a mere 8% in the pre-crisis period.

(b) The industries that made the largest contribution to aggregate economy TFP growth in the pre-GFC period are: (i) public administration and defence, (ii) post and telecommunications, (iii) transport and storage, and (iv) agriculture and allied activities.6 While public administration and defence and agriculture and allied activities made subsequent productivity gains in the post-crisis periods, the other two industries registered a significant setback with contracting TFP. Other industries that improved their relative contributions to aggregate productivity growth are prominently manufacturing industries, including coke and petroleum products, textiles, textile products, leather and footwear, and rubber and plastic products. Among the services industries, financial services and education improved their TFP growth in the post-GFC period. On the contrary, many other sectors, including post and telecommunications, transport and storage, utilities, trade, chemicals and chemical products, mining and quarrying, and construction, registered erosions in TFP. In particular, construction and mining and quarrying industries saw substantial deterioration in their already decreasing TFP.

One important feature of Indias economic growth over the last three decades is the role of agriculture and allied activities in supporting aggregate GVA and TFP growth in both pre- and post-GFC periods. The high TFP growth in agriculture observed in the India KLEMS data set has been confirmed by a recent study by Krishna and Meenakshi (2022) in their comparison of the KLEMS estimates with estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture data set. They have underscored the need for considering water input while computing productivity in the agricultural sector, and the possible role of changing composition of the agriculture sector in driving much of the observed productivity growth.7 We conclude that, although the share of agriculture in the aggregate GVA declined significantly over time, it still had a significant impact on the economys overall performance in the post-GFC period, suggesting the need for focusing on the sector. Chand (2021) has recently drawn attention to the importance of agriculture in formulating a strategy for Indias future economic growth. He notes that in the context of rising concerns over employment, sustainability, environmental services, poverty, nutrition, and health, agriculture ought to play a larger and different role in the process of development than merely serving to meet the requirements of industrialisation.

Sectoral contributionsManufacturing and services: The growth in real GVA obtained by applying the double deflation procedure has been faster in the manufacturing sector (10.3% per annum) than in the services sector in the post-GFC period (7.1% per annum). However, the services sector continued to play a lead role in the economy because its contribution to aggregate economy real GVA growth was far greater than that of the manufacturing sector thanks to the relatively bigger size of the services sector vis-a-vis the manufacturing sector in terms of GVA. This is depicted in Figure 1. The figure distinguishes between non-market services, consisting of public administration and defence, education, health and social work, and other services (which includes real estate activities), and market services, consisting of all other service industries.

Figure 1 depicts three major trends: (i) the sustained role of market services in driving aggregate growth; (ii) the rising role of manufacturingtaking the two pre-crisis periods together and comparing them with the post-crisis period, the average contribution of manufacturing was higher in the post-crisis period, primarily due to better productivity growth; and (iii) a shift in the relative roles of market and non-market services, with a shift from market services to non-market services in the recent period. It is important to note that market services have remained the single largest contributor in all the three sub-periods.

At the aggregate economy level, the growth rates in TFP in 19942002, 200307, and 200818 were 1.35%, 3.11%, and 2.09% per annum, respectively (refer to Table 1). Figure 2 suggests that manufacturing drove the aggregate TFP growth to a considerable extent in the period since 2003. While the market services sector was the second largest contributor in the 200307 period, non-market services assumed that position in the post-crisis period. However, it is important to note that the non-market services contribution was mainly driven by public administration and defence (Table 2), without which its contribution was much smaller in the post-crisis periods, and negative in the pre-crisis period. The market services sectorwhich includes dynamic industries, such as financial services, business services, and information technology serviceswas the main contributor to the aggregate TFP growth during 19942002 and an important contributor during 200307 but contributed negatively in the post-crisis period.

To sum up the above discussion, Indias economic growth in the post-reform pre-crisis period was driven heavily by capital accumulation and productivity improvements, with the 2000s seeing more rapid productivity improvements than the 1990s. The sustenance of pre-crisis GVA growth rates in the post-crisis period was largely possible due to moderate improvements in capital contribution and stable TFP growth, even when the labour input contribution decelerated. In the following section, we further delve into the factors underlying the growth in capital input, namely investment rates and the rate of return in the agriculture, manufacturing, and services sectors of the economy.

Trends in Investment and Rate of Return

Now the paper will compare the trends in investment rate (investment to GDP ratio) and internal rate of return in the pre- and post-crisis periods. First, it documents the trends in investment rates in services (distinguishing between market and non-market services), manufacturing, and agriculture in comparison with the aggregate economy. These ratios are calculated in current prices, using total investment (that is, the sum of investments in three assets: machinery, transport equipment, and construction) and GVA. Subsequently, the paper analyses the trends in the average internal rate of return in these sectors. The internal rate of return is measured as the ratio of the sum of gross operating surplus and the total capital gain (aggregated over three asset types) net of the total depreciation costs, over total capital stock, all in nominal terms (Erumban 2008).

Investment rates: Now the paper documents three important observations from Figure 3, which depicts the investment rates. The first is a rising aggregate investment rate during the pre-crisis period, mostly consistent with the services sector and agricultural sector trends. The second is a consistently falling trend in the post-crisis years, except for a minor uptick in 2018, visible in all three sectors. However, the fall is more intense in manufacturing. The third is the high volatility of investment rates in the manufacturing sector than in services, especially in the pre-crisis years. Trends show episodes of rapid rise between 199497 and 200106 and rapid fall from 19972000 and after 2006. While the fall in the post-crisis years is a common phenomenon in both sectors, the same is not true in the case of the 19972000 period.

Although the 19972000 period coincides with the Asian financial crisis (AFC), it is argued that India was largely unaffected as it was not directly linked with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets until recently (Chowdhury et al 2019; Ghosh and Chandrasekhar 2009). However, external factors such as a fall in foreign direct investment inflow and domestic financial constraints during this period (Reserve Bank of India 2006) may have affected investment activity. Moreover, following the substantial liberal reforms in the early 1990s, many domestic firms were still restructuring and equipping themselves to operate in a competitive environment.

Figure 4 provides an asset break-up of the total investment rate. In general, while investment rates in machinery and transport equipment (hereafter equipment) dominate in the manufacturing sector, it is the investment in construction (hereafter non-equipment) that dominates in the services sector. The post-crisis falls in the total manufacturing investment rates resulted from the decline in both equipment and non-equipment assets, although the magnitude of the fall was higher in the latter. In contrast, in the post-GFC period, the rise in market services investment rates was more from the equipment than non-equipment assets. The investment rates in the agriculture sector are generally lower than than in agriculture and services and the aggregate economy, with the non-equipment component dominating the investment composition. Despite the falling trend in the investment rate in the agricultural sector, the average investment ratio in the post-crisis period remains slightly higher than in the pre-crisis periodsthanks to slightly improving equipment investment.

Table 3 (p 41) provides the average investment rates in agriculture along with 13 manufacturing and 10 services industries. The investment rate improved in most industries in the 200307 period over 19942002, including in agriculture, where it generally remains lower than most manufacturing and services industries. A few exceptions to this rising trend include three manufacturing industries (coke and petroleum products, chemicals and chemical products, and pulp and paper productswith bigger falls in the first two) and two market services industries (post and telecommunications, and financial services).

In the post-GFC period, all manufacturing industries staged a retreat, except for coke and petroleum products. The investment rates remained largely unchanged from the previous period in agriculture, two market services industriestransport and storage, and business servicesand two non-market service industrieshealth and social work and education, whereas it relapsed in the financial services industry and the remaining non-market services industries. Only three market services industriespost and telecommunication, hotels and restaurants, and tradehave seen a notable improvement in the post-crisis period.

Overall, the data suggest a rapid increase in the investment rate in the post-2000 years until the GFC, driven by both the manufacturing and services sectors. The investment rate fell in the post-crisis years, primarily due to a weakening in manufacturing and non-market servicesthe two key drivers of aggregate productivity growth in the post-crisis period.

Internal Rate of Return

Now this paper compares the estimates of the internal rate of return, which has a bearing on the decision of enterprises to invest in new capital assets. The internal rate of return on capital investment, which reflects realised marginal products of capital (Berndt 1990), is calculated using the neoclassical approach, setting pure profits to zero under the assumption of perfect competition (Hall and Jorgenson 1967). In this framework, the internal return, or the ex post rate of return, is a ratio of the compensation accrued to the capital assets after allowing for any depreciation costs over the nominal value of the capital stock. This approach accounts for the differences in the asset composition of capital stock. Figure 5 (p 48) provides the average internal rate of return for the manufacturing and services sectors, along with the total economy for the three time periods. The estimates are indexed to total economy rates in the 19942002 period.

Similar to aggregate investment rates, the rate of return also improved in the 200307 period over the 19942002 period, albeit marginally. However, both in the manufacturing and services sectors, 60% of industries had a fall in the rate of return during this period (Table 3). Capital-intensive manufacturing industries, such as basic metals and metal products, chemicals and chemical products, and electrical and optical equipment, were among the industries with improved rates of return. In the service sector, market services industries such as financial services, hotels and restaurants, and transport and storage showed a similar trend.

While the manufacturing sector has shown relatively little variance in the rate of return over the three time periods, a substantial difference is observed in the services sector, particularly in the market services (Figure 5). The market services sector has shown a rapid risemuch higher than manufacturing and non-market servicesin the rate of return in the 200307 period.

In the post-crisis years, the aggregate economy rate of return declined to a level below the 19942002 levels. The decline was more intense in the market services sector, but the trend was not unique to the sector. Although more than half of the manufacturing industries showed an improvement in the 200818 period compared to 200307 (Table 4, p 41), it was insufficient to offset the larger fall in other industries. Only three industries, chemicals and chemical products, electrical and optical equipment, and pulp and paper products, had a higher rate of return in the post-crisis period than in the 19942002 period. Of these, chemicals and chemical products and pulp and paper products had a retreat in investment rates, as we observed in the previous section.

The rate of return in agriculture improved in the post-GFC period from the 200307 period, although it still remained lower than the 19942002 average. Moreover, it is relatively higher than in manufacturing and services. It was lower than market services in the pre-crisis years, but the rapid fall in market services in the post-GFC period from the 200307 period and the rise in the agriculture sector keeps the latter above even market services.

Except for financial services, all services industries had a retreat in the rate of return in the post-crisis period. The financial services registered a boom, reaching far above its own rate of return in the 19942002 period. Other market services industries, primarily trade, hotels and restaurants, post and telecom, and business services, all had a falling rate of return. Among the non-market services, public administration and other services had a moderate fall, whereas education, health, and social work industries had larger declines. Moreover, except for trade, financial services, hotels and restaurants, education, and health and social work, all other service industries had a level below or similar to the aggregate economy rate of return.Thus, the story here is that of a moderate rise in the rate of return in the total economy in the pre-crisis years after 2002 and a fall in the post-crisis years, both driven mainly by the market services sector. On the contrary, this sector has seen a rise in investment rates in the post-crisis years. Although the agricultural sector sustained relatively higher rates of return, albeit a fall from the pre-crisis period, its relatively low investment rates ensure that their effect on the aggregate rate of return is minimal.

Concluding Remarks

Four points emerge from the analysis presented above. First, the manufacturing sector contributed significantly to Indias economic growth in the high-growth phase of 200307, and in the post-GFC period. It has been the main contributor to TFP growth in the Indian economy since 2003.

Second, despite its relatively better productivity performance in recent years, the manufacturing sector has substantial challenges. These are evidenced by a fall in employment and investment rate and a decline in the rate of return on investment in the post-GFC period. Thus, it may be argued that while the manufacturing sector continues to contribute to Indias economic growth, to attain sustainable acceleration in future growth, it will have to play an even larger role, addressing its structural challenges.

Third, the falling return on capital and the retreat in productivity and employment growth rates may challenge the outlook of the market services sector. One advantage of this sector is its relatively low capitaloutput ratio. It may be noted that, despite the fall in the rate of return in this sector in the post-GFC period, the rate of investment has been somewhat improved. Moreover, the market services sector has been the main contributor to the aggregate real GVA growth in the three sub-periods of 19942002 and 200307 and in the post-GFC period of 200818. It seems that to maintain and step up the growth momentum in the aggregate economy, the market services sector needs to grow fast. A part of the growth of this sector may come from the domestic economy. But attention needs to be paid to greater exploitation of the growth potential from exports.

The final point is about the role of agriculture. Because of the declining share of agriculture in aggregate GVA and the fall in the absolute size of its employment, reflecting the shift of workers from agriculture to other sectors of the economy, attention has shifted away from agriculture in discussions on the future potential for economic growth in India. Yet, the experience of the post-GFC period suggests that the sector is an important contributor to aggregate economy real GVA and TFP growth. While the sector possesses a relatively low investment rate compared to the manufacturing and services sectors, the rate of return is relatively high in the sector and has even improved in the post-GFC period. It appears that policy actions for raising TFP growth in agriculture would help improve the aggregate economy TFP growth, without which a step-up in Indias economic growth would be hard to attain. Moreover, existing evidence suggests that the acceleration in growth in the sector per se does not translate into farmer incomes (Krishna and Meenakshi 2022). This further reiterates the importance of enhancing productivity as an essential pathway to facilitate translating growth into welfare. The increases in productivity in agriculture need to be accompanied by the creation of ample productive employment opportunities in manufacturing and services to make the development process more rapid and, at the same time, more inclusive.

To recap, our analysis reiterates the need to strengthen the three main sectors of the economyagriculture, manufacturing, and market servicesrealising their productivity and input (employment and investment) potential, along with facilitating growth-enhancing resource reallocation. This tends to support Devs (2021) suggestion to have a broader policy agenda to address a wide range of Indias developmental issues, such as reducing inequality, improving social indicators and human development, creating better quality jobs, improving health and education, and addressing sustainability issues. Many of the suggestions made by Dev (2021) for policy action for raising the growth rate of the Indian economy are predominantly directed at building up the supply side of the economy; for example, raising the rate of investment, ensuring sufficient credit supply, bringing in new technology, and enhancing the quality of labour through the betterment of health and education. These recommendations are in harmony with the analysis in the paper and policy suggestions emerging therefrom.

Notes

1 For analysing Indias economic growth performance in the post-reform period, the growth rates since 199495 are considered. This leaves out 1991, the year of severe balance of payments crisis in India and the initiation of reforms, as also the next two years during which the process of reforms continued, making 1991 to 1993 a period of turbulence and transition in the economy.

2 Some of the earlier studies based on the India KLEMS database (https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/KLEMS.aspx), include Das et al (2016), Erumban and Das (2016), Goldar et al (2017), Wu et al (2017), Das et al (2019), Erumban et al (2019), Abraham (2019), Krishna et al (2020), Bhadury et al (2021).

3 Further details on the methodology of construction of variables and the details of industrial classifications used in the database are available in the India KLEMS Data Manual (Das et al 2020) which can be accessed at the RBI website.

4 All values in the database are consistent with the NAS 201112 base series, making use of the series from 201112 onward, and the back series.

5 This figure exceeds the NAS estimate of 6% mentioned in the introduction, as Table 1 implicitly involves double deflation of GVA.

6 Note here that the contributions shown in the last two columns of Table 2 are obtained by using Domar aggregated industry-level TFP growth rates. It does not take into account the gains from inter-industry resources reallocation.

7 Hence, Krishna and Meenakshi (2022) further argue that devising appropriate strategies for agricultural productivity enhancement would require a more detailed sub-sectoral analysis of agricultural productivity, which is not yet part of the KLEMS data set.

References

Abraham, V (2019): The Dynamic Nature of Jobless Growth in India, in Globalisation, Labour Market Institutions, Processes and Policies in India, Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan, pp 44370.

Bhadury, S, A Narayanan and B Pratap (2021): Structural Transformation of Jobs from Manufacturing to Services: Will It Work for India? Margin: Journal of Applied Economic Research, Vol 15, No 1, pp 2249.

Berndt, E R (1990): Comments on Hulten, Fifty Years of Economic Measurement: The Jubilee of the Conference on Research in Income and Wealth, Ernst R Berndt and Jack Triplett (eds), National Bureau of Economic Research Studies in Income and Wealth.

Chand, R (2021): Economic Growth and Inclusive Development: Is There a Need for New Growth Model, Presidential Address, 104th Annual Conference of the Indian Economic Association, December, Hosted by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis, Government of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, pp 2527.

Chowdhury, Biplob, Mardi Dungey, Moses Kangogo, Mohammad Abu Sayeed and Vladimir Volkov (2019): The Changing Network of Financial Market Linkages: The Asian Experience, International Review of Financial Analysis, Vol 64, pp 7192.

Das, D K, A A Erumban, S C Aggarwal and S Sengupta (2016): Productivity Growth in India under Different Policy Regimes, The World Economy: Growth or Stagnation? D W Jorgenson, K Fukao and M Timmer (eds), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp 23480.

Das, D K, S C Aggarwal, A A Erumban and P C Das (2019): What Is New about Indias Economic Growth? An Industry-Level Perspective, Indian Growth and Development Review, Vol 13, No 1, pp 1136.

 (2020): Measuring Productivity at the Industry Level, the India KLEMS DatabaseData Manual 2020 (version 7), Reserve Bank of India, https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/PublicationReportDetails.aspx?UrlPage=&ID=1186#CP1.

Dev, S M (2021): Beyond India @75: Growth, Inclusion and Sustainability, Working Paper No WP2021026, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai.

Erumban, A A (2008): Rental Prices, Rates of Return, Capital Aggregation and Productivity: Evidence from EU and US, CESifo Economic Studies, Vol 54, No 3, pp 499533.

Erumban, A A and D K Das (2016): Information and Communication Technology and Economic Growth in India, Telecommunications Policy, Vol 40, No 5, pp 41231.

Erumban, A A, D K Das, S Aggarwal and P C Das (2019): Structural Change and Economic Growth in India, Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Vol 51, pp 186202.

Ghosh, J and C P Chandrasekhar (2009): The Costs of Coupling: The Global Crisis and the Indian Economy, Cambridge Journal of Economics, Vol 33, No 4, pp 72539.

Goldar, B, K L Krishna, S C Aggarwal, D K Das, A A Erumban and P C Das (2017): Productivity Growth in India Since the 1980s: The KLEMS Approach, Indian Economic Review, Vol 52, Nos 12, pp 3771.

Hall, R and D W Jorgenson (1967): Tax Policy and Investment Behavior, American Economic Review, Vol 57, No 3, pp 391414.

Jorgenson, D W, M S Ho and K J Stiroh (2005): Information Technology and the American Growth Resurgence, Cambridge: The MIT Press.

Krishna, K L and J V Meenakshi (2022): Agricultural Productivity Growth and Structural Transformation in Rural India: Some Recent Evidence, Special Volume in Honour of Professor C R Rao, Journal of Quantitative Economics.

Krishna, K L B Goldar, D K Das, S C Aggarwal, A A Erumban and P C Das (2020): Manufacturing Productivity in India: The Role of Foreign Sourcing of Inputs and Domestic Capacity Building, Measuring Economic Growth and Productivity: Foundations, KLEMS Production Models and Extensions, B M Fraumeni (ed), Academic Press, pp 95116.

RBI (2006): Report on Currency and Finance, 200506, Mumbai: Reserve Bank of India.

Timmer, M P, R Inklaar, M OMahony and van Ark B (2010): Economic Growth in Europe: A Comparative Industry Perspective, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Wu, H X, K L Krishna, D K Das and P C Das (2017): How Does the Productivity and Economic Growth Performance of China and India Compare in the Post-reform Era, 19812011? International Productivity Monitor, Vol 33, pp 91113.
The right of self-determination of the people is a double-edged sword. It has been used by postcolonial nations to reclaim their territories and economy. The idea has also been exploited by the powerful countries to divide the world on ethnic and religious lines to advance their hegemony through humanitarian interventions.

Russia is the aggressor as per the international relations rule bookthe destroyer of international stability and the post-1945 international order that proscribes war (Inglis 2022).

It has been argued that the Russian President Vladimir Putins use of military force against Ukraine is a direct assault on the principles of self-determination of all peoples (Sands 2022). His intention to deny Ukraine the right to choose its military partner violates the principles of sovereignty. Putin has attacked sovereignty and self-determination, the twin pillars of post-war liberal international order.

Putin feels that the right of self-determination bestowed on Ukraine by international law is a travesty of history and a brutal insult to Russia. Six years ago, Putin condemned Vladimir Lenin for placing a time bomb under the Russian state by drawing administrative borders along ethnic lines. According to the Russian President, Lenins move to place Donbas under Ukrainian jurisdiction was nothing but delirious (Associated Press 2016).

Paradoxically, Putin is critical of Lenin for introducing the concept of a federative state with its entities having the right to secede, but supports self-determination right for the people of Crimea and Donbas.

Russia is not alone in simultaneously supporting and working against the concept. This contradiction lies at the heart of post-war international politics. Beijing baulks at anyone who supports the independence of Taiwan from mainland China, but remains ambivalent about supporting India against Pakistan on Kashmir issue.

India is equally expedient in using the self-determination right to advance its geopolitical interests. Recently, India abstained in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on a resolution that condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine because it neither supports the violation of Ukrainian sovereignty nor is it willing to outrightly condemn Russia. India wants to preserve its relations with Russia and the option of using the concept of self-determination in its battle with China. Explaining Indias stand, Ram Madhav (2022), a prominent voice in the ruling partys foreign policy establishment, wrote that India

could not have accepted Putins basic proposition that Ukrainians were not a separate nation, without risking negating its stand on Tibet, Taiwan and other occupied or claimed countries by China.

Islamabad that detests the mention of dissent in Balochistan often invokes the rights of Kashmiri people to use it against New Delhi.

A Double-edged Sword

More than a century ago, Lenin worked on the idea of self-determination at the time of its inception in political discourse. Putin is reviewing it after the idea has been profaned over the years by its misuse for Western imperial expansion.

Towards the beginning of the 20th century, the anti-colonial nationalist movements in Africa and Asia started germinating. The American and German capitalists were keen to end the British domination of the world, and reconfigure it for their markets to grow. The Marxists saw self-determination movements as a pragmatic means to mobilise the revolutionary zeal of the masses. It was in this context that Lenin wrote in July 1916,

The dialectics of history are such that small nations, powerless as an independent factor in the struggle against imperialism, play a part as one of the ferments, one of the bacilli, which help the real anti-imperialist force, the socialist proletariat, to make its appearance on the scene. (Prashad 2020)

Rosa Luxemburg opposed Lenins radical articulation of the right to national self-determination because she felt that the idea of nation was a useful tool for the bourgeoisie to perpetuate their class rule. She advocated international revolution and not nationalism as the route to working-class emancipation. Lenin identified the socialists opposed to self-determination as Great Nation chauvinists, who approved the dominant nations oppression over other nations.

Similar disputes prevailed regarding the question of self-determination within the capitalist world. Americans remained ambivalent about the Wilsonian endorsement of the right of self-determination throughout the interwar years and even after the end of World War II.

The 1941 Atlantic Charter gave broad hints about the role of anti-colonialism in the American conceptions of the postwar world without fully endorsing the principle of self-determination.

In the post-war period, the rise of decolonisation demand further signified the right to self-determination of nations and the principle was enshrined in the UN charter. Interestingly, the United States (US) voted against the 1952 UN General Assembly resolution claiming self-determination as a human right, without realising the future importance of the principle as well the human rights in the advance of the American Century.

The disintegrating empires used the idea of self-determination to fuel secession and insurgencies based on ethnic, religious, and cultural fault lines to redraw the borders and boundaries of the newly independent nation states. The rise of nationalism was accompanied by a concomitant surge in identity politics that diluted anti-colonial nationalism and proved detrimental to the prospects of class war.

The replacement of anti-colonial nationalism by ethnonationalism has exposed the perils of self-determination. The right has, to a large extent, legitimised violent struggles that are inspired by identity politics. It is one of the main reasons that the post-colonial era is marred by ethnic, religious, and cultural conflicts in the erstwhile colonies. The accompanying narrative has labelled some postcolonial states as imperialists for using excessive force against insurgencies within their territories.

Everyone Is Imperialist?

For some Kashmiris, Pakistanis and even many Western scholars, India is an imperial nation for denying the right of self-determination to the Kashmiri people. According to Nitasha Kaul (2019),

Muslim-majority Kashmir has always been Indias Oriental other, loaded with fantasies of beauty and cruelty as surely as any Ottoman harem in the fervid imagination of Europeans.

For a section of the population in Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Tibet and Taiwan, and advocates of human rights in the West, the Chinese imperial ambitions are the root cause of the problems. According to Martin S Flaherty (2020), a human rights teacher at the Princeton University and Fordham Law School, Beijings much-feared national security law for Hong Kong heralds nothing less than imperialism with Chinese characteristics.

After World War I when the Ottoman Empire was divided and new borders were drawn up, the Kurdish population spread to Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Today these four countries fall into the category of imperialist powers because they use draconian measures to stall the rights of self-determination of Kurdish people. This narrative has been promoted by both, Western conservatives as well the liberal left. For example, the editorial of the Bulletin, the organ of the American Committee for the Fourth International writing against Saddam Hussein in April 1991, said,

The brutal suppression carried out by the Iraqi army in the retaking of the oil center of Kirkuk and the towns of Kohuk, Irbil and Zakhu in the north, the oppressed Kurdish people have once again been made the victims of a tragedy and betrayal at the hands of imperialism. (Bulletin Editorial 1991)

Ukraine is the new entrant into the list of victims of near-home imperialism. The anti-war activists, pacifists and liberaldemocrats are seeking the settlement of the ongoing crisis in Ukraine through negotiation, on a basis which recognises the right of the Ukrainian people to self-determination.

While self-determination was the nemesis of the formal empires, the idea proved to be a boon for the informal empires. The growing demand for self-determination rights creates hotspots that help big powers to use the crisis as pretext for the so-called humanitarian interventions.1 In 1947, the former US President Harry Truman (1947) pledged to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures, thereby enabling America to advance its hegemony.

In Conclusion

Today, Putin is the main culprit for overt use of force and the West, relying on soft power and arms supplies to manage the Ukrainian regime, is a lesser evil. However, is Putins irredentism a greater menace than ceaseless American hegemonic wars? The former is indulging in near-home or in-frontier imperialism. The latter practises classical imperialism that engineers regime changes and border reconfigurations across the world.

The medium and even small nation states are guilty of using repression and coercion to protect their territorial integrity or even to impose their ideology in their immediate peripheries. But can they be identified as imperialist powers? The dynamic that operates between nation states and groups or areas with distinctive claims within or in the vicinity of its territory, is totally at variance with the equation between the natives and the colonial power on a prowl to occupy distant lands and people. Therefore, it is difficult to equate near-home or in-frontier imperialism with the classical imperialism exercised at a global level by a big power.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine at best falls in the category of near-home imperialism, which is primarily an offshoot of the overbearing structures of dominance erected by the US in Ukraine since the end of the Cold War and especially after the takeover of Crimea in 2014. The dilemma is that often in the process of condemning in-frontier imperialism we tend to side with the overarching imperial power that controls the levers of war and peace in the world.

The international relations scholarship needs to review the right of self-determination within nation states and also make distinction between imperialism that operates on a global scale and the one that remains restricted within its frontiers.

Note

1 The debate on what constitutes a legitimate or illegitimate intervention or just and unjust war has been raging ever since the 1793 French Constitution discarded the idea of interference in affairs of other countries (Morgenthau 1967). The revival of the concept of interventions in international politics gained legitimacy with the intensification of the Cold War. In December 1965, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a Declaration on the Inadmissibility of Intervention in the Domestic Affairs of States and the Protection of their Independence and Sovereignty. This clause also failed to prevent interventions and violations of sovereignty by big powers and both Soviet Union and the United States continued to pursue their foreign policy objectives by instigating insurgencies or wars in the peripheries. The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is the latest international norm that supports interventions in response to genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. If the state fails to prevent these then the international community may resort to collective action to mitigate the situation. Based on past experiences it is difficult to be sanguine about the international communitys ability to stop these crimes. However, there is a high probability that R2P may be used as another tool to justify interventions by great powers in small and medium countries.

References

Associated Press (2016): Vladimir Putin Accuses Lenin of Placing a Time Bomb Under Russia, Guardian, 25 January.

Bulletin Editorial (1991): Imperialism Inflicts New Tragedy upon Kurdish People, republished in World Socialist Web Site, 5 April, https://www.wsws.org/en/special/library/fi-18-1/12.html.

Flaherty, Martin S (2020): Chinas National Security Law in Hong Kong Doubles Down on Imperialism, Washington Post, 3 July.

Inglis, Shelly (2022): Putin Could Be Charged With the Crime of Aggression for the Ukraine WarBut Its An Expensive Process with High Stakes, Conversations, 19 May, viewed on 25 June 2022, https://theconversation.com/putin-could-be-charged-with-the-crime-of-aggression-for-the-ukraine-war-but-its-an-expensive-process-with-high-stakes-181928.

Kaul, Nitasha (2019): Kashmir Is under the Heel of Indias Colonialism, Foreign Policy, 13 August.

Madhav, Ram (2022): The Complex Roots of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, Hindustan Times, 1 March.

Morgenthau, Hans J (1967): To Intervene or Not to Intervene, Foreign Affairs, April.

Prashad, Vijay (2020): The Internationalist Lenin: Self-determination and Anti-colonialism, MRonline, 10 August, viewed on 28 June 2022, https://mronline.org/2020/08/10/the-internationalist-lenin-self-determination-and-anti-colonialism/.

Sands, Philippe, (2022): Putins Use of Military Force Is a Crime of Aggression, Financial Times, 28 February.

Truman, Harry S (1947): Address of the President to Congress, Recommending Assistance to Greece and Turkey, 12 March, Harry S Truman, Elsey Papers, viewed on 12 July 2022, http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/doctrine/large/documents/index.php?documentdate=1947-03-12&documentid=5-9&pagenumber=1.
What could possibly be worse than San Antonios ongoing, oppressive summer? How about all the boring ways we talk about it?

A real scorcher. Hot enough for ya? Youd think these triple-digit temperatures melted our brains and dried up our creative juices at the same time.

There once was a time when we spoke of the rising mercury with the elevated language of poetry, when newspapers invoked the gods and anthropomorphized the sun in colorful articles, when everyday people coined lasting colloquialisms likening the weather to the devil, peppers and even goats.

Here are some examples to inspire you so the next time someone comes at you with a lukewarm, Ugh, its so hot, you can burn them with your scintillating wit and clever turn of phrase. Cool.

Bildagentur-online/Universal Images Group via Getty

The power of the press

One of the first newspaper references to 100-degree temperatures in San Antonio comes from the Aug. 18, 1883, edition of the San Antonio Light. And, wow, is it a doozy.

The above-the-fold item gets to the point with the prosaic headline: It is hot.

But under that is a smaller headline declaring hot days and sultry nights vexing the inhabitants of Alamo City. Then things really heat up:

The heat of San Antonio at the present time is more intense than has been known for many years, if statements of old residents is, as it should be, worthy of credit. They all say ... that it is as hot as Hades. The thermometer registers over 100 degrees in the shade daily, and there is an almost entire absence of that beautiful breeze which is the vitalizing element of life in the city. Water is becoming scarcer every day, and the general opinion is that a real norther, or a cool rain would have a paradisical effect upon the overheated citizens of San Antonio. The worst of it is, the nights are hot, too, and as a result Morpheus is a coy god, and wants considerable wooing before he will wrap citizens in his sweet embrace.

On ExpressNews.com: CPS Energy bills jump more than 50 percent in June as temperatures and gas prices rise

clu/Getty Images

And how about these hot takes on the hot weather from The Daily Light:

Yesterday went to the front as the hottest day of the year. The thermometer reposed at 100 degrees in the shade, and then seemed inclined to climb higher on the least provocation.  July 10, 1884

The temperature was sent up to 101 in the shade, and for once in her life the Alamo City took the belt for being the hottest place in the state.  June 2, 1887

When old Sol runs the mercury up to 100 degrees in the shade, even the scamps and idlers are obliged to eat bread with the sweat of their brow.   July 21, 1895

On ExpressNews.com: One squirrels method of beating the Texas heat captures TikTok's attention

maodesign/Getty Images

Sayings for the heat

And here are a few choice phrases Texans and other Southerners use to describe the heat, which include euphemisms collected from around the web:

Hotter than a billy goat with a blowtorch.

Its hottern a blister bug in a pepper patch.

Its so hot the ice cream truck melted.

Hotter than Satans house cat.

Hotter than the Devils armpit.

Hotter than a witchs tit in a brass bra.

Hotter than a stolen tamale.

May these fine examples quench our citys collective creative thirst like the a cold raspa on a hot summer afternoon. And may the rain gods shower us soon with their blessings.

Express-News researcher Misty Harris contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

A former Kerr County sheriff, a bullfighting clown and an Irish immigrant to Bandera were inducted into the Frontier Times Museums Texas Heroes Hall of Honor.

Frances Hubble Kaiser, a Bandera County native, served as one of the few female sheriffs in Texas from 1989 to 1999. She was Kerr Countys first female sheriff. She and the other honorees accepted their awards at a ceremony last week.

I am so overwhelmed, Kaiser said.

She thanked everyone whos helped her along the way.

I feel very honored by the life Ive had, and I give all credit to God, Kaiser said.

In Bandera: Ayala: Mixing dinosaurs and high art, Bandera museum is nothing if not eclectic

Leon Coffee, who has been a bullfighting clown for more than 40 years and has broken more than 140 bones, recounted the first time he realized being a bullfighting clown might be an option for him.

Hed been watching some rodeo cowboys practicing, and the guy in charge asked him to go in and try distracting the bull from the cowboys, which is one of the main purposes of a rodeo clown. The man told him that all he had to do was run fast and act goofy.

They kicked me out of school for that, and youre going to pay me? Coffee said, spurring laughter from the standing-room-only crowd.

In addition to other rodeos, Coffee has performed at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo since 1983.

Inducted posthumously into the Texas Heroes Hall of Honor was Irish immigrant Mary McGroarty, who disembarked from the Queen Mary at Ellis Island in 1951 at the age of 26. She and her husband ran the M. Boyle Mercantile General Store and later the Old Spanish Trail Restaurant, or OST, in Bandera.

Marys devotion to St. Stanislaus was deep as she prepared the altar with Mary Stein for several decades and through her work in the churchs food pantry, according to a news release from the museum. Her love of history came through in her work to help establish the Bandera County Historical Commission with Margie Langford. Mary was instrumental in installing the countys first historical marker at the old First State Bank on 11th Street in Bandera, a building Mary and Patrick once lived in with their sons, James and Patrick.

McGroartys son, James, accepted the award on her behalf.

She would help anyone, anytime, any day, he said of his mother.

He told a humorous story about taking his mother to see a justice of the peace after she was accused of running a stop sign.

There used to not be a stop sign there.  Ive been running that stop sign for 65 years, he quoted her as saying to the judge.

McGroarty was described as being just as proud of her Irish heritage as she was of being a Texan and Bandera resident.

In my mothers name, thank you very much, her son told the assemblage.
Did you ever write about the Red Carpet?

 Henry Gonzalez

No, but its time: The legendary downtown restaurant was the midcentury opposite of what many not-quite-post-pandemic restaurants are going through now. The Red Carpets professional waitstaff stayed for decades; prices were surprisingly reasonable; and it stayed afloat until the building was sold out from under it. It was one of those rare business ideas for something a little different that actually worked out.

The Red Carpet started in 1957 as a private club, a way around state laws against the public sale of liquor by the drink, prohibited across Texas from 1935. For a membership fee, clubs could serve drinks to members and their guests and even store bottles in liquor lockers, a convenience that kept members coming back.

Paula Allen on other private clubs: Navy Club shut down after gunbattle

The club was founded by three World War II veterans  Harold Cohen, Melvin Frank and Charles Madden  who already were active in the local business community, although not in hospitality.

The building they leased was an unprepossessing one-story commercial structure at 107 E. Martin St. at Soledad Street. From 1927 through 1954, according to Conservation Society of San Antonio library research, it housed a grocery store, a printing company, the office of a drugstore chain, a motorcycle sales office and the Central Vulcanizing Co. before standing empty for a couple of years.

To the three young partners, its narrow, beige facade looked fine  probably because of the location, across Soledad Street from the National Bank of Commerce building and not far from the Milam Building and the Bexar County Courthouse, as well as other banks and the offices of law firms and oil companies.

A story in the San Antonio Express, Nov. 14, 1957, announced a formal opening and cocktail party at the citys newest and perhaps swankiest private club. In the Red Carpets early days, looking discreet to the point of disappearing into the streetscape was an advantage.

A polished brass peephole in the front door allowed staff to sort members from wannabes, but there was at least one early-days slipup when the Red Carpet was raided for selling its own liquor across the bar. Five cases were made, Aug. 4, 1958, when state liquor control board agents asked for and received liquor by the drink. An impressive 292 bottles of not-members whiskey were confiscated, though seemingly the only time this happened.

More from Paula Allen: Shadowland was Prohibition-era San Antonio casino and speakeasy

As a private club, the Red Carpet was required to serve food, a technicality the owners took seriously.

An undated, probably 1960s, menu refers to the fare as Cuisine Francaise, cautioning diners that, Since the French consider cooking a creative art, the Red Carpet brings to it all the skill, time and patience it possesses.

Menus changed frequently but stuck to classics of Continental cuisine. Besides dishes such as sole meuniere, boeuf bourguignon and veal cordon bleu, there was also beef stroganoff, osso buco and tarama spread, a Greek-style appetizer based on salmon roe. Caesar salad was prepared tableside, where cherries jubilee and baked Alaska were set aflame for showy desserts. Longtime chef Fritz Loeschel won culinary awards and was sought after for cooking demonstrations. A May 1982 restaurant listing in Texas Monthly praised his effortless excellence,

The Red Carpet started opening for Monday-Friday lunch in early 1964, and shortly after the repeal of liquor-by-the-drink laws in 1971, the club opened to all who would appreciate it. Weve thrown away the key  Now open to the public, proclaimed an advertisement in the San Antonio Light, Nov. 8, 1972.

More from Paula Allen: Whiskey rectifier held vital job in San Antonios distilling industry in early 20th century

The venue became an even more popular one for special occasions, family birthdays and anniversaries as well as parental date nights. Diners dressed up; and if they brought their children, the youngsters were expected to be on their best behavior. The decor signaled a grown-up atmosphere  red flocked wallpaper, leather seating, white china and white table linen.

Waiters who were perfect gentlemen would drape the white linen napkins across the laps of the ladies with a flourish and even light your cigarette for you, said Ann Buckmaster, who remembered 1960s and 70s business lunches there in response to a query on Facebook. There were oil men sealing a deal with a handshake and lawyers discussing their cases. Also bankers and secretaries  the business world gathered for lunch there. Secretaries, too? Sure; all entrees with two vegetables sold at that time for $2.95 each. Happy hours were affordable, too, from the long bar that also served a perfect pousse-cafe, the magnificently multilayered drink.

High style was a highlight of the Red Carpet, according to Janet Matthews, daughter of co-owner Charles Madden. Her 10th birthday party was a Hawaiian-theme dinner party at the restaurant with punch served out of coconuts.

When you went to the Red Carpet, they made all of their guests feel like celebrities, she said, noting that the restaurant also was a frequent apres-show stop for actual celebrities, many of whose autographed pictures could be seen on the walls. The Red Carpet was the kind of place Tony Bennett would have gone to dinner, and he did. So did Nat King Cole, John Wayne, Red Skelton, Chico Marx and bandleaders Harry James and Ted Lewis.

More from Paula Allen: Roaring 20s club kept big-band sound popular

Several nights a week, there was live music for dancing, with a bandstand and a hardwood dance floor. Adolfo Jimenez, an accordionist from Monterrey, Mexico, was the leader of a popular quartet who made a record album, A Night at the Red Carpet, with some of the bands greatest hits. There were other ensembles, Matthews said, usually Latin music because thats what customers enjoyed most for dancing.

The Red Carpet closed in 1992, a casualty of the savings-and-loan crisis. Madden, who became manager after he retired from his construction business, told the Light, April 15, 1992, that the restaurant had lost business due to bank failures and the partners inability to renew its lease, as the building was in the hands of the Resolution Trust Corp., a federal agency liquidating assets of insolvent thrifts.

An auction was held May 26, 1992, on the site of the now-defunct establishment, that days Express-News said, describing it as the former eating and meeting place for  San Antonio power brokers. On sale were dishes, glassware, bar items, oil paintings, banquet booths, serving carts, sterling-silver wine buckets and the restaurants trademark, red-padded arm chairs.

A later strip club by the same name at the site, said Matthews, had nothing to do with the previous owners, who were pretty upset about it. In 2018, the location became V Lounge, a Las Vegas-style nightclub.

For an echo of the Red Carpets ambiance, visit this columns social media pages for links to recordings from Jimenezs album, provided by local music historian Jason Saldana.

historycolumn@yahoo.com | Twitter: @sahistorycolumn | Facebook: SanAntoniohistorycolumn
At least 13 people in San Antonio have been infected with the monkeypox virus, Metro Health reported Friday.

Monkeypox is related to smallpox, but is rarely fatal. It causes a painful rash that looks like pimples or blisters within three weeks from exposure and can be spread from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed.

The virus usually spreads through skin-to-skin contact and those with the infection are asked to isolate at home.

At this point, the overall risk to the general population remains low as almost all reported cases in the current U.S. outbreak have been among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, said Dr. Bryan Alsip, chief medical officer at University Health in a statement. That said, monkeypox can be a risk to anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

Those exposed should contact a health care provider because they may be eligible to receive one of two smallpox vaccines. In Bexar County, vaccination is being offered only to people identified as direct contacts during public health case investigations because federal authorities say doses are in short supply.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the vaccine be given within four days from the date of exposure for the best chance to prevent onset of the disease, which can also cause fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion and respiratory symptoms.

On ExpressNews.com: Tracking monkeypox in Texas, Bexar County and across the country

CDC data shows that since Monday, monkeypox cases across the state nearly tripled from 107 cases to 315 cases and that across the nation there have been 4,907 confirmed cases.

Among the Texas cases, 98 percent are among men and 45 percent of cases are among people between the ages of 30 and 39, according to data compiled by the Texas Department of State Health Services.

The World Health Organization declared the monkeypox outbreak a global emergency on July 23, however U.S. health officials have not yet declared monkeypox a public health emergency, which would free up resources.

Earlier this week, San Antonio area congressmen Joaquin Castro and Lloyd Doggett joined more than 100 of their colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden administration, asking that $100 million in funding be sent to sexual health clinics across the country for targeted outreach.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio public health officials urge caution in crowds to prevent spread of monkeypox

San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is urging residents to avoid large crowds where people are wearing minimal clothing such as festivals, saunas and nightclubs.

Exposure can happen during any kind of close, physical contact with an infected individual such as prolonged face-to-face contact or while touching items such as clothing, bedding or towels that previously touched the infectious rash or body fluids.

Metro Health is promoting a free Q&A forum hosted by Living Positive San Antonio, an HIV social and support group, in which experts will discuss the monkeypox virus and how to limit exposure.

The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 at Woodlawn Pointe on 702 Donaldson Avenue.

Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation will be available.

laura.garcia@express-news.net
Firefighters work at a site of residential house destroyed by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, July 29. Reuters-Yonhap





S&P Global Ratings on Friday cut Ukraine's long-term debt grade by three notches, saying the recently announced plan to defer payments means a default is "a virtual certainty."







The agency lowered the rating to "CC" from "CCC+" after the government proposed deferring payments on all external debt obligations by 24 months.







The ratings outlook remains negative which "reflects our view that Ukraine is likely to implement its debt restructuring plans, which we consider tantamount to a default," the statement said.







A group of Western countries last week gave their green light to Kyiv's request to postpone interest payments on its debt and called on other creditors to do so as well.







The governments said the postponement of the debt service would allow it to prioritize funding for the war effort.







The group, which includes Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States, called on other countries which have lent money to Ukraine to join in the effort, as well as bondholders.







S&P said private bondholders have been asked to vote on the proposal by August 9.







The ratings agency noted that the plan "does not include any debt haircuts and offers some compensation to bondholders" but still would consider the country in default. (AFP)


Many of the 62 missions Gerald Teldon flew aboard a P-47 Thunderbolt have faded from memory. He wrote letters after every sortie, but those are gone, too.

Still, his first day of combat, Dec. 11, 1944, was burned into his consciousness in the split second he took a life.

It was the very thing he had joined the Army Air Forces to avoid: Flying in combat, he thought, would let him shoot at inanimate objects and never come face to face with a person he had to kill.

Now 97 and a month out from his next birthday, Teldon was surrounded by more than two dozen family members Friday as he received six medals that had never been given to him after World War II.

The event, at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life & Learning in San Antonio, offered the family a rare chance to see Teldon, who lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and hear the war stories firsthand.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

They beamed as Lt. Col. Andrew Stein, a pilot and commander of the 502nd Air Base Wings Operational Support Squadron, presented the medals, which included an Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three bronze service stars, a World War II Victory Medal and a coveted Presidential Unit Citation.

Taking the stage after receiving the decorations, Teldon said that each of these medals had something to do with what we did during the war. And while we were engaged in doing it, we never knew what the result was.

He was 20 on his first mission, flying in Italy and unsure how the Thunderbolt would react when he launched rockets from the six tubes under the wings.

The planes aerodynamics were definitely different  and nearly fatal. He clipped a tree on his first pass, unable to pull up quickly, and it jostled one of the tubes.

My flight leader makes a run, and hes off ahead of me, and I want to fire a rocket into the train thats in front of me, and I fire a rocket, and lo and behold, the rocket goes straight for the flight leader, Teldon said in an interview before Fridays ceremony.

The missile barely missed his boss.

But I still had time to go down and take out the train with my machine guns, and as it turns out  and I see this in front of me today  as Im diving down to get the train, the engineer steps right out in the middle of my sighting just as Im letting go.  And he disappears.

Teldon arrived for his first combat assignment in Jesi, a town in eastern Italy, in 1944 after a long training stint in the United States that included a stop in San Antonio, where he was tested, evaluated and assigned to fly fighters.

On ExpressNews.com: Daredevil pilot, after earning medals for 1920s Pacific crossing, pawned them in San Antonio

It was something of a dream come true for the young lieutenant. Back as a teenager on Long Island, he won an airplane ride for selling the most subscriptions to an upstart newspaper, Newsday, and knew right there and then what he wanted to do with his life.

At that time I was 15 years old, and my goodness, there I was sitting in an aeroplane flying over New York City and just at that moment I made up my mind I was going to be a pilot, he said. And then came World War II.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

Teldon trained at a small civilian airport outside Fort Worth. Local pilots served as the instructors, and the camaraderie was strong. The young aviators even had a mascot of sorts, a donkey that loved to drink Cola-Cola. Teldon made his first solo flight on his sixth sortie.

And one day while were up practicing, I look down and see that theres a plane that keeps spiraling and spiraling and crashes, and then I knew that one of the guys that I came with was killed, he said, adding that no one knew who the victim was for hours. And I will tell you one thing, that as a result of that, I would very seldom practice spiral (maneuvers).

There was a long pause.

But it would also make you realize, Hey, you can get killed doing this. Everything is full of fun and joy and nothing can go wrong, and suddenly one of the guys that you have breakfast with doesnt show up the next day and you realize this is not for fun, this is real.

On ExpressNews.com: High demand for labor creating headwind for Air Force

The P-47 was a tough, long-range and versatile fighter. Teldon escorted bombers from England but mostly flew close air support, taking out targets on the ground with the planes eight 50-caliber machine guns.

Very seldom did I get over 4,000 or 5,000 feet, he said. It may sound funny, but I never saw another German plane on the ground or in the air. Anything that moved on the ground, local transport, cars, trains, buses  and you know the interesting thing is, people had to ask me, Did you ever kill anybody? Thats a hell of a thing to ask.

If Teldon strafed a bus, he had no idea how many people were in it. How many might be on a train? And yet, if it wasnt for the war, this is a guy you might go out and have a beer with, he said.

So, for 58 years, Teldon didnt talk about it  not with his wife, Carol, or his sons, Rabbi Tuvia Teldon, 70, of Long Island, and Kevin Teldon, 67, of Denver.

That didnt mean Teldon was a reluctant warrior. When he was 9 or 10, he closely followed Italys invasion of Ethiopia. It made a deep impression, he thinks, shaping his thoughts about war and how people suffer for no other reason than because somebody wants something they have.

So being in the military, its a question of protecting what people have, he said. It may sound strange, but strange things go through your mind as a kid.

On ExpressNews.com: D-day veteran gets medals - decades later

Much later, Teldon and his wife were clearing out his parents home after their deaths and came across his letters from Italy, in a big plastic bag on a shelf. Teldon recalls Carol asking, Do you really want to take those with you?

And we sat down and we thought about it awhile, and I said, No. No, I dont want to remember all of those things. I can remember a couple of missions, but I didnt want to remember doing all of those things, the 62 missions and killing people.

And now there are times where I try to remember some of those missions, and I come up with maybe four or five. But I just cant get my IBM machine to remember the others.

One of them still returns in Teldons dreams. The expression the whole nine yards refers to a machine gun ammunition belt that ran just that length, he said, with bullets at intervals brushed with a phosphate solution so the person firing the weapon could see the tracers.

We had just come off a strafing run, and Im doing maybe 150 mph coming off this run, and for some reason I look down and I see that between my first and second gun, tracers are between them and theyre gradually increasing, increasing, coming towards the wing, and its like watching your death in front of you and theres nothing you can do about it.

Suddenly the tracers stopped, inches from the wing.

The machine gun has used up the whole nine yards.

That was a mission about halfway through his assignment in Italy, and by then his P-47 had a name  Mr. Lucky.

Teldon came home in 1946 as a first lieutenant, went back to work for the business he left before the war, Angelica Uniform Co. He had started at 17, sweeping floors and running coffee for the secretaries, and retired 54 years later as vice president of international marketing.

Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer

In addition to their sons, he and Carol had 38 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. One grandchild is Rabbi Levi Teldon, 37, at the Chabad Center in San Antonio, who said the ceremony reminded him how grateful I am to be alive, because reading some of his biography and hearing some of the stories makes me reflect on how purposeful his living is.

He was one of the few that were spared and was able to have a beautiful family and legacy, the rabbi said.

During the Korean War, Teldon was called back to duty in the Air Force Reserve as an instructor pilot in New Hampshire. Though he no longer flew Mr. Lucky, he survived another close call in a P-47, landing blind after engine failure spewed oil over his cockpit canopy.

In the last phase of P-47 training years before, he was forced to make a belly landing in a lava bed after his plane failed to gain altitude on takeoff. The engine was ripped away from the aircraft, which saved him from being burned alive in the likely ensuing explosion.

I think, Teldon said, my whole life has been Mr. Lucky.

sigc@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Nine minutes of an increasingly intense confrontation had elapsed when former University of the Incarnate Word police Cpl. Christopher Carter issued an ultimatum to Robert Cameron Redus: Stop or I will shoot.

Youre gonna (expletive) shoot me? Redus, a 23-year-old UIW senior, responded, according to audio released Thursday that for the first time shows in graphic detail what happened in the Dec. 6, 2013 altercation.

Youre gonna (expletive) shoot me? For trying to make you not choke me right now? Redus added after Carter warned again that he would shoot Redus.

The struggle in the parking lot of Redus off-campus apartment complex went on, with Redus asking the question several times, as if he were in disbelief that the officer was really threatening to shoot him.

You are pathetic, Redus then told Carter.

As Carter continued to order Redus to stop, Redus asked again: Youre gonna shoot me if I dont stop? Is that what cops do?

Redus cursed at Carter. The seconds that led to the shooting were filled with what sounds like a scuffle.

Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop! Stop! Stop! Carter said. Get back. Get back.

Then: the sound of six shots being fired, over about eight seconds.

The release of the audio more than 15 months after the incident came after a grand jury Tuesday decided not to indict Carter, clearing him from facing criminal charges in the shooting in Alamo Heights. It largely backed up what officials have said in the days since the altercation  that Carter told Redus repeatedly to stop or stop resisting and to put his hands behind his back. He also told Redus a few times that he was under arrest or was resisting arrest.

The recording is the first time the public is able to listen to Carters explanation of what happened as he talked to Alamo Heights police, paramedics and possibly a lawyer he called on his cell phone. It was captured on a body microphone Carter was wearing.

I tried to restrain him. He tried to kick me in the chest, Carter said at one point to an Alamo Heights officer who responded to the scene after the shooting.

But the audio also reveals the problems other officers had in reaching Carter. The officer radioed an incorrect location to dispatch when he first stopped at the complex, and responding officers did not know where Carter was until after Redus was shot.

At one point during the struggle, Carter even asked Redus what the address was and what street they were on.

After Carter opened fire on Redus  hitting him five times  he radioed to dispatch: Shots fired, send EMS. I have one down.

As Carter worked to catch his breath, the dispatcher told him to hit his emergency toner.

We cant locate you, the dispatcher said. Your location please, give me your location.

Carter tried to describe his location using geographic landmarks and said he was behind a bank, initially misidentifying which bank.

More than three minutes after Carter fired his weapon, an Alamo Heights police officer arrived at the complex.

Right here! Carter called out. Hes down, we need an ambulance. I had to shoot.

He later made a phone call to someone who was possibly an attorney.

Im at Alamo Heights, he said on the phone. I was trying to stop a drunk driver. He tried to get into his apartment complex.

Redus started resisting, Carter said, and knocked away the officers radio.

He took my baton away, Carter said later in the recording. Did a couple smacks on my left shoulder. I dont know if one of them hit me on the back of my head or not. I knocked it out of his hand. I got him in a headlock. He started punching me in the face. He got away from my grip. He had an opportunity to leave. He charged me again.

Carter said he was feeling fatigued as the fight dragged on.

I drew my weapon, ordered him to stop, stop. He came at me again, punched me in the face and I fired. I dont know how many times, like four, five. Put him to the ground. I was able to regain my mic and call for assistance.

When Carter first approached Redus and ordered him to put his hands behind his back, Redus told the officer, Youre freaking me out, man and I feel like Im gonna get raped right now. Much of what Redus said is muffled, but he also said several times that he was trying to prevent Carter from choking him.

After the death of Redus  who went by Cameron  his family filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against both UIW and Carter. The suit is making its way through the court, and the familys attorney said this week that the lack of indictment neither helped nor hurt the case.

But the attorney, Brent Perry, said, We believe that if the district attorneys office had seriously pursued an indictment, there would have been an indictment.

In a recent filing in the civil suit, the familys attorneys disputed whether Redus ever wrested the baton from Carter and struck him. The lawyers also have argued that Carter lacked probable cause to pursue and arrest Redus.

During the struggle, Carter never specifically mentioned the baton, according to the audio. But he told responding officers that Redus had taken the baton and struck him with it.

Carter told investigators he started following Redus along Broadway around 1:30 a.m. that December morning because he believed Redus was driving drunk, which was confirmed by an autopsy.

Carter, who was on duty, did not know that he was pursuing a student at the time, but as a licensed peace officer, he was authorized to arrest suspects outside his jurisdiction for serious offenses, including drunken driving, legal experts have said.

Carter has since resigned from the force.

The Redus family is seeking between $1 million and $26 million in damages in the civil lawsuit.

In a statement released by its attorneys, UIW said Thursday it hoped the recording would put to rest much of the misinformation disseminated by persons characterizing the recording. The statement also tallied the number of times Carter told Redus to stop resisting and to put his hands behind his back.

While this is not all the evidence viewed by the grand jury, we are confident that any objective listener will conclude Cpl. Carter acted properly, the statement said.

djoseph@express-news.net; jtedesco@express-news.net; mcasady@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

University of the Incarnate Word police Cpl. Chris Carter, who fatally shot 23-year-old UIW student Cameron Redus in December 2013, wants to become a law enforcement officer again.

Carter  who resigned from the university's force in December 2014, a year after the shooting incident  has sent more than two dozen applications for jobs with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County since April, records show.

The former officer applied for 25 positions with Bexar County from May 10 to July 13, according to personnel records obtained by the San Antonio Express-News.

RELATED: Officer who killed UIW student yelled "Stop .. Stop" repeatedly before shooting him

The positions range from part-time detention officer at Bexar County Jail to court security officer for the Bexar County Sheriff's Office to pretrial bond officer.

Carter also applied to become a morgue specialist with the county's Judicial Services division, a recording operations clerk for the Bexar County Clerk's Office and director of the county's Department of Community Resources.

KENS 5 first reported Carter's attempts to delve back into law enforcement.

In April, Carter applied for a job as civilian dispatcher for the San Antonio Police Department, but failed to snag the position.

"Mr. Carter was not selected for the civilian dispatcher position with the San Antonio Police Department," city spokeswoman Roxanne Olivarri said in an email. "Mr. Carter may apply for any available positions with the Police Department, but like any applicant, would need to meet all of the minimum requirements to be considered for the position."

RELATED: North Texas police chief suspended for alleged explicit chats with underage girl

Carter shot Redus five times, once in the back, outside the student's apartment in Alamo Heights on Dec. 6, 2013.

Carter told investigators suspected that Redus was driving drunk, later confirmed by an autopsy, when he began following Redus along Broadway around 1:30 a.m. that morning.

Carter did not know that he was pursuing a student at the time, but was authorized as a licensed peace officer to arrest suspects outside of his jurisdiction for serious offenses, legal experts have said, according to San Antonio Express-News archives.

Authorities have said Redus grabbed Carter's baton and hit Carter with it before the officer regained control of the weapon. Redus broke from the officer's grip and approached him with a raised fist before Carter opened fire, officials said.

An audio recording of the incident showed Carter repeatedly told Redus to stop resisting and warned Redus that he would shoot him if Redus did not stop.

RELATED: More than 400 people in Bexar County arrested on felony DWI charges this year

A grand jury opted not to indict Carter on March 26, clearing him of criminal charges in the Dec. 6, 2013 shooting.

A civil wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Redus family against UIW and Carter is currently making its way through court.

Mark Hall, a spokesman for the Redus family, said Redus' relatives "would be appalled" if law enforcement agencies hired Carter, who he called "ill-suited" for a job in law enforcement.

"Every time he thinks about that [night of the shooting], he should understand that he is not well-suited for any type of law enforcement position," Hall said.

San Antonio Express-News archives contributed to this story.

jfechter@mySA.com

Twitter: @JFreports
William Luther, Staff / William Luther

A woman had been stabbed to death before her body was left in a bin at an abandoned West Side house and wrapped in a blanket, investigators said.

Gloria Martinez, 19, was found dead about 2 p.m. July 20 in the 2400 block of San Luis Street, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office.
The Fourth Court of Appeals on Friday affirmed a lower courts decision denying the University of the Incarnate Words request to quash a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the 2013 shooting of a student by a campus police officer.

Brent Perry, the Houston lawyer representing the family of Robert Cameron Redus, said Friday that he was pleased with the ruling, and absent something unusual happening in the next two months, the suit can proceed.

A trial is currently set for Sept. 19 in state district court in San Antonio.

We have to go to trial, Perry said. That shooting was unjustified.

RELATED: UIW says student slain by campus officer was irresponsible

Margaret Garcia, UIW director of university communications and brand marketing, acknowledged via email Friday the court had concluded that in their opinion there are factual issues which must be presented to a jury.

She added that UIW is preparing to proceed forward with the trial.

Kin Man Hui, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

Redus, 23, who went by Cameron, had reached his off-campus apartment building when his pickup was stopped by Cpl. Christopher Carter, who had suspected Redus of driving drunk near the university early on Dec. 6, 2013.

Carter reported that Redus fought him when he attempted an arrest, and  after a prolonged struggle in which Redus got control of his baton and struck him with it  he shot the student multiple times.

The appeals panel agreed that the university could not be protected by the legal immunity afforded police officers because the question of whether Carter was acting in good faith was disputed.

The universitys previous claim to government immunity because its police department was licensed by the state was also rejected, by the appeals court and later the Texas Supreme Court, during the eight years since the lawsuit was filed.

A trial will allow Carters version of the facts to be challenged, Perry said.

BOB OWEN, Staff / San Antonio Express-News

RELATED: Appeals court says UIW cant claim immunity in Redus case

Carter knew Cameron was not armed, Perry said. His statement was false. He knew Cameron never hit him with the baton.

A Bexar County grand jury in 2014 declined to indict Carter. The parents of Redus, who lived in Baytown, filed the lawsuit that year.

The appeals court ruled that UIW was not entitled to governmental immunity with respect to the actions of its police, and the Texas Supreme Court agreed in 2020, saying that private universities do not operate as an arm of the state government through their police departments.

Following that decision, UIW filed a motion for summary judgment based on Carters qualified immunity. That motion was denied, and in affirming the ruling, the Fourth Court noted aspects of Carters story that might be disputed by a recording of the fatal encounter and because under questioning, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Two months after the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, University Hospital has released the last of the survivors being treated there.

Mayah Nicole Zamora, 10, was discharged from the hospital Friday to the sounds of cheers and applause, the hospital announced via Twitter.

Mayah wore a pink T-shirt  emblazoned with a white heart outlining the words Mayah Strong  with shorts, a mask and her hair in ponytails. The girl, who was shot multiple times, also wore a protective sleeve with a rainbow-colored heart on her left arm.

She handed out roses to hospital staff who chanted her name and clapped as she walked down the hallway, footage posted online of the momentous occasion by the hospital shows.

She was escorted by family and staff to a limousine waiting for her outside, striking a pose when she reached it. She took off her mask after getting inside the limo to reveal a bright smile.

The staff waved a final farewell, shouting come visit us as she left.

On ExpressNews.com: Uvalde school shooting report: Read all 77 pages

She is our hero and we cant wait to see all she accomplishes in the future! the hospitals message reads.

Mayah was one of 17 children and adults injured in the mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers. The husband of one teacher died of a heart attack after the shooting.

She has received an outpouring of support in the wake of the shooting, including a visit from country music star Kevin Fowler.

A GoFundMe account set up to raise money for her recovery had collected about $104,000 in donations as of Friday evening.

jbeltran@express-news.net
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Fat shaming, as ubiquitous as it remains, doesnt usually make news.

Those kinds of cutting comments are most often made in small groups among people who arent news-makers. Or theyre bandied about anonymously on social media by people who hide behind obscure Twitter handles.

Shaming people for their size is often wrapped up in misogyny. Typically, a man or boy attacks a woman or girl, especially one theyre threatened by or consider an easy target.

Most often victims know their bullies, and everyone else knows the drill. They may wince, or laugh or just look away, usually avoiding the eyes of the person being bullied.

The hurtful names that bullies use are well known. I wont repeat them here. But fat may be the least of them.

You may recognize a bully when you see one  his character and demeanor, the way he carries himself, the bravado, the sense of privilege.

You might have been one.

Or perhaps you were his victim.

You might have held your head high, as your mother told you to do. You learned this was a way to overcome hate. You minimized it.

Often victims went to school with their bullies, or worked alongside them. Sometimes, they were your bosses. They got away with such behavior, until they didnt.

The bullys intention is always based on cruelty, though sometimes its a power play, to illustrate how much he has and, in turn, how little his victim possesses.

His actions may be an act of insecurity, though I dont want to offer much more sympathy or psychoanalysis than that.

As adults, the bullied remember their harassers. They see them at high school reunions, Facebook, church, during Fiesta.

Ive chosen not to confront my bullies, but Ive chosen to engage them. Some are clearly uncomfortable while I look directly at them.

Its my hope weve all recovered. Ive healed. My hope is some of them have reformed.

At least one, the worst one, has chosen to look away, pretending not to see me.

Except, of course, when someone he deems important is nearby, then his acknowledgment is full on. Hes reprehensible.

Which brings me to Matt Gaetz, the Republican congressman from Florida who may be the best recognized bully in the country just now.

Last weekend he spoke in Tampa and attacked women who are advocating for abortion rights.

Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about abortions?

Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb, Gaetz said.

He went on to mention eating salads and marching as an exercise regimen.

To be clear, Gaetz didnt name Texas activist Olivia Julianna directly, at least not at first.

Olivia Julianna, who doesnt use her surname in public because of safety concerns, responded to Gaetzs on Twitter saying shes 511. 64 in heels and wears them so the small men like you are reminded of your place.

She also made reference to a Justice Department investigation that alleges Gaetz was involved in sex trafficking and prostitution involving a then-17-year-old girl.

Gaetz has maintained his innocence and said the investigation is part of a criminal shakedown of his family. He hasnt been charged with any crimes.

Gaetz tweeted a story about their exchange with a photo of Olivia Julianna and the words, Dander raised

A spokesperson for Gaetz then said, Congressman Gaetz never mentioned the adults weight. Leftist media did.

Sharing her photograph was key to Gaetzs bullying tactics, meant to unleash hate her way, and he was right about that.

But what he didnt figure was that Olivia Julianna would became an overnight sensation, or that he attempted to pick on a 19-year-old Mexican American whos already a political strategist and social media influencer and on the staff of Gen-Z for Change.

By Friday evening, the Gen-Z for Choice Abortion Fund had raised $1.4 million for groups working on restoring abortion rights.

In an interview with Teen Vogue, and in response to questions about how she got the confidence to take on an elected official, Olivia Julianna credited watching professional wrestling on TV and the WWEs scripted conflicts.

She also credited her grandmother, My Nana got me into it.

Bullies wont see how powerful this story is, nor value the teaching moment it offers.

It reminds us that authority figures have to redouble their efforts to stop bullies before they become monsters  in schools, workplaces and houses of worship, in statehouses and in Washington, D.C.

Because thats where they can inflict the most harm.

eayala@express-news.net
Aug. 15 will mark 10 years since Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, offered hope to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. But the policy faces court challenges and could be overturned this year, which would leave hundreds of thousands of recipients suddenly vulnerable to deportation  and their employers and communities in the lurch. That is, unless Congress acts.

For me, this issue is personal because of Dreamers like Andrea Rathbone Ramos. She is one of many Dreamers who has made an immense impact on her community in San Antonio. She is a DACA recipient and outspoken supporter of Dreamers and immigrants.

Ramos comes from a long line of strong women. Both of her grandmothers were U.S. citizens, but her mother was born and raised in Mexico. When the Mexican economy began to fail in the late 1980s, Ramos mother decided to move to Texas and bring Andrea to be raised with her grandparents and the opportunities only America could provide.

Since her arrival, Ramos has made the most of every opportunity, earning a bachelors degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and building a robust career of giving back. After a stint at the American Business Immigration Coalition, where she helped immigrant business owners in Texas, she is completing another advanced degree as a deans scholar at New York Universitys Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.

Ramos, the pride of her family, is the first to reach these educational heights. And she is one of many Dreamers I now call my friends. For the past 20 years, I have prayed for her and many other Dreamers and been encouraged by their stories.

Dreamers are passionate, courageous young leaders who are making a mark on our communities. Yet despite their contributions to their communities, they are forced to live in ongoing uncertainty.

As legal challenges to DACA threaten the future of the program, Dreamers are more aware than ever that the lives and professions theyve built here  in the only country they know as home  could be revoked at any moment.

Over 100,000 DACA recipients call Texas home, using their skills, passions and finances to strengthen the Texas economy. They pay federal, state and local taxes.

Dreamers such as Ramos were brought to America as children in the name of opportunity. And they have thrived. But they have also made it possible for America to thrive, too.

Roughly 8 in 10 Americans from across the political spectrum want Congress to enact immigration reform that includes improvements to border security, a solution for Dreamers and reforms to ensure a reliable, lawful agricultural workforce.

The need for these reforms is more urgent than ever. Record numbers of migrants are crossing the border in increasingly dangerous conditions; workers with DACA are at risk amid an already severe labor shortage; and food prices are high.

On Dreamers in particular, Sen. John Cornyn has long spoken of his commitment to provide permanent legal protections. Cornyn can, and should, lead his colleagues to action.

I join other evangelical Christians in continuing to pray for Congress to provide Dreamers with the permanent solution they deserve. Dreamers such as Ramos support America and make it better. Its time for Congress to act and show that America supports them, too.

Brenda Kirk is the South-Central mobilizer for the National Immigration Forum.
Members ofwill be gathering in Ho Chi Minh City at the 8thfrom September 22-23, 2022. The summit will highlight the latest policy developments in Vietnams textile and apparel industry, sourcing strategy, supply chain, digital transformation, labour shortage, sustainability, and much more.

The two-day conference will include a keynote speech, panel discussion, and other networking activities and will be open to both onsite and virtual participants worldwide, according to the events organiser ECV International. Despite the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnams textile and garment industry has recorded an export turnover of $8.84 billion in the first quarter of 2022, which is a 22.5 per cent rise over the same period last year. The countrys manufacturers and their partners are exploring various opportunities in the global textile and garment market. Vietnams textile exports to major export markets such as the United States, Europe, and Japan have shown positive growth.

At the same time, many raw materials used in the textile industry are still imported. Other challenges include the labour shortage resulting from the pandemic, post-COVID recovery, climate change, and the volatile trade market. The summit aims to offer valuable insights on the future prospects of Vietnams textile and apparel industry to attendees.

Members of Vietnam's textile and apparel industry will be gathering in Ho Chi Minh City at the 8th Vietnam Textile Summit 2022 from September 22-23, 2022. The summit will highlight policy developments in the Vietnam textile and apparel industry, sourcing strategy, supply chain, digital transformation, labour shortage, sustainability, and much more.#

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)
HAIKOU, China, July 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the second China International Consumer Products Expo ("CICPE" or "Hainan Expo") welcomes 2,800 boutique brands from 61 countries and regions, Sanya, the popular resort city on Hainan Island's southern tip, showcased the city's possibilities and potential as a tourism destination combined with fashionable elements through its theme day on July 28 at the largest consumer boutique exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Sanya Day event was organized by the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) and co-organized by the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board (STPB). It aimed to cultivate new businesses and promote culture exchange for tourism consumption while encouraging international partners to explore the potential of this "tourism + culture" destination in China.

Fashion show brings Hong Kong designer brands to a top tourist destination

Hainan Expo provides unlimited business opportunities for international brands to explore the Chinese market, while introducing China's fashionable products to consumers across the globe. The Sanya Day event, which was an important part of the Hainan Expo Fashion Week, featured three debut shows from Hong Kong boutique and pioneering designer brands, including Ribyeung, BronzeLucia, and KINGWEN, with elements covering leisure, vacation, youth, and nature.

The cooperation with the Hong Kong designers echoes Sanya's commitment to expanding this business and establishing a long-term collaboration mechanism with international premium and emerging brands with the ambition of bringing travelers more fashion experiences.

While promoting Sanya as a fashionable and trendy tourism option, the show also presented Sanya as an open and diverse international destination and called for mutual cooperation with Hong Kong and the international community.

Fashion as a new approach to discovering the best of Sanya

At the event, STPB and Hainan IEDB signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the fashion sector, leveraging resources to land brand debuts and introduce the fashion cluster to Sanya. The signings will explore opportunities in Sanya's tourism market and future development opportunities in supporting future brand debuts and designer events as well as launching premium conferences and exhibitions.

An internationally renowned tourist destination, Sanya is undoubtedly the best medium for brands to enter the Chinese market given its diversified customer base. It is also an ideal option for travelers who would like to add more fashion-related experiences to their business or leisure trips, as Sanya keeps enhancing its competitiveness against the backdrop of the integrated free trade port policy and the popularity of tourism and leisure consumption scenarios.

"Sanya has been committed to developing partnerships and enriching its offering to serve the demands of various visitors. The idea of achieving win-win cooperation and deepening mutual exchange is the original intention of our participation in the Hainan Expo, as we hope to extend more possibilities of Sanya," said Albert Yip, director general of the STPB. "Building on the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hainan Free Trade Port and taking the second Hainan Expo as an opportunity, we would like to extend an invitation to visitors from Hong Kong and other places across the world to explore the enormous potential in Sanya, to enjoy the unique experience here with a fashionable taste."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1869243/China_International_Consumer_Products_Expo_Fashion_Week.jpg
DGAP-News: Altaley Mining Corp

Altaley Mining Controlling Shareholder Renews Form 45-102F1 Notice of Intent to Sell



30.07.2022 / 06:06

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.





Altaley Mining Corporation (TSXV: ATLY) (OTCQX: ATLYF) (FSE: TSGA) (the "Company" or "Altaley") Further to its news release dated June 27, 2022, the Company is advised that Mr. Roberto Guzman Garcia has filed a renewed Form 45-102F1 - Notice of Intention to Distribute Securities under Section 2.8 of NI 45-102 - Resale of Securities, since the form previously filed on June 24, 2022, has expired. The contents of Form 45-102F1 remain unchanged having not yet completed any sale of securities under the previous filing.

About Altaley Mining Corporation

Altaley Mining Corporation is a Canadian based mining company with two 100% owned Mexican gold, silver, and base metal mining projects.

Altaley's Tahuehueto mining project is in north-western Durango State, Mexico where construction has been advanced to near completion on its 1,000 tonne per day processing facility and related mine infrastructure for production of gold, silver, lead, and zinc in concentrates at Tahuehueto. The Company began initial pre-production in May 2022 and will be ramping up to full production capacity late 2022.

Campo Morado is an operating polymetallic base metal mine with mining and milling equipment currently producing at an average of 2,400 tonnes per day and is currently estimated to be Mexico's 6th largest zinc producer.

Visit: www.altaleymining.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

(signed) "Ralph Shearing"

Ralph Shearing, P. Geol,

CEO, President, and Director

Cautionary Note Regarding Production Decisions and Forward-Looking Statements

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.

It should be noted that Altaley declared commercial production at Campo Morado prior to completing a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, readers should be cautioned that Altaley's production decision has been made without a comprehensive feasibility study of established reserves such that there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Campo Morado mine and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make a production decision. Altaley has completed a preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") mining study on the Campo Morado mine that provides a conceptual life of mine plan and a preliminary economic analysis based on the previously identified mineral resources (see News Release dated November 8, 2017, and April 4, 2018). ). Furthermore, It should be noted that Altaley intends to commence pre-production and ramp up to full commercial production at Tahuehueto prior to completing a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability. Accordingly, readers should be cautioned that Altaley's pre-production and production decisions will be made without a comprehensive feasibility study of established reserves such that there is greater risk and uncertainty as to future economic results from the Tahuehueto mine and a higher technical risk of failure than would be the case if a feasibility study were completed and relied upon to make such production decisions. Altaley has completed a positive pre-feasibility study (the "Pre-Feasibility Study") and updated mineral reserves/resources estimates at its flagship Tahuehueto Mine that provides a conceptual life of mine plan and a preliminary economic analysis based on a 1,000 tonne per day operation (see News Release dated March 7, 2022)

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-Looking Information includes but is not limited to conditions or financial performance that are based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action; the timing and costs of future activities on the Company's properties, such as production rates and increases; success of exploration, development and bulk sample processing activities, and timing for processing at its own mineral processing facility on the Tahuehueto project site. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified using words and phrases such as "plans," "expects," "scheduled," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "anticipates" or variations of such words and phrases. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, that the current exploration, development, environmental and other objectives concerning the Campo Morado Mine and the Tahuehueto Project can be achieved; that commencement of pre-production mining and milling operations at Tahuehueto will proceed as planned; the continuity of the price of gold and other metals, economic and political conditions, and operations. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information 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 Information. Except as required by law, the Company does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Glen Sandwell

+1 604-684-8071

ir@altaleymining.com

https://www.altaleymining.com/

30.07.2022 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


Deputy Minister of Trade of Indonesia Dr Jerry Sambuaga was the Guest Of Honor for TRESCON World Blockchain Summit which took place in Marina Bay Sand Expo, Singapore, facilitated by Asia Blockchain Association

Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_001full.jpg

Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - July 30, 2022) - Vice Minister Of Trade of Indonesia, Dr. Jerry Sambuaga met his colleague Singapore's Minister of State for Ministry of Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) - also a member of Board Of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore - Mr Alvin Tan, on his visit to Singapore on 15-18 July 2022. On this visit, Mr. Jerry was also invited as the Guest of Honor for TRESCON World Blockchain Summit, facilitated by Asia Blockchain Association, which took place in Marina Bay Sand Expo.

Mr Sambuaga and Mr Tan discussed how emerging technologies and industry like Blockchain (Cryptocurrency) could be applied in the two countries. The Trading crypto - the intangible commodity - is their core concern.

In recent years, governments in many countries have been trying to figure out the proper and adequate regulations for crypto, the digital assets known for its decentralised nature. For Mr. Sambuaga, it's critical for governments to have a monitoring and surveillance system for crypto trading. The trading must have a proper custodian structure as well. The decentralised nature of crypto has to be controlled and supervised by the government.

Dr. Jerry Sambuaga said, "Currently, Indonesia is preparing an integrated Crypto Exchange which will adopt the existing integrated commodity trading system, which will be more advanced and updated. This integrated exchange will make Indonesia the first country to centrally control domestic crypto trading. The Custodian of exchange is part of the system to regulate and supervise the circulation of crypto assets. Custodian is important to be implemented to the industry for safeguarding consumers and investors' digital asset."

At the same time, Mr. Alvin Tan said, "We had a good meeting about strengthening our bilateral trade and economic links, and especially exchanged views about the future of Blockchain-based assets. I am looking forward to strengthening ties with Pak Jerry and also with the new generation of Indonesian leaders."

Figure 2

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_002full.jpg

Both Ministers and Asia Blockchain Association's Singapore headquarters pro tem board, subcommittee members and lead of the secretariat along with Sangkara ($MISA). a blockchain startup from Indonesia also had another close door round-table discussion.

Both countries' thought leaders exchanged views on how crypto will change the world in commerce and finance with the introduction of Securitised Token, Non Fungible Token and money transfers etc. In conclusion, custodianship is important to be implemented to safeguard consumers' and investors' digital assets.

ABA through its pro tem board member Mr. Goh Seh Harn was invited by the Minister to further share his thoughts on certification and how ABA can provide a clear pathway for industry practitioners and companies to engage with the web3 community in addition to introducing training programmes to further explore standards on education certification.

Figure 3

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_003full.jpg

Mr. Goh welcomed and applauded the Indonesian and Singaporean government for their initiatives in the advancement of cryptocurrency exchanges and hoped it inspired more regional countries, resulting in greater exchange of knowledge throughout the region. "For example, Singapore may also contribute from its knowledge base of governance and in turn gain experience from Indonesia's initiatives. ABA through its global chapters hopes to foster these relationships and help various industry stakeholders, including the private sector and regulators to strengthen blockchain capabilities globally," he added.

Figure 4

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_004full.jpg

The day-long programme ended with a VIP Meet And Greet session with the Guest Of Honour Dr Jerry Sambuaga and a fireside chat conducted by representatives from ABA, Sangkara, Bloomberg LP and Rubix Network. ABA is the bridge for inter-governmental programme and inter-country community where the platform synergies cross-border initiatives to further promote the new economy. Ministry of Trade Indonesia and ABA are also in discussion for a Memorandum Of Agreement. During the founding stage (June-September 2022), contributors and supporters across APAC are greatly appreciated: https://tinyurl.com/3ta9uyzz

Figure 5

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_005full.jpg



Figure 6

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_006full.jpg

ABA headquarters interim Chief Executive Officer Ms. Wendy Vanessa Yew added, "Cryptocurrency and digital assets should be regulated in a more structured manner as Blockchain technology, especially decentralised finance, is the future of the financial world. The Republic of Singapore is ready to be positioned as a leading international blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital asset hub."

Headquartered in Singapore, serving the Asia and Pacific region with country specific chapters and notes on a Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO) format, ABA aims to be a beacon and serve as an advocate for the Web3 space. With that the association will be supporting partner for the upcoming programmes like:

(1) FutureX Hackathon 2022 by NTUC Income, Amazon Web Services, Plug and Play APAC 25-27.7.22 (Regional): https://hive.income.com.sg/FutureXHackathon2022

(2) The Web3Con, Web3 Conference 28.7.22 (Singapore): www.web3con.info

(3) Play To Earn Expo 10-13.8.22 (Thailand): www.play2earnexpo.com

(4) Coin Fest 25-26.8.22 (Indonesia): www.coinfest.asia

(5) Game On! 2022 8-9.9.22 (Hong Kong): www.gameon.io

(6) FIL-Singapore Web3 Summit 26-27.9.22 (Singapore): https://fil-singapore.io

Asia Blockchain Association will also host its very first signature event - Asia Metaverse Festival on Asia Crypto Week (26 Sept - 2 Oct 2022) in conjunction with Token 2049 and Formula 1 Grand Prix in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.asiablockchainassociation.org.

Figure 7

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_007full.jpg

Mitra Sangkara Abadi PTE LTD

Boulevard Office Tower

6th Floor Suite B1-B2

Tanah Abang

Central Jakarta

Indonesia

Email: Admin@misatoken.com, Info@misatoken.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132303
ANKARA, Turkey, July 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the global trend of low-carbon environmental protection and the development of new energy technology in recent years, competitions for new energy models among major overseas brands have gradually been heating up. While the competition in the new energy auto market becomes intensified, how would the technology-based Chery come out with its solution?

As a Chinese auto brand with technical strong ability, Chery is fully aware that technology is the first productive force, therefore, with more than 20 years of technical development, Chery researched and developed the DHT Super PHEV Technology.

Chery adopted the DHT special hybrid transmission based on the configuration of dual motor drive as its technical route, which not only successfully avoided the technical barriers of the power splitting route, but also created the world's first full-function hybrid configuration DHT. Compared with the auto industry as a whole, it features outstanding technical advantages, and this is the solution that Chery has come up with in the PHEV era.

Chery's DHT super hybrid system has a combination of 1.5T engine + dual motors, and it has a transmission with three gear ratios, with the maximum input torque of 510N.m. Furthermore, Chery's DHT has 9 driving modes such as single/dual motor drive, range extension, parallel connection and direct engine drive, as well as 11 gear combinations, thus providing a full-scene driving experience.

This DHT super hybrid technology is firstly applied to "TIGGO 8 PRO e+" vehicle model. TIGGO 8 PRO e+ can achieve excellent performance of 100km of pure electric endurance, 1L of comprehensive fuel consumption per 100 kilometers, and 7 seconds of 0-100km acceleration of two-wheel drive.

For the first half of this year, Chery has an accumulative sales volume of 475,250, with a year-on-year growth of 12%. TIGGO 8 series has made excellent contributions to the sale results, demonstrating that Chery's PRO FAMILY products are of powerful strength. TIGGO 8 PRO e+, the first vehicle model equipped with the DHT hybrid system, will be officially launched in Brazil at the end of July this year. Chery will bring more new energy technologies and vehicles.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1866746/TIGGO_8_PRO_e.jpg
Arizona Septic Tank, serving Scottsdale as well as the Greater Phoenix and surrounding areas, has announced updated sewer repair and installation services.

Scottsdale, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - July 30, 2022) - Arizona Septic Tank, whose background is in the construction industry, has updated its turnkey septic installation and repair solutions in response to the high demand for on-site wastewater treatment systems.





Phoenix's Arizona Septic Tank Updates Installation & Repair Services

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/132025_b9a07136142bba05_001full.jpg

More information can be found at https://wellsseptictank.com

Additionally, the recent update now allows the company to offer full-service sewer line, septic, and drain repairs. They maintain an expanding fleet of septic pump trucks, enabling them to provide faster and more responsive services.

For septic tank pumping visit https://wellsseptictank.com/septic-tank-pumping/

Arizona Septic Tank announcement comes in response to a recent study which found that the number of septic tanks is growing throughout the U.S. While many residences today are connected to municipal sewer systems, those that are not connected typically have onsite treatment facilities to treat and distribute residential wastewater. A septic system's design life is typically 20 years, but with proper management and maintenance, it can last much longer. When a property is sold in Arizona, all septic systems must be inspected. The sole exception is for recently installed and untested systems.

With the recent update, Arizona Septic Tank provides preventative maintenance that can forestall any serious issues. A clogged sewer system - often indicated by back-up in the property owner's sinks - may require septic tank cleaning/pumping or system repairs or a drain field replacement. To that end, the company now offers annual inspections as well as septic tank cleaning every three to five years.

For new installations, Arizona Septic Tank can now carry out all tests and engineering that are necessary for a new septic system on a property, as well as take care of the permit procedures on the client's behalf.

Interested parties can learn more at https://wellsseptictank.com

Contact Info:

Name: Johnny Wells

Email: johnnywells@wellsseptictank.com

Organization: Arizona Septic Tank

Address: 34522 N Scottsdale Rd #120, Scottsdale, AZ 85266, United States

Phone: +1-480-771-7378

Website: https://wellsseptictank.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132025
UneMeta, a Singapore-based an NFT incubator, trading and SocialFi platform, raised $5M in funding.

The round was led by Jasmy Foundation, with participation from SPB, Avatar DAO, CGV FoF, Consensus Lab, K24 Ventures, Taihill Venture, and others.



The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach.

UneMeta is both a NFT marketplace and social space. It provides premium NFT incubation services, transaction marketplace, and space for users to socially interact. With a variety of innovative gameplay, IP resources, and a community foundation, the company can provide NFT holders with security and transaction fees, within quality NFT transactions and SocialFi experiences.

FinSMEs

30/07/2022
It's a huge hurdle to get accepted to medical school, which makes that moment when first-year students first put on their white coats for the first time special  so much so that the donning of the coat becomes a ceremony itself.

On Friday, July 29, 107 first-year doctor of osteopathic medicine students from the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific-Northwest lined up in Lebanon First Assembly Church to slip into white coats.

Family, friends, administrators and faculty members looked on as the students, the Class of 2026, pledged to maintain professional ethics and provide excellent patient care.

This white coat ceremony officially marks the students entrance into the medical field as practicing clinical healers. But the event carried more significance than a mere career milestone.

Its really a rite of passage, said Mandilin Hudson, DO '09, COMP-Northwest vice dean and assistant professor of psychiatry. It symbolizes the virtues we ask them to uphold as medical students and then as physicians.

This years ceremony welcomed the 12th class of students entering into the health profession that COMP-Northwest has organized.

Robin Farias-Eisner, president of the Western University of Health Sciences, led the program by offering insight into the importance of the white coat.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Lebanon Express.

The fabric of the white coat represents the deep fabric of your craft, Farias-Eisner said. It is a symbol of integrity and professionalism, and signifies the relationship between you and your future patients.

Paula Crone, DO '92, interim provost, vice president of WesternU Oregon, said the Class of 2026 will be instrumental in shaping the future of medicine. She encouraged students to keep nurturing qualities of compassion, care and kindness as they embark on their lifes work.

There is no more noble calling than to care for others and no more symbolic than your white coat, Crone said. You have the responsibility to help, heal and do no harm. Take that to heart, and take it seriously.

Keynote speaker Jennifer LeTourneau, DO '00, clinical vice president of Legacy Health Oregon, shared several points of wisdom for the students to consider as they begin their journey into medicine. Among them, she advised patience, self care and humility.

Be proactive. Take care of yourself now, so you can take care of others later. Pay it forward to grow the next generation, she said.

LeTourneau urged the class to advocate for their future patients with their knowledge and authority. Applying a holistic approach and considering people in mind, body and spirit is what sets COMP-Northwest apart, she said.

Following the facultys addresses, the students were gifted with black physicians bags, courtesy of the Lebanon Tools of the Trade program and the larger Lebanon community.

Be curious about your patients, Hudson said in a closing message. Crave to know more, crave to get real. It is a privilege to learn the gritty details and the strength and fragility of the human body and spirit.

Related stories:
Carson City, NV, July 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ZICIX Corporations (OTC Pink: ZICX) Chairman, Mr. William A. Petty has announced giving green light to its operating company CTIP First Investment, Inc. (CTIP-FII) to invest and undertake the development of the 300 Beds Hospital, 250 Rooms Hotel/Dormitory, and 5 MW Solar Energy Project, in Dakar, Senegal with a project cost of about $160 Million.

In an interview with Mr. Petty and ZICIX President, Mr. Fernando M. Sopot, they cited the importance of this Project as ZICIX being a listed company, strategizes its intention to increase share value, not just the profit it gains from project development, but also increases the possibility of accumulating assets through investing in the health sector, like the development of a hospital project.

CTIP-FII has executed, Project Development Contract with the project owner, Polyclinique de LAmitie et de LAlliance (P2A) of Dakar, Senegal, a company where stockholders are more than 200 medical practitioners, like Doctors, Nurses, and others, mostly from Africa and France, among others, who have organized themselves to practice their respective professions in Senegal through the operation of what is called P2A Hospital, once completed.

The President of P2A Hospital Project Dr. Alioune Badara FAYE and currently the Head of the Department of Medical Imaging and Medico Technical in one of the largest Hospital in France said that it is about time, that we help Senegal through providing medical professional services to those who needs it in our region.

Mr. Sopot said that the project is designed by a well-known architectural firm, ARCHION Architects, led by its Principal Architect Daniel A. Lichauco. The firms expertise is into providing architectural and engineering designs for hospitals. The firm was commissioned by Dr. Faye.

Mr. Petty has emphasized the importance of ZICIX as creator making ideas a reality, that can create value for the stockholders. The investments of ZICIX into CTIP-FII as its operating company is just one of the many ideas that Mr. Petty has created.



About the Corporations:

ZICIX Corporation (OTC Pink: ZICX)  Originally founded as a service provider to the Healthcare industry, the ZICIX Corporation has recently been restructured with the intention of acquiring and developing technology applications designed for service companies in consumer, retail, and other industries. www.ZicixGroup.com .

CTIP First Investment, Inc. (CTIP-FII) is a private investment and project development company, involved in undertaking development projects for both the Government and the Private Sectors respectively. CTIP-FII designs and brings the right financial engineering to project owners and creditors to fund development undertakings and permanent mortgage.

www.ctip-fii.com .

Polyclinique de LAmitie et de LAlliance (P2A), a corporation, engaged in the development and operation of hospitals and satellite of specialized medical offices, including training of medical personnel, in Africa. A new medical facility will open in August of 2022 in Dakar, Senegal.

Safe Harbor Act: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking Statements describe future expectations; plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as may, future, plan or planned, will or should, expected, anticipates, draft, eventually, or projected. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors, and other risks identified in a companys annual report.

For additional information: Visit our website at www.ZicixGroup.com or call 830.331.0031. We are also on Twitter @ZICIXCorp .

Attachment
TORONTO, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entourage Health Corp. (TSX-V:ENTG) (OTCQX:ETRGF) (FSE:4WE) (Entourage or the Company), a Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning cannabis products, confirmed today it has satisfied certain conditions in connection with the recent amendments to its existing senior secured credit facility entered into on March 29, 2019 (the Senior Credit Facility) between the Company and Bank of Montreal, and its existing second secured credit facility with an affiliate of the LiUNA Pension Fund of Central and Eastern Canada, entered into on September 30, 2020 (the Second Credit Facility). The latest amendments to the Senior Credit Facility and Second Credit Facility modify the respective terms under which Entourage secured debt financing (the Credit Facilities Amendments), as announced by the Company on June 30, 2022.



Entourage confirms it has secured an extension of the maturity date of the Senior Credit Facility from June 30, 2022 to June 30, 2024, and of the Second Credit Facility from August 15, 2022 to December 31, 2024, following the timely satisfaction of certain conditions specified in the Credit Facilities Amendments.

Entourage is further pleased to announce it has amended the outstanding 9.0% unsecured convertible debentures of the Companys subsidiary CannTx Life Sciences Inc. in principal amount of CDN $1,013,050 (the Debentures) in order to: (i) extend the maturity date of the Debentures to December 31, 2025; (ii) in certain cases, allow for the interest accrued under the Debentures to be paid in cash or Entourage common shares; and (iii) reduce the conversion price of the Debentures to $0.15 per Entourage common share.

A copy of the Credit Facilities Amendments have been made available under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Visit Entourages website here to access the latest Company updates.

About Entourage Health Corp.

Entourage Health Corp. is the publicly traded parent company of Entourage Brands Corp. (formerly WeedMD RX Inc.) and CannTx Life Sciences Inc., licence holders producing and distributing cannabis products for both the medical and adult-use markets. The Company owns and operates a state-of-the-art hybrid greenhouse and processing facility located on 158-acres in Strathroy, ON; a fully licensed 26,000 sq. ft. Aylmer, ON processing facility, specializing in cannabis extraction; and a micropropagation, tissue culture and genetics centre-of-excellence in Guelph, Ontario. With its Starseed Medicinal medical-centric brand, Entourage has expanded its multi-channeled distribution strategy. Starseeds industry-first, exclusive partnership with LiUNA, the largest construction union in Canada, along with employers and union groups complements Entourages direct sales to medical

patients. Entourages elite adult-use product portfolio includes Color Cannabis, Saturday Cannabis and Royal City Cannabis Co. sold across eight provincial distribution agencies. The Company also maintains strategic relationships in the seniors market and supply agreements with Shoppers Drug Mart. It is the exclusive Canadian producer and distributor of award-winning U.S.-based wellness brand Marys Medicinals sold in both medical and adult-use channels. Under a collaboration with The Boston Beer Company subsidiary, Entourage is also the exclusive distributor of cannabis-infused beverages TeaPot in Canada, expected to launch in 2022.

For more information, please visit us at www.entouragehealthcorp.com

Follow Entourage and its brands on LinkedIn

Twitter: Entourage, Color Cannabis, Saturday Cannabis, Starseed & Royal City Cannabis Co.

Instagram: Entourage, Color Cannabis , Saturday Cannabis , Starseed & Royal City Cannabis Co.

For further information, or for investor or media inquiries:

Marianella delaBarrera

SVP, Communications & Corporate Affairs

416-897-6644

marianella@entouragecorp.com

investor@entouragecorp.com

media@entouragecorp.com

Forward Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation which are based upon Entourage's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs and views of future events. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expect", "likely", "may", "will", "should", "intend", "anticipate", "potential", "proposed", "estimate" and other similar words, including negative and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "would" or "will" happen, or by discussions of strategy.

The forward-looking information in this news release is based upon the expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and views of future events which management believes to be reasonable in the circumstances. Forward-looking information includes estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, targets, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks, including, without limitation, risks associated with general economic conditions; adverse industry events; loss of markets; future legislative and regulatory developments; inability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favourable terms; the cannabis industry in Canada generally; the ability of Entourage to implement its business strategies; the COVID-19 pandemic; competition; crop failure; and other risks.

Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and, except as required by law, Entourage does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for Entourage to predict all such factors. When considering this forward-looking information, readers should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements in Entourages disclosure documents filed with the applicable Canadian securities regulatory authorities on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors and other factors noted in the disclosure documents could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking information.

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
NEW YORK, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE: WM) redeemable senior notes (the Notes) between February 13, 2020 and June 23, 2020, inclusive (the Class Period), including the following senior redeemable notes issued by WM in May 2019: (i) 2.95% Senior Notes due 2024; (ii) 3.20% Senior Notes due 2026; (iii) 3.45% Senior Notes due 2029; and (iv) 4.00% Senior Notes due 2039, of the important August 8, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline.



SO WHAT: If you purchased Waste Management Notes during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Waste Management class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6891 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than August 8, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Companys business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) the U.S. Department of Justice had indicated to Waste Management that it would require Waste Management to divest significantly more assets than the $200 million Antitrust Revenue Threshold; (2) as a result, the merger would not be completed by the End Date; and (3) the Notes would be subject to mandatory redemption at 101% of par. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Waste Management class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6891 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

lrosen@rosenlegal.com

pkim@rosenlegal.com

cases@rosenlegal.com

www.rosenlegal.com
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Future Fuel Corporation (CSE: AMPS; Frankfurt: K14, WKN: A3DQFB) (the Company or American Future Fuel) is pleased to report that over the past several months we have been putting plans in place to execute on our exploration program at Cebolleta. The Company anticipates conducting future drilling across the Project with a focus on direct confirmation drilling to confirm the historical resource with the strategy to produce a compliant 43-101 resource. Additional drilling is also contemplated within the historical drill pattern as infill drilling; with the intention to add confidence in the continuity of the Projects mineralization.



Lengthy conference calls and discussions with EnCore Energy and knowledgeable geologists with years of experience on Cebolleta, give me confidence in our project, states Luke Montaine, CEO of the Company. Years of data extending back to the 1950s is being compiled into one data room for ease of understanding. Our project has past production, in a well known uranium jurisdiction, and a historical resource calculation we are eager to make current. It has come to our attention that areas have still yet to be explored, which could imply more pounds in the ground if drilling proves successful.

The Company looks forward to the coming drill season and will update shareholders on our progress.

ABOUT AMERICAN FUTURE FUEL

American Future Fuel Corporation is a Canadian-based resource company focused on the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of alternative energy projects. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Ceboletta Uranium Project, located in Cibola County, New Mexico, USA, and situated within the Grants Mineral Belt, a prolific mineral belt responsible for approximately 37% of all Uranium produced in the United States of America. Future Fuels Ceboletta Uranium project is an advanced exploration project with an historical resource estimate of approximately 19,000,000 lbs of uranium.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

AMERICAN FUTURE FUEL CORPORATION

Luke Montaine, Chief Executive Officer

For further information, contact:

Luke Montaine at info@americanfuturefuel.com

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to 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, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals. 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. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
// THIS PRESS RELEASE IS NOT INTENDED FOR RELEASE OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES //



VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mexican Gold Mining Corp. (the Company or Mexican Gold") (TSXV: MEX, OTCQB: MEXGF) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement offering of up to 7,500,000 units (the Units) of the Company at $0.02 per Unit to raise gross proceeds of up to $150,000 (the Offering). Each Unit shall consist of one (1) common share (Share) in the capital of the Company and one (1) Share purchase warrant (Warrant), whereby each Warrant shall be convertible into an additional Share at an exercise price of $0.05 for a period of 60 months from the date of issuance.



The net proceeds raised from the Offering will be used to fund continuing operations of the Companys Las Minas Project, payment of outstanding invoices, and for general working capital.

All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period under applicable Canadian securities laws expiring four months and one day from the date of closing of the Offering. Subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange, Mexican Gold anticipates that the Offering will be closed by the end of August 2022.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities offered 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, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, unless an exemption from such registration is available.

About Mexican Gold Mining Corp.

Mexican Gold is a Canadian-based mineral exploration and development company committed to building long-term value through ongoing discoveries and strategic acquisitions of prospective precious metals and copper projects in the Americas. Mexican Gold is exploring and advancing the Las Minas Project, which is located in the core of the Las Minas mining district in Veracruz State, Mexico, and host to one of the newest, under-explored skarn systems known in Mexico.

For more information, please contact:

Jack Campbell  CEO, President, and Director

E-mail: info@mexicangold.ca

Website: www.mexicangold.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 Statements Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating the future operating or financial performance of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the completion of the Offering and the use of proceeds of the Offering. Actual future results may differ materially. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the TSX Venture Exchange not approving the Offering and management's discretion to reallocate the use of proceeds. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.
PHILADELPHIA, July 30, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kaskela Law LLC announces that it is investigating Hanger, Inc. (Hanger) (NYSE: HNGR) on behalf of the companys shareholders.

On July 21, 2022, Hanger announced that it had agreed to be acquired by private investment firm Patient Square Capital at a price of $18.75 per share (the Buyout Price). Following the closing of the proposed transaction, HNGR shareholders will be cashed out of their investment position, and the companys shares will no longer be publicly traded. Notably, shares of Hangers common stock traded above the Buyout Price as recently as April 2022.

The investigation seeks to determine whether the Buyout Price provides Hangers investors with sufficient monetary consideration for their shares, and whether Hangers officers/directors violated the securities laws or breached their fiduciary duties in selling the company to Patient Square Capital.

Hanger shareholders are encouraged to contact Kaskela Law LLC (D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq. or Adrienne Bell, Esq.) at (888) 715  1740, or by email (abell@kaskelalaw.com) or online at https://kaskelalaw.com/cases/hanger-inc/ , to receive additional information about this investigation and their legal rights and options.

Kaskela Law LLC exclusively represents investors in securities fraud, corporate governance, and merger & acquisition litigation, and has helped recover in excess of $100 million on behalf of victimized investors. For additional information about Kaskela Law LLC please visit www.kaskelalaw.com.

CONTACT:

D. Seamus Kaskela, Esq.

(skaskela@kaskelalaw.com)

Adrienne Bell, Esq.

(abell@kaskelalaw.com)

KASKELA LAW LLC

18 Campus Blvd., Suite 100

Newtown Square, PA 19073

(484) 229  0750

(888) 715  1740

www.kaskelalaw.com



This notice may constitute attorney advertising in certain jurisdictions.
Peter Szijjarto, Minister of Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Hui Zhang, Vice President of NIO Europe Office, jointly announced that NIO Power Europe Plant in Pest megye, with investment from NIO, will commence operation in September.

With a footprint of around 10,000 square meters, NIO Power Europe Plant, as NIOs first overseas plant, will serve as the manufacturing, service and R&D center for NIOs power products in Europe, with its major business covering the manufacturing and after-sales service of battery swapping stations, training for power operations in Europe, and the R&D of power products.

Its launch will further enhance the deployment and service efficiency of NIO Power in Europe, bringing a better ownership experience for European users.





NIOs first battery swap station in Norway.

The NIO House Oslo, Norway, battery swap station opened in October 2021. After entering the Norwegian market, NIO will expand into Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark in the second half of this year with its products and comprehensive services.

The operations of NIO Power Europe Plant will add further momentum to the construction of NIO Power Swap Stations in these countries, laying a solid foundation for local battery swapping and charging services.
Volkswagen Group China unveiled its first electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) passenger drone prototype, as part of its strategy to explore and break new ground in fully electric and sustainable individual mobility concepts.





In 2020, Volkswagen Group China launched a Vertical Mobility project to explore the next generation of mobility solutions, including the urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into airspace. After intensive research, conceptual work, and development, the project team has now developed its first validation model:the V.MO.

This initial prototype has also been nicknamed the Flying Tiger due to its distinctive black and gold livery, which was painted to commemorate its launch in the Year of the Tiger.

The prototype concept is based on existing autonomous driving solutions and battery technology for emission-free mobility. With a luxury X-wing configuration of 11.2m in length and a span width of 10.6m, the model features eight rotors for vertical lift and two propellers for horizontal flight.

The Group will conduct several flight tests later this year to optimize the concept and an improved prototype will undergo further advanced test flights by late summer 2023. In its final future iteration, the fully electric and automated eVTOL could eventually carry four passengers plus luggage over a distance of up to 200 km.





Through this pilot project, we are bringing Volkswagens long tradition of precision engineering, design, and innovation to the next level, by developing a premium product that will serve the vertical mobility needs of our future tech savvy Chinese customers. This is a pioneering project which our young team of Chinese experts started from scratchthey are working with new design concepts and materials while developing new safety standards, disrupting and innovating every step of the way. The launch of this stunning validation modelthe V.MOis the first of many remarkable milestones on our exciting journey towards urban air travel, and a perfect example of our From China, For China mission. Our long-term aim is to industrialize this concept and, like a Flying Tiger, break new ground in this emerging and fast-evolving new mobility market. Dr. Stephan Wollenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China

Volkswagen Group China is rapidly expanding local R&D and software expertise to respond faster to what customers want and accelerate the pace of innovation significantly. The Vertical Mobility project requires interdisciplinary and innovative thinking in a new field, and the Group formed a team of young, local experts to drive it forward. They have been supported by Chinese partners including Hunan Sunward Technology, a subsidiary of Hunan-based manufacturing group Sunward. The company specializes in aviation product development, sales and services and is a market leader in the light sport aircraft industry.

Urban air mobility is a fast-emerging market which aims to utilize air space for short- and medium-distance connections, especially above and between large cities. In China, it is set to play a significant role in the future of urban and intercity transportation in its congested megacities.

In the first phase of its commercial use, V.MO is likely to be pitched as a premium product for high-net worth tech savvy Chinese customers, for example for VIP air shuttle services. eVTOL air vehicles will be able to transport passengers more quickly and efficiently than current conventional means of terrestrial transport and with greater flexibility. As the Vertical Mobility project develops, Volkswagen Group China will work with the relevant Chinese authorities to achieve certification.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

ATLANTA (AP)  The concept of personhood has come up in debates since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion. Some states have passed laws or constitutional amendments to introduce the standard, and anti-abortion advocates have pushed for similar changes elsewhere.

But the differences between personhood laws and other abortion restrictions are sometimes poorly understood. Abortion rights supporters say personhood laws could have far-reaching consequences that could hamper in vitro fertilization or subject women who have abortions to murder charges. Supporters of personhood say declaring that all human beings, including those in the womb, have rights lends important moral clarity and that changes stemming from the concept are desirable.

Here's a look at the issue:

WHAT DOES PERSONHOOD MEAN?

In its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision providing the right to abortion nationwide, the U.S. Supreme Court majority found that the word person, as used in the Fourteenth Amendment, does not include the unborn.

Some anti-abortion advocates say that is wrong, arguing that personhood includes fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses that should be considered people with the same rights as those already born.

Those who advocate this standard of personhood want to end all abortions, and decry laws that include carve-outs allowing abortion in cases of rape or incest, or fetuses with genetic anomalies.

And the impact of personhood laws could be felt beyond abortion regulation. They could limit in vitro fertilization, criminalize women who terminate pregnancies or engage in behavior harmful to the fetus, and even grant a fetus child support, tax benefits and other rights.

Opponents say the standard of personhood is unconstitutional because of its wide-ranging and uncertain impact, and argue it puts people at risk of prosecution for any number of crimes.

Because the Personhood Provision fails to provide adequate notice of prohibited conduct and invites arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement against Plaintiffs and their patients, it is unconstitutionally vague, lawyers who challenged Arizonas law wrote.

HOW MANY STATES HAVE THESE LAWS?

Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas and Missouri all have personhood laws.

Georgia's law is maybe the most far-reaching, granting specific rights including tax breaks and child support to unborn children. It took effect July 20 after a federal appeals court ruled in its favor. A federal court has put Arizona's law on hold, at least for now.

Kansas' 2013 law has had little practical effect since 2019, when the state Supreme Court declared abortion a fundamental right in the state. Kansans will vote Tuesday on whether to amend the state constitution to overturn that decision and allow state lawmakers to restrict or ban abortion.

In 2018, Alabama voters adopted a state constitutional amendment ensuring the protection of the rights of the unborn child." A 2019 abortion ban law referenced the amendment, but did not repeat the personhood standard.

Voters in several other states have rejected state constitutional amendments granting personhood, including in Colorado in 2008, 2010 and 2014, Mississippi in 2011 and North Dakota in 2014

WHAT MAKES A PERSONHOOD LAW DIFFERENT FROM AN ABORTION BAN?

There was a schism in the anti-abortion movement about a decade ago. Some saw personhood as impractical, especially as electoral and legislative defeats began to pile up. But personhood proponents argued that those other abortion opponents lacked moral clarity.

The big difference between the personhood movement and the anti abortion-movement is that the personhood movement holds all innocent human lives as cherished and deserving of equal protection under the law. And that includes every human life in the world, said Ricado Davis, president of Georgia Right to Life. The National Right to Life Committee cut ties with Georgia Right to Life in 2014 after it opposed bills that restricted abortion but allowed exceptions for rape and incest.

Still, the broad influence of personhood is clear in the wave of bills in states that ban abortion once a detectable human heartbeat is present, usually around six weeks. Such wording was inspired in part by the idea that people can embrace cardiac activity as the moment of aliveness, even though a heart is not then fully developed.

DOES THIS MEAN ABORTIONS WILL LEAD TO MURDER PROSECUTIONS?

Supporters of the laws say they only envision prosecuting abortion providers who provide illegal procedures. For example, Georgia has a criminal law that makes illegal abortions punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But opponents fear prosecutors could bring murder charges against providers and women who get an abortion, that women may be in criminal jeopardy if they miscarry, and that people who help someone get an out-of-state abortion could also face prosecution.

If you are a person, and as a fetus you were aborted, they would be defining that as murder. Or they could potentially define that as murder, said Jolynn Dellinger, a lecturer at Duke University Law School.

The standard of personhood already influences laws that allow people to be prosecuted in the death of a fetus and its mother if they kill a pregnant woman. At least 25 states already classify drug use during pregnancy as child abuse or neglect, according to a 2019 study by Dr. Laura Faherty, a researcher and pediatrics professor at Boston University. National Advocates for Pregnant Women, which supports abortion rights, found 1,331 arrests or detentions of women for crimes related to their pregnancy from 2006 to 2020.

Fetal personhood becomes, I think, an issue of controlling women and pregnant people and not trusting them or allowing them to make decisions about their body and their fetus, said Rebecca Kluchin, a professor at California State University, Sacramento, who studies the history of abortion.

WHAT ARE SOME OTHER POSSIBLE PERSONHOOD CONSEQUENCES?

A Texas woman won attention following the Supreme Court ruling by claiming she could drive in a high occupancy vehicle lane that requires two people in a vehicle because she was 34 weeks pregnant.

Supporters of abortion rights have repeatedly expressed fear that personhood laws could harm in vitro fertilization by giving rights to embryos that are created and then frozen. Georgias law sidesteps this issue by only giving rights to embryos in the womb. But if multiple embryos are implanted, Georgias law could require a woman to carry multiple children to birth, experts warn. Alabamas amendment does not specify how its standard of personhood affects issues other than abortion, and in vitro fertilization has not been affected, abortion rights supporters say.

Georgia's law says a woman can seek child support during pregnancy, up to the amount of her medical and other pregnancy-related expenses. It also allows her to claim an unborn child as a dependent on state income taxes, although the state has yet to clarify how that will work. The law also says unborn children should be counted in the state's population when state government makes determinations based on the number of residents, although the federal government takes the Census.

___

Associated Press writers Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama, and John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas, contributed.

___

Find APs full coverage of the overturning of Roe v. Wade at: https://apnews.com/hub/abortion
Samsung once again became the first smartphone brand to roll out a new Android security patch as it released the August 2022 security patch for the Galaxy S20, S21, and S22 series recently. Now, it is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G that's getting updated with the August 2022 patch.

The new firmware is rolling out with version F707BXXU6GVG5 for the Galaxy Z Flip 5G having model code SM-F707B. It's currently seeding in Switzerland, but the rollout should expand to other markets soon.

If you live in Switzerland and haven't received the update yet, you can check for it manually by heading to your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G's Settings > Software update menu.

Via
News

featured

Japan man thought of Patrick Sakai as 'elder brother' during visits to Guam

Courtesy of Koji Oribe Koji Oribe, left, being taught how to ride a horse from Patrick Sakai, right, during a previous trip to Guam that Oribe made before last seeing Sakai in September 2017. Sakai was found dead in Yigo in January, a case that has yet to be solved.

A resident of Japan who had frequently visited Guam recalled first meeting Patrick Ken Sakai for horse riding lessons before developing a brotherly relationship.

To me hes of kind of the elder brother, said Koji Oribe. He gave me a lot of wisdom.

Sakai, 63, was found dead in Yigo in January. His death, classified as a homicide, remains unsolved.

Oribe, 52, currently works as an accountant in Tokyo, but prior to that had made trips to Guam in the early 2000s to receive his Certificate of Public Accounting. After he obtained his license, Oribe said he had an affinity for Guam and continued to visit throughout the years.

Thats when I met Patrick, said Oribe.

He recalled learning how to ride a horse from Sakai, and later developed a friendship that included talking about their shared Japanese heritage.

Homicide

At 7:26 a.m. Jan. 23, the Guam Police Department launched a death investigation on Chalan Emsely in Yigo, spokeswoman Officer Berlyn Savella said in a press release.

Although originally reported as a possible suicide, patrol officers found the man had injuries indicating foul play, Savella added.

In the following weeks, GPD was able to identify Sakai.

An autopsy determined Sakai died from multiple stab wounds and blunt force trauma.

Six months after Sakai was found, the investigation remains open and ongoing with no new updates in the case, Savella said earlier this week.

Surprised

Although his last visit to Guam was in September 2017, Oribe was able to learn of Sakais death from reading the news online.

I was really surprised, and at the same time I was saddened, said Oribe. He said he planned to visit Guam every two to three years before starting his current job.

I didnt have time, and also COVID-19 inhibited me to travel  so I couldnt see him. At the same time, I know he didnt have any mobile phone too, so theres no way to contact him except for conventional mailing, Oribe added.

Oribe said even when he last saw Sakai in 2017 he had started to worry about him.

His business was almost shut down, because maybe six or seven months before he was run over by a car and had heavy damage in his back, so he had been in an immobile state for a long time. At the same time his horses had been aged, and some of the horses were blind already, so he had to take care of his animals, Oribe said.

Brothers

Oribe described initially traveling to the island as a tourist, but then the trips changed to visiting a friend.

First I was a guest, and after that when we developed more of a friendship  I visited him (and) stayed quite longer than the following times I visited for nothing, Oribe said.

On some visits, Oribe would bring food from Japan to give Sakai.

He was really happy about that, Oribe said.

When I first met him he looked very strict, but at the same time, he is a really shy person. He didnt talk that much, but once we developed a relationship he was really friendly and we talk a lot like an elder brother.
Explore the island with Guam Boonie Stompers Inc. on next months hikes, which range from difficult to very difficult.

Hikers should provide their own transportation and children must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Note that weather conditions can make the hikes more difficult than described.

No reservations are required. To join, meet at 9 a.m. at the trailhead.

The cost is $5 for hikers over 17. If you complete 10 hikes, you get a free Boonie Stomp T-shirt.

For more information, go to facebook.com/GuamBoonieStompersInc or call 671-787-4238.

Aug. 6: Guatali, very difficult, 4 miles

Hike from the central mountains of Guam into a pristine valley with four large waterfalls and one jumping spot with swimming hole.

Hikers should bring 4 quarts of water, sturdy hiking shoes that can get wet, swimsuit, gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, lunch and a camera.

Special conditions: Rocky steep downhill trail, walking in water, slippery rocks, steep climbs down, sword grass, and a long hike.

Parking location is at 13.4526850, 144.7164698 (San Carlos trailhead) and can be viewed on Google or Apple maps.

Aug. 13: Mark Landers Memorial Anao Hike, very difficult, 3 miles

Hikers will be descending the northeastern cliff to the isolated, beautiful coastline of northeast Guam. They will then walk along the coastal cliffs to see beautiful views and caves.

Hikers should bring 4 quarts of water, electrolytes, hiking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, lunch, snacks and a camera.

Special conditions: Hiking over sharp rocks, climbing steep slopes and boulders, climbing with a rope, little shade, and a long ascent at the end.

Parking location is at 13.54648187329503, 144.92399199136582 (Anao trailhead) and can be viewed on Google or Apple maps.

Aug. 20: Bubulao Falls, difficult, 4 miles

Hikers will go down the Ugum River to a side stream to Bubulao Falls, then continue on to the top of Talofofo Falls, passing many falls, rapids, cascades and swim holes on the river.

Hikers should bring 2 quarts of water, wet shoes, gloves, sunscreen, lunch, snacks and a camera.

Special conditions: Extensive walking in water, deep overhead water, slippery rocks.

Parking location is at 13.314785355588043, 144.73346513050413 (side of road) and can be viewed on Google or Apple maps.

Aug. 27: Upper Imong, very difficult, 5 miles

Hikers will trek to a new waterfall along the Imong River. Heading up the rain gauge trail, hikers will turn south on the Southern Mountains Trail. Turning east, hikers will head downhill through open savannah and sword grass to a long river cascade and an impressive multi-tier waterfall.

Hikers should bring 4 quarts water, hiking shoes, gloves, swim suit, sunscreen, lunch, snacks and a camera.

Special conditions: Possible mud, sword grass, steep slopes up and down, river walk and a long hike.

Parking location is at 13.323499, 144.672544 (Southern Mountain Overlook) and can be viewed on Google or Apple maps.




Haiti - Turkey : 135 Haitians voluntarily repatriated to Haiti





This Thursday, July 28, 2022, 135 Haitians are expected at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on board a special flight from Turkey.



According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is a voluntary repatriation.



After spending thousands of dollars to go to Turkey hoping to find a better life there, a year later after a failure of integration and a series of disappointments, at the end of their financial resources, while their dream of El Dorado is transformed in a nightmare, 135 Haitians sought the help of the Haitian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to return to Haiti, unable to afford the plane ticket.



The Chancellery stresses that this operation was made possible thanks to the steps of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the support of the diplomatic missions of Haiti.



The Ministry affirms that "all the arrangements have already been made to welcome these compatriots with dignity upon their arrival in the country."



S/ HaitiLibre




















The Cold Storage Company (CSC) business rescue practitioner Vonani Majoko has been removed from position for failing to come up with a turnaround strategy.

The High Court ordered the removal of Mr Majoko following an application by Boustead Beef.

The UK-based investor, Boustead Beef, entered into a 25-year joint venture agreement with the Government in January 2019 to revive CSC, but the parties jointly filed for corporate rescue in December 2020 after some creditors sought to file for liquidation.

Mr Ngoni Kudenga, of BDO Chartered Accountants was initially appointed corporate rescue manager before he was disqualified on the basis that he was conflicted.

Mr Kudenga was disqualified by Rose Dube (Additional Master) because of his previous association with Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka.

Mr Kudenga is the president of Zimbabwe Agriculture Society while Dr Masuka was the chief executive prior to his appointment.

Mr Majoko was then appointed CSC interim corporate rescue manager. Boustead cited Mr Majoka as the first respondent and the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development was cited as second.

Vonani Majoko is hereby removed as corporate rescue practitioner for the Cold Storage Company with immediate effect, said the High Court in a July 7, 2022 ruling.

In its court application, Boustead said Mr Majoka had become unsuitable to act as Corporate Rescue Practitioner for the Cold Storage Company as he had been incompetent, and failed to perform his duties.

He failed to cause the corporate rescue plan to be published within forty-five business days after the date on which he was appointed.

He failed to consult with creditors, other affected persons, and the management of the Cold Storage Company (Private) Limited and thereafter prepare a corporate rescue plan for consideration and possible adoption.

He failed to convene and preside over a meeting of creditors and any other holders of a voting interest for the purpose of considering the corporate rescue plan.

Boustead said due to the absence of the corporate rescue plan, Mr Majoko is not aware of all the material assets of the company, as well as knowledge on which assets were held as security by creditors when the corporate rescue proceedings began.

Boustead said the corporate rescue proceedings were not permanent as they were a measure for the temporary supervision of a financially distressed company to bring it back to viability.

It has been over twelve months since the first respondent was appointed Corporate Rescue Practitioner for the Cold Storage Company (Private) Limited.

During this time, the first respondent has not paid any attention to his duties and obligations as Corporate Rescue Practitioner. His actions are defeating the objectives of corporate rescue.

Corporate rescue involves, inter alia, temporary supervision and management of the company by a corporate rescue practitioner, a temporary moratorium (relief) on the rights of creditors against the company, and the development of a plan to rescue the firm.

CSC had enjoyed a monopoly since 1937 when it was formed. But the Government deregulated the industry in 1992, which resulted in serious competition from private players, plunging CSC into a viability crisis following sharp decline in cattle throughput.

A year later, the company had lost 50 percent of its market share to private players.

The Government did not foresee the implications of liberalising the industry as CSC had not been financially capacitated to stand competition from private players.

Since 1992, CSC largely survived on EU exports and had a US$15 million revolving payment facility with the bloc.

The facility was discontinued after the EU suspended imports in 2001 following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

CSC had an annual quota of 9 100 tonnes and used to earn at least $45 million per year from the EU export quota.

Efforts by the company to enter Asian markets did not succeed after some food safety standards concerns were raised.

The company, which owns four abattoirs used to employ 1 500 permanent workers and an average 700 casual workers, making it one of the biggest employers in the country. Herald
Police have intensified investigations into the attempted robbery on National Railways of Zimbabwe chairperson Advocate Martin Dinha on Tuesday night while he was driving through South Greendale.

Adv Dinha says he accidentally shot himself in the thigh during the attempted robbery.

He reported that armed robbers tracked him as he was driving away from the nearby Cresta Lodge and blocked his way on the intersection of Leander and Metcalf Roads, a block away from Samora Machel Avenue East at around 10:40pm.

Adv Dinha reported that as he was driving from Cresta Lodge, he suspected that a car was following him.

Upon reaching the intersection on a side road in Greendale, he reported that a second car blocked his vehicle at the front, while the trailing car blocked him from behind. One of the rear robbers then produced an AK47 rifle, while another produced a machete.

Adv Dinha reported that he fired a warning shot and at the same time the suspects AK47 jammed before the two robbers advanced and attacked him.

He reported that during the subsequent scuffle, he shot himself on the thigh and the robbers fled.

National police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi yesterday said investigations were underway.

The ZRP is still investigating a shooting incident which occurred on July 26, 2022 at around 2240hours at corner Leander and Metcalf Roads, Greendale, Harare, he said. Advocate Martin Dinha was involved in a shoot-out with three robbery suspects who were armed with a machete and a suspected AK47 rifle.

Advocate Dinhas firearm, a CZ Pistol accidentally discharged, resulting in him being shot on the leg. No arrests have been made and the matter has since been referred to the CID Homicide Section for further investigations. Herald
SILENT Ali has sleepless nights, and at times misses meals thinking about his murdered mother, Moreblessing Ali, whose remains are yet to be buried several weeks after they were recovered in a disused well.

The family now fears that evidence is being tampered with, and that they might be given the wrong remains for burial within a space of two months.

Twenty-four-year-old Silent has to endure the pain of losing a mother, losing his job and being forced to flee from home.

Since the day Moreblessing was reported missing on May 24, Silents life has never been the same.

Ali was abducted in Nyatsime, Manyame and her mutilated remains were recovered from a disused well at the homestead of her alleged killer Pius Mukandis mother at Dunnottar Farm on June 11.

She was a known opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist in Nyatsime.

Following the violence that ensued at her funeral wake, the mourners were forced to abandon Moreblessings Nyatsime home.

Her familys lawyer, Job Sikhala, and other CCC members were arrested in connection with the skirmishes.

I cant explain the pain that I am feeling. The pain is not fading. Whenever I see her pictures, I feel weak.

At times, I dont eat, Silent told The Standard from his hiding place.

I dont deny that people die but the way some die is painful. My mother will never rest given the way she died.

Its not easy to lose someone who brought you up. She was my pillar of strength.

She was into vending until 2007 when she got a job at council.

We lived a painful life which cannot be explained. Our father didnt care about how we survived. He did not support her.

He said the family last saw his mothers body at Chitungwiza Central Hospital mortuary before it was taken by detectives for further DNA investigations.

Up to this day, we havent seen her. Its another stressing issue, he said.

We last saw her body at Chitungwiza Central Hospital. Since she was taken to Harare Hospital we never saw the remains.

We dont know where the body really is.

Silent said the family will not rest until they find closure.

We are not going to rest until the real truth unfolds and everyone implicated gets arrested. We are not going to bury her, Silent said.

We will engage pathologists to help us. Right now if we want to bury her there is a possibility we might be given the wrong body.

Silent said they were pinning their hopes on Sikhalas release from prison so that he can take up the case.

Its now a very long time without hearing how things should be going, he added.

The bigger challenge is that we dont know when our lawyer will be set free to pursue the case.

We havent taken any steps to look for another family lawyer.

We also decided to wait for him since he assisted us from the start.

Sikhala should be set free for us to move forward. We cant give the case to someone else mid stream. He knows where he left.

He said there were a lot of questions around his mothers death that needed answers.

We would want every step to be taken for us to really understand why our mother was cut into pieces the way she was, Silent said.

Jamba (Mukandi)s statement that he punched her on the neck leading to her death does not make any sense.

When we were taking photos of her body, we realised that she was tied on the neck with shoelaces and then a black cloth.

It appears thats how she was strangled to death. We want to know all this. Thats why we need our lawyer.

Jamba confessed to killing Ali when he appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi.

He was not asked to plead to the murder charges and was advised to seek bail at the High Court.

Prosecutor, Tapuwanashe Zvidzai, told the court that Ali was murdered on the night of May 24.

Silent told The Standard that although they were still in hiding fearing for their lives, they continued to receive anonymous calls.

We are not safe and we are scared of coming out of hiding because we receive numerous anonymous calls from people asking about our whereabouts, he said.

The Nyatsime violence scared us and we deserted our home. We were helped to move our property at night.

I last reported for work three months ago and received messages of termination of employment. I worked at the Chitungwiza Municipality. 

Human rights lawyer Freddy Masarirevu, who is in touch with the Ali family said there will be no burial until Sikhala is released, and the matter dealt with to its finality.

The family feels that there are areas of inquiries and investigations that need to be conducted by Sikhala and that proceeding to bury Moreblessing in his absence will compromise such, Masarirevu said.

As it stands and considering the politics behind the case, police will be of little assistance.

There are also attempts, I think, to cover certain discoveries, which may result from further inquiries.

Despite all that, the family is determined and committed to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the investigations and are willing to wait for their lawyer, no matter how long it will take .

The Heal Zimbabwe Trust said it expects justice to be served in Moreblessings case. We grieve with the family and it is our prayer that justice for their relative will be served. Our worry is with the displaced family members whose whereabouts are unclear, perhaps they went into hiding out of fear and trauma whose net effects include the displacement and loss of livelihoods and dignity. We pray our justice system finds favour in the victims with urgency. As a peace building organisation we reiterate the need for political parties to control their followers and promote political tolerance.

Law enforcement agencies on the other hand must show impartiality and a sense of urgency when executing their duties to avoid unnecessary loss of life and preventable violence, Heal Zimbabwe Trust programmes manager Edknowledge Mandikwaza said.

Police have been criticised over their handling of Morebelssings death and the violence that ensued after Zanu PF officials in the area tried to block CCC supporters from attending her funeral.

Zanu PF claimed she was their active member, but this was disputed by Alis family.

Fifteen CCC members, including Sikhala and Chitungwiza North legislator Godfrey Sithole, were arrested over the violence but no Zanu PF member has been charged despite that some appeared on videos instigating violence.

Meanwhile, the High Court last week postponed to August the bail appeal hearing for seven CCCs members detained over the June 14 violence to allow for consolidation of 11 cases into one.

The seven appeared before Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, who postponed the hearing to allow for the four remaining cases to be consolidated with the seven that were before him.

CCC accuses President Emmerson Mnangagwas government of weaponising the law to clampdown on his critics ahead of next years elections. Standard
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Spring ISD Police Department officers moved with precision through the halls of an empty Westfield High School 9th Grade Center during an active shooter drill and training exercise Thursday.

We believe this active shooter drill will enhance our preparedness as we test our physical safety systems alongside our response protocols, and thats the objective of our exercise today, Spring ISD Police Chief Ken Culbreath said in a statement.

TOP FLEET: Spring ISD transportation department gets national recognition

The Uvalde mass shooting brought school safety and security into the national spotlight. With the first day of school coming up on Aug. 16, Spring ISD leaders expressed confidence in the district's safety and security plans.

Today was a great success for Spring," Culbreath said. "We reinforced that we are keeping our kids safe."

Spring ISD Superintendent Lupita Hinojosa said the district is also performing audits of their exterior doors at every facility to ensure doors are operable and secure.

If its not, its being submitted to be repaired, Hinojosa said. All of that will be completed before the start of school.

In addition to officer training, the district conducts training for employees on emergency protocols including fire drills, active shooter drills, and evacuations drills.

FROM CUSTODIAN TO TEACHER: This Klein alum is ready for his first semester

Culbreath already had law enforcement experience when he came to the district three years ago, which Hinojosa feels has contributed to bolstering safety efforts within Spring ISD.

Here in Spring, were very fortunate, Hinojosa said. Our chief of police, his experience is so vast. He came in already looking at and evaluating the status of our safety protocols. He immediately started with revising expectations for our officers.

This past school year, the district implemented changes to the way Spring ISD police officers approach school safety.

Traditional school officers are inside the school, sitting there and monitoring whats happening inside the school. Our police officers not only look at whats happening inside the school, but we also do community policing, meaning that were patrolling  that we are being vigilant, Hinojosa said.

Officers are out in the areas surrounding campuses, patrolling for suspicious activity near schools, conducting traffic stops, and monitoring bus stops to ensure student safety.

This is something that we as a police agency have not done before. Our police officers have been trained and retrained to do this type of work. We look at what we call a layered approach to safety  from the community, working our way to the schools, she said.

In terms of the departments on-campus presence, Hinojosa said patrol officers have assigned elementary schools they visit regularly. Officers are also stationed at every middle and high school.

"We are going to work tirelessly to keep our kids safe," Culbreath said, "and were going to do whatever it takes to bring them home safely every single day."

mfeuk@hcnonline.com
HUBERT, N.C. (AP)  A Virginia man drove more than 300 miles to confront a 27-year-old man who he said dated his daughter, then fatally shot him in a fight, according to authorities in eastern North Carolina.

The Onslow County Sheriffs Office said emergency responders found Jared Musgrove suffering from two gunshot wounds at a Hubert mobile home park on July 5, news outlets reported. Musgrove was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  Humanitarian concerns are being raised about a new prison policy in New Mexico that provides inmates with photocopies of their personal mail  never the actual mail itself  as part of a plan to limit the flow of drugs into New Mexico prisons.

Initial data doesnt show an immediate impact on the drug positivity rate of inmates.

Legislators worry it might weaken meaningful communication between inmates and families that is key to rehabilitation, including small keepsakes like a childs drawing.

It seems so draconian to find that inmates could no longer get drawings from their kids, said state Rep. Gail Chasey, an Albuquerque Democrat who presided over a recent hearing concerning the Corrections Department.

Corrections officials have defended the policy as a necessary step to curb drug use and protect the health of people living or working inside state prisons.

They said some inmates had received letters soaked in narcotics  such as fentanyl or synthetic cannabis  and burned them to inhale the smoke.

Starting earlier this year, people who want to mail a letter to a New Mexico inmate must now send it to an address in Florida, where a private company photocopies the material and then mails it back to the state prison system.

It costs the state about $3.50 per inmate each month, regardless of whether the inmate receives any mail, for the Securus mail system. The cost could reach somewhere in the neighborhood of $160,000 a year, depending on the number of inmates in the system.

The change also restricts what kind of mail inmates may receive, with greeting cards, for example, no longer accepted, according to legislative records.

Wence Asonganyi, health services administrator for the Corrections Department, said the mail changes came after prison leaders determined they had to act amid a rise in symptoms among inmates consistent with a drug overdose.

It is quite disturbing when on a weekly basis you get numbers of suspected overdoses within the prison system across the state, and all you have is a plan is to take them to a hospital or provide first aid, Asonganyi said. You know thats not sustainable. You know thats not good care.

He said the Corrections Department had seen a substantial drop in medical incidents related to drug use following enactment of the new mail policy.

Legislative analysts offered a different assessment. They said the positivity rate from random drug tests of inmates hadnt shown an immediate improvement, according to quarterly reports issued by the department.

Asonganyi contends the drug positivity rate isnt the right way to measure the programs success because some of the drugs have been altered in a way that makes them hard to identify in a normal drug screening.

Legislative analysts, in turn, suggested the Corrections Department propose a better way to measure the programs success, if they have more meaningful data.

The legislators at the recent hearing said they will further scrutinize the policy.

Chasey, who leads the House Judiciary Committee, said New Mexicos revenue boom should allow for new investments to improve the prison system. She suggested there might be another safe, cost-effective way to screen the mail.

I certainly dont want to put staff at risk, and I dont want inmates at risk, Chasey said. Wed like to try to help.

Rep. Antonio Moe Maestas, D-Albuquerque, asked whether the out-of-state photocopying of mail was authorized by state law. Corrections officials said the law is silent on the issue.

Diana Crowson, whose son is an inmate at the state prison in Santa Fe, said the new policy has disrupted mail service to inmates. Keeping in touch with family, she said, is an important way to reduce recidivism for people released from custody.

Not only the inmates, Crowson said, but the families are suffering from this."
DIXON, N.M.Ok, I have to confess. Wimps we may be, but we just couldn't take the heat any longer. We fled Hades for this village nestled in a narrow valley on the banks of the cottonwood-lined Rio Embudo between Santa Fe and Taos. Here at the moment, cherries and apricots are at their peak in acequia-watered orchards; apple trees, their laden branches bending downward, will be ready for picking in a couple of weeks. Oh, and it was 55 degrees when we woke up the other morning.

As wife Laura, Albuquerque born and bred, occasionally reminds me, Texans have been "invading" her beloved native state for centuries. As I remind her, we usually come in peace. If it weren't for Texans, I suggest, Ruidoso and Red River just might be ghost towns. Without Texans, Santa Fe's chic Canyon Road might be desolate. Reservation casinos probably welcome a goodly share of Texans, as well, although I've never tried my luck.

Ill admit we haven't always been good neighbors. New Mexicans who know their history are likely to sneer at the name Lamar, for example. That would be Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, Sam Houston's successor as president of the Republic of Texas.

With ambitions worthy of his middle name, Lamar in 1841 dispatched an expedition of 321 government officials, merchants, teamsters, soldiers and journalists to Santa Fe to persuade New Mexicans that their self-interest lay in joining the fledgling Republic. The Texans brought with them 21 ox-drawn wagons carrying merchandise worth $200,000 - enticements, so to speak, for a southern Santa Fe Trail. They had no doubt not only that the New Mexicans would welcome them, but also that a Texas-New Mexico rapprochement would be the first step in Lamar's dream of a Republic stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific.

The Texans were deluded. Lamars emissaries not only got lost on the punishing plains of the Llano Estacado, but when they straggled into Santa Fe, they found themselves under arrest as invaders. The New Mexicans draped the Texas interlopers in heavy chains and marched them toward Mexico City, where they were held for more than a year in a castle-like prison called Perote.

And did our forebears learn not to mess with New Mexico? Uh, no.

Two decades later the Civil War had broken out, and Texas Confederates reenacted Lamar's folly. In the winter of 1861, Texans envisioning a Confederate Manifest Destiny invaded New Mexico once again. The rebels dreamed of railroads connecting Charleston, New Orleans and Houston to San Diego and Los Angeles. California gold would be theirs for the taking. They might even conquer the Mexican states of Sonora, Chihuahua and Baja California.

Thirty-five hundred Texas rebels calling themselves the "Army of New Mexico" marched westward out of San Antonio. Despite losing several hundred men to smallpox and Apache attacks, they made their way to El Paso and then up the Rio Grande Valley. They were victorious against Union troops at a site along the river called Valverde, took Albuquerque without a fight and occupied Santa Fe, before meeting stalwart opposition in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains 25 miles southeast of the capital. The ensuing Battle of Glorieta Pass in March 1862 has been called the Gettysburg of the West.

The Confederate commander was Brig. Gen. Henry Hopkins Sibley, whose weakness for the bottle had earned him the nickname "the Walking Whiskey Keg." Sibley was well-acquainted with New Mexico. His final post before joining the Confederacy had been in Taos, where he led a campaign against the Navajos.

He also knew his adversary, Col. Edward Canby. The Union commander had been his classmate at West Point and best man at his wedding. Although Canby had graduated 30th out of a West Point class of 31, he had earned a reputation through the years as a capable leader of men.

The Union general had at his disposal some 4,000 men at Fort Craig, 180 miles south of Santa Fe. Only 1,200 were army regulars; the rest were volunteers, mostly Hispanic farmers and sheepherders who spoke little English and had no experience in battle. Their commander was the already-legendary Kit Carson, the trapper, scout and Indian fighter who had been made a colonel in the Union Army. Carson spoke fluent Spanish.

In his superb biography (Blood and Thunder: The Epic Story of Kit Carson and the Conquest of the American West), Hampton Sides notes that the word "Confederate" meant next to nothing to the volunteers under Carsons command, but they did know the word "Texan." "In New Mexico, Texans were like bogeymen," Sides writes. "Parents used to tell their children that if they didn't behave, the Tejanos would come get them."

Meanwhile, nearly 500 Colorado miners under the command of Maj. John Milton Chivington were rushing to the aid of the federal forces. Calling themselves the Pikes Peakers, they were making the 400-mile trek from Denver through snow and howling winds to join up with Canby's men. The miners arrived in time to engage the enemy in a pine- and pinon-covered mountain pass called Glorieta, near the ancient ruins of Pecos Pueblo.

The first day's battle at Glorieta was inconclusive, but on the third day one of the New Mexican volunteers, a veteran Indian fighter named Manuel Chaves, made an important discovery. The lieutenant colonel, known as El Leoncito for his small size and his leonine bravery in battle, was a descendant of Spanish conquistadors and had been involved 20 years earlier in thwarting Lamars Santa Fe Expedition. On this cold March afternoon he peered down from the rocky rim of Glorieta Mesa and saw that the Texans had left their entire 80-man supply train pretty much unguarded on the canyon floor.

You are right on top of them, Major, Chaves told Chivington. The Coloradan instantly changed his battle plans. Instead of attacking the Confederate rear, he would sabotage the supply train on the flats 700 feet below.

Several hundred of Chivington's men secured themselves with ropes and leather straps and dropped over the rim, silently reaching the floor without incident. Caught almost completely off guard, a handful of Texans guarding the supplies surrendered within minutes. Chivington ordered his men to pull the 80 wagons in tightly and set them ablaze. "Nothing," Sides writes, "escaped the torch -- tents, flour, Bibles, horse tack, bedrolls, cookware, coffee, clothing, tools, whiskey."

Dreams died, as well. The bedraggled Texans, now bereft of supplies and ammunition, made their way back to Santa Fe, where Col. Canby's wife Louisa took pity and made her home a hospital. When Union friends tried to shame her for showing compassion to the enemy wounded, she told them: "Friend or foe, their lives must be saved if it is possible. They are the sons of some dear mother."

Louisa Canby's husband, his troops reinforced with the Pikes Peakers, slowly "herded" the dispirited sons of the Lone Star down the Rio Grande and out of the territory. When the Texans straggled back into San Antonio, their numbers had dwindled by about a third.

I asked New Mexico historian Steve Martinez whether the Union victory at Glorieta Pass deserved the Gettysburg of the West label. Was it that significant?

Its historically fitting, he said, noting that if the Confederates had taken New Mexico, they would have controlled the Santa Fe Trail, gateway to the West. And, they would have taken over Colorados silver and gold mines, while opening a passage to Californias ports, not to mention its gold. Do you see where this is going? he asked.

Its been 160 years since cannon fire echoed through beautiful Glorieta Pass. These days Texans and New Mexicans manage to get along, for the most part, even though the two states are still quite different. Like a longtime married couple - one a Texan, one a New Mexican - both parties are happy to proclaim, Viva la diferencia!

djholley10@gmail.com

Twitter: holleynews
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The parents of a 7-year-old boy found dead inside of a washing machine at a Spring home were released late Thursday and have currently not been charged, according to authorities.

Troy Khoeler was reported missing around around 5:20 a.m. on the 4400 block of Rosegate Drive in the Birnam Wood neighborhood on Thursday morning, according to the Harris County Pct. 4 Constable's Office. Deputies initially searched outside the home and canvassed the neighborhood for almost two hours before going back into the residence to search more thoroughly.

The boy was found full clothed inside a top-load washing machine inside of the garage, according to investigators.

More on Crime: Transgender woman shot, killed in east Houston roadway, police say

Jermaine Thomas, the boy's father, detailed the moments he came back home Wednesday night and found the front door of the home unlocked, according to a report from KHOU.

"It's just that I came home, I was fixin to walk in the door like right now, I don't have my keys but I put my keys to the door handle and then it just opened, he said in the report. Anything else after that, I don't know."

The family has a prior history with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed Friday. The details of that history are confidential.

The parents, who adopted the boy, were released after spending the majority of Thursday being separately questioned by investigators, the Harris County Sheriff's Office said. Neither of them is currently being charged with a crime pending the autopsy results from the Harris County medical examiner.

TRENDING: Interactive charts show spread of monkeypox virus across Houston, Texas, rest of US

Spring ISD  where Troy attended school  released a statement Thursday addressing his death.

"Spring ISD is deeply saddened about the tragic passing of our student, Troy Khoeler," the release stated. "His death represents a great loss for our district, and we are providing ongoing counseling and grief services for students and staff members impacted by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

No other information is available at this time.

Joel.Umanzor@Chron.com
A Houston man on Friday was arrested and accused of killing his friend in a east Houston parking lot during a dispute over about $150, according to police.

Jose Everado Castorena III, 31, was charged with murder over the Jan. 13 death of Lupe Adam Mungia, according to the Houston Police Department.

Mungia was shot around 3 p.m. outside a music recording studio in a small business park on Sheffield Drive, just south of Interstate 10, according to a criminal complaint. He died after being shot once in the chest, according to police.

A witness who worked at a business nearby told police he went to the parking lot when he heard the gunshot and saw a man walk to a truck and drive away. Police were led to Castorena after his mother approached officers at the scene because she was worried he was the person who was shot, according to the complaint.

After speaking to Castrorena's mother, police showed the witness his photo in a line up. The witness identified Castorena as the man in the truck, according to the complaint.

The complaint describes Castorena and Mungia as friends, and said Mungia had recently let Castorena stay at his house. One of Mungia's friends told police the two men met in the parking lot because Castrorena owed Mungia money, according to the complaint. Cell phone records reviewed by police also showed that Castrorena was near the scene of the shooting, according to the complaint.

Castrorena cut off contact with family members following the shooting, though police said he had been spotted in northeast Houston. Last week, he was publicly identified as a suspect for Mungia's shooting.

On Houstonchronicle.com: Authorities release parents of 7-year-old Houston area boy found dead in washing machine

Castorena was arrested without incident, police said. His bond was denied and he was still in custody on Friday night. Prosecutors said he had two previous felony convictions, which would allow for him to be held in jail without bond, according to court records.

Castorena is scheduled to appear in court on Monday, according to court records.

john.ferguson@chron.com
Houston Police Department

A man was found fatally shot in his front yard in west Houston late Friday after a drive-by shooting that also left his teenage neighbor critically injured.

The man in his 30s was found dead just before 11:30 p.m. in the 4400 block of Bugle. A 17-year-old neighbor who was hanging out in the man's front yard was also shot and taken to the hospital in critical condition, police said.
A homeowner near Lake Houston in Atascocita called authorities Friday night to report an uninvited guest: An alligator was at their front door.

Authorities with the Precinct 4 Constable's Office were able to capture the 3-foot long animal outside the home in the 7700 block of London Tower Lane.
I never met Will Thompson face to face. We both testified before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on March 10, 2021, in support of the Honoring Our PACT Act currently awaiting a second cloture vote on Monday. I was called to discuss the portions of that bill dealing with the remaining conditions caused by exposure to Agent Orange. I was blown away that Will, a veteran of Iraq deployments, had been forced to endure a long bureaucratic journey to get the care and compensation that he and his family deserved. During his deployments, he had served in locations where open fires burned constantly. When his fibrosis developed, it was determined that his lungs had jet fuel residue in them. His struggle to get the toxicity recognized is now ours, yours and mine. He succumbed to the combined effects of pulmonary fibrosis, skin cancers and the debilitating effects of the anti-rejection protocols required for his two lung transplants.

Thompson, 50, of Princeton, West Virginia, is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and his two children, Ethan and Anna.

The bill that we spoke for was voted on and passed, in a genuinely bipartisan fashion earlier this summer. In the Senate, under the sponsorship of Sens. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the bill passed with 84 votes. A technical issue required the bill to return to the House, which quickly corrected an error, and returned it. Then, Sen. Patrick Toomey, an opponent of the bill, raised an issue, and began demanding amendments. He further wanted the amendments included without the required 60-vote threshold. Despite the prior level of support, and for their own reasons, GOP senators blocked cloture.

There is no brotherhood like service. I still communicate with 10 to 15 of my Vietnam comrades, 53 years later. I feel the same for the huge cohort of once young men and women who answered our call ... yours and mine. We expected danger and risk, and you expected to stand behind us when we came home, if we did. I know that you would do the right thing if it was you in the Senate. But, how to make your senators, Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, rethink the no votes they cast that pushed dying veterans care and compensation down the road?

If you dont want soldiers and their families to struggle under a burden that we put on them any longer than they have, call one of the local offices of the Texas senators, and ask them to remember the vets, and vote for cloture, and for the bill.

Jeffrey O'Malley, Houston

If we do not place a higher priority on caring for veterans, how can we adequately recruit for our volunteer military? A veteran exposed to toxins and awaiting assistance might inquire of Congress: Have you no decency? Marines are taught to honor God, Country, and the Corps  in that order. Why cant Congress at least respect Country and Party, in that order? Does not their oath of office require such a priority of allegiance?

David Nelson, Houston

To Trump supporters

Regarding Opinion: Id welcome Trump back in a heartbeat, (July 27): Reading Mr. Kristiniks response to the Chronicle editorial, it appears he prefers the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil approach to the litany of crimes Trump and his administration have likely committed.

The list is long, disturbing and growing now that the Justice Department has opened criminal inquiries. Inciting an armed mob to attack the Capitol, drumming up fake electors, strong-arming state officials to find votes  all in a pre-planned, coordinated effort to illegally subvert the will of the voters and keep himself in office.

Secluding himself in the White House, watching the insurrection on Fox News while refusing every request to intervene, tells you everything you need to know about his treasonous plot and his lack of character.

The letter writer complains about a show trial, a sham but in truth it is a fact-finding investigation only  not a trial  formed when Senate Republicans refused to authorize an independent committee to look at the events surrounding Jan. 6. As for all the Republican witnesses, does Mr. Kristinik think their testimony under oath would have been any different if the likes of Rep. Jim Jordan were on the committee preening before the cameras?

As to his other complaints about the state of the country, gasoline prices are a function of a global market  not the president. The war in Ukraine was instigated by Russia  not the president. You can lay the responsibility of the border crisis at the feet of multiple Congresses who have failed to deal with the problem. Im not even sure what he is talking about when he says indoctrination of our children. As for Biden stumbling over his thoughts, please let me know what Trump was talking about when he tweeted Despite the constant negative press covfefe.

Art Howell, Humble

Regarding the loyalists for former president Trump: it is about what president Trump is not. He is not a politician. He is not a constitutional scholar or lawyer. Nor is he a fortunate son from a presidential family. We saw the direction our country took with those leaders in the White House. The Democrats are now taking a page out of Trumps playbook with the Jan. 6 committee hearings and draining the swamp for themselves in preparation for the midterm elections in November. Whatever happened to our elected officials trusting the wisdom of the people?

Bill Pond, Humble
WASHINGTON  As the House passed legislation to ban assault weapons for the first time in nearly two decades Friday, Democrats pointed to a string of mass shootings in Texas where such weapons were used to kill dozens of people: Nineteen children and two teachers in Uvalde in May; 23 shoppers in an El Paso Walmart almost exactly three years ago; 26 congregants in a church in Sutherland Springs in 2017.

Weve turned our churches, our schools, our shopping centers, our entertainment venues  almost any place  into a battleground, with one massacre after another, said U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin.

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, an El Paso Democrat, said some of her constituents who survived the mass shooting there in 2019 are still recovering from their injuries.

IN-DEPTH: CEO of Daniel Defense, maker of rifle used in Uvalde massacre, tells Congress guns arent to blame

The domestic terrorist who attacked my community was able to do so with a legally purchased assault weapon, Escobar said. What was once an unthinkable tragedy  the mass carnage we saw in El Paso  is now commonplace across America.

Republicans argued that the ban was unconstitutional, as it would outlaw AR-15s, which are now some of the most commonly sold guns in the United States.

They argued Democrats would not stop at the ban, even as the bill would grandfather in current gun owners, and said the bill would do little to stop criminals from finding a way to obtain the guns, even if theyre banned.

Criminals usually dont get their guns at gun stores, through legal channels, said U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, an Austin Republican. My colleagues will most assuredly target citizens to take their guns. In the words of Democratic perpetual candidate Beto ORourke: Hell yes, were going to take your AR-15, your AK-47.

TEXAS GOP CONVENTION: With gun talks wavering, U.S. Sen John Cornyn returns home to boos from Texas GOP

The bill narrowly passed the House on a 217-213 vote as five Democrats joined all but two Republicans in opposing the legislation.

U.S. Reps. Henry Cuellar of Laredo and Vicente Gonzalez of McAllen  two Democrats whom Republicans have targeted in competitive South Texas midterm races  voted against the ban.

Gonzalez said in a statement that he strongly supports expanded background checks, waiting periods, red flag laws and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

But there are tens of millions of assault rifles already in circulation across America, many of them are used by responsible gun owners for hunting in South Texas, he said. And a ban on some of those models will do nothing to reduce overall risks.

The vote comes at the urging of gun safety advocates and survivors and family members of victims of recent mass shootings. Kimberly Rubio, whose 10-year-old daughter Lexi was killed at Robb Elementary School, asked lawmakers to ban the weapons during testimony before the House Oversight Committee last month.

Somewhere out there, theres a mom listening to our testimony, thinking, I cant even imagine their pain. Not knowing that our reality one day will be hers, Rubio said. Unless we act now.

The bill would ban new sales of assault-style rifles and create a voluntary buyback program. It would add new safe storage requirements for existing assault weapons.

It stands virtually no chance of passing the evenly divided Senate and comes just weeks after President Joe Biden signed into law the first tightening of federal gun laws since 1994.

That law, the product of bipartisan negotiations, required greater scrutiny of gun buyers under 21 years old and restricts access to firearms for dating partners convicted of domestic abuse. It also created stiffer penalties for gun trafficking and straw purchasing, in which someone buys a firearm for someone prohibited from owning one. And it included funding for mental health and school safety measures.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the Texas Republican who led negotiations on the bill for the GOP, has said there will not be further action on guns.

But Democrats hope that the House vote on the assault weapons ban will communicate to voters that they are serious about curbing gun violence. It is the latest piece of gun legislation that House Democrats have passed since the shooting in Uvalde.

The House last month passed legislation to raise the age to buy semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, ban high-capacity magazines, create requirements for safe gun storage in homes, and crack down on so-called ghost guns that are built from kits and exempt from weapon sales regulation. That legislation is also unlikely to pass the Senate.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Wait!

Before you go

Please sign up for our Evening Digest and Breaking Newsletters

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request.

* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 74F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
Berkshire Community College Welcomes New Staff Members

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Berkshire Community College has announced the addition of five new staff members: Meghan Callaghan, Jennifer Filippi, Erin Lynn, Matthew Palardy and Seth T. Tuper.

Callaghan joins BCC as Dean of Teaching and Learning. She will lead the Division of Teaching and Learning Innovation. She arrives from Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC), where she worked in several roles over the past 13 years. Her responsibilities included coordinating the Office of Community Engagement, expanding outcome and assessment work into the co-curricular, serving as BHCCs Massachusetts Community College Council union president, being a founding member of the Center of Equity and Cultural Wealth and, most recently, serving as the Associate Director of Academic Innovation and Distance Education.

She received a master of arts degree in Critical and Creative Thinking from UMASS Boston and a bachelor of arts degree in English Literature from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. She will be relocating to the Berkshires with her partner and two aging cats after living in the Boston area for the past 15 years.

Filippi joins BCC as an Accountant in the Business Office. Filippi was most recently an assistant accountant for the Town of Dalton and has more than ten years of accounting-related experience, including payroll, billing, accounts payable, bank reconciliations, collections, purchase orders and various reconciliations.

Filippi is also familiar with the Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS) through her experience working at the Dalton and Pittsfield town halls. Currently a student at BCC, she anticipates graduating in December 2022 with a major in business management and continue on to MCLA to obtain her accounting degree.

Lynn joins BCC as Director of Academic Operations. With nearly 18 years of experience in student affairs, she most recently served as an academic learning specialist at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM).

Lynn began her career at Arkansas State University, working first as an administrative assistant, then as an academic advisor and finally as student outreach coordinator. She then moved to New York to be the Director of Retention and Student Success at LIM College prior to her position at NYCPM.

Lynn earned a bachelor of arts degree and a master of arts degree in sociology, an education specialist degree in community college administration and, in 2021, was awarded a doctor of education in educational leadership. She is moving to the area with her fiance Alan and her dog Lea, and she has an adult son in graduate school in Louisville, Kentucky.

Palardy joins BCC as Tutorial Assistant after 11 years as a community tutor at BCC specializing in humanities and social sciences. During that time, he developed innovative ways to impart academic, organizational and research skills to BCC students and was named BCCs Tutor of the Year in 2014.

Parlady has also worked as a private tutor for students in high schools and in other colleges, homeschooled students and taught English-language learners. Palardy is currently completing a master of arts degree in philosophy through St. Bernards School of Theology and Ministry while regularizing a bachelors degree by testing equivalency through Excelsior College. He serves as a liturgist for Traditional Latin Mass communities in the Diocese of Albany and a coordinator of international discussion groups concerning philosophy, politics, religion and culture.

Tuper, a lifelong resident of Berkshire County, joins BCC as Institutional Security Officer. Tuper graduated from St. Joseph Central High School in Pittsfield in 2003 and attended Castleton State College from 20032007; he continues to work on completing his bachelor of arts degree in psychology.

tuper is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom, with 14 years in the Massachusetts Army National Guard and four state activations for emergencies. Tuper has more than 20 years of experience in emergency services, with the last 10 years specifically dedicated to the security field.
There's a lot of worry in the world right now. A lot of anxiety. Maybe you're carrying some of it yourself.

If so, here's something worth knowing. Because people with very high emotional intelligence understand three key things about anxiety:

First, it's is rooted in emotion. It's about the nexus of fear and imagination.

Second, it's contagious. Nothing spreads worry like other people worrying.

And third, sometimes the best way to resolve your fears is to find ways to help other people overcome theirs.

With that, let's talk about Tom Philiou, who owns a McDonald's restaurant in Mayfield Heights, Ohio. You might recognize his name, or the name of the town, and certainly the name McDonald's.

Philiou made news earlier this month after it emerged that he'd kept paying his employees their full salaries for three months, even while he'd closed his restaurant for renovations.

It wasn't cheap. And, there are really smart, objective business reasons why someone might do this. For one thing, if you don't pay your employees, they'll leave. Then, you'll face the challenge of replacing them when you're ready to reopen.

But, as surprised as I was to find an amazing example of emotional intelligence at McDonald's, several things struck me about Philiou's story.

There's the question he said he asked himself when he realized how long the renovation would take, according to The Washington Post: "How are these people going to make it without paychecks?"

There's the answer he said he came up with immediately: "We're going to pay everybody the full thing."

And, there's the detail that I found buried in many reports about Philiou's decision, which had to do with just how long some of his employees have been working for him:

Ed Kocsis, 55, the restaurant's general manager, who started working there in 1982;

Mary Conti, 78, a manager, who started working there in 1977.

"Dozens" of other staff members, according to the Post, have worked for Philiou for decades or more, "many of them rising through the ranks from maintenance to managerial positions."

"Our turnover is very low," Kocsis said, adding: "I think it's because they enjoy working here, and they're treated with respect. They feel good working here, so they want to stay."

Why do people work in general? They do so for money, of course; most of us have to work to live. But they also do so to meet emotional needs: purpose, community, confidence.

Philiou's renovation decision could have upended part of that equation: His employees' confidence seemed ripe to be replaced with anxiety.



However, his reaction wasn't just savvy business; it was emotionally intelligent.

People noticed. Workers were grateful. ("Floored and ... extremely appreciative," Kocsis told the Post. "I thought it was fabulous.")

Heck, of all things, a Reddit thread brimmed with praise:

"I grew up around here and always heard the owner of this McDonalds was an awesome man!"

"I used to live here and my wife and I would always say this is the best McDonald's we've ever been to. Now I see why. Having a good owner who values his employees goes a long way."

"Tony ... rules and this McDonald's, no joke, is the best I've ever been to."

We sometimes put names on these behaviors to make them easier to remember.

But this example of practical emotional intelligence in business is so good that I think we should give Philiou his place in history by dubbing this one, the McDonald's paycheck rule.

I know that there are other companies that pay their employees even during tough times. And as I thought about this story I reached out to some of them.

But Philiou's example stands out.

Maybe it has to do with the wisdom that comes with age; Philiou is 90 years old, and as another nonagenarian entrepreneur, Warren Buffett, puts it:

When you get to my age, you'll really measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you.

Maybe it has to do with having had an experience not all that different from many of his employees. Philiou has been working at McDonald's himself since 1962.

And maybe it has to do with the realization that, as I write in my free e-book, 9 Simple Habits of People With Very High Emotional Intelligence, emotional intelligence is about leveraging emotions to make it more likely you'll achieve your goals.
The Klondike Choco Taco, invented in 1983, has been discontinued as part of a move to streamline the company's product line. The treat has surprisingly devoted fans, who responded to the news with anguish, outrage, and sometimes profanity. It was a huge outpouring for a small, mass-produced ice cream novelty that was supposed to be crunchy but usually wasn't. Many business leaders dream of creating iconic products with devoted super-fans, but few ever actually manage it. What's the Choco Taco's secret?

For months, people on social media had been speculating that the famous treat was gone, but Klondike assured them that only the grocery-store-friendly four-pack had been discontinued. "The Klondike Choco Taco single serving is available at ice cream trucks and convenience stores nationwide," the company tweeted on July 17, and provided a store locator for good measure. Less than ten days later, it had to eat those words.

The public and media response was immediate and heartfelt, with a surprising number of celebrities weighing in on the Choco Taco's demise.

Or even hoping to resurrect it.

Why so much lamentation over the departure of the Choco Taco? The confection has a bizarre fictional origin story, involving a mirage seen while lost in the desert in Mexico. In fact, it was invented by Alan Drazen, an executive at the ice cream company Jack & Jill (now part of GlacierPoint Enterprises). At the time, Jack & Jill didn't have its own signature confection so Drazen set out to invent one. Mexican food was the fastest-growing food-industry segment so an ice cream novelty in the shape of a taco seemed like it might be a hit. He later said that the Choco Taco's folded shape was the true secret of its success. Rather than eat the toppings and then work your way down to the crunchy cone as in an ice cream cone, you got ice cream, toppings, and cone in every bite.

The Choco Taco counts more than one celebrity chef among its fans. New York restaurateur and taco expert Alex Stupak asked a French pastry chef to work with him on creating a limited-edition version for one of his restaurants. And Tyler Malek, owner of the upscale ice cream chain Salt & Straw, has loved the Choco Taco since childhood. He too created his own version, called the Chocolate Tacolate for the company's now-defunct soft-serve store. Now that the Klondike treat has been discontinued, he's considering bringing back the Chocolate Tacolate to fill the gaping void that the Choco Taco left behind.

Is all this love for the Choco Taco really about the confection itself? No, some argue, especially comedian Roy Wood Jr., who made a persuasive case for this view on The Daily Show.

I believe this is the real secret behind this and other beloved products. They connect us to our childhoods, to the people from our past, and to summertime, when we might have enjoyed a Choco Taco with family or friends after working in the yard or going on a fun outing. It's a product that engages people's nostalgia.

Even Klondike seems to be aware of this. "We know Choco Taco is a huge fan favorite and a top seller for our out-of-home business, so this is particularly painful," it tweeted to one disgruntled fan. "We're working hard to find a way to bring Choco Taco back to ice cream trucks in the coming years."
You expect a guard dog to protect you from danger. But a drug gang's guard dog did exactly the opposite. It flopped down beside its owners and gave itself up to the police during a raid. The incident was reported from Hortolandia, Sao Paulo state, Brazil.

Metro

Guard dog failed at his job

The police arrested three men on a ranch and seized 1,176 bricks containing 1.1 tonnes of cannabis from the property.

A video of the said raid was shared online as well. In the said clip, the drug dealers were seen lying face down on the ground, with their hands cuffed behind their backs.

Sadly for them, their trusty guard dog failed at his job as he too laid down on the floor next to them, without any fuss. According to Narcotics Police, the drugs had been shipped to the house in Hortolandia from Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state.

Metro

The cops were aware of the property and they were waiting for a time to pounce when the delivery was made.

They believe the drugs were destined to be sold in and around Campinas, Sao Paulo state. The men  one of whom owns the house  were taken to the Narcotics Police headquarters in nearby Americana.



The guard dog wasn't arrested

Thankfully, the rottweiler was not arrested by the police. The dog remained on the property with the woman who owns the land around the house, who police say is not involved in drug trafficking.

Cops will return to the ranch today to check on the Rottweiler and two other dogs to see if animal protection services are needed.

Follow us on telegram.
Image Attribute: UN Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee at High-level Forum for RCEP Economic & Trade Cooperation / Source: United Nations in China

On July 28, the 2022 High-Level Forum for RCEP Regional Economic and Trade Cooperation with the theme of "New Opportunities, New Patterns, and New Voyages" was successfully held in Qingdao, Shandong Province of China. More than 300 officials and representatives have joined the forum both online and in person to discuss the further implementation of the RCEP.



Map Attribute: RCEP Member Countries

RCEP is the world's largest free trade agreement between 10 ASEAN countries  Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam  and their five major trading partners  Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea.

RCEP, which has been in the making for more than a decade, will eliminate tariffs on 91% of imports and introduce regulations on investment and intellectual property to support free trade. One of the most key aspects of RCEP is that the manufacturing can involve multiple member nations under the same trade agreement.



Video Attribute: Resident Coordinator Siddharth Chatterjee at High-level Forum for RCEP Economic & Trade Cooperation / Source: United Nations in China's Official Youtube Channel

According to World Bank data, RCEP will include 2.3 billion people, US$ 25.8 trillion in global GDP, US$ 12.7 trillion in international commerce in goods and services, and 31% of global FDI inflows. As global economic power transfers to the Asia-Pacific region, RCEP spillover effects have the potential to benefit both participating and non-participating countries.



Image Attribute: RCEP Shandong Enterprise Service Center / Source: Stadt Qingdao





Reasons Behind India's Exit from RCEP





India withdrew from the agreement in November 2019, partly because of worries regarding the dumping of manufactured goods from China and agricultural and dairy products from Australia and New Zealand, which could hurt its own industrial and farming sectors. Also, in the absence of rules of origin  the criteria used to determine the national source of a product  it was feared that certain member nations could dump their goods by routing them through countries with lower tariffs.





India recommended a three-tiered tariff reduction strategy to the member nations in order to protect its domestic manufacturing sector. First, it planned to lower duties on 80 percent of tariff lines with ASEAN, 65 percent with Japan and South Korea, and 42.5 percent with China, Australia, and New Zealand, which did not have an existing trade agreement with India. However, the RCEP member countries demanded a higher decrease in tariff lines, aiming for a 90 percent drop, and India's proposal was eventually ignored.





Besides that, there are other geopolitical conditions that led India to shift from RCEP to US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).





COPYRIGHT: This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/





REPUBLISH: Republish our articles online or in print for free if you follow these guidelines. https://www.indrastra.com/p/republish-us.html
Microsofts .NET Core 3.1, a release of Microsofts open source, cross-platform software development framework published in December 2019, will no longer be supported as of December 13, 2022.

.NET Core 3.1 reaches end-of-support status that day, with Microsoft discontinuing servicing updates and technical support, the company said. In a bulletin posted earlier this month, Microsoft advised users to move to .NET 6, the current Long-Term Support (LTS) release of the platform, as soon as possible. Those still using .NET Core 3.1 after the end of support will need to update to either .NET 6 or .NET 7, due this November, to continue being supported.

Applications built on .NET Core 3.1 will continue to run after the end-of-support date, but every security fix in .NET 6 is potentially an unpatched, undocumented security vulnerability for those apps, Microsoft warned. End users of apps are advised to reach out to the vendor managing their software to confirm whether an updated version of the software is needed and available.

Beginning with the December 2022 servicing update for Visual Studio 2019 16.11, Visual Studio 2019 17.0, and Visual Studio 2022 17.2, the .NET Core 3.1 component will be changed to out of support and optional. Thusly, workloads in Visual Studio may be installed without installing .NET Core 3.1.
At a town hall in 2014, approximately 50 families living in a small village gathered over a shared complaint: they believed the principal of their local primary school was mistreating children, particularly those with additional needs.

Many signed a letter, complaining about the principal's behaviour, and addressed it to the schools board of management. Over the following days, families asked for their names to be removed from the letter, citing a fear factor. The chairperson of the board had labelled the meeting a witch-hunt. It came to nothing.

Jane, a parent who attended the meeting recalls, The village split in two that night, between those who supported the school and those who did not. Neighbours stopped speaking and some still dont speak to this day.

The incident highlights an important aspect of the Irish education system: Voluntary boards of management and not the Department of Education govern our schools. In an average national school, the board comprises two direct nominees of the patron; two parents elected by parents; the principal; another teacher elected by staff and two extra members agreed upon by the representatives of the patron, teachers, and parents.

These volunteers on boards manage complaints against staff also. If the chairperson of the board lacks objectivity and integrity, the process is undermined. Parents back down  or they leave the school.

Jane adds, Teachers and principals are untouchable no matter what. Too often boards of management are made up of people who want to go on a power trip.

Claire

Over the years, individuals continued to fight the school.

Claire, another parent at the school, is currently at stage 3 of the complaints procedure against the principal. Stage 3 onwards is overseen by the board. The board makes the final decision and within the local complaints procedures that decision is final. It can be reviewed after three years.

Before the meeting even started, I was told by the chairperson that they had already contacted the school solicitor.

Throughout the meeting they, the principal and chairperson, were dismissive and short. They were united against me.

I meet Claire, along with another mother Aine, in the lobby of a hotel.

Claire first clashed with the principal when her child was in junior infants. The concerned mother had suggested her son might have ADHD. She reports feeling ignored, and recalls being told that many children fall through the cracks in the Irish education system. Claire sought access to an SNA but still doesnt know if the school requested one. Her son was offered poorly communicated, sporadic supports.

He was eventually diagnosed with ADHD, but the private diagnosis didnt make his life easier in school. Other parents tell a similar story, that following private assessments, the principal seemed irritated.

The psychotherapist Claire engaged to assess her child is convinced that her professional involvement in the case irked the principal.

I asked if I could come in and observe him in school as his anxieties were school-related. This is something I do all the time in other schools, but she refused. I was completely stonewalled. My job is to make things easier for young people, so I felt awful that I was making things worse.

I experienced similar issues when I worked with another child in the same school. The principal didnt want to know. Claires boy is the loveliest child but he is terribly affected by his primary school experience.

Claire regrets her decision to leave her son in the care of the school but didnt want to remove him from his friends. She hoped things would improve in time, that the principal would stop picking him out from the crowd, putting him down, telling him he wasnt good enough.

It got so bad, he became so very afraid of her, that he began to self-harm.

He cut himself with scissors in class one day, about 20 cuts. He arrived home hurt and we had to take him to hospital.

"We got no communication from the school that day, no accident report, nothing. They emailed us a few days later so they knew it had happened.

Aine

Aines son Michael left the school halfway through his final year. We moved him out of the school because of the way he was being targeted by the principal. A year after he moved, we found out that he had been contemplating bringing a knife to school. He wanted to have the option of going to the bathroom and killing himself to get away from her.

Our boy went from being a happy child to being a school refuser. He has some learning needs, and his anxiety just grew and grew.

He considered suicide. I remember forcing him to go into that place but these days were more concerned about keeping him alive.

Aine did her best to maintain a positive relationship with the principal.

My son was terrified of her. Shed constantly remove him from his class. On one occasion, she removed him and placed him on his own in a tiny room for an hour with a book. I asked her specifically not to be alone with him. The next day she removed him again and went through his work putting big marks through it. The teacher didnt ask her to do any of it. She apologised to me all the time.

Another parent tells the same story, about the principals tendency to have one-to one time with children in the small library room. She also removed her child.

Aine tears up as she continues. She hounded him, over the smallest thing. Id never claim that my son was perfect, but she once said to me that she couldnt think of a single nice thing to say about him, no matter how hard she tried.

"Of course, she said it when we were alone. When I wouldnt have proof. His teachers described him as 'pleasant', 'friendly', 'well-mannered', 'good-natured', 'a pleasure to teach', 'polite', 'funny', 'well liked.'"

Mary

Mary, whose daughter, now aged 21, has profound physical and intellectual disabilities, says her daughter still suffers trauma from her time in the school. I just wonder will she ever heal. It just keeps coming up for her, again and again, and I just hate that this is still happening in schools, where children are supposed to be protected and cared for.

Marys daughter had an Irish exemption but in fifth class started coming home very upset with Irish homework. When Mary questioned the principal, she was told that the exemption hadnt been filed properly. Mary gave her the documents but wondered why the principal hadnt come to her, instead of forcing her daughter to study the subject for the first time in years.

She reports being told that it was no big deal, that the principal knew parents would come forward if necessary. After ongoing clashes, Mary moved her child to a different school.

Fearful

Laura, another mother at the school, recalls her nine-year-old son being put into his sisters senior infants class as punishment for the day. We told the principal that this treatment of our son was demeaning and humiliating for him and that they were never to do it again. Their response was that it was a strategy that worked to teach children how to behave.

A fifth parent, Jenny, says a psychologists recommendation for her sons Irish exemption was refused. Covid hit, and her son never had to return to the school again. He got his exemption in his secondary school without delay. She later removed his younger sister after she said she felt unsafe.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that the Education Act 1998 be amended to guarantee the right of the child in individual cases. The introduction of a Parent and Student Charter complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). File photo: Mikhail Nilov

The parents who come forward with their stories, seven families in all, say that many more children have endured similar treatment but dont wish to be identified. Some have children still in the school and are fearful of any further mistreatment.

The school was last inspected in 2013. That inspection report suggests that a significant minority of parents felt that the school did not regularly seek parents views on school matters.

Parents complain that the principal lacks any understanding of neurodiversity. In some instances, parents in the school were told by the principal that SNA access was not appropriate, despite the parents of the children feeling differently.

In one case, a parent was denied access to their own childs individual learning plan  they report being told that this was punishment for causing trouble in the school.

A parent assures me that SNAs left the school when the children with additional needs moved away for better supports, suggesting that the principal never wanted them. Others believe letters written to the board were never fully circulated beyond the chairperson, and simply disappeared.

Complaints procedure

A procedure for dealing with parents complaints against teachers was agreed in 1993 by the Irish National Teachers Organisation and the Catholic Primary School Managers Association. The purpose of the five-stage procedure, which relies on the integrity of the board, is to allow for difficulties to be resolved in an agreed and fair manner.

Since 2016, the Teaching Council has also accepted complaints against registered teachers. They accept a complaint if the complaints procedure of the school has been exhausted or in cases of high concern if paperwork is provided.

The Council outlines: If school disciplinary procedures (established under section 24 of the Education Act, 1998) have not been exhausted, then the Investigating Committee is required to refuse the complaint in accordance with the provisions of the Teaching Council Act, unless in the Committees view there are good and sufficient reasons.

"It is up to the Investigating Committee to decide whether there are good and sufficient reasons. In its last annual report, the Teaching Council noted 53 complaints against teachers. Thirty-eight of the complaints came from parents, none from boards of management.

The council advises that

where a child or vulnerable person is at risk, this should be brought to the attention of An Garda Siochana and Tusla - The Child and Family Agency.

In practice If the Board of Management doesnt offer any assistance, the Department of Education advises that the next step is to contact the patron, in this case  the bishop.

Under Section 19 of the Education Act, the patron can communicate dissatisfaction with the board if their duties are not being effectively discharged. However, those working on behalf of patrons suggest its difficult because a personal intervention might affect procedure.

When Claire contacted the bishop, she received the following reply: Unfortunately, I will only be able to offer you quite limited advice. The Child Safeguarding and Protection Service is a voluntary service, and we have no investigative role within schools.

When concerns such as you describe arise it is best that a complaint is directed to the Board of Management of the school initially. If no resolution can be found, a parent can make a complaint in writing to the Department of Education under S.29 of the Education Act 1998.

Aine did so and was informed that under Child Protection laws she could direct the case to Tusla. Tusla is backlogged. A Hiqa report in 2021 observed delays in social workers carrying out preliminary enquiries in 50 out of 57 cases examined by inspectors, having received more than 5,600 referrals last year, up from 3,842 in 2019.

Both Claire and Aine, and a psychotherapist working with one of the children, reported their concerns to Tusla and the Ombudsman. No further action was taken.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints about schools recognised by the Department of Education, provided the parent has firstly and fully followed the school's complaints procedures, through the Board of Management.

Aine recalls The Teaching Council and The Ombudsman both said they couldn't investigate the matter as I hadn't followed the complaints procedure, (i.e., met with BOM). The bishop's house said they are a voluntary organisation and have no investigative role in schools.

"They advised me on where else to go but it was all the places I had already contacted. The Community Sergeant passed my complaint on to her Superintendent, but no contact was made with me since.

Legislative reform

The ball is in the departments court to establish a more objective procedure across schools in Ireland  limiting the autonomy of unsatisfactory principals and boards.

The National Parents Council Primary made a submission to then-Minister for Education & Skills, Ruairi Quinn, in 2012 requesting a strengthening of the role of parents in the Education Act 1998.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that the Education Act 1998 be amended to guarantee the right of the child in individual cases. The introduction of a Parent and Student Charter complies with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

In 2022, the bill remains at the third stage of the Dail. It was last discussed in July 2021.

Read More Greater parental rights in school complaint system planned in new education bill

In that most recent Oireachtas discussion on the matter, Deputy Verona Murphy said the bill would bring consistency and uniformity among schools as to what parents and students are entitled to know, how to pursue a grievance and to allow parents to have their say in how their children are educated and to have all that be put on a statutory footing, which is only fitting.

Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan added: Under the provisions of the Bill, the guidelines may require schools to provide information to students and parents on the number and types of complaints received and information on their particular outcomes.

For Aine, this charter was significant. I had almost four years of this pressure and stress, constantly feeling like I had to defend my son and no matter how many conversations I had with the principal, her behaviour just got worse instead of better.

"The worst part of it all is the isolation you feel as youre made to feel like you're the only one going through it. With the charter in place, families would get to see that other people are going through similar issues and this would give parents strength and confidence to fight for their children.

Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan said the Parent and Student Charter "may require schools to provide information to students and parents on the number and types of complaints received and information on their particular outcomes. Photo: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

"It's too late for my son and he still suffers badly at times because of her treatment of him, but I just hope speaking out can help prevent other families going through this.

For Claire, the charter will bring about the means to change toxic cultures once they take hold in a school.

It is wonderful that more people are aware of the insufficiencies in our system when it comes to children with additional needs. What they are not aware of is that some professionals are using pitfalls in the system to gain ultimate control.

"All I ever got from our principal were negative reports, putting my son down and putting me down as a parent. Gaslighting creates deep frustration for parents who are trying to create positive change and who are trying to protect vulnerable children. This charter removes the opportunity for any school to play a blame game against the people in their care.
aspokesperson for the Department of Children and Equality said there have been significant challenges over the course of 2020 and 2021, with the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic.



The challenges also included the arrival of over 500 refugees from Afghanistan, following the crisis in September of last year.



But they said: It is hoped we are now entering a new phase and normal resettlement processes for the IRPP can resume for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023. "This timeline will continue to be affected by making appropriate travel arrangements and ensuring necessary support and accommodations are in place in Ireland".



Only a few weeks ago in June, the Irish Examiner carried an interview with Abdeljalil Al Sharif, a member of one family among 839,086 Syrian refugees currently registered in Lebanon with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).





icon Sometimes I just walk the streets because I dont know what to do ABDELJALIL AL SHARIF

He, his wife and their five children must survive on less than 150-a-month and live, according to the UNHCR, and like so many others, in dire circumstances.



Between 2011 and 2015, the Al Sharifs endured the Syrian war happening around them in their native Aleppo, which had been the focus of relentless bombing.



By 2015, their house was blown up and they had had enough.



Their accommodation in Beirut, more than 5,300km away from Cape Clear, is so basic, they all sleep on the floor.



Sometimes I just walk the streets because I dont know what to do, Abdeljalil told us. Nothing is improving for us to even consider the future. We are spiralling down. We are despairing. It is just a matter of existing and day to day, we are just existing.
Most people enter relationships for love, compatibility, and companionship. But some people do it for control.

Many myths abound about crime and abuse in a domestic setting  drugs and booze made me do it, your honour, or it was a momentary loss of control for my client, a crime of passion if you will, or it takes two to tango.

Two court cases in Ireland this week blew these myths wide open, showing abuse for what it truly is: A choice, a need to control, to assert power over another.

There is nothing impulsive about it: It is considered, it is planned. Its tools vary from physical to sexual violence, and from digital to financial abuse. But the underlying goal is control, by whatever means.

Paul Moody's crimes

This week, disgraced garda Paul Moody was sentenced to three and a quarter years in prison, having pleaded guilty to coercively controlling a woman.

In evidence, it was heard that the woman, who was sick with cancer, was beaten, kicked, punched, and choked over a four-year period.

Moody sent more than 31,000 threatening, abusive, degrading, and demeaning texts and phone communications to his victim. He informed her that he hoped she would die of cancer and die in pain.

Other actions included taking photographs of her naked and threatening to circulate them online.

He stole her cancer medication, which she could not afford to replace.

And he walked into the hospital where she was receiving treatment to inform her he was only visiting to watch her bleed to death.

Moodys was a predictable, consistent pattern of behaviour, intentional and premeditated. Asserting control, not care, over another human being is the sole goal of abuse.

And it is not like other crimes, where you race to the nearest garda station when someone mugs you or after you walk home to discover your house has been burgled.

With coercive control comes the wrap-around layer of confusion, doubt, and loss of clarity: Maybe its all in my head; Did I do something to provoke them?; Ill destroy our entire family if I speak out.

The abuser seems to be winning every which way: Not held responsible for his own crimes, and even if it goes to court, he might have people who have his back.

Moodys victim spoke out under the condition of anonymity, and in her statement she mentioned that the perpetrator had support.

She told RTE she cannot understand how some people continued to support him when they knew what was going on.

She said that a number of men, not members of the gardai, supported Moody during the criminal process even after he admitted what he had done. The victim is not the only person at a loss to explain peoples behaviour.

Classics professor Mary Beard traces the long history of women's voices  and misogyny  in her book, 'Women & Power: A Manifesto'. Picture: Caterina Turroni/Lion TV

We look for motives to crimes, be it for land/property, or for revenge. We look for mitigating factors, histories of all sorts. We try to make sense of senseless acts.

In Moodys case, Judge Martin Nolan described him as a bully. He said it was hard to imagine why he did what he did, but at the end of the day, he had done it.

Dean Ward's crimes In a second case this week, Dean Ward was sentenced to 18 years for coercively controlling, raping, and assaulting Sinead ONeill over a six-week period. Sinead O'Neill speaking to media outside Dublin Circuit Court: 'I felt helpless but I now know there is a lot of support out there for women in these situations.' Picture: Collins Courts His considered, non-impulsive actions included removing Ms ONeills contraceptive device as she slept. He inundated her with communication, monitoring her whereabouts. He sent her hundreds of messages, and 165 on one particular day. The abuse was as much virtual as it was physical: Ward added Ms ONeills friends to his Facebook account, and attempted to interfere with her online banking. He sprayed her face with mace when she confronted him about the Facebook activity; when she locked him out after he tried to access her banking, he climbed into her home via a window, punched her in the head, tied her up, and raped her. For perpetrators of abuse, they see themselves as blameless victims who lash out as soon as their crime is confronted. They make the victim feel like they are the bad guy. Ward maintains his innocence, rejects the verdict of the jury, and shows no remorse. Sinead ONeill said it took just six weeks for this man to take away all my independence, dignity, and control of my life. I felt helpless but I now know there is a lot of support out there for women in these situations, said Ms ONeill. Explaining why she had waived her anonymity, she added: I would like to say to any woman in a similar situation: Please reach out, because the support is there.

Women & Power: A Manifesto, by Cambridge University professor Mary Beard, charts the history of womens public speech, the right, or not, to use their voice, from Twitter trolling all the way back to ancient Rome. In it, she traces the roots of misogyny.

Women were silenced and ridiculed from as early as Homers Odyssey. But Prof Beard found two exceptions to the social ban on, and ridicule of, women talking in public: Women were only given the mic as martyr or victim.

When you look around at the level of gendered abuse today, not a whole lot has changed.

And in 2022, many women do not speak out or report abuse, for fear of not being believed or for fear of the consequences for the family, in the workplace, and in the wider community.

Perhaps many people would not have to endure such abuse, go through criminal trials, waive their right to anonymity to receive the pulpit, if we, as a society, believed victims, took earlier action, and didnt respond with cliched catchphrases such as: Have you thought about what saying something might do?

Its time we started asking the perpetrators and their bystanders and supporters: Have you thought about the consequences of your behaviour?

 If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
James Lovelock was my scientific hero. He was an inventor, one of Irelands earliest air pollution investigators, and also a climate change prophet.

However its likely you had never heard his name before he died this week, at the grand old age of 103.

Inspiration for many of his ideas came while staying at his holiday cottage in Adrigole on the Beara Peninsula.

It was there he would go for walks on the Bantry Bay coastline, and take in the smells of the sea air, and note the haze that was present sometimes.

We all might do those same walks, but the observations he made helped trigger with Lovelock a theory based upon the fundamental connections between the chemical and physical processes which cycle between Earths land, water, and air masses; in other words, the Gaia hypothesis.

To his mind, the balance between the cycles was crucial to the planets survival and that each component of the whole system would interact to ensure that survival. Just as we living human beings tend to want to live.

If we even had those thoughts on holiday, we would likely leave them down on the beach, but Lovelock set out to test his ideas experimentally by building an air quality monitoring laboratory in his holiday home.

Air analysis in Adrigole

So in Adrigole he collected samples of air, analysed their chemical contents back at the cottage, and checked when the local atmospheric haze was more visible or not there at all.

Of course, he was not always at his holiday home so he recruited his neighbour Michael O'Sullivan, the farmer who sold him the cottage, to do the monitoring while he was away.

The scientific idea was that when all measurements had been made then it should be possible to work out where the gases and vapours came from.

Was it from seaweed? Marine organisms? The water itself? Blown-in from other locations?

And, most importantly, what controlled the chemical contents and balance between the water, air, and land.

Written down like that it sounds easy. But it was not.

The main problem being that the vapour samples often only contained chemicals at part per trillion levels  thats equivalent to detecting one marked water droplet in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The analyses showed that the samples contained certain chemical vapours from a natural origin (like seaweed) but some were man-made  the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)  indicating that they had travelled over great distances.

Scientist and inventor, James Lovelock, with one of his early inventions, a homemade Gas Chromatography device, used for measuring gas and molecules present in the atmosphere. Picture: Nicholas T Ansell/PA

Several years before Lovelock had invented a detector that could pick up the signals from these inert compounds and had successfully used the device on a round trip on a ship travelling between Wales and Antarctica.

Other analytical instrumentation that was available in the late 1960s, when these studies began, simply could not quantify such low levels of CFCs.

CFCs had been created in the 1930s to be unreactive chemicals that could be safely used in household appliances like refrigerators and air conditioning.

Nobody thought then of the possible harm to us that could result from their inertness.

Most chemicals that float around in the air can be removed by reacting with other chemicals or are destroyed by sunlight or washed out by rain. But those molecules that are stable can move around (and between) the hemispheres for long periods of time.

Destruction of the ozone layer

Most importantly they can climb upwards to more than 20-25 km in altitude, where the ozone layer resides.

The early air measurements on ships, the monitoring at Adrigole and, later, at other Lovelock-type air monitoring stations based in remote places like Samoa and Tasmania showed that most of the CFCs released over the past 30 years had remained in the atmosphere and likely simply floated onwards and upwards: to Antarctica and the North.

Nobel prizes were won by a variety of scientists performing laboratory and field experiments over the next 20 years.

Their efforts determined what actually happened next with the CFCs once they had got to the ozone layer surrounding our planet.

These days, most people know that stratospheric ozone acts as a large-scale sun-tan filter for living organisms at the surface of the planet.

It was quickly recognised and shown in the 1970s and 1980s that CFCs once getting to the stratosphere about 20-25 km in altitude released reactive chlorine atoms.

That was because they were broken down by high energy sunlight. The released chlorine then reacted with ozone to destroy it irreversibly.

The predicted consequences were thought likely to be more skin cancers for animals and crop damage throughout the world.

This graphic shows the data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer Earth Probe, for the month of October 1999, which showed the hole in the ozone layer opening up. Areas of depleted ozone over the Antarctic are shown in blue. Picture: Nasa/AP

Lovelock had a PhD in Medicine and fully appreciated the harm that humans could do to other humans.

Sometimes this could happen unknowingly like the CFC problem, but at least with that problem the world reacted relatively quickly and decisively to limit the sale and use of CFCs.

However, he also recognised sometimes we could harm ourselves knowingly; the prime example by becoming addicted to the burning of carbon-containing materials and thereby stoking up global warming.

He described our actions as like lighting a fire to keep warm and failing to notice as we piled on more fuel that the fire was out of control and the furniture had ignited.

And this led him to say in 2010 that: Humans are too stupid to prevent climate change from radically impacting on our lives over the coming decades.

He thought that it was all an inevitable consequence of us trying to irreversibly change the Gaian land-water-air balance, which allows us to survive, by burning fossil fuels and other carbon-containing materials.

When he said it 12 years ago many were outraged at his seeming negative views about the human condition.

However what would those naysayers say today when we hear about grubby deals in grubby political circles that have been set up to determine the amounts of greenhouse gases we can release in Ireland. Especially as we know it should be little or none. No matter the source.

Lovelock thought the answer to our energy deficit was the use of nuclear power stations to keep the lights on.

He had little time for what he called Green lobbies who fear threats to people rather than to the planet. Especially as we are entirely dependent on Earths well-being.

I can only imagine what he thought about the lack of debate in the Dail about the future use of nuclear energy in the place he took his annual holiday in.

The Goddess of Earth will ensure her own survival, says the Gaia hypothesis, and we humans will be simply sneezed out like a cold virus from a patient with a high temperature if were not careful.

And we owe that deep perspective to the work and life of Jim Lovelock. RIP.

John Sodeau is Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at UCC
Junta Watch Junta Watch: Regime Thumbs Nose at World After Executions; Takes Steps to Ensure Poll Win, and More

Young people stage a protest in Yangon on Thursday condemning the regime's executions of four democracy activists.

Junta makes moves to enhance credibility of its election

Amid grave doubts at home and abroad over the credibility of a new election promised by the Myanmar military regime in August next year, the junta-appointed Union Election Commission announced at a regular regime press conference on Tuesday that in addition to teachers, staff from the Immigration and Population Ministry and the Home Affairs Ministry will also be assigned to run polling stations in the upcoming vote.

It is a move to replace teachersmany of whom have refused to work under the regime and joined the Civil Disobedience Movementwith staff that are under the thumb of the military.

The regime has also confirmed a switch to the proportional representation system for the upcoming election, which would prevent a landslide by a single party like those achieved by the now ousted National League for Democracy in the 2015 and 2020 polls.

It is also in the process of amending the Political Parties Registration Law. It is highly probable that provisions restricting pro-democracy parties including the NLD will be added to the law.

Junta-appointed UEC chairman U Thein Soe, who will oversee the upcoming poll, is a former Myanmar military general. He also oversaw the 2010 election, which was widely believed to be rigged through the manipulation of early votes.

Immigration Minister U Khin Yi is the vice chairman of the militarys proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party, and played an important part in the militarys coup last year by organizing mass pro-military rallies.

As for the Home Affairs Ministry, it is one of the three key ministries directly controlled by Myanmar military under the 2008 Constitution, and was headed by generals even during the NLDs rule. So no question of the upcoming election being fixed, then.

Executions prompt international condemnation

Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun lashed out Tuesday against international condemnation of the countrys first use of capital punishment in decades, saying the four prisoners executed last weekend deserved many death sentences.

If we compare their sentence with other death penalty cases, they have committed crimes for which they should have been given death sentences many times, the junta spokesman, whose face was literally dark with rage, told a regular press briefing in Naypyitaw.

Eight months after their arrests, prominent pro-democracy activists Ko Jimmy and Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw were hanged over the weekend for masterminding and being involved in the anti-regime armed struggle and related activities. Ko Aung Thura Zaw and Ko Hla Myo Aung were also hanged. The families of the four were not notified of the executions in advance.

Mondays announcement of the executions sparked condemnation around the world, and prompted Myanmar expats in Thailand, the US, Canada, and the Netherlands to stage protests. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan called the executions a grave setback for ASEANs efforts to facilitate national reconciliation in Myanmar.

On Wednesday, mobs of pro-regime thugs stoned the houses of Ko Jimmy and Ko Phyo Zeya Thaw in Yangon and cursed their grief-stricken relatives.

UNs lip service helps no one in Myanmar

All 15 members of the UN Security Council including China and Russia condemned the juntas executions of four pro-democracy activists on Wednesday.

The council also repeated its call for the release of all arbitrarily detained prisoners, including President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, as well as for dialogue and reconciliation, an immediate halt to all violence, respect for human rights and full aid access.

Despite its unanimous condemnation of the executions, the UNSC has yet to adopt any resolution to punish the regime since the coup last year, as regime allies China and Russia have blocked it from taking action against the junta.

Sinking to a new low

When it comes to inhumanity, barbarity and willingness to commit atrocities, the Myanmar military junta knows no limits. Just take what they did in the aftermath of their executions of four anti-regime activists over the weekend. While the grieving families of the executed Ko Jimmy and Ko Zeya Thaw were still mourning their loved ones, regime-backed mobs descended on their homes in Yangon on Wednesday. They hurled stones and other projectiles at the late activists homes and denounced them, because their families told the media they were proud of their sacrifices. The family of another executed activist, Ko Aung Thura Zaw, received even harsher treatment; the regime arrested his mother and interrogated her for talking to the media. Her fate is still unknown. The family of another executed activist, Ko Hla Myo Aung, was ordered not to hold a funeral and to keep a low profile.

Further demonstrating its shamelessness, the regime on Friday bused in a group of assorted thugs, members of its proxy Union Solidarity and Development Party, and nationalists to downtown Yangon for a rally to support the executions, which have been condemned at home and abroad. Anyone familiar with the Myanmar militarys tactics will know that the demonstration is nothing more than an attempt to create a false impression among foreign observers that the hangings enjoy popular support.

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Juntas Executions Unforgivable

Myanmar Regimes Execution of Democracy Activists Condemned at Home and Abroad

Executed Myanmar Democracy Activists Mother Recalls Last Meeting
Today

Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 108F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 84F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 105F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
Moscow and Kyiv on Friday accused each other of bombing a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian-held territory, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saying more than 50 were killed and calling the attack a war crime.

Russia's defence ministry alleged that the strikes were carried out by Ukraine with US-supplied long-range missiles, in an "egregious provocation" designed to stop soldiers from surrendering.

It said that among the dead were Ukrainian forces that had laid down their arms after weeks of fighting off Russia's brutal bombardment of the sprawling Azovstal steel works in Mariupol.

But Zelensky laid the blame squarely on Russia.

"This was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war," Zelensky said in his daily address to the nation late Friday. "Over 50 are dead."

Zelensky said an agreement for the Azovstal fighters to lay down their arms, brokered by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, included guarantees for their health and safety and called on those two organizations to intervene, as guarantors.

Zelensky also urged the international community, especially the United States, to have Russia officially declared as a state sponsor of terrorism.

"A decision is needed, needed right now," he said.

- Annexation 'will not be accepted' -

In a sign of Washington's continued support of Kyiv, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov for the first time since the beginning of the war Friday, urging Moscow against annexing any more Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.

"It was very important that the Russians hear directly from us that that will not be accepted -- and not only will it not be accepted, it will result in additional significant costs being imposed upon Russia if it follows through," Blinken told reporters in Washington.

Earlier in the day, Zelensky visited a port in southern Ukraine to oversee a ship being loaded with grain for export under a UN-backed plan aimed at getting millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain stranded by Russia's naval blockade to world markets.

Ukraine's presidency released footage of Zelensky standing in front of Turkish ship Polarnet in the port of Chornomorsk on a visit to inspect grain being loaded. Ukraine's presidency said exports could start in the "coming days."

In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed to work together to limit the impact of the war during talks, the French presidency said.

Macron took the meeting with the prince despite fierce criticism from rights groups in a bid to get major crude producer Saudi Arabia to up its production.

- Tangled beds -

Following the strike on the prison, Russian state-television showed what appeared to be destroyed barracks and tangled metal beds, but no casualties could be seen.

Ukraine's military also denied carrying out the attack saying its forces "did not launch missile and artillery strikes in the area of Olenivka settlement" in the eastern region of Donetsk.

It instead blamed Russia's invading forces for "a targeted artillery shelling" on the detention facility, saying it was being used to "accuse Ukraine of committing 'war crimes', as well as to hide the torture of prisoners and executions".

Ukraine's forces in May ended a weeks-long defence of Azovstal, with around 2,500 combatants surrendering after calling a halt to their resistance.

Moscow's state media has reported that some officers -- including those from the controversial Azov regiment -- have been taken to Russia.

Kyiv meanwhile says it has captured thousands of Russian troops during the invasion and has begun putting some on trial for alleged war crimes.

A Ukrainian court on Friday reduced the life sentence handed to a Russian soldier in May for pre-meditated murder in the country's first war crimes trial, instead jailing the serviceman for 15 years.

- Mykolaiv strikes -

Russian strikes elsewhere in Ukraine killed five people and wounded seven more on Friday in the heavily bombed city of Mykolaiv near the country's southern frontline, the regional governor said.

"They shot at another area near a public transport stop," governor Vitaliy Kim said in a statement on social media.

Mykolaiv, near the Black Sea, has seen roughly half of its estimated pre-war population of nearly 500,000 people leave and the city has been shelled daily for weeks.

It is the largest Ukrainian-controlled urban hub near the frontlines in the Kherson region, where Kyiv's army has launched a counter-offensive to regain control of the economically and strategically important coastal territory.

In a separate development, S&P Global Ratings on Friday cut Ukraine's long-term debt grade by three notches, saying a recently announced plan to defer payments means a default is "a virtual certainty."

A group of Western countries last week gave their green light to Kyiv's request to postpone interest payments on its debt and called on other creditors to do so as well.

burs-jbr-acl/md/bfm
Pope Francis ended his trip to Canada Friday as he began -- by apologizing to Indigenous survivors of Catholic-run schools where for decades children were abused, after meeting with Inuit people in the Canadian Arctic.

The six-day "penitential pilgrimage" that took the pontiff from Alberta in western Canada to Quebec and then the far north allowed him to meet many of Canada's First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, who for years had been awaiting his plea for forgiveness.

While many of them welcomed the gesture by the 85-year-old, who spent much of the trip in a wheelchair due to knee pain, they also made clear that this was only a first step on a journey of reconciliation.

The pope wrapped up his journey in the capital of the vast northern territory of Nunavut, Iqaluit, which means "the place of many fish."

Residents greeted him there with traditional performances including drumming and throat singing, on a stage set up to resemble an Inuit summer home -- evoking whale ribs, sod and stone -- beneath a cool, overcast sky.

Francis met with survivors of the schools, then told a crowd of around 2,000 mainly Indigenous people that their stories "renewed in me the indignation and shame that I have felt for months."

"I want to tell you how very sorry I am and to ask for forgiveness for the evil perpetrated by not a few Catholics who contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation and enfranchisement in those schools," he said.

As he spoke, Inuit people in the crowd could be seen hugging and holding hands. Some wiped away tears. Later, a handful of people shouted "Thank you!" and "We love you!" as the pope was wheeled off the stage.

From the late 1800s to the 1990s, Canada's government sent about 150,000 children into 139 residential schools run by the Catholic Church.

Many were physically and sexually abused at the schools, and thousands are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect, in what a truth and reconciliation commission later called a "cultural genocide."

Residents in Iqaluit, a community of just over 7,000 people and where small houses line the rocky ocean shore, have listened closely to the pope's words throughout his trip.

"He did apologize, and a lot of people don't seem to be happy with it, but he took that step to come to Nunavut ... and I think that's big," lifelong Iqaluit resident Evie Kunuk, 47, told AFP.

The pope's reception in Canada has been "a little bit lukewarm," admitted Quebec resident Steve Philippe, 52, who had travelled to Iqaluit to see the pope.

"Maybe expectations were too high... but I think it's a step in the right direction," Philippe said.

After the event was over, the leader of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics was taken to the airport where Inuit people performed one last ceremony.

Francis then boarded his flight back to Rome, during which he is expected to hold a press conference.

- 'Brilliant light' -

Throughout the trip, Indigenous people have spoken of a "release of emotion" at hearing the pope's words.

But many have warned it was only the beginning.

Some have called for Francis to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, the 15th century papal bulls that allowed European powers to colonize any non-Christian lands and people.

Demands were also made for him to allow Indigenous people access to records documenting what happened in the schools, and to return Indigenous artefacts currently held in Vatican museums.

Others have pointed out that while the pope repeatedly apologized for what he said individuals in the Church did, he did not seek forgiveness for the role of the institution itself.

And many have observed that the pope did not specifically mention or apologize for the sexual abuse of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children in the schools.

Inuit leaders had been expected to ask the pope once again to intervene in the case of 93-year-old Joannes Rivoire, a fugitive French priest accused of sexually abusing Inuit children in Nunavut decades ago before fleeing to France.

Earlier this year, Canadian police issued a new arrest warrant for Rivoire, and an Inuit delegation asked Francis at the Vatican to personally intervene to see him extradited.

He did not publicly mention Rivoire or sexual abuse in Iqaluit.

During his Canadian tour, Francis vowed to promote Indigenous rights and made clear the Church was on a "journey" of healing and reconciliation.

"I am returning home greatly enriched," he said in Quebec City earlier Friday.

In Iqaluit, he spoke of the "beautiful relationship" between the Inuit and the land."

He said that "it too is strong and resilient, and responds with brilliant light to the darkness that enshrouds it for most of the year."
A US judge Friday ordered the military chief of eastern Libya, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, to compensate Libyan plaintiffs who allege he ordered the torture and extrajudicial killings of their family members.

The federal judge in the state of Virginia, where Haftar lived before returning to Libya, ruled that he had not cooperated with the court and that by "default" was ordered to pay damages to the families.

Haftar, a dual US-Libyan citizen whose name is spelled "Hifter" in American legal documents, can still appeal the decision, and future hearings will need to be held to determine the level of compensation.

Nonetheless, Friday's ruling represents a major setback for the military leader.

"Justice has prevailed. Hifter will be held responsible for his war crimes," said Faisal Gill, one of the lawyers spearheading the cases, in a statement shared with AFP.

Filed in 2019 and 2020, the civil lawsuits argue that Haftar, as head of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, authorized the indiscriminate bombings of civilians during his unsuccessful 2019 campaign to take Tripoli, resulting in the death of the plaintiff's family members.

They are suing Haftar under a 1991 US law, the Torture Victim Protection Act, which allows for civil lawsuits against anyone who, acting in an official capacity for a foreign nation, commits acts of torture and/or extrajudicial killings.

The court had paused the case ahead of Libyan elections in December 2021 -- but restarted it after the vote was once again delayed.

Haftar has also unsuccessfully attempted to dismiss the suit, claiming immunity as a head of state.

Oil-rich Libya has been mired in a bitter power struggle since the fall of dictator Moamer Kadhafi's regime in 2011, with a major division between the north African country's east and west.

Two governments are vying for power: one based in Tripoli and another supported by Haftar's army, which controls portions of the east and south.

Haftar, 78, is a Soviet-trained soldier who assisted in the 1969 coup that brought Kadhafi to power. After taking on a senior military position in Libya's war with Chad, Haftar was taken as a prisoner of war, and subsequently disavowed by Kadhafi.

He was ultimately offered political asylum in the United States, where he lived for 20 years and gained American citizenship as well as, according to the Wall Street Journal, several properties worth millions of dollars.
Pope Francis said Saturday the decades-long abuse of Indigenous schoolchildren across Canada amounted to "genocide", as he warned upon his return to Rome that he needed to slow down his travel pace -- or resign.

During his six-day "penitential pilgrimage" across Canada this week, the 85-year-old pope offered a historic apology to the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people, who have been waiting for years for such an acknowledgement from the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics.

Aboard the papal plane, he used the word "genocide" to describe the decades of maltreatment and sexual abuse against Canada's Indigenous children, who were wrenched from their families and cultures to attend state schools run by the Church.

"I didn't say the word (in Canada) because it didn't come to my mind, but I did describe the genocide. And I asked for forgiveness for this process which was genocide," he told reporters.

Although Francis's unprecedented apology was mostly welcomed across Canada, from western Alberta to Quebec and the far north, many survivors said much more needed to be done for reconciliation.

The pope, who spent much of the trip in a wheelchair due to knee pain, told reporters his international trips were numbered.

"I don't think I can go at the same pace as I used to travel," Francis said.

"I think that at my age and with this (knee) limitation, I have to save myself a little bit to be able to serve the Church. Or, alternatively, to think about the possibility of stepping aside."

It was not the first time Francis has said that -- should his health require it -- he could take a page from his predecessor Benedict XVI, who made history in 2013 by stepping down due to declining physical and mental health.

- 'Evil perpetrated' -

Francis wrapped up his journey Friday in the capital of the vast northern territory of Nunavut, Iqaluit, which means "the place of many fish".

There, he asked for forgiveness for "the evil perpetrated" by Catholics in the 139 residential schools across Canada run by the Catholic Church, where about 150,000 Indigenous children were sent from the late 1800s to the 1990s.

"I want to tell you how very sorry I am and to ask for forgiveness for the evil perpetrated by not a few Catholics who contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation," he said.

Many were physically and sexually abused at the schools, and thousands are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect, in what a truth and reconciliation commission later called a "cultural genocide".

Residents in Iqaluit, a community of just over 7,000 people and where small houses line the rocky ocean shore, have listened closely to the pope's words throughout his trip.

"He did apologise, and a lot of people don't seem to be happy with it, but he took that step to come to Nunavut... and I think that's big," lifelong Iqaluit resident Evie Kunuk, 47, told AFP.

- No surgery -

Regarding his ailing knee, Francis said surgery was not an option.

"Technicians say yes but there is the whole problem of anaesthesia... You don't play around, you don't joke with anaesthesia," he said.

"But I'm going to try to continue to take trips and be close to people, because I believe it's a way to serve, to be close."

The trip to Canada was Francis's 37th international voyage since becoming pope in 2013.

But travelling has become increasingly difficult for the pope, who has appeared fragile in recent months, and he has cancelled public appearances and even a trip to Africa that had been scheduled for earlier this month.

- 'Brilliant light' -

Throughout the trip, Indigenous people have spoken of a "release of emotion" at hearing the pope's words, while warning it was only the beginning.

Some have called for Francis to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, the 15th-century papal bulls that allowed European powers to colonise any non-Christian lands and people.

"This doctrine of colonisation, it's true, it's bad, it's unfair, and even today it's used," he told reporters on Saturday, adding that "there has always been a danger, a mentality of 'we are superior and these indigenous people don't matter', and that is serious".

He said it was necessary to "go back and clean up everything that was done wrong, but with the awareness that today there is the same colonialism", he said, citing the case of the Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Demands were also made in Canada for access to records documenting what happened in the schools, and for the Vatican museums to return Indigenous artefacts.

Many have observed that the pope did not specifically mention or apologise for the sexual abuse committed at the schools.

Inuit leaders had been expected to again ask the pope to intervene in the case of 93-year-old Joannes Rivoire, a fugitive French priest accused of sexually abusing Inuit children in Nunavut decades ago.

Earlier this year, Canadian police issued a new arrest warrant for Rivoire, and an Inuit delegation asked Francis to personally intervene to see him extradited.

Francis did not publicly mention Rivoire.

In Iqaluit, he spoke of the "beautiful relationship" between the Inuit and the land.

He said that "it too is strong and resilient, and responds with brilliant light to the darkness that enshrouds it for most of the year."
Russian energy giant Gazprom Saturday suspended gas supplies to Latvia, a day after a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners of war was bombed leaving scores dead.

"Today, Gazprom suspended its gas supplies to Latvia... due to violations of the conditions" of purchase, the company said on Telegram.

Gazprom drastically cut gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline on Wednesday to about 20 percent of its capacity. It had reduced gas flows to Europe twice in June.

The Russian state-run company had earlier announced it would choke supply to 33 million cubic metres a day -- half the amount it has been delivering since service resumed last week after 10 days of maintenance work.

European Union states have accused Russia of squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscow's intervention in Ukraine.

Gazprom cited the halted operation of one of the last two operating turbines for the pipeline due to the "technical condition of the engine".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has blamed EU sanctions for the limited supply.

The European Union this week agreed a plan to reduce gas consumption in solidarity with Germany, where the Nord Stream pipeline runs to, warning of Russian "blackmail".

The company Conexus Baltic Grid confirmed to Latvian news agency LETA that Gazprom had informed it of the suspension of deliveries, but said other suppliers were continuing them.

"Latvia was not counting on natural gas flows from Russia," Economy Minister Ilze Indriksone told LETA.

- 'Egregious provocation' -

Russian strikes continued to rain down on Ukrainian towns and cities on Saturday, a day after Russia's defence ministry accused Kyiv of striking a prison in Russian-held territory with US-supplied long-range missiles, in an "egregious provocation" designed to stop captured soldiers from surrendering.

It said Saturday that the dead included Ukrainian forces who had surrendered after weeks of fighting off Russia's brutal bombardment of the sprawling Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol.

The defence ministry said 50 Ukrainian prisoners were killed and 73 were taken to hospital with serious injuries, adding: "All political, legal and moral responsibility for this bloody massacre of Ukrainians lies with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky personally, his criminal regime and Washington which backs them."

Zelensky laid the blame squarely on Russia.

"This was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war," he said. "Over 50 are dead."

Zelensky said an agreement for the Azovstal fighters to lay down their arms, brokered by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, included guarantees for their health and safety and called on those two organisations to intervene as guarantors.

Zelensky also urged the international community, especially the United States, to have Russia officially declared as a "state sponsor of terrorism".

Members of the Azov regiment were among those who surrendered from Azovstal.

Azov regiment commander Mykyta Nadtochiy said he considered the attack on the jail in Kremlin-controlled Olenivka to have been "an act of public execution".

The mayor of the southern city of Mykolaiv, Oleksandr Sienkevych, said one person died and six were injured following Russian shelling in two residential districts overnight Saturday.

The death toll from a strike on a Mykolaiv bus stop on Friday climbed to seven after two men died in hospital, he added.

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, three Russian S-300 missiles struck a school, mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram, adding that the main building was destroyed.

A Ukrainian spokesman said resistance forces had set fire to grain fields around Mariupol.

"The Mariupol resistance forces set fire to the fields with grain so that it would not be stolen by the occupiers," Sergiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa regional military administration said.

"The fire can probably spread to the Russian military base... There are Russian fortifications, ammunition warehouses and minefields disposed close to the area of fire."

- Grain exports to restart -

Zelensky on Friday visited a port in southern Ukraine to oversee a ship being loaded with grain for export under a UN-backed plan aimed at getting millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain stranded by Russia's naval blockade to world markets.

Ukraine's presidency said exports could start in the "coming days".

In a separate development, S&P Global Ratings on Friday cut Ukraine's long-term debt grade by three notches, saying a recently announced plan to defer payments means a default is "a virtual certainty".

A group of Western countries last week gave their green light to Kyiv's request to postpone interest payments on its debt and called on other creditors to do so as well.

bur/ah/har

GAZPROM
Pope Francis said Saturday the decades-long abuse of Indigenous schoolchildren across Canada amounted to "genocide" as he returned from a six-day trip with an acknowledgement that he needed to slow down his pace of travel -- or could even resign.

During his "penitential pilgrimage" across Canada this week, the 85-year-old pope offered a historic apology to the First Nations, Metis and Inuit people for what he called the "evil" committed at Catholic-run residential schools.

Speaking to reporters on his return home, the head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics used the word "genocide" to describe the treatment of children wrenched from their families and cultures to attend the state schools.

While he told reporters the word "didn't come to my mind" while in Canada, "I did describe the genocide. And I asked for forgiveness for this process which was genocide".

"Taking away children, changing the culture, changing the mentality, changing the traditions, changing a race, let's put it that way, a whole culture," he said.

Although Francis's unprecedented apology was mostly welcomed across Canada, from western Alberta to Quebec and the far north, many survivors said much more needed to be done for reconciliation.

- Stepping aside -

Canada was the pope's 37th international trip since he was elected in 2013, but he admitted he would have to slow down his pace due to knee problems that saw him spent much of the visit in a wheelchair.

"I think that at my age and with this limitation, I have to save myself a little bit to be able to serve the Church. Or, alternatively, to think about the possibility of stepping aside," the pope said.

It was not the first time Francis has said that, if required, he could follow his predecessor Benedict XVI, who made history in 2013 by resigning due to his own declining health.

"The door is open, it's one of the normal options, but up until now I haven't knocked on this door," he said Saturday.

"But that doesn't mean the day after tomorrow I don't start thinking, right? But right now I honestly don't."

His comments will fuel already intense speculation about the pope's future, after he cancelled a string of events in recent months, including a long-planned trip to South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ruling out surgery due to the risks of anaesthesia at his age, the pope -- who underwent colon surgery last year -- said he still planned to travel to Kazakhstan in September, and still had hopes of a trip one day to war-torn Ukraine.

- 'Evil perpetrated' -

He had wrapped up his Canadian journey Friday in the capital of the vast northern territory of Nunavut, Iqaluit, again asking forgiveness for abuse committed at the 139 residential schools run by the Catholic Church.

About 150,000 Indigenous children were sent there from the late 1800s to the 1990s.

"I want to tell you how very sorry I am and to ask for forgiveness for the evil perpetrated by not a few Catholics who contributed to the policies of cultural assimilation," he said.

Many children were physically and sexually abused at the schools, and thousands are believed to have died of disease, malnutrition or neglect, in what a truth and reconciliation commission later called a "cultural genocide".

Residents in Iqaluit, a community of just over 7,000 people and where small houses line the rocky ocean shore, have listened closely to the pope's words throughout his trip.

"He did apologise, and a lot of people don't seem to be happy with it, but he took that step to come to Nunavut... and I think that's big," lifelong Iqaluit resident Evie Kunuk, 47, told AFP.

- 'Brilliant light' -

Throughout the trip, Indigenous people have spoken of a "release of emotion" at hearing the pope's words, while warning it was only the beginning.

Many have observed that he did not specifically mention or apologise for the sexual abuse committed at the schools, despite the scandal over such abuse of children by Catholic clergy the world over.

Some called for Francis to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, the 15th-century papal bulls that allowed European powers to colonise any non-Christian lands and people.

"This doctrine of colonisation, it's true, it's bad, it's unfair," he said Saturday, adding that "there has always been a danger, a mentality of 'we are superior and these indigenous people don't matter', and that is serious".

He said it was necessary to "go back and clean up everything that was done wrong, but with the awareness that today there is the same colonialism", he said, citing the case of the Rohingyas in Myanmar.

Demands were also made in Canada for access to records documenting what happened in the schools, and for the Vatican museums to return Indigenous artefacts.
Iran said on Saturday it had arrested a Swedish national on allegations of espionage, while Sweden's foreign ministry said the case related to an arrest previously revealed in May.

The announcement comes amid diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Stockholm, after a Swedish court sentenced a former Iranian prison official to life for war crimes during mass executions in the Islamic republic in 1988.

Iran's intelligence ministry said it had "identified and arrested a national of the Kingdom of Sweden suspected of espionage", without providing details on the suspect's identity nor the date of their detention.

"In all the previous trips, the suspect... communicated with a number of European and non-European suspects who were under surveillance in Iran," the Iranian statement read.

In early May, the Swedish foreign ministry said a Swede in his 30s had been arrested in Iran.

The ministry confirmed to AFP that Saturday's announcement referred to the same case, adding: "This is a previously known case that the foreign ministry is already working on."

The Iranian statement said that "the suspect in question re-entered the country a few months ago after the arrest of another European spy" to collect information, adding the suspect had been taken into custody while leaving Iran.

The intelligence ministry said the suspect had visited Israel, the Islamic republic's arch-enemy, before going to Iran.

It also alleged Sweden had "supported several proxy spies" for Israel, including Ahmadreza Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic who has been sentenced to death in the Islamic republic.

Djalali's sentence was issued in 2017 after he was convicted of passing information about two Iranian nuclear scientists to Israel's Mossad spy agency that led to their assassinations.

He was granted Swedish citizenship the following year.

His case was followed by the trial in Stockholm of Hamid Noury, a former official in Iran's judiciary accused of war crimes over the killing of prisoners in Iran during the 1980s.

Noury received a life sentence from a Swedish court on July 14. Iran dismissed the verdict as "political" and has called for his release.

Relations between to the two countries have been strained over the case, with Tehran recalling its ambassador to Sweden for consultations a week later.
Ukrainian officials on Saturday denounced a call by Russia's embassy in Britain for fighters from the Azov regiment to face a "humiliating" execution.

The Russian tweet came as Moscow and Kyiv traded blame over a strike on a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russian-controlled territory that killed around 50 people, reportedly including members of the Azov regiment.

"Azov militants deserve execution, but death not by firing squad but by hanging, because they're not real soldiers. They deserve a humiliating death," Moscow's diplomatic mission wrote in an overnight Tweet.

The post -- which Twitter said violated its rules on "hateful conduct" -- was accompanied by a video purportedly showing a couple in Russian-held Mariupol claiming they had been shelled by Ukrainian forces at the Azovstal metal plant during the fierce battle for the city.

"Russia is a terrorist state. In the 21st century, only savages and terrorists can talk at the diplomatic level about the fact that people deserve to be executed by hanging. Russia is a state sponsor of terrorism," Andriy Yermak, head of the office of the Ukrainian presidency, wrote on Telegram.

"What more evidence is needed?"

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of carrying out the deadly bombardment of the jail holding captured servicemen in Kremlin-controlled Olenivka.

Moscow said Ukraine targeted the facility in a bid to dissuade its troops from surrendering, while Kyiv accused Russia of carrying out a "war crime" by striking the prison.

Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko tweeted "there is no difference between Russian diplomats calling for execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Russian troops doing it in Olenivka. They are all accomplices in these war crimes and must be held accountable."

Ukrainian forces, including members of Azov, in May ended a weeks-long siege of the vast Azovstal plant in Mariupol by agreeing to surrender.

Around 2,500 combatants were taken captive by Moscow's forces after calling a halt to their resistance.

Azov regiment commander Mykyta Nadtochiy said in a video address: "We consider the attack on Olenivka an act of public execution committed by Russia with complete impunity."

Those responsible for this act will be "found wherever they are" and Ukraine as a state "will ensure that they are punished justly," he added.

The Azov regiment is a former volunteer battalion that has drawn controversy for its links to far-right figures.

The group was formally incorporated into Ukraine's National Guard in 2014 as it helped fight Kremlin-backed separatists in east Ukraine.

Azov fighters are a hate figure for Russia's tightly-controlled state media and officials, who demonise them as "neo-nazis".

The Kremlin claims it launched its invasion of its pro-Western neighbour in February in part due to the need to "denazify" the country.

Kyiv and its Western allies have roundly rejected the claim and say it was used as a pretext to fuel support inside Russia for the assault on Ukraine.
Russian energy giant Gazprom on Saturday suspended gas supplies to Latvia, as Ukraine announced it had asked the Red Cross and UN to gain access to its soldiers being held by Russian forces.

The call came a day after a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners of war in Kremlin-controlled Olenivka was bombed leaving scores dead.

Ukrainian human rights official Dmytro Lubinetsk said on national television he had asked the Red Cross and the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission to go to Olenivka.

The ICRC has made a request but has not yet obtained authorisation from the Russians, he said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday the agreement for the Azovstal fighters to surrender, brokered by the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, included safety guarantees.

He called on the two organisations to intervene as guarantors.

Conexus Baltic Grid meanwhile confirmed to Latvia's LETA news agency that Gazprom had informed it of the suspension of deliveries, but said other suppliers were continuing them.

"Today, Gazprom suspended its gas supplies to Latvia... due to violations of the conditions" of purchase, the company said on Telegram.

"Latvia was not counting on natural gas flows from Russia," Economy Minister Ilze Indriksone told LETA.

Gazprom drastically cut gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline on Wednesday to about 20 percent of its capacity. It had reduced gas flows to Europe twice in June.

The Russian state-run company had earlier announced it would choke supply to 33 million cubic metres a day -- half the amount it has been delivering since service resumed last week after 10 days of maintenance work.

European Union states have accused Russia of squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over Moscow's intervention in Ukraine.

Gazprom cited the halted operation of one of the last two operating turbines for the pipeline due to the "technical condition of the engine".

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has blamed EU sanctions for the limited supply.

The European Union this week agreed a plan to reduce gas consumption in solidarity with Germany, where the Nord Stream pipeline runs to, warning of Russian "blackmail".

- 'Egregious provocation' -

Russian strikes continued to rain down on Ukrainian towns and cities on Saturday.

They came a day after Russia's defence ministry accused Kyiv of striking a prison in Russian-held territory with US-supplied long-range missiles, in an "egregious provocation" designed to stop captured soldiers from surrendering.

It said Saturday that the dead included Ukrainian forces who had surrendered after weeks of fighting off Russia's brutal bombardment of the sprawling Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol.

The defence ministry said 50 Ukrainian prisoners were killed and 73 were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

"All political, legal and moral responsibility for this bloody massacre of Ukrainians lies with Zelensky personally, his criminal regime and Washington which backs them," it said.

Zelensky laid the blame squarely on Russia.

"This was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war," he said. "Over 50 are dead."

Zelensky also urged the international community, especially the United States, to have Russia officially declared a "state sponsor of terrorism".

Members of the Azov regiment were among those who surrendered at Azovstal.

Azov regiment commander Mykyta Nadtochiy said he considered the attack on the jail in Kremlin-controlled Olenivka to have been "an act of public execution".

Ukrainian authorities said Russian bombardments targeting the south and east of the country had left one dead in southern Mykolaiv and one dead in eastern Bakhmut.

The death toll from a strike on a Mykolaiv bus stop on Friday climbed to seven after two men died in hospital, he added.

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, three Russian S-300 missiles struck a school, mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram, adding that the main building was destroyed.

A Ukrainian spokesman said his country's forces had set fire to grain fields around Mariupol.

"The Mariupol resistance forces set fire to the fields with grain so that it would not be stolen by the occupiers," Sergiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa regional military administration said.

"The fire can probably spread to the Russian military base... There are Russian fortifications, ammunition warehouses and minefields disposed close to the area of the fire."

- Grain exports to restart -

Zelensky on Friday visited a port in southern Ukraine to oversee a ship being loaded with grain for export under a UN-backed plan aimed at getting millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain stranded by Russia's naval blockade to world markets.

Ukraine's presidency said exports could start in the "coming days".

In a separate development, S&P Global Ratings on Friday cut Ukraine's long-term debt grade by three notches, saying a recently announced plan to defer payments means a default is "a virtual certainty".

A group of Western countries last week gave their green light to Kyiv's request to postpone interest payments on its debt and called on other creditors to do the same.

bur/ah/har/gw

GAZPROM
A hundred French parliamentarians, mainly from the political left, on Saturday denounced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "policy of war" against Kurds in northern Syria.

While the rest of the world is focussed on Ukraine, as Russia's war crimes multiply there, Erdogan is "planning to launch an umpteenth bloody offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria," the parliamentarians said in a statement published by the JDD title.

The Turkish president "is taking advantage" of Turkey's pivotal status, as a NATO member on good terms with both Moscow and Kyiv, "to obtain a blank cheque from the Atlantic Alliance in order to intensify his attacks in northern Syria", according to the statement initiated by Communist senator Laurence Cohen.

"Western countries must no longer look the other way", said the elected representatives, parliamentary deputies and upper house senators mostly from leftist and ecologist parties.

They were joined by some from the rightwing Republicans (LR) and President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party.

They called on the West "to guarantee the protection of Kurdish activists and associations present on European soil".

The signatories urged France to refer the matter to the UN Security Council "to declare a no-fly zone in northern Syria and place the Syrian Kurds under international protection".

They also called for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to "be granted international recognition".

Erdogan is threatening to launch a new military offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria, where he wants to establish a buffer zone 30 kilometres (20 miles) deep.

Turkey has launched a string of offensives in Syria in the past six years, most recently in 2019 when it conducted a broad air and ground assault against Kurdish militias after former US president Donald Trump withdrew American troops.

Erdogan has urged Russia and Iran to back his efforts, saying at a three-way summit last week that "we will continue our fight against terrorist organisations".
Ukraine's president urged civilians on Saturday to evacuate the frontline Donetsk region, the scene of fierce clashes with the Russian military, as Kyiv called on the Red Cross and UN to gain access to its soldiers being held by Moscow's forces.

The eastern Donetsk region has faced the brunt of Russia's offensive since its assault on Kyiv failed weeks into the invasion launched on February 24.

President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his daily address that thousands of people, including children, were still in the region's battleground areas, with six civilians killed and 15 wounded on Friday, according to the Donetsk governor.

"There's already a governmental decision about obligatory evacuation from Donetsk," Zelensky said, underscoring authorities' calls to leave the besieged region in recent weeks.

"Leave, we will help," Zelensky said. "At this stage of the war, terror is the main weapon of Russia."

Official Ukrainian estimates put the number of civilians still living in the unoccupied area of Donetsk at between 200,000 and 220,000.

A mandatory evacuation notice posted Saturday evening said the coming winter made it a matter of urgency, particularly for the more than 50,000 children still in the region.

"They need to be evacuated, you cannot put them in mortal danger in the winter without heating, light, without the ability to keep them warm," Kyiv's Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories said in a statement.

Zelensky, in his address, also once more pressed the international community, especially the United States, to have Russia officially declared a "state sponsor of terrorism".

The call came a day after a jail holding Ukrainian prisoners of war in Kremlin-controlled Olenivka was bombed, leaving scores dead, with Kyiv and Moscow trading blame.

On Saturday, Ukrainian human rights official Dmytro Lubinets said on national television he had asked the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission to go to Olenivka.

The ICRC has made a request but not yet obtained authorisation from the Russians, he said.

- 'Egregious provocation' -

Russia's defence ministry accused Kyiv of striking the Olenivka prison with US-supplied long-range missiles in an "egregious provocation" designed to stop soldiers from surrendering.

It said Saturday that the dead included Ukrainian forces who had surrendered after weeks of fighting off Russia's brutal bombardment of the sprawling Azovstal steelworks in the port city of Mariupol.

The defence ministry said 50 Ukrainian prisoners were killed and 73 were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

"All political, legal and moral responsibility for this bloody massacre of Ukrainians lies with Zelensky personally, his criminal regime and Washington, which backs them," it said.

Zelensky laid the blame squarely on Russia.

"This was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war," he said.

Members of the Azov regiment were among those who surrendered at Azovstal.

Azov regiment commander Mykyta Nadtochiy said he considered the attack on the jail to have been "an act of public execution".

- Gazprom cuts off Latvia -

Also on Saturday, Russian energy giant Gazprom suspended gas supplies to Latvia in the latest tightening of gas provision to European Union states, which have accused Russia of squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions imposed over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Conexus Baltic Grid confirmed to Latvia's LETA news agency that Gazprom had informed it of the suspension of deliveries, but said other suppliers were continuing them.

"Today, Gazprom suspended its gas supplies to Latvia... due to violations of the conditions" of purchase, the company said on Telegram.

Latvia's Economy Minister Ilze Indriksone told LETA that his country "was not counting on natural gas flows from Russia."

Gazprom drastically cut gas deliveries to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline on Wednesday to about 20 percent of its capacity. It had reduced gas flows to Europe twice in June.

The Russian state-run company had earlier announced it would choke supply to 33 million cubic metres a day -- half the amount it has been delivering since service resumed last week after 10 days of maintenance work.

- Grain fields set alight -

Russian strikes continued to rain down on Ukrainian towns and cities on Saturday.

Ukrainian authorities said Russian bombardments targeting the south and east of the country had left one dead in southern Mykolaiv and one dead in eastern Bakhmut.

The death toll from a strike on a Mykolaiv bus stop on Friday climbed to seven after two men died in hospital.

Early Sunday morning, Mykolaiv was again hit with "massive shelling", according to its mayor.

"Probably the strongest of all time," Oleksandr Sienkevych said in a Telegram post. "Powerful explosions were heard after 1 (am) at night and around 5 in the morning. A number of objects were destroyed, residential buildings were damaged. A number of fires broke out at the struck sites."

In the eastern city of Kharkiv, three Russian S-300 missiles struck a school, mayor Igor Terekhov said on Telegram on Saturday, adding that the main building was destroyed.

A Ukrainian spokesman said his country's forces had set fire to grain fields around Mariupol so they could not be used by the Russians.

"The Mariupol resistance forces set fire to the fields with grain so that it would not be stolen by the occupiers," Sergiy Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa regional military administration said.

bur/ah/har/gw/sw/cwl/mtp/smw

GAZPROM
Park Chang Ho (Lee Jong Suk) needs to win the trial to pay for their debt but unfortunately loses. However, he received an unexpected call that turned him into a double agent in "Big Mouth" episode 1. Keep on reading for the rundown of the first episode of "Big Mouth."

'Big Mouth' Episode 1: Go Mi Ho & Park Chang Ho Struggle With Their Marriage Life

Lawyer Park Chang Ho's goal in life is to be the best and most successful in his job. He wants nothing but the best for his family. While daydreaming, Go Mi Ho and her father, Mr. Go, entered the luxurious room he reserved to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

While enjoying the meal, he received a call that made him head to Gucheon Hospital. Unfortunately, without him knowing, he is drugged and gets into a major accident while on his way to meet an important person.

Seven days before the accident happened, viewers saw a glimpse of the simple yet adorable marriage life of Chang Ho and Go Mi Ho (YoonA). He attends the trial of the case where he got scammed. Only he knew that the judge was bribed, which made him lose. His clients were angry, and so was his wife, Mi Ho, for losing the case. She even asked him for a divorce.

Choi Do Ha Partners With Park Chang Ho

Unexpectedly that night, Chang Ho received a call from Choi Do Ha (Kim Joo Hun), mayor of Gucheon. He asked to meet him on the same night because he wanted to hire Park Chang Ho to handle a big case involving his colleagues.

From the city, Chang Ho drove to a secluded place in the middle of nowhere, and then he met Choi Do Ha. The mayor asked him if he was familiar with Gucheon University Hospital murder then their negotiation began. The male lawyer found the case interesting, but the conditions for working on it seem risky.

Mayor Choi Do Ha is not aiming to help the accused but wants Mr. Park to help him find the dashcam footage to know the real murderer. To prove that he is genuine about the case, he offers Chang Ho a big amount of money.

Then the next day, the male lawyer starts working on the case and his secret mission. He becomes a double agent. His first task was to visit the accused in prison, namely Jung Chae Bong (Kim Jung Hyun), Lee Du Geun (Oh Ryoong), and Han Jae Ho (Lee Yoo Joon).

While amused with the fact that these three accused are getting special treatment inside the prison, Park Chang Ho played well so that the three elites don't question him about his inner motives and just think of him as a no-good lawyer.

Being smart, Park Chang Ho plants a secret recorder in his coffee cup and overhears the three talking about the dash cam given to Jae Ho's wife. He immediately reported it to Mayor Do Ha.

Park Chang Ho Becomes a Double Agent

When Chang Ho and Do Ha visited Jae Ho's wife, Jang Hye Jin (Hong Ji Hee), she was attacked by an unknown assailant. However, they found out that apart from the three elites, there was still an accomplice to the murder case: Gong Ji Hoon (Yang Kyung Won).

The male lawyer followed Hye Jin and got the video from her. She warned her to be careful with the case, for it might turn his life into misery. Chang Ho then has the video and finds out that the three elites, particularly Chae Bong, accidentally kill Seo Jae Young in their car.

Without thinking of the bigger picture, Chang Ho secretly went to Ji Hoon and tried to swindle him with the dash cam as evidence that could be used against him. Because of this, Mr. Park was put into a dangerous situation.

Have you watched "Big Mouth" episode 1? How's the story so far? Tell us in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
The 2022 Kenosha Homecoming Car Show drew thousands of car enthusiasts from across the nation to Kennedy Park on Saturday.

The worlds largest AMC/ Nash vehicle show, hosted by the Kenosha History Center, served as a huge weekend showcase for the weeks Homecoming events, which returned this summer after five years.

Drivers from across North American displayed their vehicles in the park, 4051 Fifth Ave., and swapped materials and tips. Those in attendance indicate they were happy to be back at the event.

Theres a nice crowd here and theres a lot of people representing other states here. It shows that Kenosha in its day of industrial production touched many, many lives throughout the United States, former Kenosha alderman Patrick Juliana said while attending with his family.

Juliana, who worked for AMC in the late 1970s and early 1980s, said the event brings back a lot of good memories.

We had a lot of great people who worked there, he said. As a matter of fact, I feel that the City of Kenosha had the best workforce of all the automotive industries put together. We had very, very high-quality products with a lot of good people working here.

Mike Spangler, one of the event organizers, said its wonderful being back.

Spangler, of Jefferson, said Saturday felt like a family reunion.

I come down here a lot and we had a lot of planning meetings over the last couple of years to get this going, he said. You dont see this anywhere else in the country. The next biggest AMC show is probably 200 or 300 cars. We have well over 1,000 cars.

Spangler said AMC has a special place in many Kenoshans hearts because most everybody knows somebody who worked for them if they didnt work for them themselves.

Spangler owns 17 AMC vehicles and brought an orange Gremlin to the event.

Tracy McCarthy brought her prize-winning pink 1959 Nash Metropolitan.

Weve had it about four-and-a-half years, and it was restored about 15 to 18 years ago. The previous owner had it for about nine years. The previous owner took great care of it, she said.

McCarthy said whenever she drives the car people honk and wave.

You cannot drive this car and be in a bad mood, she added. Sometimes I just take it to the grocery store. If I have a bad day at work and I need a pick-me-up, I drive this car.

Greg Voss, of New London, brought a bronze 1981 Scrambler to the event.

Its the cleanest Scrambler in the state of Wisconsin, I can tell you that, he said. He put about $15,000 into the vehicle he purchased for just a few thousand dollars.

This was also his first time in Kenosha.

Theres a lot of cars here, he said. This is the biggest AMC show around, guaranteed.
76 Shares Share

That health care in the United States is wildly expensive is beyond debate  but the actual numbers are almost beyond belief. In 2010, for example, health care costs amounted to $2.6-trillion. By 2020, those costs had risen to $4 trillion  an increase of more than 50%. Worse, such increases show no signs of slowing.

Health insurance premiums, out-of-pocket expenses, and direct government expenses all add up to a nearly $12,000 per person cost-per-year  every year  to keep us healthy. That is 77% more than Germany, the worlds third highest spender. (Switzerland is second, slightly higher than Germany, but the latter is a better comparison.)

The economic and psychological burden on families is significant and often tragic. The cost to companies makes them less competitive and their goods and services more expensive for all of us. And the impact on state and federal budgets is becoming catastrophic.

Political rhetoric often hinders understanding why medical care costs so much more here than in other advanced countries (which, notably, have better health outcomes). Cries of Medicare for all means socialized medicine compete with pharma companies put profits over people. Thus, any chance to dig into the real drivers of costs is often obscured. But if we are to have any success at all in controlling health care costs, we would be wise to limit the cant.

Health care costs more in the U.S. because we pay doctors far more than any other country. The average doctor in the U.S. earns $316,000 annually, 73% more than in Germany, where it is $183,000. And part of the reason doctors command more here is that there are far fewer physicians per capita in the U.S. than in Germany: 2.6 per thousand population in the U.S. versus 4.3 in Germany.

Another difference is the cost of prescription drugs. In Germany, individuals and their insurance companies pay approximately $825 per year on meds, while Americans pay 37% more for the same drugs: $1,127. (Compared to insurance companies, the portion individuals pay is more than twice as high in America.)

Perhaps the most significant contributor to health care costs in America is administrative overhead. It is estimated that administrative costs account for about to one-third of the total health care expenditures in the U.S., but only about 17% In Canada, 4.8% in Germany, and an astounding 1.6% in Japan.

It is tempting to say that such staggering sums spent on bureaucracy add little value to actual health care. But there is more to it than that. Many of those administrative costs harm patients and, sometimes, kill them.

Two-thirds of Americans are covered by private health insurance. And virtually all of them are subject to a bureaucratic ordeal known as prior authorization. That means that after a doctor prescribes a particular test, procedure or medication, the insurance company reviews it and decides not just whether the plan covers it, but more significantly, whether in its judgment, it is medically necessary.

Ostensibly, insurance companies use prior authorizations to fight waste and abuse. And that could be a legitimate reason, as fraud by dishonest providers is real. The insurance industry estimates that between 3% and 10% of health care expenditures are fraudulent. Even at the low end, that adds up to real money. Similarly, doctors admit that they order tests largely as defensive measures against malpractice suits.

Securing prior authorizations is a daily ordeal for most doctors offices. Doctors report that, on average, they must get insurance company approvals 41 times every week. Of the authorization requests that are denied, fully 73% ultimately get reversed and approved, but the delays cause many patients to abandon treatment.

More significantly, many contested prior authorization requests cause serious harm  even when they are ultimately approved. In surveys done by the American Medical Association, 24% of doctors report that delays in prior authorization have led to serious adverse events for their patients. And 16% report that such delays have led to hospitalization.

Jennifer and her family learned that the hard way. Jennifer, a 47-year-old teacher, had pain in her leg and consulted her doctor, who examined her and took an X-ray. Seeing nothing of concern in the films, he prescribed pain killers and six weeks of physical therapy, which Jennifer completed. When she went for a follow-up and complained that the pain was worse, the doctor took a second X-ray, still saw nothing, and ordered an MRI. But when the orthopedist sought the insurance companys prior authorization for this basic diagnostic test, the insurer said it wasnt medically necessary and that Jennifer first had to complete six weeks of PT.

The doctor immediately pointed out that Jennifer had finished the PT, and the insurance company had also paid for it. Nevertheless, the insurer said no to the MRI and told the doctor he could appeal. He did, and the insurer finally reversed its earlier denial after 38 days.

The MRI showed that Jennifer had a fast-growing sarcoma in her hip. She immediately saw doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering who told her, If you had come to us a month sooner, we would have treated you with just chemotherapy. Well still use chemo, but first we must amputate your leg, hip, and pelvis.

Jennifer died two years later. Her family sued the insurance company, alleging that their prior authorization negligently caused a critical delay in diagnosis and treatment. A federal judge dismissed the case and said while tragic, there was no law holding insurance companies accountable when they allegedly commit medical malpractice. That was up to the New York State legislature to remedy.

Jennifers husband is appealing the ruling and has argued that case law and the public interest  if not statute  make his wifes insurance company accountable. Whether the Second Circuit Court of Appeals agrees, it wont be decided for months. But the larger issue of whether prior authorizations really root out waste and abuse or merely bolster an insurers bottom line bears closer scrutiny. It shouldnt be dependent on a triple amputation.

Steve Cohen is an attorney.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Cillian Murphy has been pictured for the first time playing J Robert Oppenheimer, the man credited with the creation of the atomic bomb.

The Peaky Blinders star, 46, takes on the role for Christopher Nolans forthcoming film about the Manhattan Project, Americas Second World War plan to be the first to develop nuclear weapons.

A one-minute teaser shows Murphy standing in front of a window looking out across the desert as a timer counts down to the moment the world changes forever.

Murphy is also seen walking down a corridor flanked by other physicists, his face covered in shadow cast by his hat.

As flames erupt across the screen, a voice says: You gave them the power to destroy themselves and made him the most important man that has ever lived.

Theoretical physicist Oppenheimer lived between 1904 and 1967 and is known as the father of the atomic bomb.

Emily Blunt will star as Oppenheimers wife Katherine, while Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr are also reportedly appearing.

The film is based on the 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning book American Prometheus: The Triumph And Tragedy Of J Robert Oppenheimer, by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin.

Murphy is a favourite collaborator of Nolan, 51, with the pair previously working together on the Dark Knight trilogy, Inception and Dunkirk.

As well as directing Oppenheimer, Nolan wrote the films script.

Oppenheimer is set for release on July 21 2023.
A Kilkenny man who recently trekked to the base camp of K2 has described it as the adventure of a lifetime.

Rob Boyd from the Castlecomer Road in Kilkenny City recently returned from the once in a lifetime trip. Prior to the expedition the furthest Rob had hiked was to the top of Mount Brandon in South Kilkenny.

Rob was one of a group of five Kilkenny people who took part in the epic adventure along with Brendan, Eileen and Michael Fitzgerald from Urlingford and John Mulhall from Muckalee. The group are aged between 22 and 34 and three of them had previously trekked to the base camp of Mount Everest.

My friend Brendan came to me in December and told me about the idea. Eileen was the main planner of the trip and when I found out I said that I would probably never get the opportunity again so I decided to go for it, said the 22-year civil engineering student.

Although Rob has no trekking experience he is fit and plays rubgy and is planning on going back playing hurling.

The group arrived in Islamabad in Pakistan in early June and made their way to the city of Skardu.

You cant organise anything in Pakistan because of the weather, said Rob explaining that what should have been a 45-minute flight turned out to be a 26-hour drive over a highway.

If the visibility is low they cant fly so we had to take the highway. It is not a highway as we know them, it is for the first quarter of the journey and then it turns into basically a dirt road, it is very remote.

It was a bit nerve-wracking the drive from Skardu to Askole, which is the nearest village to where the trek to the base camp of K2 begins.

The trek to the base camp is one of the most remote and beautiful in the world and is mostly over the Baltoro glacier, which is one of the largest glaciers in the world outside of the polar region.

The trek up to the base camp took us 13 days and we camping along the way. Porters and mules carried our bags and camping equipment. It was absolutely amazing but it was tough going on the glacier at times as it is always changing and you are constantly going up and down hills, he added.

There were 19 in total in the group, from all different nationalities and the Kilkenny contingent were at the front of the pack.

 Four of the five of us were taking Diamox, a medication that helps reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. It helps you to get more oxygen into your body and allows you to get rid of carbon dioxide and to breathe deeper. The rest of them werent taking it and I think it made a difference.

Rob said that the whole experience was absolutely brilliant adding that having to digitally detox had its benefits.

There was no service on the phone and it really resets you. Normally you can waste hours in the evening on the phone but over there we had dinner, played cards and went to bed at 8pm, he added.

I would definitely do another trek, it was a deadly experience and I had great craic and I met some brilliant people. The hardest part was getting off the mountain because of the fine weather. There was a river and some of the flooding washed away the roads so we were not able to cross.

One night we had to stay in an abandoned polio hospital and there was talk of evacuation from the mountain. The people of were so friendly and helpful and even though they dont have much they were bringing us bottles of Coke and bombay mix. In the end we managed to get down by going over makeshift bridges and a suspension bridge, some of which was washed down and we had to use it as a ladder, he said adding that the group were delighted to make it to the other side and to safety.
Irelands president has been urged to make a statement on the war in the Ukraine after his wife penned a controversial letter on the conflict.

Michael D Higgins has faced calls to state support for the Ukrainian cause and voice opposition to Russian aggression.

It comes after Sabina Higgins wrote a letter to the Irish Times during the week about the war.

Mrs Higgins letter, the purpose of which was to criticise a previous editorial on the conflict, said the fighting would go on until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations.

Critics of the letter have suggested Mrs Higgins was drawing an equivalence in the actions of Ukraine and Russia.

Senators from parties in Irelands coalition government have voiced concern.

Fianna Fail senator Malcolm Byrne said the letter was subsequently published on the President of Irelands official website  a move he described as appalling.

The letter appears to have been since removed from the website..

Mrs Higgins is entitled to her personal opinion and to express it, although I believe that she is totally wrong to try to see an equivalence in the positions of Ukraine and Russia, said Mr Byrne.

However, the decision to publish the letter on the Presidents website raises serious questions.

It is incumbent on the President of Ireland to now express clearly the strong support of the people of Ireland for the people of Ukraine and that we hold Russia responsible for the war and ongoing barbarism.

Ireland should rightly be proud of our response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Ireland strongly supports the people of #Ukraine . We must continue to call out Russian aggression. While Sabina Higgins is entitled to her personal view, as expressed to @IrishTimes , I completely disagree with it. To publish it on @PresidentIRL website is appalling. https://t.co/PxLpfwfC8G  Malcolm Byrne    (@malcolmbyrne) July 29, 2022

Fine Gael senator John McGahon heavily criticised the letter.

Sabina Higginss letter was inappropriate, unhelpful and distasteful, he tweeted.

Her views are entirely out of touch with those of the Irish people and interventions like this are seen as a tacit endorsement of the Russian regime.

The office of the President has been contacted for comment.
Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

Your notification has been saved.

There was a problem saving your notification.

{{description}}

Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
No

Yes, a light case

Yes, two or more light cases

One serious case

Two or more serious bouts

Vote

View Results
Congratulations! ATEEZ's "THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT" has recorded their new highest album sales on the first day on the Hanteo Chart- marking a new achievement for the group. Read on to learn how many copies were sold on Day 1.

ATEEZ's First Day Sales Figure With "THE WORLD EP 1: MOVEMENT" Is Their Highest to Date

On July 29 at 1 p.m. KST, ATEEZ dropped their new mini-album "THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT," alongside the title track's music video. This album marks the band's first comeback this year and their first music release in seven months since "ZERO: FEVER EPILOGUE" was released in December last year.

At 5:10 p.m. KST on the same day, ATEEZ's album sales for their 2022 album already exceeded 140,000 copies, a total of 149,168 copies, to be exact. The total copies went up to 176,043 one hour later.

At the end of the 29th, ATEEZ's first day sales with "THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT" reached 270,720 copies- becoming the group's first album to sell 200,000 copies on the first day.

On top of this, "THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT" has overtaken the group's eighth mini-album "ZERO: FEVER EPILOGUE" as their new personal best first-day sales record. "ZERO: FEVER EPILOGUE" only sold 178,928 copies on Dec. 10, 2021.

Furthermore, ATEEZ's new album has landed on the No. 44 spot on the top 100 list of highest first-day sales on Hanteo in history. It surpassed EXO's "OBSESSION," which only sold 269,801 copies in 2019.

Before its official release, ATEEZ's "THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT" showed immense popularity by recording more than 1.1 million stock pre-orders. This figure marks the boy group's highest number of stock pre-orders and makes "THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT" the band's first album to exceed one million stock pre-orders. (Their previous personal record, set by their 2021 mini-album "ZERO: FEVER Part.3," was more than 810,000.)

Meanwhile, ATEEZ's new album and title song appeared on various iTunes charts shortly after its release.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: ATEEZ Becomes First 4th-Generation K-pop Group To Attain THIS on Worldwide iTunes Song Chart

"THE WORLD EP.1: MOVEMENT" debuted at No. 2 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart and the European iTunes Album Chart. It also hit No. 70 on the iTunes Album Chart in the United States and peaked at No 6.

The title song, "Guerilla," entered at No. 2 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart, while it ranked seventh on the European iTunes Song Chart.

ATEEZ to Embark on New World Tour This 2022

In other news, ATEEZ is gearing up for a brand-new world tour this 2022, called "THE FELLOWSHIP: BREAK THE WALL." The group will kick things off with a two-night Seoul show on October 29 and 30, followed by concerts in the United States and Canada.

The group will hold concerts in Anaheim on November 7 and 8, Phoenix on November 10, Dallas/Fort Worth on November 16, Chicago on November 19, Atlanta on November 22, and Newark on November 27 and 28. They will then head to Canada for a show in Toronto on Dec. 2

ATEEZ's 2022 world tour will wrap up in Japan with two nights of concerts in Chiba on Dec. 11 and 12.

For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz.

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Maria Scott
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - A total of 446 migrants on their way to European shores were landed on the Libyan coast between 17 and 23 July by the Libyan coast guard , the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced Saturday, illustrating the continuing phenomenon of illegal migration from the Libyan coast to Europe
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - Tunisian coastguards in the city of Mahdia rescued 63 migrants whose boat had been lost at sea for three days early Saturday
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
Lake Geneva officials are set to discuss a proposed trail extension project that has caused concern among several residents during an upcoming meeting.

City Administrator Dave Nord stated in an email message to the Regional News that city officials are set to discuss the South Street trail expansion project during the city council's committee-of-the-whole meeting 6 p.m., Aug. 1 in the city hall, council chambers, 626 Geneva St.

City officials plan to extend the South Street bicycle trail, which runs near Badger High School and Lake Geneva Middle School by about 1.5 miles.

The trail is set to lead to the future site of a new Geneva Lakes Family YMCA campus, located near the Highway H and Highway 120 intersection. The trail also is set to extend west along South Street and end at Lake Shore Drive, leading to Big Foot Beach State Park.

The City of Lake Geneva has received an $835,316 transportation alternatives program grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to help fund the project.

Several residents who live along South Street have expressed concerns related to the project including trees being removed, potential water runoff, possible traffic concerns and the width of the trail, which is set to be about 10 feet.

City officials have said that the grant requires the trail to be 10-feet wide. However, the trail could be reduced to eight for in certain areas.
New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): IndiGo on Saturday started a direct flight service between Delhi and the newly inaugurated airport at Deoghar in Jharkhand.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia and Minister of State for Civil Aviation General (Retd) V K Singh on Saturday virtually inaugurated the direct flight between Delhi and Deoghar.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 22-Year-Old Teacher Abducted, Raped By School Director in Shahjahanpur; Accused Records Sexual Assault Video.

On this route, IndiGo will deploy its A320 Neo, a 180-seater twin turbofan engine passenger aircraft, which is primarily used on domestic routes. With this new flight launch, a total number of departures from Deoghar will be 11 daily departure flights, according to an official statement released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Speaking on the occasion, Jyotiraditya Scindia said, "Baba Baidya Nath Dham in Deoghar is an international religious heritage, and it gives me immense pleasure to state that my ministry has helped millions of pilgrims to visit Deoghar."

Also Read | Did Hima Das Win Gold Medal at Commonwealth Games 2022? Here's the Fact Check About the Video Being Passed Off As Recent.

"Along with country's hard economic power, we need to dovetail country's soft power too. That's the reason why major aviation infrastructure is created at places such as Ayodhya International Airport, Kushinagar International Airport and now Deoghar Airport," the minister said.

"I would also like to congratulate IndiGo for connecting smaller cities in the country and the day is not far when Civil Aviation will become the primary source of travelling in India," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Deoghar airport on 12th July 2022. Addressing the inauguration function Prime Minister Modi announced the direct flight between Deoghar and Delhi.

Spread over 655 acres of land Deoghar Airport is the second airport in Jharkhand after Ranchi. The airport has been developed at a cost of Rs 400 crore.

We are also working on 3 more airports in Jharkhand - Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka taking the total number of airports in Jharkhand to 5. We have announced 14 new routes connecting Jharkhand out of which 2 routes - Deoghar - Kolkata and Delhi - Deoghar have been started and in the coming days, we will connect Deoghar with Ranchi and Patna. Along with this, we will connect Dumka with Ranchi and Kolkata. Bokaro airport once completed will be connected with Patna and Kolkata, Scindia said.

The minister further added, "425 routes and 68 airports, heliports, and water drome have been operationalized under the UDAN scheme and more than 1 crore people, mostly first-time flyers, have benefitted from it."

"Over 1 lakh 90 thousand flights have flown under this scheme. Ministry of Civil Aviation has constructed 66 airports in the last 8 years which stood at 74 airports in the year 2014. We are planning to construct 220 new airports which include Water Dromes and Heliports in the next 5 years," he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): The controversy over Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's 'Rashtrapatni' remark refused to abate as BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav on Saturday demanded that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the whole country while Chowdhury should seek forgiveness by touching President Droupadi Murmu's feet.

"The surprising thing is that despite Congress President Sonia Gandhi being a woman, she is protecting Chowdhury rather than take action over the way the statement was made. Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the whole country and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury should apologise by touching the feet of President Murmu," Yadav said while speaking to ANI.

Also Read | WBSSC Scam: Sex Toys Recovered From Arpita Mukherjee's Residence, Social Media Buzz Over Reports.

The Rajya Sabha member said Chowdhury had uttered the word 'Rashtrapatni' not once but thrice.

"Adhir Ranjan's statement is a derogatory remark against women. No other abuse can be worse than this. People around the country are criticising him for this act and making different comments about him, which I do not even want to make public," Yadav added.

Also Read | Mumbai Wont Have Money & Cease to Be Financial Capital If Gujaratis, Rajasthanis Removed, Says Maharashtra Gov Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Kicks Up Row.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday issued a written apology to President Murmu over his 'Rashtrapatni' remark which caused a political furore across the country.

In a letter addressed to the President, the Congress leader expressed his 'regret for having mistakenly used the word to describe the position.' "I assure you it was a slip of tongue. I apologise and request you to accept the same," Chowdhury wrote in the letter.

The BJP insisted the comment by Chowdhury was not a slip of the tongue as being claimed by the Congress leader.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told ANI that it was not a slip of the tongue. "If you watch the clip, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury clearly (referred to President Murmu as) Rashtrapatni twice, then he called her Rashtrapati. Such matters should not be taken lightly," Rijiju said

On Thursday BJP MPs including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman protested in Parliament against Chowdhury over the remark and demanded an apology from the Congress party. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Aurangabad, Jul 30 (PTI) All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Imtiaz Jaleel on Saturday wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde urging him to conduct voting on the issue of renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar and then take a decision.

Also Read | Religious Animosity Affects Entire Nation, We Have to Work Together to Counter It, Says NSA Ajit Doval.

In his letter, Jaleel apprised the chief minister of various issues concerning the district.

Also Read | Maharashtra Shocker: Man Kills 26-Year-Old Over Suspicion of Affair With Wife; Arrested by Thane Police.

"The decision of renaming was taken to gain political mileage and to distract the people of Aurangabad from issues of development. Hence, voting should be conducted and then a decision to name the city should be taken," the AIMIM leader said.

Jaleel also raised objection over privatisation of the government medical college and hospital in Aurangabad, which is underway, and said the work should be stopped immediately.

He further appealed to the chief minister to complete the crop loss survey in Aurangabad soon and provide relief to farmers affected by the heavy rainfall in the district.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Itanagar, Jul 30 (PTI) Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Saturday proposed for creating a Tai tourist circuit in northeast considering the religious and cultural similarities between Arunachal Pradesh and Thailand

Speaking at the inaugural session of the second edition of North East India Festival at Bangkok in Thailand, Mein said apart from the Buddhist circuit, a tourist circuit could be created in the region to attract Buddhist devotees and Tai tourists from the South East Asian Countries including Thailand.

Also Read | SSC Scam: 'Everybody in Party Including Top Leadership, Knew About Money Collected From Ineligible Candidates for School Teacher Jobs, Says Partha Chatterjee.

He said that apart from investment in tourism and industry, Arunachal Pradesh has a huge scope for investment in agriculture technology, agro-food processing industries and in hydro-power sectors because of the large-scale production of good quality agriculture products like ginger, turmeric, large cardamom, oranges and kiwi and its capacity to generate more than 50,000 mega watt hydro-power, an official communique said.

The state government is committed to make Arunachal Pradesh an ideal investment destination and is ready to provide single window clearance and necessary approvals in a time bound manner to investors, Mein said.

Also Read | Arunachal Pradesh BJP MP Tapir Gao's Missing Brother Tahang Gao Rescued From Guwahati Hotel.

He added that improved road communication due to fast developing highways and air connectivity in prominent places across the state in recent years have made the major tourist places like Pasighat, Tezu, Ziro, Aalo, Tawang and Mechukha easily accessible to tourists.

Highlighting the huge tourism potential and investment opportunities in the state, the deputy chief minister said Arunachal Pradesh has lots to offer to tourists in terms of adventure tourism, wildlife tourism, spiritual tourism, ecological tourism, cultural and rural tourism and leisure tourism because of its fastest free-flowing rivers and high terrains, rich biodiversity, dense forests with unique flora and fauna, diverse cultures and scenic beauties.

He said that 26 major tribes and over 100 sub-tribes of the state with their own distinct cultures and traditions, celebrate a number of festivals round the year making it a land of festivals and colourful dances where, one can experience different kinds of tribal cultures and taste different local cuisines.

Speaking on the religious and cultural similarities between SE Asian countries and Arunachal Pradesh, Mein said that Buddhism spread across the state with Mahayana Buddhism in western parts - Tawang, Dirang and Bomdila, in central part - Taksing, Mechuka and Tuting and Theravada Buddhism at Namsai and Changlang districts.

Apart from 400 years old Tawang Gompa of Gelukpa Sect and 400 years old Gompa at Mechukha of Ningmapa Sect, Kongmukham (Golden Pagoda) in Namsai district has become a popular tourist destination. Thousands of people mostly Theravada Buddhist devotees especially Thai tourists visit this place every year, he said.

Lauding the organizer, the Indian Embassy in Thailand and Trend MMS, he asserted that the festival will go a long way in further deepening the historical bond and bilateral relations and open new vistas for people to people connect between India and Thailand, particularly with the North East India and South East Asian countries.

The festival was inaugurated by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of Thailand Jurin Laksanawisit, in presence of Union Minister of State for External Affairs R K Ranjan, chief minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Riu, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister Nakap Nalo, Assam Textile Minister Urkhao Gwra Brahma, Mizoram Tourism minister Pu Robert Romawia Royte, Ambassador of India to Thailand Suchitra Durai and hosts of other dignitaries.

The three days festival would showcase the cultural similarities between India and Thailand and the cultural diversities of North East India.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata, July 30 (PTI) BJP's West Bengal unit president Sukanta Majumdar was arrested on Saturday when he was leading party workers in a protest rally to south Kolkata's Hazra area, near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence.

Majumdar was scheduled to address the rally in Hazra over alleged corruption in the TMC government of the state, but was taken into custody by the police before he could reach there.

Also Read | Gujarat Shocker: Forest Officer in Veraval Arrested on Rape Charge.

"It was a preventive arrest," a senior police officer said.

Soon, scores of BJP members gathered outside Kolkata's Police headquarters, Lalbazar, in the central part of the city, demanding Majumdar's immediate release.

Also Read | SSC Scam: 'Everybody in Party Including Top Leadership, Knew About Money Collected From Ineligible Candidates for School Teacher Jobs, Says Partha Chatterjee.

Shouting slogans against the ruling Trinamool Congress, the protesting BJP members burnt tyres, bringing the traffic in the congested area to a standstill.

A while later, police evicted them and took them to the Lalbazar central lock-up.

Majumdar was also released after some time, the police officer said.

"Protests against the corrupt TMC government are becoming mass movements in West Bengal. It seems that they are afraid of these protests and that is why they arrested Sukanta Majumdar," state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said.

TMC MP Santanu Sen accused the BJP of trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the state.

The protest rally was organised in Hazara, a few hundred metres away from the chief minister's Kalighat residence, amid the arrest of minister Partha Chatterjee in the cash for school jobs scam.

Crores of rupees in cash were found at apartments linked to Chatterjee, besides gold believed to be in kilogram, documents of properties and foreign exchange were recovered by the Enforcement Directorate, forcing the TMC to suspend him and take away his ministerial portfolios.

(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 30 (PTI) Chief Justice of India N V Ramana Saturday said "camouflaging" the pressing concerns of the judiciary would cripple the justice delivery system and discussions are necessary to serve people better.

Justice Ramana was addressing the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet here in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the judiciary to speed up the release of undertrials languishing in jails awaiting legal aid.

Also Read | #Indias Nitendra Singh Rawat Finished 12th in the Mens Marathon Event at the   Latest Tweet by IANS India.

"Wherever I go, I always attempt to project the achievements of the Indian judiciary in winning the trust and faith of the people. But if we intend to serve the people better, we need to flag the issues which hinder our functioning.

"There is no meaning in camouflaging or hiding the problems. If we don't discuss these issues, if matters of pressing concern are not addressed, then the system will cripple," the CJI said.

Also Read | Inter-Faith Meet in Presence of NSA Ajit Doval Adopts Resolution To Ban PFI.

The CJI said discussions, debates before deciding were necessary facets to achieve the constitutional mandate of social justice.

"I fear, we may be unable to fulfill our constitutional mandate of social justice. I urge you therefore, to DISCUSS, DEBATE AND DECIDE! This is the principle I have been following all through. I know, the challenges before you are enormous," Justice Ramana told the participants of the two-day-long meeting of the All India District Legal Services Authorities.

He also referred to the issue of "effective representation before judicial forums" of poor and deserving undertrials and said, "We need sincere and dedicated jail visiting advocates. Jail visiting advocates can later become the legal aid authorised defence counsels."

He called upon law students to consider legal aid service as a "golden opportunity to interact with their first ever clients and make a substantial difference in their lives. This service to society will shape your values and ground you to existing social realities".

The two-day meet, organised by NALSA, is being attended by over 1200 delegates across the nation including the principal district and sessions judge of all the judicial districts and ex officio chairpersons of DLSAs and would discuss the implementation of the unified business process for providing effective legal aid to marginalised and poor.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], July 30 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the Centre has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics and it is showing results.

Shah's statement came while attending a Narcotics Control Bureau conference on drug trafficking and national security in Chandigarh in Punjab.

Also Read | ITR Filing for FY 2021-22 (AY 2022-23): Penalties And Loss Of Benefits If You Miss Income Tax Return Deadline.

During his speech at NCB's conference, Shah said, "The spread of drugs is very dangerous for any society. When a terrorist incident happens, its damage is limited, but drug smuggling hollows out generations. It works like a termite to hollow out the roots of our society and country."

Shah added, "The money that comes from the drug business is used in anti-national activities. Since 2014, the Government of India has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against drugs. Drugs have a bad effect on human beings as well as society, economy and country's security."

Also Read | Elon Musk Tweets: Tesla CEO Says, 'Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin's Wife Nicole Shanahan Should Sue WSJ Over Our False Affair Story'.

"Drug trafficking poses a threat to society. Any prosperous nation must have zero tolerance for drug trafficking. We have to save the younger generations by reining in drug trafficking," he further said.

More than 30,000 kgs of seized drugs are being destroyed by Narcotics Control Bureau across four locations under the watch of Union Home Minister Amit Shah via video conference from Chandigarh.

On the clarion call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under the leadership of the Union Home Minister took a pledge to destroy 75,000 kilograms of drugs on 75 years of Independence.

This is the first such national conference where the Union Home Minister, Chief Ministers of different states and the different drug enforcement agencies will all be on one platform.

NCB started the drug disposal campaign on June 1 and 51,217.8402 kgs of drugs have been disposed of by NCB teams in 11 different states till July 29.

Total disposal of 30,468.784 kilograms of drugs would be done in front of the Home Minister, the total quantity will reach around 81,686.6242 kgs crossing NCB's target, which is a big achievement in the fight towards a drugs-free India.

The Chief Ministers of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, the Administrator of Chandigarh, officers from the BSF, NIA and NCB as well as ANTF chiefs of the respective states and NCORD members were also present at the conference. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) The Congress slammed Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Saturday for his remarks that "Mumbai will have no money" if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were to leave the city, saying there is no wisdom in what he says and does.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said Koshyari is occupying the chair only because he faithfully obeys the two top people in the government.

Also Read | TNPSC Recruitment 2022: Applications Invited For 1089 Draftsman And Other Posts at tnpsc.gov.in; Check Details Here.

"His name is 'Koshyari'. But as a governor, there is no wisdom in what he says or does. He is sitting on the chair only because he faithfully obeys the command of 'We Two'," Ramesh said in a tweet in Hindi while sharing Koshyari's speech.

Congress leader Milind Deora cited the example of his parents and said Mumbai's strength is its diversity.

Also Read | West Bengal SSC Scam: Partha Chatterjee, Arpita Mukherjee Jointly Purchased Land at Santiniketan in Birbhum District in 2012.

"My father was from Rajasthan and my mother from Kolhapur. Yet they identified as Mumbaikars and Maharashtrians. Mumbai's original inhabitants welcomed all with love and respect. Its diversity is its greatest strength," Deora wrote on Twitter.

"Why discriminate when Mumbai doesn't?" he asked.

Koshyari's comments that "Mumbai will have no money" if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were to leave the city triggered a massive controversy on Saturday, forcing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to say that he disagrees with the governor.

As Opposition leaders slammed Koshyari and sought an apology from him, the governor said his comments were misconstrued.

Koshyari made the controversial comments during a function to name a chowk (intersection) in suburban Andheri on Friday evening.

"I tell people here that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially from Mumbai and Thane, you will be left with no money and Mumbai will not be the financial capital," the governor had said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): The Delhi Police have arrested more than 20 people for selling Chinese Manjha in the national capital, it informed on Saturday.

The police is conducting regular raids in the parts of Delhi, days after a 30-year-old motorcyclist's throat was cut slit due to one such Kite string on the Haiderpur flyover in northwest Delhi on Monday (July 25).

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: 22-Year-Old Teacher Abducted, Raped By School Director in Shahjahanpur; Accused Records Sexual Assault Video.

According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer Delhi), Sameer Sharma, their special team have so far registered 11 FIR, arrested 11 people, and recovered 59 rolls of illegal Chinese Manjha.

The Police is also seen conducting a special drive to nab the sellers of these banned Chinese Manjha in Southern Delhi. So far, they have arrested seven people and have recovered at least 95 rolls of Chinese kite strings from their possession.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Sleeping Class 2 Student Left Locked in Classroom, 10 School Staffers Suspended in Hathras.

In a huge raid at a Godown in North-west Delhi, the police have arrested a person named Amarjeet and recovered 11,760 rolls of plastic kite strings from 205 cartons, here.

"Amarjeet is a big trader of Manjha who used to sell it to his customers using code words, usually at the evening or night time," Usha Rangnani, Deputy Commissioner of Police, North West Delhi said.

During police interrogation, he revealed that he had purchased the aforesaid quantity of Manjha from a Noida-based dealer, who had received around 400 cartons of kite string from Surat (Gujarat). The dealer used it to supply the manjha from a godown that he had taken on rent, police said quoting Amarjeet.

Four people have also been arrested from the Banka region of Delhi's Dwarka along with 41 rolls of banned kite strings, an investigation led by the Dwarka north and Dabra Police Station region revealed.

In view of the increasing incidents of injuries caused due to the Chinese Manjha, often during the July end and August start, the Delhi Police started conducting special drives (from Thursday) to make people aware of the stringent actions that can be taken against the people selling 'banned' Manjha and to encourage people to adhere to the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

In 2017, the NGT imposed a complete ban on the production, storage, and sale of Chinese manjha as it not only possess a threat to birds and humans but also causes harm to the environment.

It had further announced that the ban would also apply to the nylon, Chinese and cotton manjha coated with glass.

Chinese Manjha is a glass-coated kite string, that has been blamed for several deaths and serious injuries to those travelling on two-wheelers in the past as well.

As kite flying is observed the most by July end and August starting, the number of incidents involving Chinese manjha often remain highest in this duration. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached movable as well as immovable assets worth Rs 2,39,38,681 belonging to accused persons in the case of misappropriation of funds of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the agency said on Saturday.

These properties belong to one Bhaben Maitra, the erstwhile General Manager (Finance), HAL; Bipra Charana Maharana; Sadananda Nayak; Jisudan Khosla; Jayaram Garada Jaganath Apat and late Urdhaba Khosla.

Also Read | Monkeypox in India: Nations First Patient Recovers, To Be Discharged, Says Kerala Health Minister Veena George.

The ED attached their property under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in the case.

An investigation was initiated under PMLA, 2002 on the basis of six FIRs registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and Section 13 (2) read with 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 by Central Bureau of Investigation, Anti-Corruption Branch, Bhubaneswar against Bhaben Maitra and others who embezzled an amount of Rs 18.75 crore of HAL by forgiving of documents and using the same as genuine during the period from 2013- to 2018, said the ED.

Also Read | NALSA Campaign Underway to Identify Undertrial Prisoners Eligible for Release, Says Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.

"Investigation revealed that Bhaben Maitra and others have acquired monetary proceed through the commission of crimes and indulged in criminal activities, generated proceeds of crimes, concealed it and acquired various assets to hide their source and projected them as untainted," said the ED.

The properties acquired by those accused of using the proceeds of crime have accordingly been attached under PMLA, 2002, the agency added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 30 (ANI): In mass disposal of drugs, Guwahati Police on Saturday burnt down 935 kg of drugs seized at Hatishila Daampara under Pragjyotishpur police station on the outskirts of the city.

Among the drugs destroyed, a considerable amount of heroin, cannabis and raw methamphetamine were burnt, said police.

Also Read | Axel, Indian Army Dog Killed During Anti-terrorist Operation in Kashmir.

More than 19 lakh meth tablets and more than 3.70 lakh bottles of cough syrup were disposed off by burning and destroyed.

These were collected through various raids and seizures in the recent past.

Also Read | Congress to Hold Nationwide Protest Against Price Rise, Unemployment And Agnipath Scheme on August 5.

The pyre of drugs was lit by Harmeet Singh, Special DGP and Commissioner of Police, Guwahati along with Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Joint Commissioner of Police, Guwahati.

A plantation drive was also conducted on the occasion when the Commissioner of Police, JCP and other senior officials of the city police planted saplings as part of the Chief Minister's Institutional Plantation Programme.

The Deputy Commissioners of Police were also present on the occasion.

Harmeet Singh, Commissioner of Police, said, "The Chief Minister of Assam has given clear instruction to wage this war on drugs until it's completely cleaned up. I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm our absolute commitment in the war on drugs and nobody related with drugs trade will be spared. Strong legal action shall be initiated against anyone indulging in drugs trade."

"This is historic and has never happened in country where disposal of seized illicit narcotic substances is taking place across country (at 4 locations) on direction of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Drugs worth Rs 100 crore have been burnt today," he added. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): Muslim clerics unanimously supported the demand for a ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) at the interfaith conference organised by the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC) here on Saturday and called for steps against any misuse of social media to promote hatred.

The conference was attended by National security Advisor Ajit Doval who said some elements are trying to create an atmosphere that's vitiating the progress of India and every sect of India should feel that "we are a country together".

Also Read | Congress to Hold Nationwide Protest Against Price Rise, Unemployment And Agnipath Scheme on August 5.

Syed Naseeruddin Chishty, Chairman All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, said that slogans like 'sar tan se juda' are anti-Islamic. "There is a Taliban thought, it should be countered on the ground instead of closed rooms...Be it PFI or other radcial organisations, the government should ban them," he said.

Another cleric Syed Salman Husaini Nadwi, president of Jamiat Shabab-il-Islam, said Islam stresses religious tolerance. "There is no space for hate and agitation against any religion in India," he said.

Also Read | CUET UG 2022 Admit Card For Phase 2 Exams to Release Tomorrow At cuet.samarth.ac.in; Here's How to Download Hall Ticket.

Maulana Kalbe Jawad Naqvi called for a ban on PFI and all fringe organizations that are involved in anti-India activities and are a threat to peace in society.

"In a country like India only the court is supreme and all religions have to follow and respect the decisions of courts. No religion can dictate to kill another person for the sake of religion," he said.

In its resolution, All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council said organisations like the Popular Front of India and any other such fronts, who have been indulging in anti-national activities and creating discord amongst our citizens must be banned and action initiated against them as per law.

The resolution said that targeting any God/Godesses/ Prophets in discussions or debates by anyone should be condemned and dealt with as per law.

The AISSC resolution proposed to create a new body, inclusive of all faiths, to spread the message of peace, harmony and fight against the radical forces.

The resolution recommended that any person or organisation found guilty with evidence of spreading hatred among the communities through any means must be acted upon as per the provisions of law.

In his remarks, Ajit Doval said some elements are trying to create an environment which is hindering India's progress.

"Some elements are trying to create an atmosphere that's vitiating the progress of India. They're creating acrimony and conflict in the name of religion and ideology, it's affecting the entire country while spilling over outside the country too," Doval said.

"Instead of being mute spectators, we have to work on the ground on our differences along with strengthening our voices. We've to make every sect of India feel that we are a country together, we are proud of it and that every religion can be professed with freedom here," he added.

The aim of the dialogue was to have a discussion among the representatives of different faiths - Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism - about the growing religious intolerance in India.

The AISSC said in its release that the nation is going through tough times because of certain anti-social elements and groups who are trying to distort the image of India as a shining example of unity in diversity.

"India has been the land of various religions and faiths since ages. We share the history of peaceful coexistence. All religions teach fundamentally to love our countrymen without any discrimination. Islam and Sufism have also endorsed this very idea in India since 12th century. There is no space for hate and agitation against any religion in India," the resolution said.

The resolution said it has been observed that social media platforms are being used for promoting hatred against religions and its followers. "We request the government to take serious note and initiate appropriate measures to curb the menace," it said.

The resolution said Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism and all other religions teach respect for all human beings, to aspire for the common good of humanity.

"In these challenging times, it is the duty of all religious and community leaders to be role models for the present and future generations. All religions and communities need to prosper and co-exist in harmony for our country to realise its potential," it said.

"We propose to create a new body, inclusive of all faiths, to spread the message of peace, harmony and fight against the radical forces. We seek support of everyone in furtherance of our mission," it added.

All India Sufi SajjadaNasheen Council said they have decided to organise various events on regular basis at State and District levels, to spread the message of social and cultural harmony and brotherhood in India. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, July 30: The privately run liquor stores on Saturday offered schemes like buy one get two free to end their stock after Delhi government announced reversal of it's excise policy from August 1, leading to a mad rush of booz lovers outside the vends.

The 468 private liquor shops operating in the city will be shut from August 1 as the term of their licences under the excise policy 2021-22 expires on July 31.

Also Read |Delhi New Excise Policy: 'Weve Decided To Stop the New Liquor Policy and Ordered To Open Govt Liquor Shops', Says Deputy CM Manish Sisodia

There was a rush of liquor buyers till late evening at the Star City Mall in Mayur Vihar Extension with vends fast running out of stock.

"Don't go inside there is no liquor," said a person returning empty handed from the mall housing several retail liquor stores.

Also Read | 5G in India: 'Government Expects 5G Rollout in Early October, To Be Fastest Among Many Geographies', Says Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Employees at the shops said most of the popular brands of different kinds of liquor and beer were sold out.

"There has been a mad rush since the afternoon hours. We are turning down customers asking for specific brands as most have been sold. Many people, however, buying whatever is available," said employee of a shop in the mall.

Delhi is staring at a major liquor shortage in the coming days with private wine and beer stores going to shut shop from August 1 after Kejriwal government's decision to withdraw it's new Excise policy 20221-22.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia earlier on the day said that Delhi government has withdrawn the new excise policy and directed for selling liquor from government run stores only.

He said that the Chief Secretary has been asked to ensure that there is no chaos in the city during the transition period before opening of government liquor stores and also for keeping check on sale of illegal alcohol.

Excise Policy 2021-22 extended twice before for two months each after April, will come to an end on July 31 as Delhi government has decided to go back to old excise regime and run liquor stores for coming six months.

It will be second time within any year as the city is staring at a liquor shortage. For thee weeks before new excise came into operation of private run liquor vends from November 17, 2021, there was shortage of alcohol in Delhi as government run stores and individual licensees were quitting retail business.

With the government taking back new excise policy, the booz lovers in the city were given rebates and special offers like one plus on and one plus two free by private vends for one last time in the city.

"The shop is going to close and we are selling out the stock. We have started offer of buy one get 2 free on all kinds of liquor and beer to dispose off stocks," said a liquor vend employee in Laxmi Nagar.

Under new excise policy, licences for 849 retail vends were issued through open bidding by Excise department last year. Currently 468 liquor stores are running in the city that will quit business from August 1 rendering thousands of their employees jobless.

"Almost all the stock at the shop was sold. The shop will close and the workers here will loose their jobs now. Thousands of such other workers at private vends will similarly become unemployed," said a liquor vend employee in INA market.

An official document from Finance department has directed the Excise Commissioner to coordinate with heads of four corporations of Delhi government for details of liquor vends operated by them before the new Excise Policy(2021-22) came into effect from November 17,2021.

The four corporations-DSIIDC, DTTDC. DCCWS and DSCSC- were running majority of liquor stores in the city before the Excise Policy 2021-22 came into being with Delhi government quitting retail sale of liquor.

The four government corporations ran 475 liquor stores out of total 864 in Delhi under the old excise policy regime. The private stores, licences held by individuals, numbered 389.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
R S Pura, July 30: Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal (27), killed in the MIG-21 crash, was cremated with full military honours in his native hamlet in Jammu and Kashmir's R S Pura border belt on Saturday. Thousands of locals, Indian Air Force (IAF) officers, members of the armed forces, police officers, bureaucrats and politicians cutting across political parties gathered to salute the braveheart as his family members bid a tearful adieu.

The IAF personnel offered a three-gun salute as his mortal remains was consigned to flames at his native Jinder Mehlu amid high pitched slogans - 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Advitiya Amar Rahe' - by the people. Earlier in the day, Bal's mortal remains arrived in a service aircraft at the airforce station here. The cortege was escorted to his house by about a kilometre-long cavalcade of private vehicles and tricolour donned motorcyclists.

Air officer Commanding (AoC) Air Commodore G S Bhullar, Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Avny Lavasa and Jammu Senior Superintendent of Police Chandan Kohli laid wreath on his mortal remains. MiG-21 Fighter Aircraft of Indian Air Force Crashes in Rajasthan, Both Pilots Killed.

Since early morning, thousands of people had gathered at his home to bid adieu to their hero. The IAF pilots -- another being Wing Commander M Rana from Himachal Pradesh -- were killed on Thursday night when their twin-seater MiG-21 trainer aircraft crashed during a training sortie near Barmer in Rajasthan.

Bal's family members expressed regret saying he died while flying an "ailing" aircraft" instead of "fighting enemies". They urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to immediately retire the entire fleet of ageing MiG-21 jets so that no more lives are lost.

Several locals said Bal was a "new age role model" for their children and they were proud of his martyrdom. One of them was Sanjay Singh, who is preparing for the National Defence Academy (NDA) examination  gateway for candidates aspiring to join the defence forces.

Bal had celebrated his 27th birthday on July 18, the family members said.

He had joined the IAF in 2014 and was taught at Sainik School, Nagrota. His father Swaran Lal and uncle Karamveer have retired from the army. His uncle said Bal had spoken to him over phone on Tuesday to congratulate his nephew Vaibhav on his 11th birthday. Bal lived in a joint family with his grandparents, parents, uncles and their families.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, Jul 30 (PTI) Two persons have been arrested for allegedly stealing the laptop of a doctor of civic-run KEM Hospital in Mumbai, a police official said on Saturday.

Also Read | Rajasthan Discom Engineers' Obscene Dance Videos Go Viral, Top Officials Suspended.

Pradeep Chalke (23) and Rupesh Salunkhe (26) had stolen the laptop of Dr Diveni Dhole after entering her cabin two months ago, the Bhoiwada police station official said.

Also Read | Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Dividing Hindus, Its Time to Decide If He Should Be Sent Back Home or to Jail, Says Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

Chalke got to know the hospital layout well when his father was admitted there six months ago, he added.

"We questioned his wife and managed to nab Chalke from Khopoli. The laptop has been returned to the doctor," he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Patna, July 30 (PTI) BJP president JP Nadda faced protests by angry student activists on Saturday when he made a brief stopover at Patna College, his alma mater.

The activists, most of them members of the Leftist AISA, shouted "JP Nadda go back" while carrying placards denouncing the National Education Policy (NEP) and demanding grant of central status to Patna University.

Also Read | Noida: 55-Year-Old Depressed Woman Jumps off 11th Floor of High-Rise Building in Gautam Budh Nagar District.

Nadda, who belongs to Himachal Pradesh but spent his early years in Patna, was in the city to inaugurate a two-day conclave of the party's seven wings (morchas), which will come to a close on Sunday with the address of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Nadda made a safe exit from the college campus as police personnel present there cleared the way, shoving the unruly activists.

Also Read | Gujarat Shocker: Forest Officer in Veraval Arrested on Rape Charge.

No arrests have been made in connection with the incident so far, police said.

(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 July 30: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday said that National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched a campaign 'Release UTRC@75' from July 16, for identifying eligible prisoners and recommending the release of fit cases to the Under Trial Review Committee.

Rijiju's remarks came while addressing the 1st All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet organized by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

Praveen Nettaru Murder: ABVP Besieges Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra's House; Minister Says, 'Protest To Open His Eyes'.

Rijiju said, "National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has launched a campaign 'Release UTRC@75' from 16th July for identifying eligible prisoners and recommending the release of fit cases to the Under Trial Review Committee."

Department of Justice and National Legal Service Authority to provide integrated delivery of legal services in 3 areas of common interest- by strengthening consultation via tele-law, expanding the base of pro-bono lawyers, empowering citizens with legal literacy," he added. PM Narendra Modi Urges States to Clear Dues of Power Sector Companies; Launches 2 Green Hydrogen Plants.

NALSA would provide the services of 700 lawyers, in each district exclusively for Tele Law. These lawyers would act as referral lawyers and also assist in strengthening the mechanism for dispute avoidance and dispute resolution at the pre-litigation stage, he stated.

The All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.

The first-ever national-level meeting of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) is being organised from July 30-31 at Vigyan Bhawan by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

The meeting will deliberate on the creation of an integrated procedure in order to bring homogeneity and synchronisation across DLSAs.

There are a total of 676 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) in the country. They are headed by a District Judge who acts as Chairman of the authority. Through DLSAs and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), various legal aid and awareness programmes are implemented by NALSA.

The DLSAs also contribute towards reducing the burden on courts by regulating the Lok Adalats conducted by NALSA. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bhubaneswar, Jul 30 (PTI) The BJP on Saturday appointed its four-time MLA Jaynarayan Mishra as the new leader of opposition in the Odisha assembly.

Mishra, the legislator from Sambalpur, was appointed to the post after Bhawanipatna MLA Pradipta Kumar Naik stepped down due to post-COVID health complications.

Also Read | Rajasthan Discom Engineers' Obscene Dance Videos Go Viral, Top Officials Suspended.

Mishra's name was supported by all members of the BJP legislative party, the party's state in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar said, addressing a press conference.

Mishra said he will try his level best to meet the aspiration of the people as the new leader of opposition.

Also Read | Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Dividing Hindus, Its Time to Decide If He Should Be Sent Back Home or to Jail, Says Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray.

"I will also try to expose the state government's whimsical governance style," he told reporters.

"I will become the voice of Odisha's people in the assembly," he asserted, promising to play the role of constructive opposition leader.

Mishra, a former minister in the BJD-BJP coalition government from 2000 to 2009, was elected to the assembly four times -- 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2019.

Naik, the outgoing leader of opposition, is at present undergoing treatment in Delhi.

"Since state president Samir Mohanty comes from the coastal region, the LOP is appointed from the western parts of the state in order to balance the leadership," a BJP leader said.

The BJP is better positioned in the western region than in the coastal or southern Odisha, he added.

BJP MLAs, including Sundergarh lawmaker Kusum Tete, have been expressing concern over the party's functioning in the assembly without a leader of opposition who could be involved in day-to-day affairs. They recently visited Delhi and met party president JP Nadda, urging him to replace Naik.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 30 (ANI): A terrorist was killed in an encounter in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning.

Earlier, acting on a specific piece of information, a joint cordon-and-search operation was launched by Police, Army (29RR) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) (2nd Bn) in the Wanigam Bala area of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla.

Also Read | 5G in India: 'Government Expects 5G Rollout in Early October, To Be Fastest Among Many Geographies', Says Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

During the search operation, as the joint search party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter.

According to Jammu and Kasmir, in the initial exchange of fire, two Army Jawans and police personnel received injuries and were shifted to the hospital for treatment where their condition is stable.

Also Read | Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann For Unified Action by States To End Narco-Gangster-Terrorist Nexus.

In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter. However, the identification and affiliation of the killed terrorist are yet to be ascertained.

Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition including one AK-47 Rifle, three AK-Magazines, seven AK-Rounds, one Pouch and one Bag have been recovered from the site of the encounter.

All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, the police said.

In this regard, a case under relevant sections of law has been registered and an investigation has been initiated.

People are requested to cooperate with Police till the area at the encounter site is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Welcome Guest! You Are Here:
New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) Dismissed from service last year, a 28-year-old former Delhi Police constable was arrested from his residence in Haryana for allegedly duping a cyber cafe owner here on the pretext of money transfer, officials said on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Rohit Dalal, a native of Bahadurgarh in Haryana.

Also Read | #WATCH An Interfaith Conference Was ConductedSlogans Like Sar Tan Se Juda is   Latest Tweet by ANI.

Police received a complaint from Rahul Kumar Singh, a cyber cafe owner and a resident of Majnu Ka Tilla here, that a person wearing Delhi Traffic Police uniform arrived at shop and requested him to transfer Rs 16,000 to his UPI ID in exchange of cash, a senior police officer said.

Dalal cited some personal exigency after which the complainant transferred the money. But he left the shop without giving the cash, the officer said.

Also Read | Religious Animosity Affects Entire Nation, We Have to Work Together to Counter It, Says NSA Ajit Doval.

CCTV footage of the shop and UPI ID details were analysed as part of the investigation. The area's traffic police were also shown the CCTV footage and they identified Dalal.

During the investigation, it was revealed that Dalal was dismissed from the Delhi Police in 2021 due to his involvement in similar cheating cases, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

Dalal told the police he had joined the force as a constable in 2016 and that he was introduced to an online betting application while being posted in the battalion.

He initially staked small amounts, but gradually became addicted to online betting. He would spend all his salary in gambling and soon lost his savings too, police said.

He took loans from his colleagues and relatives, and lost the money. Unable to pay the debt, he indulged in cyber frauds, they said.

He was dismissed from service last year while he was posted with the traffic police. Even after his ouster from the force, he would wear police uniform and dupe people, they said.

According to the police, Dalal was previously found involved in five cheating cases registered at different police stations in the national capital.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], July 30 (ANI): Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday suggested the newly elected and nominated Parliamentarians of the House to perform, reform and transform for the betterment of society.

While addressing the two-day orientation event organised for the newly elected MPs of the Upper House, Naidu further advised them to be regular in attending the proceedings of the House.

Also Read | NALSA Campaign Underway to Identify Undertrial Prisoners Eligible for Release, Says Law Minister Kiren Rijiju.

The Chairman communicated with MPs saying, "dignity, discipline, devotion and dedication will make you better".

Communicating through video conference, Naidu also asked MPs to setup higher standards for being the representative of the people and not hurt their sentiments.

Also Read | IGNOU Award 2022: Apply for IGNOU Student Innovation Award 2022 Till September 30; Check Details Here.

He sought their help in improving the functioning of the Parliamentary Committees noting their important role in assisting the functioning of the House.

The Chairman also advised the MPs to be tolerant to the views of Opposition members which is different of their views.

"Develop a positive attitude and have the patience to hear others," suggested Naidu, adding "we must respect each other".

Noting that the entire world is looking to India, the Chairman said the members should follow the "discipline, dignity and decorum" of the House during its proceeding.

In the orientation programme, Naidu also said it is the collective responsibility of both the government and the Opposition MPs to maintain the dignity of the House.

The orientation programme has been devised to provide an opportunity to new members of the Rajya Sabha to discuss and appreciate various aspects of parliamentary practice and procedures with special reference to the House and to familiarize them with parliamentary institutions.

This programme will consist of sessions on specific topics, conducted by eminent parliamentarians and others which will be followed by discussions. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India] July 30 (ANI): A Special Court on Saturday granted bail to 4 former Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in the Agusta Westland Chopper Deal corruption case. They appeared on the summons issued by the court on the last date of the hearing.

Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Judge Arvind Kumar granted bail to retired Air Force AVM JS Panesar, retired Air Commodore N Santosh, retired Air Commodore SA Kunte and retired Wing Commander Thomas Mathew. The court granted bail to each of them on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and one surety in the same amount.

Also Read | Congress to Hold Nationwide Protest Against Price Rise, Unemployment And Agnipath Scheme on August 5.

While granting bail the Court has imposed some conditions on the accused persons. They were not arrested by the CBI and were summoned by the court after the cognizance of the charge was taken.

Their bail was not opposed by the special prosecutor for the CBI. The matter now has been listed for 27 August for further hearing.

Also Read | CUET UG 2022 Admit Card For Phase 2 Exams to Release Tomorrow At cuet.samarth.ac.in; Here's How to Download Hall Ticket.

On the last date of the hearing, the court had granted bail to Former Defence Secretary and former CAG, Shashi Kant Sharma in this case. Sharma was admitted to bail on furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs.2 Lac (Rupees two lac) with one surety in the like amount.

Advocates R.K.Handoo and Aditya Chaudhary appeared for Shashi Kant Sharma had submitted that he is a retired IAS Officer and served as Defence Secretary to the Government of India till May 2013 and thereafter from 2013 to September 2017 as Controller & Auditor General of India, a constitutional post of the Government of India and is presently leading a retired life.

Lawyers had further submitted that the applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the present case and has nothing to do with the offences alleged in the charge sheet.

It was also submitted that the applicant has cooperated with the investigation and has appeared before CBI. It was submitted that the applicant is a pensioner and an income tax payee and 69 years of age and is suffering from old age-related ailments. It was submitted that the applicant suffered a heart attack and stenting has been done and is still under treatment by a heart specialist.

Former Defence Secretary Shashikant Sharma had appeared before the Court following the court summons were issued against him. The court took cognizance of the chargesheet and directed all the accused to appear before it on April 28, 2022.

CBI earlier informed the court that it has got prosecution sanctions against Shashi Kant Sharma. Earlier, the Central Bureau of Investigation had sought sanction from the government to prosecute former defence secretary and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma, in a case of alleged irregularities in the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal.

Earlier CBI had filed the chargesheet in September 2020 against 15 accused including persons, and private companies in a case related to the award of a contract to a UK-based company for the supply of 12 VVIP helicopters.

The Agusta Westland case is a corruption case which is being probed by CBI and ED. It has been alleged that bribes were paid during UPA Regime to "middlemen", perhaps even politicians, when India agreed to buy 12 AgustaWestland helicopters built by Italian defence manufacturing Company Finmeccanica at an estimated cost of Rs 3,600 crore. Later in 2014, the said deal was scrapped by NDA Government. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Raipur, Jul 30 (PTI) Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan on Saturday said India's future lies in strengthening liberal democracy and its institutions as it is essential for achieving economic growth.

Also Read | Noida: 55-Year-Old Depressed Woman Jumps off 11th Floor of High-Rise Building in Gautam Budh Nagar District.

Warning against majoritarianism, he said Sri Lanka was an example of what happens when a country's politicians try to deflect a job crisis by targeting minorities.

Also Read | Gujarat Shocker: Forest Officer in Veraval Arrested on Rape Charge.

Speaking at the 5th conclave of All India Professionals Congress, a wing of the Congress party, here, he said any attempt to turn a large minority into "second class citizens" will divide the country.

Rajan was speaking on the topic 'Why liberal democracy is needed for India's economic development'.

"...what is happening to liberal democracy in this country and is it really that necessary for Indian development?....We absolutely must strengthen it. There is a feeling among some quarters in India today that democracy holds back India...India needs strong, even authoritarian, leadership with few checks and balances on it to grow and we seem to be drifting in this direction," Rajan said.

"I believe this argument is totally wrong. It's based on an outdated model of development that emphasizes goods and capital, not people and ideas," said the former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund.

The under-performance of the country in terms of economic growth "seems to indicate the path we are going on needs rethinking, he said.

The former RBI governor further said that "our future lies in strengthening our liberal democracy and its institutions, not weakening them, and this is in fact essential for our growth."

Elaborating on why majoritarian authoritarianism must be defeated, he said any attempt to "make second class citizens of a large minority will divide the country and create internal resentment."

It will also make the country vulnerable to foreign meddling, Rajan added.

Referring to the ongoing crisis in Sri Lanka, he said the island nation was seeing the "consequences when a country's politicians try to deflect from the inability to create jobs by attacking a minority."

This does not lead to any good, he said.

Liberalism was not an entire religion and the essence of every major religion was to seek out that which is good in everyone, which, in many ways, was also the essence of liberal democracy, Rajan said.

Claiming that India's slow growth was not just due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rajan said the country's underperformance predated it.

"Indeed for about a decade, probably since the onset of the global financial crisis, we haven't been doing as well as we could. The key measure of this underperformance is our inability to create the good jobs that our youth need," the former RBI governor said.

Citing the strident protests against the Centre's Agniveer military recruitment scheme, Rajan said it suggested how hungry the youths were for jobs.

"Just a while ago you saw 12.5 million applicants for 35,000 railway jobs. It is particularly worrisome when India has a scarcity of jobs even when so many women are not working outside their homes. India's female labour force participation is among the lowest in G-20 at 20.3 percent as in 2019," he pointed out.

Talking about the "vision of growth" of the current government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said it centres around the term 'atmanirbhar' or self-reliance.

"Now, to the extent it emphasizes better connectivity, better logistics, better roads and devotes more resources to it, in some way this (atmanirbhar vision) seems the continuation of the past reformed decades. And that's good," he said.

But, the former RBI governor said, in many ways a look at what 'atmanirbhar' is trying to achieve takes one back to an early and failed past where the focus was on physical capital and not human capital, on protection and subsidies and not on liberalization, on choosing favourites to win rather than letting the most capable succeed.

Asserting that there was a misplaced sense of priorities, Rajan said the nation was not spending enough on education, with tragic consequences.

"Many (children) not having been to school for two years are dropping out. Their human capital, which is their and our most important asset in the coming years, is something we are neglecting. We are failing them by not devoting enough resources to remedial education," Rajan said.

(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 30 (PTI) Two men were arrested and four women were apprehended for allegedly duping people on the pretext of providing them job as male escort, police said on Saturday.

Nine mobile phones and SIM cards were also recovered from the accused, they said.

Also Read | SSC Scam: 'Everybody in Party Including Top Leadership, Knew About Money Collected From Ineligible Candidates for School Teacher Jobs, Says Partha Chatterjee.

The accused have been identified as Amit Gandhi (34), Jai Kochar (32), Mahi Gandhi (34), Lisha (25) and Ranjana (21), all residents of Uttam Nagar and 23-year-old Harman Kaur, native of Patiala, Punjab.

According to the police, a complainant alleged that he searched a number on internet and called for a job. The person asked him to deposit Rs 2,500 for registration. He was again asked to pay Rs 58,158 on the pretext of various charges, a senior police officer said.

Also Read | Arunachal Pradesh BJP MP Tapir Gao's Missing Brother Tahang Gao Rescued From Guwahati Hotel.

During investigation, police found that the accused persons were operating from various locations in west Delhi and Patiala in Punjab. Later, raids were conducted and Amit Gandhi and Kochar were arrested on Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

On their instance, Mahi, Harman, Ranjana and Lisha, who were calling from Patiala and Uttam Nagar here and asking money from victims on the pretext of job, were apprehended, police said.

Disclosing their modus operandi, the accused told police that they had created two websites and they mentioned fake mobile numbers on them. When any person would call on the mobile numbers for job, the accused women would ask him initially to pay Rs 2,500 for registration and thereafter, would ask to pay various charges, police said.

After taking money, the accused persons would block the mobile number of the victim, police added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London [UK], July 30 (ANI): A Srinagar based-journalist while busting the Pakistani narrative on Kashmir has urged the Kashmiri diaspora in London to stem Islamabad's propaganda which is fraught with denigrating the image of the valley in the international arena, media reports said.

At a London gathering, the Kashmiri activist Bashir Assad told that Pakistan is fuelling terrorism in Kashmir.

Also Read | Elon Musk Tweets: Tesla CEO Says, 'Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin's Wife Nicole Shanahan Should Sue WSJ Over Our False Affair Story'.

"The Pakistani propaganda is spreading the idea of the Islamic Caliphate to radicalise the youths in the Valley. They are using the outdated UN resolutions and plebiscite calls to muster support from the global audience. It is high time to stem the false narratives on Valley."

Bashir Assad, an author engaged in peace-building initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir, exposed Pakistan by noting the real stories are far from the Pakistani narrative, reported Asian Lite News.

Also Read | Monkeypox Cases in US Spike to 5,189; New York Accounts Highest 1,345 Cases.

Notably, Bashir Assad is the author of three famous books on Kashmir - K File: The Conspiracy of Silence and Kashmir - The War of Narratives - An Insider's Perspective and Kashmir beyond Article 370.

The event was organised by South Central Asia Academic Forum (SCAAF UK) in London to discuss Bashir's new book "Kashmir - The War of Narratives - An Insider's Perspective."

Vinod Tikoo, founder member of the Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre in London and Bismah Mir, the editor of The Kashmir Central also addressed the gathering.

Highlighting the use of militants by Pakistan as a weapon to terrorise women and children in the valley, Bismah Mir, "They (Pakistan) are forcing youngsters to join the militant by threatening their mothers and sisters."

"The stereotypical Kashmir narrative runs on a grinding machine of disinformation, half-truths, and concocted accounts unrelentingly flowing from Pakistan," said Srinagar-based Journalist Assad.

"This is an obfuscation of truth. Through the cruel, merciless arms of terrorism, atrocities, and pain have been inflicted upon the Kashmiris. Hair-raising terrorist atrocities over more than 30 years tell the story of how Pakistan has ripped apart the life and happiness of Kashmiris."

Assad said that the diaspora must come forward and rupture the Pakistani misinformation campaign of Pakistan.

He added that there is a large number of Mirpuri immigrants (who are originally from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) in countries like the UK. These immigrants make the Pakistani version dominant in the media and political circle.

Because of this reason, he continued saying that some leaders are creating vote banks and setting personal agendas by using Kashmir cards, as per the media portal.

"Everybody wrote about Kashmir," said Assad. "There will be oceans of content about Kashmir. Most of them are confining to certain narratives. My concern in is about the society and the society has been destroyed by these narratives. The eco-system created by these narratives." (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
London, Jul 30 (PTI) Rishi Sunak's campaign to be elected the Conservative Party leader and the next British Prime Minister suffered a blow on Saturday as a former candidate endorsed his rival Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Tom Tugendhat, the Tory backbencher and chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee who was in the initial shortlist before being knocked out of the race earlier this month, said he preferred Truss' campaign pitch with its promise of immediate tax cuts.

Also Read | Elon Musk Tweets: Tesla CEO Says, 'Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin's Wife Nicole Shanahan Should Sue WSJ Over Our False Affair Story'.

The former soldier in the British Army said that after watching the candidates go head-to-head in live TV debates, "only one has convinced me she's ready".

Liz has always stood up for British values at home, and abroad. With her at the helm, I have no doubt that we will move with determination to make this country safer and more secure, he writes in The Times' newspaper.

Also Read | Monkeypox Cases in US Spike to 5,189; New York Accounts Highest 1,345 Cases.

He said both contenders have "huge qualities and many talents" but Truss has an advantage on the world stage because of her Cabinet position.

As foreign secretary, Liz is starting with a huge advantage. She can make our voice count, he writes.

It follows the endorsement of another Tory heavyweight Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who also threw his support behind Truss  describing her as "authentic, honest and experienced".

Sunak was initially the frontrunner in the race in the ballots of his party colleagues, winning the most support from MPs in the first few rounds of voting. But since then, polling among the Tory membership that will vote for the winner has shown Truss is more popular.

According to another report in The Times', even Sunak's former boss is feeling sorry for him.

He told friends he did not think that Sunak, the man he blames for his downfall, was going to make it.

He almost feels sorry for him, a friend of Johnson's was quoted as saying.

[Rishi] got in with a crowd of malcontents who used him as part of their vendetta against Boris. What future is there for him now? it said.

The two finalists are next scheduled to go head-to-head in the TV debate on Thursday, when the first postal ballot papers will start landing at Tory members' addresses.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, Jul 30 (PTI) Pakistan values its relations with the US and earnestly looks forward to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Saturday as he held telephonic talks with top US commander General Michael Erik Kurilla.

During the call, Gen Bajwa and Gen Kurilla, Commander United States (US) CENTCOM discussed matters of mutual interests, regional stability as well as defence and security cooperation in detail, according to a statement by the Pakistan Army.

Also Read | Removing Condom During Sexual Intercourse Without Partner's Consent Is Sex Crime, Says Supreme Court of Canada.

The Pakistan Army chief said that his country was looking forward to deepening ties with the US.

Pakistan values its relations with US and we earnestly look forward to enhance mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests," Gen Bajwa said.

Also Read | Elon Musk Tweets: Tesla CEO Says, 'Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin's Wife Nicole Shanahan Should Sue WSJ Over Our False Affair Story'.

The two army officials reiterated the desire to further enhance bilateral relations in all fields.

"The commander US CENTCOM acknowledged the professionalism of Pakistan Armed Forces and appreciated Pakistan's role in regional stability and pledged to play his role for further improvement in cooperation with Pakistan at all levels," the Army said.

Earlier this week, Gen Bajwa spoke over phone with the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and appealed to the White House and the US Treasury Department to push the IMF to immediately expedite the nearly USD 1.2 billion loan, state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported, quoting sources in the Pakistan Army.

However, the Foreign Office feigned ignorance if the two leaders talked about economy even as it confirmed that Bajwa and Sherman had a telephonic conversation.

The International Monetary Fund has already granted Pakistan staff-level approval for the USD 1.17 loan in question on July 13, as the cash-strapped country faces the ignominy of a possible debt default due to its depleting foreign exchange reserves.

The Army chief's appeal comes in the wake of separate meetings between senior civilian Pakistani and American officials in July, none of which managed to negotiate an early disbursement of fund.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Pakistan], July 30 (ANI): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Friday said that Pakistan is getting weaker after the country's Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa sought help from the US to secure an early loan dispersal from the International Monetary Fund.

PTI chief said that it was not the job of the army chief to deal with economic matters, Geo TV reported.

Also Read | Afghanistan: Four Wounded in Grenade Blast at Kabul International Cricket Stadium During Shpageeza Cricket League T20 Match; Watch Video of Explosion Here.

"If the news of Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa contacting the United States officials for early dispersal of loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was true, it means we [Pakistan] are getting weaker," he added.

He also questioned whether the US will demand anything in return if it decides to help Pakistan.

Also Read | Afghanistan: Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada Calls for Implementation of Sharia Law.

According to a report by Nikkei Asia on Friday, Bajwa has urged the United States to help Islamabad secure an early dispersal of loan from the IMF.

Bajwa requested the White House and Treasury Department to urge the lender to expedite the bailout process and immediately release the nearly USD 1.2 billion that Pakistan expects to receive under a resumed loan programme, Geo TV reported.

Commenting on the development, the former prime minister said that neither the Washington-based lender trusts the government nor do other countries, "I think that's why the army chief has taken the responsibility now."

Pakistan's Geo TV reported citing sources that the army chief reached out to the US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on a phone call earlier in the week, as Pakistan faces the risk of debt default due to dwindling foreign reserves.

Speaking of the poor economic condition in the country, Khan said, "At this moment, the most alarming thing is the lack of trust of the market, somebody has to be held accountable for the current situation."

He reiterated his demands for early elections and said that political stability can only be seen when fair and transparent elections are conducted.

"Those sitting in power are afraid of the elections," he said, recalling that when he was ousted from the office, he did nothing except for approaching the public.

"If the coalition government had announced early elections, today the country would have been saved from this disaster," the PTI chairman said, citing the absence of a future roadmap by the coalition government as one of the reasons behind the economic crisis, Geo TV reported.

"I don't have any personal grudges with anybody. I had healthy relations with Nawaz and [late] Benazir Bhutto; however, my problem is corruption as they come into power and make money for themselves," he highlighted.

Earlier this month, the IMF reached a staff-level agreement with Pakistan authorities for the conclusion of the combined seventh and eighth reviews of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Despite the agreement, the ongoing political and economic turmoil in the country has raised concerns among investors, Pakistan's Business Recorder reported.

Since the start of 2022, the rupee has lost over 30 per cent of its value, according to the Foreign Exchange Association of Pakistan.

This downfall of Pakistani rupees comes as Moody's Investors Service and Fitch Ratings said they expect Pakistan to secure the USD 1.2 billion bailouts from the International Monetary Fund. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, July 30: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has said that there will be no money left in Mumbai and it will cease to be the financial capital of the country if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from the city.

As his statement made during an event on Friday evening kicked up a row with political parties objecting to it, the governor on Saturday said his comments were "misconstrued", and also made it clear that he had "no intention of belittling the hard work of the Marathi-speaking people in the progress and development of Maharashtra".

Criticising the governor, the Congress demanded an apology from him.

"I tell people here that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane, you will have no money and Mumbai will not be a financial capital," the governor said after the naming ceremony of a chowk (square) in Andheri, a western suburb of Mumbai. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Says, 'If Gujaratis and Rajasthanis Are Removed From Maharashtra, No Money Would Be Left Here' (Watch Video).

A release issued by the Raj Bhavan said Koshyari praised the contribution of Rajasthani-Marwari and Gujarati communities in making Mumbai the financial capital of the country. The governor said the Rajasthani-Marwari community is living in different parts of the country and also in countries like Nepal and Mauritius.

"Wherever members of this community go, they not only do business, but also do acts of philanthropy by creating schools, hospitals," he said. As his remarks triggered a controversy, Koshyari issued a statement on Saturday, saying that he was only speaking about the contribution of the Gujarati and Rajasthani communities to the trade and industry in the city.

"In doing so, I had no intention of belittling the Marathi speaking people. My comments were misconstrued," he said. Koshyari said he was proud of serving as the governor in the illustrious state of Maharashtra. "Mumbai is Maharashtra's pride and also the country's financial capital. I also tried to learn Marathi in a short span of time," he said.

Koshyari said Marathi industrialists have made a name for themselves not just in the state, but also in the country and across the globe. "There is no question of belittling Marathi people," he said. The governor said his comments were misconstrued as it has become a habit to view everything through a political prism. We need to change this attitude, he said. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Meets President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"Lauding one community doesn't mean insulting another. Political parties shouldn't create an unnecessary controversy. I will never insult Maharashtra and Marathi people," he said. State Congress spokesman Atul Londhe slammed the governor over his remarks, saying that they smack of his hatred for the state. He also demanded an apology from the governor.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena also lashed out at the governor. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said if Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had self-respect, he should demand the resignation of the governor. Deepak Kesarkar, spokesperson of the Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena, also criticised the governor.
Kolkata, July 30: The close association between Arpita Mukherjee and Partha Chatterjee started much before the latter became West Bengal Education Minister as is evident from a land purchase deed at Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district, famous for Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore-founded Visva Bharati University.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths, probing the multi-crore West Bengal Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam, have accessed documents of a luxurious mansion in the name of Mukherjee at Fuldanga area in Bolpur-Santiniketan. The name of the mansion is "APA" - deemed to be derived from the first letter of her name and first two letters of his name. West Bengal SSC Scam: Partha Chatterjee Recites Conspiracy Theory, Arpita Mukherjee Breaks Down (Watch Video)

Residents of Fuldanga area have also confirmed that they have seen Chatterjee and Mukherjee coming together to 'APA' several times.

ED sources said that although currently the mansion is registered in the name of Mukherjee, past records of the land on which the mansion is constructed shows the association of Chatterjee with it.

As per records of the West Bengal Land and Land Reforms, and Refugee, Relief and Rehabilitation department, the land, of around seven kathas on which the mansion is constructed, was purchased in 2012 jointly by Mukherjee and Chatterjee from a Kolkata- based Bengali family at a price of Rs 20 lakh.

However, after the construction of the mansion, its mutation was done in 2020 and that certificate was issued only in the name of Mukherjee.

From the timeline, it is clear that their association was much before Chatterjee became Education Minister. In 2012, or a year after the Trinamool Congress came to power ousting the 34-year-old Left Front government, Chatterjee was the state Commerce and Industries and Parliamentary Affairs minister. He became Education Minister in May 2014 and continued in that chair till May 2021.

After the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, Chatterjee was again given the portfolio of Commerce and Industries and held it till July 28, when he was stripped of all his ministerial and party charges.

ED sources said that this is not the only property in the district that has monetary involvement of Chatterjee and Mukherjee. "Many more such properties are currently under our scanner and all details will be revealed in the days to come," an ED official said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2022 06:34 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, allegedly accepted $1.28 Million Payment From the Family of Osama bin Laden. According to reports, Prince Charles also met two siblings of Osama bin Laden in 2013 at Clarence House, London. Osama bin Laden was a founder of the Pan-Islamic militant organization al-Qaeda, which is designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union, and various countries.

MORE: Prince Charles met two siblings of Osama Bin Laden in 2013 at Clarence House, London; palace aides urged him not to accept payment  BNO News (@BNONews) July 30, 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.)
Ramallah, July 30: Palestine has condemned the killing of a Palestinian teenager, and accused Israel of ignoring the pledges made by US President Joe Biden. The Palestinian presidency condemns "the crime committed by the Israeli soldiers" in the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Friday in a press statement.

"The Israeli government bears the consequences of violating all resolutions of international legitimacy and international law," Abu Rudeineh added. He said that it confirmed Israel's disregard and rejection of all the commitments and pledges made by Biden during his recent tour of the region, urging the US to stop the Israeli moves, Xinhua news agency reported. Israel-Palestine Conflict: 6-Year-Old Gaza Girl Pulled Out Alive After Being Trapped Under Debris For 7 Hours Following Israeli Airstrikes; Watch Video.

Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that a 16-year-old boy was killed by Israeli soldiers in clashes that broke out in the village of Al-Mughayyir during a demonstration against the Israeli policy of expanding settlements and confiscating Palestinian land.

Meanwhile, a number of Palestinians were injured on the same day during clashes with the Israeli soldiers near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. There has been no immediate Israeli authorities' response to the incident.

For many years, the Palestinians have been organising weekly protests, rallies and demonstrations against the Israeli policies of expanding settlements and confiscating lands in the West Bank.

Official Palestinian figures said that there are more than 600,000 Israeli settlers living in West Bank's settlements, an issue that was a major reason for keeping the peace process stalled since 2014.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 30, 2022 12:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Johnny Depp started performing in front of an audience when his mother gifted him a guitar when he was 12. He played for different bands and eventually dropped out of high school to be a musician.

Depp's band was known as The Kids, which relocated to Los Angeles. However, the group split up soon after, according to Britannica.

After the band split, Depp chose to pursue a career in acting. His professional break was the 1987 "21 Jump Street" television series, wherein he played Officer Tom Hanson.

He then left the television series in 1990 and appeared in John Waters's "Cry-Baby" and Tim Burton's "Edward Scissorhands."

Depp and Vanessa Paradis were in a relationship from 1998 to 2012. They shared two children. Depp then married Amber Heard in 2015. The two made headlines with their turbulent relationship. Each of them accuses the other of abuse.

Johnny Depp and Amber Heard reached a divorce settlement in 2016. In 2018, the actress wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post, calling herself a domestic violence survivor.

READ NEXT: Amber Heard Wealth: How Much Is the 'Aquaman' Actor's Net Worth Before and After the Trial

Johnny Depp Net Worth Before and After Amber Heard Trial

Johnny Depp's net worth before the trial against Amber Heard was estimated to be around $100 million in 2019, the Showbiz Cheat Sheet reported.

The actor had issues with his own finances, which were managed by a company called The Management Group. In 2017, Depp filed a lawsuit accusing them of "gross mismanagement" and "outright fraud."

Celebrity Net Worth reported that the actor alleged that the firm caused him to lose millions of dollars and racked up over $40 million in debt without his knowledge.

The actor further noted that the firm failed to file his property taxes on time, made unauthorized loans, and overpaid for security and other services. The Management Group filed a lawsuit countering Depp's suit. The firm claimed that the actor had paid $650 million in the previous 13 years.

However, his "lavish spending habits" were no longer enough to have liquid cash to cover his basic monthly expenses, which were $2 million. The trial he faced against Amber Heard had affected his net worth, with the "Aquaman" actress now owning him $10.35 million.

A Virginia court ruled that Heard must pay her ex-husband $10 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.

And with Depp's lawyer referring to Heards' claims as a "hoax," the actress was awarded $2 million by the jury in compensatory damages for her counterclaim but nothing in punitive damages. Johnny Depp's net worth for 2022 is $150 million, a raise of $50 million.

Johnny Depp's Notable Earnings

Johhny Depp's wealth comes mostly from his movie projects. The actor is among Hollywood's highest-paid actors, with $20 million upfront per movie, including 20% of the backend.

He earned a lot from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise alone, more than $300 million. In 2020, Depp was still paid $16 million despite not appearing in the third installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" franchise.

His contract required studio Warner Brothers to pay him regardless of any adversity. Johnny Depp was fired after he lost a UK libel lawsuit against the Sun newspaper.

READ MORE: Is Johnny Depp Returning to 'Pirates of the Caribbean'? Here's the Truth About His Rumored $301 Million Disney Deal

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by Mary Webber

WATCH: Johnny Depp's Lifestyle 2022 | Net Worth, Fortune, Car Collection, Mansion - from ALL ABOUT
Several months after the "slap heard around the world," Will Smith finally broke his silence regarding the incident via his YouTube channel and Instagram page. He recorded a new video that ran over five minutes and finally talked about "the slap."

In the video, he apologized to the many he had hurt, including Chris Rock and his family. The "Men in Black" star said that it is all "fuzzy," and added that he had reached out to Chris Rock. However, he replied that he was still not ready to talk about it to Smith. He also said that his behavior is unacceptable and told Rock that he is ready to talk whenever he is, according to The Guardian.

Will Smith Reads Out Questions Regarding the Chris Rock Slap

Smith started the video with a statement, stating that he had been doing a lot of thinking and personal work over the last few months. He then began answering several questions regarding the slap.

The first question was why he did not apologize to Rock during his Oscars speech after he won the Best Actor Award for his role in King Richard. To this, Smith simply said that he was already "fogged out" at that point.

One of the biggest questions was regarding his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. The question asked if Jada told him to do something following the actress's eye-roll after Chris Rock's now-infamous G.I. Jane joke. To this, Smith said no, she did not tell him something. He revealed he made a choice on his own and his own experiences.

"Jada had nothing to do with it," he said.

He then apologized to her and their family for "the heat" that he has brought upon them.

He also apologized to the Oscars community because he won because of their votes but ruined everything because he slapped Chris Rock. He said that it broke his heart because he felt that he had stolen and tarnished their moment. He specifically apologized to the Tonight Show musician Questlove because it was supposed to be his moment, but it was taken away because people talked about "the slap" more than him winning an Oscar.

READ MORE: Did Kevin Hart Really Give Chris Rock a Goat Named Will Smith?

Will Smith Also Apologized to Chris Rock's Family

He then took a moment to apologize to Rock's mother. He said he saw her do an interview and admitted that he did not realize how many people got hurt by his actions.

He then apologized to other members of the Rock family, specifically Tony Rock, who Smith had been friends with before the slapping incident. He said they had a great relationship and described him as "my man," but added their friendship might be irreparable after what Smith did.

He then added he spent the last three months replaying the moment and said that he admits it was "no way to behave at that moment."

Finally, Smith talked about the people disappointed with him due to his actions. He said that his biggest trauma following the incident was that many people were now disappointed in him. He said he is "deeply remorseful," and he is trying to be so without being ashamed of himself. Smith added that he's human and made a mistake, and he said he does not want to think of himself as a "piece of s***."

He ended the video by saying he is committed to putting life, love, and joy into the world.

According to the BBC, Will Smith has been banned from the Oscars for the next 10 years. They described his actions as "unacceptable and harmful behavior."

As for Smith himself, he is seeking to make a career comeback with the new Apple movie, "Emancipation." According to Deadline, Smith plays a slave who tries to escape by going through the Louisiana swamps and joining the Union army.

READ NEXT: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith: Here's Why the Hollywood Couple Is Still Inseparable Even After More Than 2 Decades of Marriage

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: It's been a minute... - Will Smith
The gaps in the U.S-Mexico border in Arizona will be closed after the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has received authorization from the White House on Thursday.

CNN News reported that the filling of the gaps in the border wall will be done to protect migrants from drowning and sustaining injuries while trying to cross the Colorado River into the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a news release that the Yuma Morelos Dam Project will close four gaps in an "incomplete border barrier project" near the dam. The DHS also noted that the gaps in the wall pose a "life and safety" risk to first responders in the area.

U.S. President Joe Biden did halt several border wall contracts and has returned some property to landowners who had fought land seizures in court.

Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona praised the decision to close the gaps between the border wall. He said in a statement that he called for the president to give the go signal for the reconstruction of the border wall to close the gaps. Kelly also said that he has had "numerous calls" with the White House and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

READ NEXT: Mexico: 'Historic' Drug Bust Leads to Discovery of Drug-Smuggling Den, Half-Ton of Fentanyl

U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

The area where a project is set to be completed is the third busiest crossing for migrants who can easily walk across the river to surrender to border officials.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump placed the construction of the border wall a top priority, while Biden suspended all border wall construction after he took office.

Meanwhile, Arizona environmentalist Myles Traphagen said that closing the border wall gaps will not be much of a deterrent.

Traphagen has been plotting the ecological damage left by border wall construction under Trump, according to an NBC News report. He noted that the Yuma area has turned into the new "Ellis Island for Arizona," adding that people are arriving there from countries such as Ethiopia, Cuba, Russia, Ukraine, India, Colombia, and Nicaragua.

U.S.-Mexico Border Wall Gaps

In March, The Guardian reported that smugglers have breached the border wall more than 3,000 times.

Luis Miranda, a spokesperson for CBP, said that no structure is impenetrable. Miranda noted that they will continue to work to focus resources on modern measures to ramp up safety and security.

Trump promised that Mexico would pay for the construction of the border wall and it would be "virtually impenetrable" before its construction. Part of the border wall is constructed using posts cemented in concrete at the base, supporting a long lintel at the top.

Smuggler saw through the posts and swing them open, continuing the same technique until the damage is detected by the border patrol.

Meanwhile, other sections have been damaged by monsoons.

Smuggling organizations have sawn large holes to pass an SUV through the border wall. One SUV was loaded with 23 migrants, which passed through a section of border wall near San Diego. It then collided with a semi-truck, which led to the death of 13 people.

READ MORE: Jalisco Cartel in Mexico Is Creating Homemade Bombs Similar to Those Use by Islamic Militants Amid Drug War

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Hole in border fence repaired where vehicle drove through before killing 13 in crash - from CBS 8 San Diego
The recent Texas truck migrant tragedy, where 53 migrants died because of the sweltering heat, nearly happened again. However, the migrants managed to escape their deaths this time after the truck driver abandoned them while approaching a checkpoint in Mexico.

According to the Associated Press, 94 migrants trapped inside the truck's trailer managed to bash their way out and into the highway.

Carlos Enrique Escalante, the head of the state migrant attention office in Vera Cruz, where the truck was abandoned, said some migrants had to punch holes in order to get out. He noted that some were also able to escape through the roof of the trailer.

Local Residents in Mexico Rushed in to Help Migrants

The Washington Post reported that the truck was abandoned near the town of Acayucan in Mexico's state of Vera Cruz. Escalante said residents heard the noise and rushed in to help those still trapped inside.

Many of the locals who helped were employees of a local gas station, which was the nearest to where the truck was abandoned.

A total of 94 migrants were found and rescued inside the trailer. They were mainly non-Mexicans that came from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

Following their rescue, they were then turned over to immigration authorities. However, BBC reported that authorities think others may have run away.

Mexico's National Guard and Navy are now patrolling the area and looking for people hiding in the surrounding bushes.

Many of the migrants were found with injuries, mainly ankle and knee fractures, after jumping from the top of the trailer. However, one man was found to be unconscious and taken to the hospital.

READ NEXT: San Antonio Truck Migrant Tragedy: Guatemalan Survivor Says They Can't Breathe Inside Trailer

Migrants Escaped as They Were Starting to Suffocate

Civil protection paramedic Cristobal Cisneros Valencia talked to the media following the incident. He said the migrants "started to feel suffocated," so they started to try and batter the roof of the trailer.

They finally broke through the trailer roof, then started jumping out. Some of the migrants suffered fractures as they tried to escape.

The residents rushed in to help and alerted authorities at around 9:20 p.m. on Wednesday. Another paramedic, Kenia Diaz, said many of the migrants ran away because they feared for their well-being.

Guatemala's foreign ministry later released a statement following their rescue. They confirmed that 89 of the 94 migrants were Guatemalan. Fifty-five of them were adults, and the rest were children.

Five people were from Honduras, and four were from Ecuador. There was also one person from El Salvador, two from India, and one from Nepal.

The incident comes after what is considered the "deadliest human trafficking incident in US history" in San Antonio, Texas on June 27, when 53 migrants, including Mexicans, Hondurans, and Guatemalans, died inside a truck after those who were inside were abandoned in the sweltering heat with no access to water.

READ MORE: San Antonio Semi-Truck Tragedy: Migrant Death Toll Reaches 53, Identifying Victims Difficult

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Migrants in Mexico: Mass Escape From Abandoned Truck After Recent Deaths - From English News
Brazil reported its first monkeypox death on Friday amid the current growing virus outbreak. According to Reuters, the monkeypox death in Brazil was the first virus-related death outside the African continent. Spain confirmed Europe's first monkeypox death later in the day.

The Health Ministry of Brazil did not release the details of the victim's identity, but the Brazilian was a 41-year-old man with serious immune system complications, the Daily Mail reported.

"The comorbidities aggravated his condition," Brazil's Health Ministry noted, adding that the victim also had lymphoma.

Officials said the man was admitted to the Eduardo de Menezes Hospital in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais. The patient reportedly died of septic shock after he was taken into the intensive care unit of the hospital on Thursday.

READ NEXT: Monkeypox Case in New Mexico Probable | Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Monkeypox Cases in Brazil

As of Friday, Brazil reported at least 1,073 monkeypox cases in 15 states and the Federal District. The state of Sao Paolo is known to be the worst impacted by the monkeypox virus, with 818 confirmed cases, including three teenagers between 13 and 14 years old who tested positive on Thursday.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) noted that Brazil was among the countries most affected by monkeypox in the Americas.

Reuters reported that more than 98% of the confirmed cases in the South American country are men who have sex with men. According to data from the ministry, the average age of the victims is 33 years old.

Although most cases in Brazil are men, PAHO warned that the disease can still be contracted regardless of gender. On Thursday, Brazil's Health Ministry said they will open an emergency operation center to monitor the cases of monkeypox in their country.

"The immunization schedule must be two doses with an interval of 30 days between them," said Health Ministry Secretary Arnaldo Medeiros, adding they are negotiating with the manufacturers to acquire immunizers against the virus.

Global Health Emergency for Monkeypox Declared

Last week, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared monkeypox a global health emergency.

Ghebreyesus announced it after the U.N. health agency's expert committee could not agree on whether to apply the highest level of alert to the virus.

A global health emergency designation may help encourage more investment into combating a disease amid a scarcity of vaccines. It is the WHO's highest level of alert, but it does not mean that the disease is highly transmissible or lethal.

The same alert level was also issued for the Zika virus in 2016 in Latin America and the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014.

READ MORE: Shakira in Trouble: Colombian Star Facing 8 Years in Prison, $24 Million Penalty Over Tax Fraud Charges

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Monkeypox Virus Spreads to Multiple Countries Amid Struggle to Contain COVID-19 - From PBS NewsHour
It looks like California is gearing towards declaring a state of emergency amid the rising cases of monkeypox virus in the area.

The news came days after San Francisco, the epicenter of the virus, declared that they are in a State of Public Health Emergency.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency - ramping up various states and cities in the United States on vaccine rollout and preventive measures.

California State of Emergency for Monkeypox Virus

CBS Bay Area reported that California is "looking carefully" at declaring a State of Public Health Emergency after San Francisco City did so earlier this week.

California Public Health Department Director Dr. Tomas Aragon is confident that the state is far more equipped to deal with the monkeypox outbreak than the COVID-19 virus.

That is because California has used the past two years to ramp up its surveillance and investigation plans to combat viruses and outbreaks like monkeypox.

"The most important thing that we're doing is trying to get as accurate information as possible to the communities that are concerned and the communities that are affected," the health department director said

State Senator Scott Wiener has urged California to declare a State of Emergency because of the White House's slow response to the outbreak, particularly in securing vaccines.

Aragon echoed Weiner's statements but noted that the state is currently gathering accurate information from affected communities first before making a huge decision. He also pointed out that there is an ongoing internal state review of the declaration.

READ NEXT: San Francisco: State of Emergency Declared Amid Rising Monkeypox Cases, Poor Vaccine Rollout

San Francisco City Declares Monkeypox Public Health State of Emergency

Earlier this week, San Francisco independently declared a public health state of emergency after recording high cases of the monkeypox virus in the city.

As of July 28, San Francisco recorded 257 (32.7%) cases among the state's 786 monkeypox cases. Los Angeles takes the lead with four more cases at 261 but has yet to declare its own State of Emergency.

CDC records showed that California is the second state with the highest number of cases, next to New York with more than 1,300.

According to San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the state declaration enables them to prepare, mobilize, and allocate resources to curb the spread of the monkeypox virus in the area.

Among their concerns is the heavy impact of the virus on the LGBTQ+ community. A recent medical journal revealed that sexually active gay and bisexual men were more susceptible to the virus because the mode of transmission is through intimate and physical contact.

National Monkeypox Vaccination Rollout in the United States

President Joe Biden's slow response to the monkeypox outbreak has received backlash among his critics and the LGBTQ+ sector.

It was mainly because of his poor vaccination program rollout that has put more danger on the community and others. Earlier this week, San Francisco City closed its major monkeypox vaccination clinics after its stock depleted.

Like New York and the United Kingdom, San Francisco City has also resorted to giving single doses to many and delaying the second shots until more vaccines become available.

READ MORE: California CBP Officers Seize $8M Worth of Drugs in 5 Days

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ivan Korrs

WATCH: California Health Official Says Monkeypox State of Emergency Is Still Being Considered - From KCRA News
Brian Laundrie has reportedly made two more confessions regarding Gabby Petito's death aside from the shocking revelation in his notebook.

A source told Daily Mail that Pat Reilly, a lawyer representing Petito's family, said the FBI relayed to him that Laundrie made a confession on a "digital device," and the other confession was written but was not in the notebook that was previously released.

Reilly noted that each confession was "somewhat different." The lawyer reportedly appeared on NewsNation last month, claiming that Steve Bertolino, the lawyer representing Laundrie's parents, was in possession of a letter from Roberta Laundrie to her son that reportedly reads "burn after you read this" on the envelope.

Reilly noted that it was written within the time that Petito was murdered and Laundrie committed suicide. However, the letter was not dated.

The lawyer called the letter "odd" and "pretty interesting," but did not provide additional details, just that the letter referenced Petito.

Laura Richards, a criminal behavioral analyst and host of the "Crime Analyst" podcast, recently said in her show that the three different letters were "highly significant."

Richards added that the three letters must be compared, and "if they are different then that would indicate deception and that there was a strategy in place to deceive," Crime Online reported.

Richards told Daily Mail that the FBI handed that evidence over to Bertolino while Reilly was present.

READ NEXT: Gabby Petito's Mom, Nichole Schmidt, Files New Lawsuit Against Brian Laundrie's Estate in Florida

Brian Laundrie's Notebook Reveals His Motive in Killing Gabby Petito

Brian Laundrie's confession in his notebook was publicized late last month, revealing that he killed Gabby Petito because he wanted to "take away" the pain felt by his fiancee.

In the notebook, Laundrie noted that he killed Petito after she "injured herself" when she fell into a creek in Wyoming during their road trip last summer.

Laundrie said Petito's feet and wrist hurt, and she "was freezing, shaking violently." He said Petito also continually made sounds of pain while carrying her.

While she gasped in pain, Laundrie noted that Petito begged for an end to her pain. He said he would shake Petito to wake her up as he thought she should not close her eyes if she had a concussion.

Brian Laundrie noted that he did not know how serious Gabby Petito's injuries were, but "she was in extreme pain." He then said that he ended her life with good intentions.

"I ended her life. I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock," Laundrie noted.

Bertolino earlier said that as part of the return of property in FBI custody, he was given Laundrie's notebook and turned it over to his parents.

The lawyer added that he was sharing the notebook's contents "as a matter of transparency."

Brian Laundrie's Notebook Discovered

Last January, the FBI revealed that Brian Laundrie confessed to killing Gabby Petito in a message left in his notebook.

In its final report on the case, the FBI said a review of the notebook revealed written statements by Laundrie claiming responsibility for Petito's death.

The FBI noted that its investigation has concluded that Laundrie was the only person responsible for Petito's "tragic death."

Apart from the notebook, the FBI said they also found a "backpack" and a "revolver" upon further search of the area where Laundrie's remains were found.

Brian Laundrie's skeletal remains were discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Florida on October 20. His autopsy report showed that he died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide.

Gabby Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming on September 19.

A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said she was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide.

READ MORE: Florida Judge Invokes Johnny Depp Verdict During Hearing of Gabby Petito's Family Lawsuit Against Brian Laundrie's Parents

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

WATCH: How Did Gabby Petito Die? Brian Laundrie's Notebook Contains Killer Confession - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Veterans were fuming after Republican senators betrayed them by blocking a bill that was supposed to expand their healthcare eligibility.

Senate Republicans suddenly tanked the widely supported PACT Act or the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act, which supposedly had bipartisan support.

Supporters of the bill, including the veterans who might have benefitted from it, expected it to sail through the Senate before 41 Republican senators blocked the bill's passage on Wednesday night.

According to NBC News, the bill would have helped over 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans who were exposed to toxins while serving in the military.

Veterans of America CEO Says Republican Senators Were Playing With the Veterans

Veterans affected by these toxins have lobbied both the Senate and the House for years in order to get the bill passed. The Senate first passed it in June with an overwhelming vote of 84-14. It then underwent minor changes in the House but still passed 342-88.

It then went back to the Senate, and veterans expected it to pass with the vote not changing much. However, much to their surprise, 41 Senate Republicans turned to block the bill. It is still unclear why these Republicans flipped, but veterans' groups are saying that the move was purely political in nature.

Jeremy Butler, the CEO of the non-profit organization Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said they have already seen so much partisanship and games in Congress.

However, the bill's blockage was still shocking. He noted that the Senate Republicans were just playing with the veterans, and the reasons they give for blocking the bill were manufactured. He added that this is a new level of low for them.

Many veterans reacted to the bill's blockage with anger and frustration. One of them, Le Roy Torres, said that senators should not be allowed to leave until they figure out the issues with the bill.

According to the Economic Times, the PACT Act was drafted after the death of Kosovo and Iraq War veteran Heath Robinson. He died due to lung cancer, which may have been caused by his exposure to burn pits.

President Joe Biden was also one of the people rallying for the bill to pass, as his son, Beau Biden, died from brain cancer that was also linked to his exposure to burn pits in Iraq.

Burn pits were a regular practice in Afghanistan and Iraq, as the U.S. military burned computers, electronics, other equipment, and even human waste with jet fuel. The fumes may have led to cancer for many of them.

READ NEXT: January 6 Hearing: 6 Republican Lawmakers Who Asked Donald Trump for Pardons Named

Jon Stewart Delivers Impassioned Speech in Front of the Capitol

One of the biggest names lobbying for the PACT Act to pass is comedian and veterans' rights activist Jon Stewart. The former Daily Show host appeared with the veterans he worked alongside and delivered a speech in front of the Capitol on Thursday.

Stewart blasted Republican senators for denying the veterans the healthcare they earned and deserved for risking their lives in service of the United States.

He called those who voted against the bill's passage "an embarrassment to the Senate, to the country, to the Founders." Stewart then blasted the GOP's hypocrisy and said their "America First" policy was a disgrace.

Republican senator Ted Cruz talked about the bill and said he had concerns about the mandatory spending for the bill. Stewart responded with an expletive-laden video that called his excuses "bulls***."

"This is no trick, everything in government is either mandatory or discretionary spending," Stewart said. He added that Cruz and the GOP are acting as if this is a new thing that the Democrats are doing to get this bill passed.

The host of "The Problem With Jon Stewart" explained that the spending on veterans' healthcare should always be mandatory so their funding would not get cut off.

READ MORE: January 6: Dominican Rebublic-born Immigrant Capitol Police Officer Dealing With Pain After Capitol Insurrection

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Jon's Response to Ted Cruz's PACT Act Excuses - From The Problem With Jon Stewart
A mental health facility in Mexico's state of Jalisco is now under investigation by the National Human Rights Commission after an 11-year-old Mexican girl suffered second-degree burns to 13% of her body.

According to Mexico News Daily, the burns were allegedly triggered when the facility's staff tasered the girl after being doused with alcohol.

The incident reportedly occurred at the House of Life, Way to Health facility in Tonala, Guadalajara in Jalisco last Friday. Her mother said multiple employees tried to subdue her after they could not control her during an anxiety attack.

The employees then doused her with alcohol and tasered her as they tried to contain her. This led to the burns as the taser caused sparks that set her clothes on fire.

Mexican Girl Survived But Required Surgery

The Mexican girl suffered second-degree burns on her thorax, left hand and arm, and abdomen. She is currently hospitalized and has received the plastic surgery needed for her injury. She was due to receive another operation on Thursday to determine if she needed skin grafts.

The girl's mother, identified as "Monica" by the Mexican newspaper Milenio, talked to Mexican media regarding the incident. She said the House of Life, Way to Health facility contacted her about the incident involving her daughter.

She noted that they told her it was merely an accident. However, she said she did not believe them. She told Milenio that her daughter has an anxiety disorder and depression and has suicidal tendencies.

"Monica" noted that what the facility's staff did was too much, adding that five people grabbed her daughter before pouring alcohol onto her.

The mother also told the media that the facility tried to trick her into not reporting the incident to authorities. They also offered her financial compensation for her daughter's medical treatment.

However, she continued to report the incident and had her daughter treated at a local medical facility. Her daughter was then transferred to a hospital in Guadalajara.

READ NEXT: Mexico: Jalisco Becomes 2nd State To Export Avocados to U.S.

National Human Rights Commission's Division on Torture in Mexico Handles the Mexican Girl's Case

The case has now been forwarded to Mexico's National Human Rights Commission's Division on Torture, which means that the case will be investigated as a case of torture on a national level.

The state's human rights commission said it currently does not know if the House of Life, Way to Health facility is operating under legal regulations.

Jalisco human rights ombudswoman Erika Cordova noted that the Ministry of Health will verify if the facility adheres to regulations. If not, then the facility will be closed.

Neighbors living near the facility reported that they often hear screams, shouting, and crying coming from the center. One neighbor told Mexico News Daily that now that the incident has occurred, they are connecting it to what they heard.

The Tonala city council noted that, regardless of the actions and investigations carried out by other government agencies, the municipal administration will also act on it following a probe.

READ MORE: Mexico Mom Burned to Death May Not Have Been Killed by Angry Neighbors, Prosecutors Say

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Torturaron a La Menor De Albergue en Jalisco Para Tratar Crisis De Ansiedad - From Milenio
Devotees in a Catholic church in Mexico's Jalisco state seemed to have caught a miracle right before their eyes. A churchgoer managed to catch the astonishing occurrence on the camera and uploaded it online.

Dubbed as "miraculous" by many churchgoers, a Mexican Archdiocese has urged people to exercise caution on what they say.

It was not the first time that Jalisco state has seen a puzzling moment in their churches, as earlier this year, a Virgin of Fatima statue reportedly cried oil and blood.

Mexico: Jalisco Catholic Church Monstrance Beating Like A Heart

The unexplainable moment was caught on camera at one of Mexico's Jalisco most prominent Catholic churches, Mexico News Daily reported.

In a holy mass last week at the Nuestra Senora del Rosario church in the town of Zapotlanejo, the church's monstrance shocked churchgoers after it "palpitated" like a heart.

In the Twitter video that one of the del Rosario church patrons posted, the vessel that contained the consecrated Eucharistic host can be seen beating, to the crowd's silent bewilderment. The original tweet has already amassed more than 15,000 views and over 300 retweets.

Milagro en mexico mientras el padre Carlos Spahn exponia el santisimo la hostia empezo a palpitar.  pic.twitter.com/DkOjnBzgQi  Deydea Galindo (@DeydeaGalindo) July 25, 2022

The priest leading the Mass, Rev. Carlos Spahn, described the incident as "miraculous," adding that a medical doctor had reviewed the video clip and concurred that the monstrance was indeed "mimicking" a beating heart.

However, Guadalajara Archdiocese representative Rev. Antonio Gutierrez Montano believes otherwise. Montano has urged devotees to be prudent about what they see online.

As of this writing, there has been no formal request for an investigation on the "miraculous" monstrance beating from the Archbishop, who Gutierrez Montano revealed to be "hesitant" in believing such "miracles."

Gutierrez Montano noted that the best thing to do is to be "very cautious, very prudent, and know that the real eucharist, the concrete one, doesn't require supernatural elements." He added that "the celebration of each Mass that we attend as believers is a miracle."

The Archbishop's representative noted that a more rigorous investigation will take place, considering scientific evidence, witness testimonies, and even doctrinal analysis.

Meanwhile, netizens who saw the video online see the recent "miracle" as a gift from God. An unexplainable occurrence like this is not new to Spahn, as he revealed that he experienced a similar "miracle" earlier that day.

READ NEXT: US-Mexico Border: Why Did Joe Biden Approve New Wall Construction in Arizona?

Blessed Carlo Acutis Image in Mexico's Jalisco Church Oozing With Oil

As reported by Catholic News Agency, Rev. Carlos Spahn told ACI Prensa that another miracle happened before the holy monstrance has inexplicably beaten like a heart.

Hours before what happened in the Mexican parish, Spahn noted that he had blessed a picture frame with an image of Blessed Carlo Acutis, who reportedly had a "deep devotion" to eucharistic miracles like the one that recently transpired.

But the photo, which was sealed in glass, began to ooze oil later that night, Spahn said. Acutis' mother, Antonia, reportedly contacted Spahn shortly after the beating monstrance went viral, but both agreed not to call it a miracle because the Catholic church must confirm it first.

"We are only saying that it's an extraordinary occurrence that has no explanation to our limited natural science. We didn't find any explanation," Spahn said.

READ MORE: Mexico: 94 Migrants Who Almost Died Inside Truck Managed to Escape After Driver Abandoned Them

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Ivan Korrs

WATCH: Further Analysis of Heart Beating Eucharistic Miracle Reported in Mexico - From Fr. Mark Goring
Laurel, MS (39440)

Today

Partly cloudy early. Thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. High 91F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 71F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.


remaining of

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading.
A prisoner is reportedly suing the State for injuries claimed to have been suffered while being transported in a prison van that was at the centre of a failed ramming and supposed breakout.

The Irish Times is reporting that the prisoner in question was among the inmates being conveyed from Monaghan to Wheatfield Prison on June 15 when the van was rearended by a gold BMW X5.

Gardai confirmed the incident at the time when they appealed for witnesses to what they described as a "hit and run road traffic collision" on the N2 at Kilcrow, Clontribbet

Gardai said that the BMW X5 left the scene and was found burnt out a short distance away on the N2. The guards added that a number of individuals were observed leaving the scene of the burnt out vehicle in a grey /black Audi A4 with Northern Ireland registration plates.



The gardai said they were satisfied that the BMW may have been stolen in a burglary in Ashbourne, Co. Meath on the 15th May 2022. They said the correct registration of the BMW X5 is 04D77272. The said that at the time of this hit and run collision the BMW was bearing false registration plates 06D520.

The Garda statement issued on June 16 said "no injuries have been reported at this time".



Now it's emerged that prison staff and prisoners were injured and one of the inmates has been granted leave to take a judicial review against the Irish Prison Service (IPS) and the State after alleging they had failed to properly treat his injuries.

It is not believed that the plaintiff, who the Irish Times names, was target of the breakout attempt.

There was puzzlement at the scene and subsequently among gardai and prison staff as to who the the occupants of the BMW were trying to spring from custoday.

The Irish Times reports that the prisoner's legal team, who spoke with the paper, claims that their client was not provided with the hospital treatment given to the prison officers caught up in the incident. It's claimed that he was cut and suffered swelling.

An IPS spokesman did not not comment as the matter was before the courts.
Iamsold, whose online binding bids platform is used by over 300 auctioneers across Ireland, have noted strong interest and bidding on properties currently offered on their online bidding platform.

The company said interest remains strong on a wide range of property types, including family homes, builders projects, investment properties and also commercial/ land sales.

Patrick Folan, director for Iamsold commented, After over two years of low stock levels, it seems that the property market may have turned a corner in terms of availability. Over the last couple of months, we have noticed an increasing level of supply coming to the market and we are up over 20% overall on previous months.

While stock levels still are not where they were pre-Covid, the recovery in terms of supply looks to be underway. We want to remind anyone thinking of selling that Iamsold work on a no sale, no fee basis, so not only is it an extremely attractive option for vendors, but also the pressure is on us to ensure we get results for our clients.

Iamsold, along with many of their partner auctioneers, recently enjoyed a flurry for sales via the online binding bids platform, and are now taking entries for Augusts online dates and the upcoming dates on September 8 and October 13.

Some of the successful recent sales include:

48B Botanic Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin, which was sold by Kelly Bradshaw Dalton, Drumcondra. This exceptional investment property, situated in the heart of Drumcondra village, provides an investor with a rare opportunity to secure a significant building in a prime central location.

Popular with both local and national buyers, the property successfully sold via the binding bids platform for 1.35 million.

For sale by Team Lorraine Mulligan, Celbridge was a charming old-world style four-bed semi-detached cottage in Broadford, Moyvalley, Kildare offered at bids over 299,000. The well-located property had good interest levels and eventually sold for an impressive 320,000 to the delighted new owner.

Elsewhere in Mayo, CK Properties, Ballina, successfully sold a three-bed cottage needing refurbishment in Renbrack, just short distance to Foxford and Swinford. The property had strong interest from a number of buyers and the vendor accepted a binding bid of 102,500 prior to the July 21 auction date.

In Waterford, a well located 2two bed, semi-detached property in the heart of Bunmahon was sold by Radley Auctioneers, Dungarvan. No 2 Templeyvrick needing refurbishment will make a fine home or indeed holiday home, and thus enticed a wide range of buyers. After 22 bids were reached, the property was sold via the online auction for 122,500.

Iamsold also offered a number of lovely holiday homes for sale throughout July and below were some of those sales:

Sold with Kate O' Shea Auctioneers, Portarlington was a stunning, newly thatched, cottage at Clonavoe, Clonbulloge, Offaly. Built on a private site and this dream cottage requires updating but is full of character and proved extremely popular with buyers before selling for 90,000.

While in Dring, Co. Longford, John Columb & Co, sold a two-bed cabin set on the shore of Lough Gowna. The property offers the perfect getaway and had several invested holiday home buyers hoping to secure this unique home.

The property was successfully sold for 49,000 to a delighted new owner.

Iamsold are now taking entries for their upcoming online auctions on September 8 and October 13.

For more information on the iamsold binding bids platform or to discuss selling your property by auction,

call the iamsold team on 01 2440000 or visit their website www.iamsold.ie.
Naas Racecourse will welcome over 200 employees from Naas General Hospital to their summer barbecue race meeting on Bank Holiday Monday, August 1.

The Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes Day at Naas Racecourse featured the Lockdown Hero initiative in 2020; a charity fundraiser campaign for Barretstown Childrens Camp in 2021; and this year Naas Racecourse board and management will welcome over 200 employees of Naas General Hospital on the day.

Gesture

The race day hospitality is a gesture from the local racecourse to show the communitys gratitude and appreciation to the staff at the hospital for their efforts during the recent pandemic.

Naas Racecourse will be providing over 200 staff from the hospital with admission to the races, a racecard, a barbecue meal and live music on the day which features the 300,000 Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes.

Dermot Cantillon, chairman of Naas Racecourse said: All frontline workers have been truly amazing throughout the pandemic.

Naas Racecourse is fully supporting this day to recognise those who have worked so hard at our local hospital to save others over the last two years.

We hope everyone can have a well-deserved break here on the day and enjoy the racing, barbecue and atmosphere.

Colm Kenny, the Naas Deputy Mayor who works as a laboratory scientist at the hospital: Naas General Hospital and Naas Racecourse are two of the towns oldest and most valued institutions.

When I approached the board and management of Naas Racecourse about an event to acknowledge the frontline role of staff in Naas General during Covid, I was delighted with the enthusiastic and generous response. There was an equally positive response from NGH Staff Engagement committee and management.

This August 1, Naas General Hospital Staff can experience the hospitable surrounds of Naas Racecourse and its second to none facilities, while not forgetting that Covid touched everyone in different ways.

The racing on Monday August 1 features the third running of The Irish EBF Ballyhane Stakes worth 300,000 and the richest race to be ran at Naas Racecourse. The first race on the day is off at 2.10pm.
A two month custodial sentence imposed on a man for a public order offence and impeding a garda in the execution of their duties was affirmed at Carrick-on-Shannon Circuit Court last week.

Described by Judge Kevin Kilrane in the District Court as an appalling episode, Philip Leonardi, 61 Oaklands, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim had pleaded guilty to a number of offences that occurred on March 5, 2019 at Oaklands, Carrick-on- Shannon.

He pleaded guilty to threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, and impeding a garda in the execution of their duties, and was given two months in prison on each charge, to run concurrently. A charge of obstruction was struck out.

The court heard at the time that Mr Leonardi was sentenced to five months in prison and disqualified from driving for 45 years for no insurance at Cavan Circuit Court in October 2019.

At Carrick-on-Shannon District Court in February 2019 he was given a 40 years disqualification for driving while disqualified.

At Dublin Circuit Court in April 2019 he was given a six months suspended sentence for no insurance and was disqualified for 15 years.

At Carrick-on-Shannon District Court in December 2017 he was given a five months suspended sentence and disqualified for 20 years for no insurance and a five months suspended sentence for no driving licence.

Mr Leonardi appealed the two months custodial sentence last week but the appeal was withdrawn when the case was called and the District Court order was affirmed by Judge Kenneth Connolly.

The court heard from his wife that they have a family of nine children and are moving to Ballinamore where they have got a five bedroom house.

Mr Leonardi was taken into custody last Tuesday to begin his sentence.
Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visit the Schisto refugee camp near Athens on July 28, 2022. SOTIRIS DIMITROPOULOS / AFP

The pushback of refugees at the external borders of the European Union (EU) is "incompatible with European law. (...). If we look the other way, our European values will sink into the Mediterranean Sea." From Athens, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sent a clear message to the Greek government, which has been accused since March 2020 of implementing a systematic policy of pushbacks, practices that go against international law, and which consist in preventing migrants from applying for asylum in Greece by violently sending them back to Turkey.

Hours after the publication of the Le Monde, Der Spiegel and Lighthouse Reports investigation accusing Frontex, the European border control agency, of covering up the actions of the Greek coast guard, the German Foreign Minister called for clarification and refused to meet with the Greek port police, several Greek media outlets reported. "Ms. Baerbock only wanted to talk to the Frontex representatives in Greece," a spokesperson for the Greek coast guard confirmed.

Read more Subscribers only European border control agency Frontex has been covering up illegal returns of migrants

Had Ms. Baerbock heard about the experience of MEPs from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), who were given a guided briefing by the Greek coast guard during their visit to Greece in November 2021? "At the coast guard headquarters in the port of Piraeus [in Athens], documents had been prepared in advance for the MEPs to counter any questions about the pushbacks of migrants. The coast guard's rhetoric was clearly anti-NGO and claimed that the allegations of pushbacks were made by people attempting to spread Turkish propaganda to damage Greece's image," said an EU source who took part in the closed-door meeting.

Among the statements from documents of this meeting: "Fundamental rights have become instruments used by criminal networks," "NGOs do not cooperate and hinder the work of the coast guard." During her visit to the island of Samos, German MEP Cornelia Ernst had, at the time, claimed to have been in contact with five asylum seekers who had escaped pushbacks. Patrick Wieland, Field Coordinator of Doctors without Borders on Samos, who warned the Ms. Ernst about the recurring pushback practices carried out by the Greek coast guard, had to leave his post due to all the pressure put on him.

Read more Subscribers only EU investigators find Frontex turned blind eye to Greece migrant pushbacks

Migrants sit on the deck of a coast guard vessel upon arrival at the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos in the northeastern Aegean Sea, Greece, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. PANAGIOTIS BALASKAS/AP/SIPA

We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback

Increased pressure on Athens to investigate

"The Greek government has found itself in an untenable situation by denying the existence of pushbacks, but no one in Brussels doubts that this practice is used by the Greek authorities," said Lefteris Papagiannakis, director of the NGO Greek Council for Refugees. "The Greek government's current strategy is to cover up cases, like in mid-July when Greece was condemned by the European Court of Human Rights for the 2014 sinking of a migrant boat in the Aegean Sea that took place during a pushback operation. There was no response from officials, and the Greek media made no mention of it," he noted. But Athens is being increasingly pressured to investigate these human rights violations at Europe's borders. For the first time, on Thursday, July 28, the Greek Minister of Migration, Notis Mitarachi, admitted that pushbacks may have taken place in the Aegean Sea: "I cannot exclude that mistakes may have been made individually, but otherwise, we respected the rules."

You have 25.51% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
FeatureAs the island seeks to gain financial independence from Denmark, it now allows the exploitation of its icebergs like any other mining resource.

The figure is so astronomical that it is difficult to pronounce: 4,700,000,000,000,000. The ice cap has lost 4.7 million billion liters of water since 2002. But this is just the beginning. With temperatures increasing three times faster in Greenland than elsewhere, the country is melting fast. As journalist Robert Guillain wrote in 1952 in a column for Le Monde, "the Greenland revolution is first and foremost that of the thermometer."

In the southwest of the country, the clock is ticking for the majestic frozen fjord of Ilulissat. "The oldest ice dates back to 250,000 years, and it provides us detailed information on climatic changes and the atmospheric conditions of the past," United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said in 2004, while classifying it as a World Heritage Site. Since then, tourists have started coming in crowds, by boat, to admire this vestige of the at sunset.

"Icebergs contain water so pure that it's a shame to see it go to waste into the salty sea," said Thomas Vildersboll. "So why not drink it?" The Swedish entrepreneur decided to bottle them. And not just any bottles: the same ones as Bordeaux wines, to justify their prices. He sells them for up to 12 euros each in China, the Gulf States, the United States and Denmark. The Inland Ice brand, also distributed in gourmet restaurants, promises water that has "the purity of prehistory" and the "taste of a hundred thousand years." Mr. Vildersboll, who used to work in the oil industry, sees this as the "new-age oil."

View of icebergs at Narsaq, north of Cape Farewell, Greenland, May 21, 2022. Mathias Depardon pour  Le Monde 

'Taste of a hundred thousand years'

We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback

In fact, 59 billion liters of water were sold in bottles worldwide in 2021, for a turnover of 37.9 billion dollars (37.5 billion euros), as revealed by figures from the International Bottled Water Association. A market that could experience strong growth, according to forecasts by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with 40% of the world's population facing water shortages by 2050. Greenland has a precious and increasingly scarce treasure: Its ice cap is home to 10% of the world's freshwater resources.

This has not escaped the attention of the island's autonomous government, which is seeking to reduce its financial dependence on Denmark, which pays it 500 million euros a year, or half of its annual budget. In 2018, it decided to lower taxes and royalties in its new water and ice law to attract business. The authorities then thoroughly tested and mapped the different sources of supply. Icebergs are now exploited like any other mining resource, thanks to exclusive licenses in certain geographical areas, and royalties to be paid for each liter exported.

You have 56.11% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Pope Francis speaks to journalists aboard the papal flight back from Canada Saturday, July 30, 2022, where he paid a six-day pastoral visit. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE / AP

Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday, July 30, that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his weeklong Canadian pilgrimage was "a bit of a test" that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire.

Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, the 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadnt thought about resigning but said "the door is open" and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.

"Its not strange. Its not a catastrophe. You can change the pope," he said while sitting in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.

Francis said that while he hadn't considered resigning until now, he realizes he has to at least slowdown:

"I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside."

Read more Subscribers only Pope Francis' 'penitential pilgrimage' to Canada reveals his declining health

Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate following the first trip in which he used a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around, sharply limiting his program and ability to mingle with crowds.

Pope Francis goes to pray by the remains of Saint Francois De Laval after presiding over a Vespers service at the Cathedral-Basilica of Notre Dame de Quebec, Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Quebec City, Quebec. JOHN LOCHER / AP

He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and continuing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa that was scheduled for the first week of July.

The Canada trip was difficult and featured several moments when Francis was clearly in pain as he maneuvered getting up and down from chairs.

At the end of his six-day tour, he appeared in good spirits and energetic, despite a long day traveling to the edge of the Arctic on Friday to again apologize to Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canadas church-run residential schools.

Read more Subscribers only Pope Francis asks 'forgiveness' for Catholic involvement in 'devastating' Indigenous policy in Canada

We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback

Francis ruled out having surgery on his knee, saying it would not necessarily help and noting "there are still traces" from the effects of having undergone more than six hours of anesthesia in July 2021 to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine.

"I'll try to continue to do the trips and be close to people because I think its a way of servicing, being close. But more than this, I cant say," he said Saturday.

Le Monde with AP and AFP
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
A Sudanese migrant with an eye injury in the temporary residence center of Melilla. June 25, 2022. FADEL SENNA / AFP

The truth might never emerge regarding the June 24 tragedy at the entrance to Melilla in northern Morocco. On that day, some 1,500 migrants tried to cross the wire fences that separate the Spanish enclave from Moroccan territory  the only European Union land border, along with Ceuta, in Africa. At least 23 migrants lost their lives.

A month after the events that sparked international outrage, the countries involved are pointing fingers. Spain accused "mafias that engage in human trafficking" of having orchestrated "the assault." Morocco blamed the migrants' "very violent methods" and Algeria's "deliberate laxness" in controlling its borders. Meanwhile, NGOs have denounced the violence of law enforcement and now demand an independent investigation to understand what could have led to so many casualties.

In Morocco, two reports were published in July that gave two different versions of events. The report by the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH, an official body), published on July 13, concluded that 23 people had died "by asphyxiation"  pending confirmation by autopsies  when the migrants were "crammed" into the border crossing in Barrio Chino. According to the CNDH, which regrets that the border post remained closed on the Spanish side, a "panicked crowd stampeded" in this narrow passage equipped with turnstiles at the end to control the flow of people.

While the UN, the African Union and several NGOs denounced "excessive use of force" by security forces, the CNDH exonerated the forces. It said they did not use lethal weapons but tear gas and batons to deal with what was an "unprecedented" assault, characterized by "acute violence" and perpetrated by "a very large number of migrants armed with sticks, stones and sharp weapons."

Read more Subscribers only Calls for investigation after 'spiral of violence' led to migrants' deaths in Melilla

'Cruel, inhuman and degrading' treatment

A week later, the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) denounced in no uncertain terms what it saw as "unprecedented repression by Moroccan authorities with the complicity of their Spanish counterparts." The main independent human rights organization in Morocco, this NGO criticized the "excessive use" of tear gas by Moroccan authorities "for almost an hour" against hundreds of migrants in the confined space of the border crossing as they tried to open the gate and climb the barrier.

Buses to turn back migrants arrived faster than ambulances, reports AMDH

The AMDH also denounced the "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" committed afterward against the wounded and the absence of care for several hours. The association has about 20 videos  some of which have been widely distributed on social media  showing dozens of bodies, dead or wounded, lying on the ground and piled up on top of each other, some continuing to be kicked or receive baton blows. Buses to turn back migrants arrived faster than ambulances, AMDH reported. The NGO also criticized the Spanish police, who made "use of tear gas and rubber bullets," did not mobilize ambulances and turned back about one hundred migrants right after striking them.

Read more Subscribers only Calls for investigation after 'spiral of violence' led to migrants' deaths in Melilla

The AMDH has counted 27 dead and 64 missing. "While these European, Spanish and Moroccan immigration policies have always caused deaths on sea migration routes, this is the first time that these same policies, applied indiscriminately, have caused death on a land barrier," the NGO denounced, linking the repression on June 24 to the reconciliation between Spain and Morocco  which took place in April after a year of disagreement  and to the resumption of their cooperation on migration. On March 2, in the context of a diplomatic freeze, nearly 2,500 migrants also tried to cross the Melilla barrier but on that occasion, only a few injuries and no deaths were recorded.

We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback

On the legal front, the Spanish General Prosecutor's Office announced at the end of June that it was requesting an investigation in view of "the seriousness of the events that have taken place." In Morocco, 33 migrants were sentenced in Nador on July 19 to 11 months in prison. They were prosecuted for illegal entry into Moroccan soil, violence against law enforcement officers, armed assembly and refusal to obey. A second group of 29 migrants is being prosecuted for participation in a criminal gang to organize and facilitate illegal immigration abroad. Their trial is scheduled for August 3.

Aurelie Collas(Casablanca (Morocco) correspondent) Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.
In the public debate, the emergence of the idea of conservation as a solution to the energy crisis is good news. The concept however is not new, and goes back to ancient Greece. Thailand was the first country to make it the backbone of its development policy, while France is the only country in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to have included energy sufficiency in its law on energy transition.

Unfortunately, the French vision of sufficiency is limited to its energy dimension, and overlooks its other components identified in Report III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which defines policies on energy conservation as "a set of everyday actions and practices that avoid the demand for energy, materials, land and water, while also ensuring the well-being of all within the global limitations."

Read more Emmanuel Macron and the impossibility of being green

Sufficiency doesn't mean restraint! Rather, conservation policies preserve access to essential services for all, by eliminating the surplus consumption of the wealthiest. And contrary to popular belief, citizens will only be able to behave more responsibly if, and only if, public policies put in place the necessary solutions to ensure that the activities essential to the well-being of all are carried out within global boundaries.

Need for structural change

Energy sufficiency policies require considering both the dimensional and cooperative aspects, and the use of goods and services made available to citizens. The dimensional aspect consists in putting on the market products (cars, housing, household appliances) that match citizens' needs. Cooperative sufficiency consists in implementing a collective organization of space in order to allow for a significant pooling of essential services  for example, public transport for mobility. Sufficiency of use aims at eliminating the predictable obsolescence of appliances and equipment and encourages their optimal utilization. It's clear that citizens will only be able to act on the use of the devices they possess. And so,vlimiting energy sufficiency to changing individual behaviors would be a grave error because citizens' actions are in fact driven by solutions facilitated by public policies.

We are interested in your experience using the site. Send feedback

Read more Subscribers only Energy savings: French administrations prepare for 'unprecedented' internal effort

Unsurprisingly, the energy sufficiency vision of the bosses of Engie, EDF and TotalEnergies is limited to changing behaviors. The French energy companies are following the well-tried strategy of disinformation developed by the American oil companies to divert the attention of public authorities from the structural changes needed to eliminate the use of fossil fuels. The energy-saving measures recommended by the French energy companies would trigger an unprecedented social crisis if the authorities were to implement them.

You have 39% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
HUNDREDS of euro worth of diesel was stolen by thieves who targeted a number of trucks which were parked-up overnight in Newcastle West.

According to gardai, two criminals broke into a business park just off Station Road in the town during the early hours of July 20.

"This incident occurred at exactly 4.11am. The culprits targeted a number of lorries and they succeeded in siphoning 500 worth of diesel from the vehicles," explained Garda John Finnerty.

"They were disturbed in the yard by the owner who was alerted to what was taking place. Unfortunately they still managed to escape with the diesel," he added as he made an appeal for witnesses and information.

"If you were anywhere around this area in Newcastle West at approximately 4.15am on July 20, you may have seen the culprits with the diesel," he stated.

Gardai in Newcastle West are investigating and can be contacted at 069 20650.
THE FAMILY of one of the oldest people in Ireland living with Down Syndrome have backed a fundraiser for Down Syndrome Limerick.

Seamus Moloney is nearing the amazing age of 76 and his family believe he is one of the oldest people, if not the oldest person, living with Down Syndrome in Ireland.

Seamus is a native of Ogonnelloe, County Clare however he is a big part of the community at Down Syndrome Limerick.

Cared for by his mother Bridie until her death at the age of 94, Seamus' care was taken over by his sister whom he has a very close relationship with.

His niece Michelle Coughlan described Bridie as an incredibly strong woman who protected Seamus until she died.

She felt like she was the only one who could mind him. He was born in 1946 and Bridie used to say that the world wasn't ready for him.

The world was a different place back then and unfortunately, people with Down syndrome werent as welcomed in society as they are now.

Michelle describes Seamus as a social butterfly who loves music, parties, dancing and singing. And don't mention the 'wedding' word!

He loves going to the pub with friends and he has started swimming as well. He has taught us that it is never too late to start something new. He loves a wedding but we can't tell him there is one coming up. If he found out he would just keep repeating 'the wedding, the wedding'!

When he sees the new shirt and dicky bow coming out he knows what's coming. He will spend the night singing and waltzing.

The annual Tour de Munster starts on August 4 in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland. The four-day charity cycle raises vital funds and awareness for the Munster branches of the organisation.
A SOLO art exhibition showing off the beauty of the Kilkee coast is hoping to draw in sentimental Limerick holidaymakers this summer.

Pauline Dunleavy, artist and owner of Anchor Crafts on the Clare coast, is running her first solo art exhibition in the popular seaside town, from August 2 to 26, at the Culturlann Sweeney Gallery, Kilkee.

I have been painting for over 20 years. There has always been an interest in my artwork on display here in the store, she told Limerick Live.

After contacting her local Arts Office, she decided to take the plunge and is now set to showcase her first solo arts exhibition.

The exhibition will feature over 30 works of art, derived from depictions of the coast, much of which has been popular with Limerick holidaymakers passing by throughout the years, she said.

The exhibition will also feature up to 10 works produced through encaustic painting, a special medium by which pigments are mixed with hot liquid wax.

Christening her display On Our Doorstep, Pauline hopes to capture the beauty of the Clare coast, playing on the sentimental heartstrings of both Clare and Limerick vacationers.

It is very real, and it is very local. I have always had a deep respect for our landscape, she said.
"WE ARE losing a big part of us today," a brother said this Saturday at the funeral Mass of his beloved sister who had battled with illness for 13 years, but "always had a smile across her face".

Lauren McGrath passed away peacefully last Wednesday in the arms of her loving family at her home in Ballyvockoge, Cappagh, Askeaton. She was only 16.

Her brother Alan along with family and friends gathered together at St James Church, Cappagh, at noon this Saturday to remember the "gentle, caring, funny, brave girl" who lit up the lives of all those who knew her.

Lauren's father Niall told mourners of his daughters brave battle with illness. At the tender age of four Lauren had undergone a bone marrow transplant. She required the use of a wheelchair and her most recent battle, her battle with cancer, began in 2019.

Niall reminisced on how his beloved daughter loved to sing her favourite songs at Lough Derg. He shared stories of her fascination with tattoos, despite none of the family having any.

One day, when her favourite cousin returned home from Australia, the pair headed down to a tattoo parlour where Lauren got a tattoo of swallows which she absolutely adored.

Resilience and determination were the hallmarks of this teenager for close to 16 years, the congregation was told.

There were shared memories of Laurens deep love of Munster Rugby, and how she would often attend home games in Thomond Park, despite her prolonged illness.

When a decision would go against Munster she would give out to her dad after hearing some colourful language." Devastated family and friends managed a heartwarming smile at the thought of it.

Some of the symbols of Laurens short but beautiful life were laid out on her coffin during the Mass. One was a blue garda hat, signifying her time as a little blue hero.

One of Laurens classmates, Hannah, sang a beautiful rendition of Jealous of the Angels, drawing tears from many of those present.

A family member paid tribute to Niall for the wonderful reflections he shared about his beloved Lauren.

Your words created a very distinctive image of a beautiful person. Your reflections affirm a personality of cheeriness and joviality that was Laurens, even in the face of great illness."

A special tribute was paid to Laurens family and to all the medical personnel in Crumlin Hospital and University Hospital Limerick who looked after the Cappagh teenager "like she was one of their own."

As I look down on you, her family, here in the front pew, the expression of tiredness and sadness on your faces has been developed in the dark room of sacrifice and massive prolonged and wholehearted dedication, concluded the family member.

Laurens requiem Mass was followed by a private cremation.

Lauren will be forever loved and missed by her heartbroken mam June, dad Niall, brother Alan, grandmother Breda, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbours and many friends. May she rest in peace.
Sony kept notching new high scores during the pandemic. Now it is navigating far more difficult levels: the post-Covid home-entertainment hangover, rising competition and looming recessions in key markets.
Click here to read the full article.

A galaxy of stars paid fulsome tribute to filmmaker John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator) and stuntman Vic Armstrong (the Indiana Jones, James Bond and Star Wars franchises) as they were both awarded Moving Target awards on Friday for their outstanding contributions to the action genre at the inaugural London Action Festival.

The awards were presented at Londons Royal London Geographical Society and icons from the action genre attended, including Corin Hardy (Gangs of London), composer David Arnold (Casino Royale) Robert Davi (Die Hard) and Edgar Wright (Last Night in Soho).

Prominent film personalities who have worked with McTiernan and Armstrong conveyed their appreciation via video messages. Harrison Ford praised Armstrong, saying: Weve been doing this Vic for like 50 years! Youve had the good sense to turn it into a directing job cos this running, jumping and falling down thing is a game for the young guys. The audiences loved the work youve guided in the Indiana Jones films. People dont really understand what goes into an action film and its a very complicated, technical issues these days. Its been a great pleasure to work with you, sir.

James Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli, said: You certainly had an auspicious start to the Bond films, propelling down that rope in Blofelds volcano in 1967 in You Only Live Twice. Youve collaborated with us on so many Bond films and Im very grateful to you.

Fellow Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, said: Vic, you shared our philosophy when it came to stunts, and that was you did as much as you could for real. You were a one stop shop  you secured the locations, you designed the stunts, you ensured they were shot with style and pace, you were a true collaborator with the director. Sequences like the motorcycle chase in Thailand on Tomorrow Never Dies, the boat chase on the Thames that opened up The World is Not Enough and the car chase on ice, that was something, for Die Another Day. They were some of the most iconic Bond moments.

Pierce Brosnan added: We have some many great moments you and I in saving the world in the great realm of James Bond movies. Ones that I will cherish in my heart forever and being in your company. Brosnan said of McTiernan:  Nomads was our first film together. You took off like a rocket, an exquisite director, great alchemy you bring to the screen.

Kudos for McTiernan continued from Alec Baldwin, who said: In his one acting lesson he gave me when we were shooting The Hunt for Red October, that still rings in my ears today, as I was fiddling with everything was Cant you just stand there and do nothing? And you know what John, you were right. Now when I do a movie and directors says come through the door or make an espresso or something, I say No. I think Ill just stand here and do nothing. It was a great honour to work with the great John McTiernan  when they give you the award, just stand there.

Jan de Bont, DoP on Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October, said: With these movies you were able to reinvent, re-energize and re-activate American action movies as they should be. Your incredible perseverance meant you would do anything to make you vision come across. You are the absolute perfect choice for this award as your movies finally got film-goers excited again about action movies.

Michael Tadross Sr., producer on Die Hard with a Vengeance and The Thomas Crown Affair, said: You cant BS him  hes an unbullshittable director. John McTiernan is a genius, hes brilliant, one of the nicest human beings Ive ever known in my life and hes a friend. Congratulations McT.

Festival co-director Julian Alcantara said: Its been a stunning couple of days, with two more to go, crowned with John McTiernan winning one of our inaugural, and specially designed, Moving Target awards. Die Hard and Predator are two of the most iconic, universally loved and adrenaline fuelled films ever to be made and set the bar for future movies in the genre. Stuntman and action director Vic Armstrongs award is indicative to what he has brought to the movie business over the years. Being the stunt double for the likes of Harrison Ford in ten movies including the Indiana Jones and Star Wars series, and stunt coordinator on practically everything, it is more than well deserved.

The festival continues this weekend with a host of panels, screenings and Q&As, including Corin Hardy showcasing footage from season two of Gangs of London; McTiernan conducting a Q&A after a 35th anniversary screening of Predator; director Simon West on Con Air after a 25th anniversary screening; MARV screening exclusive footage from School Fight; and Proof Inc. demonstrating a masterclass in special effects from Jurassic World Dominion; and several other events at Picturehouse Central.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

The indie thriller You Cant Stay Here, starring Law & Order: Organized Crime and Scandal alum Guillermo Diaz, wrapped production this month in New York.

You Cant Stay Here is loosely inspired by real events in New York City in the 1990s, and follows a photographer (Diaz), who witnesses the brutal murder of a gay man in Central Park. When the cops take little interest in the crime, a relationship develops between the photographer and the killer.

I have been a fan of Guillermo since his first film and when he approached me about wanting to work on something together, I jumped at the chance and came up with the story for You Cant Stay Here,  said director Todd Verow, who produces through his Bangor Films. It is a film about queer cruising and finding love and real human connections in the most unlikely places. While set in the 1990s, the films themes of homophobia, social hysteria, and finding oneself in a dangerous and intolerant world are as resonant as ever today.

Diaz, who will be seen in Universal Pictures upcoming comedy Bros, also serves as one of the films producers alongside Verow, James Kleinmann, and Christian DiPillo. The script was penned by Verow and his longtime collaborator James Derek Dwyer.

The cast also includes Becca Blackwell (Marriage Story), Justin Ivan Brown (Goodbye Seventies), Vanessa Aspillaga (Only Murders In the Building), Marlene Forte (Star Trek), Jack Waters (Jason And Shirley), Karina Arroyave (Orange Is the New Black), Jordan Hall (F***Ed In the Head) and Michael Vaccaro (The Endless Possibility Of Sky).

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

Neil Patrick Harris is showing a side of himself that weve never seen before.

In Darren Star and Jeffrey Richmans new Netflix series Uncoupled, Harris stars as Michael, a gay New York real estate agent whose partner of 17 years Colin (Tuc Watkins) leaves him.

As Michael navigates dating again, stories of love, heartbreak, middle-age and unexpected sexual encounters unfold.

Harris is seen in various states of undress. In fact, the actor has his first on-camera gay sex scene on Uncoupled, with Sex and the City movie alum Gilles Marini.

We did make out in that first scene and then between takes he goes, Oh it is true? It is true what they say? Harris recalls. And I said, What do they say? And he goes, I heard that it is better kissing another man than a woman and I can see this now. It is true what they say. My knees buckled and I was like, Gosh, thanks so much.

The cast also includes Tisha Campbell, who plays Michaels best friend and business partner, as well as Emerson Brooks, Brooks Ashmanskas and Marcia Gay Harden. Tony winner legend Andre De Shields pops up as Michaels neighbor, Jack.

For this weeks edition of the Just for Variety podcast, I sat down with Harris at Netflixs offices in New York City just a couple of hours before he walked the red carpet at the shows world premiere at the Paris Theater.

Here are some of the highlights:

On family life

Harris says he wasnt looking for more work when he was offered Uncoupled because hes trying to spend more time with his and his husband David Burtkas 11-year-old twins, Harper and Gideon. Filming in New York helped seal the deal.

I just want to be able to prioritize these next five or six years with them before theyre off to college, Harris says. I know even before then theyre going to want more independence and not want to spend time together with us, necessarily. I didnt want to be having to go to Atlanta to film something for six weeks and then having a week off and then going to Toronto to film something, which I had been doing.

Sex education

Darren Star may have created Sex and the City, but Harris says he wasnt as familiar with the hit HBO series as one might assume.

Its the same way that I dont know the Golden Girls, Harris admits. Its the same way that I dont know Barbra Streisand. My gaydom started with like Into the Woods and Les Miserables and musical theater. It didnt really start with Judy Garland.

The naked truth

Harris says he wasnt too worried about his nude scenes on Uncoupled.

I do legitimately feel more comfortable in my skin now than I did even five years ago, he says.

Oscar skivvies

Harris recalls stripping down to his underwear for a skit when hosted the Oscars in 2015.

I seemingly opted to do that, which I thought was funny at the time, he says. And then I realized thats just the picture people use when they talk about me as the Oscars host and I was wearing really nice suits. I had a really good wardrobe for that.

Harris had to wear two pairs of tighty-whities. With only one pair with the bright lights shining directly on it, you kind of saw through it.

Picture perfect

When it came time to find a photo of his private parts for Michael to post on gay hookup app Grindr, an image of a prosthetic penis was considered.

I said, Why dont we just find a good picture online of someone? Harris says, adding, I had to be fairly humble about it. It was a little insecure making because you dont want to choose a massive dong because thats like its own meta weird joke. You dont want to choose a tiny dong because thats its own weird joke. [We needed] something thats normal, average size. But in the scene afterwards, the guy says that its a beautiful penis. So it had to be nice-ish. I dont know. It was very weird to be choosing.

True stories

During one scene, Michael is hooking up with a dermatologist who suggests injecting his butt with Botox to make anal sex more comfortable.

I laughed so hard when they were just telling me that this storyline was coming down the pipe, as it were, Harris says. I said exactly what you said, Is that a thing? And apparently it is. I hope we dont turn it into a larger thing.

For the record, Richman spoke on the matter at the premiere, sharing that most  if not, all  of the hookups are inspired by real-life experiences talked about in the writers room.

Doctors note

Harris recently returned from shooting the new season of Doctor Who in Wales. Showrunner Russell T Davis offered him a role after they worked together on Its a Sin, HBO Maxs limited series about the early days of the AIDS epidemic. Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa will make his debut as the new incarnation of the Doctor.

I got to meet and interact with him a bit and hes glorious, Harris says of Gatwa. Hell be the first gay Doctor, which is going to be super cool, a sexier Doctor.

Uncoupled is available now on Netflix.

You can listen to the full interview with Harris above. You can also find Just for Variety wherever you download your favorite podcasts.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Click here to read the full article.

A judge in the southern Italian city of Lecce has ruled that there are no grounds to further pursue an investigation into allegations that the Oscar-winning Canadian director Paul Haggis had sex with a young woman without her consent.

The court ruled in favor of Haggis late on Friday, Italian news Agency ANSA reported on Saturday.

After viewing the evidence and hearing arguments from both sides, the District Court of Lecce, an appellate court with three judges, unanimously rejected a prosecutors appeal to have Haggis house arrest reinstated, said Haggis Italian lawyer Michele Laforgia in a statement issued on Saturday.

Haggis, who won two Oscars for Crash and is also known for writing Million Dollar Baby, was arrested on June 19 in Ostuni, a location in the southern region of Puglia on the heel of the Italian boot, on charges of sexual assault allegedly inflicted to a 28-year British woman over the course of two days in June.

The 69-year-old director spent 16 days under house arrest in a hotel, before being released from detention.

Two weeks ago, Judge Vilma Gilli of the Court of Brindisi questioned the alleged victim and then immediately overturned Haggis house arrest, Laforgia said in the statement.

The Prosecutor of Brindisi appealed her decision to the Court of Lecce, where Haggis lawyer, presented what he says is irrefutable and objective evidence that the woman told multiple lies to investigators and the court, with facts and witnesses completely contradicting her story, the lawyer added.

There was no immediate comment from the alleged victims legal team.

Laforgia stated that Haggis arrest was the result of a judicial error and, based on the evidence, the prosecutors must now close the case. This is expected to happen in the coming weeks, unless new evidence surfaces.

On Friday evening, the Court of Lecce contacted attorneys for both parties to inform them of the courts decision, rejecting the public prosecutors appeal and confirming the decision made by judge Gilli. Four judges have now ruled in favor of Haggis.

In the coming weeks, the reasons for the decision will be known and, therefore, so will the fate of the judicial proceedings pending in Italy, Laforgia noted in the statement.

Haggis is also facing court proceedings in the U.S. where he is being sued by film publicist Haleigh Breest, who alleges that Haggis raped her in January 2013. Breest originally filed suit in December 2017, although proceedings were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A trial date has now been set for Oct. 11 in Manhattan. Haggis says the encounter with Breest, which allegedly took place after a premiere, was consensual.

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
A federal jury in Laredo found a man guilty of brandishing an AR-15 toward Zapata County Sheriffs Office deputies, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Jurors convicted Daniel Arturo Lozano, 45, of felon in possession of a firearm after deliberating 45 minutes in a one-day trial.

The case dates back to June 21, 2021, when deputies received multiple calls throughout the day reporting an angry disorderly male in the San Ygnacio area. The male was identified as Lozano.

Lozano was at Lozanos Country Store located at the intersection of U.S. 83 and FM 3169. The store is owned by Lozanos family. First deputies on scene observed Lozano getting into his Ford pickup. He refused to stop and led deputies on a vehicle pursuit.

Lozano eventually returned to Lozanos Country Store, where he parked his truck. As deputies approached, Lozano pulled out an AR-15 and brandished it toward the deputies.

Lozano then taunted deputies with the rifle in his hand, states the arrest affidavit.

Deputies drove past and approached again from a better location. Deputies then observed Lozano driving away from the store. Lozano drove to his family ranch, where he switched vehicles and fled again from deputies. Moments later, he surrendered along U.S. 83.

Lozano was arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding charges.

A records check on Lozano revealed he had been convicted of possession of cocaine in Starr County on Feb. 23, 2011. In a post-arrest interview with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Lozano admitted he was prohibited from carrying firearms, according to the affidavit.

Lozano told agents that he wanted to kill his niece, the affidavit further states.

He told agents that there was an AR-15 in his fathers white truck. He also admitted to touching the firearm because he was mad at some people, according to court documents.

Lozanos defense attempted to convince the jury that the weapon Lozano brandished was a "realistic-looking pellet gun" that law enforcement found when they arrested him, authorities said.

However, the jury saw both the pellet gun and AR-style rifle compared side by side and the rifle was identified as the weapon Lozano had shown at the scene. The jury did not believe defense claims and found Lozano guilty as charged, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo presided over the trial and set sentencing for Oct. 27. Lozano faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He remains in federal custody.

The ATF conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Sheriffs Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Bajew and David Fawcett are prosecuting the case.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The Laredo Independent School District concluded its annual Leadership Summit where the districts campus administrators, assistant superintendents, executive directors and department heads received professional development for the upcoming school year.

During this summit, LISDs leaders gathered to prepare for the new school year and be ready for the arrival of 20,000 expected students. Administrators reviewed the Superintendents priorities, guidance from the Texas Education Agency, required trainings, new procedures and systems.

Among the topics on the agenda were leadership development, fiscal expectations, fraud policy review, attendance and enrollment, discipline management, services for homeless and migrant students, legal training, child abuse and neglect, employee expectations, cybersecurity best practices, instructional technology, construction update, instructional continuity, STAAR exam redesign, state assessment calendar, special education, guidance and counseling, and intensive review of curriculum and instruction programs for all students.

Ashley Salas, communications specialist from LISD, said the district staff has been engaged in the presentations offering candid discussion, best practices at their schools and responses for the good of LISDs 34 campuses.

Salas added that district officials are emphasizing student safety, crisis response protocols, employee safety in the workplace, school safety action steps, and reunification plans.

After the massacre in a Uvalde elementary school, LISD said it committed to being prepared to handle any similar situations. This summit enabled staff to work together to collaborate and know protocols to respond in case of this situations and many others.

While LISD is confident of its safety systems, the district is always looking for ways to strengthen their security processes and protocols, Salas said. The plan of action for the upcoming school year includes instruction and recommendations from the Texas School Safety Center and the TEA.

Throughout the summer months, LISD conducted safety and exterior door audits at every campus checking the locks of each door. The district reviewed multi-hazard emergency operations plans and offered extensive trainings on campus safety procedures for employees including substitutes, threat assessments and access control procedures. Coupled with the vigilance provided by the LISD Police Department and these additional safety measures, LISD assures the public that our children and staff are safe in our classrooms.

On the other hand, another topic discussed were some changes to the STAAR examination.

LISD is priming for changes in the TEAs accountability system and move to the STAAR exam redesign, Salas said. While exams will continue being rigorous, the state is changing the way it counts assessment for the diverse student populations served by Texas public schools.

Salas also highlighted the importance of the role of parental involvement with the school and the student development.

We ask all of our parents to be involved with their childrens education and look forward to seeing them at our upcoming Meet The Teacher, Progress Report and Report Card Nights, and parental involvement meetings, she said. The doors to our schools are always open to our parents as we rely on their support.

We also urge the public to keep their eyes open and be vigilant. If you see something suspicious or want to report possible criminal activity, call the LISD Police Department at 956-225-5454 or call 911.

During the Leadership Summit, some recognitions were also given to the following principals and assistant principals.

Secondary Principal of the Year: Melissa Valdez of Memorial Middle School.

Elementary Principal of the Year: Alberto Resendez of Kawas Elementary School.

Rookie Principal of the Year: Angel Ramos of the Lara Academy.

Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year: Fidel Hernandez of Martin High School.

Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year: Maria Luisa Flores of Gallego Elementary School.

Support Professional of the Year: Edna Garza of the Human Resources Department.

Support Professional of the Year: Robert Cuellar of the Child Nutrition Program.

Some of the heads of administration of some LISD campuses expressed to have good results out these meetings.

I always look forward to our Laredo ISD Leadership Summit every year, said Mario Mireles, principal of Martin High School, in a statement. We come together as one district, one family, to build a foundation for the upcoming school year. We dialogue, learn new updates, build relationships and align our vision. LISD is definitely Leading the Way!

Cindy Villareal, principal at D. D. Hachar Elementary School, echoed Mireles and stated it will lead to the benefit of students in the district.

It is an opportunity to adjust our focus, collaborate with peers and prepare for the approaching school year. It is so humbling to work alongside such amazing leaders and colleagues, she said. I am truly grateful to be a part of the LISD team.

karol.garcia@lmtonline.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

ODESA, Ukraine (AP)  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited a Black Sea port Friday to watch crews prepare to export grain trapped by Russias five-month-old war, a week after a deal was struck to allow critical food supplies to flow to millions of impoverished people facing hunger worldwide.

The first vessel, the first ship is being loaded since the beginning of the war, Zelenskyy, in his signature olive drab T-shirt, told reporters as he stood next to a Turkish-flagged ship at the Chernomorsk port in the Odesa region.

He said the departure of wheat and other grain will begin with ships that were already loaded but could not leave Ukrainian ports after Russia invaded in late February.

Ukraine is a key global exporter of wheat, barley, corn and sunflower oil, and their loss has raised global food prices, threatened political instability and helped push more people into poverty and hunger in already vulnerable countries.

Ukraine's military is committed to the ships' safety, said Zelenskyy, adding, It is important for us that Ukraine remains the guarantor of global food security.

His unannounced visit to the port is part of Ukraine's push to show the world that it is nearly ready to export millions of tons of grains under last weeks breakthrough agreements, which were brokered by Turkey and the United Nations and signed separately by Ukraine and Russia.

The sides agreed to facilitate the shipment of wheat and other grains from three Ukrainian ports through safe corridors on the Black Sea, as well as fertilizer and food from Russia.

But a Russian missile strike on Odesa hours after signing the deal threw Moscows commitment into question and raised concerns about the safety of shipping crews, who also have to navigate waters strewn with explosive mines.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the U.N. Security Council in New York on Friday that Ukraine has been deploying military goods and hardware in the port of Odesa, and we will continue to destroy these goods and objects, as we did on July 23."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized the link between taking grain out of Ukrainian ports and unblocking direct or indirect restrictions on the export of our grain, fertilizers and other goods to global markets.

The security concerns and complexities of the agreements have set off a slow, cautious start. The clock is ticking  the deal is only good for 120 days.

The goal over the next four months is to export some 20 million tons of grain from three Ukrainian sea ports blocked since the Feb. 24 invasion. That provides time for about four to five large bulk carriers per day to transport grain from the ports to millions of people in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, who are already facing food shortages and, in some cases, famine.

Getting the grain out is also critical to farmers in Ukraine, who are running out of storage capacity because of a new harvest.

We are ready, Ukraines minister of infrastructure, Oleksandr Kubrakov, told reporters at the port of Odesa on Friday.

But he said Ukraine is waiting on the U.N. to confirm the safe corridors that ships will use. In the meantime, a ship at the port of Chernomorsk was being loaded with grain, he said.

Lloyds List, a global shipping news publisher, noted that while U.N. officials are pushing for the initial voyage this week to show progress, uncertainty on key details will likely prevent an immediate ramping-up of shipments.

Until those logistical issues and detailed outlines of safeguarding procedures are disseminated, charters will not be agreed and insurers will not be underwriting shipments, wrote Bridget Diakun and Richard Meade of Lloyds List.

They note, however, that U.N. agencies, such as the World Food Program, have already arranged to charter much of the grain for urgent humanitarian needs.

Shipping companies have not rushed in because explosive mines are drifting in the waters, ship owners are assessing the risks and many question how the agreement will unfold.

The deal stipulates that Russia and Ukraine provide maximum assurances for ships that brave the journey to the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.

Smaller Ukrainian pilot boats will guide the vessels through approved corridors. The entire operation will be overseen by a Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul staffed by officials from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey and the United Nations.

Once ships reach port, they will be loaded with grain before departing back to the Bosphorus Strait, where they will be boarded to inspect them for weapons. There will likely be inspections for ships embarking to Ukraine as well.

___

Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  The mayor of Portland, Oregon, warned the Pacific Northwest could see the most dangerous part of an extended heat wave this weekend as Portland and Seattle appear to be on track to break records for extended scorching temperatures.

As the Northwest nears the sixth day of an intense hot spell, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said the weekend marks a new phase that could pose the highest risk to our most vulnerable community members.

Were reaching the most important phase of this heat emergency, Wheeler said Friday.

Temperatures have neared the triple digits in Portland the entire week, hitting a high of 102 degrees Fahrenheit (38.9 Celsius) on Tuesday. Forecasters predict temperatures could top 100 F (37.8 C) once again on Saturday.

On Friday the Oregon State Medical Examiners Office said it was investigating an additional possible heat fatality from suspected hyperthermia, bringing the total to five. The deaths were reported in Multnomah County, which is home to Portland, Umatilla County in the eastern part of the state, and Marion County, which includes the state capital Salem.

The deaths occurred Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The state medical examiners office said the heat-related death designation is preliminary and could change.

The heat wave has lasted longer than forecasters initially predicted, prompting Multnomah County to extend an emergency declaration that was set to expire on Saturday through Monday morning.

Earlier in the week we did not anticipate that it would be this long or this severe, said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury.

The countys four emergency overnight cooling shelters were at 70% capacity on Thursday with around 220 people spending the night, Multnomah County said in a statement. Kafoury said officials will be watching very carefully to see whether the shelters will need to remain open through Sunday night, which we had not originally planned to do.

Portland will probably need additional capacity over the weekend, said Shad Ahmed, director of the citys Bureau of Emergency Management, adding that his office is working to ensure that we have the logistics, supply and staffing necessary to address that.

The National Weather Service has extended excessive heat warnings in Portland and Seattle through Sunday evening.

On Tuesday, Portland set a daily record of 102 F (38.9 C). Forecasters said the city appears to be on track to at least tie previous heat wave duration records, which currently stand at six consecutive days of 95 degrees or warmer.

Sunday would break the record if temperatures that day hit 95 degrees, said David Bishop, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Portland.

Seattle on Tuesday also reported a new record daily high of 94 F (34.4 C).

If temperatures rise above 90 F (32.2 C) through Sunday in Seattle, that would be six straight days of the mercury topping 90  something forecasters say has never happened before in the city.

Courtney Lewis and Rylee Griffin were visiting Seattle this week during the hot snap.

I mean it is nice, like to help get a tan. But its just hot. Very hot, Griffin said.

Forecasters predict there will be no relief until Monday when cool air from the Pacific Ocean blows in.

Climate change is fueling longer heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, a region where weeklong heat spells were historically rare, according to climate experts.

Residents and officials in the Northwest have been trying to adjust to the likely reality of longer, hotter heat waves following last summers deadly heat dome weather phenomenon that prompted record temperatures and deaths.

About 800 people died in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia during that heat wave, which hit in late June and early July. The temperature at the time soared to an all-time high of 116 F (46.7 C) in Portland and smashed heat records in cities and towns across the region. Many of those who died were older and lived alone.

While the current heat wave will not see such high temperatures, it remains very serious nonetheless, said Andrea Hamberg, interim director of Environmental Health Services at the Multnomah County Health Department in Oregon.

This heat event might not feel as severe as the June 2021 heat dome. But in many ways it is, Hamberg said, warning of a scorching day six and a day seven that is forecast to be even hotter.

"To compound that risk, we are not getting the overnight lows our homes need to cool and our bodies need to recover, said Hamberg. Forecasters predict the low in Portland Friday night will not dip below 70 F (21.1 C).

Due to the long duration of the heat spell, officials have urged residents to check in on people who are more at risk of heat-related illness, such as older people and those who live alone.

During the 2021 heat dome, 78% of those who died in Multnomah County were 60 or older, and 71% lived alone, Hamberg said. She added that 94% of people died in their own homes.

The heat wave stretches south into Northern California and Nevada, where records fell for the second day in a row Friday in Reno with a high of 104 F (40 C). Even in the mountains around Lake Tahoe above elevations of 6,200 feet (1,890 meters), South Lake Tahoe, California followed Thursdays record-high of 92 F (33.3 C) with a high of 91 F (32.8 C) on Friday, tying the previous mark set in 1988.

___

Associated Press videographer Manuel Valdes contributed from Seattle.

___

Claire Rush is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow her on Twitter.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp walks onstage for a campaign event attended by former US Vice President Mike Pence at the Cobb County International Airport on May 23 in Kennesaw, Georgia.
US announces new sanctions on Russia for global influence and election interference operations
Ham Fest and Swap Meet delights radio enthusiasts

The New Jersey Antique Radio Club hosted its annual Summer Tailgate Swap Meet and Ham Fest last weekend, attracting radio aficionados and vendors who shared their collections and knowledge of ham radios.

Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting and emergency communications.

The summer tailgate, which is hosted on the lawn of the New Jersey Antique Radio Club building within the InfoAge campus, is one of the best places to go for hands-on advice and parts for restoring antique radios.

We probably get up to three different kinds of people that will come here, said Ted Kopp, a member of the New Jersey Antique Radio Club.

Youll get someone looking for a particular piece of radio equipment that they want you to collect, like ham. Some people might be looking for a particular accessory to a complete rig or something a spare to what they already have. On some occasions, youll have scouters thatll come down and try to pick up stuff that they know they can turn over a profit.

While enthusiasts can undoubtedly try their luck with the many online sellers on the internet, the NJ Antique Radio club offers hands-on experience with vendors who are passionate and equipped to offer valuable advice for assembly.

Unfortunately, aside from the online resources that are there for various pieces of equipment, whatever it might be, your best bet is to go to an event like this and search out through the various tables and vendors. It varies from year to year greatly, depending on what folks are willing to sell, said Mr. Kopp.

Radio clubs are the backbone for many collectors and restorers, providing them with the resources, technical knowledge and connections needed to keep their hobby going.

Read more at:

https://starnewsgroup.com/2022/07/28/ham-fest-and-swap-meet-delights-radio-enthusiasts/
People are being urged to take care on or near bodies of water over the August Bank Holiday Weekend.

The Irish Coast Guard, RNLI and Water Safety Ireland issued a joint safety statement today (Thursday July 28) ahead of the long weekend, as mixed weather including warm sunny spells is expected by Met Eireann.

The organisations are asking water users to be particularly mindful by taking preparatory actions such as checking weather forecasts and tide times, and knowing how to spot and safely handle a rip current.

Advice includes telling someone your location, wearing a lifejacket, never swimming alone and carrying a reliable means of raising alarm should you get into difficulty (such as a VHF radio or PLB as well as a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch ).

Water users should only swim in areas that are supervised by lifeguards or in familiar areas.

Kevin Rahill, RNLI Water Safety Lead said, "This weekend will see spring tides so we would encourage anyone planning a walk or activity near the coast to check tide times before venturing out to avoid becoming cut off.

"The RNLI is also urging everyone to remember to Float to Live if they do get into trouble in the water this weekend. To do this: lean back, using your arms and legs to stay afloat. Control your breathing, then call for help or swim to safety. In a coastal emergency, call 999 or 112 for the Coast Guard."

Irish Coast Guard Operations Manager Micheal OToole also commented, stating, "We wish to thank the public for their cooperation and support and for the responsible approach displayed when participating in any water based or coastal activity. We would also advise people to avoid bringing inflatable toys to the beach, rivers or lake side as users can easily get swept away from the shore."

Water Safety Irelands Acting CEO, Roger Sweeney said, "We would advise anyone planning on entering the sea to watch out for rip currents which can be difficult to spot. Rips are sometimes identified by a channel of churning, choppy water on the seas surface. The best way to avoid them is to swim at lifeguarded beach between the red and yellow flags.

"Should you find yourself caught in one, dont try to swim against it or you will get exhausted. If you can stand, wade, dont swim. If you can, swim parallel to the shore until free of the rip and then head for the shore."

Should anyone get into difficulty or see someone else in trouble, dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Coast Guard
(Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of earnings by London-listed companies, issued on Friday and not separately reported by Alliance News:

----------

Macaulay Capital PLC - AQSE-listed investment firm - Begins trading on Aquis Stock Exchange Growth Market on Friday, having raised GBP1.9 million from its IPO. Will have 10.0 million shares in issue. Managing Director David Horner says: "We are delighted to bring Macaulay Capital to the market and have been enthused by the investor appetite for what we believe is a commercial proposition, with a significant opportunity to exploit the increasing awareness among private investors for alternative investments and for the potential for significant long term capital appreciation."

----------

Georgia Capital PLC - Tbilisi, Georgia-based investor in businesses in Georgia - Wholly-owned subsidiary Georgia Healthcare Group's Chief Executive Nikoloz Gamkrelidze steps down. Current Deputy CEO Irakli Gogi takes up CEO role. Gamkrelidze was planning to take up role of Georgia Capital CEO in May 2023. "Following Nick's departure from GHG, he will not now take up the role of Georgia Capital CEO in May 2023," company adds. Firm will announce "a further update in due course with regard to the appointment of a new CEO". Irakli Gilauri, as previously announced, will continue in his existing combined chair and CEO role until May 2023.

----------

Riverstone Energy Ltd - Guernsey-based investor in energy companies and assets - Says Conventional portfolio value ends June 30 at USD269 million, with the private Conventional portfolio at USD382 million. Decarbonisation public portfolio valued at USD96 million with the private portfolio at USD151 million. "While current geopolitical tensions persist and the global economy continues to recover from pandemic conditions, we expect our energy trilemma: security, affordability, and the need to decarbonise to mitigate the worst effects of climate change and drive global market dynamics," it explains.

----------

Amedeo Air Four Plus Ltd - investment company that buys, leases and sells aircraft - Net asset value per share ends March 31 at 90.34 pence, rising from 71.80p at the same point a year prior. Sees total annual rental income of GBP130.0 million, sliding from GBP201.4 million the year before. Notes portfolio value falls 16%, slowing from the 20% drop seen the year before. "Last financial year was about finalising the Thai Airways restructuring and determining the level of future dividends," it explains.

----------

Gama Aviation PLC - Farnborough, England-based aviation services company - Appoints Senior Independent Director Peter Brown to chair role. Brown was serving as interim chair following resignation of Non-Executive Chair Simon To on July 13.

----------

Tirupati Graphite PLC - London-based company specialising in graphite and graphene - Extends long stop date to acquire Suni Resources SA from Battery Minerals Ltd to end of August. Deal was originally agreed in August 2021. "The completion of the acquisition is pending regulatory approval and all supporting documentation has been submitted to Mozambique's Minister of Natural Resources and Energy," it explains. Adding: "The acquisition will provide Tirupati ownership of the advanced Montepuez and Balama Central graphite projects in Mozambique, alongside associated technical intellectual property related to the assets."

----------

Pantheon Resources PLC - London-based oil and gas company focused on Alaska - Alkaid-2 well on the Alaska North Slope reaches total vertical depth of 8,584 feet, with a measured depth of 8,950 ft, having "encountered multiple oil bearing reservoirs". It adds: "Initial analysis indicates significant improvements in reservoir quality which could potentially lead to a material upgrade of the current resource for all targeted horizons." Confirms more than 1,400 ft of gross continuous oil bearing strata throughout the section drilled.

----------

Hummingbird Resources PLC - gold production, development and exploration focused on West Africa - Pretax loss in six months to June 30 widens significantly to USD23.9 million from a USD3.3 million loss the year before. Production costs rises to USD64.9 million from USD56.0 million. Revenue slumps to USD70.4 million from USD86.6 million. Says sales of USD66.3 million, down from USD84.0 million, were generated from 35,668 ounces of gold sold during the period at an average price of USD1,859 per ounces. Notes production dropped but price was up year on year. Maintains 2022 production guidance of between 87,000 and 97,000 ounces.

----------

Bradda Head Lithium Ltd - North America-focused lithium development company - Pretax loss in year to February 28 widens to USD3.5 million from USD633,188 loss the year before. General & administrative expenses rises to USD3.5 million from USD452,860 following IPO in July 2021. Does not generate revenue in either period, but notes USD2.3 million gains on sales during the most recent period. "The company is well-funded to carry out its exploration plans, and to unlock the full potential of its projects," Chair Ian Stalker says.

----------

By Paul McGowan; paulmcgowan@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
It would appear that the British Embassy in Madrid is gradually moving up to pole position when it comes to British residents being able to exchange their UK licences for a Spanish one, but don't take your foot off the clutch just yet. On Friday night, the British Ambassador, Hugh Elliott gave an update:

"In response to positive feedback on the format of last weeks post, we have prepared another Q&A to provide an update on negotiations and round up some of your frequently asked questions.

As we have said before, there are some details we cannot go into, as that could run the risk of derailing the negotiations  which is the last thing that any of us want. However, we are being as transparent as we possibly can and we hope this post is helpful.



What has happened this week?

Intensive talks have continued this week, concluding in a productive meeting between UK and Spanish officials today. However, there remains some outstanding work to be done to agree the annexes. Also this week, the Ambassador met with citizens rights groups representing UK Nationals from across Spain to hear their perspectives on local issues and answer questions from their members.



Will negotiations go on into August?

Yes. Last week we said that wed sought assurances on this and that, on the UK side, we had a full negotiating team available. Spain have now confirmed that they can continue negotiations with us over August, which were very grateful for.

We recognise that many people are considering their whereabouts over August and so would like to know more about the negotiation timeline. Although, as weve said before, its impossible to give an exact date on when they will conclude, we want to be open about the fact things may take longer than wed like during August.

What happens once the agreement is final?

Once the negotiation teams have agreed the text, it will then go forward for final legal and political approvals. On the Spanish side, this means going through the Consejo de Ministros (Spanish Cabinet). On the UK side, it will be approved by relevant Ministers.

Then it will be published in the BOE (state bulletin) and should come into force the same day. You will then have six months to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one (without having to take a test) and during that time you will be able to drive using your UK licence.



Will there be enough exchange appointments?

It will be for the Spanish Government to administer the process and ensure the provision of appointments. This is something we have raised throughout negotiations and Spain is conscious of the possible number of UK nationals who may need to exchange during the six-month window.

We would encourage you to get an appointment as soon as you can and not leave it until the last minute, remembering that you do not have to exchange where you are resident if there is greater availability elsewhere.

My UK licence has expired. Will I still be able to get a Spanish licence?

The fact that some peoples licences have expired, or are about to, has been taken into account by the negotiating team. Expired licences shall be accepted provided that they were valid at the time that the licence holder entered Spain.

Will the agreement only apply to those who were here before the end of 2020 and registered their intent to exchange?

No. The agreement will apply to anyone holding a UK licence, whether they were here before the end of 2020 or whether they move here in the future.
On Friday, Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called on ministers, other public officials and leaders in the private sector not to wear ties when they are unnecessary.

During a presentation at the Moncloa Palace, Sanchez pointed out that he wasn't wearing a tie, a gesture that helps use less air conditioning. "We can all make energy savings. When it is not necessary to wear a tie, we will save money."

The prime minister's proposal recalled a famous incident in July 2011 when the industry minister, Miguel Sebastian, clashed with the president (speaker) of Congress, Jose Bono, because he had removed his tie. He insisted that this was a means of not wasting energy.

Sanchez, meanwhile, announced that the government will approve a package of urgent measures for energy efficiency and savings on Monday.
The Aerospace Corporation has informed the public that the window of time for the re-entry of an out-of-control Chinese rocket into the Earth's atmosphere will begin on Saturday, July 30 at 15:24 New York time, however, it could be a difference of more or less seven hours.

A threat to air safety

The Long March 5B rocket departed on July 24 from China with a destination to the Tiangong space station carrying a new module, however, its propellant has gone out of control and is expected to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere crossing multiple populated regions, it is estimated that the rocket may impact South America.

The Aerospace Corporation is specialized in the analysis of the trajectories of large vessels built by humans

South America could be the impact zone

The Aerospace Corporation has predicted that the possible trajectories for the Chinese rocket's debris to land may include U.S. territory, Mexico, coastal areas, and South America in general, with a high probability of reaching some provinces of Argentina.

Pundits agree that is not common for uncontrolled re-entries to occur, at least not with objects of this tremendous size, regularly, rocket boosters do not leave the earth's orbit and fall to the ocean or other areas where it's safe from harming anyone involved in the operation.

Chinese rockets problems

This time, however, the propellant of the Chinese rocket did reach Earth's orbit, making it completely impossible to control how it will return to the earth, and it is thought that between 20 and 40% of its complete mass will survive re-entry and collide the planetary surface.

Those who know show that both small and medium-sized tanks and engine components will probably not disintegrate in the atmosphere, these are about 5 to 9 metric tons.
We are company from Slovenia, searching for wooden pellets.



Send us your best offer for wooden pellets A1 (10 or 15kg bags) per ton  MOQ and delivery time
By Kate Hessling

Tribune Staff Writer

Article updated 1:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

BAD AXE  The Huron County Republican Partys Executive Committee voted 18 to 2 to immediately remove 84th District State Rep. Kurt E. Damrows membership of the Huron County Republican Party.

During a meeting Tuesday morning at the Peppermill Restaurant in Bad Axe, local Republicans reviewed a seven-page resolution outlining a number of reasons for removing Damrow from the local party.

The reasons included in the resolution cite Damrows previous campaign finance issues; inaccurate information being given to local party members regarding a Personal Protection Order Damrow had in 2009; Damrow using his position to garner support for his wifes parental visitation dispute, using his personal Facebook page, abusing the Huron Kids Facebook page and hosting a public rally as instruments in gaining the support; failing to obey state law and take timely responsibility for a No Proof of Insurance ticket the representative received earlier this year; and unfounded allegations Damrow made to the Michigan State Police against several Huron County persons.

Also, the resolution notes Damrow has done very little to serve Huron County, or exhibit true initiative in the Michigan House of Representatives.

It is therefore RESOLVED that Kurt Damrow shall be removed immediately from membership of the Huron County Republican Party for the reasons as stated above as a person lacking in honesty and integrity and for bringing a pall over the Party and for failing to represent the citizens of Huron County in our State (Legislature), but instead serving his own and those personal interests of his wife, the resolution states.

The resolution was approved by the local partys executive committee, which consists of all Huron County elected officials as well as a number of other party members.

Prior to the vote, a number of the members at the meeting explained that its not necessarily one specific incident that resulted in the removal of Damrows membership. Rather, its a pattern of behavior outlined in the resolution, which had a three-ring binder containing numerous police reports, court documents and other information supporting the reasons cited in the resolution.

Following the vote, Executive Committee Chairman Curtis Boehmer explained Damrow will be able to run for re-election, but he wont be a member of the local Republican Party.

A message seeking comment was left with Damrow, however, the representative was not immediately available.

Boehmer said he previously contacted Damrow about the resolution and issued the representative an invitation to meet with the party about this issue. However, Damrow declined the invitation, and said hes not surprised by the efforts to remove him from the local party.

June Schweitzer, Huron County GOP vice chair, served on the committee that drafted the resolution. She said a lot of hours went into the resolution, though local party members hoped it wouldnt have been necessary. She said the local GOP reached out to Damrow numerous times, including back in early spring when Damrow and his wife were in a very public battle with Damrows wifes ex-husband over visitation rights over Damrows wifes little boy.

We thought it was affecting his job. We tried to reach out to Damrow to request a meeting with him to find out whats going on, what can be done to help him serve our community better, Schweitzer said. We wanted to offer our support to him, and he did not want to come to meet with us.  It really left us no choice but to move forward on the resolution. We just cant continue to have this behavior. We cant support this behavior in our county.

The resolution was created entirely by volunteers, and no GOP or taxpayer money went into the project, she said.

Schweitzer said the local GOP wanted people in the community to know where it stands.

We needed to let them know that we do not agree with his inappropriate behavior and inappropriate actions toward our county, she said. Damrows supposed to be a leader in our community. Hes supposed to represent us respectfully and with integrity, and that just wasnt done. He cant be attacking or have a personal vendetta on good, honest and respectful people in our community  he just cant do that. He needs to do the work of the community.

What was done today was not easy for the Republican party to do, Schweitzer added. It was sad, its not easy. Its never an easy thing  especially when you have a leader and you vote to remove a leader from the party. That is something that is just not easy. A lot of thought went into it and a lot of time went into trying to talk to Kurt about it. Again, it just left us no choice but to move forward with the vote. Its sad. Its really a sad day.

But, Schweitzer said, this is all Damrows doing.

Kurt did this to himself. With his behavior and inappropriate actions, he did this to himself, she said. (So) hopefully, this is a step in a right direction  that were doing something for the people in this county.
Students at Saint Brigid Catholic School will celebrate a significant milestone as the school turns 100 years old.

Saint Brigid Catholic School opened its doors for the first time in 1922, with around 150 students enrolled in first grade through eighth grade. This year on Aug. 22, 148 students, kindergarten through eighth grade, will enter the halls to kick off the 100th year of operation.

Many events have been planned throughout the year to commemorate the anniversary and celebrate all those who have contributed to the long-standing success of the school.

From 10-11 a.m. on Aug. 14, the school will inaugurate the centennial anniversary with tours of its Hall of History, featuring posters from each decade along with alumni spotlights and artifacts from throughout the years. The public is encouraged to attend and see how the school has evolved over the years.

On Aug. 21, the Saint Brigid Community will gather for a Back to School Bash featuring food trucks, live music, games, face painting and more. At this event it will aslo hold an official ribbon cutting of the new playground that was installed this summer.

To view all the events scheduled throughout the year, visit stbrigid-midland.org/school/100th-year-anniversary-2022-2023/
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  South Korea plans to lift its decadeslong ban on public access to North Korean television, newspapers and other publications as part of its efforts to promote mutual understanding between the rivals, officials said Friday, despite animosities over the North's recent missile tests.

Divided along the worlds most heavily fortified border since 1948, the two Koreas prohibit their citizens from visiting each others territory and exchanging phone calls, emails and letters, and they block access to each others websites and TV stations.

In a policy report to new President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, South Koreas Unification Ministry said it will gradually open the door for North Korean broadcasts, media and publications to try to boost mutual understanding, restore the Korean national identity and prepare for a future unification.

Ministry officials said South Korea will start by allowing access to North Korean broadcasts to try to encourage North Korea to take similar steps. The ministry refused to provide further details, saying the plans are still being discussed with relevant authorities in South Korea.

Jeon Young-sun, a research professor at Seouls Konkuk University, said North Korea is unlikely to reciprocate because the flow of South Korean cultural and media content would pose a really huge threat to its authoritarian leadership.

Ruled by three generations of the Kim family since its 1948 foundation, North Korea strictly restricts its citizens access to outside information, though many defectors have said they watched smuggled South Korean TV programs while living in the North. In 2014, North Korean troops opened fire when South Korean activists launched balloons carrying USB sticks containing information about the outside world and leaflets critical of the Kim family toward North Korean territory.

Relations between the two Koreas remain strained over North Koreas torrid run of missile tests this year. Yoon, a conservative, has said he would take a tougher stance on North Korean provocations, though he said he has an audacious plan to improve the North's economy if it abandons its nuclear weapons.

Despite the Norths likely reluctance to reciprocate, Jeon said South Korea needs to ease its ban on North Korean media because the restrictions have led to dependence on foreigners and other governments to gather North Korea-related information. Jeon said that has increased the danger of acquiring distorted information on North Korea.

It wasnt clear how anti-North Korea activists in the South would react to the government's move. Jeon said there was little chance the move would promote pro-North Korean sentiments.

South Korea, the worlds 10th-largest economy, is a global cultural powerhouse. Its nominal gross domestic product in 2019 was 54 times bigger than that of North Korea, according to South Korean estimates.

Some observers say the ban must be lifted in a step-by-step process with discussions on what North Korean contents would be allowed first and how the access should be given to the South Korean public.

While South Korean authorities block access to North Korean government websites and other media, they rarely crack down on experts, journalists and others using virtual private networks or proxy servers to access them. A large number of North Korean movies, songs and other contents are also available on YouTube, which is accessible in South Korea.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

HARTFORD  A Rocky Hill man and smoke shop owner will serve five years in prison after trafficking fentanyl, federal prosecutors announced Friday.

While investigating Sean Thomas, 32, police found more 50,000 lethal doses of fentanyl in his home  copious amounts of it stored in an ottoman in the family room, according to court documents. Law enforcement also discovered three pounds of marijuana in his smoke shop, Puff Palace on New Britain Avenue, according to U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery and court documents.

Thomas pleaded guilty in January to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. In Hartford on Friday, U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant sentenced Thomas to 60 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. He was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshals Service after sentencing, the U.S. Attorneys Office said.

This was Thomas first criminal conviction, according to court documents.

Hartford police started investigating Thomas and others in 2020 for distributing fentanyl and marijuana. As part of the investigation, an undercover officer purchased marijuana from an employee at Thomas smoke shop, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

On June 2, 2020, investigators were watching Thomas as they prepared to execute multiple search warrants. Law enforcement saw Thomas drive his car from his home in Rocky Hill to Kenneth Street in Hartford where he got into a parked Dodge Durango, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Police believed Thomas was conducting a narcotics transaction, so detectives approached the car. The driver, Tafarie Green, accelerated and drove straight at detectives who jumped out of the way, the U.S. Attorneys office said. Green then drove at a high rate of speed onto a sidewalk and through two chain link fences before he crashed into a tree.

Green ran away and investigators apprehended Thomas, according to the U.S. Attorneys office.

Later, law enforcement searched Thomas home and found more than 100 grams of unpackaged fentanyl  or about 50,000 lethal doses  3,500 bags of packaged fentanyl, items used to process and package narcotics for street sale and about $16,500 in cash, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Green, who was on federal supervised release at the time, was arrested on July 13, 2020. He pleaded guilty in August 2021 to possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to 62 months in prison, according tot he U.S. Attorneys office.
How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
An important publication launched on the opening day of the worlds largest AIDS conference puts the spotlight on not only the interlinkages between climate justice, gender equality and human rights, but also on differential vulnerabilities to climate change of people in Asia and the Pacific region.

This publication ARROW for Change: Climate Justice in Planet A (English, Hindi/ ) of Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) looks into the integration of women, girls and LGBTQIAP+ peoples needs in climate change action, with a specific focus on health and climate change. It brings forth the voices of youth and their inter-generational concerns and documents success stories and advocacy strategies that have led to just transitions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Sivananthi Thanenthiran, Executive Director of ARROW said while launching the Hindi translation of ARROW For Change: Climate Justice in Planet A at the 24th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2022): in these last two years the world has been thrown into disarray by the COVID-19 pandemic but simultaneously, slowly in the background, the effect of climate change on our world has also been unfolding.

She further added that disruption of health services and de-prioritization of sexual and reproductive health services meant that health became inaccessible and HIV services, such as voluntary counselling and testing, access to lifesaving antiretroviral therapy, and referrals to other needed services, also were disrupted for all those who were living in areas reeling under extreme climate events, such as floods.

When confronted with climate disasters, communities adapt. For some it meant walking further distances for food, water and fuel. Girls and boys face increased risk of violence of which not only pregnancies but sexually transmitted infections, such as HIV, increased during this time. Communities affected by floods and drought often have to migrate across boundaries or borders which often see increase in unsafe sex practices due to inaccessibility of commodities as well as inability to negotiate sexual boundaries, said Sivananthi Thanenthiran. More importantly she pointed out how climate change exacerbates the inequities felt by already marginalized communities such as sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, and transgender persons.

Menka Goundan, Executive Director, Womens Fund Fiji, who is also part of ARROWs Programme Advisory Committee, said that Pacific island countries have contributed the least to greenhouse gas emissions but face the worst wrath of climate-induced disasters each year. Most damage to the ecosystem, stratosphere and space, is within the zone of the pacific ocean. This is increasing the heat waves, and increasing the temperatures rapidly around the pacific ocean. This has resulted in sea level rise for many pacific island countries. Small pacific island countries like Nauru and Tuvalu are at the brink of being fully immersed in the ocean.

Pacific women have been at the forefront of climate justice since the time of nuclear testing in the pacific in the early 1980s and 1990s. Pacific women have led the conversation around climate and environmental justice in the pacific. We still see womens experiences are not as highlighted when it comes to climate justice work. We have been systematically subtracted from conversations and policy making around climate justice. Many Pacific island countries are moving towards efforts around climate policies but are they taking into account womens sentiments and lived experiences is another question, she added.

Noted climate justice activist Tetet-Nera Lauron from Philippines said that climate crisis is impacting progress made towards gender equality, closing of gender wage gaps, maternal health, and sexual rights. More disruptive disasters displace women and girls and damage physical infrastructure that cater to their reproductive and sexual health. Studies including those made by ARROW, show how the climate crisis increases the incidence of gender-based violence related to the scarcity of natural resources and how women and girls travel farther distances to secure food and water.

She added: we must not accept business as usual as we deserve more not just from the climate negotiations but we deserve more from the institutions of global governance that supposedly serve and uphold the interests of people and planet.

Fithriyyah Iskandar, a doctor of medicine and environment youth activist called for more inclusion of young people in climate negotiations and policy making. Future generations will experience the worst case of the climate scenario. These undesirable climate conditions will also result in depletion of natural resources and will have a significant societal impact such as population migration and economic dislocation. So, youth who are part of the future generation should be heard and involved in the decision making processes at all levels.

Shobha Shukla, founding Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) said that, it is essentially a feminist response that can deliver on the goals such as those of ending AIDS, achieving gender equality, and climate justice. The current response often is not rooted in principles of development justice. That is why we need a feminist model as it is about solidarity. The opposite of patriarchy is not matriarchy but solidarity. Patriarchy is about using power and violence against other people in order to gain power. The opposite of that is feminism - using care and solidarity to change systems and share/ redistribute power.

Bobby Ramakant  CNS (Citizen News Service)
The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bortianor-Ngleshie Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh has bragged that President Akufo-Addo has done better than all past Presidents in the country.

President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo, according to the legislator would have even been the best President Ghana has ever had since the establishment of the Fourth Republic if the once flamboyant economy was not hit by external factors.

He explained during a discussion on Accra-based Peace FM's Kokrokoo morning show, which Modernghana News monitored that the President's good intentions have been shattered by the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Tettey challenged anyone who disagreed with him to a debate.

If it hadn't been because of COVID and Russia/Ukraine war that have upset our economic gains, I haven't seen anybody under the Fourth Republic who has performed excellently like Nana Addo.

And these are things that I dare anybody to come to the table, let's discuss it, he brags.

However, the NPP lawmaker acknowledged the country's difficulties and urged Ghanaians to have faith in the President to turn the tide for the better.

I will plead with Ghanaians that it is true we are experiencing hardships but it's the same hands that took us from IMF, the same hands that took us from low growth GDP to 7.3 per cent", he appealed.

Mr. Stephen Tettey asserted that "every government has a good intention for this country but [the basics] we need to go back to the basics and it's about time that our technocrats, the people who have the knowledge to help; everybody must come on board. Have a national dialogue and see how we can change.
South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said Friday that his ruling African National Congress party was at its "weakest", after a historic loss in municipal polls last year.

The party leader spoke as the continent's most advanced economy faces a raft of socio-economic crises.

Critics charge that the government lacks a national plan to tackle poverty, inequality and 34.5-percent unemployment worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, or even provide basic services such as electricity and water.

Support for the ANC dipped below 50 percent for the first time in local polls last November, amid growing disappointment with the party that has ruled the country for nearly three decades since the end of apartheid.

"The ANC today is at its weakest and most vulnerable since the advent of democracy," Ramaphosa told delegates at talks to map out the party's new direction in Johannesburg.

The weaknesses, Ramaphosa said, "are evident in the distrust, the disillusionment, the frustration that is expressed by many people towards our movement and our government".

He said the party of late anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela was now a "divided movement", with rifts "driven by competition for positions and access to public resources, and patronage as well".

The cracks were resulting in "weakened governance", he said, urging delegates to come up with "clear policies", "coherent ideas" and "practical solutions".

"This is a defining moment for the ANC... but more importantly for our country," he said.

The talks are a prelude to the ANC national elective conference in December, when the party is to hold internal polls to pick a candidate for the next presidential election.

Ramaphosa is expected to seek a second five-year term, but could face a challenge from a faction of the party that is loyal to former president Jacob Zuma, who has been accused of corruption.

The three-day talks, to run until Sunday, are also expected to address graft allegations against ANC members.

A state corruption inquiry report published earlier this year named more than 200 of its members, including some senior officials.

The party is also buckling under financial woes, having struggled to pay salaries in recent months.

Dozens of party workers picketed outside the conference venue, protesting over their unpaid wages.

Ramaphosa himself is also mired in a scandal following a break-in at his game and cattle farm.
The chair of the West African regional bloc Ecowas said the military junta in Guinea has agreed to reduce its transition to civilian rule from three to two years.This as violent protests against the junta brought the capital Conakry to a standstill on Thursday.

Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who is chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said he had recently convinced Guinea's junta to shorten its timeline.

"I was in Conakry with the president of the commission (of ECOWAS) to make the military junta understand the decision of the summit of heads of state that the transition cannot exceed 24 months", Embalo said.

His comments came during a media briefing attended by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday.

"They had proposed 36 months, but we succeeded in convincing them," he added.

However, Ousmane Gaoual Diallo, a Guinean minister and spokesman for the transitional government, told French news agency AFP that "neither the government nor the presidency confirm this information about the duration of the transition in Guinea".

Mediation

An ECOWAS official said on condition of anonymity: "The principle is accepted but we were waiting to formalise it... before announcing it."

A junta led by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, which overthrew President Alpha Conde in September last year, had pledged to hand over power to elected civilians within three years.

But regional powers rejected this timeline, with ECOWAS suspending Guinea after the coup.

West African mediators last week met Guinea's ruling junta for talks on a return to civilian rule, according to ECOWAS and state media.

Embalo, Gambian diplomat Omar Alieu Touray, who is the president of the bloc's commission, and Benin's former president Thomas Boni Yayi, the ECOWAS mediator for Guinea, were all present.

Protest in Conakry

Earlier in July, ECOWAS leaders had met in Ghana's capital Accra to discuss transitions to civilian rule in Guinea, as well as Mali and Burkina Faso, which together have undergone four coups since August 2020.

They lifted tough sanctions that had been imposed on Mali's military regime, accepting a March 2024 return to civilian rule.

And they agreed to allow Burkina Faso two years for its transition back to democracy.

But discussions until then had been trickier with the rulers of Guinea, where the junta had announced a 36-month transition -- a period that African Union chairman and Senegalese President Macky Sall described as "unthinkable".

On Thursday, protests against Guinea's military leaders brought Conakry to a standstill.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC) who called the protest said one person had died after being hit by a bullet in the Conakry suburb of Hamdallaye, while several others were injured.

The FNDC is an influential coalition made up of political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations. It called the demonstration to denounce the junta's "unilateral management" of the return to civilian rule after it seized power in 2021.

Authorities have not confirmed the death.

The junta in May banned public demonstrations, and Thursday's protests led to sporadic clashes between demonstrators and police.
Two weeks ago, President George M Weah threatened to dismiss any government official proven to be unproductive. Was the President finally waking up to what everyone in Liberia and the world has known all along: that he is running a dysfunctional and corrupt administration? Or maybe this was an election-related stunt. But as usual, Mr. Weah never disappoints when it comes to making a major decision. When you dont know, you dont. Clearly, you cannot give what you don't have.



As usual, President Weah is weaponizing other branches of the government to do his dirty work. Indeed, rather than dismiss corrupt and ineffective officials, Weah is going after the only institution that seems to be producing results. This institution is the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission headed by Edwin Kla Martin.

Indeed, the legislature has embarked on a scheme to dissolve and restructure the anti-corruption commission and line it with the governments corrupt image. The legislature has decided to carry out sweeping amendments, forcing the tenured officials to re-apply for their jobs. This is clearly intended to force Cllr. Edwin Kla Martin to resign and apply for his position. Cllr. Martin is currently in hiding and told VOA-NEWS, that his life is in danger. A year ago, auditors died while combing through the governments expenditures.

The LACC has exposed corruption in many places and Mr. Weah was faced with a decision. Among others, LACC exposed the fraud committed by the Chair of the National Elections Commission (NEC) who provided contracts to family members at inflated rates; the Minister of Agriculture Ms. Jeanine Cooper was caught putting her son and his friends on projects where their pay was higher than the project and also diverted contracts to her own firm and without providing the services and finally, they hook LISGIS, the institution that is in charge of electoral and census matters,

Rather than dismiss and arrest the corrupt officials, Weah wants to dismantle the LACC and render it irrelevant just as integrity institutions like the General Auditing Commission (GAC), Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC), and Internal Audit Agency, have now been made dormant.



Assisted by the legislature, President Weah is set to extinguish the only weapon the government has to fight corruption. Not only that  plans are also underway to liquidate the head of the LACC, based on his statement to VOA. People are calling on the President to veto the LACC bill sent to him. Under pressure from the public and civil society, Weah may try to save face and veto the bill and then ask his cronies in the House and the Senate to override his veto.

Using murders as a deterrence to those fighting corruption

Being an auditor today in Liberia is not an attractive job. Within a space of two weeks, four auditors: Emmanuel Barten Nyeswua, Albert Peters, Gifty Lama, and George Fanbutoe, all died under suspicious circumstances, akin only to what we see in bad gangster movies. According to the government's falsehood, one person fell from the second-floor balcony; another was hit by a car at 2 am in front of his house; two died of carbon monoxide in daylight on Broad Street, in the center of Monrovia. The head of Micro Finance at the Central Bank, Matthew J. Innis died mysteriously amid investigations.

These prevailing heinous crimes have erected obstacles to fighting corruption in the country. Liberians are used to the government killing its own and no one is speaking or sounding the alarms, as if the country has turned numb. Where is the consortium of human rights organizations in Liberia? Where is Human Rights Watch? Where is the Liberia Council of Churches or the Muslim Council that has now formed an unholy alliance with the CDC-led Government? Where are the remains of the opposition political parties in the country? Does Liberia still have civil society organizations? Where are the traditional chiefs? Have they joined Chief Zanzan Karwa in George Weah's pocket? Did the Weah Government close their mouths with pickups and motorbikes?

The Perspective takes these issues very seriously and holds the CDC-led Government and their compliant subjects (lawmakers) responsible. We call on the opposition, the Liberia Council of Churches (if there is still such an organization), the students, market women, etc. to save the life of Edward Kla Martin and the Anti-Corruption Commission. President Weah and his cronies have killed the GAC, the PPCC, the Internal Audit Agency, etc. LACC is the last accountability and transparency organization in the country. If Liberians allow this to happen, by 2023, we will have nothing left called Liberia. Today it is Edwin Kla Martin, tomorrow, it could be the whole nation. If we dont act in unison today, tomorrow there will be nothing left called Liberia. A hint to the wise is quite sufficient.


30.07.2022 LISTEN

"Oh good Lord, the intellectual elite of the white man criticizes the Europeans and their value-driven often slow approach to help and solve the problems of Africa but praises the Chinese strategy as remarkable to finance and build Africa in the shortest possible time with massive interventions."

"No human can live alone on bread, my son!"

"I know but these critics ignore your words and wisdom sidelining historically unfolding evidence."

"Tell me more about it, my son."

"Chinese have no moral problems with corrupt politicians and bribe them while Europeans have to a greater extent. As China and more so now Russia reaches out to Africa like giant octopuses to grab cheap money from African natural resources and dump their products and services onto the continent the citizens of the African societies begin to understand they fight for Independence from the Colonial Masters once more has been lost. They have voted for leaders at the polling stations to sell the continent to China and Russia."

"No human can live by bread alone, my son."

"I, my Lord, made in life the astonishing observation that when you lose everything material but have values, a sense of direction and a vision of a great future, the determination of working hard and stay focused on what you have lost you can win again and often even better."

"Oh, my son, I think you refer to Job and Joseph in the book of my words, right?"

"Not only them but I look around history and see by evidence of life that values are the power behind long-lasting dominion while money and politics blow in the wind of time anyhow."

"Oh, my son I begin to understand what you are saying."

"During the time of Colonialism Africa has lost its values and after independence never got them back. They could have and should have used the momentum of freedom to reinvent African values and update them. Instead, they struggled with a governmental system called Democracy unknown to them. Voting unqualified loudspeakers wanting to enjoy the good life into the state houses of Africa pushed nations into the arms of the new colonial elite."

"Which is true by evidence, my son. But you mentioned briefly a change in thinking."

"Yes, my good Lord. It seems to be the ordinary African citizen begins to look behind the railway lines, interchanges, power stations, etc. and realize the price to pay is not only the money but the values they cherish is paid as a premium on top, the soul and heart of Africa kept in the safes of foreign nations."

"You want to tell me as long as Africa has no updated clear values, no written down vision of a better world in 100, 200, or 400 years to come, and no generations plan with a detailed action plan of when, how, and where Africa is left to the uncertainty of the wind of change and the course of history is put in the hands of others?"

"Europe was built on values, the USA was built on values, Japan is built on values, modern China has a detailed plan as part of a vision...but Africa has the focus on the inner struggles...African values are? African vision is?"

"Yet, another watch night today is coming, my son and the churches of Africa will worship me again and again."
Record high temperatures and drought in France have provided ideal conditions for wildfires. While most are sparked by human error, some are set off deliberately, and occasionally by firefighters themselves. Pyromaniacs and arsonists have different motivations, but gendarmes have an equally hard time tracking them down.

Firefighters and locals in the village of Saint-Jean-de-la-Baquiere were in a state of shock and disbelief on Friday after a volunteer firefighter admitted to starting eight fires in the area, which he then helped to extinguish.

Earlier in the week, prosecutors said two forest fires that broke out in Brittany, northwest France, destroying 1,700 hectares of forest, were without doubt of human origin.

A 44-year old man was arrested on Thursday, with a high level of alcohol in his blood, after he admitted starting a fire which led to the destruction of 1,200 hectares in Ardeche.

"Pyromaniacs are criminals who threaten people's safety and damage our heritage, the head of the Ardeche department, Olivier Amrane, said in a statement on Thursday.

He deplored the "unprecedented damage and called for "exemplary sanctions".

On 16 July a 20-year-old man admitted to setting two fires in the village of Sernhac in Le Gard. They were in exactly the same place, a week apart, according to Midi-Libre.

In Gironde, southwest France, where the worst of recent wildfires occurred, a 39-year old man was temporarily held in custody this week on suspicion of starting fires around the village of Landiras where 10,500 hectares went up in flames.

He was released for lack of evidence.

Difficult to trace

Securing incriminating evidence is difficult in cases of arson.

There's little chance of finding traces of DNA.

It's the hardest type of crime to stop, it's very difficult to arrest an arsonist with evidence showing he took part, the brigade major with Nyons gendarmerie told France Inter.

His team did manage to arrest an 18-year old who'd set three fires in two weeks in the wine-growing region of Vinsobres.

Witnesses had identified the young man's presence at the site of the fires.

When he was stopped, gendarmes found a gas lighter and matches in his back-pack, though he initially claimed to be a non-smoker.

They first became suspicious when the suspect offered his services at the local fire station "but didn't live in the region".

"He was clearly fascinated by fire, had lots of videos of firefighters on his phone putting out flames, said the Major.

Pyromaniacs return to see their fires, they take pleasure in contemplating the damage, he added.

Prototype arsonist

Gendarmes and criminologists agree it's difficult to draw up a profile of a typical arsonist.

There are relatively few studies, using small samples.

But in all the cases cited above, the suspect was male and acted alone.

"One thing we can be sure of is that the majority of arsonists  about 90 percent  are men said psychiatrist and criminologist Pierre Lamothe.

Arsonists are generally well integrated socially, often married, aged between 18 and 35 [] and most often native to the region writes clinical psychologist Julie Palix, author of Arson and Pyromania.

Those who light forest fires in particular are "more marginal," Palix says, "single men, younger and more likely to be delinquent".

She found that around two thirds of arsonists had planned and pre-meditated their acts, carrying out reconnaissance of the sites before setting them ablaze.

Motivation

France has different terms for arsonists depending on their motivation.

Incendiaires refers to fire-starters who are looking for some sort of revenge while pyromanes describes those who react more impulsively, irrationally, and are fascinated by the fire itself.

While the former category might set only one fire, the latter tend to repeat offend.

Pyromaniacs are unable to separate themselves from the source of pleasure, [the feeling] of being all-powerful, which the fire generates, criminologist and clinical psychologist Marjorie Sueur told La Voix du Nord.

For some, setting fires can have a sexual connotation, a way of affirming a sense of superiority that they may be lacking.

She outlines several profiles: immature offenders acting under the influence of another; the simple-minded who don't measure the impact of, for example, throwing a cigarette butt away; the mentally-ill suffering from schizophrenia or hallucinations who might light a fire believing it's positive by purifying the environment; and the alcohol-dependent.

The most dangerous category, she says, are the psychopaths and perverts because they have no remorse and on the contrary take pleasure in transgressing the law.

Firefighter arson

Occasionally, arsonists are also firefighters, like the 37-year-old arrested this week on suspicion of setting seven separate fires in an area west of Montpellier.

The man, a forester and deputy mayor, confessed to starting the fires for the "adrenaline rush" and to gain "social recognition".

He also sought to "provoke firefighting operations in order to escape from an oppressive family environment".

In an interview he gave to local media last year, reported by BFM TV, he described his passion for firefighting.

When you are called to a fire, of course you're afraid, but we are above all guided by adrenaline and the desire to save nature. We are all addicts, some people say we're crazy.

Punish or heal?

There is still much debate in France over whether pyromania should be treated as a mental illness or a crime.

The term pyromanie first appeared in France in 1833 in a medical reference book by French psychiatrist Henri Marc.

Throughout the 19th century doctors pushed for pyromania to be recognised as an illness, while lawyers insisted individuals who set fires were fully responsible for their acts, historian Jean-Jacques Yvorel told La Croix.

Making the distinction was important, he says, since arsonists were often sentenced to death.

With no system of insurance at that time, losing your entire crop was a real source of anguish.

Even now, health professionals are divided over how to view people who deliberately set fires.

Psychiatrist and criminologist Michel Benezech considers the term illness is perfectly appropriate for this type of behaviour.

There is sexual excitement linked to setting off fires; it's a form of sexual perversion, he said.

Pierre Lamothe is more circumspect.

I don't think we can talk of illness, out of the 30 or so arsonists I've met in my career, many had no history of mental illness."

The risks

Unless the arsonist is judged psychotic, he faces 10 years behind bars and a 150,000-euro fine.

The sentence can go up to 15 years if the fire destroys "forests, moors, scrubland or plantations belonging to others under conditions likely to expose people to physical harm".

The firefighter in the Montpellier case faces the maximum penalty.

The 18-year old in Le Gard was handed a two-year prison sentence, 18 months suspended, with the obligation to seek medical help.

According to Palix, only 1 percent of arsonists worldwide are identified and arrested.
30.07.2022 LISTEN

The Leadership of Bawumia for Ghana (BawuGha), a vibrant youth group affiliated to the ruling New Patriotic Party have reminded members of the party about the patriotism Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia demonstrated at the 2012 Supreme Court election petition till date.

In a statement to share the glory and wish the party its 30th Anniversary, the National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Emmanuel Mensah recalled how Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia defended the party at the Supreme Court in the full glare of the public, whilst other equally important individuals failed to show up.

He lamented that some bigwigs and power brokers in the party intentionally sat as observers and strangers at the period their loyalty and support were needed badly.

Today, a lot of people have forgotten and they're now claiming to be loving the party than Dr Bawumia who stood on his feet for almost nine months (9) in the supreme court defending the party.

He appealed that time has come for the ruling New Patriotic Party to reward the Vice President for his commitment and perseverance.

Lets remind ourselves as members of the elephant family that hard work pays, so the Vice President need to be rewarded as the party prepares ahead of the 2024 general elections.

Mr. Emmanuel said before the party came to power the Vice President worked hard, mobilized the people and demonstrated why the then flagbearer of the party was better alternative to the NDC.

Extending the group best wishes to the party as it celebrates 30th Anniversary, he paid tribute to the illustrious founders and other members of the party.

I want to pay tribute to Baffuor Akoto, Nana Awuku, Prof. Ofosu Armah, S. D. Dombo, Alhaji Osman, S. G. Antor, Victor Owusu, Kwesi Lamptey, J. A. Braimah, Richard Quashie, Alhaji Yakubu Tali (Tolon-Na), Prof. Yaw Twumasi, Prof. Adzei Bekoe, Alhaji B. K. Adama, Haruna Esseku, Jato Kaleo, J. H. Mensah, Abaifa Karbo, Dzana Selby, Jones Ofori Atta, Sackey Schek, former President J. A Kufuor, H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Appiah Menka, Alhaji Shani Mahama, Stephen Kreku, Prof. John Fynn, Mr. Cockra, Adam Amande, Gyebi Ofosu, Ama Busia, Mariama Sanpaga, Alhaji Salifu COP, Mariama Arko, Alhaji Adam Gariba, etc.

He narrated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) received its certificate to operate on the 28th July, 1992 from the then Interim National Electoral Commission (INEC) headed by the late Justice Josiah Ofori Boateng.

ABOUT BAWUMIA FOR GHANA

Bawumia for Ghana (BAWUGHA) is a political group made up of intellectuals, philanthropists and dedicated grassroots members of the NPP who strongly believe in the credentials and leadership skills of Dr Bawumia. Our vision is to garner votes for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to be elected as the flag bearer of the NPP and subsequently become the next President of Ghana.

BAWUGHA is registered with the Registrars General Department and currently operates from Accra, Obuasi, Sunyani and Tamale together with field officers who are spread across all the constituencies in the country.

So far, the group philanthropic work (BAWUGHA Touching Lives Program) of the group has reached out to over 5,000 people in the areas of vocational training, feeding, and job creation interventions all in line with Dr. Bawumias vision of improving the lives of the poor and vulnerable in society.
Henry Hererimana Serushago is in hiding after he was attacked by M23 rebel soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Photo: Henry Hererimana Serushago)

30.07.2022 LISTEN

All parties to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo should permit members of the press to work without fear of arrest, violence, and harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On the morning July 5, a group of six soldiers with the M23 rebel group detained Henry Hererimana Serushago, a reporter at La Voix de Mikeno (RACOM) community radio broadcaster, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a report by Journaliste en Danger , a local press freedom group.

Members of the M23, a rebel movement fighting the DRC government in the countrys east, stopped Serushago as he attempted to cross into Uganda from Bunagana, in the DRCs eastern North Kivu province, according to those sources.

Serushago told CPJ that he refused to speak to an M23 colonel about the rebel groups offer to cooperate with RACOM. The colonel then ordered Serushago to be detained, and soldiers forced him to the ground, tied him up, and whipped, kicked, and beat him, he said.

The colonel threatened to kill Serushago if he spoke publicly about his mistreatment, saying he knew the location of his home, Serushago told CPJ. The rebels released him after about seven hours in custody, and he received treatment for injuries to his right leg and chest at a local hospital, he said.

Serushago told CPJ that he had gone into hiding and feared for his life.

All parties to the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo must guarantee the safety of journalist Henry Hererimana Serushago and his colleagues while they cover the front lines of hostilities involving M23 rebels, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. Journalists covering conflict are far too often targeted for their coverage, which is critical for people in the local community and around the world to know what is happening.

M23 rebels previously looted RACOMs station in June after employees refused to collaborate with them, as CPJ documented at the time.

The colonel who sought to speak with Serushago said M23 soldiers could install equipment to make the station operational again, if the broadcaster agreed to work with them, Serushago said.

Serushago was attempting to enter Uganda to conduct interviews with Congolese people who had fled the fighting in the eastern DRC, where M23 rebels recently seized control of several villages, he told CPJ.

He said his previous interviews with people displaced by the conflict included their denunciations of the M23, and had been broadcast in late June by stations in the DRCs eastern town of Rutshuru and in Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Separately, unidentified armed men ransacked Serushagos home in Bunagana in late June and destroyed his belongings while he was reporting from Uganda, according to two of his neighbors, who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing security concerns. The neighbors told CPJ they believed the armed men were M23 soldiers because the group was in control of Bunagana at that time.

CPJ called the DRC military governor of North Kivu, Constant Ndima Kongba, but did not receive any reply.

When CPJ called M23 President Bertrand Bisimwa, he said he was in a meeting and was not available for comment. Minutes later, Bisimwas assistant, David Mugabe, called CPJ and in an interview said that the July 5 attack on Serushago did not happen, and that M23 was not involved in the raids on the journalists home or RACOMs office.

Mugabe, who said he was speaking from Bunagana, suggested that former members of other armed groups or people with personal vendettas against Serushago may have been responsible for those incidents.

Mugabe said that Serushago and all journalists safety are one hundred percent guaranteed in the area controlled by M23.
Erick Ngaba, managing editor of the privately owned Ndjoni Sango newspaper in the Central African Republic, has received threatening messages on social media. The threats began after Ngaba published a report alleging that members of the opposition Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People party had decided to remove its leader from power. (Photo: Erick Ngaba)

30.07.2022 LISTEN

Central African Republic authorities should investigate threatening messages sent to journalist Erick Ngaba and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

Since June 14, Ngaba, managing editor of the privately owned Ndjoni Sango newspaper, has received about 20 threating messages in WhatsApp groups where he is a member and through Facebook Live broadcasts, according to news reports and the journalist, who spoke with CPJ over the phone.

The messages included threats to take care of the journalist, as well as accusations that Ngaba was a traitor to the Central Africa Republic, according to the journalist and screenshots of the messages, which CPJ reviewed.

Central African Republic authorities should investigate the threats made against journalist Erick Ngaba and ensure his safety, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. The security situation in the Central African Republic is worrisome enough for media professionals without additional online harassment.

In one WhatsApp message reviewed by CPJ, Kenny Yamba, a spokesperson for the opposition Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC) political party threatened to personally take care of you to avenge my father.

Ngaba told CPJ that the MLPC refers to its leader, Martin Ziguele, as father, and that he had recently covered an alleged power dispute within the MPLC involving Ziguele.

Reached by phone, Yamba did not deny sending the message, and told CPJ, We do not treat them [reporters like Ngaba] as journalists but as propagandists.

Our role is to defend our leader without hesitation, he added, accusing Ngaba of attacking Ziguele and the MPLC in his reporting, specifically citing a June 13 article in Ndjoni Sango alleging that members of the MLPC had decided to remove Ziguele from power.

Ngaba told CPJ that the accounts sending threatening messages also featured content that showed they were loyal to Ziguele.

In one Facebook post on June 19, a user named Anthony Odom, whose Facebook profile says he lives in France, called Ngaba a friend of the occupier and traitor, and accused him of serving the interests of the Russian Wagner mercenary group in the CAR. Yamba told CPJ that Odom was a member of the MPLCs communication team.

Ziguele himself also reshared several messages criticizing Ngaba, and calling him an apprentice journalist, which CPJ reviewed.

They are doing it openly. They are not using avatars but their own accounts and the [MLPC] partys communication channels, Ngaba told CPJ, noting that many of the threatening messages had been shared on the personal Facebook pages of MLPC officials.

Reached by phone, Ziguele told CPJ that he had not asked anyone to attack Ngaba, but acknowledged that MPLC officials based in France had called him [Ngaba] to order over that June 13 article.

Ziguele said he personally asked the people on his communications team to stop arguing with Ngaba because it doesnt help anyone.

Ngaba said he plans to file a complaint against Ziguele and the MLPC with the public prosecutor.
Any Ghanaian politician seeking the votes of the populace can easily win by promising to fight corruption since they are aware of how it denies the average person access to a better standard of living. As a result, it is necessary to say false things in order to win their support. The same fallacy that Akufo Addo used to gain power, claiming that he will defend the public's money.

On June 22, 2018, Nana Akufo Addo stated, "The laws will not discriminate, I remain committed to fighting corruption in the country, and I have taken some firm measures to address the problem," when he was speaking at the conclusion of a two-day conference held in Accra by the African Center for Economic Transformation.

Can the president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, inform Ghanaians of the hard measures he took to combat corruption, which has engulfed the nation's banks and shores, as well as the Anas principles he pledged? He has without a doubt shown himself to be far more corrupt than the former president, John Mahama, of whom he accused.



Nana Akufo Addo, the president of Ghana, has fallen short in every endeavor, including his pledge to lower taxes and safeguard the public coffers. By including corrupt NPP politicians, judges, and media in his ministry, he now promotes the corrupt nature of the NPP government.

Akufo Addo asserted that "Equality before the law means just that, so the law should be able to deal with you if you are a president who engages in improper behavior oneself. Similar to this, if you are a businessperson who engages in misbehavior, the law should be able to deal with you."

In Ghana, I discovered that the dealers and food vendors who frequently claim that they have cut prices or are giving you the best deal possible are actually the ones who raise the cost of every good you purchase from them. If you are aware of the actual market price for the commodity, you will be able to gauge the amount of harm they have caused you.

That is why Akufo Addo would act in opposition to his vow to Ghanaians to preserve the public purse by diplomatically stealing. Unfortunately, due to tribalism and their animosity toward the former Ghanaian president, John Mahama, Ghanaians believed in him and fell for his sweet, sugar-coated tongue. Ghanaians don't deserve this needless agony brought on by a careless error.

The majority of Ghanaians haven't had the opportunity to live in any advanced nation, so I have refrained from blaming them for the mistakes they have made in the past and are still repeating today. This is because they aren't aware that the political services being provided to them by Akufo Addo and his NPP government are not even appropriate for the animals or pets of white people. How much money has Akufo Addo given to the underprivileged Ghanaians? Ben Rea, a British antique dealer who passed away in 1988, left his cat $12.5 million.

Since the majority of everyday Ghanaians are unaware of the fundamentals of politics and how European politicians thrive to improve the life of the people on daily basis, the bad governance of the NPP administration seems like pure gold to them.

How prudent or logical is it to continue to support a president who has betrayed every one of his campaign pledges to lower taxes, safeguard the public coffers, and be the most dishonest and ineffective figure in Ghanaian political history? How can you amuse a president who, during his six years in office, failed to complete any significant projects and abandoned all the unfinished Ghanaian-owned projects left by the previous administration?

How can Ghanaians entertain a dictator who never listened to them by continuing to spend state funds on an extravagant lifestyle amidst a failing economy and weak currency? How can you keep entertaining a leader who, despite promising to lower taxes, coerced the populace into adopting the E-Levy? The E-Levy has failed today and ruined peoples' livelihoods.



How can you amuse a leader who has no respect for the people, his wife, or himself by having a sexual relationship with Serwaa Broni in front of his daughter, Dokua? My heart continues to bleed with anguish because Ghanaians have proven the developed world's assumption that Africans are illiterate.

Since Nana Akufo Addo has appointed his relative as finance minister and created a big debt without holding him accountable, he thinks Ghanaians are stupid. There isn't a sane nation that will tolerate or accept his insanity. That's why and does what pleases him, even though he is aware that this is impossible in any other developing nation, let alone one that is already established.

No one questions me anymore because I have repeatedly shown it through the employment of deceptive tactics and fraudulent concepts implemented by President Nana Akufo Addo, including the selection of Ken Ofori-Atta as the finance minister just to facilitate his corruption. That's not all; in order to protect himself, he has also appointed corrupt judges to the high court, the attorney general's office, and media outlets.



I believe that Akufo Addo is a president who lacks wisdom and understanding because he acts out of desperation and possibly from a false sense of intelligence. Ghanaians are currently going through senseless suffering for this reason, and Hosea 4:6 in the Bible confirms that "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge."

Why must the inhabitants of a nation that produces gold, diamonds, bauxite, cocoa, oil, etc. endure such tremendous suffering? Unless the leader is lacking in knowledge and wisdom, as I also demonstrated with "A Glance At The Assets Of Both The Living And The Dead Corrupt NPP Politicians."

Akufo Addo is corrupt because he keeps every corrupt NPP official in his administration and authorized the release of the frozen assets of a deceased corrupt NPP politician. The president can never claim to be above corruption. Today, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo no longer makes the argument that he is not corrupt because corruption has silenced and defeated him.

I hope the administration that replaces this fake NPP administration would take the battle against corruption seriously and look into, charge, and imprison any corrupt judges or politicians, who have been proven guilty of embezzling money from the Ghanaian governments coffers, else Ghana will be the same after over six decades of independence.



What can Ghanaians expect from a president who had an extramarital affair in front of his daughter Dokua? This will be the next item from the file of "A Mixture Of Periodicals."
Fire has destroyed some portions of the Mile 7 Market in Accra.

Details of the cause of the fire are immediately unknown, but officials of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) are on the ground battling the inferno.

GNFS posted photos and videos of the ravaging fire on its social media pages.

By Citi Newsroom
A former Deputy Minister of Communications, George Andah says it will be the right move if the deadline for the SIM Card re-registration is extended.

Speaking to TV3 in an engagement on the Key Points Programme, he said all discussions on the challenges Ghanaians are facing while attempting to sort out their Ghana Card issues must not be politicised.

According to him, the issue should be taken from a nationalistic point and extend the deadline to give people the chance to complete the SIM Card re-registration.

Nobody is insensitive to the challenges the people are going through to get this done. We should put partisanship aside and look at it from the nationalistic point of view or what is in the best interest of the nation, George Andah indicated.

The former Deputy Communications Minister further urged the National Identification Authority (NIA) to find ways to fast-track the processes to sort out the issues of the many Ghanaians chasing the authority to resolve their Ghana Card issues.

I think that we all need to move away from the barrier that we are putting in place of using national ID card. There are reasons why we are using the Ghana Card. The law makes it clear that the Ghana Card is the primary document for the identification.

I will urge the NIA to do more than it is doing to clear the backlog of the people accessing their Ghana card, George Andah added.

The Ministry of Communications as indicated by Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful will end the SIM Card re-registration on Sunday, July 31.

However, after agitations by Ghanaians who are yet to complete the process amid the struggle to get hold of their Ghana Cards, the Ministry is considering extending the deadline again.

The Minister will tomorrow address the media on the matter.
Last week, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister, paid a visit to Africa. As the west attempts to isolate Russia in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in February, African countries are not equally enthusiastic about western sanctions against Moscow.

French President Emmanuel Macron, on a visit to Benin last Wednesday, said that Russia was "one of the last imperial colonial powers.

"Russia launched an offensive against Ukraine. It's a territorial war, the likes of which we thought had disappeared from European soil.

"It's a war from the early 20th, even the 19th century," Macron said on the second leg of his own trip to Africa. "I speak on a continent that has suffered colonial imperialism," he admitted.

On that continent, Russia is increasingly anxious to establish a presence.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and the Republic of Congo last week, a trip that US media saw as a way to "counter western narratives" which paint Russia as "isolated".

Lavrov's trip is to show that Moscow still has friends in the world, specifically in Africa where grain shortages caused by the war in Ukraine risk increasing food insecurity. One of Lavrov's objectives is to reassure African leaders that grain supply will continue. Egypt especially is largely dependent on grain from Russia and Ukraine.

Apart from these diplomatic overtures, Russian entities have been establishing ties in several African countries. According to a report by the Brookings Institute, Russia is "intensifying its competition with the United States in Africa," pointing out that Moscow uses "nominally private, but in fact state-linked actors such as the private security company the Wagner Group and the infamous St. Petersburg 'troll farm' the Internet Research Agency (IRA.)"

Russian presence exaggerated

However, "Russia's presence in Africa is exaggerated" by Western media, Joseph Sany, Vice President of Africa Center of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) told RFI. "They are very good at using instability like in Central Africa, in Mali, to move forward some sort of anti-colonial sentiment on the continent," pointing out Russian mastery of playing the social media.

According to an article by the Washington-based Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS,) Russia's trade with Africa amounts to roughly $20 billion per year, one-tenth that of China.

Moscow does not offer much "compelling ideological, social, or cultural resonance in Africa." According to Brookings, Moscow signed 19 military collaboration agreements with African governments between 2015 and 2019, mainly focusing on Russian weapons sales.

Wakeup call

But when it comes to food, both Russia and Ukraine are major players on the continent. Countries like Egypt, Benin and Somalia are largely dependent on Russian and Ukrainian grain imports.

The disruption of grain exports to Africa "came as a wakeup call," says Sany. "for a long overdue diversification strategy for African countries," and, more importantly, the disruptions shows the need "to develop their own agricultural system," and lessen dependency on third parties.

For Russia, African countries also function as a way of mitigating sanctions imposed by the West. Africa serves as a major market for Russian food products. Moreover, "strengthening partnerships" helps to undermine Western influence in Africa, according to Sany.

Sany calls Africa "arguably Russia's most formidable potential economic competitor" given its vast natural resources. "What Russia sells, Africa has in the ground: oil, gas, nickel, cobalt, iron ore, and gold," he writes in the article entitled "To Counter Russia's Aggression, Invest in Africa."

According to Sany, "investment in Africa's development can strengthen the global economic basis for a rules-based order by reducing countries' dependence on the most potent authoritarian governments  Russia's and China's."

New scramble for Africa?

Foreign Policy reported on 22 July that US embassies in Africa are "chronically understaffed" and these shortages "undercut US foreign-policy goals on the continent and sap the morale of the diplomatic corps."

Still, both the US and the EU have designated Africa Policies, with western companies hunting for gold, iron ore, uranium and diamonds and invloved in major oil producing countries such as Angola and Nigeria.

At the same time, China has developed an increasingly large presence through its Belt & Road Initiative that provides infrastructure and communications in almost every African country, while at the same time 50 percent of Africa's exports of raw materials are sucked up by China.

What is the fundamental difference between the powers of today -US, Russia and China - and those of yesteryear - the UK, France, Portugal - hunting for African resourses in what was called 'the scramble for Africa?'

"I think they don't differ," says Sany. "But Africa is different from the colonial and the pre-colonial period.

"African countries are more aware of their own interests now and African people are more demanding.

"Global powers advance their own interests. The EU has an Africa policy, the United States has an Africa policy.

"But does Africa or the African Union has a policy towards the United States, towards Russia, towards China?"

Pointing out that Africa is in "a unique position today where they can play their hand in this "scramble," Sany says that African countries should put their national interests first.

Africa is "the only region in the world that does not provide for itself fully," he says. The African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA, a treaty ratified by 22 states in 2019 that aimes at creating a single, liberalised market and lifting of tariffs) is a good start, but still needs a lot of work," he says.
Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Hon. Samuel Nartey George

30.07.2022 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo Prampram, Samuel Nartey George says he expects the Minister in charge of Communication and Digitalisation to extend the deadline date for the ongoing SIM Card re-registration exercise.

Speaking at a forum held by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in Kumasi on July 22, Communications and Digitalisation Minister Ursula Owusu-Ekuful charged all Ghanaians who have not registered their SIM Cards with the Ghana Card to do so before the deadline, July 31.

She indicated that the Ministry is sticking to the deadline as part of its quest to deal with fraudsters in the system.

Most people access their internet through their mobile devices. We must make sure that they do so safely. We must make it difficult for the criminals who hack our systems and defraud us through multiple online channels to operate, and this SIM registration exercise is one of the steps the government is taking in that regard. Essentially this stresses the point that this exercise will enable the establishment of a subscriber database with integrity to keep the consumers safe from scams and fraud.

I, therefore, take this opportunity to urge all those whove not registered their SIM cards to do so as the deadline of 31st July 2022 will not be extended, she noted.

Ahead of the deadline tomorrow, thousands of Ghanaians have been unable to complete the re-registration process due to difficulties in securing their Ghana Card.

With long queues and pressure on the National Identification Authority (NIA), thousands of Ghanaians are not expected to be sorted anytime soon.

Amid the cries, Sam George has called for calm.

Speaking to TV3 on the Key Points programme on Saturday, he said he has no doubt an extension of the deadline will be announced.

Kasam y3 nframa. What she said in Kumasi is just talk, it is not true, she will extend it, the Ningo Prampram MP opined.

Sam George further questioned, You havent resolved all these and you are going to punish them for your inefficiency, is that not arbitrary? Is that not capricious?

The Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful will tomorrow address a press conference to announce the decision taken by her Ministry on the matter.
New Delhi, July 30 (UNI) The duty of a citizen does not end with voting, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Saturday, urging youth to take interest in legislative process.

Speaking at an event at Ramjas College here, the Speaker said the the youth need to understand the thoughts and philosophies of the country's great personalities and to follow their ideals.

Underlining the importance of citizens' participation in democratic processes, Birla said: "How we can bring changes in our democratic country so that every citizen can be a stakeholder of progress? This responsibility is also of the youth.
India reported its fourth case of monkeypox infection after a 34-year-old-man from Delhi with no travel history tested positive, making him the first known case of local transmission.

The southern state of Kerala reported a third case of monkeypox, in a traveller from United Arab Emirates, who reached the State on 6 July.

"All primary contacts are under observation," said state health minister Veena George.

George said the condition of the two other individuals diagnosed with monkeypox continued to be stable.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sounded its highest level of alarm for monkeypox, declaring it a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern'. The same declaration was used for Covid-19 in January 2020.

The threat level, however, is moderate for all regions across the world - barring Europe, where it is assessed to be high.

Concerns about spread

A team has been sent to Kerala to collaborate with state authorities in implementing public health measures. Furthermore, an alert has been sounded in all 14 districts, and help-desks set up at all four airports in the state.

The cases have raised concerns about the spread of the virus, but experts believe that as close contact is the only mode of transmission, the disease can be controlled. They have asked people not to panic.

Monkeypox is a viral zoonotic disease with symptoms similar to smallpox, although with less clinical severity.

"Monkeypox is not a fast-spreading disease. It is also not much of a lethal disease. There were no deaths in US or Europe among about 6000 known cases this year," said Rajeev Jayadevan, a medical expert associated with the India medical task force on Covid. He was speaking before the authorities in Spain announced the deaths of two sufferers

"It is true that in places in Africa there was certain mortality, but that was primarily the Congo strain of this virus which is not what is circulating elsewhere."

As of 23 July, there were 15,600 confirmed cases of the viral disease across the world, with 65 countries reporting infections.

In Europe, France and Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom have recorded the highest numbers of cases: 1,453, 2,191, 3,125 and 2,137 respectively.

Since early May, monkeypox has been spreading rapidly around the world, mainly among gay and bisexual men.

Transmission of monkeypox

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), America's health protection agency, states that the disease that causes pimple or blister-like lesions and flu-like symptoms spreads through close contact.

That includes direct physical contact with lesions as well as "respiratory secretions" shared through face-to-face interaction, and touching objects that have been contaminated by monkeypox lesions or fluids. The virus may also pass to a foetus through the placenta.

"Let us also not panic here. From all available reports it is clear that the monkeypox virus doesn't spread nearly as readily as Covid, is transmitted through body fluids and hence infectious spread is through close contact," said infectious diseases expert Suresh Kumar.

Public health experts pointed out that apart from disease surveillance, the government should map out production of smallpox vaccine in case there is a wider spread of monkeypox within the general population.

People exposed to the virus are often given one of several smallpox vaccines, which have been shown to be effective against monkeypox.

Adequate readiness, they pointed out, should be the formula in dealing with monkeypox.
An Accra High Court has set November 24, 2022, to deliver its judgment on the trial of four persons put before it for allegedly kidnapping two Canadian ladies in Kumasi in 2019.

Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the trial judge, on July 1, 2022, ordered the prosecution and the defence lawyers to file their written addresses by July 28, 2022, to enable it set a date for the judgment.

However, both counsels failed to meet the deadline set by the court although Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney who held brief for Winnifred Sarpong, told the court that the prosecution had filed its 77-page written address and went ahead to show a copy to the court.

The court subsequently set November 24, 2022, to deliver its judgment in the case in which the four have been arraigned for kidnapping the two young ladies and later demanded $800,000 from their parents as ransom. The accused, if found guilty by the court, could face up to 10 years' imprisonment in hard labour.

Sampson Aghalor, 27, computer engineer; Elvis Ojiyorwe, 27, businessman and Jeff Omarsa, 28, Tiller  all Nigerians and their Ghanaian counterpart Yussif Yakubu, 28, are before the court charged with conspiracy and kidnapping contrary to the Criminal and Other Offences Act.

An all-Ghanaian security operation led by the National Security in June 2019, rescued the two Canadian ladies who were abducted from the gates of their hostel in a Kumasi suburb two weeks earlier.

The kidnapping of the two ladies sparked public outrage in early June last year, and a National Security operation led to the dramatic release of the two ladies and subsequent arrests of eight suspects on June 11, 2019.

Eight persons were initially arrested but four of them were discharged as the prosecution decided to drop all charges against them after reviewing the investigations.

The accused persons are alleged to have demanded a ransom of $800,000 from the relatives of the victims and threatened to kill them if the money was not sent to them. They were said to have also touched the ladies inappropriately and threatened to have sex with them.

In a bid to get the parents to pay the ransom, the accused persons smeared the victims with the blood of a fowl, took pictures of them and forwarded them to their parents.

---Daily Guide
Tithes, offerings, and other gifts that are being offered in churches are considered appreciation to God for His protection, guidance and deliverance.

Through this, pastors always encourage their congregation to willingly give to their maker for continuous protection and blessings.

By this teaching, Christians are made to believe monies donated to church are for God and therefore do not to be accounted for.

But the ferocious Ghanaian Prophet and Leader of the Heaven's Gate Ministries, Nicholas Osei, widely known as Kumchacha, has disputed that claim.

"Any pastor who says tithes go to God is a liar," he said, shockingly challenging the notion that the tithe is something that is given back to God.

Explaining further on the Accra-based Hitz FM's Day Break Hitz show, which Modernghana News monitored, the controversial prophet stated that the money is used by the pastors.

He explained that such funds are used for the pastors' upkeep, paying utility bills, organizing crusades, compensating church workers and fueling of vehicles.

We spend the tithe on paying utility bills, said Prophet Kumchacha. We even allocate some of the tithe and offertory to organizing crusades, paying church workers, radio programmes and building of new offices for our churches, then we spend the rest among ourselves, he noted.

He stressed The car I brought here wasnt fueled with zomi (palm oil in Twi), not seawater. It was fueled with petrol and petrol is bought with money, the founder of Heavens Gate Ministries told the host.

The vocal man of God noted that the funds are being used by pastors because they devote their entire lives to serving God and guiding Christians without any side work.

Watch him speaking below:
Prophet Kumchacha

30.07.2022 LISTEN

Nicholas Osei, better known as Prophet Kumchacha, a Ghanaian prophet and the leader of Heaven's Gate Ministries, has condemned some men of God who charge consultation fees and selling of anointing oil in churches.

Modernghana News listened to the prophet's interview with Andy Dosty on Accra-based Hitz FM's Daybreak Hitz, during which he stated that his church forbids the distribution of anointing oil for monetary gains

At my church, we do not sell anointing oil, calendars, holy water, Kumchacha stated.

But rather he said, We only spread the word of God to His children.

His remarks reflect the attitude of many pastors, who normally charge huge sums of money from their members before they can even consult them on spiritual matters.

Many self-proclaimed men of God charge exorbitant prices for anointing oil, holy water, handkerchiefs, wrist bands, necklaces and even "Sobolo" perceived as spiritual protection.
30.07.2022 LISTEN

It is five months since the Russians invaded Ukraine ostensibly expecting to gain a quick victory. This was not to be, however, since the Ukrainians dug in and showed admirable gritty resistance. Vladimir Putin had to fall back on a revised plan, not all of Ukraine, which he thinks does not merit the title of nation state and in the past has been dominated by Russia. Maybe, it has to be like Georgia, just taking bites of the territory. He has to show the invasion has been worthwhile, as he loses tens of thousands of his population, probably mostly younger generations, who dont want to be part of the war and disagree with the action. It is known that the population of Russia, like several other countries, is declining and this is a last chance to reassert the significance of Russia. History will show that he is on the wrong path.

Putin has recently risked leaving Russia to visit Iran and to meet the Turkish President there as well, this to check on countries on his southern border which is important to his stability. Iran because they also have a difficult arrangement with the US, tensions coming to the fore from time to time. Turkey is highly important to Russia, however, since it straddles the Bosphorus and is the key to Russias gateway to the Mediterranean. It is vital that Russia maintains good relationships with Turkey, which could otherwise block this important outlet. In addition, Turkey was for several centuries, till a hundred years ago, the centre of the Ottoman empire, and, in the coming decades it will be a significant player as the Arab countries influence declines as the demand for oil gradually reduces. Turkey is also a member of NATO and is unique in that it is in both Europe and Asia.

Shelling of the Odessa port

With some initiative from the UN, hosted by Turkey, we have seen Ukraine sit down with Russia in the past few days to sign an agreement in order that the Ukrainian grain being blockaded in the port of Odessa by the Russians and can be released to a starving world. Within 24 hours of the agreement to release the grain, the port of Odessa was bombed by missiles. It took a further day for the Russians to come up with an excuse that it was aiming for a military target, after all there is no agreement to stop the military action!

There has been an indication that the Ukrainian forces are getting ready to take back the important southern town of Kherson, which should be an indication that the help that the Western allies have promised is finally coming through, not just in terms of materiel but of training of Ukrainian troops. Meanwhile in the eastern area of the Donbas the Russian advance is grinding along very slowly. The Ukrainians are trying to hold the position until such time as they have sufficient up-to-date arms and help with training such as the UK is providing. They have to put up with long range missiles which the Russians send onto cities well back from the front line, ostensibly aimed for military targets. This is what they say, but invariably hitting civilian ones, damaging apartment blocks, for instance, and killing innocent people.

The war grinds on and will, from the Russian point of view, for some time to come until they, the Russians, see that they are losing. This depends to a large extent on the West and whether their undertaking to support is fulfilled and as quickly as possible. Will there be a halt to the war, called by Putin? Will the Ukrainians agree? Not likely unless they recover all or most of their territory. What will the European Union position be, particularly from those countries that with winter approaching are hurting economically, particularly from lack of fuel for heating. The next phase of the war is crucial.

About the author:

Dr J Scott Younger, OBE, is a professional civil engineer; he spent 42 years in the Far East undertaking assignments in 10 countries for WB, ADB, UNDP. He published many papers; he was a columnist for Forbes Indonesia and Globe Asia. He served on British & European Chamber boards and was a Vice Chair of Intl Business Chamber for 17 years. His expertise is infrastructure and sustainable development and he takes an interest in international affairs. He is an International Chancellor of the President University, Indonesia. He is a member of IFIMES Advisory Board. Lived and worked in Thailand from 1978 to 1983 and visited Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal for projects.
30.07.2022 LISTEN

Posters of Francis Addai-Nimoh sprung up over the week in many parts of the country including Volta, Bono, Eastern, Savanna and other regions. The posters which had the picture of the two-term MP for Mampong constituency had the inscriptions "new energy, new hope, 2024."

This was after recent pronouncements by the 2014 NPP flag-bearer aspirant to the effect that he has intentions to contest to become the party's leader ahead of the 2024 general elections. "I shall contest to become the party's flag-bearer when nominations are opened", he told Umaru Sanda of Citinews during an interview at the just-ended NPP conference in Greater Accra.

It is however emerging that some of the posters of the NPP stalwart are being torn down. As at the time of filing this report, some of the posters at Nkawkaw in the Eastern region had been torn down. The persons behind it are unknown and the office of Francis Addai-Nimoh has declined comments on the matter.

It appears the posters were sponsored by a group of people calling themselves "Friends of Addai-Nimoh (FAN)" as indicated on the posters.

It would be recalled that in 2014, the soft-spoken politician emerged third after contesting with Akuffo-Addo, Alan Kyreremanteng, and other bigwigs. While many people expected him to be part of Akufo-Addo's government coming from a rare background of civil engineering and owing to his commitment to the NPP's campaign in 2016, he was allegedly sidelined.

The NPP shall be going to the polls soon to elect a flag-bearer after it successfully selected new national executives. Known faces like Vice President Dr Bawumia, Trades Minister Alan Kyeremanteng, MP for Assin Central Kennedy Agyepong, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, Joe Ghartey, Agric Minister Owusu Afriyie Akoto are all expected to contest.
The National Nasara Coordinator, Alhaji Aziz Futa, at the NPP at 30 Muslim thanksgiving service, attempted a political coup to overthrow the partys current political strategy which has won the party four terms of power. In a swift reaction to his lowly conduct, the NPPs darling General Secretary, JFK, rebuked his conduct and described it as a joke.

The Nasara Coordinator, who retrained his position in the last election, might have thought he was still working under the former General Secretary, John Boadu, under whose leadership such conducts passed without a word of condemnation from him. Thank God there is a new Sheriff in town.

In response to his unfortunate conduct as a national executive member of the party, I have deemed it appropriate to bring to the minds of NPP delegates something that is mostly missing in the arguments making rounds on social media relative to the selection of the partys next presidential candidate.

The NPP has its own tried and tested winning strategy or formula that was devised based on the fact that politics is a game of numbers and comparative advantage. In other words, the unique nature and features of the Ghanaian political market informed the choice of the formula or strategy. The formula, Christian from the South and Muslim from the North, has been formidable since 2000.

Contrary to what a few self-seeking guys who want to control the party are saying, the current political condition and dynamics in the country dont support the change of the partys current strategy. Here is my suggestion: until the NDC presents a Muslim presidential candidate or until such a time that the NPP is able win election with 60% and above consecutively for two terms, the current strategy should be maintained.

It is not for nothing that the NDC, since 1992, has presented only one Muslim (Alhaji Mumuni) as a vice presidential candidate. They love Muslims like we do but, more importantly, they understand that politics is a game of power and numbers and it is the Christians who have the numbers. In this country, no single community comes anywhere close to the numbers of the Christian Community. To pick a candidate from outside this dominant community when your main opponents candidate is from this community is next to political dumbness.

The Ghanaian political market, which is women-dominated, youth-dominated, Akan-dominated, Christian-dominated, very competitive and volatile, is made up of two levels, the micro level and the macro level - the micro level being the constituency level and the macro level being the entire nation. O, how I miss teaching!

Now, basic prudent management principle requires that when you want to try an experimentation or take a new risk in any market, you dont do it at the macro level. It first has to be tried at the micro level where the cost would be minimal should you fail. It is only when you have succeeded with a series of experimentations at the micro level can you consider trying it at the macro level.

Simply put, what you have not successfully tried at the micro level, you dont try implementing it at the macro level. I hope we are on the same page with this principle my dear delegate.

To the best of my knowledge, the two main parties, the NPP and the NDC, have all been prudent to a very significant extent in managing their risks at the micro level of the political market over the years.

If truth be told, both parties have almost always presented Muslim candidates in Muslim-dominated constituencies and Christian candidates in Christian-dominated constituencies. The reason for this basic political strategy is not far-fetched at all. Market determines what to produce.

If the market is dominated by monkeys, you must sell banana to make profit. Isnt this so simple, my friend. Well, you may wonder why I like using monkeys in my illustrations. Well, we used to have plenty of monkeys at Ghana National Colleges monkey sanctuary so I understand their behavior very well.

Besides, if presenting Muslim candidates in Muslim-dominated constituencies and Christian candidates in Christian-dominated constituencies is seen as a political strategy and not religious bigotry or discrimination, how then does it become religious bigotry or discrimination when a political party decides to apply the same basic political strategy or wisdom at the macro level to secure the all-important political power? Political hypocrisy?

Once again, my little advice to the NPP decision-makers is this: before you try any experimentation at the macro level with the presidential election, try it at the micro level with parliamentary elections. It is only when you have succeeded at the micro level can you try it at the macro level. If you try it first at the macro level and you fail, the cost will be painfully and regretfully unbearable. Let me put it bluntly, the NPP will be in opposition.

For example, the party would first have to experiment with a Muslim candidate in a Christian-dominated constituency like Cape Coast South against NDCs Christian candidate and a Christian candidate in a Muslim-dominated constituency like Tamale Central against NDCs Muslim candidate and see the results it will bring before it can decide whether it would worth the while to present a Muslim presidential candidate against a Christian presidential candidate of the NDC in a Christian-dominated country of about 72% Christians.

You and your competitor are going for monkey hunting in a monkey-dominated forest. The one who would end up catching more monkeys than the other would be declared the winner. Your competitor is using banana has his bait. You have banana and apple in your pocket. Which one will you use so that your competitor would not have advantage over you? A word to the wise!

Shalom shalom!

E. G. Buckman
Former Constituency Secretary for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Tamale South, Mohammed Soawi has given reasons why the party cannot unseat the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area, Haruna Iddrisu presently.

Mr. Soawi who was speaking exclusively on Radio Tamale evening political talkshow dubbed 'Ashahara Nye Dini' on Tuesday evening, July 26 revealed the lack of unity among NPP members, and the inability of the NPP to provide alternatives for the people to select are their bane.

According to him, the MP who doubles as Minority Leader wouldn't be a hard nut for them, but the aforementioned factors have always been the reasons why NPP failed in previous elections to win the seat.

"Our lack of unity is affecting us (NPP) in the region. Anytime some people lost elections in Tamale South to become executives, they will abandon party works and expect those who won to shoulder everything. And this is impossible for a party to defeat the MP.

"I tried to find a solution to this problem in my days as Constituency Secretary, but I failed because I didn't get the needed cooperation from the loosen candidates", he stated.

Mohammed Soawi also explained that the constituents need an alternative to the incumbent MP who doubles as Minority Leader, but the NPP has not been able to find a better alternative.

According to him, the Haruna Iddrisu of his calibre should not be treated with kids' gloves.

"The people of Tamale South Constituency need a better alternative to lawyer Haruna. But we are not able to present any candidate who will suit that alternative.

"It is not a secret that Lawyer Haruna is a political giant. And for him to be treated with kid gloves by our own government tells a lot. It looks like the government is overpampering him", the former NPP Tamale South secretary told the host.

The Tamale South Constituency was created in 2004 and has since been the safest seat for the NDC in the country with many political analysts describing it as "no go area" for the NPP.
The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare has bemoaned what he refers to as inconsistencies in the communication strategies for the government's flagship program, the Free Senior High School Policy.

His comments come after the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, indicated that a review of the policy remains a possibility despite stating emphatically that the policy would not be reviewed.

In an interview with Citi News, Kofi Asare said the government must harmonize its position on the policy.

There is too much inconsistency in communicating on a very important flagship programme. Last week, the Finance Minister was in Parliament and said we have spent GH5.3 billion on free Senior High School between 2017 and the end of 2021. Education Minister had said we have spent almost GH7 billion.

There are so many inconsistencies that are not helping the Ministry of Education, the GES and the Finance Ministry. We must harmonise government position on such important policies like the free SHS programme.

Amid these inconsistencies, the Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Clement Apaak, has called for an audit into the government's expenditure on the free Senior High School programme.

Mr. Apaak argues that the conflicting figures on the amount of money spent on the free SHS policy suggest that the government may have diverted some funds allocated for the programme.

He believes a forensic audit into the expenditure on the free SHS programme will settle the confusion about the government's expenditure on the programme.

Clearly, something is not right, and to think that he [Finance Minister] announced a figure that is far below what he had reported on different occasions in Parliament clearly confirms my point that there is a need for a forensic audit regarding the financing of the Free Senior High School.

By Citi Newsroom
30.07.2022 LISTEN

The Ghana Mineworkers Union (GMWU) is unhappy about the level of insecurity at the workplaces of workers in the mining industry in recent times.

In a press release issued by the Union, it has threatened to withdraw the services of its members if the insecurity situation in the mining industry is not addressed immediately.

The statement indicated that on July 27, a security officer employed by a third-party contractor named Protea Coin Ghana to work for the Newmont Ahafo Mine has gone missing.

The security man is said to have asked permission from his supervisors to attend to natures call in a nearby bush because the toilet facility at his post and many of the security posts around Newmont Ahafo Mine have been out of use for months despite persistent complaints from the security guards to Newmont Ghana officers at the site.

Whilst in the bush, he went missing and has since not been found.

Citing the incident of abduction of two other security officers who were manhandled and molested by an armed gang, the Ghana Mines Workers Union says enough is enough.

Two security officers found with hands tied after they were manhandled by armed gang

The Union is calling on the government and leadership of the Mining industry to see to the protection of workers.

As a matter of urgency, it wants the necessary resources to be committed to finding the missing security man.

Meanwhile, considering that our missing colleague has been gone for close to 48 hours now without any concrete information so far, we want to strongly urge Government to as a matter of urgency deploy the needed logistics to assist in the efforts of the team currently searching for our colleagues whereabouts, a release from the Union signed by General Secretary Abdul-Moomin Gbana has said.

It adds, We also expect that a thorough investigation led by the Ghana Police who are currently on the ground would be conducted to establish the circumstances under which the incident occurred, and immediate steps taken to forestall its recurrence.

Below is a copy of the press release:

July 29, 2022

PRESS STATEMENT

For Immediate Release

PAY URGENT ATTENTION TO SECURITY SITUATION IN THE MINING INDUSTRY OR THE GMWU AND ITS MEMBERS SHALL WITHDRAW THEIR SERVICES

GHANA MINEWORKERS UNION of the Trades Union Congress continue to worry over the neglect, inaction and the seeming powerlessness of the state governing structures and regulators over the concerns the Union has and continue to raise on the current business models of mining companies currently operating in the industry in the form of the wanton outsourcing of key functional areas to third parties, proliferation of all kinds of non-standard forms of employment, emergence of labour brokerage leading to disguised employment relationships to mention but a few.

These profiteering tendencies by mining multinationals in the industry have, undoubtedly had direct negative consequences on workers and other stakeholders in the value chain of mining in Ghana. A breaking case in point is the fate of a security officer employed by a third-party contractor named Protea Coin Ghana, who was deployed at the site real gate, an exit point to mine take area in Newmont Ahafo Mine on July 27, 2022. At around 18:30pm, he asked permission from his supervisors to attend to natures call in a nearby bush because the toilet facility at his post and many of the security posts around Newmont Ahafo Mine have been out of use for months despite persistent complaints from the security guards to Newmont Ghana officers at the site. Whilst in the bush, he went missing and has since not been found.

As we speak, the security personnel of Protea Coin Ghana together with the Ghana Police Service and some community members have been searching frantically, but the whereabout of the poor worker is still not known. The issue that arises is that the poor security man worked for Protea Coin Ghana but deliver his employment obligations on the Newmont Ahafo concession so whose duty was it to provide and keep decent toilet facilities for the security guard noting that in the mining regulations, Newmont Ghana is under obligation to provide toilet for workers?

In a related development, on the same day our colleague went missing, two other security guards deployed at the Companys Apensu dewatering pond were also abducted around 12 midnight by six fully armed men with four guns and two machetes, took them hostage, manhandled and molested them and subsequently abandoned them somewhere in the bush. They were later found with their hands tied at their backs.

Similarly, barely a year ago, a number of our valued members in Protea Coin witnessed very horrendous incidents viz; Robert Coffie and Joshua Oppong were attacked and shot which led to Joshua losing one eye whilst Robert sustained multiple injuries on the Newmont Ahafo site. Again, on the same Newmont Ahafo site, Daniel Owusu Sekyere and Mathew Nsoah both members of the Union, were also attacked with guns and cutlasses which led to Daniel sustaining multiple fractures on one leg whilst Mathew sustained several cutlass wounds on the head. Sadly, Daniel for now has metals planted in his leg. Jacob Ayiko was also attacked by Galamseyers during which he sustained multiple fractures on his right wrist and till date, he has metals planted in his wrist.

Whilst the Union have in the past highlighted in its National Executive Council resolutions about the heightened insecurity and the urgent need for a more concerted action, these recent developments and the most recent ones highlighted above, brings into sharp focus yet again, the heightened insecurity situation in the mining industry in general and Newmont Ahafo in particular and the need for urgent action.

Whereas the Local Union officers of the Ghana Mineworkers Union are fully on the ground assisting and supporting the search team in any way possible to ensure that our cherished member is not only found but found alive, we want to appeal to our members who are undoubtedly traumatized by these unfortunate developments to keep calm, continue to focus on their safety and assist in any way possible to establish the whereabouts of our missing colleague. To the family of our missing colleague, we sympathize deeply with their plight and urge them to keep calm and strong as the search efforts continue to ensure we are able to establish his whereabouts.

Meanwhile, considering that our missing colleague has been gone for close to 48 hours now without any concrete information so far, we want to strongly urge Government to as a matter of urgency deploy the needed logistics to assist in the efforts of the team currently searching for our colleagues whereabouts. We also expect that a thorough investigation led by the Ghana Police who are currently on the ground would be conducted to establish the circumstances under which the incident occurred, and immediate steps taken to forestall its recurrence.

We also urge the stakeholders in the mining industry led by Government to institute a committee to probe the happenings in the mining industry particularly the increasing fragmentation of production/services and the ramification on decent employment. Lastly, we also call on Government through the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations to cause the full enforcement of Part 16 (Labour Inspection) of the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) so that the actors within the industrial relations space can realize the full benefit of labour inspection in this country to forestall any future occurrence and also safeguard and protect the collective interest of all the actors.

Abdul-Moomin Gbana
By Mir Afroz Zaman

Dhaka, July 30 (UNI) India must come to a greater understanding with Bangladesh on the China issue. If China somehow closes the chicken neck, then Bangladesh is the only route of resistance. For this, India must maintain good relations with Bangladesh.

Former Vice Chancellor of Rangpur Begum Rokeya University of Bangladesh Prof. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said this in a special interview given to UNI Sunday.

India is the neighbouring country of Bangladesh. Bangladesh would not have born if Pak-India war had not happened in 1971. That is why India is a tested friend of ours. Currently, India-Bangladesh relationship is now at what stage? To this question, Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah said that there is a very good relationship existing between the two countries at the moment.

In political arena, BNP-Jamaat alliance has always been alleging that India is interfering into the elections of Bangladesh. Do you also think that the neighbouring country India will also interfere in the upcoming parliamentary elections?

To this question, Kalimullah said, the elections in Bangladesh are completely internal matter of the country. How much foreign intervention is acceptable here? And whether they are doing right? On how to solve the crisis, Kalimullah said, all political parties must come together on a platform, otherwise we must be prepared for a situation like 1996.

But as per outgoing Indian High Commissioner Vikram Dorishami's statement, I think India expects a good and acceptable election in Bangladesh.

BNP Secretary General Fakrul Islam Alamgir often says that Bangladesh is in a deep crisis now, how do you evaluate this opinion? Kalimullah said not only Bangladesh but also many countries of the world are in crisis due to Ukraine-Russia war.

He said, its control is not in anyone's hand. Let's not forget that before this war, the epidemic Corona attacked us. The war crisis came before the epidemic ends completely.

"Hence, I think there is a crisis. Apart from this, you know that after the 11th National Assembly election, the 12th election is coming up. If this election is not held in proper democratic way, then we will fall into a deep crisis."he stated.

Now suppose if the polls are held like the 1996 election, then there will be a crisis. It cannot be said that similar situations will not occur. So he hopes for a quality election.

"Because the international community want to see an acceptable and internationally standard election. So I think BNP leader Mr. Fakrul said this taking the perspective into consideration.I heard the speeches of BNP leaders. They won't let the election to be held. You may know that after the 2014 elections, the kind of terrorism that BNP-Jamaat started in Bangladesh, I think they are heading towards a similar situation," he said.

But BNP-Jamaat is not so strong in Bangladesh. If not so, how would they do it? To this question, he said, as the day is approaching, they are taking preparation to achieve their objective.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while addressing in Parliament a few days ago, observed that the Russia-Ukraine war and America's sanctions have had an extreme impact on Bangladesh. Do you support this statement of the Prime Minister? To this, he said, the goods which were exported from Bangladesh have been obstructed. Due to the war, the price of fuel has gone up. Hence, commodity prices have increased.

Public suffering has increased, and our reserves have been strained. There is much more added to it. One is connected to another. The Prime Minister gave her views as per her estimate. Along with this, many other things have been impacted.

China has some sort of influence on India's Seven Sisters. What should be done to keep India tension free regarding the chicken neck issue and the claws of China?

To this issue, he said, Bangladesh is an important factor for India. India should not only maintain formal relations with Bangladesh, they should take care to maintain internal peace and ensure communal harmony in Bangladesh. Along with this, India has to move forward keeping the issues in mind so that the Bengali speakers of India do not face any kind of harassment like push-in.

What our ruling party should do is to maintain our economic ties with China and cultural ties with India as well, he observed.

Security of Siliguri must be maintained. There is a problem regarding Arunachal. This is where neither China and India want to make concessions. It has been reported in the media that China has built 2/3 villages on the border of Arunachal Pradesh. For this, India has to proceed with pre-preparedness, he said.

UNI MAZ SY
If nothing is done about the SIM Card re-registration deadline, the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation will block all unre-registered SIM Cards by the end of tomorrow, Sunday, July 31.

The exercise was supposed to end on March 31 earlier this year but was extended to July 31 to make room for people who were still not done with the process.

With a few days to the deadline, many Ghanaians, especially those who still haven't gotten their Ghana cards started pleading with the Ministry for another extension.

While addressing a forum in Kumasi on Friday, July 22, the Minister, Ursula Owusu Ekuful urged all Ghanaians who are yet to re-register their SIM cards to do so before the July 31 deadline.

According to her, the deadline will not be extended again.

We must make it difficult for the criminals who hack our systems and defraud us through multiple online channels to operate, and this SIM registration exercise is one of the steps the government is taking in that regard, she explains.

The Minister continues, this stresses the point that this exercise will enable the establishment of a subscriber database with integrity to keep the consumers safe from scams and fraud.

I, therefore, urge you to do so before the 31st of July," she stressed.

However, she is now calling on Ghanaians to Exercise patience, you will hear from us very soon, we will call for a press conference and discuss that with you. Well engage all stakeholders and all telecom companies on the matter. Until then, the deadline remains the same.

But speaking on the Key Points on the Accra-based TV3 today, Saturday, July 30, the Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament (MP), Samuel Nartey George, said the Minister was just bragging about not extending the deadline.

What she said in Kumasi is just talk, it is not true, she will extend it."

Sam George explained his reasoning, saying that some people are unable to link their Ghana Cards to SIM Cards, which he says is not their fault but a system error.

Long queues at re-registration centres and NIA offices, he says, have made it difficult for people to complete the process.

Given this, he said, You haven't resolved all these and you are going to punish them for your inefficiency, is that not arbitrary? Is that not capricious?"
HMGoG Convenes Sixth Emergency Meeting on Fresh Water Disruption

The Deputy Chief Minister, as Acting Chief Minister, has this morning convened a further emergency Civil Contingencies meeting on the continued fresh water disruption across Gibraltar.

The meeting took place at 9:30am from the Strategic Coordination Centre at No.6 Convent Place. This is the sixth meeting to take place since Tuesday. The Chief Minister, who is away from Gibraltar with his family on annual leave, has been continuously in touch remotely with the Deputy Chief Minister. His Excellency the Governor, Vice Admiral Sir David Steel was also present.

The current situation with the AquaGib Reverse Osmosis Plant (RO Plant) is that power has been restored, however, the water supply to the RO plant has been affected by the fire and rockfall and is severely impacting on its ability to generate fresh water. The latter was confirmed late last night once the power station started up after power had been restored.

As a result of the damage to the pipe supplying salt water to the RO plant, it has been unable to produce fresh water. It was envisaged that the potable water kept in storage would last longer but AquaGib noticed a spike in consumption on Wednesday night. This resulted in a loss of water pressure as a result of which water supply to the lower south district and the upper town was affected by Thursday afternoon.

The water shall be disconnected every evening between 00:30 and 7am to both save on the current water supply and increase the water pressure available. Given the damage to the existing water pipe, repairs are in the process to re-route it.

The Government was originally advised that repair works would take approximately 5 days. However, due to contingencies that have been put in place since Tuesday, the latest advice is that this will now take approximately 48 hours.

Only one pump at the North Mole is operational, with this water being prioritised for St Bernards Hospital.

The Government of Gibraltar and, in particular, the Office of Civil Contingencies, is liaising with AquaGib to continue to implement contingency measures until the situation returns to normal. Contingency plans have been put in place to ensure continued water supply to all essential services in Gibraltar.

AquaGib have worked with the Care Agency and have set up an emergency helpline for those who are vulnerable, elderly or with disabilities. These individuals can phone 20073659 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Parents or Guardians with children under 12 months are advised not to use mineral water with sodium levels over 200mg per litre for mixing instant formula feeds. Instead, a facility has been set up at Leanse Place where fresh tap water can be collected exclusively for this purpose.

Following the Civil Contingencies meeting this morning, the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Civil Contingencies met with the Leader of the Opposition at No.6 Convent Place to update him on the latest situation regarding the fire and water issues as well as to explain the detailed contingency measures in place to ensure sufficient potable water supply in Gibraltar throughout the weekend.

The Deputy Chief Minister, the Hon Joseph Garcia CMG MP, said: On behalf of the Government and People of Gibraltar, I would like to thank all the emergency services who have been working flat out in dealing with the fire and subsequent damage to the salt water pipe supplying the Reverse Osmosis Plant. Their efforts have been extraordinary and I have no doubt the whole of Gibraltar will want to join me in thanking them for their efficiency and hard work in what has been extremely difficult working conditions.

The Government has now held six Civil Contingency meetings with detailed plans and contingency measures put into action to ensure as much access to water as possible for our resident population. Water bowsers have come in from Spain this morning and this continuous 24-hour supply will be helpful in restoring levels once the new pipe is up and running. I have been in touch continuously with the Chief Minister who is fully briefed and aware of the situation and is in direct contact with all members of the Cabinet.
July 30, 2022 How China Warns Of Pelosi's Taiwan Trip Three days ago a mandarin speaker posted an interesting thread about the use of Chinese language phrases to express a threat. Wen-Ti Sung @wentisung - 5:29 UTC  Jul 27, 2022 A short thread on China's #rhetoric on @SpeakerPelosi 's rumored plan to visit Taiwan. So far Beijing's wording has been far below the threshold of the kinds of words & phrases that China historically used for signaling impending war/brinkmanship. Let's start with MFA spokesperson's recent words: "China will act strongly to resolutely respond to it and take countermeasures. We mean what we say" () Many observers take 'forceful response' to mean war. That may be overselling it. Note his key operative words '' can mean 'forceful' or 'effective'. If they meant war, they would have said ' or ' (military/non-peaceful measures). China's rhetoric is currently in say borderline 3rd gear. Another level up would be #, or "you are standing on the edge of the cliff". Translation: if you take more one step, you'll fall and die". That's unfortunate, but the cliff is a wonder of nature, not a man-made trap. So the fall is partly a tragedy of circumstance. So next levels focus on anthropogenic factors. Next up, we have '', or "if we could put up with this, what else can't we put up with?". This means the perceived provocation from others not only threatens China's interests, but threatens its #identity, too. This rhetoric invokes the familiar 'century of humiliation' and Chinese nationalism narratives, and are meant to signal China has no room to back down. It shows a readiness to use #brinkmanship. E.g. China used this language before skirmishes with India (1962), Vietnam (1979). Finally, top gear is '', literally "don't say I didn't warn you", aka 'last warning'. China used this language before skirmishes with India, Vietnam, and Soviet Union (1967). In short, China's current language is tough but far from its toughest. It can mean either:

1) China is still deciding what to do, so they keep harsher words in reserve for now. OR

2) China is trying (not too successfully) to make it less costly for Pelosi & US to back down. The upcoming Biden-Xi phone call will tell us whether China has made up its mind, and whether the so-called strategic '#guardrails' they have built up -- precisely for containing these tactical-level turbulences from runaway escalation -- are effective. The Chinese English language readout for the Biden -Xi phone call does not use any of the above phrases. The most 'threatening' part is this: China firmly opposes separatist moves toward Taiwan independence and interference by external forces, and never allows any room for Taiwan independence forces in whatever form. The position of the Chinese government and people on the Taiwan question is consistent, and resolutely safeguarding Chinas national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the firm will of the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people. The public opinion cannot be defied. Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this. That is a warning of self harm, not a threat of an active measure. It is thereby on a "you are standing on the edge of the cliff" level, serious but not harsh. But then I recognized a phrase mentioned in the above tweets when it appeared as the centerl top headline of the Global Times homepage.

bigger Dont say we didnt warn you  Symposium of Chinas top think tank sends classic, pre-war warning to provocative Pelosi "Don't say we didn't warn you!" - a phrase that was used by the People's Daily in 1962 before China was forced to fight the border war with India and ahead of the 1979 China-Vietnam War, was frequently mentioned during a forum held Friday by a high-level Chinese think tank, as analysts warned that open military options and comprehensive countermeasures ranging from the economy to diplomacy from China await if US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gambles with a visit to the Taiwan island during her Asia tour.

... As far as I know the top gear phrase meaning 'last warning' has not yet been used by official government sources. But the top think tanks in China are all official, not corrupt private clubs like most U.S. think tanks are. The Global Times is the CPC's major English language outlet and it posted the phrase at the top of its homepage. Does that not in itself make it somewhat official? The spokesperson of the Chinese military has said there would definitely be military responses to a trip. But that could be some maneuvers or fly-bys, not a war. Pelosi is traveling in Asia on a U.S. military plane. That plane is unlikely to fly to Taiwan which is in Beijing's understanding part of China's air space. Pelosi will most likely use a civilian plane, maybe even a regular scheduled on, to fly from Singapore to Taiwan. Most likely in the middle of next week. If the Chinese learn which flight she is on they can use a number of counter measures and/or divert the flight. If she turns up in Taipei without intervention the Chinese government will lose some face and will have to think of other measures it can enact. Some missiles flying towards Taiwan to then drop into the sea might be a possibility. The Global Times piece above mentions others. The visit is not necessary and risks creating a conflict that could be greatly damaging to the U.S., China and the global economy. It is a stupid thing to do. Posted by b on July 30, 2022 at 17:39 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
July 30, 2022 Ukraine Open Thread 2022-117 Only news & views related to the Ukraine conflict ... The current open thread for other issues is here. Posted by b on July 30, 2022 at 7:24 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
July 30, 2022 What Presidents Say Does Not Matter. It Is The Execution Of Policies That Counts. Yesterday, on July 28/29 2022 three independent entities stated the obvious fact that the president of the United States is just a front puppet who has no power to fulfill the promises he makes during various interactions with foreign leaders. The dangers evolving from this state are enormous but rarely noted. Andrew Bacevich, the head of the Quincy Institute, writes: Something much bigger than POTUS  call it the MIC or the deep state  has de facto veto power on all matters related to national security.



Writing in the New York Times, veteran foreign correspondent Edward Wong reports that the Biden administrations approach to strategic priorities is surprisingly consistent with the policies of the Trump administration.

What ought to be surprising at this juncture is Wongs surprise.

...

In practice, the power wielded by the most powerful man in the world turns out to be quite limited. Factors at home and abroad constrain presidential freedom of action.

...

Two factors stand out, one structural and the other ideological.

...

The structural factor refers to the institutions whose wellbeing is dependent upon maintaining arrangements that devolved during the Cold War and survived the Cold Wars passing. Call it what you will  the Blob, the Deep State, the military-industrial-congressional complex  it exercises a de facto veto power on all matters related to basic U.S. national security policy.

...

The ideological factor rests on explicit or tacit claims of American Exceptionalism: That it is incumbent upon the United States to lead the world, with leadership tending in practice to become a synonym for global primacy and primacy tending to be expressed in military terms. With regards to Joe Biden's recent call with China's president Xi Jinping, Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism makes a similar argument: National leaders never have complete freedom to act; even autocrats have constituencies or power blocs they have to appease. In the US, it has become clear that the President has limited degrees of freedom on foreign policy matters; the military/intel interests call the shots. Mind you, there are factions so a President can push the needle to a degree; thats why, for instance, Obama was able to check Clintons plans to escalate in Syria. But the flip side is that Presidents who want to improve relations with pet enemies get nowhere. In the Oliver Stone interviews, Putin recounts how he had productive discussions with Bush and they agreed on concrete de-escalation measures. Follow ups were unanswered. Eventually Putin got a written bafflespeak climbdown. That and other examples led Putin to conclude that US presidents are hostage to bureaucratic and commercial interests. Biden is a visibly very weak president. And it appears that that has enabled the neocons to have an even bigger say over foreign policy than usual. One assumes Xi has to understand that. Yet the Chinese readout has Xi starting from lofty first principles to contend that the US and China, as leading world powers, have a duty to promote peace, global development, and prosperity. From that, Xi reasons that seeing China as a strategic rival is misperceiving US-China relations and misleading the world community. Who is Xi talking to when he goes on like that? It certainly is not to Biden. On the very same day as Yves published the above, the Global Times, the prime international outlet of the Chinese Communist Party, acknowledged Biden's inability to keep promises by publishing an editorial which makes the same observation: China-US relations have not only failed to get out of the plight created by the previous US government, but have stagnated and even deteriorated. The root lies in that these positive statements by President Biden have not been translated into the US' practical actions. In other words, from the perspective of many Chinese, there is something wrong with Washington's execution.

...

For the next step, the US side should translate the positive momentum formed in this latest exchanges into dynamics that fully reflects the execution capability, seriously consider China's statements on strategic track which are rational and in line with the two countries' interests and concerns, truly meet China half way, properly manage and develop China-US ties. Particularly, the US needs to show positive execution capability on cores issues that have major impact on bilateral ties. In this context it is interesting to see the lectures given by Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to the minion in Washington who plays his counterpart: The ministers discussed current developments in Ukraine. Sergey Lavrov laid out Russias principled approaches in the context of the special military operation in the Donetsk Peoples Republic, the Lugansk Peoples Republic and Ukraine. He emphasised that its goals and tasks will be fully achieved.

...

Mr Lavrov said that US sanctions were aggravating the situation and that US promises to make exemptions for Russian food shipments had not materialised.

...

As for the potential prisoner swap between the countries, Mr Lavrov strongly advised a return to professional dialogue in the context of quiet diplomacy without any dubious media leaks. Ouch. Reviewing the Blinken-Lavrov call the former Indian diplomat M.K. Bhadrakumar asks: Shouldnt Biden be talking directly to Putin? Such conversations as yesterdays suffer from being totally opaque. Blinken cant even articulate the substantive issues bothering Biden the cracks in the western unity. Curiously, the Biden faces two crisis situations with explosive potential at the moment  in Ukraine and over Taiwan. Indeed, it is crystal clear that both have been precipitated by Washington. Yet, the manner in which Biden is handling them couldnt be anymore dissimilar. In the case of Taiwan, Biden didnt hesitate to call up Chinese President Xi Jinping to calm the tensions. But he has chosen a different path to communicate with President Vladimir Putin. For sure, into the six month of the conflict in Ukraine, Biden has finally decided to bite the bullet and resume high-level contact with Moscow. But he opted to get through to Putin through his state secretary! The problem here is, although US-China relations are tense, Biden never took it to a personal level. He never used derogatory language to spite Xi Jinping, as he did to Putin repeatedly. Did Biden deliver on Taiwan? It is obvious that he did not. A call with him is rather useless. The problem of a call to Moscow is not that Biden denigrated and insulted Putin. The Russian president is a professional. He doesn't take such things personally. What he cares about is that stuff gets done, that promises once made are being held. The real problem, as the three first writers quoted above state, is that Biden has no say in pretty much anything. Biden could prevent Nancy Pelosi's fancy but dangerous travel to Taiwan by simply canceling her passport for national security reasons. There is supreme court sanctioned precedence for doing that. Instead he is risking a full blown military response by China. As for Blinken - for the last two decades he has been little more than Biden's errand-boy, a grifter with no real influence in the deep state bureaucracy. There the Victoria Nulands and other scheming neocons are running the real show. They are carrying their grandparents subjective grievances and are out to revenge those - no matter the costs. Any president who wants to really run U.S. policies must be a hard nosed brut. He must ruthlessly fire people left and right whenever they even think about sabotaging a stated policy. This must be done down to the third and fourth level of the state department, intelligence and pentagon bureaucracies. The justice department and the internal revenue services must be used to keep congress under control. Any senator, representative or staff who tries to resist the agenda has to be publicly exposed as the utterly corrupt egoist they all are. That would be a 'dictatorship'? Well, look how Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin run their businesses, largely to the benevolence of their people. Both got reelected by their relevant constituencies. There is no way Joe Biden will achieve that. Posted by b on July 30, 2022 at 7:21 UTC | Permalink Comments next page  next page 
Three major US oil and gas producers, dominant in the Permian Basin, are joining a global effort to reducing methane emissions and improving transparency in reporting those emissions.

ConocoPhillips, Devon Energy and Pioneer Natural Resources have each joined the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 Initiative.

Its really a matter of improving and growing with the technology as the technology improves, Mark Berg, executive vice president at Pioneer, told the Reporter-Telegram. Today all companies are reporting their methane and greenhouse gas emissions in the framework the Environmental Protection Agency put in place 10 years ago.

That framework involves estimates, and Berg said Pioneer has sought ways to improve the methodology. The OGMP initiative is about actual performance, he said. As the technology improves to identify methane leaks, its also important to ensure the public has the confidence that emissions are being addressed, he said.

Dominic Macklon, executive vice president, strategy, sustainability and technology at ConocoPhillips, told the Reporter-Telegram his company identified the OGMP initiative as the only comprehensive measurement-based reporting framework and is emerging as the gold standard for methane emissions measurement and reporting. The three, along with Occidental Petroleum, will now be doing what European-based operators have been doing, he said.

Also, he said, this is a unique partnership at a time we need partnerships to come together and solve problems. Whats so powerful about this is the (operators) partnership with the UN Environmental Programme and environmental non-government organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund and the independent third-party verification.

That, Macklon said, will support the kind of trust and transparency that will help reinforce the crucial role the Permian Basin and other key basins will have to play in delivering the most responsible, lowest emission oil and natural gas to meet energy transition pathway demand over the long-term.

Garrett Jackson, vice president of ESG/ESH at Devon, told the Reporter-Telegram one of the main reasons for joining the initiative was that teaming up with Pioneer and ConocoPhillips, we hope to establish a leadership position, particularly in the US, to drive improvement in this area and joining with our peers and others in setting a good example.

Scouting for methane leaks and repairing them is something Pioneer has been working on for at least six or seven years, Berg continued. He said aerial detection and the ability to identify and quantity leaks from flyovers is increasingly better, prompting Pioneer to increase the number of flyovers of its sites to three times a year, with plans to increase that to four times a year in the near future.

Jackson said Devon utilizes what he called three technology buckets to monitor and measure for methane leaks: Different cameras that have been in use for a while; on-site sensors, and third, flyover aerial technology. Currently, he said, Devon has a site in Oklahoma with six different technologies on the same pad so it can compare, contract and study the different technologies.

Ultimately, said Macklon, the goal is to get monitoring from generic source-level emission factors to actual field measurements and then site-level measurements. He said enough progress is being made on development of cameras, sensors and drones that it is achievable in a cost-effective manner. I see great potential in small, fully automated drones. Theres exciting advances in these drones.

Another aspect of the large producers teaming up is the ability to scale up and prove the technology, bring the cost down and make it more available to smaller companies, Berg said.

ConocoPhillips has been reviewing various technologies to see if measurement can be done in a cost-effective manner and has come to the conclusion it can be done with new technology and technology under development, said Macklon.

That should give comfort to smaller companies, he said. I hope midstream companies, pipelines, gas processors all that step and consider joining the initiative. Were well set up to do a lot of knowledge sharing and best practices.

The initiatives reporting framework will provide stakeholders with the assurance that this important greenhouse gas is being managed responsibly. In turn, participating companies will be provided with the means to credibly demonstrate that they are contributing to climate mitigation and delivering against their methane improvement objectives and targets.

Berg, Macklon and Jackson all said joining the partnership demonstrates their companies long-term commitment to reducing emissions and to transparency, flexibility and sharing best practices.
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 99F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms, especially during the evening. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
DALLAS  EnLink Midstream has announced that Chairman and CEO Barry E. Davis retired from EnLink, the company he led the founding of, after more than 25 years of leadership effective June 20.

Jesse Arenivas has joined EnLink as CEO and a director on the EnLink board of directors while Leldon E. Echols became chairman of the board. Davis will continue in an advisory role until Aug. 31 to ensure a seamless transition.

Davis led EnLink Midstreams predecessor, Crosstex Energy, from its founding in 1996 through the 2014 merger of Crosstex with midstream assets from Devon Energy Corp., the transaction that created EnLink. Under Davis leadership, EnLink evolved into a Fortune 500 integrated midstream company with a strong financial foundation and a diverse geographic footprint in several top U.S. basins, which is also pursuing innovative and sustainable energy transition opportunities, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and sequestration.

Arenivas, a graduate of the University of Texas Permian Basin, comes to EnLink after almost 20 years with Kinder Morgan Inc., where he helped the company grow to become the largest transporter of CO2 in North America. He served as president of the CO2 segment since 2014 and was appointed president of KMIs Energy Transition Ventures team upon its formation in early 2021. He joined Kinder Morgan in 2003 and previously served in various financial, accounting and business development roles, including vice president of Finance and Accounting for KMIs CO2 business segment. Before joining KMI, Arenivas spent five years at ConocoPhillips Co. in financial and commercial roles.

While Echols serves as chairman of the board, he also remains the chair of the boards Audit Committee and a member of the boards Governance & Compensation Committee. Echols has a long history with EnLink, having been a director on the board since the company formed in 2014 and a member of EnLinks predecessor companys board since 2008.

No words can adequately express my gratitude for what being a part of the EnLink family has meant to me, Davis said. Building EnLink and serving as its CEO has been one of the great accomplishments of my life. I am immensely proud of what weve accomplished to date, growing from $15 million in adjusted EBITDA at the time of the initial public offering of Crosstex Energy in 2002, to a projected $1.2 billion in adjusted EBITDA at the midpoint of our 2022 guidance. I want to express my deep gratitude to our extremely dedicated employees, as well as our incredibly talented management team and board of directors who have guided EnLink to what it is today. Im confident in EnLinks future success with this team and under Jesses leadership.

Of his successor, Davis said, Jesse is the kind of visionary leader who will undoubtedly enable the EnLink team to realize our Future of Midstream vision. EnLink has been on an upward trajectory, announcing record adjusted EBITDA for the first quarter of 2022 and signing our first CCS customer, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures. Jesses deep experience in our industry, including most recently at the forefront of CO2and the energy transition, combined with his background as a strategic and financially minded business development leader, will foster continued excellence in EnLinks business, as well as momentum in growing EnLinks role in the energy transition.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling was expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies.

Some Republican-led states banned or severely limited abortion immediately after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, while other restrictions will take effect later.

In anticipation of the decision, several states led by Democrats took steps to protect abortion access. The decision also set up the potential for legal fights between the states over whether providers and those who help women obtain abortions can be sued or prosecuted.

Here is an overview of the impact the ruling has had so far in every state and the status of their laws.

ALABAMA

Political control: Alabamas Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican governor want to ban or restrict access to abortions.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Hours after the Dobbs ruling, a judge lifted an order that had blocked a 2019 law with one of the nations most stringent abortion bans from being enforced.

Whats in effect: The ban is now in effect. It makes it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. There is an exception in cases where the womans health is at serious risk. The penalty is up to 99 years in prison.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Some Republican lawmakers have said they would like to see the state replace the 2019 ban with a slightly less stringent bill that would allow exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Proponents said the 2019 ban was deliberately strict in the hopes of sparking a court challenge to Roe.

___

ALASKA

Political control: Republicans hold a majority of seats in the Legislature, but the House has a bipartisan coalition majority composed largely of Democrats. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who believes life begins at conception, is seeking reelection. His main challengers  independent former Gov. Bill Walker, and Democrat Les Gara  have said they would protect abortion rights if elected.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The Legislature ended its regular session before the decision came out, and there has been no push for a special session.

Whats in effect: The state Supreme Court has interpreted the right to privacy in the state constitution as encompassing abortion rights.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Voters in the fall will be asked if they want to hold a constitutional convention, a question that comes up every 10 years. Many conservatives who want to overhaul how judges are selected and do away with the interpretation that the constitutions right to privacy clause allows for abortion rights see an opportunity in pushing for a convention.

___

ARIZONA

Political control: The GOP controls both chambers of the state Legislature. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey must leave office in January because of term limits.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Legal uncertainty about two different abortion laws prompted clinics to stop providing the procedure. Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich has asked a judge to lift a decades-old order that blocks enforcement of an abortion ban passed before Arizona was a state. But a new law scheduled to take effect Sept. 24 would be less stringent, banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Also after the Dobbs ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court began allowing the state to enforce a 2021 ban on abortions done solely because the fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. But a federal judge in Phoenix in July blocked enforcement of another part of that so-called personhood law that grants legal rights to fertilized eggs or fetuses. Abortion rights supporters said that could have been used to charge providers with assault, child abuse or other crimes for otherwise-legal abortions.

Whats in effect: The law before Dobbs barred abortions after about 22 weeks.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: More court battles are expected over whether the earlier, more complete ban is in effect and whether Arizonas less stringent law can take effect in September.

___

ARKANSAS

Political control: The Legislature and governors office are controlled by Republicans. Gov. Asa Hutchinson is term-limited and will leave office in January. Republican nominee Sarah Sanders, press secretary to former President Donald Trump, is widely favored to succeed him in the November election.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger ban on most abortions adopted in 2019 went into effect.

Whats in effect: Abortions are banned with the exception of when the procedure is needed to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Hutchinson favors exceptions in the case of pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but he does not expect to ask lawmakers to consider it at a special legislative session.

___

CALIFORNIA

Political control: Democrats who support access to abortion control all statewide elected offices and have large majorities in the Legislature.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The day of the Dobbs ruling, Gov. Gavin Newsome signed a bill intended to protect patients or providers from being sued in states that have abortion bans. He has also launched a commitment with Oregon and Washington to defend access to abortion.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in California until viability, generally considered to be around 24 weeks.

Clinics offering abortion? Yes.

Whats next: Lawmakers plan to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would explicitly guarantee the right to an abortion and contraceptives.

___

COLORADO

Political Control: Colorados Democratic-controlled Legislature adopted and its Democratic governor signed into law a fundamental right to abortions in April.

Whats happened since Dobbs: After the legislature introduced the bill codifying abortion rights, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order saying Coloradans will not participate in out-of-state abortion-related investigations.

Whats in effect: Colorados Reproductive Health Equity Act declares fundamental rights to abortions at any stage of pregnancy. The law also prohibits local governments from denying, restricting, or depriving individuals of an abortion. State law still prohibits public funding for abortions and requires that minors inform their parents.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Republican lawmakers in Colorado have spoken about legislative challenges to the new state law. Colorado clinics are gearing up for an expected wave of out-of-state abortion seekers as surrounding states pass abortion bans.

___

CONNECTICUT

Political control: Democrats who control the Connecticut General Assembly support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A law protecting abortion providers from other states bans took effect July 1. It created a legal cause of action for providers and others sued in another state, enabling them to recover certain legal costs. It also limits the governors discretion to extradite someone accused of performing an abortion, as well as participation by Connecticut courts and agencies in those lawsuits.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in Connecticut until viability, generally considered to be around 24 weeks. A law adopted in 2022 allows advanced practice registered nurses, nurse-midwives or physician assistants to perform aspiration abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Theres been discussion of amending the state constitution to enshrine the right to abortion, which could take many years.

___

DELAWARE

Political control: Democrats control the governors office and the General Assembly and have taken several steps to ensure access to abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The state already had a 2017 law to codify the right to abortion and a 2022 law allowing physician assistants and advanced practiced registered nurses to prescribe abortion-inducing medications. After the ruling, the state adopted another law allowing physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners and nurse midwives to perform abortions before viability that includes legal protections for providers and patients.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal until viability.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: With protections in place, no major abortion policy changes are expected.

___

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Political control: The local government in the nations capital is controlled by Democrats, with a Democratic mayor and the D.C. Council split between Democrats and nominal independent politicians, who are all, invariably, Democrats.

Whats happened since Dobbs: No policy changes have come about since the ruling.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would declare Washington, D.C., a sanctuary city for those coming from states where abortion is banned. But because Congress has oversight power over D.C. laws, a future ban or restrictions remain possible depending on control of Congress.

___

FLORIDA

Political control: Republicans control the House and Senate and governors office, with GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis pledging to expand pro-life protections after the Dobbs decision.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Floridas new 15-week abortion ban law went into effect July 1. The law is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit from abortion providers in Florida but remains in effect.

Whats in effect: The Florida law prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant womans life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow exceptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking. Violators could face up to five years in prison. Physicians and other medical professionals could lose their licenses and face administrative fines of $10,000 for each violation.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The lawsuit against Floridas 15 week ban is ongoing and is expected to eventually reach the state Supreme Court. Republicans believe the conservative-controlled court will uphold the law.

___

GEORGIA

Political control: Georgia has a GOP-controlled General Assembly and a Republican governor who support abortion restrictions, but all are up for election this November.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A federal appeals court allowed the states 2019 abortion law to be enforced in a July 20 ruling after three years of being on hold.

Whats in effect: The law bans abortion when fetal cardiac activity can be detected and also declares a fetus a person for purposes including income tax deductions and child support. There are exceptions in cases of rape  if a police report is filed  and incest. There are exceptions if a womans life or health would be threatened.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Some Republican lawmakers and candidates want Georgia to go further and ban abortion entirely, but Gov. Brian Kemp is unlikely to call a special session before Novembers general election. Lawmakers are likely to consider further action when they return for their annual session in January. A major factor is whether Kemp is reelected or unseated by Democrat Stacey Abrams in Novembers election.

___

HAWAII

Political control: Hawaiis governor is a Democrat and Democrats control more than 90% of the seats in the state House and Senate.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The law hasnt changed.

Whats in effect: Hawaii legalized abortion in 1970, three years before Roe v. Wade. The state allows abortion until a fetus would be viable outside the womb. After that, its legal if a patients life or health is in danger.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democratic lawmakers are considering how they might protect Hawaii medical workers from prosecution or civil litigation from other states for treating residents who arent full-time Hawaii residents such as military dependents or college students. Policymakers are paying attention to how the state may increase access to abortion on more rural islands where there is a doctor shortage, for example by boosting training for some nurses who under a new law passed last year are allowed to perform first-trimester abortions.

___

IDAHO

Political control: Republicans hold supermajorities in the House and Senate and oppose access to abortion, as does the states Republican governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The ruling triggered a ban on all abortions except in cases of reported rape or incest or to protect the mothers life. It is to take effect Aug. 25. President Joe Biden's administration has sued over the measure, arguing that it conflicts with a federal law requiring doctors to provide pregnant women with medically necessary treatment.

Whats in effect: Current law allows abortions up to viability, around 24 weeks, with exceptions to protect the womans life or in case of nonviable fetuses.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The Idaho Supreme Court is expected to rule in August on whether to lift an injunction that blocked enforcement of a law that could subject medical providers who perform abortions to lawsuits and criminal charges.

___

ILLINOIS

Political control: Illinois is overwhelmingly Democratic with laws providing greater access to abortion than most states. Democrats hold veto-proof supermajorities in the House and Senate, and the Democratic first-term governor seeking reelection this year, J.B. Pritzker, has promoted peaceful protests to protect the right to an abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: No major policy changes. Pritzker has called for a special legislative session to expand abortion rights.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in Illinois to the point of viability, and later to protect the patients life or health.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: A possible expansion of abortion access rights.

___

INDIANA

Political control: Indiana has a Republican-dominated Legislature and a GOP governor who favors restricting abortion access.

Whats happened since Dobbs: On Aug. 5, Indiana became the first state in the nation to approve such legislation banning abortions since the Supreme Court's ruling. The ban, which takes effect next month, includes some exceptions. Abortions will be permitted in cases of rape and incest, before 10-weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the mother; and if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Victims of rape and incest wont be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack, as had once been proposed.

Whats in effect: Abortion in Indiana is currently legal up to about 20 weeks, with tighter restrictions after 13 weeks. Federal judges have lifted several previous injunctions  including abortions based on disability, gender, and race. Indiana doctors must also report abortions they perform on patients under 16 and procedures with complications.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes

Whats next: The new ban takes effect Sept. 15.

___

IOWA

Political control: Iowa has a Republican governor and Republicans have large majorities in both legislative chambers.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked state courts to reverse earlier decisions following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling and an Iowa Supreme Court decision that found the state constitution doesnt guarantee the right to an abortion. Among the cases is a law she signed but was blocked by a district court that would have banned abortion once cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo or fetus.

Whats in effect: A law banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy remains in effect while Reynolds pursues the tougher ban in court, as does a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion.

Clinics offering abortions?: Yes.

Whats next: Reynolds says she will wait for the courts to act on her request to reverse previous rulings before proposing additional restrictions.

___

KANSAS

Political control: Kansas has a Legislature controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions but a Democratic governor who supports access and is up for reelection this year.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Kansas voters on Aug. 2 rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have given lawmakers the authority to restrict or ban abortion.

Whats in effect: Kansas allows abortion until the 22nd week of pregnancy. After that, abortion is allowed only to save a patients life or to prevent a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. Stricter laws are on hold after a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling that the states constitution grants a fundamental right to abortion.

Clinics offering abortion? Yes.

Whats next: The constitutional amendment vote was the first of its kind in the U.S. since the Dobbs ruling, and it's likely to have activists on both sides across the country recalibrating their strategies.

___

KENTUCKY:

Political control: Republicans have super majorities in the Kentucky House and Senate, and the GOP passed a trigger law in 2019 that imposed a near-total abortion ban. Kentuckys Democratic governor opposes the ban and notes that it doesnt provide exceptions for rape or incest.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Kentuckys only two abortion clinics halted the procedure, but a Louisville judge halted enforcement of the states trigger law a few days later.

Whats in effect: On July 22, the Louisville judge issued an injunction blocking the states near-total abortion ban while the abortion clinics challenge its constitutionality.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Kentuckians are set to vote in November on a constitutional amendment that would ensure there are no state constitutional protections for abortion.

___

LOUISIANA

Political control: Louisianas Legislature is controlled by Republicans who passed a trigger law to ban most abortions. Its Democratic governor, who is Catholic, also opposes abortions, though he supports exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Immediately after the ruling, Louisianas three abortion clinics halted abortion procedures as the trigger law went into effect. However, since then, the ban has taken effect and been blocked multiple times in the form of rulings and temporary restraining orders.

Whats in effect: The ban is currently being enforced. Plaintiffs filed an appeal with the Louisiana Supreme Court that would have blocked the ban for a third time, but were denied Friday, Aug. 12.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: A state district judges order gives attorneys until Aug. 20 to develop plans for a trial on whether the law should be permanently blocked. In Louisiana, where the Legislature has long been dominated by abortion opponents, there is little question that an abortion ban will eventually be in effect.

___

MAINE

Political control: Both chambers of the Maine Legislature, which has adjourned, are controlled by Democrats and the state has a Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Janet Mills has signed an executive order that bars state agencies from cooperating with other states abortion investigations and says extradition attempts in those cases would be denied.

Whats in effect: A 1993 law signed by a Republican governor affirms the right to abortion before the fetus is viable. Abortion is allowed after viability if the health or life of the patient is at risk, or if the pregnancy is no longer viable. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other medical professionals may perform abortions.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: No major changes are expected unless Republican former Gov. Paul LePage unseats Mills in her reelection bid and Republicans take control of both chambers of the Legislature.

___

MARYLAND

Political control: Marylands General Assembly is controlled by Democrats who expanded abortion access this year by ending a restriction that only physicians can provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost. The legislature overrode Republican Gov. Larry Hogans veto of the bill in April.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Nothing changed immediately.

Whats in effect: State law prohibits restrictions to abortion prior to viability. The state approved legislation in 1991 to protect abortion rights if the U.S. Supreme Court ever restricted access; voters approved that right in 1992. Some nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants already have received training on medication abortion.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Hogan, who will leave office due to term limits in January, has said he will not advance state funds to train non-physicians to provide abortions before its required next year.

___

MASSACHUSETTS

Political control: Democrats control the Massachusetts Legislature and support access to abortion, as does the states Republican governor, although they differ on specific policies.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order on June 24 barring state agencies from assisting another states investigation into people or businesses for receiving or delivering reproductive health services that are legal in Massachusetts. The state also wont cooperate with extradition requests from other states pursuing criminal charges. Just over a month later, Baker signed into law a measure intended to protect access to abortion and expand access to emergency contraceptives.

Whats in effect: Recent changes to Massachusetts law allows abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases where the child would not survive after birth, and lowers from 18 to 16 the age at which women can seek an abortion without consent from a parent or guardian.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: In liberal Massachusetts, restrictions are unlikely to be adopted.

___

MICHIGAN

Political control: Both chambers of Michigans Legislature are controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict abortion access. The Democratic governor, who is up for reelection this year, supports access.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion remains legal in Michigan after a state judge issued a preliminary injunction in May blocking immediate enforcement of a 1931 law banning nearly all abortions. Michigans Legislature has appealed the decision. Abortion rights activists have taken steps to bring a constitutional amendment before voters on the November ballot. The amendment would affirm the right to make pregnancy-related decisions without interference, including about abortion and reproductive services such as birth control.

Whats in effect: The May temporary injunction, which stems from a Planned Parenthood lawsuit, blocked the 1931 law from going into effect and has kept abortion legal for now. The Michigan Court of Appeals suddenly changed course and said county prosecutors werent covered by the injunction and could enforce the ban. But another judge stepped in and said prosecutors  for now  must not follow the prohibition.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The state's election bureau and board of canvassers still need to verify and validate that the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative submitted at least 425,000 valid signatures before the constitutional amendment officially makes the ballot. The issue is also expected to shape legislative and statewide elections this fall; the Democratic governor and attorney general have made abortion rights a centerpiece of their reelection campaigns.

___

MINNESOTA

Political control: Anti-abortion Republicans control the Senate and Democrats hold the House, but the majorities are slim. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is stressing his support for abortion rights as he seeks another term.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Minnesota abortion clinics are starting to see a surge of out-of-state patients. On July 11, a state judge further eased access to abortion by striking down as unconstitutional several restrictions such as a 24-hour waiting period and parental notification.

Whats in effect: A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling from 1995 says the state constitution protects abortion rights. Minnesota allows abortions up to the point of viability, typically 24 weeks. However, some legal experts have questioned whether that cutoff would stand up in court.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democrats are making abortion rights a major issue as they seek to hold the governors office and House and take control of the Senate. Some Republican candidates are notably trying to downplay the issue.

___

MISSISSIPPI

Political control: Mississippis Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican governor have pushed for years to ban or restrict access to abortions. A 2018 Mississippi law to ban abortions after 15 weeks was the basis of the case that the U.S. Supreme Court used to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Mississippis only abortion clinic, Jackson Womens Health Organization, did its final abortions July 6 and has permanently closed. The clinic owner said she is selling the building and the clinics lawyers have withdrawn a lawsuit challenging a trigger law that bans most abortions.

Whats in effect: The trigger law passed in 2007 is in effect. It allows abortions only if a patient's life is in danger or if a pregnancy was caused by a rape that was reported to law enforcement.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn says he will oppose any effort to allow abortion for pregnancies caused by incest because he believes life begins at conception.

___

MISSOURI

Political control: Both GOP Gov. Mike Parson and the Republican-led General Assembly support laws against abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A 2019 trigger ban on most abortions went into effect.

Whats in effect: The ban makes abortions illegal except in cases of medical emergency. Performing illegal abortions is punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: The city of St. Louis proposed a $1 million fund to help residents travel to neighboring Illinois for abortions, but Missouri Attorney General Schmitt has sued to block it.

___

MONTANA

Political control: The Republicans who control the Montana Legislature and Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte want to limit access to abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The Montana Republican Party updated its party platform to say it opposes all elective abortions. The party rejected a proposal to include an exception for rape or incest.

Whats in effect: Abortion used to be legal in Montana up until viability, or about 24 weeks of pregnancy, but the state Legislature passed a bill in 2021 to reduce that to 20 weeks. That law, along with one that requires chemical abortions to be done with in-person medical supervision, are being challenged in court. A state judge temporarily blocked enforcement in October 2021 while the challenges move through the courts. The Montana Supreme Court on Aug. 9 upheld the temporary injunction. Justices also denied the states motion to overturn a 1999 Montana Supreme Court opinion that found the states constitutional right to privacy guarantees a womans access to abortion care. The justices said they would not take up the merits of the case while ruling on a preliminary injunction.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The Montana Legislature passed a referendum to ask voters this November whether they support a state law to require abortion providers to give lifesaving treatment to a fetus that is born alive after a botched abortion. Opponents argue federal law already offers those protections.

___

NEBRASKA

Political control: Nebraska has a Republican governor who favors a full abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. The officially nonpartisan one-chamber Legislature is dominated by lawmakers who identify as Republicans.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Nebraska law has not changed.

Whats in effect: Abortion remains legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in Nebraska. Those seeking an abortion must receive counseling and wait 24 hours before getting an abortion. People under 19 must have parental consent to undergo an abortion.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Gov. Pete Ricketts remains noncommittal about calling a special session to address abortion, despite many Republican lawmakers pushing to outlaw the procedure. Abortion opponents dont appear to have the 33-vote supermajority needed to overcome a filibuster waged by abortion-rights supporters.

___

NEVADA

Political control: Nevadas governor and state attorney general are Democrats who are up for reelection this year. Democrats control the state Senate and Assembly.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion has become a campaign issue in top state and federal races, and Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed an executive order to protect access to abortion for residents and those from other states.

Whats in effect: Nevada voters enshrined the right to abortion in state law in 1990. A pregnancy can be terminated during the first 24 weeks, and after that to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person. It would take a statewide vote to change or repeal the law. Most Republican candidates for statewide posts say they oppose abortion.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Anti-abortion advocates are not expected to try to repeal Nevadas abortion law. They have said theyll seek laws requiring waiting periods, mandatory counseling or parental consent.

___

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Political control: New Hampshire has a Republican governor and the GOP controls the 424-member Legislature. All legislative seats are up for election in November.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Legislative Democrats have urged Gov. Chris Sununu, who calls himself pro-choice to call a special session to codify abortion rights in state law. Sununu and Republican legislative leaders say theres no need.

Whats in effect: Under a law that went into effect this year, abortion is allowed until 24 weeks of pregnancy, later for the health or life of the patient or if the fetus has been diagnosed with abnormalities incompatible with life.

Clinics offering abortion? Yes.

Whats next: Republican lawmakers are divided over whether the state should further restrict abortions.

___

NEW JERSEY

Political control: Democrats control both houses of the state Legislature. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy started his second consecutive term this year.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A week after the Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Murphy signed into law two bills aimed at protecting the right to abortion for out-of-state residents and barring extradition to states that have prohibited the procedure. The governor also signed a state budget that includes $45 million to expand family planning and abortion services and security upgrades for clinics. Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin and U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger of New Jersey on July 20 announced a partnership to share intelligence about threats to clinics and patients.

Clinics offering abortions: Yes.

Whats next: The states Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness is preparing to distribute money from the $5 million Reproductive Health Security Grant program.

___

NEW MEXICO

Political control: The Democrats who control the New Mexico Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor. Several conservative Democratic state senators who voted against the repeal of the abortion ban in 2019 were ousted from office in 2020 by more socially progressive primary challengers.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Soon after the ruling, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order protecting abortion access. The order seeks to block New Mexico providers from being punished in other states for providing abortions to residents of other states.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in New Mexico, even in the third trimester.

Clinics offering abortions: Yes.

Whats next: The owner of the Jackson Womens Health Organization at the center of the Dobbs decision plans to open a clinic in the city of Las Cruces, near Texas. Conservative counties are considering anti-abortion resolutions that say clinics are not welcomed. Abortion has taken center stage in the gubernatorial campaign.

___

NEW YORK

Political control: The Democrats who control the New York Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $25 million to expand access to abortion services and $10 million in grants to provide security at clinics. Less that two weeks before Dobbs, she signed other measures intended to protect abortion access.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, and after that to preserve the patients life or health or if the fetus isnt viable.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Some abortion rights advocates are pushing lawmakers to begin the process of passing a constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion.

___

NORTH CAROLINA

Political control: Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the states General Assembly. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper supports abortion rights, but his veto power could be nullified if Republicans win more seats in November.

Whats happened since Dobbs: On the day of the ruling, Republican legislative leaders asked Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, an abortion rights supporter, to demand a federal court lift an injunction on a 1973 state law that banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Stein declined. Cooper has signed an executive order that shields out-of-state abortion patients from extradition and prohibits state agencies from assisting other states prosecutions of those who travel to North Carolina for the procedure.

Whats in effect: A 2019 federal court ruling, affirmed last year by the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, extended the right to an abortion in North Carolina until fetal viability, which typically falls between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. An abortion can be still be performed after viability in certain medical emergencies.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Republican General Assembly leaders have signaled that Steins inaction on the 20-week abortion ban injunction might lead them to petition the court on their own. A federal judge could also consider reinstating the ban without lawmaker involvement. The Republican party will likely intensify its efforts in this years elections to gain the five additional seats it needs for a veto-proof supermajority. Cooper and other Democrats already are making abortion rights a key campaign issue. Abortion politics also are expected to figure in two state Supreme Court elections in November. Republicans would gain a majority on the court if they win at least one.

___

NORTH DAKOTA

Political control: North Dakota has a legislature dominated by Republicans who want to ban abortion, and the GOP governor had wanted Roe v. Wade wiped off the books in favor of states rights.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The ruling triggered a 2007 law to ban most abortions, but a judge blocked enforcement on July 27, the day before it was to kick in.

Whats in effect: Under current law, abortions are legal in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and after that in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the patient.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The states only clinic, the Red River Womens Clinic in Fargo, is fighting implementation of the ban and plans to move to Moorhead, Minnesota, if abortion is outlawed. The order putting enforcement on hold gave the clinic a reprieve.

___

OHIO

Political control: Both legislative chambers are controlled by Republicans. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, an abortion opponent, is seeking reelection.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A ban on abortions after the first detectable fetal cardiac activity has taken effect. Clinics dropped a federal lawsuit challenging the law and have filed a challenge under the Ohio Constitution. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost is fighting them.

Whats in effect: A law prohibiting most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected except when the patients life is threatened or their health is at significant risk.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Republican lawmakers will move for a total abortion ban after the November election. Some support recently introduced legislation declaring personhood begins at conception. Statehouse plans may change if the Ohio Supreme Court allows the clinics state constitutional challenge to proceed.

___

OKLAHOMA

Political control: Republicans in Oklahoma have a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and a Republican governor up for reelection this year who has vowed to sign every pro-life legislation that came across my desk.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion services were halted in the state in May after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a law blocking all abortions with few exceptions. The ruling also triggered a 1910 law that makes it a felony, punishable by two to five years in prison, to perform an abortion or for anyone advising or using any other means whatever to help a woman obtain an abortion.

Whats in effect: Abortions are banned except to protect the life of a patient. Current laws carry civil penalties, as well as criminal penalties for those who perform an abortion or help a woman get one.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: A separate criminal statute takes effect on Aug. 27 that makes it a felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, to perform an abortion, with an exception only to save the life of the pregnant woman.

___

OREGON

Political control: The Democrats who control the Oregon Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Kate Brown has said she will protect abortion access for all.

Whats in effect: Oregon does not have any major abortion restrictions and it is legal at all stages of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democratic lawmakers have formed a group to make recommendations to expand access to all forms of reproductive care.

___

PENNSYLVANIA

Political control: Republicans who control the Pennsylvania Legislature are hostile to abortion rights, but the states Democratic governor is a strong supporter and has vetoed three GOP-penned bills in five years. The race for governor this year could tilt that balance.

Whats happened since Dobbs: No changes in the law or major court battles.

Whats in effect: Pennsylvania allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: In November, voters will decide on a new governor between the states Democratic attorney general, Josh Shapiro, who supports abortion rights, and Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who supports banning abortion with no exceptions. The Legislature is expected to remain in Republican hands. The state Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers aiming to overturn a 1982 law that bans the use of state dollars for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Republican lawmakers are advancing a proposal to amend the state constitution to declare there is no constitutional right to an abortion or to public funding for an abortion. The proposal could go before voters as early as May 2023.

___

RHODE ISLAND

Political control: Democrats who control Rhode Islands General Assembly support access to abortion, as does the Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Daniel McKee signed an executive order prohibiting state agencies from cooperating with other states investigations into people who travel to Rhode Island for abortions or health care providers that perform them.

Whats in effect: A 2019 law enshrined abortion protections in the state. The law says Rhode Island cannot restrict abortion prior to fetal viability or after if it is necessary to protect the health or life of the patient.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Legislative leaders have said they would address abortion insurance coverage for state employees and people in the Medicaid program in 2023.

___

SOUTH CAROLINA

Political control: Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, but they are a few seats short of a two-thirds majority. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is up for reelection and Democratic opponent Joe Cunningham has said his veto of any stricter abortion bill would likely stick.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The states 2021 ban on abortion once cardiac activity is detected  typically around six weeks after fertilization  was allowed to go into effect. A Republican-dominated special House committee is working on a bill to ban all abortions unless the life of the mother is at risk.

Whats in effect: Whats in effect: South Carolina bans abortion after an ultrasound detects cardiac activity. There are exceptions for pregnancies cause by rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Lawmakers are planning special sessions to consider stricter abortion laws.

___

SOUTH DAKOTA:

Political control: Republicans hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is up for reelection this year and is an ardent opponent of abortion rights.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger law took effect banning abortion in South Dakota except to save the life of a pregnant woman. Some conservatives had wanted to do more, including trying to stop organizations or companies from paying for women to travel out of state for an abortion, but Noem  who had initially been eager to call a special session  announced in July that any action could wait until the regular session in 2023. Meanwhile, abortion rights supporters are considering a possible campaign for a ballot initiative aimed at overturning the state abortion ban or making it less restrictive.

Whats in effect: Abortion is illegal in South Dakota except to save the life of the mother.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Possible legislative action in 2023 aimed at making it more difficult for South Dakota residents to obtain abortion care elsewhere. Abortion rights supporters may to take the issue directly to voters to undo the ban.

___

TENNESSEE

Political control: Tennessee has a Republican governor who is consistently vocal about his opposition to abortion. The GOP holds a supermajority in the General Assembly and has steadily chipped away at abortion access. Voters approved an amendment in 2014 declaring that the state constitution does not protect or secure the right to abortion or require it to be funded.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A court allowed enforcement of a law, adopted in 2020, that bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected.

Whats in effect: The so-called heartbeat ban has exceptions only to prevent death or major health risks.

Clinics offering abortions? Most are not.

Whats next: An even more stringent ban triggered by the Dobbs ruling is to take effect in late August.

___

TEXAS

Political control: The GOP has commanding majorities in the Texas Legislature and has controlled every statewide office for nearly 30 years. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is up for reelection in November and is favored to win a third term.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The fall of Roe put in motion a trigger law to ban virtually all abortions starting in August. In the meantime, there has been litigation over whether a 1925 state abortion ban can be enforced.

Whats in effect: A 2021 law bans abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, normally around six weeks.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: There are legal questions to be settled about which ban is in effect, but nearly all abortions are expected to be illegal soon in the nations second most populous state. Some Republican lawmakers are also looking for ways to punish companies that help Texas-based employees get abortions elsewhere, although its not clear how much support that would have in the 2023 legislative session.

___

UTAH

Political control: Utah is deeply conservative and the Legislature is controlled by a Republican supermajority.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger law banning nearly all abortions was put into effect and then paused by a court amid a legal challenge. Meanwhile, a court allowed a 2021 ban on abortions after 18 weeks to be enforced.

Whats in effect: Abortions after 18 weeks are banned except in cases of rape and incest if those crimes are reported to law enforcement, and if there's a serious risk to the life or health of the mother, as well as confirmed lethal birth defects.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: A court will decide whether the near-total ban is allowed under Utahs state constitution.

___

VERMONT

Political control: Democrats control both the House and Senate of the Vermont Legislature. Republican Gov. Phil Scott is a firm supporter of abortion rights.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Vermont has doubled down on its commitment to abortion rights. In 2019, the Vermont Legislature passed a law guaranteeing abortion rights in anticipation of the possible overturning of Roe. At the same time, the state began the process of amending the state constitution to protect abortion rights. The proposal must be passed by two consecutively elected legislatures, a process that was completed in February 2022. The final step in the process is a statewide referendum, scheduled for November.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The vote on the Reproductive Liberty Amendment will be held Nov. 8.

___

WASHINGTON

Political control: The Democrats who control the Washington Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive barring the Washington State Patrol from cooperating with other states investigations related to abortions.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in Washington until viability, and after in cases where the patents health or life is threatened.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democratic officials say theyll keep looking for ways to preserve access to abortion services for people within the state and who travel from places with restrictions.

___

WEST VIRGINIA

Political control: West Virginias Legislature is controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions. Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, opposes abortion access and has signed two anti-abortion laws since taking office in 2017.

What's happened since Dobbs: The state's only abortion clinic initially closed out of concern that the staff could be prosecuted under an abortion law that dates to the 1800s. But the Womens Health Center of West Virginia, in Charleston, announced it would challenge the law and resumed offering abortions. The state's House of Delegates on July 27 passed a sweeping abortion ban that the Senate amended two days later. The House rejected those amendments and sent the bill to a conference committee. Both chambers adjourned but could be called back in August.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in the first 20 weeks of gestation, longer in cases where the patient's life or health is at risk. Other restrictions include a 24-hour waiting period, required counseling to discourage abortion, parental permission for minors; a ban on the use of telemedicine to administer a medication abortion; and prohibition of abortions on the grounds that the child will be born with a disability.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

What's next: Whether the old nearly total ban can be enforced is playing out in courts. At the same time, lawmakers are forging ahead with consideration of a new nearly total ban.

___

WISCONSIN

Political control: Wisconsins Legislature is controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions, but the Democratic governor supports access and is up for reelection this year.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion clinics have stopped performing the procedure in Wisconsin under an 1849 law that banned abortions except to save a mothers life. Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, has filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the ban. He argues that a 1985 state law prohibiting abortion after a fetus can survive outside the womb trumps the older law. While that lawsuit is pending, anti-abortion groups have said they will work with the Republican-controlled Legislature next year to update or replace the 1849 law.

Whats in effect: Possibly the 1849 ban on all abortions except to save a womans life.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: The attorney generals lawsuit against the 1849 law is pending in Dane County.

___

WYOMING

Political control: Wyoming has one of the most Republican Legislatures in the U.S. and a Republican governor who in March approved a trigger law banning nearly all abortions.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger ban on nearly all abortions took effect on July 27, only to have enforcement blocked by a court the same day.

Whats in effect: With enforcement of the new law blocked, Wyoming allows abortions until a fetus would survive outside its mothers body, around 23 weeks. The new law banning abortion only provides exceptions in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mothers life or health, not including psychological conditions.

Clinics offering abortions: No.

Whats next: Legal arguments will continue on the challenge to the more stringent ban brought by four women and two nonprofits who argue it violates the state constitution. The plaintiffs include organizers of a womens health and abortion clinic that was damaged in a May 2022 arson attack.

___

Associated Press reporters from across the U.S. contributed.

___

For APs full coverage of the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, go to https://apnews.com/hub/abortion
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A crypto mining company plans to redevelop a northeastern North Dakota anti-ballistic missile site abandoned in the 1970s into data center that may be used for the mining of bitcoin and other digital currencies, Gov. Doug Burgum announced Monday.

Bitzero Blockchain Inc., which is backed by strategic investor and Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary, announced last month that it planned to make North Dakota its headquarters for North American operations. The company said within three years it intends to build 200 megawatts of data centers in the state and is involved in a joint venture to become an assembly and distribution hub for graphene battery technology.

Long considered a white elephant and waste of taxpayers money, the site at Nekoma grew out of a 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The $6 billion Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex once housed a radar system within a concrete pyramid, with 7-foot-thick, steel-reinforced walls. It was deactivated in 1976 after only a few months of operation. Nekomas population reached several hundred, compared with about 30 today, and surrounding towns benefited from an influx of highly paid missile experts and support personnel.

The Cavalier County Job Development Authority has owned the site since 2017. Spokeswoman Carol Goodman said the facility would be sold to the company for $250,000.

Burgum said waste heat captured from the data centers servers will be used to heat an on-site greenhouse, and the company also is planning an interpretive center, representing a total investment estimated by Bitzero at $500 million.

This important piece of history will be restored and become a beacon for North Dakota innovation to the rest of the world, Burgum said.

Bitzero has signed leases in both Bismarck and Fargo for administrative operations. The Nekoma site will be their primary data center site in North Dakota, Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said.

Separately, Burgum in January announced construction of a $1.9 billion data center located near the biggest city in the states oil-production region in northwest North Dakota.

The second-term Republican governor hailed the Atlas Power Data Center to be built by Missoula, Montana-based FX Solutions Inc. as one of the biggest such centers in the world, and one that will help diversify the economy in Williston-area that has suffered oil boom-bust cycles for decades.

Burgum, a wealthy former Microsoft executive, called data centers an incredible forward- looking industry not dependent on the price of oil.

Uses for data centers include the mining of bitcoin and other digital currencies. Cryptocurrency mining involves supercomputers to solve complex calculations needed to provide security for transactions in the digital currency.

The process requires vast amounts of power and generates much heat. Burgum has said North Dakota is an ideal place for data centers because it has a reliable and affordable power supply, and a climate that lowers cooling costs.

Burgum spokesman Nowatzki said no public money has been earmarked for any of the projects, though they are expected to qualify for tax credits already given to agriculture, energy and other industries.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Located along a remote stretch of Highway 395, the Fort Independence Travel Plaza touts a dozen gas pumps, clean restrooms and made-to-order meals for travelers visiting California's Eastern Sierra.

The facility, which provides revenue for a Paiute Indian tribe, is about to quadruple in size thanks to an $8 million federal grant that will help build a new gas station with room for cultural displays and locally made products.

It's one of hundreds of tourism-related projects nationwide that are collectively getting about $2.4 billion from the American Rescue Plan, according to an Associated Press analysis of funds flowing from last year's wide-ranging coronavirus relief law.

The money is paying for graffiti-resistant trash cans in Portland, Oregon, culturally diverse music festivals in Nashville, Tennessee, sports facilities in various cities and new marketing campaigns to attract tourists to particular states  sometimes in direct competition with one another.

Our goal is to get people traveling again. Period, said Dave Lorenz, chairman of the National Council of State Tourism Directors and the Michigan travel director.

Despite high fuel prices, Americans do seem to be hitting the road. After a plunge at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak, U.S. travel spending this year is projected to top $1 trillion  up 45% from its 2020 low point, according to the U.S. Travel Association.

That corresponds with a similar increase in state tourism office budgets, which have rebounded to pre-pandemic levels thanks to the federal aid.

A coronavirus relief law signed by former President Donald Trump opened the potential for federal money to be used for local tourism projects.

The subsequent pandemic relief law signed by President Joe Biden expanded that. The American Rescue Plan contained $750 million for grants for tourism, travel and outdoor recreation through the federal Economic Development Authority. It also included the tourism, travel and hospitality sector among dozens of eligible uses  alongside health care, housing and unemployment programs  for a $350 billion pool of flexible aid sent to state, local, territorial and tribal governments.

Those governments had budgeted more than $1.6 billion from those flexible funds for about 550 tourism, travel and hospitality projects as of the end of March, according to an Associated Press analysis of recently released data from the U.S. Treasury.

Those tourism projects include $425,000 in Portland to replace 200 trash cans with ones that have larger openings and harder-to-deface surfaces made of such things as metal slats or wire mesh. The city cited a substantial increase in the amount of trash, graffiti, and vandalism" during the pandemic, asserting that new garbage cans will "create a safer, more welcoming environment for visitors to our parks, according to a description in the Treasury Department data.

Nashville, known for its country music scene, allotted $750,000 to reach culturally diverse visitors. Thats helping fund renovations at a once-prominent Black music venue, subsidize choir concerts at Fisk University and pay for an annual jazz and blues festival occurring in July, among other things.

The goal is to build up the other genres without pushing country music down, said Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.

Of the tourism grants awarded through the Economic Development Authority, $510 million was divided among states and territories according to a formula that took into account job losses in their leisure and hospitality sectors. An additional $240 million was set aside for competitive grants, which are still being doled out.

One of those grants went to the Fort Independence Indian Reservation, a 220-member tribe that plans to add more than 60 jobs at its enlarged travel center.

Part of tourism is getting from A to B, and one of the stops along the way is our reservation, explained tribal vice chair Alisa Lee. When we have been able to educate people about our community, our tribe and our culture, that is a form of tourism.

Other competitive grants included $2.2 million to help replace old snowmaking equipment at Frost Fire Park ski resort in North Dakota, $1.6 million to help build a new Mardi Gras museum in Louisiana and $1.2 million to build locker rooms, concession facilities and a pavilion for a cross-country course at Middle Georgia State University.

University President Christopher Blake said in a statement that the project has the potential to transform it into a recreational dynamo that generates nearly $1 million a year in economic activity.

Several states also projected big returns on their federal tourism dollars, according to grant plans obtained by the AP through an open-records request.

Alabama plans to spend nearly $2.7 million to build three boat piers at reservoirs along the Coosa River. The state said regional fishing tournaments can lure $200,000 into an economy and national tournaments up to $1 million.

Oregon used a $9.1 million grant to help produce promotional videos and pictures of scenery that could be embedded into TV broadcasts of the World Athletics Championships that occurred this month in Eugene. The international broadcasts could yield between $224 million and $374 million in visitor spending and "spur economic development and opportunity for decades to come, the Oregon Tourism Commission said in a grant plan submitted to federal officials.

Tourism projects generally seem like an appropriate use of the federal pandemic relief funds because the industry initially was one of the hardest hit, said Sean Moulton, a senior policy analyst at the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight.

But as you give more flexibility, Moulton said, you run the risk of the money being used in ways that in retrospect you say that wasnt the most effective.

The city of Fort Worth, Texas, has directed $52 million of its flexible American Rescue Plan money for an expansion of its convention center. Of that, $40 million was categorized as tourism aid in a 2021 year-end report submitted to the Treasury Department.

The Treasury revised its rules in January to discourage big spending on convention centers and stadiums, stating that large capital expenditures to aid the travel and tourism industries are not reasonably proportional to addressing the negative economic impacts of the pandemic.

Fort Worth is moving ahead with the project anyway. The city reclassified the aid as a replacement for revenue lost during the pandemic  a category with the broadest flexibility under Treasury rules.

California got the largest tourism grant allocation, about $46 million. The state directed all of that  plus an additional $95 million of flexible federal pandemic aid  to its nonprofit tourism entity, which conducts national and international marketing.

Other states also have used the federal aid to try to draw visitors to their parks, shopping areas, restaurants and resorts.

While Michigan targets tourists in the neighboring Great Lakes region, Ohio is countering by expanding advertising into 11 new markets, including additional Michigan cities.

Missouri, meanwhile, is casting a broader net into the upper Midwest and the South. Thanks to a two-thirds increase in its tourism budget, Missouri is planning to expand advertising beyond its bordering states to reach potential travelers from Alabama, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.

In order to stay competitive with the states that we consider competition, it was going to be important for us to up our game, Missouri Tourism Director Stephen Foutes said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BAGHDAD (AP)  Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric stormed into Iraq's parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts led by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups.

The alliance showed signs of internal division, with some calling for counter-protests  a development that would raise the specter of civil strife  while others later urged for dialogue.

Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas and stun grenades to try to repel the demonstrators, who are followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Once inside, the protesters declared an open-ended sit-in and claimed they would not disperse until their demands are answered.

As the numbers of protesters swelled, the police backed off. An expected parliament session did not take place and no lawmakers were in the hall. By late afternoon, the Ministry of Health said about 125 people were injured in the violence  100 protesters and 25 members of the security forces.

Parliament Speaker Mohammed Halbousi suspended future sessions until further notice.

Earlier in the day and heeding al-Sadr's calls, the demonstrators used ropes and chains to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies.

The development showed al-Sadr was using his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals, after his party was not able to form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in the federal elections held last October.

With neither side appearing willing to concede, and al-Sadr intent on derailing government formation efforts lead by his rivals, Iraq's limbo and political paralysis has ushered in a new era of instability in the beleaguered country.

Al-Sadr has used his followers as leverage against rivals and ordered them to occupy the parliament in the past  as in 2016, during the administration of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.

Now, 10 months since the last elections, the political vacuum is shaping up to be the longest since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had reset the country's political order.

Al-Sadr's rivals in the Coordination Framework  an alliance of Shiite parties backed by Iran and lead by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki  showed signs of internal divisions later on Saturday.

At first, the alliance called for peaceful counter-protests to defend the state, raising fears of possible street clashes and inter-ethnic violence.

Civil peace is a red line and all Iraqis must be prepared to defend it in all possible, peaceful, means, the alliance said. Three Shiite officials said this statement was written by al-Maliki and militia leader and political figure Qais al-Khazali.

Later, Hadi al-Amiri, also an alliance leader, issued a statement inviting our "dear brother" al-Sadr to a serious dialogue to find a way out of the impasse. Al-Maliki appeared to pivot also and issued a statement saying the day's tumultuous events had prompted him to call for dialogue with al-Sadr.

Al-Maliki is al-Sadr's chief rival and both men are powerful in their own right.

The United Nations expressed its concern of further instability and called on Iraqi leaders to de-escalate. Voices of reason and wisdom are critical to prevent further violence. All actors are encouraged to de-escalate in the interest of all Iraqis," the U.N. said.

In a speech, caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for restraint.

The political blocs must sit down and negotiate and reach an understanding for the sake of Iraq and the Iraqis, he said and ordered security forces to protect demonstrators.

Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim  who is allied with the Framework but has announced he would not participate in the next government  echoed al-Kadhimi's words and called for both sides to make concessions to avoid the irreplaceable loss of the homeland.

Throughout the day, al-Sadr supporters  many had come not just from Baghdad but other provinces as well in order to stage the sit-in  continued to throng the parliament building, raising the Iraqi flag and portraits of al-Sadr. They chanted against the intrusion of foreign states, a veiled reference to Iran.

It was the second time in four days that the cleric ordered his followers to take their cause inside the Green Zone. On Wednesday, after protesters stormed the parliament in a similar fashion, they left shortly after getting inside, at al-Sadr's command.

Wednesday's show of force came after al-Sadr's rivals had made a step forward in their government formation efforts by naming Mohammed al-Sudani as their nominee for the premiership.

Inside the parliament, as the day unfolded, the defenses of the security forces grew less intense and many were seen sitting and conversing with demonstrators. Later, some protesters began moving from the parliament toward the Judicial Council building.

We came today to remove the corrupt political class and prevent them from holding a parliament session, and to prevent the Framework from forming a government, said Raad Thabet, 41. We responded to al-Sadrs call.

Al-Sadrs party left the government formation talks in June, giving his rivals in the Coordination Framework the majority they needed to move forward with the process.

Many protesters wore black to mark the days leading to Ashura, which commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohamed and one of Shiite Islams most important figures. Al-Sadr's messaging to his followers has used the important day in Shiite Islam to kindle protests.

Its unclear to what extent Saturday's events could derail efforts to muster enough support for al-Sudani's bid for premiership. Al-Maliki had wanted the premier post himself, but audio recordings were leaked in which he purportedly cursed and criticized al-Sadr and even his own Shiite allies, which effectively sank his candidacy.
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Neil Patrick Harris has played an impressive number of what he calls extreme characters, which made his role in the comedy "Uncoupled especially appealing.

I was attracted to the notion of a bit of normalcy and nuance, he said of his refreshing dip into the Netflix series. He plays a suddenly single New Yorker, dumped by his partner of 17 years, stumbling into an unfamiliar dating world.

The eight-episode Uncoupled, which debuted Friday, represents a still relatively rare Hollywood commodity: a rom-com with a gay character as the lovable hero of the story.

That increased its value for Harris, as did the shows veteran, TV homerun-hitting writer-producers: Darren Star (Sex and the City, Emily in Paris) and Jeffrey Richman (Modern Family, Frasier).

As a gay man myself, I thought that having content that was representational was great on a streaming platform like Netflix, Harris said. Star and Richman's knack for making fare with broad appeal is proven, and Harris marvels at the show's skillful juggling of the sad and the ridiculously funny."

I thought that that was all something that hasnt necessarily been done before. And I was honored to be asked to be a part of it, to be honest, said the Emmy-winning actor whose eclectic string of screen credits since he started as a teen actor include Doogie Howser, M.D.; How I Met Your Mother; Gone Girl and The Matrix Resurrections. On Broadway, he earned a Tony Award for Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

In Uncoupled, Harris' Michael is a Manhattan real estate agent who works with a candid and loyal colleague (Tisha Campbell), has a supportive circle of friends and is coming to grips with life as an unmoored, 40-something man.

The role's emotional demands made it a very risky, scary move for Harris to sign on, Star said. I would say, gay or straight, I've never seen such vulnerability from a male character. It's a guy going through the pain of a breakup, and you don't really get to see it that often.

A birthday party scene in the first episode calls for Michael to publicly toast his partner Colin (Tuc Watkins) to a crowd unaware the pair have just split. It's a tour de force moment for Harris.

His authenticity and emotion, it was so remarkable. When an actor elevates your writing like that, it's why you are a writer, Richman said.

Harris and the show's creators are on the same page regarding what the show is not intended to be: a political statement.

It's almost the opposite, said Star. It was like, this is where we are. It's where the world, the audience has moved, they want to see a show like this. You don't have to be gay to see yourself reflected in these characters because it's so much about the humanity of this experience."

Harris sees value in a work that is just a slice of representation without agenda....If one tries too hard to accomplish a specific agenda with art, itll be met with both extremes. The people that love it will embrace it, and the people who dont love it will be affronted by it."

Uncoupled is truthful but also very binge-y and it doesnt take itself too seriously, he said.

For the actor, who's married and a family man  he and actor-chef David Burtka have two children  Uncoupled was a chance to venture into an aspect of life that Harris has been lucky enough to avoid.

I didnt start dating till much later than most, and when I did start dating, they all went fairly well. I dont have a lot of relationship wounds," he said. Ive been with David for 18 years, and once we started dating, we really just never stopped.

Wading into fictional heartache turned out to be oddly rewarding.

In a very weird, altered version of my reality, this was an exciting role to play because it touched on, it brought up emotions that I hadnt felt  that I hope to not feel  but that I was required to feel, Harris said. On the flip side, scenes that called for him to flash a goodly amount of skin left him unfazed.

Thankfully, it was my own skin, so I was familiar with it, Harris said, with perfect deadpan delivery. Then he gets serious, describing a healthy and enviable self-image.

I dont have much modesty at all. Im 49 years old. Ive been doing this since I was 13 or 14. I dont need a changing room curtain," he said. "In Hedwig, you saw almost everything. I work out a fair amount and I feel more confident in my own skin than I have before."

Does he feel the need to explain to his twins, born in 2010, that dad is in the nearly altogether on TV?

I thought about it a lot when we were filming it, Um, are the kids going to watch this?' Harris said. He's sure they won't, and offers a well-reasoned explanation: As is common, his son and daughter routinely cringe at what their parents do. He recalled walking with them to school and asking about the day ahead.

Please, just stop talking, one admonished him, Harris recalled. So I think if they were to watch Uncoupled' and see my naked butt on screen, they would be mortified. They don't want to see my naked butt getting out of the shower in the bathroom. I think they'll just not ever want to watch it.
After months and months of painstakingly assembling the BlueWalker 3 test satellite, AST SpaceMobiles Midland team have said farewell to their project.

As AST SpaceMobile Chief Executive Officer Abel Avellan tweeted as the satellite was packed and loaded, it was leaving the nest.

The satellite is now headed to an off-site facility in California where it will undergo final environmental testing, which will provide flight data to be used during its launch late this year. After testing, the satellite will then make its way to Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it is expected to be launched aboard one of SpaceXs Falcon 9 rockets. The actual launch date remains subject to change, but the window is for early to mid-September. Factors that could affect the launch date include final testing, final integration, ground transport, timely readiness of the launch vehicle and unknown factors like weather conditions or technical problems. The launch of the satellite will kick off global testing with mobile network operators on six continents.

AST SpaceMobile in May received an experimental license from the Federal Communications Commission to support testing of the satellite. The license covers space-to-ground testing of the satellite in the US using 3GPP low-band cellular frequencies and Q/V-band frequencies. The test satellite has an aperture of 693 square feet that is designed to communicate directly with cell phones via 3GPP standard frequencies.

Courtesy AST SpaceMobile

AST also announced this month that it has signed a five-year 5G deal with Nokia under which the two companies will work to achieve their joint ambition of expanding universal coverage and connecting underserved communities around the world.

Nokias AirScale Single RAN equipment aims to enable AST SpaceMobile in providing mobile services to new and existing subscribers in regions currently not served by terrestrial communication networks. This includes connecting devices globally on land, at sea, or in flight. Nokia will provide equipment from its comprehensive, energy-efficient AirScale portfolio, including its AirScale base stations powered by its latest generation of Nokias ReefShark System-on-Chip (SoC) chipsets.

Tommi Uitto, president, Mobile Networks at Nokia, told the Reporter-Telegram by email that Nokia is excited to work with AST SpaceMobile to close the digital divide globally while strengthening our partnerships in North America. As technology and the space economy emerges, we look forward to being the go-to partner for cutting edge solutions.

AST SpaceMobile plans to bring cellular connectivity directly to 4G and 5G devices via low Earth-orbiting satellites in collaboration with mobile network operators. The company has entered into agreements and understandings with mobile network operators that collectively service over 1.8 billion cellular customers.

Those low Earth-orbiting satellites are expected to be built at AST SpaceMobiles Midland facility, If the BlueWalker 3 test satellite performs correctly, the company has a goal of producing up to two commercial satellites per month from the facility. The company also plans to expand its anticipated total production capacity to up to six satellites per month through a second location just down the road from AST SpaceMobiles facility in the Spaceport Business Park at Midland International Air and Space Port, which the company recently purchased and is retrofitting.
A car is submerged in flood waters along Right Beaver Creek, following a day of heavy rain in in Garrett, Kentucky, July 28, 2022.
You have permission to edit this article.

Edit Close
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said that he stopped at a campaign fundraiser following the deadly school shooting in Uvalde and let people know he couldn't stay, but a newspaper reports that he was there for nearly three hours.

The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday that campaign finance reports and flight-tracking records show that Abbott arrived in Huntsville at 4:52 p.m. on May 24  hours after the shooting at Robb Elementary School  and then was driven about 2 miles (3 kilometers) to a local supporter's house. He didn't leave the city till 7:47 p.m.

An 18-year-old shooter entered the school at 11:33 a.m. that day but it was not till 12:50 p.m. that law enforcement breached the classroom where he was holed up and killed him. Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steve McCraw has called law enforcement's slow and chaotic response to the shooting an abject failure."

McCraw has said that three minutes after the gunman entered the school, enough officers and firepower had been deployed to stop him. Nineteen students and two teachers were killed in the attack.

When Abbott was asked at a news conference in Uvalde the day after the shooting why he hadn't canceled the fundraiser, he noted that he had been in Abilene when he learned of the attack.

On the way back to Austin, I stopped and let people know that I could not stay, that I needed to go, Abbott said. And I wanted them to know what happened and get back to Austin so that I could continue my collaboration with Texas law enforcement to make sure that all the needs were being met here in the Uvalde area.

Abilene, where Abbott had given a news conference about wildfires, is about 220 miles (354 kilometers) northwest of Austin, while Huntsville is about 150 miles (240 kilometers) east of the state capital.

Abbott's campaign spokeswoman, Renae Eze, told the newspaper that Abbott had been forthright about his movements that day. She said that throughout the afternoon and evening of May 24, Abbott spoke with President Joe Biden, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, law enforcement and staff.

The day after the tragedy, the governor traveled to Uvalde and met with law enforcement and local officials, she said. The governors description of his movements that day are accurate.

The day after the shooting, Abbott praised what he said was a swift response by law enforcement officers who showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire. He later said that he had been misled, and was livid about it.

According to a campaign finance report, Abbott may have raised as much as $50,000 at the Huntsville fundraiser, the newspaper said.

Abbott, a Republican, faces Democratic opponent Beto ORourke in November.

___

For more AP coverage of the Uvalde school shooting: https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting
President Lisa Kluge called to order the July 22 meeting of Jacksonville Noon Rotary Club at noon at Hamiltons.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited and "America" was sung.

Volunteers were thanks, including Rick Kluge, Kevin Heitz, Alberta Robinson and Jan Ryan, greeters and 50-50; Dave Fisher and Steve Holt, sergeants-at-arms; Tiffany Warmowski, Reflection; note taker Anne Jackson; song leader and tech guru Dan Lepper; and pianist Sharon Zuiderveld.

Announcements:

 The Polio Plus Jars are on the tables.

 Clip boards are being circulated. Please help where you can.

Upcoming events:

 July 23: Neighborhood Improvement

 July 24: Ferris wheel, 4-6 p.m., sponsored by Kiwanis.

 July 27: Museum volunteer opportunity. See Ginny Fanning.

 July 29: No meeting

 July 29: Social at Community Park hosted by the Wahl family. Fried chicken will be provided, as will table service. Bring a dish to share and a lawn chair. RSVP to Cathy Jo by June 27. The wheel will be running!

 Aug. 1: First Monday, 5 p.m. at Bahan's.

 Aug. 1: Membership Committee meets at noon

 Aug. 1: Community Service Committee will meet at The Salvation Army

Woo-hoo: Oktoberfest will be from noon to 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Morgan County Fairgrounds. Food! Beer! Music! Games! Fun! Save the date. All Rotarians are asked to sign up to help!

Steve Warmowski was inducted as the newest member of Jacksonville Noon Rotary Club.

We welcomed visiting Rotarians Dan OBrian and Bill Durall. Lisa Kluge brought her husband, Rick. Tiffany Warmowski brought her husband, Steve. Scott Boston was accompanied by Tiffany Whitaker

District Gov. Bill Durall gave an interesting and uplifting program.

Jan Ryan drew unsuccessfully for the 50/50 drawing. The Four-Way Test was recited and the meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.

 Submitted by Anne Jackson

Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club

On a beautiful, clear Tuesday morning, nine Rotarians and two visiting Rotarians gathered in the Holiday Inn Express meeting room.

Those in attendance were Don Pigg, President Linda Meece, Cindy Boehlke, Sonie Smith, past president Jane Becker, Jay Jamison, Brittany Nickel, Sarah Robinson and Sarah Edmiston, with District Gov. Bill Durall and District Gov.-nominee Dan OBrien.

All chatting and joking subsided when President Linda gently tapped the July 19 meeting to order at 6:58 a.m. Then Sarah Edmiston led the Pledge of Allegiance, Cindy led the reciting of the Four-Way Test and Sonie gave the invocation.

Linda reminded members that not only is next weeks meeting a business meeting but we are asked to bring donations for the Special Needs Pantry at First Baptist Church. This is in memory of Rotarian Barb Baker for her birthday.

District Gov. Bill gave a wonderful speech about International President Jennifer Jones' four strategic goals for the year. The first is to increase impact. Using the Troop-on coupon project as an example, Bill describing its importance to members of the military with his many years in the Air Force stationed all over the world. The governor also encouraged us to increase membership. The second goal is to expand reach, perhaps with a group of nonmembers the club can depend on during service projects. The third goal is to enhance participation, and the fourth is to increase ability to adapt. Next, we all discussed ways to increase Rotarys presence on a national level with the international presidents background in communications. We learned that there have been commercials on TV recently and that Rotary has a YouTube channel.

Next, Bill did his due diligence and reminded the club about the upcoming Rotary Day at the Ballpark on Aug. 6 (Cardinals vs. Yankees). The district governor emphasizes polio projects this year, especially something along the lines of Pints for Polio. Sonie pointed out the New Unbreakable Polio Jar we have to replace the glass Polio Jar the club has used for years until it shattered. Bill reminded the club of the district conference in Collinsville on Nov. 4 and 5.

Next, the district governor described the Zambia farming project and the Rotary grant toward mechanization. He is asking clubs to donate toward a planter. The club, with a generous donation, presented the governor with a check for $500. President Linda, whose husband is integral to the Zambia project, presented the donation and pictures were taken before she verbally rang the meeting to a close at 7:58 a.m.

The business meeting will be at 7 a.m. July 26 in the Holiday Inn Express meeting room. All visiting Rotarians and guests are welcome.

 Submitted by Sarah Edmiston

Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary Club

On a rainy Tuesday morning, 11 Rotarians and one visiting Rotarian gathered in the Holiday Inn Express meeting room. Per the announcement at last weeks meeting, toiletries, laundry supplies and other items were donated in honor of Barb Bakers birthday this week. Don Pigg donated the use of his truck bed for transport. The necessities were donated to the Personal Needs Pantry at First Baptist Church. Barb was a longtime Rotarian and the Personal Needs Pantry was very important to her.

Those in attendance were Don, President Linda Meece, Brittany Nickel, Sarah Robinson, Pat Pennell, Sonie Smith, Gordon Jumper, Jane Becker, Jay Jamison, Ella Scaggs, and Sarah Edmiston, with guest speaker Judy Tighe of Jacksonville Main Street. President Linda gently rang the July 26 meeting open at 7 a.m., then Gordon led the Pledge of Allegiance, Jay led the reciting of the Four-Way Test and Pat gave the invocation. Former member Ella was welcome back to the club. She thanked us for the pin. Rotations were made by Sarah Edmiston, Sonie, Don, Gordon, Sarah Robinson, Pat, Jane, Jay and Ella. Next, Jay made sure everyone, including Judy, had an opportunity to donate to the scholarship fund. Then Pat gamely volunteered to take on Recognitions for August.

Jay recounted the story of the grant for the Zambia farming project. More than 100 Zambian farmers have joined a co-op and enough money was raised for the planter. Eric will be traveling to Zambia soon to purchase a tractor, planter and other much needed equipment. With two articles in the Journal-Courier, our tiny club got plenty of publicity, even if none of us has traveled to Africa.

Judy used the theme of publicity to segue into her brief but succinct update on activities downtown. We learned about an upcoming downtown awards concert, the Pumpkin Festival, Santa Stroll and Christkindl Market. A pop-up business incubator and a branding project are in the works. After asking for questions, the club thanked her with an appreciative round of applause.

Next, Sarah Edmiston gave the treasurers report, while members shared copies of the report. After Sarah gave a dues update and answered questions, Jay made a motion to accept the report and Gordon seconded the motion. The motion passed. While Sarah had their attention, she reminded members about the Rice Packet Assembly event on Aug. 6 at Grace United Methodist Church. It starts at 9:30 a.m. and all volunteers are welcome.

Linda thanked members for working the gate during the Morgan County Fair. Jane said she still is waiting on prices for the pork bundle tickets. Ella invited everyone to come to the River Country Quilt Show at Jacksonville High School on July 29 and 30. Don announced that we will meet on Aug, 23 at Morgan County Health Department for a tour. Sarah Robinson passed around a price/color list for shirts, if anyone wanted to order embroidered Rotary shirts.

Linda closed the meeting at 7:45 a.m. The next meeting will be at 7 a.m. Aug. 2 in the Holiday Inn Express meeting room. All guests and visiting Rotarians are welcome.

 Submitted by Sarah Edmiston
Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com.



ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

217-370-4002

Jacksonville locations:

 First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible.

 Club HOW, 638 S. Church St.

Monday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Tuesday

 Open discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets.

 ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St.

Wednesday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Thursday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group.

Friday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group.

 Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave.

Saturday

 Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

 Open meeting, noon at Club HOW.

Sunday

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group.

 Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open)

 SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St.



AL-ANON

Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend.

217-248-6434.

Wednesday

 Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance).



NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization.

Jacksonville locations:

 First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. (enter through far southeast door). 217-883-1975.

 Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975.

Wednesday

 Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

Friday

 Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at First Christian Church.



OTHER MEETINGS

Monday

 Hope Lives On support group for mothers who have lost children to suicide, 7 p.m., Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, 155 W. Morton Ave.

 Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388.



Tuesday

 Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary, 7 a.m. Holiday Inn Express meeting room, South Jacksonville. 217-243-6895.

 Dementia Caregiver support group, 2-3 p.m., free virtual event. Call 800-272-3900 to register, which is required. Hosted by the Springfield office of the Alzheimers Association Illinois.

 American Legion Post 279, 7 p.m. at 903 W. Superior Ave.



Wednesday

 Breastfeeding support group, 6 p.m., Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Meeting Room 2.

 ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670.



Thursday

 Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882.

 Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, teens 5:30-6:30 p.m.; adults 7-8 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of New Life Church, 626 Curtis St.



Friday

 Jacksonville Rotary Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388.



Saturday

 Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Roodhouse Police Department Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Roodhouse Police Department Show More Show Less 3 of 3





ROODHOUSE  A midsummer community gathering brought dozens of people to the square this week for fun, food and a family movie.

Chill'n with the Police on Wednesday featured water games provided by Roodhouse Fire Department, free ice cream cones at the Ice Cream Depot for those 16 or younger, and a screening of the movie "The Bad Guys" sponsored by Greene County Health Department and Roodhouse Public Library.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 1 of 5 Scott Olson/Getty Images Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Max Herman/NurPhoto via Getty Images Show More Show Less 5 of 5









When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down much of life as we know it in early 2020, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum got to work on an oral history project intended to capture Illinoisans' in-the-moment recollections of the tumult.

Led by oral historian Amanda Riggenbach, the Tumultuous 2020 project was designed to collect dozens of interviews recounting the time's tragic, inspiration and humorous stories.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea on Saturday reported no new fever cases for the first time since it abruptly admitted to its first domestic COVID-19 outbreak and placed its 26 million people under more draconian restrictions in May.

There have been widespread outside doubts about the accuracy of North Korean statistics as its reported fatalities are too low and its daily fever cases have been plummeting too fast recently. Some experts say North Korea has likely manipulated the scale of illness and deaths to help leader Kim Jong Un maintain absolute control amid mounting economic difficulties.

The Norths anti-epidemic center said via state media it had found zero fever patients in the latest 24 hours, maintaining the countrys total caseload of about 4.8 million. Its death count remains at 74, with a mortality rate of 0.0016%  the worlds lowest, if true.

Despite the claimed zero cases, it is unclear whether and how soon North Korea would formally declare victory over COVID-19 and lift pandemic curbs because experts say it could face a viral resurgence later this year like many other countries. North Koreas state media have recently said its intensifying and upgrading its anti-epidemic systems to guard against coronavirus subvariants and other diseases like monkeypox.

The organizational power and unity unique to the society of (North Korea) is fully displayed in the struggle to bring forward a victory in the emergency anti-epidemic campaign, the official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday.

North Koreas claimed zero cases could have symbolic significance in its efforts to establish Kims image as a leader who has suppressed the outbreak much faster than other countries. Kim would need such credentials to garner greater public support to surmount economic hardships caused by pandemic border closings, U.N. sanctions and his own mismanagement, observers say.

In North Korea, public health care and politics cant be separated from each other, and that aspect has been revealed again in its COVID-19 outbreak, said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. Since they began with manipulated data, theyre now putting an end to the outbreak with manipulated data.

North Korea had been widely expected to claim zero cases as its daily fever caseload has been nosediving in recent days  there were three reported cases on Friday and 11 on Thursday  from a peak of about 400,000 a day in May. The country, which lacks test kits, has identified only a fraction of its 4.8 million fever patients as confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Realistically speaking, hundreds of thousands of daily fever cases becoming zero in less than three months is something impossible, said Lee Yo Han, a professor at Ajou University Graduate School of Public Health in South Korea.

Many outside experts earlier worried the Norths outbreak would have devastating consequences because most of its people are believed to be unvaccinated and about 40% are reportedly undernourished. But now, activists and defectors with contacts in North Korea say they havent heard of a humanitarian disaster. They say the countrys outbreak has also likely peaked.

In an indication of an easing outbreak, North Korea this week held massive no-mask public events in its capital, Pyongyang, where thousands of aged Korean War veterans and others gathered from across the country to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 war. During an anniversary ceremony, Kim hugged and exchanged handshakes with some veterans before he took group photos with other participants. No one wore masks, according to state media photos.

Shin Young-jeon, a professor of preventive medicine at Seouls Hanyang University, said North Korea would know that zero cases dont mean it has no COVID-19 patients because there are likely asymptomatic cases. He said North Korea wont likely announce it has officially beaten the pandemic anytime soon because of worries about a resurgence.

North Koreas state media have already used expressions like its winning its anti-virus fight. The only other expression they can use now is declaring the coronavirus has been completely eliminated from its territory, Shin said. But if new cases emerge again, North Korea would lose its face.

The only route for North Koreas fresh viral spread from abroad is likely China, its main ally that shares a long, porous border, and North Korea would find it difficult to announce victory over the pandemic until China does, Lee said.

The North Korea-China border has been largely shut for more than 2  years, except for a few months when it reopened earlier this year.

Some observers say the Norths elevated pandemic response has provided Kim with a tool to boost his authoritarian rule amid public complaints over long-running restrictions. They say North Korea could report a small number of fever cases again in the coming days.

Foreign experts struggle to assess the true number of fatalities in North Korea. They note the Norths shortage of test kits would also make it virtually impossible for the country to determine whether aged people or others with underlying diseases died of COVID-19 or something else.

Shin, the university professor, stood by his earlier study that predicted North Korea would likely suffer 100,000-150,000 deaths. He said he used South Korean data showing its mortality rate of unvaccinated people for the omicron variant, whose outbreak North Korea admitted in May, was 0.6%.

Other experts say the Norths fatalities would be several thousand at the maximum. They said bigger death tolls must have been detected by North Korea monitoring groups.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP)  Sri Lankas president said Saturday that an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to help pull the bankrupt nation out of its economic crisis has been pushed back to September because of unrest over the past weeks.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his first speech since he was elected by Parliament on July 20, said even though he as the prime minister had aimed to reach an agreement by early August, it has now been pushed back by a month.

Wickremesinghe was elected to complete the five-year term of his predecessor Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled to Singapore after protesters angry over economic hardships stormed his official residence and occupied several key government buildings.

Wickremesinghe said talked with the IMF on a rescue package had not moved since those incidents.

Sri Lanka announced in April that it is suspending repaying its foreign loans because of a serious shortage of foreign currency. The island nation owes $51 billion in foreign debt, of which $28 billion must be paid by 2027.

The currency crisis led to a shortage of many critical imported items like fuel, medicine and cooking gas.

Wickremesinghe on Friday wrote to 225 lawmakers in Parliament to join him in a multi-party government to face the crisis. He reiterated the call Saturday saying that blaming former leaders will not solve the problem but everyone should get together to stop the country from falling further.

Wickremesinghe, a six-time prime minister and veteran politician, is unpopular because he is supported by majority lawmakers who are backed by the powerful Rajapaksa family, which has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades. Many accuse Wickremesinghe of protecting the Rajapaksas, who are widely blamed for corruption and misrule that led to the crisis.

Wickremesinghe has empowered the military to dismantle protest camps that had been set up near the president's office for more than 100 days. Several people including protest leaders have been arrested in the crackdown.
China announces military exercise opposite Taiwan View Photo

BEIJING (AP)  China said it was conducting military exercises Saturday off its coast opposite Taiwan after warning Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives to scrap possible plans to visit the island democracy, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The ruling Communist Partys military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, was conducting live-fire exercises near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area.

Such exercises usually involve artillery. The one-sentence announcement gave no indication whether Saturdays exercise also might include missiles, fighter planes or other weapons.

Pelosi, who would be the highest-ranking American elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997, has yet to confirm whether she will go. President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in a phone call Thursday against external interference in Beijings dealings with the island.

China says Taiwan has no right to conduct foreign relations. It sees visits by American officials as encouragement for the island to make its decades-old de facto independence official.

The Ministry of Defense warned Washington this week not to allow Pelosi, who is Bidens equal in rank as leader of one of three branches of government, to visit Taiwan. A spokesman said the PLA would take unspecified strong measures to stop pro-independence activity.

The PLA has flown growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan and has in the past fired missiles into shipping lanes to the island.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland.

The two governments say they are one country but disagree over which is entitled to national leadership. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment.
Spanish PM Sanchez backs EU candidacy for Bosnia View Photo

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)  Spains prime minister on Saturday expressed support for Bosnia to become a candidate for European Union membership amid fears that uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine could fuel instability in the ethnically torn Balkan nation that went through a devastating conflict in the 1990s.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez came to Sarajevo from Serbia, where he kicked off his tour of the Balkan region on Friday. Sanchez will also travel to Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania.

During my meetings today I wanted to highlight the opportunity that would be for Bosnia and Herzegovina if the European Union would take its enlargement with a new sense of urgency, Sanchez said at a press conference.

Yet Bosnia, still dominated by nationalist politicians long after the end of the 1992-95 war, has been locked in political and ethnic disputes that have stalled the countrys EU membership bid. Bosnias Serbs, backed by Russia, have sought to win more independence for their Serb-run half of the country, while disagreements between the Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslim, and Croats have blocked the normal functioning of their joint entity.

The political stalemate has sparked concerns that Bosnia could face further ethnic divisions if left behind in the EU process. Some regional leaders have called for Bosnia to be granted a EU candidate status along with Ukraine and Moldova in June to show the EUs commitment to the volatile region.

Sanchez said Spain supports Bosnias European perspective. He expressed hope the country would take necessary steps to become a membership candidate by the time Spain takes over EUs rotating presidency in the second half of 2023.

During the last European Council (meeting), I told my fellow heads of governments (of) my full support in favor or Bosnia and Herzegovina being designated a candidate country. said Sanchez.

Sanchez also noted the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995, when Bosnian Serb troops executed over 8,000 Bosniaks months before the end of the war, a crime that has been designated as Europes only genocide since World War II.

More than 100,000 people were killed and millions were displaced in Bosnias 1992-95 war before it ended in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.

By ELDAR EMRIC

Associated Press
The Morning [Sri Lanka] July 29, 2022

We, the undersigned individuals and organizations strongly condemn the ongoing attacks including violence, false labeling and legal reprisals against unarmed peaceful protesters by the Sri Lankan government. We call for an immediate end to reprisals against those exercising their constitutionally protected rights to advocate for change.

We are extremely concerned by disturbing developments of abduction, arrest, intimidation, and reprisals against protesters that have been ongoing and increased over the past several days. On 25th July, media reported that Colombo Magistrate Court had issued a travel ban on Fr. Jeevantha and several other prominent human rights defenders involved in the protests and on 27th July, a church was visited by local police, who had told the priest resident there that they had received orders from Colombo to arrest Fr. Jeevantha. On 26th July, a person involved in protests at the Galle Face was arrested from a flight that was about to leave from the Bandaranaike International Airport, after he had legally cleared immigration. Uniformed police officers and reasons for arrest was only given after protest by fellow passengers.

On 27th July, Veranga Pushpika, an active protester at the Galle Face, a former student activist and journalist, was abducted from a bus in broad daylight by men in civil. Police had later acknowledged his arrest, but not given clear indication of his whereabouts to lawyers and the Human Rights Commission for several hours. Also on 27th July, four protesters who had handed over to the police large amounts of money found at the Presidents House on 9th July were also arrested. Police had tried to obstruct lawyers from meeting these arrested persons. The same day (27 July) persons in civil claiming to be policemen had visited office of Xposure News, demanded the security guard to identify persons in photos and to see CCTV footage and monitored the entrance for around one hour. Xposure News had provided extensive coverage of the raid on Galle Face protest site and violence in nearby places and one of their journalists was amongst the journalists attacked in the early hours of 22nd July. Also on 27th July, a complaint had been made by the Young Journalists Association to the Human Rights Commission about imminent arrest

of investigative journalist and human rights defender Tharindu Uduweragedera, who was summoned for questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) few weeks back. The protests, on-going since around March 2021, as a result of the economic crisis are due to increasing public realization that the causes of the severe economic crisis leading to shortages of basic essentials including fuel, power, food and medicines are inextricable linked to government mismanagement and corruption. Hence, the protests, which have largely been peaceful, demand accountability and a change in the system of governance. The state response has been disproportionate use of force, threats, intimidation and legal reprisals against protesters and those believed to be leading or organizing the protests. The call for accountability and redress by victims and activists, and the corresponding state repression are not new to Sri Lanka  for years, survivors and human rights activists especially in the North and East of the country have been seeking justice and redress have been subject to violent repression.

On 21 July 2022, Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Executive President of Sri Lanka. The appointment of Ranil Wickramasinghe as acting president and subsequently president, has led to increased repression of protests, protesters and those supporting protests. Ranil Wickremesinghe ascended to power following the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who fled the country following protests that took place on 9 July. Wickremesinghe, who did not win his seat in the General Election in 2020 but entered Parliament on the sole national list seat secured by the United National Party (UNP). Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister he praised the protests and following his appointment as Prime Minister in May 2022 by Gotabaya Rajapaksa assured protection to those

protesting. However, since his appointment as President, Ranil Wickremesinghe has launched a campaign of deliberate mis- and disinformation, violence, negative labeling, and legal reprisals against protesters and civil society actors.

While he was Acting President he labeled protesters as fascist and violent; a trend that has continued since. Less than 24 hours after taking over as President, peaceful and unarmed protesters at the protest site in Colombo and in its environs including activists, journalists, LGBTIQ+ community, and people living with disabilities were brutally attacked by military, and men in unidentified uniforms; which included the assault of a BBC journalist by men in civilian clothing who were accompanying the armed forces. Tents and other properties belonging to protesters were destroyed and stolen. Protesters, including those injured, were not allowed to leave the site for several hours. Ambulances,journalists, lawyers, religious leaders were not allowed to reach the Galle Face. Lawyers, journalists and those videoing and photographing were also beaten, subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and arrested. Several protest sites outside Colombo have also been attacked and other protest sites have been pressured to withdraw by the police. Such action could not have taken place without the knowledge and sanction of the highest authority. It is the President, as the Commander-in-Chief and the person who declared the State of Emergency, and the Commanders of the Tri Forces who bear ultimate responsibility for the attack.

The attack on 22 July took place while Sri Lanka is under a state of emergency promulgated by Wickremasinghe under Government Gazette No. 2289/40 under the Public Security Ordinance Chapter 40, empowering the military to undertake arrests, interrogate and detain persons as well as clear persons from public places. The declaration of the state of emergency itself is questionable and does not adhere to international standards that regulate the declaration and maintenance of a state of emergency. Further, many powers that should be exercised by the judiciary or should be subject to judicial oversight have been granted to the military without any independent oversight creating room for arbitrary and abusive use of the Regulations which violate many fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. Declaration of emergency sent a chilling political message of intolerance of dissent followed by draconian emergency regulations, that can severely restrict and violate freedom of expression, assembly, movement and lead to arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions. The presidents decision to declare emergency has been now been ratified by parliament, indicating that both the executive and legislature are now on repressive path.

In context of the climate of mis- and disinformation perpetuated by the government, it is critical to note the protesters had already handed over all buildings, except the Presidential Secretariat occupied following the protests on 9 July. A decision to vacate the Presidential Secretariat on the afternoon of 22 July had already been communicated publicly and reported widely in the media. Hence, the use of violence to remove persons from the site

is an act of brutality aimed at creating a climate of fear and cannot be justified. While the police have justified the violent action by pointing to a court order that prevents a specific individual and his followers from a 50-metre radius of the statue of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike statute at the site, the violence took place at sites several metres away from the main protest site. Moreover, video evidence clearly shows force was not used by the armed

forces to enforce a court order or in self-defence because they approached or chased persons and brutally assaulted them. Hence, it was an attempt on the part of the state to escalate conflict and has resulted in increasing instability in the country, for which the government and Wickremasinghe as President are responsible. It should be noted that

the attack was carried out at night without warning, and protestors fled leaving behind personal possessions, in addition to books from the public library at GGG.

We condemn outright the violence against peaceful protesters. We especially condemn the labeling and mis- and disinformation against those the state portrays as leading and organizing protests despite the fact the protests do not have leadership. Despite this civil society activists, pro-democracy campaigners, journalists, human rights lawyers, and clergy have been attacked, arrested and labeled as violent fascist elements by the state in

an attempt to suppress dissent. The language used by the government enables a culture of violence and could escalate the on-going political crisis. The most concerning and insidious strategy used by the state is the (ab)use of the law in an arbitrary and disproportionate manner to curtail citizens from exercising their fundamental rights. We stand in solidarity with the protesters and those who are currently subject to various legal sanctions. We call for accountability for violence against protesters, including on 9 May and 22 July 2022. Legal cases pending against civic activists and sanction including travel bans/confiscation of travel documents of protesters and activists must be

immediately rescinded.

Peaceful dissent is essential to sustaining democracy and, in context of the current crisis, international credibility. Strengthening political stability requires adherence to the rule of law and dialogue, not repression. The Sri Lankan state and the Wickremasinghe government must immediately cease the attacks on protesters and civic activists and

those perpetrating violence against protestors should be held to account. Peaceful protest and defending human rights are not crimes. The government must remember and respect this.

Signatories;

Individuals

1. Abiramy Sivalogananthan

2. Ainslie Joseph  Convenor, Peoples Movement for Good Governance

3. Amali Wedagedara, Feminist Activist

4. Amalini de Sayrah

5. Ambika Satkunanathan

6. Ameer Faaiz

7. Aruni John

8. Ashila Dandeniya

9. B. Gowthaman

10. Bibiladeniye Mahanama Thero

11. Bishop Duleep de Chickera

12. Bishop Kenneth Fernando

13. Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe

14. Brian Bartholomeusz

15. C. Tozer

16. Catherine Mack

17. Chami Samaraweera

18. Chamila Thushari

19. Chandrika De Silva  Freelance Journalist

20. Channaka Jayasinghe

21. Christopher Stephen

22. D. Viboo Balakrishnan

23. Damaris Wickremesekera

24. Deanne Uyangoda

25. Deborah Philip

26. Deekshya Illangasinghe

27. Dilrukshi Handunnetti

28. Dinushika Dissanayake, Attorney-at-Law

29. Dr. Natasha Balendra

30. Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

31. Dr. S.B. Dhanapala

32. Dr. Shermal Wijewardene

33. Dr. Vinoth Ramachandra

34. Dushyanthi Mendis  University of Colombo
UN relaxes arms embargo on Central African Republic View Photo

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.N. Security Council voted Friday to relax the arms embargo against the Central African Republic, a disappointment to its government, which sought a complete lifting of the ban on the sale or transfer of weapons and ammunition.

The vote was 10-0 with Russia, China and the councils three African members that supported a lifting of the embargo abstaining.

Sylvie Baipo-Temon, the Central African Republics foreign minister, told the council after the vote that the government welcomed the first step toward an arms embargo on armed groups.

She also welcomed the end to limits on some categories of weapons for government forces, but she stressed that this embargo is no longer justified.

The embargo from 2013 is undeniably ineffective because it no longer provides specific solutions to the grave problems posed by the proliferation of arms by extremists and rebels who have many, many sophisticated weapons themselves, Baipo-Temon said.

The mineral-rich but impoverished Central African Republic has faced deadly intercommunal fighting since 2013, when predominantly Muslim Seleka rebels seized power and forced President Francois Bozize from office. Mostly Christian militias later fought back, also targeting civilians in the streets. Untold thousands were killed, and most of the capitals Muslims fled in fear.

A peace deal between the government and 14 rebel groups was signed in February 2019, but violence erupted after the constitutional court rejected Bozizes candidacy to run for president in December 2020. President Faustin Archange Touadera won a second term with 53% of the vote, but he continues to face opposition from a rebel coalition linked to Bozize.

The government controls the capital, but much of the country is controlled by armed groups.

France drafted the resolution and engaged in lengthy negotiations with Russia over maintaining the arms embargo to avert a possible Russian veto.

Frances deputy political coordinator Wadid Benaabou said the objective of the arms embargo has always been to reduce the threat of armed groups.

He said the Security Council has always been attentive to the needs of the CAR government and Fridays resolution makes it even easier for its forces to obtain all types of weapons and ammunition.

They have thus received more than 20,000 weapons and 29 million rounds of ammunition in recent years, Benaabou said after the vote.

Kenyas U.N. Ambassador Martin Kimani said the resolution has taken a positive step towards the full lifting of the arms embargo. But he said Kenya voted to abstain because the resolution doesnt fully lift sanctions against the CAR government, a view backed by Ghana and Gabon.

U.S. deputy ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis welcomed the extension of the arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze saying these measures aim to promote peace and stability in CAR and across the region.

On the arms embargo, the region is awash with guns and its time to stem the unfettered flow, DeLaurentis told the council after the vote. If effectively implemented, this arms embargo will help silence the guns.

He called on CAR authorities to continue improving physical protection and accountability for its weapons.

The truth is, military actions alone will not resolve CARs crises, DeLaurentis said. Good governance, credible security sector reform, transparent disarmament and reintegration, national dialogue, and justice and accountability are the most important steps toward peace.

By EDITH M. LEDERER

Associated Press
Mike Sutter /San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio, a city dripping in chamoy, is getting an event to celebrate the sweet-sour-spicy-salty concoction that we dress fruit, drinks, candies, and more. The inaugural Chamoy Challenge will bring together fans at Rolling Oaks Mall in August.

Janie Villarreal McClinchie, owner of Que Retro Arts, is organizing the event on August 20. She also hosts the Concha Throwdown in the fall, which brings together sweets fans and sellers under one roof.
Courtesy, Zamora family

Mayah Zamora, a survivor of the May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde, left is the last victim to leave San Antonio's University Hospital after two months of recovery. The 10-year-old girl was able to walk out of the hospital Friday afternoon, July 29, thanking staff as she made her way out. She is finally able to return home.

University Hospital posted a video of Mayah to Twitter on Friday showing her walking down the hospital hallway handing roses to nurses and other hospital staff as they chanted her name.
Yves here. The expansion of private equity into hospices is sufficiently recent that it appears the horror stories have not yet caught up.

By Markian Hawryluk, Senior Colorado Correspondent for Kaiser Health News, who has reported on health care for more than 25 years, including for the Houston Chronicle, American Medical News, and, most recently, The (Bend, Ore.) Bulletin. Originally published at Kaiser Health News

Hospice care, once provided primarily by nonprofit agencies, has seen a remarkable shift over the past decade, with more than two-thirds of hospices nationwide now operating as for-profit entities. The ability to turn a quick profit in caring for people in their last days of life is attracting a new breed of hospice owners: private equity firms.

That rapid growth has many hospice veterans worried that the original hospice vision may be fading, as those capital investment companies demand for return on investment and the debt load they force hospices to bear are hurting patients and their families.

Many of these transactions are driven by the motive of a quick profit, said Dr. Joan Teno, an adjunct professor at Brown University School of Public Health, whose work has focused on end-of-life care. Im very concerned that youre harming not only the dying patient, but the family whose memory will be of a loved one suffering because they didnt get adequate care.

According to a 2021 analysis, the number of hospice agencies owned by private equity firms soared from 106 of a total of 3,162 hospices in 2011 to 409 of the 5,615 hospices operating in 2019. Over that time, 72% of hospices acquired by private equity were nonprofits. And those trends have only accelerated into 2022.

Hospice is an easy business to start, with most care provided at home and using lower-cost health workers. That allowed the entry of smaller hospices, many launched with the intent of selling within a few years. Private equity firms, backed by deep-pocketed investors, could then snatch up handfuls of smaller hospices, cobble together a chain, and profit from economies of scale in administrative and supply costs, before selling to an even larger chain or another private equity firm.

Private equity-owned hospice companies counter that their model supports growth through investment, which benefits the people in their care.

Private equity sees a huge opportunity to take smaller businesses that lack sophistication, lack the ability to grow, lack the capital investment, and private equity says, We can come in there, cobble these things together, get standardization, get visibility and be able to create a better footprint, better access, and more opportunities, said Steve Larkin, CEO of Charter Healthcare, a hospice chain owned by the private equity firm Pharos Capital Group.

But he acknowledged that not all of those entering the hospice market have the best intentions.

It is a little scary, he said. There are people that have no business being in health care looking to invest in hospice.



A Boom Industry

With the U.S. population rapidly aging, hospice has become a boom industry. Medicare  the federal insurance program for people 65 and older, which pays for the vast majority of end-of-life care  spent $22.4 billion on hospice in 2020, according to a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission report to Congress. Thats up from $12.9 billion just a decade earlier. The number of hospices billing Medicare over that time grew from less than 3,500 to more than 5,000, according to the report.

But with limited oversight and generous payment, the industry is at high risk for exploitation. Agencies are paid a daily rate for each patient  this year, about $200  which encourages for-profit hospices to limit spending to boost their bottom lines. For-profit hospices tend to hire fewer employees than nonprofits and expect them to see more patients.

Many hospice nurses and social workers are booked for 30-minute appointment slots throughout the day, unable to spend more time with patients if needed. For-profit hospices hire more licensed practical nurses than registered nurses, who are more skilled, and rely more on nurses aides to further cut costs. One study found patients in for-profit hospices see doctors or nurse practitioners one-third as often as those in nonprofit hospices. The U.S. Government Accountability Office found in an analysis of federal data from 2014 to 2017 that patients in for-profit hospices were less likely than patients in nonprofit hospices to have received any hospice visits in the last three days of life.

The main way of making the bottom line look good is decreasing visits, Teno said.

According to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, for-profit hospices had Medicare profit margins of 19% in 2019, compared with 6% for nonprofit hospices.

For-profit hospices also enroll a different set of patients, preferring those likely to remain in hospice longer. Most costs are incurred in the first and last week of hospice care. Patients who enroll in hospice must undergo several assessments to develop a care plan and set their medications. In their final days, as the body begins to shut down, patients often need additional services or medications to stay comfortable.

So the sweet spot is kind of in the middle, said Robert Tyler Braun, an assistant professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medical College.

That makes dementia patients particularly profitable. Doctors have a harder time predicting whether a patient with Alzheimers disease or another form of dementia has less than six months to live, the eligibility criterion for enrollment. For-profit hospices enroll those patients anyway, Teno said, and stand to profit the longer those patients live. They tend to enroll fewer cancer patients, whose prognosis is generally more predictable but who usually die sooner.

It is a very simple business model, Teno said. Go to assisted living facilities and nursing homes, and its one-stop shopping.

Nonprofit vs. For-Profit

The Rev. Ken Dugger has worked as a chaplain in Denver for 13 years at both for-profit and nonprofit hospices.

At one for-profit hospice, the word on the street was [that] we were the dementia hospice because we had so many dementia patients, Dugger said. We wound up discharging a lot of patients because they had long lengths of stay and no longer met criteria.

He said about a third of a hospices patients die each week, so agencies need to market heavily to replace them. That leads to some hospices making promises to families  such as daily visits from a nurses aide  that they cant keep.

Some people see dollars and they go, Wow! Its a great chance to make some money here, and they dont understand that hospice isnt easy, Dugger said.

For-profit agencies counter that their nonprofit counterparts have cornered the market on cancer patients and that they are expanding access by serving patients with other diagnoses.

But if patients become too costly, requiring expensive care or medicines, hospice providers can discharge them, and take them to a hospital emergency room to get services the agencies dont want to pay for themselves, said Christy Whitney, former CEO of HopeWest, a nonprofit hospice serving five western Colorado counties.

A 2019 report by the Milliman consulting firm found that 31% of patients in nonprofits had cancer, while 15% had dementia. At for-profit hospices, 22% of patients had cancer, and 22% had dementia, said the report, funded by the National Partnership of Hospice Innovation, a trade group of nonprofit hospices.

Patients in nonprofits had more nursing, social worker, and therapy visits. For-profit hospices, the report found, had longer lengths of stay by patients, discharged more patients before death, and had profit margins nearly seven times higher.

Other studies have found that for-profit hospices have higher rates of complaints and deficiencies, provide fewer community benefits, and have higher rates of emergency room and other hospital use.

Braun said financial pressures are worse for private equity-backed hospices than for other for-profit hospices, partly because of the way hospice acquisitions are financed. A private equity firm will typically put up only 10% to 30% of the acquisition cost itself, borrowing the rest. The acquired hospice not only has to generate profits to satisfy its private equity owners but is stuck with the costs of the loan as well.

Private equity firms typically look to flip their hospice investments in three to seven years.

In 2017, Webster Equity Partners bought Bristol Hospice, with 45 locations in 13 states, for $70 million. Last year, the firm reportedly entertained purchase offers for the hospice chain as high as $1 billion.

Because hospices are inspected every three years, some are bought and sold without a state or federal inspection  and sometimes without regulators even knowing about the sale.

And quality oversight is weak. Hospices have a financial interest in reporting quality metrics to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but there is no penalty for poor performance tied to those metrics.

Cordt Kassner, CEO of the Colorado-based consulting firm National Hospice Analytics, said 17% of Colorado hospices are now owned by private equity, higher than the 13% rate he found nationally. When he looked at metrics reported to Medicare, he found that private equity-backed firms scored lower than average on self-reported quality metrics.

Its not a huge difference, Kassner said. Because nationally scores are also tight and theres not a lot of variation, we look at any kind of difference even if its a percentage point less.

Many nonprofits believe private equity-backed and other for-profit hospices are giving the industry a bad name.

They get paid the same as us, but they dont take the same patients. They dont provide the covered services that are supposed to be covered to be paid a per diem, said Whitney, the former HopeWest CEO, who spoke with KHN before she retired in June. Theyve developed kind of a shadow business that really has very little to do with the business that I run. But theyre called the same name.

Larkin, the Charter CEO, bemoaned a lack of progress in quality metrics as the hospice industry has grown. But he said that wasnt limited to private equity-backed or even for-profit hospice providers.

Theres bad companies all over, Larkin said. Theres people who are misaligned, theres people who have bad intentions, theres companies that arent focused on the right things.
(Natural News) The homeowner was alerted there were trespassers on his property by motion detectors outside his front door. A live video feed from his doorbell camera showed three armed men wearing tactical vests, t-shirts and jeans. Two appeared to be ATF agents. The third was a Delaware State Police trooper. None wore body cameras.

(Article by Lee Williams republished from ArmedAmericanNews.org)

The homeowner, who did not want his name used in this story, is a small businessman  a law abiding citizen who even ATF acknowledged had done nothing wrong. He went to his front door hesitantly. He left his doorbell camera running to record the encounter.

The homeowner confronted the three men before they reached the door. Can I help you? he asked, stepping onto the porch.

The older ATF agent told him they were assigned to a task force investigating straw purchases. A straw purchase  a federal felony  occurs when someone buys a firearm on behalf of another person, who is unable to legally purchase a firearm themselves.

The agent said they were verifying that people who bought multiple firearms still had the guns in their possession. The homeowner had bought seven firearms since January 2022.

He asked the men for identification, which the agents and trooper produced. They admitted they did not have a search warrant. The doorbell camera recorded what happened next.

Agent 1  All Im doing is verifying that you have it, you got two different purchases. If you have them, Im out of here. Thats how quick it is. Yeah. Do you have them with you by any chance?

Homeowner  Theyre in my safe.

Agent 1  If you can unload them and bring them out. We can go out to your foyer here, check them out, write the serial numbers and were out of here.

Homeowner  Thats it?

Agent 1  Yep.

Agent 2  Thats it. It will take five seconds.

Trooper  The reason were out here is obviously gun violence is at an uptick. We want to make sure  weve been having a lot of issues with straw purchases. One of the things, indicators we get is someone making a large gun purchase, and then a lot of times weve been there and Oh, those guns got taken.

Agent 1  The idea is that when you purchase more than two guns at a time it generates a multiple sales report and it comes to us and we have to check them out. Thats all that is. You did nothing wrong  absolutely zero. I noticed you were stopped in Philly though with one of your guns?

Trooper  Well wait if you feel more comfortable.

Homeowner  Im okay. I just  I didnt expect

Agent 1  Oh no. It just came up. We came here, look, Im telling you. Theres an email from the federal side saying can you make sure this guys got his guns. If you recently purchased a whole bunch of guns, if we can look at them and just scratch them off

Homeowner  I have them all.

Agent 2  We can look at them and write which ones you just bought, so we can save a trip from coming back. Well confirm that you have them.

The homeowner agreed to get the firearms, closed the front door while the agents remained on the front porch, unaware they were being recorded.

Trooper  He doesnt believe were cops.

Agent 1  I dont blame him.

The homeowner retrieved one rifle. The agent checked the serial number off of his list. The homeowner asked if he still needed to retrieve the rest of the firearms. The agents said it wasnt necessary to see any more. They apologized for the inconvenience, wished the homeowner a good night and left.

Invasion of privacy

Looking back, the homeowner believes he was coerced into giving his consent for what was legally a search of his property, even though no enforcement action was taken against him.

Since the ATF agents did not have a search warrant  they lacked probable cause to obtain one  they had to rely upon extracting consent from the homeowner.

When the courts consider consent, they look at its voluntariness  whether consent was freely given or coerced. They also consider whether the defendant knew he had a right to refuse. Other factors like the time of day and the officers demeanor and uniforms can also be considered by the court.

They pushed hard. They were clearly in a hurry, and the threat they might have to return was menacing.

I was embarrassed, the homeowner said. My neighbors saw the whole thing  guys in these police vests standing in my yard. I was really uncomfortable. I felt really confused, like I was in some way being accused of something even though I didnt commit a crime. It was quite embarrassing. I knew they couldnt come in, but I didnt know what to do. I didnt want to get put on some watch list. We just got new gun laws here. I didnt want them coming back again. I felt like they were invading my privacy.

No comment

The Resident Agent in Charge of ATFs Wilmington, Delaware field office did not return calls seeking comment for this story.

Similarly, public information officers at both ATFs Baltimore Field Division and Washington D.C. headquarters did not return calls or emails seeking comment. This lack of accountability is certainly nothing new for the ATF.

Delaware State Police was also unwilling to discuss this investigation.

Neither Delaware State Police PIO supervisor Sgt. India Sturgis nor Superintendent Col. Melissa Zebley were willing to be interviewed for this story.

It sounds like your questions would be more appropriately suited for ATF. Please contact them with questions that you have about straw purchases of firearms, Sgt. Sturgis said in an email.

The only insight into ATFs surprise home inspections was in a Washington Post story published July 22, 2021, in which Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Biden-Harris administration was targeting straw purchasers.

Going forward, officials said, U.S. attorneys offices and ATF agents will seek to prosecute more straw purchases  focusing not only on major cities, but also the neighboring towns and states that supply many of the guns used in crimes, including along the Interstate 95 corridor and in Indiana, Nevada and Arizona, the story states.

Delaware is part of the I-95 corridor. The interstate bisects the states most populous county.

Takeaways

Delaware State Police have a proven lack of respect for the Second Amendment. They were once caught maintaining a secret list of gun owners, even though state law required them to destroy firearm records after 60 days. They used the list to illegally thwart at least one firearm purchase. Pairing one of their troopers with the ATF was bound to produce a host of constitutional violations. It was only a matter of time.

These types of warrantless investigations are known as knock and talks. Theyre usually a tool reserved for narcotics detectives and theyve always been constitutionally suspect. Police rely upon verbal skills and their powers of persuasion to convince a homeowner to waive their Fourth Amendment rights and let them in. Unlike this case, theres usually no record of what the cops told the homeowner in order to gain access to the home.

To be clear, if the ATF agents had probable cause to believe this homeowner was actually a straw purchaser, they could have petitioned the court for a search warrant. They didnt have a shred of probable cause in this case. In fact, all they had was an internal email stating make sure this guys got his guns.

This homeowner lives in an upscale, affluent neighborhood  a factor that certainly played a role in the agents plans. They were counting on the homeowner to let them in quickly, rather than risk a neighbor seeing three LEOs in tactical vests milling around in his front yard.

The fact that neither the ATF nor the Delaware State Police were willing to answer questions, much less defend the actions of their officers, speaks volumes, too. Both agencies mistakenly believe that if they ignore difficult questions theyll go away.

Best practices

The best person to stop a straw purchase is a well-trained gun dealer. John Clark of FFL Consultants has trained hundreds of gun dealers.

Clark and business partner John Bocker crisscross the country to help dealers fight back against Bidens war on guns. Their mantra is: Get it right the first time.

Straw purchases are something we teach all of our FFLs to monitor for, Clark said. If someone wants to buy seven Hi-Point handguns, they should ask why someone wants seven of the cheapest handguns they sell.

The Golden Rule is this  buy a gun and keep it for at least a year. That will keep you out of the sights of the ATF and law enforcement, he said. If youre buying and selling on the side, you should get licensed.

Clark was asked about this case  two federal agents and a state trooper wearing tactical vests.

They could have been a little bit more inconspicuous, he said. But thats the feds.

Read more at: ArmedAmericanNews.org
(Natural News) Del Bigtree and his team warned the public last year that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines can affect womens menstruation cycle. In April 2021, Bigtrees team covered the story about Israeli women reporting irregular menstrual cycles after receiving Pfizers mRNA vaccine.

Several women reported that they experienced irregular cycles and abnormal vaginal bleeding after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. At least 13 women said their periods came early, while others said there had been irregular bleeding between their menstrual periods.

Unfortunately, these were not reported in mainstream media at the time. Pfizer was not keeping track of any changes in womens cycles, so people have to go to social media to discuss the issue.

Bigtree and investigative journalist Jeffery Jaxen touched on this issue again during the July 26 episode of The Highwire.

The program also previously reported that women were not allowed to be pregnant in any of the vaccine trials, and they were not allowed to have sexual intercourse. This means Big Pharma was aware of possible changes the vaccine could bring. Yet, no one tracked womens menstruation and ovulation.

What became a talking point about the issue was that women who were not vaccinated  but had someone around them getting the shot  also saw changes in their menstrual cycles. Still, no data came out of the information.

Big Pharma still insists that there is no data about COVID-19 vaccines affecting womens menstrual cycles, saying that theres no link between the vaccines and such changes. (Related: Pfizer, FDA knew their COVID vaccine causes immunosuppression, ADE, VAED.)

New data has finally come to light early this year. In January, the National Institutes of Health posted on its website results of a study showing the association between menstrual cycle length and COVID-19 vaccination. Researchers found that it changes cycles around .64 a day, plus or minus the front or the back end of the cycle  the cycle could come earlier and/or last longer.

The NIH study explained that the cycle irregularity could be attributed to the stress brought by the pandemic  and stress is known to change menstrual cycles. But the NIH also admitted that the results cannot be explained by generalized pandemic stress because no changes were found on unvaccinated control groups over a similar period.

Survey: Menstrual changes after vaccination are common

A doctor from outside the U.S. also conducted a survey about the matter on social media. Result of the survey showed that menstrual changes seen after getting vaccinated against COVID-19 are more common than previously known.

The study included over 39,000 people aged 18 to 80 who had been fully vaccinated and had not contracted COVID-19. In the sample population, 42 percent of people with regular menstrual cycles bled more heavily than usual; 44 percent saw no changes; and others were in neither category.

What mainstream media is not reporting among the non-menstruating, pre-menopausal respondents is that 1,815 of them were on hormonal treatments and seven percent experienced breakthrough bleeding after the vaccine.

These post-menopausal individuals havent had their periods for 12 months or longer and were not put on hormonal treatments, but 238 of them experienced breakthrough bleeding again after getting vaccinated. This suggests that the vaccine could lead to reproductive issues. (Related: Covid vaccine spike proteins attack male fertility, too.)

It appears from this survey that reproductive issues are exacerbated by the vaccine, Jaxen pointed out.

Visit VaccineDamage.news for more stories about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines.

Watch the video below for more of Del Bigtrees conversation with Jeffrey Jaxen.

This video is from The HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Pfizers COVID vaccine causes miscarriages, stillbirths.

Is the new morning after pill a Covid vaccine?

More Covid vaccine negative effects and coverups are emerging.

Pfizer, FDA know the COVID vaccine is dangerous, but they push it anyway.

Wisconsin doctor suffered miscarriage after covid vaccine, tweeted #VaccinesWork.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NBCNews.com
(Natural News) A congressman is warning Americans against getting their DNA tested using home ancestry kits, as the data collected could be sold to other countries that can design DNA-based bioweapons that specifically target certain individuals.

Democrat Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a veteran U.S. Army ranger first elected in 2018, warned that countries like China and Russia are purchasing as much genetic information as they can from ancestry companies like 23andMe for exquisite assassination programs that could kill entire families. (Related: BOMBSHELL: DNA testing kits are a SCAM to develop ethnic-specific bioweapons.)

There are now weapons under development  and developed  that are designed to target specific people, said Crow, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, at the Aspen Security Forum in Aspen, Colorado. Thats what this is, where you can actually take someones DNA, you know, their medical profile, and you can target a biological weapon that will kill that person or take them off the battlefield or make them inoperable.

People will very rapidly spit into a cup and send it to 23andMe and get really interesting data about their background  and guess what? Their DNA is now owned by a private company, he added. So, we have to have an open and public discussion  about what does the protection of healthcare information, DNA information and your data look like? Because that data is actually going to be procured and collected by our adversaries for the development of these systems.

Other lawmakers, generals warn of sophisticated bioweapons

Army Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, spoke forebodingly of how Russia used an extremely sophisticated nerve agent in its attempt to kill double agent Sergei Skripal.

Russia is willing to use those against political opponents, he said. Theyre willing to use them on their own soil, but then to go in on the soil of a NATO ally in the U.K. and use those  and as we go into the future, we have to be prepared for that eventuality. And I dont think we talk about it as much as we should and look for methods to continue to combat.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, warned that the biological weapons Americas most powerful enemies are developing could also be used not for targeted assassinations but for large-scale bioterrorist attacks, such as attacks against Americas food supply.

If we look at food security and what can our adversaries do with biological weapons that are directed at our animal agriculture, at our agricultural sector  highly pathogenic avian influenza, African swine fever, said Ernst. All of these things have circulated around the globe, but if targeted by an adversary, we know that it brings about food insecurity. Food insecurity drives a lot of other insecurities around the globe.

Learn more about bioweapons at BiologicalWeapons.news.

Watch this episode of Cross Roads with Joshua Philipp on Epoch TV as he talks about Americas enemies using ancestry kits to create DNA-based bioweapons.

This video can be found in the channel Cynthias Pursuit to Truth on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

GENETIC HARVESTING: COVID testing firm admits to selling COVID swabs containing customer DNA to third parties.

China gathering genetic data on its enemies to create race-specific bioweapons.

ITS A SCAM: Communist China is collecting American DNA through coronavirus testing.

The only thing COVID-19 test kits are good for is illegally collecting and surveilling human DNA.

China collecting DNA from millions of men and boys for large-scale genetic surveillance project.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NYPost.com

WashingtonExaminer.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The National Pulse revealed in a recent article that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to China-based laboratories with deep ties to the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

Dr. Anthony Fauci is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the NIH.

Two studies were found in the NIH grant database. The first one is a study on the transmission-blocking vaccines for malaria-endemic countries, which received $135,000.

This project seeks to use a comprehensive antigen discovery pathway, including antigen identification through genome-wide immunological screening, validation in rodent malaria model, and further evaluation in P. vivax, to identify new transmission-blocking vaccine candidates for vivax malaria, the project summary stated. The grant was given to China Medical University.

The National Pulse noted that the said university is entirely controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and formerly known as the Peasants Red Army Military Medical School.

It is the only medical institution to have participated in the long march in 1934 with the Red Army of the CCP, said Natalie Winters, National Pulses lead investigative reporter and podcast host.

The other research focused on the spread of dengue fever in China, with $132,912 going to the Southern Medical University (SMU). Winters said the school was formerly known as First Military Medical University.

SMU falls under the jurisdiction of the Military Committee of the PLA, according to its website. Professors, as well as entire institutes, have received awards from various branches of the PLA, including its general logistics department, she said.

She added that this universitys biomechanics laboratory operates under the control of the PLA and counts support of Chinas 863 programs, which has seen Chinese scientists affiliated with the effort get convicted for stealing trade secrets from American companies.

The school has also collaborated with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which conducted gain-of-function research on bat coronaviruses. SMU provided human blood samples to the Wuhan lab for its controversial work with EcoHealth Alliance, another recipient of NIH grants.

Fauci has done incalculable worldwide damage

Even without this new revelation, Fauci is already considered the single biggest reason why COVID-19 has become a worldwide pandemic.

He has done incalculable damage throughout the world, Epoch Times columnist Jeffrey Tucker said during an interview with LifeSite News senior correspondent Jim Hale.

Tucker, the founder and president of Brownstone Institute, said the NIAID directors pandemic measures have damaged a lot of people and businesses.

He believed that he could control the spread through forced behavioral changes and worked very closely with Deborah Birx to bring this about, Tucker said.

He stressed that Fauci definitely lied about his funding of gain-of-function through Eco Health Alliance and friend Peter Daszak, who received several grants from NIAID. (Related: Fauci and the NIH caught funding Chinas covid bioweapons research.)

According to Tucker, Fauci convinced Big Tech and mainstream media to back his campaign promoting fear and hysteria.

And its not just about that, hes lied about everything. Hes lied about natural immunity. He was asked countless times about natural immunity [and] each time he said, Well, we are looking into that. We just dont know. But weve known about natural immunity for two and a half thousand years. And so this was just ridiculous, he said.

Watch the below video that talks about the shameful legacy of Anthony Fauci.

This video is from the LSNTV channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

TWISTED: Fauci is now claiming that he never recommended lockdowns.

Why does it matter that Fauci got COVID-19.

Birx admits she and Fauci made up the science on social distancing, lockdowns.

Lawsuit filed against Fauci, Biden regime hacks for colluding with Big Tech to suppress free speech.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com 1

Reporter.NIH.gov 1

Reporter.NIH.gov 2

TheNationalPulse.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Christine Grady, Tony Faucis wife, authored a paper that explained in detail how to enroll children in Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine trials, we now know.

Head of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, Grady, just like her husband, appears to be obsessed with jabbing children and turning them into human-hybrid chimeras using mRNA (messenger RNA) chemicals.

With funding from the NIH, Grady and four co-authors got their work published in the journal Pediatrics. It contains recommendations for when and how to enroll minors in vaccine trials for the coronavirus disease 2019.

The costs that delay poses to children, their families, and society provide strong reasons to consider enrolling minors in vaccine trials for COVID-19 before safety and efficacy have been established in adults, Grady wrote in the paper.

Recognizing that there were various benefits and drawbacks to the timing of child enrollment in those trials, Grady offered tips about how to try to legitimize the insertion of children into trials without a proven record of safety. (Related: It was recently revealed that Pfizer labeled every severe adverse reaction to its covid shot as unrelated.)

A different way to address this concern is to enroll minors after there are sufficient safety data in adults, but before there is evidence of efficacy, she and her co-authors further wrote.

To pursue this strategy, enrollment of minors should begin with those who are most similar to the adults from whom safety data were collected.

When are Fauci and his wife going to stand before the tribunals?

The publishing of Gradys paper came about a year before health officials actually started recommending the jabs for children, suggesting that Grady helped grease the wheels for that later development.

Both Grady and her husband have been instrumental in the unleashing of the clot shot death jabs, which have injured and killed millions of people at this point, making them mass murderers.

Given the fact that Fauci directly funded the bat coronavirus research that led to the release of the Fauci Flu, it is a major conflict of interest that his wife supervised the ethics of said research.

This husband-wife duo essentially unleashed the plandemic from start to finish, committing serious crimes against humanity that have yet to be punished in accordance with justice.

The next step for these two is to face international tribunals for said crimes against humanity, which carry serious punishment. We can only hope that such tribunals are formed soon and carried out on behalf of the millions of people who have suffered and died because of these creeps.

In history, if there is anyone left to record it, Fauci will be known as a mass murderer on par, and perhaps surpassing, any known mass murderer, wrote a commenter at Natural News.

In the words of Mortal Kombat: finish him,' wrote another.

No one elected that rat-faced dictator, said another. His power over the world is disgusting.

Someone else pointed out that Fauci did, in fact, orchestrate the plandemic from the very beginning  and his wife, we now know, played a critical role in that as well.

He is still in power and still making decisions that are harming us, this person added. He is no expert or authority on viruses or epidemiology.

Another wrote that Fauci, calling him a sad excuse for a human being, is over 80 years old now and this is all he became  not exactly a legacy that any normal person would want, to say the least.

The latest news about Fauci Flu shots can be found at Immunization.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheNationalPulse.com

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) New York City Mayor Eric Adams has fired 1,752 city employees for refusing to get the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines.

Most of the firings occurred in February, when Adams fired 1,430 city employees for refusing to get vaccinated, including 914 Education Department staffers and 36 New York Police Department officers. (Related: New Yorks COVID quarantine and isolation orders ruled unconstitutional.)

In March, Adams fired another 100 workers. From March until the present day, Adams fired around 200 more city employees. Adams office declined to provide a specific list of departments that were severely affected by the vaccine mandate.

But media outlets like the New York Post and the Epoch Times reported that other city departments that saw their staffing numbers cut by the vaccine mandate include the Transportation Department, the Fire Department, the Housing Authority, the Corrections Department and the Sanitation Department.

Last month, Adams offered the workers who were fired for remaining unvaccinated a chance to get their jobs back provided that they get the first dose of the vaccine by June 30 and make arrangements to get the second dose by Aug. 15. It is unknown how many former employees have taken up the mayors offer.

Furthermore, around 6,000 city workers are still awaiting a response from Adams administration regarding their applications for medical or religious exemptions from the vaccine mandate.

Mayor Adams criticized for severe COVID-19 policies, double standards

New York has had some of the most restrictive COVID-19 policies in the country. In terms of its vaccine mandate, it requires almost everyone employed in the city  whether in public or private offices  to be vaccinated. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio, Adams predecessor, even cracked down on most social gatherings, including religious services.

When Adams became mayor in Nov. 2021, he maintained most of these restrictive policies, leading to widespread criticism. He was first criticized for maintaining the citys school mask mandate, which requires every child, including toddlers, to wear masks throughout their long school days.

In March, Adams was accused of having double standards in the enforcement of his COVID-19 policies when word leaked that he granted vaccine mandate exemptions to professional athletes and performers coming to the city.

This relaxation of mandatory rules was only for high-earning celebrities. Private and public employees were still required to be fully vaccinated.

This exemption sends the wrong message: That higher-paid workers and celebrities are being valued as more important than our devoted civil servants, which I reject, said New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.

There cant be one system for the elite and another for the essential workers of our city, said Harry Nespoli, chair of the Municipal Labor Committee, a coalition of unions that together represent around 350,000 city employees.

Pat Lynch, president of the New York City police union, said the citys officers dont deserve to be treated like second-class citizens.

If the mandate isnt necessary for famous people, then its not necessary for the cops who are protecting our city in the middle of a crime crisis, he said.

Read more stories like this at VaccineWars.com.

Watch this video about Washington State Patrol employees getting fired for refusing to get COVID-19 vaccine.

This video is from the TKWK T.V channel on Brighteon.com.

More related articles:

New York back in high risk category as worst omicron subvariant ravages the state.

NYC mask mandate for toddlers stays in effect as judge overturns ruling that deems it UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

New York City receives record-breaking amount of foul odor complaints due to marijuana smoke.

NYC Mayor Adams tells city-dwellers to pack a bag and brace for impending nuclear holocaust.

Sources include:

LifeSitenews.com

NYPost.com

TheEpochTimes.com

CBN.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Around five percent of the worlds population who survive a bout with Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) infection report smell and taste problems after six months, according to a study.

The July 27 study published in BMJ scrutinized 18 earlier studies that touched on post-infection smell and taste loss across all demographic groups worldwide. The study authors from Italy found that some 27 million people were estimated to suffer from olfactory dysfunction  a long-term loss of smell or taste.

Of the 3,699 patients examined by the 18 studies, they found that an estimated 5.6 percent of COVID-19 survivors had smell issues for at least six months. They also found that 4.4 percent had an altered taste.

Women are especially affected by persistent smell dysfunction, along with patients with greater initial severity of smell loss and those with nasal congestion, the authors wrote. They cited the example of a female patient who has yet to recover her sense of smell, even though it has been more than 27 months since she first contracted COVID-19.

The study authors also mentioned the condition called parosmia, which has been linked to COVID-19.

Parosmia transforms a pleasant odor into an unpleasant one. Daily activities such as smelling coffee and sensing the flavor of food can become disgusting and emotionally distressing, they wrote.

Loss of smell and taste adversely affects the quality of life by depriving those affected of several everyday pleasures and social bonds. People can also experience anorexia, food aversions, malnutrition, anxiety, and depression.

Paolo Boscolo-Rizzo, the study author from the University of Trieste in Italy, wrote in an editorial that given the 550 million COVID-19 cases worldwide reported as of July, large numbers of patients will be seeking care for these disabling morbidities.

Stanford University rhinologist Dr. Zara Patel agreed with Boscolo-Rizzo, telling NBC News that the millions afflicted with decreased olfactory function may simply be a new public health crisis. She added that one could track the pandemic across the globe by analyzing Google search results about COVID-related loss of smell.

NIH study debunks long COVID as simply anxiety

The long-term diminished sense of smell and taste among most who survive a bout of COVID-19 has been linked to what medical experts dub as long COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC).

However, a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) casts doubt on the existence of PASC. It raised questions about the condition and suggested that those who claim to be suffering from it months or even years post-infection are likely suffering from anxiety to begin with.

The NIH study published in Annals of Internal Medicine, said there was no evidence of long-term COVID-19 infection in patients who were removed from the onset of symptoms six weeks and beyond, even if they were reporting health issues. It also found that most individuals who reported having PASC were disproportionately women and people who have a history of anxiety disorders.

Study participants were administered physical examinations, laboratory tests and questionnaires, cognitive tests and a cardiopulmonary evaluation. The analysts concluded that most cases had no identifiable cause of the PASC symptoms.

The NIHs study ignited debates about whether PASC is a legitimate physical ailment or more of a psychological disorder that persists after recovering from the virus. The determination of what kind of health issue this is could best address the patients suffering.

Some analysts are skeptical that long COVID-19 is just being used as a reason for governments and health authorities to impose and push vaccine mandates and other health protocols like wearing facial masks and reviving lockdowns for business interests. (Related: Long Covid is Faucis code phrase for long-term vaccine damage.)

Visit Pandemic.news for more updates on COVID-19 and its effect on peoples health and mental conditions.

Watch the below video that talks about ending long covid tyranny.

This video is from the Patrick Coffin Show channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Depressed mood, anxiety may also be symptoms of coronavirus infection  study.

Senses of smell and taste of coronavirus survivors continues to be distorted months after they recover.

Unheard of side effect: WHO hides hearing loss as an adverse effect of COVID-19 vaccines.

Some COVID-19 patients still cant smell after a year, while others experience distorted smells.

Sources include:

BMJ.com

Axios.com 1

NBCNews.com

NewsPunch.com

ACPJournals.org

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) An investigation into a potentially fraudulent research study involving a new pharmaceutical drug for Alzheimers disease has prompted a senior scientist at the University of Minnesota (UoM) to speak out against the alleged culprit.

Declining to comment specifically about the scandal, Dr. Karen Ashe says it is devastating that Sylvain Lesne, a neuroscientist and the researcher in question, may have doctored images in a study in order to prop up its results.

The paper with potentially false imagery was published in Science magazine, and it allegedly exaggerated the effects of a drug for Alzheimers that we can only guess is aimed to be the next blockbuster money generator for Big Pharma.

Having worked for decades to understand the cause of Alzheimer disease, so that better treatments can be found for patients, it is devastating to discover that a co-worker may have misled me and the scientific community through the doctoring of images, Ashe wrote in an email to StarTribune.com.

It is, however, additionally distressing to find that a major scientific journal has flagrantly misrepresented the implications of my work.

Ashe hired Lesne to lead the study, so she, too, could be held liable if it is discovered that Lesne altered study results to make the drug appear safer and more effective than it actually is. (Related: Alzheimers disease is a side effect of Wuhan coronavirus [Covid-19] vaccines.)

Ashe is said to have co-authored as many as 10 different papers with Lesne and other UoM scientists. Some or all of these papers may include imagery that has been manipulated or duplicated to inflate the role of a protein in the onset of Alzheimers.

Hundreds of thousands of American taxpayer dollars were funneled by NIH into Lesnes Alzheimers research

Dr. Matthew Schrag, an Alzheimers researcher in Tennessee, colorized and magnified images from Lesnes studies in ways that reportedly drew suspicion as to their authenticity.

Expert consultants who took a look at them agreed that some of the images appeared to be manipulated in ways to elevate the importance of A?*56, also called amyloid beta star 56, which is more prevalent in older mice who show signs of memory loss.

The U studies have been so influential on the course of Alzheimers research over the past two decades that any evidence of manipulation or false study results could fundamentally shift thinking on the causes of the disease and dementia, reported StarTribune.com.

The investigation also implicates two successful researchers on a key measure by which they are judged: their ability to pull in federal grants.

It turns out that Lesne has taken in hundreds of thousands of dollars in American taxpayer money over the years for this potentially fraudulent research. The agency that procured these grants is none other than the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which was formerly headed by Francis Collins, a close friend of Tony Fauci.

I think those corrected images are quite problematic, said Schrag, who speculates that the research in question was manipulated to make the aforementioned protein appear more significant than it truly is for the purpose of pushing new pharmaceutical drugs.

It turns out that there have been many research scandals at UoM over the years, including papers dealing with schizophrenia drugs, stem cell drugs, organ transplantation drugs and more. A statement from the medical school says the investigation of Lesnes work will follow the same standard policy of research misconduct allegations as the others.

Ashe, meanwhile, claims it is unfair that her work is being targeted in such a manner and apparently disputes any wrongdoing.

More related news about Alzheimers disease and dementia can be found at Alzheimers.news.

Sources for this article include:

StarTribune.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Food prices are soaring because monopolies are driving up the price you pay for food and slowly killing rural America.

(Article by Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D. republished from ChildrensHealthDefense.org)

In a short video posted last week, Robert Reich  author, lawyer, former U.S. secretary of labor and co-founder of Inequality Media  summed up how a few industrial meat producers gained a monopolistic foothold in the U.S.

Reich also explained how monopolies hurt farmers and consumers  and how to fix the problem.

Four corporations dominate the U.S. meatpacking industry: Tyson Foods, Cargill, National Beef Packing Company and JBS Foods, reported WBUR (Bostons National Public Radio station) in February.

In a special series about monopolies in America, WBUR reported that in 1977, the Big Four, as theyre commonly called, owned only 25% of the market.

Many mergers later, they control 85% of all beef packing in America.

Reich provided a breakdown by type of meat, showing the Big Four control 85% of the beef market, 66% of the pork market and 54% of the poultry market.

The result, Reich said, is:

Lower pay for farmers.

Bigger profits for monopolies.

Higher prices for you, the consumer.

Monopolists control nearly every part of the food production process, from selling feed to farmers to packing the meat and poultry for supermarkets, Reich explained.

Farmers are essentially forced to buy from and sell to monopolies at whatever price the corporation wants  often taking on crushing debt to do so, he said.

In 1980, 62 cents of every dollar consumers spent on beef went to ranchers, Reich said. Today, thats down to only 37 cents, because most of the profits are going into the pockets of the monopolists.

In 1980, 62 cents of every dollar spent on beef went to ranchers. Today, only 37 cents do. During COVID, beef prices rose by nearly 16%. Meanwhile, the 4 biggest beef companies profits rose more than 300%. The meat monopoly is nothing short of a nationwide crisis. pic.twitter.com/9yAfJA5HdN  Robert Reich (@RBReich) July 15, 2022

And heres the kicker, Reich added, Even though farmers are getting squeezed, the ag monopolists are also charging you [the consumer] higher prices.

During the COVID-19 pandemic when consumer beef prices rose nearly 16%, the profits of the four biggest beef companies rose more than 300%, according to Reich.

You have cattle ranchers going broke while consumers are paying all-time record prices for beef, Bill Bullard, head of the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, told WBUR.

Whats the solution?

We need to break up Big Ag, Reich said.

Watch the video here:

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Childrens Health Defense.

Read more at: ChildrensHealthDefense.org
(Natural News) According to Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta, there is no such thing as a crisis pregnancy.

The Joe Biden appointee, who holds the third-ranking seat at the Department of Justice (DoJ), has repeatedly called crisis pregnancy centers fake clinics, using the same rhetoric that the corporate-controlled media often spouts of independent media and fake news.

In a 2020 letter urging senators to vote against a judicial nominee of then-President Donald Trump, Gupta used the fake clinics rhetoric, which not long after led to what would become a rash of fire-bombings and attacks against said clinics.

Guptas dismissive language, in other words, legitimized the idea that these fake clinics deserve to be destroyed, which is exactly what the domestic terrorist group Janes Revenge has been doing over the past several months.

It turns out that Janes Revenge has also called crisis pregnancy centers fake clinics, which begs the question: Is Gupta a member of this domestic terrorist group? (Related: Remember when Biden himself openly admitted that abortion involves the death of a child?)

Gupta is supposed to be prosecuting crimes against crisis pregnancy centers  but is she?

Amazingly, the Biden regime has taken no responsibility whatsoever for Guptas rhetoric and the spate of domestic terrorism that it caused  even as it accuses Republicans of using rhetoric that supposedly leads to violence.

The Florida bill that was passed to stop teachers, aka groomers, from sexualizing their students into the Cult of LGBT has been called a threat by the White House because it supposedly encourages bullying and threatens students mental health, physical safety, and well-being.

A mass shooting that occurred in Buffalo, N.Y., was also said by numerous Democrats to be the result of conservative support for the Second Amendment, also known as the right to bear arms.

Getting back to Gupta, she was recently appointed to lead the DoJs reproductive rights task force, which gives her fake clinics rhetoric even greater weight in the national conversation concerning abortion.

She also supervises the DoJs civil rights division, which is supposed to prosecute attacks against reproductive health facilities  including crisis pregnancy centers.

Given Guptas position on crisis pregnancy centers, it is safe to assume that she is reluctant to prosecute Janes Revenge or any other domestic terrorist group that targets fake clinics, as she continues to call them.

If they are fake, in her mind, then attacks against them are negligible. This is the current state of justice in America today.

Earlier this month, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a bill to expand criminal penalties for attacks on crisis pregnancy centers. He says that Guptas fake clinics rhetoric is no surprise given the DoJs history of disregard for assaults on pro-life organizations.

Its shameful that Joe Bidens Department of Justice  responsible for enforcing our laws  is ignoring the epidemic of violent attacks against organizations that are just trying to provide health care to women in need, Hawley told the Washington Free Beacon.

Gupta and other pro-abortion extremists within the DoJ sure are taking violence against Planned Parenthood seriously, though. She and other DoJ leaders recently met with pro-abortion groups to discuss the task forces work, which specifically caters to pro-abortion causes.

The Justice Department does not appear to have met with pro-life groups that have sought meetings with the agency over the firebombing, notes the Beacon.

In a statement, CatholicVote president Brian Burch condemned Gupta for disregarding crisis pregnancy centers and shifting her attention strictly towards pro-abortion causes.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Guptas attacks on pregnancy resource centers which help pregnant women in need are shameful and utterly irresponsible, Burch said.

The latest news about abortion can be found at Abortions.news.

Sources for this article include:

FreeBeacon.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) It appears as though Russias invasion of Ukraine is about to become a much longer, multi-year operation.

The leader of the newly liberated Donetsk Peoples Republic, Denis Pushilin, has called for the liberation of all Russian cities in Ukraine, which includes Odessa, something that he considers one of the most important strategic objectives of Moscows special military operation.

All Russian cities must be liberated, he said in response to questions from an RIA News correspondent, according to Russian news site TopWar.ru.

It is time to liberate the Russian cities founded by the Russian people again, such as Kyiv Chernigov, Poltava, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, Zaporozhye and Lutsk, he added, according to The Limited Times.

Pushilin went on to say that allied troops consisting of Russian forces along with the Peoples Militia of the DPR and LPR should move beyond the borders of those two enclaves after they have been completely taken over, meaning, he is pushing President Vladimir Putin to take over the entire country of Ukraine. He believes that if Putin halts the invasion at the borders of the two annexed republics then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will take that as a victory of sorts and use it to restore the Ukrainian armys combat capabilities.

In addition, Pushilin reasoned that any delay in taking all of Ukraine by Russia will also give Ukraines Western allies time to help rearm Kyivs fighting forces as well. That will no doubt include long-range artillery, rockets and other weapons that will be used to constantly shell the annexed republics.

If the enemy receives serious weapons with a long range, then, of course, we will then have to make appropriate decisions, he said.

The report added:

In fact, with his statement, the head of the DPR answered the question that has not yet been raised whether the militia of the Peoples Militia of Donbass will participate in the further liberation of the territory of Ukraine together with the RF Armed Forces after they reach the administrative borders of the republics.

Literally, Pushilins words mean that the further offensive of the Russian army will be supported by the NM DPR. The head of the Donetsk Republic agrees with the opinion of State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov, who heads the Chechen special forces in a special operation in Ukraine, that the goals of the SVO will be achieved before the end of the year.

Pushilin also believes that Zelenskyy should be tried by an international tribunal after being charged with war crimes in the Donbass.

Meanwhile, political divisions in the U.S. over Ukraine are continuing to deepen especially among Republicans. Supporters of former President Donald Trump are pushing for the U.S. to cut aid and assistance to Ukraine, while Reagan Republicans are seeking to expand it, The Hill is reporting.

The Reagan Republicans have been winning the battle, but the continued fight could shape future U.S. policy if the GOP takes the House or Senate in this falls midterms, the outlet reported this week. GOP lawmakers who want to continue U.S. support for Ukraine are sending out warning signals, calling for the U.S. to keep up its backing for Kyiv regardless of which party holds the congressional majorities.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), who sits on the House Intelligence and House Foreign Affairs committees and who worked in Ukraine as an FBI agent, told The Hill: If freedom is under assault by dictatorship and we dont back up freedom, then what message does that send?

But that logic misses the mark  intentionally. Since Fitzpatrick was an FBI agent who worked in Ukraine, he knows full well what a corrupt country it is, and how undemocratic it has been throughout most of its post-Soviet existence.

As for the Trump-aligned Republicans who oppose support for Ukraine, they largely say they do not want to send money abroad when it can be used in the U.S. to fortify the southern border and invest in domestic energy production, among other issues.

America first is always a better foreign policy, especially as it appears that Russia may soon greatly expand its war in Ukraine.

Sources include:

NewsRND.com

TheHill.com

TopWar.ru
Northern giant hornets, formerly known as Asian giant hornets or Asian predatory wasp, are undergoing an explosive population increase in the Flanders region of Belgium, according to local sources on Thursday, July 28.

Not only the hornets are increasing in numbers they are also spreading the coverage of their nests exponentially, with reference to the relatively low figure last year.

Belgian authorities believe if the imminent population spike is not controlled, the number of hornet nests could increase from dozens to hundreds this year. In this context, the indigenous bees, especially honeybees, are at risk toward a significant population decline even a potential annihilation. This is due to the physical superiority of the hornet species toward their bee counterparts.

Over the years, northern giant hornets have made their way into the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Southeast England, and other parts of Europe, including France. It was only until recently when scientists decided to change the name of the hornets, which has been reportedly sensationalized as a murder hornet.

Giant Hornet Population Increase

The Belgium-based broadcasting network VRT NWS reported that the so-called "Asian hornets" are spreading like wildfire in Flanders, describing them as an exotic variety of wasp not native to the country. As a result experts are raising the alarm due to the giant hornet population increase, which is a bad new to the local bee populace.

In the Antwerp Province alone, 25 to 30 nests have been found and confirms the explosive population increase of the hornets, according to provincial coordinator Patrick Van Ende, as cited by the local media outlet.

In addition, the continuance of such trend could see nests spiking to 500 this year, as explained by Kevin Verbeek from the Flemish Bee Institute.

Verbeek asserts event reports of 20 nests is an overwhelming number for an area the size of the said region, adding that one hornet can killed up to 70 bees in a single day.

Being one of the greatest agents of pollination, the hornet threat could impact both farming and horticulture, according to VRT NWS.

Also Read: Hornet Swarm Kills Five People in France, Seen Heading Towards Southeast UK

Honeybees at Risk

In September 2020, the Oregon State University (OSU) stated the predatory habits of Asian giant hornets can be devastating to the honey bee colonies.

Being an elusive hunter, northern giant hornets can move fast and ambush bees leaving from or returning to their hives.

The giant hornets are native to Japan and other countries in Asia like Cambodia, Laos, India, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and even as far as east Russia.

However, the notorious reputation of the hornets came into light when the first sightings of them were recorded in 2019, particularly in the northwestern Washington state and the British Columbia province of Canada.

The invasive hornets recently received their name change to northern giant hornets since it is scientifically accurate and simpler to comprehend, as well as avoiding discrimination, according to entomologist Jessica Ware from the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, as cited by National Geographic.

Related Article: No More 'Murder' as Invasive Asian Hornet Gets Renamed
According to a study conducted at the University of Queensland on mice, a needle-free vaccine patch may be more effective than a conventional needle vaccine at combating COVID-19 variants like Omicron and Delta.

The Hexapro SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine was tested using the high-density microarray patch (HD-MAP) technology developed by Vaxxas in a collaboration with the Brisbane biotechnology company. The research found that the patch was significantly more effective at neutralizing COVID-19 variants.

According to Dr. Christopher McMillan of UQ, the SARs-CoV-2 vaccine patch appears to mitigate new variants more successfully than the current injection-only SARs-CoV-2 vaccine.

According to McMillan, the high-density microarray patch is a platform for precisely delivering the vaccine into the skin layers that are dense with immune cells.

When compared to vaccination administered via a needle, they discovered that vaccination through the use of a patch was roughly 11 times more effective in stopping the Omicron variant.

He added that the outcomes went beyond the Hexapro vaccine.

Patch Effectivity

McMillan said that so far, every vaccine type that they have tested through the patch, including subunit, DNA, inactivated virus and conjugate produces superior immune responses compared to traditional needle vaccination methods.

Dr. David Muller, who is also from the University of Queensland, said that currently-available vaccines may not be as efficacious because of the regularly emerging new COVID-19 variants.

Muller added that this decreased effectiveness was highlighted by the Omicron variant, which contains over 30 mutations in the spike protein.

The virus can now dodge the immune responses induced by the current vaccines thanks to the numerous mutations.

However, the patch technology has the potential to offer a new and more effective weapon in the arsenal, at a time where new variants are mutating at a rapid rate.

The Covid patch more effective than needles https://t.co/us2JDgGj7j pic.twitter.com/8NPAAKMmuY  New York Post (@nypost) July 29, 2022

The newly developed patches are not only more effective against emerging variants but are also far easier to administer than needle-based vaccines.

Read also: Fatigue, Other Side Effects Gone with New COVID-19 Vaccination Method

Current Vaccines Still Work

Muller emphasized the need to emphasize that the use of current vaccines is still a reliable method of preventing serious disease and illness brought on by this virus and that now is not the time for people to let their guard down.

According to David Hoey, CEO of Vaxxas, this is additional proof of the technology platform's potentially game-changing ability to assist countries in better preparing for and responding to pandemics in the present and the future.

Taking the Next Step

Hoey stated that in order to get ready for extensive clinical trials, they are still expanding their manufacturing capacity and speeding up product development.

In order to support the transition to commercialization of their HD-MAP vaccine candidates, along with a Hexapro COVID-19 patch, he additionally stated that they are building their first manufacturing facility in Brisbane.

The study, which was financially backed by an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship given to Dr. David Muller, was published in the journal Vaccine, Science Daily reports.

Related article: No Pain, Needle-Free Patches May Soon Take Over COVID-19 Vaccines: Will it Work?
Champaign resident Scott Best went on uninterrupted until Deputy Mayor Will Kyles broke in twice to politely point out that hed gone beyond the five minutes speakers are allotted. So you dont want to hear the rest is what youre saying? I understand," Best said. Typical ... Responded Kyles: Thank you for your respect.
Reporter

Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk).
JMIR Publications recently published "The Science of Learning Health Systems: Scoping Review of Empirical Research" in JMIR Medical Informatics which reported that the development and adoption of a Learning Health System (LHS) has been proposed as a means to address key challenges facing current and future health care systems. Learning Health Systems (LHS) is a concept that seeks to connect a myriad of data and knowledge with clinicians, families, and the patient themselves in a highly sophisticated way that fully supports informed decision making, and forms a continuous cycle of improvement.

Prof. Jeffrey Braithwaite and Dr Louise Ellis from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, have recently published a review of published papers that have an explicit empirical focus on LHS.

With the growth in empirical contributions in the LHS field, it was timely to examine the published empirical research and to determine the status of the field, five years on from the first LHS review of Budrionis and Bellika (2016). The review was also designed to leverage recent developments from the field of implementation science, which aligns closely with a core goal of LHSs, to get more evidence into practice, and to satisfy requirements for continuous quality improvement.

Study information was extracted relevant to the review objective, including:

Primary concern or focus; Context; Design; Data type; Implementation framework, model, or theory used; Implementation determinants or outcomes examined.

Since the 2016 review by Budrionis and Bellika, which found only 13 LHS empirical studies from 2007 to 2015, the Braithwaite research team identified a further 76, showing the growth of empirical applications within the LHS field over the past 5 years. Over two-thirds of the identified studies were concerned with implementing a particular program, system, or platform designed to contribute to achieving an LHS. Most of these studies focused on a particular clinical context or patient population, with far fewer studies focusing on whole hospital systems or on other broad health care systems encompassing multiple facilities.

In particular, the routine use of implementation determinant and outcome frameworks will improve the assessment and reporting of barriers, enablers, and implementation outcomes in this field and will enable comparison and identification of trends across studies.

Prof. Jeffrey Braithwaite from Macquarie University said, "Contemporary health care systems are not always fit for purpose or evidence-based." To overcome ongoing challenges in health care systems, there is growing awareness of the need for health care systems predicated on knowledge harvesting and exploitation, and continuing improvement through leveraging big data and incorporating patients' perspectives and choices into decisions.

Although this vision has remained largely aspirational to date, rapid innovations in big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are creating the opportunity, and expectation, that health care systems can make real the promise of an LHS.

New JMIR MedInform: The Science of Learning #health Systems: Scoping Review of Empirical #research https://t.co/BwAypYrIUB pic.twitter.com/bNpqCvJ7An -; JMIR Publications (@jmirpub) February 23, 2022

Research interest in LHS concepts and ideas has been increasing, as evidenced by the growing number of publications on LHS since it was first discussed in 2007 and the emergence of the influential journal Learning Health Systems.

The Braithwaite research team concluded in their JMIR Publications Research Output that studies empirically investigating and implementing LHS models have been increasing in recent years. In particular, they are seeing research concerned with implementing a variety of programs, systems, or platforms designed to contribute to achieving an LHS.

Running parallel with this work, a new LHS Toolkit has recently been released: https://lhstoolkit.learninghealthcareproject.co.uk/ and is in beta testing. It aims to provide up to date tools, frameworks and guidance for any group interested in developing capacities centred on LHS concepts and principles.
Elementary school-age children who get less than nine hours of sleep per night have significant differences in certain brain regions responsible for memory, intelligence and well-being compared to those who get the recommended nine to 12 hours of sleep per night, according to a new study led by University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers. Such differences correlated with greater mental health problems, like depression, anxiety, and impulsive behaviors, in those who lacked sleep. Inadequate sleep was also linked to cognitive difficulties with memory, problem solving and decision making. The findings were published today in the journal Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that children aged 6 to 12 years of age sleep 9 to 12 hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Up until now, no studies have examined the long-lasting impact of insufficient sleep on the neurocognitive development of pre-teens.

To conduct the study, the researchers examined data that were collected from more than 8,300 children aged 9 to 10 years who were enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. They examined MRI images, medical records, and surveys completed by the participants and their parents at the time of enrollment and at a two-year follow-up visit at 11 to 12 years of age. Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the ABCD study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the US.

We found that children who had insufficient sleep, less than nine hours per night, at the beginning of the study had less grey matter or smaller volume in certain areas of the brain responsible for attention, memory and inhibition control compared to those with healthy sleep habits. These differences persisted after two years, a concerning finding that suggests long term harm for those who do not get enough sleep." Ze Wang, PhD, Study Corresponding Author, Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at UMSOM

This is one of the first findings to demonstrate the potential long-term impact of lack of sleep on neurocognitive development in children. It also provides substantial support for the current sleep recommendations in children, according to Dr. Wang and his colleagues.

In follow-up assessments, the research team found that participants in the sufficient sleep group tended to gradually sleep less over two years, which is normal as children move into their teen years, whereas sleep patterns of participants in the insufficient sleep group did not change much. The researchers controlled for socioeconomic status, gender, puberty status and other factors that could impact how much a child sleeps and affect brain and cognition.

"We tried to match the two groups as closely as possible to help us more fully understand the long-term impact on too little sleep on the pre-adolescent brain," Dr. Wang said. "Additional studies are needed to confirm our finding and to see whether any interventions can improve sleep habits and reverse the neurological deficits."

The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to promote good sleep habits in their children. Their tips include making sufficient sleep a family priority, sticking with a regular sleep routine, encouraging physical activity during the day, limiting screen time and eliminating screens completely an hour before bed.

The study was funded by NIH. Fan Nils Yang, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in Dr. Wang's laboratory is a study co-author. Weizhen Xie, PhD, a researcher at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is also a study co-author. UMSOM faculty members Thomas Ernst, PhD, and Linda Chang, MD, MS, are co-principal investigators of the ABCD study at the Baltimore site but were not involved in the data analysis of this new study.

"This is a crucial study finding that points to the importance of doing long-term studies on the developing child's brain," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Sleep can often be overlooked during busy childhood days filled with homework and extracurricular activities. Now we see how detrimental that can be to a child's development."
Located between and above your eyebrows, the frontal sinuses develop in shapes that are as unique to each person as a fingerprint. Since 1925, they've been used by forensic anthropologists to help identify human remains when dental or other medical records were missing.

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have found the development of the frontal sinus was affected more by sexual dimorphism than the ancestry of the individual and that it was the interplay between those two factors that produced the most significant variation.

It is a common drive of people to be curious about ourselves, our backgrounds and our bodies. This study takes a fascinating structure that is as unique to an individual as their fingerprint and starts to shed light on what causes this feature to be so special to each person." Sean Tallman, PhD, corresponding author, assistant professor of anatomy & neurobiology

Former graduate student Austin Shamlou, MS, now a research technician at Massachusetts General Hospital, is a co-author in the study.

The researchers analyzed computed tomography (CT) images of more than 300 individuals designated as assigned male or assigned female at birth. Individuals also were classified by ancestral backgrounds of African-derived, Asian-derived, European-derived, or Latin American-derived. The authors used Photoshop to create an outline of the frontal sinus layer-by-layer and took measurements of maximum height, width and depth. These frontal sinus outlines were categorized into three groups and compared against variables. The study concluded that when considered separately neither assigned sex nor ancestry significantly affected sinus shape, but there was significant variation in maximum height and maximum depth when the two factors were looked at together.

"Interestingly, the interactive effects of sexual dimorphism and adaptive population histories influence the dimensions of the frontal sinus," said Tallman, who added that a clear pattern had not yet been found.

Tallman said further research was needed to address the question of why the frontal sinus forms unique structures for every individual. He cautioned that in the U.S. sinus variation did not fall along ancestral lines, suggesting that there was significant overlap in ancestral climates or that climate adaptations no longer impacted variation in the U.S.

These findings appear online in the journal Biology.
Genetic mutations which cause a debilitating hereditary kidney disease affecting children and young adults have been fixed in patient-derived kidney cells using a potentially game-changing DNA repair-kit. The advance developed by University of Bristol scientists is published in Nucleic Acids Research.

In this new study, the international team describe how they created a DNA repair vehicle to genetically fix faulty podocin, a common genetic cause of inheritable Steroid Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome (SRNS).

Podocin is a protein normally located on the surface of specialized kidney cells and essential for kidney function. Faulty podocin, however, remains stuck inside the cell and never makes it to the surface, terminally damaging the podocytes. Since the disease cannot be cured with medications, gene therapy which repairs the genetic mutations causing the faulty podocin offers hope for patients.

Typically, human viruses have been utilized in gene therapy applications to carry out genetic repairs. These are used as a 'Trojan Horse' to enter cells carrying the errors. Currently dominating systems include lentivirus (LV), adenovirus (AV) and adeno-associated virus (AAV), which are all relatively harmless viruses that readily infect humans. However, these viruses all share the same limitation in that they are restricted in space within their viral shells. This in turn constrains the amount of cargo they can deliver, namely the DNA kit required for efficient genetic repair, which significantly limits the scope of their application in gene therapy.

By applying synthetic biology techniques, the team led by Dr Francesco Aulicino and Professor Imre Berger from Bristol's School of Biochemistry, re-engineered baculovirus, a for humans harmless insect virus which is no longer constrained by limited cargo capacity.

"What sets apart baculovirus from LV, AV, and AAV is the lack of a rigid shell encapsulating the cargo space." said Dr Francesco Aulicino, who led the study. The shell of baculovirus resembles a hollow stick  it simply becomes longer when the cargo increases. This means a lot more sophisticated tool-kit to repair a genetic defect can be delivered by the baculovirus, making it much more versatile than commonly-used systems.

First, baculovirus had to be equipped to penetrate human cells which it normally would not do. "We decorated the baculovirus with proteins that enabled it to enter human cells very efficiently." explained Dr Aulicino. This modified baculovirus is considered safe, as it could only multiply in the insect, but not in human cells. The scientists then used their engineered baculovirus to deliver much larger DNA pieces than was previously possible, and build these into the genomes of a whole range of human cells.

The DNA in the human genome comprises 3 billion base-pairs making up ~25.000 genes, which encode for the proteins that are essential for cellular functions. If faulty base-pairs occur in our genes, faulty proteins are made which can make us ill, resulting in hereditary disease. Gene therapy promises repair of hereditary disease at its very root, by rectifying such errors in our genomes. Gene editing approaches, in particular CRISPR/Cas-based methods, have greatly advanced the field by enabling genetic repair with base-pair precision.

The team used patient-derived podocytes carrying the disease-causing error in the genome to demonstrate the aptitude of their technology. By creating a DNA repair kit, comprising protein-based scissors and the nucleic acid molecules that guide them - and the DNA sequences to replace the faulty gene, the team delivered with a single engineered baculovirus a healthy copy of the podocin gene concomitant with the CRISPR/Cas machinery to insert it with base-pair precision into the genome. This was able to reverse the disease-causing phenotype and restore podocin to the cell surface.

We had previously used baculovirus to infect cultured insect cells to produce recombinant proteins for studying their structure and function." Professor Imre Berger, Bristol's School of Biochemistry

This method, called MultiBac, developed by the Berger laboratory, has been highly successful to make very large multiprotein complexes with many subunits, in laboratories world-wide. "MultiBac already exploited the flexibility of the baculovirus shell to deliver large pieces of DNA into the cultured insect cells, instructing them to assemble the proteins we were interested in." When the scientists realized that the same property could potentially transform gene therapy in human cells, they went to work to create their new system described in their publication.

Dr Aulicino added: "There are many avenues to utilize our system. In addition to podocin repair, we could show that we can simultaneously correct many errors in very different places in the genome efficiently, by using our single baculovirus delivery system and the most recent editing techniques available."

"SRNS is one of the more common genetic diseases affecting the kidney" said Professor Moin Saleem, a leading expert in the gene therapy of hereditary kidney disease at Bristol Renal. "SRNS is characterized by kidney failure at an early age, leading to severe loss in quality of life for those affected."

Professor Gavin Welsh, Professor of Renal Cell Biology at Bristol Renal, concluded: "These results are very encouraging. This new approach pioneered by the Berger team holds promise not only for SRNS, but also for a range of other genetic diseases of the kidney, where efficient genetic repair is not feasible with current technology. It is a long road ahead to implement a new vector system for clinical applications, but we believe the advantages offered make this a very worthwhile undertaking."

This research received funding from the European Research Councial (ERC), Kidney Research UK (KRUK), and the EPSRC/BBSRC Bristol Research Centre for Synthetic Biology BrisSynBio.
While infants exposed to opioids during their mother's pregnancy have been linked to adverse health outcomes, a new study at the University of Missouri has found prenatal opioid exposure could trigger long-term neurological or behavioral effects later in a child's life.

The key is the opioid's impact on the developing fetus' gut microbiome  a collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that naturally live inside the guts of all humans and animals and can serve as a barometer for overall health and wellness.

Cheryl Rosenfeld, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, collaborated with Trupti Joshi, an assistant professor in the MU School of Medicine, to compare the gut microbiome of adult mice who were exposed during gestation to oxycodone, a commonly abused opioid that treats pain, in utero with the gut microbiome of mice who were not exposed to any opioids.

Opioids are increasingly being prescribed to pregnant women to treat pain, yet when they are consumed, we are learning it is not just the mother who is being exposed, but also the fetus at a time when their organs are still developing. These findings highlight the potential long-term health effects for the offspring, not just when they are born, but well into adulthood as well." Cheryl Rosenfeld, Professor, MU College of Veterinary Medicine

After collecting fecal matter from both groups of mice at 120 days of age, the researchers identified significant changes and disruptions to the natural balance of bacteria in the guts of the mice who were exposed to oxycodone in utero. These changes were linked with alterations in metabolic pathways, which impacts metabolism and potentially both neurological and behavioral health long-term.

Rosenfeld added that the gut microbiome of humans is very similar to the gut microbiome of mice, making the animal a useful biomedical model for translational and precision medicine research.

"While this research can lead to human studies down the road, those can take 20 to 30 years due to the much longer lifespan of humans compared to mice," Rosenfeld said. "The opioid epidemic, one of the biggest public health crises facing the United States, is causing real harm right now, so our goal is to raise immediate awareness and hopefully protect the health and well-being of women who are currently pregnant or seeking to become pregnant and their offspring from the potential negative and longstanding effects of opioids."

The research is personal for Rosenfeld, whose niece was in utero when her sister-in-law was given Quaaludes to relieve anxiety. While her niece was born healthy and seemed fine early in childhood, she later developed respiratory issues, neurological issues and behavioral abnormalities in her teenage years, and is now living in a nursing home in her 30s.

"For these children who were exposed to opioids in utero, there is also now an increased risk for them to get addicted to opioids themselves, so I do worry about them as they progress into adulthood," Rosenfeld said. "Hopefully by identifying these correlations as early as possible, potential interventions can be developed and alternative treatment options can be discussed for dealing with pain in pregnant women."

Joshi, a bioinformatics scientist in the MU School of Medicine's Department of Health Management and Informatics, was a clinical doctor who occasionally assisted with pregnancies in India before coming to the United States to study bioinformatics.

"Genomic sequencing technology, bioinformatics tools and computational techniques can all be applied together to help us as researchers start to find the links that tie together our physiology and our overall health," Joshi said. "We are starting to learn how changes in the gut microbiome can potentially impact one's mood and mental health later on in adulthood. This research helps us start to better understand the gut-brain axis, as there is a lot of communication among the brain, central nervous system, endocrine system, immune system and gut microbiome."

"Long-term effects of developmental exposure to oxycodone on gut microbiota and relationship to adult behaviors and metabolism" was recently published in the American Society for Microbiology. Funding was provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Co-authors on the study include Zhen Lyu, Robert Schmidt, Rachel Martin, Madison Green, Jessica Kinkade, Jiude Mao and Nathan Bivens.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have contributed to a special issue of the Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics, including studies and commentary that support a national program to improve access to PrEP, a medication that prevents the spread of HIV.

The policy proposal for a national PrEP program was released in December 2021 by researchers at the Johns Hopkins University, including the Bloomberg School, and national experts in HIV policy. The proposal, "Financing and Delivering Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis PrEP to End the HIV Epidemic," outlines a new financing and delivery system that moves away from the use of expensive brand-name drugs and expands the number of access points for PrEP for uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid-covered individuals.

President Biden's 2023 budget proposal, released in March, includes $9.8 billion in funding over 10 years for a national PrEP program.

To maximize the benefits of a national PrEP program, the academic proposal recommends that:

The government purchase PrEP medications to obtain a stable supply at a low price

Clinicians have new options to provide same-day, onsite PrEP with improved access to laboratory testing

Individuals without regular health care be able to access PrEP through community locations, such as domestic violence centers and street outreach programs and through telehealth

The special issue, published online on July 29, 2022, includes research papers and commentary that address important considerations outlined in the policy proposal. These include how to address private insurance and Medicaid coverage for PrEP, increasing access for vulnerable communities who are most in need of PrEP, and understanding how generic options can offset financial burdens.

For more than a decade, PrEP has been available as a highly effective tool to curb the HIV epidemic, but it remains out of reach for many Americans. This is an issue of equity. Until we address the incredible gaps by income, race and ethnicity, age, and place, we will struggle to end the HIV epidemic." Joshua Sharfstein, MD, Vice Dean of Public Health Practice and Community Engagement and Professor of the Practice in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Bloomberg School

In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the use of prescription drugs to prevent the spread of HIV. PrEP-;which stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis-;is taken by individuals who are at high risk for HIV, and can reduce transmission by up to 99 percent. However, only about a quarter of individuals who could benefit from PrEP received a prescription in 2020. PrEP uptake is even lower in Black and Hispanic populations, with less than 9 percent of Black individuals receiving a prescription and less than 16 percent of Hispanic/Latino people. Significant difficulties with financing and delivering PrEP are reasons for this disparity.

One study in the special issue, led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, found that generic PrEP offers a promising solution by addressing financial barriers to accessing the medication. The researchers found that after generic PrEP was introduced to the marketplace, the price per dose of generic PrEP was just $1 compared to $28 per dose of branded PrEP. Overall PrEP utilization did not appear to increase during the study period.

For their study, the researchers used IQVIA's National Sales Perspective data and the National Average of Drug Acquisition Cost database, maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to analyze price and utilization of generic and brand-name PrEP from the first part of 2019 and the first part of 2021.

"So far, greater access to low-price generic PrEP medications does not appear to have greatly expanded use," says Jeromie Ballreich, PhD, assistant scientist in the Department of Health Policy and Management and the study's lead author. "Policymakers now have an opportunity to purchase generic PrEP at over a 90 percent discount compared to branded PrEP. Bulk purchasing could be implemented as part of a national strategy to increase PrEP use."

Another article suggests that the national PrEP program can model other public health responses like that of a late 1980s measles outbreak that led to the federal Vaccines for Children program where the government purchased vaccines for children covered by Medicaid or who were uninsured. The authors make the argument that purchasing medical technology-;drugs, devices, etc.-;for a population, rather than on an individual basis, can guarantee access to treatment, lower cost, and save lives.

Two articles in the special issue were released on the Bloomberg School's website in April, ahead of journal publication, to inform the national conversation around creating a national PrEP program. The first, by Kenyon Farrow, managing director of the advocacy group PrEP4All, explains the limitations of current patient assistance programs in reaching people at the highest risk of contracting HIV infection. The second, by long-time community HIV advocates Jeremiah Johnson, PrEP program manager for PrEP4All; Asa Radix, MD, PhD, clinical associate professor at New York University Grossman School of Medicine; Raniyah Copeland, MPH, founder of Equity & Impact Solutions; and Guillermo Chacon, president of the Latino Commission on AIDS, describes the unique challenges facing transgender, gender diverse, Black, and Latin communities, which are driving enormous disparities in access to care.

Other articles in the special issue can be found here, and cover pathways to increase access to laboratory services for PrEP; international models of PrEP access; key implementation issues; the role of Medicaid; and the potential for partnerships with public health.

Key collaborators for this special issue include Amy Killelea, JD, a senior associate in the Bloomberg School's Department of Health Policy and Management, Jeremiah Johnson, PrEP Project Manager at PrEP4All, Chris Beyrer, MD, now the director of the Duke Global Health Institute, and Derek Dangerfield, PhD, now of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.
(Newser)  A New Mexico city is down to less than 50 days' worth of water, after debris from wildfires contaminated the Gallinas River. Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo declared a water emergency after the river, which supplies all the city's water, became tainted by ash and other debris, ABC News reports. Las Vegas (not the city in Nevada) has stopped drawing from the Gallinas because the treatment plant can't handle the polluted water anyway; the city is now tapping reservoirs. The area has been dealing with the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire, the largest in New Mexico history.

The area also is enduring a severe drought. The fire season, which usually starts in June, began in April this year, Trujillo told WBUR. By early May, crews already had taken nearly a million gallons from Lake Isabel, near Las Vegas, to fight the wildfires, per KOB. Officials said they realized there was little water to spare but said safety of residents would come first. "We're going to use the water to preserve life," one official said. The mayor said the water supply has dwindled since his youth. "That river used to flow from bank to bank," Trujillo said. "And, you know, every spring we were afraid of the runoff." Now, he said, you can "jump over" the Gallinas. (Read more water supply stories.)
(Newser)  The House passed legislation Friday to revive a ban on certain semi-automatic guns, the first vote of its kind in years and a direct response to the firearms often used in the crush of mass shootings ripping through communities nationwide. Once banned in the US, the high-powered firearms are now widely blamed as the weapon of choice among young men responsible for many of the most devastating mass shootings. But Congress allowed the restrictions first put in place in 1994 on the manufacture and sales of the weapons to expire a decade later, unable to muster the political support to counter the powerful gun lobby and reinstate the weapons ban. Speaker Nancy Pelosi pushed the vote toward passage in the Democratic-run House, saying the earlier ban saved lives.

President Biden hailed the House vote, saying, "The majority of the American people agree with this common sense action." He urged the Senate to "move quickly to get this bill to my desk." However, it is likely to stall in the 50-50 Senate, the AP reports. The House legislation is shunned by Republicans, who dismissed it as an election-year strategy by Democrats. Almost all Republicans voted against the House bill, which passed 217-213. The bill comes at a time of intensifying concerns about gun violence and shootingsthe supermarket shooting in Buffalo, NY; massacre of school children in Uvalde, Texas; and the July Fourth shootings of revelers in Highland Park, Ill.

The bill would make it unlawful to import, sell, or manufacture a long list of semi-automatic weapons. Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-NY, said it includes an exemption that allows for the possession of existing semi-automatic guns. Reps. Chris Jacobs of New York and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania were the only Republicans to vote for the measure. The Democratic lawmakers voting no were Reps. Kurt Schrader of Oregon, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Ron Kind of Wisconsin, and Vicente Gonzalez of Texas. Among the semi-automatic weapons banned would be some 200-plus types of semi-automatic rifles, including AR-15s, and pistols. The restrictions would not apply to many other models.

(Read more House of Representatives stories.)
(Newser)  It turns out there were two controversial auctions won by anonymous bidders on Thursday. The BBC reports that a watch thought to have belonged to Adolf Hitler has sold for $1.1 million, below its $2 million to $4 million estimate. Alexander Historical Auctions in Maryland described the gold Andreas Huber reversible wristwatch, which features a swastika and the initials AH, as having "unwavering direct provenance." It was found by a French soldier who was a member of the first Allied unit to enter Hitler's Bavarian mountain retreat at Berchtesgaden on May 4, 1945, just days after his death.

Upon gaining access to the home, Sergeant Robert Mignot and the other soldiers in his unit found a system of tunnels and bunkers under the house. "This is probably where this watchand other valuableswere found and taken away by the French as war souvenirs," per the auction house. Mignot ultimately sold the watch to his cousin, who is the grandfather of the person who sold it Thursday. The auction house says the "watch and its history have been researched by some of the world's most experienced and respected watchmakers and military historians, all of whom have concluded that it is authentic and indeed belonged to Adolf Hitler." He is thought to have received it in 1933 as a birthday gift.

Among the other items that were auctioned: a bust of Hitler owned by Joseph Goebbels and given to one of his spies, a dress belonging to Eva Braun, and a watercolor painting of the Eagle's Nest thought to have been made by Hitler. The sale of such items was criticized Thursday in an open letter signed by 34 Jewish leaders. It reads in part, "This auction, whether unwittingly or not, is doing two things: One, giving succor to those who idealize what the Nazi party stood for. Two: Offering buyers the chance to titillate a guest or loved one with an item belonging to a genocidal murderer and his supporters."

Auction house president Bill Panagopulos told the Washington Post the buyer of the watch was a European Jew and that he was frustrated by the criticism around the sale, which he says had led to death threats against him and his family. In a statement, Panagopulos said, "Many people donate [Nazi artifacts] to museums and institutions ... others need the money, or simply choose to sell. That is not our decision." (Read more Adolf Hitler stories.)
(Newser)  The parents of a Georgia woman who died after she fell from a moving patrol car following her arrest fought back tears Friday as they demanded answers in their daughter's death. Brianna Grier, 28, suffered significant injuries July 15 and died July 21 at an Atlanta hospital. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said this week that the deputies who put Grier in the back of a patrol car to take her to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office failed to close the rear passenger-side door before driving away, reports the AP.

Grier was arrested after Hancock County sheriffs deputies were called to a home in Sparta, the GBI has said. The deputies put Grier in the back of a patrol car, but she was not wearing a seatbelt, her hands were cuffed in front of her, and the rear passenger-side door was never closed, according to GBI investigators. The GBI has not said why deputies were called to the home or why Grier was arrested. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing her family, said Grier was taken into custody after a mental health crisis.

"What were trying to do, were trying to get answers of what really happened. Thats all we want to know. We aint trying to start no problem," a tearful Marvin Grier, Brianna's father, said during a news conference, his voice catching several times. He was joined by Brianna's mother and sister, Mary and Lottie Grier. GBI agents have met with the Grier family multiple times since July 15 and have also had several conversations with them to provide updates on the investigation, spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in an email Friday. The agency plans to release body camera footage after agents review it with the family, she said. (Read more Georgia stories.)
(Newser)  Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his weeklong Canadian pilgrimage was "a bit of a test" that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire. Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, the 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadnt thought about resigning but said "the door is open" and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down. "Its not strange. Its not a catastrophe. You can change the pope," he said while sitting in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.

Francis said that while he hadn't considered resigning until now, he realizes he has to at least slow down. "I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside," he said. Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate following the first trip in which he used a wheelchair, walker, and cane to get around, sharply limiting his program and ability to mingle with crowds, reports the AP.

He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and continuing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa that was scheduled for the first week of July. The Canada trip was difficult, and featured several moments when Francis was clearly in pain as he maneuvered getting up and down from chairs. Francis ruled out having surgery on his knee, saying it would not necessarily help and noting "there are still traces" from the effects of having undergone more than six hours of anesthesia in July 2021 to remove 13 inches of his large intestine. (Some in Canada were disappointed with the pope's apology to Indigenous peoples for abuses in the country's church-run residential schools.)
(Newser)  Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric breached Iraq's parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts led by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counterprotests, raising the specter of civil strife. Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas and sound bombs to try to repel the demonstrators and caused several injuries. Once inside, the protesters declared an open-ended sit-in and claimed they would not disperse until their demands are answered, the AP reports. As the numbers inside the parliament swelled, the police backed off.

An expected parliament session did not take place Saturday, and there were no lawmakers in the hall. By late afternoon, the Ministry of Health said that about 125 people had been injured100 protesters and 25 members of the security forces. Earlier in the day, heeding the calls of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the demonstrators used ropes and chains to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Iraq's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies. Al-Sadr has resorted to using his large grassroots following to pressure his rivals, after his party was not able to form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in the federal elections held last October. With neither side willing to concede, and al-Sadr intent on derailing government formation efforts lead by his rivals, Iraq's political paralysis has ushered in a new era of instability.

Later Saturday, al-Sadr's rivals in the Coordination Frameworkan alliance of Shiite parties backed by Iran and lead by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Malikicalled on its supporters to conduct peaceful counterprotests to defend the state, a statement from the group said. The call raises fears of possible large-scale street battles and bloodshed, unseen since 2007. Al-Maliki is al-Sadr's chief rival, and both men are powerful in their own right. "Civil peace is a red line and all Iraqis must be prepared to defend it in all possible, peaceful, means," the alliance said. The United Nations expressed its concern of further instability and called on Iraqi leaders to de-escalate.

(Read more Iraq stories.)
(Newser)  Spain on Saturday reported a second death in as many days from monkeypox. These are believed to be the first confirmed fatalities from the disease in Europe since its recent spread beyond Africa. Both fatalities were young men, the health ministry said, after reporting Spain's first death on Friday, the same day that Brazil reported its first death from monkeypox. The global outbreak has seen more than 22,000 cases in nearly 80 countries since May. There have been 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo, where a more lethal form of monkeypox is spreading than the one in the West, the AP reports.

In the US and Europe, the vast majority of monkeypox infections have happened in men who have sex with men, though health officials have stressed that anyone can catch the virus. The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency. "The notification of deaths due to monkeypox does not change our assessment of the outbreak in Europe. We know that although the disease is self-limiting in most cases, monkeypox can cause severe complications," said Catherine Smallwood, senior emergency officer at WHO Europe. She said the agency expects more deaths to be reported. "Our goal needs to be on interrupting transmission quickly in Europe and stopping this outbreak," Smallwood added.

On Friday, Spains health ministry reported 4,298 people were infected with the virus, making it the leading European country for monkeypox cases. Of that total, some 3,500 cases were of men who had had sex with other men. Only 64 were women. The ministry said 120 have needed hospital attention. About 8% of the monkeypox cases in Europe have required hospitalization, Smallwood said. Spanish health authorities are administering 5,300 vaccines received from the joint EU vaccine purchase plan. Health workers say that's far fewer than the number needed to cover the at-risk groups. Monkeypox spreads mainly through skin-to-skin contact, but it can also be transmitted through bed sheets used by someone with monkeypox.

(Read more monkeypox stories.)
(Newser)  Ukrainian and Russian officials blamed each other Saturday for the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in an attack on a prison in a separatist-controlled area. The International Red Cross asked to visit the prison to make sure the scores of wounded POWs had proper treatment but said late Saturday its request had not been granted so far, the AP reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Red Cross and the United Nations have a duty to react to the shelling of the prison complex in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk province, and he called again for Russia to be declared a terrorist state. "Condemnation at the level of political rhetoric is not enough for this mass murder," Zelensky said.

The ICRC, which has organized civilian evacuations and monitored the treatment of POWs held by Russia and Ukraine, said, "Our priority right now is making sure that the wounded receive lifesaving treatment and that the bodies of those who lost their lives are dealt with in a dignified manner." The organization posted a tweet saying, "Granting ICRC access to POWs is an obligation of parties to conflict under the Geneva Conventions." Both Ukraine and Russia alleged the attack was intended to silence Ukrainian prisoners and destroy evidence. Russia claimed Ukraine's military used US-supplied precision rocket launchers against the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic. The Ukrainian military accused the Russians of shelling the prison to cover up the torture and execution of Ukrainians there.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington think tank, said that full responsibility for the attack can't yet be assigned but that the "available visual evidence appears to support the Ukrainian claim more than the Russian." Moscow has opened a probe, and the UN said it was prepared to send investigators. Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian rockets hit a school in Kharkiv and a bus station in Sloviansk, among other strikes. In southern Ukraine, one person was reported killed and six injured in shelling in a residential area in Mykolaiv, officials said. On Saturday, Azov fighters' relatives demonstrated outside Kyiv's St. Sophia Cathedral and called for Russia to be designated a terrorist state for violating the Geneva Convention's rules for the treatment of prisoners. One woman was waiting for news of her 23-year-old son. "I don't know how is he, where is he, if he is alive or no. I don't know," she said. "It's a horror, only horror."

(Read more Russia-Ukraine conflict stories.)
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Cloudy skies early will become partly cloudy later in the day. High 73F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening will give way to cloudy skies overnight. Low 51F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain yesterday added the rapidly spreading monkeypox virus, termed by WHO as a global health emergency, to the list of communicable diseases. Health Minister Dr Jalila Al Sayed Jawad said this makes it mandatory for anyone who contracts the virus to stay in isolation for 21 days.

The WHO supremo Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said the risk of monkeypox - which spreads via close contact and tends to cause flu-like symptoms and pus-filled skin lesions - was moderate globally, except in Europe, where the WHO has deemed the risk as high.

This is an outbreak that can be stopped if countries, communities and individuals inform themselves, take the risk seriously and take the steps needed to stop transmission and protect vulnerable groups. The best way to do that is to reduce the risk of exposure. That means making safe choices for yourself and others.

Bahrains health minister said the isolation period for a person starts with the date from which a sample is taken and returned positive. An infected person will be isolated to receive necessary treatment and to stabilise their health condition. For someone suspected of having contact with an infected person, the isolation should begin with the date of the last contact.

Officials authorised to follow the health status of an isolated person may modify the isolation, either by increasing or decreasing the period, if necessary, the minister said. The minister also called for implementing sanitary isolation in places determined by the Ministry of Health in a manner deemed appropriate.

Authorities will monitor adherence to isolation protocols through the BeAware Bahrain app. The virus spreads primarily through skin-on-skin physical contact, but it can also be transmitted by touching objects like sheets or towels that may have been used by somebody with monkeypox, as well as through close face-to-face interactions like kissing.

Scientists are still studying how monkeypox is spreading in this outbreak, but they say people dont seem to be getting sick after, say, walking past someone or giving them a hug and brushing over a lesion on their skin. So far this year, there have been more than 18,000 cases of monkeypox in more than 75 countries.
Unusual rain lashes Bahrain, leadership orders compensation

TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa ordered yesterday to compensate those affected by torrential rain in the Al Lawzi area. He also asked the Works Ministry to take necessary measures to limit the damage caused by rainwater gathering in the area. Prince Salman also ordered measures to develop sustainable solutions in Al-Lawzi. Torrential rains that wreaked havoc in the United Arab Emirates a few days ago and devastated lives there gave Bahrain also a taste of the exceptional summer deluge yesterday. What makes the downpour unusual is the historical fact that both the Kingdoms experience rain only very rarely -- particularly in the summer months. But that has changed now.

The extreme weather condition had turned roads in the UAE into rivers washing away vehicles and causing excessive damage to houses after nearly a day-long downpour. However, in Bahrain, rains were not that traumatising, with their intensity varying in different regions from heavy to mild. In the Northern Governorate, some regions witnessed heavy showers for a prolonged period, inundating roads in the low-lying areas. Images circulating online showed vehicles plying along waterlogged roads as the sky remained cloudy. Ministry of Interior, in a Tweet, said they are coordinating efforts to deal with rain-related impacts in the Kingdom. Social media was also abuzz with comments, with several users expressing their disbelief. Thunderstorms rain in Bahrain in middle of summer, wrote a Twitter user with a picture showing water-soaked roads through a window. Another wrote, Alhamdulilah, rain in Bahrain. Someone tells someone its the middle of summer on a desert island! Whats all these clouds and rain drops about? yet another comment reads. Since I was born, I never witnessed such heavy rain in the summer of Bahrain, wrote another. Rain July Bahrain. Someone played in the system, said another. Certain others also expressed their relief amid the scorching summer. Finally, some rain in Bahrain, wrote a user. The ministry also tweeted several pictures showing water-logged roads where members of the Civil Defence Force are in operation. General Directorate of Traffic also called upon road users to be cautious of the rain in some areas for their safety. Experts believe that global warming and climate change are responsible for this rare phenomenon in the Middle East, while Europe gets walloped in unprecedented heatwaves. El Nino and La Nina are also blamed for the unusual weather conditions in the UAE, which experts say could bring changes in the weather pattern worldwide. In Bahrain, Meteorological Department had predicted unstable weather conditions over the Kingdom. Met officials also predict rains today in Bahrain. There will be scattered rains of varying intensity, which could get thunderous at different regions in the Kingdom, warned the Department under the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications on Thursday.
ZOLOFT shipment to arrive in Bahrain soon, says NHRA

ZOLOFT shipment to arrive in Bahrain soon, says NHRA

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A shipment containing severalpackages of ZOLOFT, an antidepressant drug, will arrive in Bahrain soon, said the National Health Regulatory Authority.

The authority said the drug produced by Pfizer is a licensed drug, and there are no restrictions on it in Bahrain.

However, importing the drug to Bahrain also requires the approval of local authorities in Dubai, UAE, since the drug reaches Bahrain from the companys warehouses in Jebel Ali.

The Health Authority further confirmed that the same drug produced by Al Hikma Company under the name SOLOTIKS is also readily available in the Kingdom.
Pope Francis says he may have to retire from post due to health problems

Pope Francis says he may have to retire from post due to health problems

Agencies | Vatican City

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday that he could no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his weeklong Canadian visit was "a bit of a test" that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire.

Speaking to reporters while travelling home from northern Nunavut, the 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadn't thought about resigning but said "the door is open" and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.

"It's not strange. It's not a catastrophe. You can change the pope," he said while sitting in an aeroplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.

Francis said that while he hadn't considered resigning until now, he realizes he has to at least slow down.

"I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside," he said.

Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate following the first trip in which he used a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around, sharply limiting his program and ability to mingle with crowds.

He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and continuing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa that was scheduled for the first week of July.

The Canada trip was difficult and featured several moments when Francis was clearly in pain as he manoeuvred getting up and down from chairs.

At the end of his six-day tour, he appeared in good spirits and energetic, despite a long day travelling to the edge of the Arctic on Friday to again apologize to Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canada's church-run residential schools.

Francis ruled out having surgery on his knee, saying it would not necessarily help and noting "there are still traces" from the effects of having undergone more than six hours of anaesthesia in July 2021 to remove 33 centimetres (13 inches) of his large intestine.

"I'll try to continue to do the trips and be close to people because I think it's a way of servicing, being close. But more than this, I can't say," he said Saturday.

In other comments aboard the papal plane, Francis:

Agreed that the attempt to eliminate Indigenous culture in Canada through a church-run residential school system amounted to a cultural "genocide." Francis said he didn't use the term during his Canada trip because it didn't come to mind. Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission determined in 2015 that the forced removal of Indigenous children from their homes and placement in church-run residential schools to assimilate them into Christian, Canadian constituted a "cultural genocide."

"It's true I didn't use the word because it didn't come to mind, but I described genocide, no?" Francis said. "I apologized, I asked forgiveness for this work, which was genocide."

 Suggested he was not opposed to the development of a Catholic doctrine on the use of contraception. Church teaching prohibits artificial contraception. Francis noted that a Vatican think tank recently published the acts of a congress where a modification to the church's absolute "no" was discussed. He stressed that doctrine can develop over time and that it was the job of theologians to pursue such developments, with the pope ultimately deciding.

Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases.

Confirmed he hoped to travel to Kazakhstan in mid-September for an interfaith conference where he might meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine. Francis also said he wants to go to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, though no trip has yet been confirmed. He said he hoped to reschedule the trip to South Sudan he cancelled because of his knee problems. He said the Congo leg of that trip would probably have to be put off until next year because of the rainy season.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

DANBURY  When St. Joseph school and Parish in Danbury organized a donation drive for Ukrainian refugees, the community response was overwhelming.

Now, three months after that first request for donations, 378 boxes filled with diapers, medical supplies, clothes and other goods along with nearly 2,000 bags of other essential items, have arrived in Wabrzych, Poland.

The 40-foot shipping container filled with nine tons of donated goods was delivered to the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Wabrzych and the neighboring Orthodox Church of All Saints in Wabrzych in mid-June.

The Ukraine-Wabrzych Association released a thank you statement shortly after the delivery was received: We thank all children and adults from the heart for their help and support. For your letters, your wishes. Thank you for everything!

Some 9.9 million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country since Russia invaded in late February, with more than 4.9 million crossing into Poland, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

The plan to send the goods to the Municipal Social Welfare Center, where the sister of one of St. Josephs parishioners had been working to process refugees, was quickly adjusted because of the influx donations.

We did start working with the Municipal Social Welfare Center in Poland, said Megan Cerullo, Director of Advancement and President of the PTO at St. Joseph School. Because of the complexity and volume of the shipment, they ended up having to partner with various organizations, notably the Orthodox Church of All Saints. It was a team effort on all ends.

The drive was initially conceptualized by Cerullos mother, Maryellen Guerriero, who lives in Long Island and has two grandchildren at St. Joseph.

This idea started with my mother, Cerullo said. She had really wanted to do something that would make a difference, so we started talking to people and we realized everyone so badly wanted to help but did not have an outlet to do so.

The success of the drive presented new obstacles, mainly the question of how to get the goods into Poland.

John Clancy of Clancy Relocation and Logistics played an integral role. Without hesitation, John donated our shipping boxes and manpower to help pack the container, Cerullo said.

When St. Joseph school and the Parish reached out to the community for help with the shipment, the call was answered again.

We were able to raise a substantial amount of money through private donations coupled with some business donations here in the community, Cerullo said. Thankfully because of that, we were able to cover the costs associated with sending the shipment to Poland by way of a 40-foot shipping container.

The monetary donations went beyond covering shipping fees, with an additional $8,000 to cover crucial costs including food, formula, diapers as well as summer camp funding for displaced Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

It took several weeks of additional time to audit everything that had come in, to sort, segment and pack, Cerullo said. We wanted to make sure that we did it the right way, so it took some extra care and time, but it was the best way to ensure that the integrity of the drive would be upheld. I believe we were able to accomplish that.

Neighboring schools, local businesses and organizations, parishioners and St. Joseph parents and students pitched in to help with packing and organization of the donations.

It ended up growing into a truly unified team effort on completely different ends of the world working together for a common cause that was much greater than us, Cerullo said. I think that is the lesson. Even though there is a war going on, that does not represent the majority of people in this world.

Included in the shipment were handwritten cards from children and middle schoolers involved with the donations.

The children were incredible in the way that they could be, Cerullo said. They made handmade cards and helped move and pack in the weeks after the drive. Some of the cards were truly unbelievable  one child writing to another child in a different language, but the sentiments were universal.

It doesnt matter what our difference are at the end of the day, Cerullo said. This undertaking represents the good in this world, and it so far outweighs the bad.
According to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the number of alcohol stores will not exceed 850, as was the case under the previous policy. However, it was unclear whether dry days would increase or remain constant.

Amid an ongoing investigation by the Delhi Polices Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and a standoff between the Lieutenant Governor and the Delhi government, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia announced on Saturday that the government had to reverse the new excise policy and that liquor would only be sold in government outlets beginning August 1.

We have decided to end the new policy and have directed that government shops open I have directed the chief secretary to ensure that there is no corruption in government shops and that no illegal alcohol is sold in Delhi I have directed that there be no chaos during the transition period, Sisodia said at a press conference.

He stated that the number of alcohol stores will not exceed 850, as was the case under the previous policy. However, it was unclear whether dry days would increase or remain constant.

In Gujarat, alcohol is prohibited, but illegal liquor (nakli sharab) worth thousands of crores is sold there, taking the government for a ride, Sisodia said, referring to the BJP. It is spurious liquor that has caused people to die Ye saara dhanda inke hi log chalate hain (This entire business is run by their people There have been numerous cases of people dying, but this illegal sale of liquor continues to thrive; this is the Gujarat model.

The other option is the Delhi model. Last year, our government implemented a new excise policy, prior to which alcohol was sold in government outlets that were prone to corruption  from brand pushing to a variety of other things. Some shops were private, but they were given to their friends in exchange for a very low licence fee. We ended this system and began a new policy, he explained.

Many others will follow suit beginning August 1. Their goal is to make alcohol scarce in Delhi. Their goal is to continue reducing the amount of legal liquor sold in Delhi They want to encourage the sale of illegal, non-duty paid, and spurious liquor They have threatened even Delhi government officials in the name of the ED and CBI that they will not issue tenders or licences for shops that are being vacated, he added.
On Saturday (July 30, 2022), terrorists and security forces clashed in the Wanigam Bala area of north Kashmirs Baramulla district. The gunfight began after a joint police and security team received information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

#Encounter has started at Wanigam Bala area of #Baramulla district. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) July 29, 2022

The area was cordoned off by security forces. Terrorists hiding there began firing, prompting retaliation from security forces. So far, no casualties have been reported on either side, according to the official.

There have been a number of encounters between terrorists and security forces in Kashmir over the last few months, in which many terrorists and their commanders have been killed.

The majority of the operations have been carried out collaboratively by the police and the army based on specific intelligence inputs.
On Friday, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari sparked outrage by saying that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from the state, it would be left with no money.

Koshyari told a crowd in Mumbais Andheri,  if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane, there will be no money left here. You call Mumbai the financial capital, but it wont be called that if these (Gujarati and Rajasthani) people arent here.

#WATCH | If Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane, no money would be left here. Mumbai would not be able to remain the financial capital of the country: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari pic.twitter.com/l3SlOFMc0v  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2022

Former chief minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is expected to address the issue at a press conference this afternoon. Meanwhile, the opposition NCP has advised Koshyari to be careful with his words.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut condemned the Governors remarks, saying he insulted hardworking Marathi people. The Marathi man is being insulted soon after the BJP-backed Chief Minister came to power, Raut tweeted.
The BJP Yuva Morcha leader Praveen Nettarus murder will be reported to the National Investigation Agency, the Karnataka government determined on Friday (NIA). According to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, the matter will be turned over to the NIA because it has interstate implications. After Bommai met with senior police officers on Friday, a decision was made. According to the Chief Minister, Praveens murder was a planned and organised crime with an interstate component.

Senior police authorities from Kerala were consulted about the matter and information was sought. He stated, We would write to the Union Home minister and request an NIA probe once we have full knowledge of the case. However, state police will look into the Fazil murder case. There has been a call for the NIA to be given the Praveen case. Shobha Karandlaje, a Union minister of state for agriculture, had pleaded with the Union Home Ministry to request an NIA investigation into the murder.

Installation of CCTVs along Keralas border

Bommai emphasised the need of security measures, stating that CCTV cameras will be erected at the border crossings between Karnataka and Kerala and that instructions had been given to erect checkpoints. Additionally, temporary police camps would be erected in settlements along the coastal regions vulnerable zones. He stated that vacant police department positions would be filled, nighttime patrols would be increased, and a new KSRP unit would be stationed in the Dakshina Kannada area.

Bommai stated that it has been determined to further up the investigation into the Surathkal murder. The offenders need to be apprehended. To solve the matter, special teams should be formed, he said, adding that district-level peace sessions would be organised with religious leaders. The chief minister had earlier in the day claimed that the state is enforcing strict policies in the coastal region, including Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. The discussion during the meeting would centre on problems like the 55 highways that connect the Kerala border.

The killings have drawn the attention of the administration. When I was in Praveens house, I learned of the death of another young person. All three incidents have received the utmost attention from the state government. Every persons life is significant to us, he remarked. Bommai claimed that anti-social forces are being politically incited.
Tensions between the United States and China have risen in recent days, with the latest flashpoint being the possibility of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan.

While the exact date of Pelosis visit has yet to be announced, if it goes ahead, she will be the highest-ranking American legislator to visit Taiwan in the last 25 years. China, which considers the neighbouring island to be part of its territory, has threatened the United States with unspecified strong measures if Pelosi proceeds with her plans.

Tensions between the United States and China have risen in recent days, with the latest flashpoint being the possibility of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visiting Taiwan.

While the exact date of Pelosis visit has yet to be announced, if it goes ahead, she will be the highest-ranking American legislator to visit Taiwan in the last 25 years. China, which considers the neighbouring island to be part of its territory, has threatened the United States with unspecified strong measures if Pelosi proceeds with her plans.

The controversy comes at a time when the United States and China are at odds over a variety of economic and geopolitical issues, including the South China Sea dispute, the Russia-Ukraine war, and technological conflicts.

Heres a quick primer on the latest squabble in the US-China relationship.

Nancy Pelosis trip to Taiwan was leaked?

According to the sources, Pelosi plans to visit Taiwan in August and will be accompanied by a delegation. According to the report, Pelosi will be the most senior US lawmaker to visit the island since Republican Newt Gingrich visited in 1997.

Pelosi had planned the trip in April but had to cancel it after contracting Covid-19. According to the report, three unnamed White House officials have expressed concerns about the trip because it coincides with the anniversary of the founding of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army on August 1.

China regards Taiwan, which is separated from mainland China by the Taiwan Strait, as a renegade province and has stated publicly that it intends to unite it with mainland China. Taiwan, on the other hand, considers itself an independent nation and has opposed Chinas plans.

Meanwhile, the United States has a long-standing One China policy that allows it to maintain an official relationship with China while also maintaining a close, albeit unofficial, allyship with Taiwan.
At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) ministerial meeting in Tashkent on Friday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar shared a table with Foreign Ministers of China Wang Yi, Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto, Russia Sergey Lavrov, and central Asian countries. While India pushed for the Chabahar port to be used as a trade route to Central Asia, Pakistans Foreign Minister promoted the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for trans-regional trade, including in a meeting with Taliban-appointed Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Jaishankar met with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan counterparts, but no meetings with Mr. Bhutto, Mr. Wang, or Mr. Muttaqi, who were also in Tashkent for a special SCO reach out, were announced. Although it was not mentioned in the MEA release, the Russian embassy in Delhi tweeted that Mr. Jaishankar met with Russian Foreign Minister Mr. Lavrov while in Tashkent, where they discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues.

During the meeting, Mr. Jaishankar emphasised Indias assistance to Afghanistan.

Assistance to Afghanistan



Mr. Jaishankar said after the meetings that he had reiterated Indias position on Afghanistan and highlighted our humanitarian support: wheat, medicines, vaccines, and clothing. He also said that he had highlighted the potential for Irans Chabahar for the SCOs economic future.

The External Affairs Minister also mentioned the energy and food crises caused by the Ukraine conflict, without mentioning Russias role in the conflict, as well as the COVID pandemic, which he said must be urgently addressed.

Resilient and diverse supply chains, as well as reformed multilateralism, Mr. Jaishankar said, adding that zero tolerance for terrorism was required.

The External Affairs Minister also met with Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, where he was seated next to Mr. Bhutto at the round table.

Summit of Samarkand



He stated that India would give the fullest support for the success of the Samarkand Summit, implying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would attend the summit on September 15-16. If all SCO leaders attend the summit in person, Mr. Modi will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for the first time. Next year, India will also host all SCO leaders.

Mr. Jaishankar told SCO Secretary General, senior Chinese diplomat Zhang Ming, that Indias presidency next year would give SCO cooperation a renewed thrust.
Pakistans military chief is said to have asked the US for assistance in securing the early disbursement of an International Monetary Fund loan, as the high cost of energy imports pushes the cash-strapped South Asian nation to the brink of a payment crisis.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa called Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier this week and raised the issue, according to government sources who spoke to VOA late Friday on condition of anonymity.

Pakistan reached a staff-level agreement with the IMF last week to resurrect a multibillion-dollar bailout package. The transaction, however, is subject to approval by the lenders board, which is scheduled to meet in late August. Islamabad is expected to receive approximately $4.2 billion from the loan programme, with an initial tranche of approximately $1.2 billion.

Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, confirmed the phone call between Bajwa and Sherman but did not provide further details.

Well, I understand a conversation has occurred, but at this point, I have no direct knowledge of the content of that conversation, Ahmad said at a weekly news conference in Islamabad.

A State Department spokesperson in Washington declined to confirm whether the conversion had occurred.

US officials meet with Pakistani officials on a regular basis to discuss a variety of issues. We dont comment on the specifics of private diplomatic conversations as is standard practise, the spokesperson told VOA.

Nikkei Asia broke the news of the Bajwa-Sherman meeting on Friday, reporting that the Pakistani military chief asked the White House and Treasury Department to use their influence to expedite the loans release. The United States is the IMFs largest shareholder.

When asked if the two officials had discussed the IMF loan disbursement, sources in Islamabad replied, Yes. However, the outcome of Bajwas appeal was not immediately known.

Critics blamed the loans delay on Pakistans track record of failing to follow through on commitments to implement critical economic reforms.

Bajwa also spoke by phone late Friday with General Michael Erik Kurilla, the commander of the US. CENTCOM.

In a statement, the armys media wing quoted its chief as saying to Kurilla that Pakistan values its relations with (the) US, and we earnestly look forward to strengthening mutually beneficial multi-domain relations based on common interests.

According to the statement, the US commander pledged to play his role for further improvement in cooperation with Pakistan at all levels.

The approval of the IMF programme is critical for Pakistans access to other sources of funding, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

The whole idea of adding a P.S. after a missive is to express a thought you neglected to mention before signing off.

Yet when I read the Greenwich Patriots newsletters, I reflexively start at the end. They save their best stuff like its a red and white (no blue, thats too woke) fireworks show after a Trump 4 Eva rally.

A few (unedited) examples:

P.S. No word yet on whether the town will have a National Flag Day celebration tomorrow, but there will be a Juneteenth celebration on June 17 (posted June 13).

P.S. We have repeatedly asked First Selectman Fred Camillo to hold a Pro Life flag raising event at Town Hall to celebrate the sanctity of life. But Fred is refusing to reply to our request, despite holding other flag raising events at Town Hall. Why is that? Is he afraid to celebrate life? (June 25)

P.S. Did you happen to see the folks at Good Morning America congratulate Ketanji Brown Jackson on being the first black Supreme Court Justice? Another Babylon Bee prophecy fulfilled. (July 1)

P.S. It was the GHS PTA that organized a zoom call where misinformation about covid vaccines was offered by a local pediatrician last year. The PTA, along with the Superintendent, Board of Education and the pediatrician, refused to correct the misinformation. Instead, they promoted one-sided information about the vaccine  all about the upside potential without a shred of warning about the adverse reactions. (May 27)

Even in just a few closing comments, theres nothing opaque about the Greenwich Patriots. And its not just the first selectman (I think they forgot hes on Team Red) and the Greenwich High School PTA they oppose, but Greenwich Hospital (for vaccinating young kids with the harmful, experimental jab), and both the Greenwich Public Library and its counterpart at GHS (the librarian offers a video of her LGBTQ book shrine in her twitter feed with the hash tags #PrideMonth #SummerReading and #NewBooks) and a middle school principal (I was really surprised to hear how students at Eastern were pressured into dressing to show their pride today ... Those who dont dress to show their support are concerned they may get bullied for not being inclusive).

They also dont exactly sound like boosters for the Gender Sexuality Alliance at Greenwich High School or anyone using their/them pronouns.

Pride Month seemed to be 30 days of hell for the Greenwich Patriots. At least they were able to spend part of it celebrating the Trump rally in Mendon, Ill., on June 25.

Even during the probe into Donald Trumps role in one of the most shameful days in U.S. history, some of his acolytes remain as loyal as Lord Voldemorts Death Eaters.

In Harry Potter, the wizards and witches were either with Voldemort or against him. But there are more than two factions in Greenwich politics: The left, the unaffiliated, the right, and this new direction. I wish William F. Buckley, longtime Stamford resident and founder of National Review, was still around to propound, as I suspect he would, I didnt fight for conservatives right to party for 50 years so this would happen.

Its not as though the Greenwich Patriots can be dismissed as a fringe group. Members played a role earlier this year in the formation of the new Greenwich Republican Town Committee (with Patriots now in control, they declared at the time). The RTC now boasts none other than Carl Higbie as captain of its social media squad. Higbie is the former U.S. Navy SEAL who served two tours in President Trumps administration and hosts a show on Newsmax.

So the RTC is still Tweeting support for Trumps policies and retweeting Donald Trump Jr. (since Papa Trump is banned from the platform): In Greenwich, republicans fought to get masks off kids who have a statistically ZERO risk of COVID, fighting CRT and instituted accountability in our Ciriculum. (June 28).

I dont care about the curriculum typos (though its making my spellcheck curse taboo words at me). I do care about the normalization of conspiracy theories. No one can accuse the New Greenwich Republicans of hiding who they are. They dont even seem to mind caustic posts suggesting they be renamed Greenwich Trumplicans.

Bold public comments make it easier to distinguish Greenwich Republicans, as though they are painted in different hues of scarlet. Town resident Leora Levy once objected to Trump the nominee as vulgar, ill-mannered. Now seeking the GOP nomination to run for U.S. Senate, she released a pop quiz Thursday designed to out her rival, Themis Klarides, for having a liberal voting record and not voting for Trump.

Shes not one of us, the Levy campaign claims of Klarides.

My guess is that Harry Fisher is one of them. Fisher was appointed last month to Greenwichs Board of Estimate and Taxation after Vice Chair Michael Basham resigned for health reasons. In recent days, Fishers Facebook posts promoted an Epoch Times documentary revealing The other side of the story that the J6 Committee refuses to investigate and the driveby media does not want you to see.

In case you missed it, Epoch Times pitches pro-Trump propaganda like Disney peddles that rodent who wears shoes without laces.

Once upon a time, Greenwich was a one-party town. It became a true two-party town in 2018 after the Democrats won a state senate seat for the first time in 88 years and the 150th District House seat it had not held since 1912

Just four years later, despite Ryan Fazio reclaiming the 36th district senate seat for the party in 2021, there are now the Democrats, the traditional Republicans and the Trumplicans.

Yes, Greenwich is now a three-party town.

John Breunig is editorial page editor of the Stamford Advocate and Greenwich Time. jbreunig@scni.com; twitter.com/johnbreunig.

P.S. I believe in a strong Republican party. But perpetually turning further right wont form a circle. It will carve a drain.
WEST HARTFORD  A housing analysis report says the town needs more rental units for lower-income residents and could be facing an affordability challenge.

The towns affordable housing advisory group was presented the findings of the report this week from its consultant, Donald Poland of Goman + York.

In his study, Poland said the town has a 1.3 percent ownership vacancy rate and a 4.4 percent rental vacancy rate, which indicates West Hartford is a very strong market.

But his report also showed West Hartford could have affordability issues.

To own the median-priced home of $330,100, Poland said, a buyer would need an estimated household income of $110,033  $4,803 higher than the towns median household income of $105,230.

This indicates that West Hartfords homeowner housing stock leans toward being less affordable  of the regional marketplace, Poland said. West Hartford, especially on the home ownership side, is a more expensive place to live than the region as a whole.

For renters, Poland said, the median gross rent is $1,361  about $200 more than the median gross rent for Hartford County and the state as a whole. In West Hartford, 37 percent of renters pay $1,500 or more per month for rent.

Your rental housing is running substantially higher than the region and the state, Poland said.

Poland also said 41.7 percent of renters spend 30 percent of their household income on rent and 28.9 percent of both owners and renters pay above affordability thresholds for housing.

Thats a fairly high number and it points to an affordability challenge or issue in West Hartford, Poland said.

Poland also said there is a shortage in rental housing at the lowest income levels, particularly for those with income levels below $34,999 a year. The biggest shortage is at the income level of less than $15,000 a year.

This is well below the federal poverty rate, Poland said. There are 636 fewer rental housing units available than the number of households. And these are your most at-risk populations.

Poland said the town should try to move closer to the state requirement for municipalities to offer 10 percent of its housing stock as affordable. If a town hasnt reached 10 percent, developers could avoid some local zoning regulations.

The key goal is how do you move towards it, Poland said. How do you make sure youre continuously moving towards it and continuously trying to provide and add more affordable housing, recognizing that its a betterment to the community. Otherwise, you will constantly be frustrated that youre not at 10 percent or you cant get to 10 percent.

In evaluating the types of housing that West Hartford offers, Poland said the town is more diverse than its suburban neighbors.

For a suburban community, you actually have a fairly high percentage of two-unit dwellings and three- or four-unit dwellings, and also multi-family dwellings, Poland said. My general take is you have a diverse housing stock compared to most suburban communities. I recently did this analysis in the town of Granby and over 90 percent of their housing stock is in the single-family category.

He also said the housing stock is older than much of the Hartford County area and state, but he doesnt see that as an issue.

Your housing is much older than the county and the state. Only 20 percent  was built between 1970 and 2020. Eighty percent is more than 50 years old, Poland said. In West Hartford, Im not usually concerned with that because of the robustness and the vibrancy of the community. Because of the wealth of the community. I know your housing stock is being invested in regularly.

Poland said he sees West Hartfords housing future focused more on redevelopment and the creation of multi-family housing, rather than the creation of single family housing.

Youre pretty much built out from a land perspective, Poland said. West Hartfords greatest opportunities moving forward are in the multi-family market. You dont have a bunch of raw land for single family houses. The only way to add new housing now is through redevelopment. The demolition and redevelopment of sites. I think youve seen that. That future of housing development is more in the multi-family stock than it is going to be in the single-family stock.

Kevin Sullivan, a member of the affordable housing advisory group, said Polands presentation offers them an opportunity to identify how they can move forward with recommendations to the town manager.

I was equally impressed by how helpful this has been in urging us to find what the balance is going to be between our aspirations and our possibilities, Sullivan said. In that sense, it was both an inspiration to continue to think about how much needs to be done, but a helpful statement on where we might focus our efforts in the hopes of making some reasonable and relatively more rapid progress. A healthy dose of realism is good for folks who want to do the right thing in terms of figuring out how to do as much of the right thing as we can do.

Poland said one opportunity for the town is to purchase existing stock in housing and preserve it as affordable.

This is one of the most interesting ways to potentially address affordability issues that isnt getting a lot of attention. West Hartford is a good candidate in this category, Poland said. Government, whether it be local or state ... invest in older, existing multi-family stock essentially saying we will purchase the affordability rights to 30 percent of the units at say $40,000 per unit and you have to guarantee that these units remain affordable.

Town Planner Todd Dumais said the group should formulate some higher-level goals and detailed actions at its next meeting in August.

It might make sense to start talking about plan implementation, Dumais said. Lets look at the data, lets look at the community outreach  and start talking about implementation.
ANSONIA  Mayor David Cassetti can be seen in a video running up the side stairs to City Hall, trying in vain to keep out a small group of zombies from getting into the building. But the zombies are too much for him and enter the room behind him.

But, before fleeing off camera to an unknown fate, the mayor has time to announce a film showing at Warsaw Park at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.

I dont have much time, but please, please join me this Saturday for Night of the Living Dead, Cassetti says in the short black and white clip posted on Facebook.

The ad was shot and directed by the citys corporation counsel, John Marini, to promote its drive-in movie nights at Warsaw Park.

While this isnt the first time the city has filmed a humorous video featuring the mayor, it is the first time the mayor has acted in a video and Marini said his love of movies made for a fun experience.

He was happy to tackle the role, Marini said of the mayor. And I have to say, hes a surprisingly good actor. We wonder whether or not he would have a successful future career as a character actor in films.

Cassetti only needed two takes to get his line right, he said.

Marini said since the city did not have a budget for the video, he shot it at City Hall on a Wednesday afternoon.

His sons volunteered to be zombies and several other residents also volunteered. The makeup was done by Rich DiCarlo, the president of the Valley Arts Council.

Marini said they used Hersheys chocolate syrup to simulate blood, which he said is standard especially in black and white horror films due to the similar consistency. Marini was also the camera operator.

It cost $4 to make in total, Marini said.

Marini said he took inspiration from horror movies he watched growing up. He said he grew up renting out movies and even shot his own short films as a teen. But he later went on to law school and while he stopped making movies after that, Marini never stopped watching them, he said.

But the opportunity to become the citys resident film director came when he joined the city government in 2013 as corporation counsel. He dabbled, he said, in short videos for the city government but he only really began to start shooting more elaborate ones in 2021 when he shot a video with Cassetti parodying the Karate Kid for the Ansonia Drive-In at Warsaw Park, which also started that year.

Marini said he didnt watch any tutorials on film-making before he shot the video because he was already familiar with many horror genre conventions. Cassetti also likes horror movies and listed Night of the Living Dead as one of his favorites.

Cassetti said he may be the only mayor in the state that also dabbles in acting on the side.

The reception has been broadly positive and several people have already volunteered to be zombies on Saturday to promote the movie showing. While Marini said hes usually inundated with work, he didnt rule out making more of these parodies.

If we have a couple hours of the day that we could use to again, to throw that spotlight on an event or an upcoming initiative, we'll definitely roll up our sleeves and get creative, Marini said.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of rebound following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter that Biden has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well. O'Connor said there is no reason to reinitiate treatment at this time.

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Biden will reenter isolation for at least five days. He will isolate at the White House until he tests negative. The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.

Just as when Biden first tested positive, the White House sought to show he was still working. The president sent out a picture of himself masked and tieless on Twitter, which showed him signing a declaration that added individual assistance for flood survivors in Kentucky.

The president followed up by tweeting out a 12-second video of him on a White House balcony with his dog, Commander.

I'm feeling fine, everything is good, said Biden, a pair of aviator sunglasses in his hand. But Commander and I got a little work to do.

The president also took time on Saturday to have a FaceTime conversation with people camping outside the U.S. Capitol who are seeking health benefits for military veterans exposed to toxic substances from burn pits during their service, according to White House chief of staff Ron Klain. A bill to provide expanded benefits failed to clear the Senate on Wednesday. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough brought the group pizza and the phone connection to talk with the president.

Feel better, a member of the group told Biden in a video of the call posted to Twitter. Later, in a tweet, the president said he had planned to meet with families at the Capitol but that his positive test got in the way.

Word of Bidens positive test came  he had been negative Friday morning  just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where first lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive. Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.

Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid after he first tested positive on July 21. He tested negative for the virus on this past Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters on Monday that data "suggests that between 5 and 8 percent of people have rebound after Paxlovid treatment.

Acknowledging the potential for so-called rebound COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid, the President increased his tested cadence, to protect people around him and to assure early detection of any return of viral replication, O'Connor wrote in his letter.

O'Connor cited negative tests for Biden from Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning, before Saturday morning's positive result by antigen testing. This in fact represents rebound' positivity," he wrote.

According to the CDC, those with rebound COVID should isolate for at least five days, ending that if a fever has resolved itself for 24 hours without medication and symptoms have improved. The patient should wear a mask for a total of 10 days after rebound symptoms started. Some people continue to test positive after day 10 but are considerably less likely to shed infectious virus.

Both the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer point out that 1% to 2% of people in Pfizers original study on Paxlovid saw their virus levels rebound after 10 days. The rate was about the same among people taking the drug or dummy pills, so it is unclear at this point that this is related to drug treatment, according to the FDA.

While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines. But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs on the White House complex.

Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.

Regulators are still studying the prevalence and virulence of rebound cases, but the CDC in May warned doctors that it has been reported to occur within two days to eight days after initially testing negative for the virus.

Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease, the agency said at the time.

When Biden was initially released from isolation on Wednesday, OConnor said the president would increase his testing cadence to catch any potential rebound of the virus.

Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce severe disease and death among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. U.S. health officials have encouraged those who test positive to consult their doctors or pharmacists to see if they should be prescribed the treatment, despite the rebound risk.

Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30.

While patients who have recovered from earlier variants of COVID-19 have tended to have high levels of immunity to future reinfection for 90 days, Jha said that the BA.5 subvariant that infected Biden has proven to be more immune-evasive.

We have seen lots of people get reinfected within 90 days, he said, adding that officials dont yet have data on how long those who have recovered from the BA.5 strain have protection from reinfection.
HAMDEN  Kristen Avery was all anyone could talk about at Whitney Rehabilitation Care Center, Sarah Mach recalled.

Avery had become a workplace hero overnight after rescuing a man from a crashed, smoking vehicle.

The next day all I heard was people talking about (the rescue), said Mach, Whitney Rehabs director of business development. Whoever Kristen Avery was, she was amazing. ... I just wanted to meet her.

Avery, 25, of New Haven is a certified nursing assistant, but she credited a public safety academy she participated in years ago, when she attended James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, with preparing her for intervening in the car crash that occurred July 5 in Hamden, right outside her job.

She was in a patients room when she looked out the window and saw a car crashing into a telephone pole on Whitney Avenue, she said.

Then Avery noticed the car was smoking - and the driver was still inside.

Avery sprang into action, yelling for someone to call 911 as she hurried down the stairs, she said, adding that she tripped every two seconds because of her platform shoes.

As she got to the scene, she summoned other bystanders to help get the driver out of the vehicle, she said.

There was no way he was staying in that car while I was there. No way, Avery said.

When her supervisor, Khalid Lamtaai, went outside, he said, he saw the driver on the ground by the car, Avery stabilizing his neck.

I give her credit. She did a perfect job because she intervened immediately, she did what is supposed to be done, Lamtaai said, adding that Avery was basically doing an EMTs job.

Avery believes the driver may have had a seizure but does not know what happened to him after the crash. She never even got his name.

The New Haven Register was able to identify the man by obtaining the Hamden Police Departments report on the crash. Multiple attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.

Like Avery, hospital staff who later treated the man told police he appeared to have had a seizure while driving, according to the report.

Avery hopes he recovered from the crash, she said.

She remembers how, after she pulled him from the vehicle, Avery sat and spoke to the man to prevent him from going into shock as they waited for first responders to arrive.

I wanted to explain, like, Hey, youre OK now. Help is on the way, she said.

How to care for someone who has had a seizure and how to speak to the victim of a crash were two of the skills Avery said she learned as a New Haven high school student.

When she was a freshman at Hillhouse, Gary Tinney, then a fire lieutenant with the city, helped launch a Public Safety Academy. The program aimed to expose students to careers in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical services and other fields.

It was Tinney who inspired Avery to participate in the program, she said.

Thats a phenomenal story, Tinney said when he learned about Averys role in the July 5 rescue.

You never know when you reach a kid in school, he said. You dont realize what youre going to say that makes a difference in their life.

Getting the news was a boost for Tinney.

I feel wonderful, he said. You talk about lifes work, and thats what its all about.

Tinney would like to launch a Public Safety Academy in Hamden, he said.

Meanwhile, the skills Avery put to use at the scene of the July 5 have earned her a reputation at work.

Her coworkers called her a hero, said Lamtaai. They were proud of her as a Whitney Manor coworker. They were proud of her as a  health care worker.

The chatter prompted Mach, who had not yet met Avery, to sit down with her.

Were really proud of her, everyone at Whitney. Shes sort of been put on this pedestal, said Mach.

Through their conversation, Mach learned of Averys drive to help others - eventually, Avery wants to become a lawyer who helps underserved populations.

But first she might try firefighting. The July 5 crash sparked her interest in the field.

I have the heart for it, Avery said.

meghan.friedmann@hearstmediact.com
DENVER (AP)  A lawyer for a wealthy dentist accused of shooting his wife straight through the heart with a shotgun at the end of an African safari to be with his longtime girlfriend urged jurors on Friday to dismiss what he said was a government case built on gossip and innuendo and acquit him.

Lawrence Larry Rudolph's attorney, David Markus, said there was a lot of noise during the three-week trial about the 67-year-old defendant's affairs, cash payments to his girlfriend and whether the funeral he organized for his wife was nice enough. But he said federal prosecutors had not proven that Bianca Rudolph, his client's wife of 34 years and a nervous traveler, did not accidentally shoot herself.

Bianca Rudolph died after being shot by their Browning shotgun in their cabin as she packed in a hurry on the October 2016 morning they were supposed to leave Zambia and start their journey home to the United States.

Lawyers gave their last arguments Friday in Denver federal court before handing the case off to a jury of six women and six men. Jurors did not reach a verdict by the end of the day and will resume deliberations on Monday.

Rudolph is charged with murder and mail fraud in what prosecutors describe as a premeditated crime. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of murder.

Markus acknowledged that Rudolph, a big game hunter and former head of an international safari club who testified that he had an open marriage with his wife, may not be likeable but he said he is still innocent.

Give Dr. Rudolph the benefit of the doubt that the law requires. He didn't do this, Markus said in closing arguments.

But prosecutors said the facts of the case removed all doubt of Rudolph's guilt, including that the shot hit Bianca's heart at an angle that indicated the gun was slightly above and about 2 to 3.5 feet (1 meter) away from her. The fatal shot could not have been caused by her accidentally dropping the gun, U.S. Assistant Attorney Bryan Fields told jurors.

Rudolph filed a life insurance claim the day before his wife's funeral, went to Las Vegas with another woman the day after the funeral and his girlfriend, Lori Milliron, moved into his home by the end of the month, U.S. Assistant Attorney Garreth Winstead said.

Fields said Rudolph killed his wife to be with Milliron, a longtime employee at his Pennsylvania dental franchise, and regain control over his life and finances after Bianca Rudolph began demanding more say in the couple's finances and pressuring her husband to fire Milliron. Milliron was tried alongside Rudolph on accusations of lying to a grand jury and being an accessory after the fact.

Millirons attorney, John Dill, has suggested she is the victim of leading questions by investigators and the grand jury. He told jurors Friday the case against his client was like a click bait news story without any substance to back up the enticing headline. Dill said investigators tried to trip her up and use her answers against her later, he said.

Rudolph was worth more than $15 million when his wife died and Markus argued he had no financial motive for murder. Investigators for the insurers who later paid $4.8 million for Bianca Rudolph's death concluded her death was an accident.

A bartender at a steakhouse in Phoenix, where Milliron moved to be with Rudolph after Biancas death, said he overheard Rudolph saying "I killed my f---g wife for you! during an argument they were having in early 2020. However, Brian Lovelace testified that he could not hear the words right before that statement because music was playing. Rudolph testified that he actually said, Now theyre saying I killed my f---g wife for you! after learning that the FBI was investigating him.

Prosecutors emphasized that Rudolph filed a defamation lawsuit that said officials at Safari Club International falsely accused him of adultery and lying about his affairs when questioned by lawyers. During his murder trial, Rudolph acknowledged he had lied during that lawsuit but said he was being truthful now. Fields told jurors not to believe anything Rudolph said, saying he had nothing to lose by lying about killing his wife.

During the trial, the Rudolphs longtime hunting guide, Mark Swanepoel, testified that mistakes can always happen with firearms, saying, The devil loads the shotgun.

While Fields accused Rudolph of crying crocodile tears on the stand, after he said Rudolph shot and killed his wife, Fields pointed out that Swanepoel rushed in to find Rudolph sobbing. Fields said Rudolph recognized the gravity of what he had done.

The devil loads the shotgun but it's the demons who haunt the man who wields it, Fields said.

After closing arguments, Rudolph looked toward his two adult children, Anabianca and Julian Rudolph, sitting in the courtroom gallery to support him, and made a sign of the cross before being led out a side door by authorities. Outside in the hallway, they spoke quietly with relatives of their mother, including her brothers, who have been sitting on the prosecution side of court.
Atazamu Azaki and Ayuba John, a driver and conductor were on Thursday snatched from a farm in Chida community, Kwali Area Council of Abuja b...





Atazamu Azaki and Ayuba John, a driver and conductor were on Thursday snatched from a farm in Chida community, Kwali Area Council of Abuja by terrorists.





A source in the community told newsmen that the incident occurred around 6pm on Thursday, explaining that the driver and the conductor went to the farm to carry charcoal when they were abducted by the terrorists.





The source said the terrorists invaded the farm with sophisticated weapons and kidnapped the victims.





He explained that the conductor was later released by the terrorists to go home to inform the drivers family members about his whereabouts and raise money for ransom.





Recall that last Saturday, Mr Sunday Odoma Ojarume and his wife, Mrs Janet Odoma Ojarume were abducted from Sheda village in Kwali Area Council was but the wife later released to go and source money for her husbands ransom.





DSP Adeh Josephine, the spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, did not respond to calls to ascertain the incident.
Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has urged members of the National Assembly not to be in a...

Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has urged members of the National Assembly not to be in a hurry to impeach President Muhmmadu Buhari.

The minority caucus of the National Assembly earlier this week resolved to begin impeachment proceedings against the President in six weeks if the countrys security situation does not improve.

But speaking during a courtesy call on the Kwara State Governor in Illorin, Kwankwaso urged the lawmakers not to rock the boat.

I dont know the facts that they have. But as their former colleague, I want them to tread very softly, he said.

They should not be in a hurry to rock the boat. Yes, I know they have reasons to be worried  I am sure everybody in this country is worried about insecurity; because some of these things could happen to anybody  even the presidential fleet was attacked in Katsina State. So, I think we need to do more.

He said the military is capable of winning the war against insurgency but advocated for wide consultation irrespective of political differences.

On his part, the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, called for understanding and collaboration between politicians to bring about development to the country.
Babatunde Gbadamosi, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP), has asked his followers to donate money for him ...





Babatunde Gbadamosi, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP), has asked his followers to donate money for him to procure the nomination form of the Labour Party (LP).

Gbadamosi, in a post published on his social media platforms , declared his intention to contest the 2023 Lagos governorship election, saying the state must be rescued from those who have turned it to a personal money-making machine.

The real-estate developer however said he does not have the money to purchase the N15 million LP nomination form for the governorship election.

Gbadamosi added that having contested two back-to-back elections in the state, he does not have the financial power to single-handedly sponsor another election.

For the last few months, many have clamoured on various social media platforms that I should contest for governor on the platform of the Labour Party. Its an interesting idea which I cannot honestly say does not intrigue me, he wrote.

While it is true that Lagos needs rescuing from the clutches of those who have turned it into their personal ATM, it is also true that due to the unscrupulous way they withdraw from that ATM, the effort will be an uphill task that will require immense resources, from my personal experience.

At this point in time, having almost single-handedly contested two major elections back-to-back within two years in 2019 and 2020 (Gubernatorial and Senatorial bye-election), Im afraid Im all tapped out.

I simply do not have the resources to engage in another electoral adventure, even though the odds seem to favour Labour Party, if they can present a morally solid, politically credible, articulate, knowledgeable, experienced and courageous candidate in Lagos right now.

My past political forays have taught me one thing  you cannot rescue people who are not interested in being rescued. The only way I can believe Lagosians are ready for true freedom from the Jagajagabandits is when I see true commitment.

I am told the Labour Party Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms cost 15m, and there is a fee for waiver, that could bring the total to up to 20m. INEC deadline for final substitution of Gubernatorial candidates is August 12th, 2022.

If truly youre interested in getting me to run, it is time to put your money where your mouth is, and go get me the Labour party form, because honestly, I really no get shishi to give.

Based on the incredible responses weve gotten so far, here we go! If you really do wish to see this happen, please send your donations to 0013488601 GTB.

In 2019, Gbadamosi contested the Lagos governorship election on the platform of the ADP. He placed third with 4,780 votes in the election won by Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In 2020, having rejoined PDP, he contested the Lagos east senatorial bye-election and he lost to Tokunbo Abiru of the APC.
The Sokoto State Government on Friday declared Monday, August 1, as a work-free day to mark the commencement of the Islamic New Year. Govern...





The Sokoto State Government on Friday declared Monday, August 1, as a work-free day to mark the commencement of the Islamic New Year.





Governor Aminu Tambuwal made the declaration in a statement he personally signed in Sokoto.





After due consultation with the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar, on the citing of the new moon which heralds the new Islamic month and year today, I hereby declare Monday, August 1, 2022, as a work-free day, Tambuwal said.





Consequently, I enjoin our brethren to use the occasion as a moment of solemn reflection, charity and prayer for peace, prosperity and good governance.





Tambuwal urged residents to bear in mind the divine lessons of the month as one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden.





He urged the people to eschew bitterness, rancour, restiveness and wanton violence.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. Thunder possible. High 81F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening with showers after midnight. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan and Turkiye are jointly filming TV series about the Second Karabakh War, Azernews reports.

In his statement, First Deputy Culture Minister Elnur Aliyev told Report.az that the filming is being carried out in cooperation with the famous Turkish studio Bozdag Film.

The first deputy culture minister pointed out that the series is initially planned to consist of eight episodes.

"The work is nearing completion. I don't want to run ahead of the story, but I can say that the first series is expected to be released this year," said Elnur Aliyev.

The first deputy culture minister noted that the name of the screenplay is already known.

"But it is too early to announce the name of the series because it is not certain. The series is the result of cooperation between Turkiye and Azerbaijan. Turkish and Azerbaijani actors will be cast in the series. We will try to make it a symbol of our cooperation," he said.

The first episode is expected to be broadcast on Victory Day (November 8).

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan and Turkiye reached an agreement on cooperation in the film industry in 2021.

Azerbaijani Culture Minister Anar Karimov and Turkish Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Ahmet Misbah Demircan discussed the production of joint films and series dedicated to Azerbaijan's victory in the 2020 second Karabakh war.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27.

The 44-day war ended with the Russia-brokered peace deal signed on November 10 by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders.

The peace agreement ended the 30-year-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 81F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. Thunder possible. High near 80F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.
My world got a lot more Thai, thats for sure, says Walsh, who had never traveled much outside of Louisiana and didnt even have a passport.

Since the pair got together, theyve traveled three times to Thailand, including with Walshs folks, who wanted to meet Welchs parents. Now its our favorite place to go, he says.

Thai'd Up What Thaid Up Where 1839 Gentilly Blvd., (504) 354-8202; thaidupla.com When Lunch and dinner Thu.-Mon. How Dine-in and takeout Check it out Traditional Thai cuisine in a neighborhood spot

The couple have been working together for the past year, initially while running Bangkok Thai next to Cooter Browns in the Riverbend neighborhood. Theyd planned on buying the place, but the deal fell through. Walshs family has a hospitality background  his dad was a bell captain at the Marriott for years and he worked as a valet at hotels in the French Quarter for 12 years.

We figured, lets try working for ourselves, Walsh says. We love it.

They heard about the Gentilly Boulevard location when Catty Shack owner Catherine Smith decided to close her Tex-Mex eatery. We are thrilled with the location and the neighbors are just wonderful, Welch says. When we were renovating, folks would knock on the door and ask us what was going on, when we were going to open.

Since opening in early July, the 25-seat dining room is usually full for lunch and dinner, and there is plenty of takeout business as well.

Welch, 27, came to New Orleans eight years ago to stay with close friends of her parents. While she was waiting for her green card, she worked as a server at a sushi restaurant.

I really didnt know how to cook Thai food, she says. When we moved in together, Ryan asked me to cook for him, but I didnt have any confidence. But he said, Its good, I can eat it. So, I started cooking for his parents and for my friends at work. Then I went to work at Bangkok Thai for two years.

Armed with recipes from family and friends in Thailand, Welch created a menu of familiar dishes and added a few of her own favorites at Thaid Up. She serves tender roti with curry dipping sauce as an appetizer. Deep-fried tofu comes with a sweet chili sauce, and fresh spring rolls arrive packed with fragrant herbs and vegetables, perfect for swiping through house-made peanut sauce. She makes her own beef jerky, drying strips of marinated steak before baking them in a sweet-and-savory Thai chili sauce.

The menu includes the usual suspects for soups and salads, including a shredded green papaya salad dressed with fish sauce and lime. A creamy version of spicy hot-and-sour tom yum cools off the heat with evaporated milk. In a menu section of grilled items, a choice of marinated chicken or pork is served with a strident jaew dipping sauce made with shallots, fish sauce, fresh lime juice, chilis and herbs. A less potent version is served with butter-Thai shrimp, Welchs play on butterflied shrimp cooked with butter.

Welchs version of the popular noodle dish pad thai, offered with chicken, beef or shrimp, is bright with notes of citrus and tamarind. Drunken noodles, a popular Bangkok street food, is another winner. In every case, the heat level can be ratcheted from none to Thai hot, depending on the palate. Thai fried rice, curries and stir fries powered by basil, eggplant, cashews and garlic offer tasty vegetarian options. She plans to introduce specials soon.

For dessert, sweet sticky rice served with mango is a must. Welch soaks the rice overnight with pandan leaves, which turns the sticky rice bright green and gives it an herbal flavor  perfect with the sweetness of sliced, ripe mango.

Currently, the restaurant offers an all-day menu from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Monday. The restaurant is waiting on a liquor license, and diners can bring their own or grab drinks next door at the Jockey Pub. There is a $15 corkage fee.

Although neither Welch nor Walsh expected to be running a restaurant at this point in their lives, they say they couldnt be happier.

I love this work, Welch says. I love feeding people.
This week, the Satchmo SummerFest will once again celebrate the musical legacy of Louis Armstrong. The festival is scheduled each year to coincide with Armstrongs birthday on Aug. 4.

The first festival was held in 2001, which would have marked the centennial of Armstrongs birth. That year, New Orleans International Airport was also renamed in his honor.

The city is home to two other permanent tributes to Armstrong, who died in 1971. Armstrong Park was dedicated on April 15, 1980. The 31-acre, $10 million park on North Rampart Street took more than seven years to build. Its construction in historic Congo Square was not without controversy.

The parks 10-foot-tall bronze statue of Armstrong is the work of sculptor Elizabeth Catlett. Armstrongs widow Lucille was there when the park opened. Im on cloud nine. Im ecstatic. This is a marvelous tribute to Louis and he richly deserves it, she said at the opening ceremony. It featured performances from Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, Al Hirt, Allen Toussaint and others.

Theaudric Davis brings his Real Clever Cuisine to Satchmo SummerFest Theaudric Davis told us about learning to cook, his festival menus and building a business.

In Algiers, Armstrong is also highlighted on the Robert E. Nims Jazz Walk of Fame along the Mississippi River near the ferry landing. It features a statue of Armstrong created by artists at Kern Studios, along with plaques honoring other jazz musicians.

The Walk of Fame was dedicated in 2003.
Hey Blake,

How did the Ochsner name end up on hospitals and clinics? Where was the first Ochsner hospital located?

Dear reader,

Although the Ochsner hospitals and clinics bear the name of Dr. Alton Ochsner, he was one of five physicians to establish the first one in 1942. Ochsner was a native of South Dakota who came to New Orleans in 1927 and became director of surgery at the Tulane University School of Medicine. In 1939, he was among the first doctors in the world to identify cigarette smoking as a cause of lung cancer.

Ochsner wanted to bring to New Orleans the type of group medical practice typified by the Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. He recruited four Tulane doctors: orthopedic surgeon Dr. Guy Caldwell, urologist Dr. Edgar Burns, ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Francis Duke LeJeune Sr. and OB-GYN Dr. Curtis Tyrone.

Each contributed $4,300 to open the citys first private group practice clinic. According to Ochsners website, the idea was so controversial that the founders were shunned by fellow doctors, who called it unfair competition.

According to Ochsners 1981 Times-Picayune obituary, the names New Orleans Clinic and Southern Clinic were suggested for the new clinic, before the founders named it after Ochsner. They sent him a telegram while he was attending a meeting in Utah: The baby has a name: the Ochsner clinic.

That first clinic opened Jan. 2, 1942 at Prytania and Aline, across the street from Touro Infirmary. It was such a success that by 1944, the founders were able to establish the Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation.

In 1947, the foundation purchased a former Army hospital at Camp Plauche, a military installation located near the foot of the Huey P. Long Bridge. That became the first Ochsner hospital. It closed in 1954 when a new five-story, 250-bed facility opened at the site of Ochsners current Jefferson Highway campus.

There, in 1970, Dr. John Ochsner, Alton Ochsners son, performed the first heart transplant in the South, establishing Ochsner as a leader in transplant surgeries.

Ochsner Health System, as it is now known, operates 40 hospitals and more than 300 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi and the Gulf South, employing more than 34,000 people.
An 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl were both shot in the 3000 block of Orleans Avenue (map) in Bayou St. John on Thursday evening, New Orleans police said.

The victims heard gunshots and soon realized they'd been shot. Both were brought to an area hospital in a personal vehicle. Police received the call at 7:31 p.m.

The shooting is one of several violent crimes to take place in New Orleans in a 24-hour period since Thursday morning. Here's what else we know via preliminary information from police:

Man robbed in Warehouse District

A 26-year-old man was robbed at gunpoint in the Warehouse District on Thursday morning, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

The man saw two other men breaking into his car in the 700 block of Fulton Street (map) when one of the men pulled a gun out and demanded the victim's belongings, police said. The victim gave the two men his belongings, and the men ran away, according to the NOPD, which received the call at 8:13 a.m.

Man shot in Central City

NOLA Business Insider The biggest stories in business, delivered to you every day. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

A 35-year-old man was shot in the 3200 block of Third Street (map) in the Hoffman Triangle on Thursday evening.

Officers were near the scene investigating a different crime when the man walked up to them at around 6:20 p.m. and said he'd been shot. The victim went to a hospital in a personal vehicle and a boy under 18 was arrested for the crime at the scene.

Man carjacked near Hoffman Triangle

A 26-year-old man was carjacked in the 2100 block of South Claiborne Avenue (map) in Central City Thursday night. As the man entered his car, two men with guns approached him and demanded his vehicle. The victim gave up his keys, and the two men drove away in the victim's green 2005 Scion XB with the Louisiana license plate 632FNT. Police received the call at 11:09 p.m.

No other details were immediately available. Anyone with information regarding these crimes is asked to call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-111. Tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward.
Lenovo's affordable gaming laptop from the IdeaPad series offers a lot of bang for the buck in the US$500 price range as it is equipped with an admirably performing Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 and a Core i5-11300H quad-core processor from Intel's Tiger Lake family of mobile CPUs.

4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , Arc , ARM , Audio , Benchmark , Biotech , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , DIY , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Ice Lake , Intel , Intel Evo , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Leaks / Rumors , Linux / Unix , List , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Raptor Lake , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Wi-Fi 7 , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) , Zen 4 Ticker

After we have tracked a few attractive deals for budget-friendly 15-inch gaming laptops like the popular Dell G15 over the past few weeks, gamers who prefer a notebook in the US$500 price range that is made by the reputable Chinese manufacturer Lenovo can now also rejoice. One of the largest electronics retailers in the US currently offers the adequately specced Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 at a very intriguing sale price.

To be more precise, Best Buy sells the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 configuration with the Intel Core i5-11300H quad-core processor, 8GB of expandable system memory as well as a dedicated Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU with 4GB of VRAM for an enticing sale price of US$550 including free shipping or store pickup. This budget gaming laptop is further equipped with a quick 120Hz IPS display with a regular Full-HD resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels, and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 comes with Windows 11 preinstalled on its fairly small but easily upgradable 256GB M.2 SSD.

In our comprehensive Notebookcheck review of the slightly better RTX 3050 Ti configuration of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, we praised its good 1080p gaming performance as well as the comfortable backlit keyboard. Even more importantly, we found that the gaming laptop's cooling system performs very efficiently, and the matte finish of the aforementioned IPS display should put an end to annoying reflections when gaming on the go. Overall, Best Buy's deal for the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is a very sensible choice for budget-conscious FHD gamers who are currently looking for a new gaming laptop in the US$500 price range.

Buy the "Shadow Black" Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 gaming laptop with an Intel Core i5 and RTX 3050 on sale for US$550 at Best Buy
Images published on Wednesday show weapons depots and tunnels in Gaza near a school, a Pepsi factory, and other civilian buildings.

Other sites include a U.N.-run school, a medical clinic, a library, and mosques.

The Israeli military accuses Hamasthe radical Islamist group that governs the Gaza Stripof hiding them in densely populated areas.
KYIVUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday his government was ordering the mandatory evacuation of people in the eastern Donetsk region, scene of fierce fighting with Russia.

In a late-night television address, Zelenskyy also said the hundreds of thousands of people still in combat zones in the larger Donbas region, which contains Donetsk as well as the neighboring Luhansk region, needed to leave.

The more people leave (the) Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill, he said, adding that residents who left would be given compensation.

Separately, domestic Ukrainian media outlets quoted Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk as saying the evacuation needed to take place before winter begins since the regions natural gas supplies had been destroyed.

Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of people were still living in areas of Donbas where fighting was fierce.

Many refuse to leave but it still needs to be done, the president said. If you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraines military said more than 100 Russian soldiers had been killed and seven tanks destroyed in fighting in the south on Friday, including the Kherson region that is the focus of Kyivs counteroffensive in that part of the country and a key link in Moscows supply lines.

Rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River had been cut, the militarys southern command said, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river from supplies in occupied Crimea and the east.

South of the town of Bakhmut, which Russia has cited as a prime target in Donetsk, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had been partially successful in establishing control over the settlement of Semyhirya by storming it from three directions.

He established himself on the outskirts of the settlement, the militarys evening report said, referring to Russian forces.

Defense and intelligence officials from Britain, which has been one of Ukraines staunchest allies since Moscow invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, portrayed Russian forces as struggling to maintain momentum.

Ukraine has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to badly damage three bridges across the Dnipro in recent weeks, cutting off Kherson city and  in the assessment of British defence officials  leaving Russias 49th Army highly vulnerable on the rivers west bank.

The Kherson regions pro-Ukrainian governor, Dmytro Butriy, said fighting was continuing in many parts of the region, and that Berislav district, just northwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, was particularly hard hit.

In some villages, not a single home has been left intact, all infrastructure has been destroyed, people are living in cellars, he wrote on Telegram.

Just to the north of Lysychansk, which Moscows forces captured in early July after weeks of fighting, Ukrainian partisans destroyed a railway junction box near the Russian-controlled town of Svatove on Friday night, making it harder for Moscow to transport ammunition to the front lines by train, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said in an online post.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.

Officials from the Russian-appointed administration running the Kherson region earlier this week rejected Western and Ukrainian assessments of the situation.

Prison Deaths

Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations over a missile strike or explosion early on Friday that appeared to have killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the front-line town of Olenivka, held by Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Donetsk.

Russias defense ministry on Saturday published a list of 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war killed and 73 wounded in what it said was a Ukrainian military strike with a U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

Ministry spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said all political, criminal, and moral responsibility rested with Zelenskyy, his criminal regime and Washington who supports them.

The ministry said Russia had invited experts from the United Nations and the Red Cross to probe the deaths in the interests of conducting an objective investigation.

The separatists put the death toll at 53.

Ukraines armed forces denied responsibility, saying Russian artillery had targeted the prison to hide mistreatment there. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Friday Russia had committed a war crime and called for international condemnation.

Reuters could not immediately verify the differing versions of events, but some of the deaths were confirmed by Reuters journalists who visited the prison.

The United Nations said earlier it was prepared to send experts to investigate if it obtains consent from both parties. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was seeking access and had offered to help evacuate the wounded.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his condolences in a Friday phone call with Kuleba and said Washington was committed to hold Russia accountable for atrocities, the U.S. State Department said.

Ukraine has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians and identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes. Russia denies targeting civilians and war crimes.
First Merchants Bank profits slid to $38.5 million in the second quarter, a 30.7% decline year-over-year.

The Muncie-based bank, which has a large footprint in the Region, made $55.6 million in the second quarter of 2021 and $48.6 million in the first quarter. Its earnings per share were 63 cents per share in the second quarter, as compared to $1.03 per share in the second quarter of 2021 and 91 cents in the first quarter.

First Merchants, the second largest bank headquartered in the state of Indiana, made $60 million in adjusted net income in the second quarter, up from $48.3 million in the second quarter of 2021 and from $47.3 million in the first quarter.

The bank grew its loans by $2 billion in the second quarter, including by $1.6 billion from acquiring Level One Bank. It grew loans organically by $468.3 million, or 20.1%.

First Merchants is encouraged by second quarter annualized organic loan growth of 20 percent combined with core margin expansion of 22 basis points," CEO Mark Hardwick said. "The legal close of Level One was a key accomplishment of our second quarter improving our prospects for future growth.

First Merchants Bank grew deposits by $1.7 billion in the second quarter. The bank pulled in $128.7 million in net interest income, a 25.8% increase.

The bank ended the quarter with $17.8 billion in assets and $11.4 billion in loans. It now has $14.6 billion in deposits, which is up $2.4 billion over the past year.

First Merchants Bank's allowance for credit losses totaled $226.3 million at the end of the quarter, which was up $30.3 million or 1.98% as compared to the previous quarter because of the acquisition of Level One.
When it came to the battle of COVID-19 versus the Frankfort Bluegrass Festival in 2022, the music won.

But it made things more interesting for the organizers.

The free July 9-10 event, held in downtown Frankfort, drew 8,000-10,000 people after COVID wiped it out in 2020 and 2021.

It couldnt have been better, said the fests founder, Steve Haberichter. I mean, you could always say it could be better but everything that happened was great.

The weather was perfect. Everyone was professional. The bands loved it. The fans loved it. The vendors did very well. The businesses in town that were open did well.

This was the 10th running of the event, and it ran smoothly despite some hiccups with bands scratching because of COVID.

Haberichter said that he had to juggle and re-juggle the schedule at the last minute, a twist on the first nine fests.

In a nutshell, it was a lot to deal with, he said. It was a lot of extra work. There were extra moving parts, but everyone was very respectful and understanding and really worked with us to accommodate the schedule.

Robbie Fulks, who played two sets and hosted a workshop July 9, was scheduled to front a quartet but his guitar player had COVID so Fulks headed up a trio. His wife, Donna, also had COVID.

COVID is pressing in on my walls more than it ever has this whole time, he said.

But he was glad to be playing live.

Its great playing outside, he said. Its always good to play music. Its easy to find a job you cant stand so I feel privileged to do this.

The event is billed as family friendly, and New Lenoxs Brooke Groszek has been running the kids area since 2011. She said she offered black smithing, wood chopping, family yoga, circus demonstrations, tie-dying, bubbles and other activities.

Groszek marvels at the children, including those who have grown up at the fest.

They are like little mayors walking around because they think its their fest, she said. Now they are grown and helping out and volunteering. They are old enough to help out."

Santina Stedman, a Frankfort native now living in Chicago, made her first trip to the event with her 2-year-old daughter, Emilia.

Stedman was there to see Barefoot Movement, whom she had seen in Florida and the Chicago area. She was impressed with the bash in her hometown.

I love it. There are a lot of activities for the kids and thats always a bonus, she said. I like that everything is separated and spaced out. Otherwise, everyone would be on top of each other.

Haberichter said he cant thank the 100-plus volunteers enough.

They are doing this so we can help put this on again for free next year, he said. We had a case where we had three generations of a family volunteering. Since this is a family event, I like seeing that.

He said people from all over the country attended, mostly from the Midwest. But there were some from the West Coast as well as a man from Italy.

The festival got off to a positive start for Haberichter when he saw hundreds of people gathering at the stages when it opened at 10 a.m.

The first time we held Bluegrass Fest, there were like four people there for the first acts, he said. Ive been in bands where we had the early set and you see two people standing in the field and wondered if it was worth driving all that way.

But this was the largest crowd we ever had for the early act and the crowds just increased from there.
HAMMOND  A man awaiting trial on murder and drug conspiracy charges is newly accused of an elaborate plan to smuggle drugs into his jail cell.

The U.S. attorney Friday charged Teddia Teddy Caldwell and Paronica Bonds, both of Gary, with conspiracy to provide contraband into the Porter County Jail in Valparaiso.

The government alleges Bonds sent a letter to Caldwells jail cell containing paper stained with synthetic marijuana with the street name of spice that could be inhaled for a marijuana-like high.

Caldwell, 46, the estranged husband of Gary Councilwoman Linda Barnes-Caldwell, has been in federal detention since his arrest and indictment four years ago on charges of masterminding a heroin and crack cocaine network between June 2016 and February 2018 and murder.

Bonds, 38, Caldwells girlfriend and co-defendant, has been free on probation since she pleaded guilty in 2016 to a firearms violation.

The government alleges Bonds sent Caldwell a letter disguised as privileged attorney-client communication between Caldwell and one of his defense attorneys.

Porter County Jail employees became suspicious because the return address on the letters envelope appeared to be a cut and pasted off of another envelope used inside the jail.

The government alleges Caldwells defense attorney denied having sent Caldwell the letter.

Police opened the letter and found pages containing a yellow stain later identified as the chemical MDMB-4en-PINACA, a designer drug that mimics an active ingredient of marijuana.

Police questioned Bonds, who admitted to sending the letter, which she obtained from a man who previously had been incarcerated with Caldwell.

Bonds and Caldwell appeared Friday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge John E. Martin, who advised them of the new charge placed against them.

He ordered Bonds detention, pending trial.

The new charge tore up the courts schedule to have Caldwell and Devonte Lil Bro Hodge, 30, of Gary, face a federal jury next month.

Now, Caldwell and Hodges trial has been rescheduled for May 1, 2023.

And Caldwells two other co-defendants, Taquan Boonie Clarke and Devontae Martin, both 28, of Gary, will now go to trial beginning Aug. 22.

A federal grand jury indicted a total of nine individuals four years ago with carrying out a conspiracy to deal narcotics out of Caldwells home, his Gary car wash business and several Gary properties he turned into drug houses.

Caldwell and Hodge are additionally charged with killing Akeem Oliver, 29, of Gary Oct. 8, 2016 in Gary. The government alleges Caldwell ordered  and Hodge carried out  the homicide because they suspected Oliver was a police informant.

Martin and Clarke are charged with the drug-related homicide of 43-year-old Kevin Hood of Gary on July 28, 2017. The government alleges the two killed Hood, a rival drug dealer, during a robbery in Gary.
GARY  Two Gary residents were shot and killed this weekend in separate homicides in the Steel City.

According to the Lake County coroner's office, Raven Washington, 31, of Gary, was pronounced dead of a single gunshot wound shortly before 6 p.m. Friday at 1338 Roosevelt St.

Gary police reports indicate Washington was found at the site slumped over in an abandoned vehicle "with blood all over."

Records show Lake County police dispatchers received a report of a homicide at that location Friday afternoon.

An abandoned house and empty lot next door were cordoned off with police tape. A neighbor, who declined to provide her identity, reported hearing gunshots late Thursday evening.

The coroner's office said the second shooting victim was Diondray Gill, 32, of Gary. He was shot and wounded at 4901 E. Melton Rd.

Gill was pronounced dead around 5 a.m. Saturday in the emergency room at Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus, 600 Grant St., according to the coroner.

Gary police did not immediately respond to requests for more information about the circumstances of each homicide, or whether anyone is in custody in connection with the slayings.
The debate over whether Indiana should enact a near-total abortion ban will continue for at least one more week.

Without a single vote to spare, the Republican-controlled Senate reluctantly agreed Saturday to advance to the House its plan to prohibit all abortions in the state, with limited exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake.

Senate Bill 1 was approved with the bare minimum of 26 votes needed to send it to the House, with several "yes" votes coming from senators, including state Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores, who said he only was supporting it in its current form to "keep the conversation going."

Others had seemingly less rational reasons for backing the measure. For example, state Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville, said he initially opposed the plan because it fails to stop all abortions, but he voted for it to spite the abortion rights protesters variously cheering and booing outside the Senate chamber during debate on the legislation.

Twenty senators opposed the measure, including 10 Republicans preferring either a "no exceptions" abortion ban or fewer restrictions than those contained in the proposal. All 10 Democrats voted "no." Three Republicans and one Democratic senator were absent.

In the Northwest Indiana delegation, the roll call split along party lines with Bohacek, state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso; and state Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, voting to keep the proposal moving, knowing that changes expected to be made by the Republican-controlled House will require a subsequent up-or-down vote in the Senate.

Opposing the measure were state Sens. Michael Griffin, D-Highland; Eddie Melton, D-Gary; and Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton. State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, was absent.

As it currently stands, the legislation requires a person who becomes pregnant because of rape or incest to obtain an abortion within eight weeks of fertilization if she is age 16 or older, or prior to 12 weeks post-fertilization if the girl is less than 16 years old.

A non-confidential affidavit attesting to a pregnancy caused by rape or incest, signed and notarized under penalties of perjury, must be submitted and permanently included in the woman's medical record as a condition of receiving an abortion, according to the proposal.

In all other cases, abortion would be prohibited in Indiana except when a doctor determines  and is willing to risk his or her professional license on the belief  that an abortion is needed to prevent substantial permanent impairment to the life of a pregnant woman.

Remarkably, not a single senator explicitly spoke in favor of the proposal during the more than three hours of debate in an ultra-rare weekend meeting of the Senate, amid an already rare summer special session of the Indiana General Assembly.

State Sen. Sue Glick, R-LaGrange, the sponsor of the measure, even admitted she's not particularly satisfied with the plan. But she insisted, "It's a step, and I believe it's a step in the right direction."

"We're trying to hit a place that we can live with, where we can protect as many people as possible," Glick said. "This bill pretty much stops elective abortions in the state of Indiana  98.5% of those abortions will stop."

That's not good enough for some Republican senators, and their allies in the anti-abortion community, who said anything less than a total abortion ban, with no exceptions but for the life of the mother, is unacceptable when the U.S. Supreme Court has given states, through its June 24 Dobbs v. Jackson ruling repealing the right to abortion established in 1973 by Roe v. Wade, the green light to prohibit all abortion.

"It's about the babies," said state Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville, who opposed the measure. "It doesn't protect all babies."

The National Right to Life Committee, through its Terre Haute attorney Jim Bopp Jr., likewise claimed the legislation "would fail to protect lives" and instead "endanger vulnerable women and their unborn children."

"Senate Bill 1 contains vague language and ill-defined terms which would actually protect abortion instead of protecting unborn children. Senate Bill 1 also would undermine existing protections for unborn children with disabilities. The pro-life movement calls upon pro-life legislators in the Indiana legislature to reject this travesty of a bill," the Bopp organization said.

Democrats actually did most of the talking in the Senate as they pleaded with their Republican colleagues Saturday to try putting themselves in the shoes of Hoosier women and girls who no longer will have access to abortion if the proposal becomes law.

State Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said she was in those shoes not so long ago as an unmarried, 34-year-old woman who made three consecutive appointments at an abortion clinic but ultimately decided not to follow through with the procedure because she had the time she needed to think about all her options  up to 20 weeks under current Indiana law  and then make a decision on her own.

Yoder said it's wrong for a 50-member legislative body comprised of 42 men and 8 women beyond childbearing age to take that option away from young Hoosier women, and even more wrong to set strict time limits for rape and incest victims to seek an abortion when they may not even realize they're pregnant until it's too late.

"This law will bring terror and despair to thousands of women," Yoder said. "Rape and incest exceptions do not make this a good bill. ... A woman should never have to be raped to guarantee her liberty, her reproductive freedom."

"This is the end result of unchecked power, ego and hubris," Yoder added.

Pol described the legislation as "government overreach into women's doctors' offices that "cruelly and callously" denies women access to reproductive health care and makes a mockery of what government is supposed to do.

"Your birth control or your IUD failed? Too bad, you're going to be forced to give birth," Pol said. "We were called here to help families, not to strip away rights, not to force births on women, not to debate Bible verses."

Similarly, Griffin said that after praying over the decision, he could not in good conscience vote in favor of denying women the choice of whether to bear or beget a child.

"It is a deep breach of my oath to use the powers of government to enact a policy that's based on a religious view of when life begins," Griffin said.

"My colleagues and I brought many amendments to the table that attempted to improve family services and better define and exempt life-threatening pregnancies: All were shot down. This bill will drive health care workers out of our state when theyre desperately needed, further burden our insufficient social infrastructure and do irreversible harm to many Hoosier women," he added.

Melton emphasized the eyes of the nation are on Indiana as it is the first state in the country to convene its Legislature post-Dobbs and take up the issue of abortion. He said the nation should be horrified by what it's seeing play out at the Statehouse.

"I cannot say this enough  Hoosiers, advocacy groups and doctors told us not to pass this bill. I cant understand why this excessive majority wont leave doctors alone to do their jobs  the government has absolutely no business being involved in a matter as private and nuanced as abortion," Melton said. "I can only hope this proposal dies in the House."

In addition to the abortion measure, the Senate voted 40-4 to send Senate Bill 3 to the House.

It scuttles the governor's proposed $225 taxpayer rebate checks in favor of taking a penny off the state's record-high gasoline tax, suspending the collection of Indiana's 7% sales tax on residential utility bills through the end of the year, setting aside up to $1 billion for future state construction projects and depositing $400 million in Indiana's pension stabilization fund.

Headed to the Senate, meanwhile, is House Bill 1001, which implements Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb's plan to spend about $1.1 billion in excess state revenue to provide $225 taxpayer rebate payments to some 4.3 million Hoosiers already in the process of receiving $125 checks linked to unanticipated state revenue growth during the 2021 budget year.

It also increases state income tax exemptions and credits for children and adopted children, eliminates the 7% sales tax on children's diapers, and appropriates $58.5 million to state agencies and other programs through June 2023 to cover expanded prenatal services, Medicaid birth and delivery costs, child care, contraceptive availability and other anticipated expenses linked, in part, to the proposed abortion restrictions in Senate Bill 1.

A smaller, $45 million package of social service programs for women, children and families was approved 46-1 by the Senate on Thursday in Senate Bill 2 and next will be considered in the House.

The House and Senate currently are planning to end the special legislative session around Friday and are required to adjourn, by law, no later than Aug. 14.

Both chambers must approve any legislative proposal with identical language before the deadline to send it to the governor to be signed into law or vetoed.
As It Turns Out: Thinking About Edie and Andy, by Alice Sedgwick Wohl (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Aug. 16)

One of Edie Sedgwicks sisters dives into the stars life and career in this deeply personal history. Im trying to figure out exactly what happened when Edie got together with Andy [Warhol], she writes. I want to understand what he was up to, because right now it seems to me that when the two of them got together something was set in motion that led to the present that we are all living out.
Five of the men seen on video attacking the boy, who became known citywide by his nickname, Junior, are already serving lengthy sentences after being convicted in 2019, the Bronx district attorney, Darcel D. Clark, said.

The two men found guilty Friday after a four-week trial, Diego Suero, 33, of the Bronx, and Frederick Then, 24, of Pennsylvania, were leaders of a Trinitarios set known as the Los Sures.

Trial testimony showed that Mr. Then  Mr. Sueros second-in-command  had summoned gang members to Mr. Sueros home and ordered them to attack a rival set known as Sunset.

The group, toting weapons, set off in four cars, stopping only for gas, prosecutors said.

Junior, who lived in the Bronx and had participated in a New York Police Department Explorer program for students hoping to become officers, was mistaken for a member of the rival group, the authorities said.
WASHINGTON  At this point in an administration, with the presidents poll numbers in the tank and a daunting midterm election on the horizon, the usual staff news around the White House is a roster of who is leaving. But in an unusual twist, the news on Friday was who is not leaving after all.

After announcing in early July that she would step down, Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director and an adviser to President Biden for years, abruptly changed her mind. She had been nursing second thoughts after her original decision, colleagues said, and Mr. Biden and Ron Klain, the chief of staff, asked her to reconsider.

After much thought, discussion and reflection, Ive decided to stay, Ms. Bedingfield told colleagues in an email on Friday. Im not done here and there is so much more good work to do with all of you. I couldnt be happier and more excited about this awesome  if admittedly last-minute!  development. The work is too important and too energizing and I have a lot of gas left in the tank.
MIAMI  The Russian man with a trim beard and patterned T-shirt appeared in a Florida political groups YouTube livestream in March, less than three weeks after his country had invaded Ukraine, and falsely claimed that what had happened was not an invasion.

I would like to address the free people around the world to tell you that Western propaganda is lying when they say that Russia invaded Ukraine, he said through an interpreter.

His name was Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, and he described himself as a human rights activist.

But federal authorities say he was working for the Russian government, orchestrating a yearslong influence campaign to use American political groups to spread Russian propaganda and interfere with U.S. elections. On Friday, the Justice Department revealed that it had charged Mr. Ionov with conspiring to have American citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government.
His case became a milestone of Ukrainian justice as the war raged on: Sgt. Vadim Shishimarin, a 21-year-old Russian soldier, was sentenced in May to life in prison after pleading guilty to shooting a 62-year-old riding a bicycle in northeastern Ukraine.

On Friday, the Kyiv Court of Appeals reduced his sentence to 15 years, saying it would provide the reasoning for its decision on Aug. 3. His lawyers had argued that he had not intended to kill the victim, Oleksandar Shelipov, when he shot him in the northern region of Sumy in the early days of the war.

Ukraines justice system has come under criticism in the past from human rights advocates for imposing life sentences in which the only possibility for release was terminal illness or a presidential pardon.
KHARKIV, Ukraine  Two missile strikes hit military compounds in central Kharkiv just before dawn on Friday, the latest in a series of powerful nighttime strikes on the city that seem increasingly targeted at sites used by the Ukrainian armed forces.

At least two soldiers died, according to rescue workers and police officers at the scene.

Ukrainian officials rarely release information on military casualties or damage done to military sites and forbid photographers from recording the destruction at them. The head of the regional administration in Kharkiv, Oleh Synyehubov, said only that a 71-year-old civilian had been wounded in the head from the blasts.

On Friday, soldiers and emergency workers covered in brick dust cleared away the rubble from the courtyard of a two-story building. Two vehicles, an S.U.V. and a jeep, caked in dust and crushed by falling debris, had been dragged out into the street.
Chameleon: Hollywood Con Queen. The search for a movie-industry scammer. I couldnt stop listening, Naga Nataka from Pahoa, Hawaii, wrote. The pacing, the way people are woven in, the central mystery that drives the narrative. A couple of times, I thought, Wait a minute, is this all some kind of mockumentary metanarrative gotcha? It was that weird.

Fly on the Wall. David Spade and Dana Carvey interview former cast members, hosts, writers and others from Saturday Night Live. Its hilarious and also really fun to hear the stories of working on SNL, Karen Gibson in Los Angeles wrote. So many great impersonations and jokes woven in  I am laughing out loud quite a bit while listening.

My Unsung Hero. Michael Vujovich from Washington, Ill., said it makes him feel good about himself and the world around him. I always end up smiling, crying or both, but in all the best ways. If that doesnt tempt you, check out the shows official description: Each episode reveals what the news ignores: everyday acts of kindness and courage that transformed someones life. Sold.

I noticed a theme running through these recommendations: podcasts that offer a break, that make people smile or feel relief. Id love to hear about the music that does just that for you. What song just makes you feel better lately? Tell me about it. Include your name and location, and we may feature your submission in an upcoming installment of The Morning.

For more
AUSTIN, Texas  Facing a potential $150 million judgment and two more damages trials for defaming the families of people killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, the conspiracy broadcaster Alex Jones on Friday put his Infowars empire into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Last year, Mr. Jones lost four defamation lawsuits filed by the families of 10 people killed in the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Soon after the shooting, he began spreading the bogus theory that the shooting was staged by the government as a pretext for confiscating Americans firearms, and that the families were complicit in the plot. The families have suffered years of torment from people who believe those false claims.

Judges in Texas and Connecticut ruled Mr. Jones liable by default for defying court orders. The losses set the stage for the three jury trials for damages. The first trial began in Austin last week. In it, Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose son Jesse Lewis, 6, died in the massacre, have sought $150 million in compensatory damages, plus punitive damages. Mr. Jones and a sidekick, Owen Shroyer, implied on Infowars that Mr. Heslins recollection of holding his son soon after his murder was a lie.
As Russia tightens its chokehold on supplies of natural gas, Europe is looking everywhere for energy to keep its economy running. Coal-fired power plants are being revived. Billions are being spent on terminals to bring in liquefied natural gas, much of it from shale fields in Texas. Officials and heads of state are flying to Qatar, Azerbaijan, Norway and Algeria to nail down energy deals.

Across Europe, fears are growing that a cutoff of Russian gas will force governments to ration fuel and businesses to close factories, moves that could put thousands of jobs at risk.

So far, the hunt for fuel has been met with considerable success. But as prices continue to soar and the Russian threat shows no sign of abating, the margin for error is thin.
Born in 1938, Ms. Harvey spent her youth in New York, the child of a single mother. Even as a teenager, she displayed a propensity for violence, particularly toward women, and had a complicated gender identity. According to court records and parole board minutes, Ms. Harvey was treated at Catholic Charities, which paired clergy and laypeople with troubled children, after the attempted rape at 14.

As a young adult, Ms. Harvey  described then as a tall, slender man  lived with her mother and earned $75 a week operating copy machines. She had a girlfriend, Jacqueline Bonds, but her life was chaotic: Ms. Harvey drank often, took cocaine, regularly assaulted Ms. Bonds and was in and out of psychiatric care.

In early 1963, Ms. Harvey was again accused of rape, this time as a 24-year-old. (The allegations are referred to by a parole official in a hearing minutes, which offer no further details.)

The accusation set off a spasm of violence: That April, Ms. Harvey killed Ms. Bonds, who had been scheduled to appear before a grand jury considering the case. Ms. Harvey shot her point blank in their crowded Manhattan apartment, chased her as she staggered through the kitchen and living room, and shot her twice more before she collapsed, according to board minutes and a police report.

She was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life.

During two decades behind bars, she repeatedly appealed her conviction in state and federal courts, and tried to persuade the parole board to free her. Skeptical officials as far back as 1984 cited her aggression toward women. Even in prison, one noted, Ms. Harvey had sent inappropriate letters to candy-striper hospital volunteers.

That is all in the past, and when I became aware that this pattern was creating, I cut it loose, Ms. Harvey said.
When the Oak fire swept through more than 10,000 acres southwest of Yosemite National Park last weekend, it burned through forests where widespread logging, including commercial thinning, accelerated in recent decades. Much of the forest canopy had been removed, exposing the remaining vegetation to more direct sunlight and creating hotter, drier and windier conditions that favor the spread of flames.

But when the blaze reached the area hit by the Ferguson fire of 2018, it slowed to burning about 1,000 acres a day. The previous fire had left less available kindling such as dry leaves, pine needles, twigs and saplings on the forest floor.

The public has fretted about the threat that the Oak fire, which has burned over 19,000 acres and is less than 50 percent contained, poses to the famed Mariposa giant sequoia grove in Yosemite. One of the logging industrys allies in Congress, Representative Scott Peters, Democrat of California, is trying to exploit the concern about giant sequoias, a species that depends on wildfires to effectively reproduce, to promote a series of sweeping commercial logging measures and environmental rollbacks under the guise of wildfire management.
To the Editor:

Re Why Is the Right Forcing Women Who Miscarry to Suffer?, by Michelle Goldberg (column, July 19):

They dont tell you this in medical school, but to be an OB-GYN physician is to know heartache up close and personal, over and over again. I have been a practicing physician in Portland, Ore., for the last 37 years. My colleagues span the political spectrum, but almost everyone I have known has put the interest of the mothers life before that of the embryo or fetus. And if for reasons of conscience they could not, they would find another provider who could.

With the Dobbs decision, my specialty has been thrown into disarray. Miscarriage is one of the most common conditions we treat, as it occurs in about 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies.

These new laws in anti-choice states just ban termination of pregnancy, some immediately after fertilization. They have no subtlety, they have no algorithms to guide practice.
The failures that got us here fit a now familiar pattern.

Early on, similar to the early days of Covid, testing access for monkeypox was limited, despite ample evidence that monkeypox was spreading in the United States. The Strategic National Stockpile was meant as a hedge against viral contingencies, but when the coronavirus struck, it lacked adequate supplies of testing equipment, ventilators and masks. With monkeypox, the government hadnt stockpiled enough of the only vaccine, Jynneos, that was indicated for prevention of the disease and considered safe for use. The United States had on hand fewer than 2,400 doses in mid-May, mostly as a hedge against the risk of smallpox, which was the vaccines other indication.

There are more parallels between our failings to combat Covid and monkeypox. Each time, the reflex has been to blame political leadership for poor planning, lack of urgency and clumsy execution. Its true that both responses have been plagued by an absence of coordination among federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, which I led under the first two years of the Trump administration; the C.D.C.; and the components of the Health and Human Services Department that are responsible for different aspects of response. But systemic failings also rest with the bureaucracy charged with countering these threats.

The C.D.C. should lead Americas response to viral exigencies. But the agency isnt a crisis organization. It lacks the infrastructure to mobilize a rapid response and is too hidebound and process driven to move quickly. Its cultural instinct is to take a deliberative approach, debating each decision. With Covid, the virus gained ground quickly. With monkeypox, which spreads more slowly, typically through very close contact, the shortcomings of C.D.C.s cultural approach havent been as acute yet. But the shortfalls are the same.

Take the scant information available about the domestic outbreak and how it has spread. The C.D.C. has publicly complained that it cant compel sufficient reporting from states and that it lacks insight into the scope and nature of reported monkeypox cases. Thats true. But the C.D.C. still possesses information from states that do share case reports, which the agency could have used to provide a better clinical mosaic on how the virus was spreading and presenting to physicians.
A lot of you responded quite strongly to last weeks newsletter on defanging the Senate of most of its power. Not a negative response, necessarily  you just had a lot of ideas! And as it happens, I agree with many of those ideas. Perhaps the most common one is related less to the Senate than to the House of Representatives. Many of you were adamant that if the goal is to bring the locus of policymaking back to the House, then the House, too, must be more democratic than it is, and that part of making the House more democratic is ending partisan gerrymandering.

I agree! But I think we should go further. Even if you end partisan gerrymandering for House (and just as crucially state legislative) elections, youre still left with the real culprit for many of our political dysfunctions: single-member districts and first past the post voting. As long as you elect single members by individual district, there is a risk of malapportionment. And as long as you have first past the post voting  where candidates can win with a plurality of the vote  theres little to no chance that a third party could succeed in an election (something I explore in my most recent column).

One solution is just to get rid of districts altogether. Or if youd prefer to keep districts, divide each state into a number of multi-member districts, in which voters elect multiple candidates using a form of preference voting. Ranked-choice voting has made some inroads here in the United States, but I am a fan of approval voting, in which voters can cast a vote for as many candidates as theyd like that are on the ballot. Whoever gets the most votes  or in a multi-member district, the top vote getters  wins a seat in Congress.
They abandoned President Trump

For decades, the DeVos family has been synonymous with Republican politics in Michigan. Ms. DeVos has twice been the chairwoman of the state Republican Party, and her husband, Dick DeVos, was the partys nominee for governor in 2006.

The family, which founded and still runs the Amway multilevel marketing company, has given at least $23 million to Republican candidates, political action committees and conservative causes in the state since 2015, according to an analysis by Progress Michigan, a liberal organization.

In almost any recent election, a Michigan Republican would use an endorsement from the DeVoses as a badge of honor and a catapult to fund-raising success. But Ms. Dixons rivals have attacked her for associating with the family, and she has found herself explaining that she does not agree with Ms. DeVos about Mr. Trumps actions on Jan. 6, 2021.

Ive come out publicly and said that in that case, we dont agree, Ms. Dixon said in an interview, adding of the family: Theyre supporting what I want to do for the state. Its not that Im supporting what theyve done in the past.

Her rivals have not found that explanation sufficient.

Recent debates have devolved into a DeVos family pile-on. This past week, Mr. Soldano turned to Ms. Dixon and said the DeVoses wanted to implement the 25th Amendment against President Trump  they abandoned President Trump.

On Wednesday in Pontiac, Ms. Dixon came under fire from Kevin Rinke, a self-funding candidate and former car dealer who is running television ads saying that Ms. Dixon has taken millions from the same billionaires who tried to remove Trump from office.
Earlier this month, Mr. Curruchiche was placed on a State Department list of people from Central America accused of having knowingly engaged in acts that threaten democratic processes or institutions, engaged in significant corruption, or obstructed investigations, barring them from entry into the U.S.

In the video statement, Mr. Curruchiche repeatedly insisted that Mr. Zamoras arrest has no relation to his work as a journalist but was instead related to his position as a businessman.

Under Mr. Zamoras leadership, elPeriodico had reported on several allegations of corruption within the Giammattei administration, including within the prosecutors office, and his sudden arrest was widely criticized by human rights groups.

This case could be a breaking point for the guarantees of freedom of expression in Guatemala, said Juan Pappier, senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch, in an email. If this continues like this, there will soon be no one who can effectively expose and curb corruption and abuse of power in the country.

Beyond arresting Mr. Zamora, the Guatemalan authorities also raided elPeriodicos offices on Friday evening, forcing some 30 employees out of the building, while several others were held inside the offices all night with their phones taken away, the newspaper reported.

The Association of Guatemalan Journalists said in a statement that the raid was carried out to censor the Saturday print edition of elPeriodico.
Pope Francis arrived in Canada on Sunday to kick off a six-day visit, starting in Alberta. The Timess bureau chief in Rome, Jason Horowitz, traveled with the Pope to Maskwacis, Alberta, where the pontiff visited a cemetery and delivered his apology to Indigenous people. Chief Wilton Littlechild of the Ermineskin Cree Nation, who had welcomed the pope, then fitted him with a headdress.

[Read: Pope Apologizes in Canada for Schools That Abused Indigenous Children]

On Wednesday, Francis arrived in Quebec, greeted by well-wishers lining the streets near the airport. He delivered another address at a historic British fortress in Old Quebec called La Citadelle, which also featured remarks by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary Simon, Canadas first Indigenous governor general.

The speeches were broadcast on jumbo screens at the Plains of Abraham, following a few hours of live Christian music and Indigenous cultural performances, and a ceremony to welcome a delegation of Indigenous people who had walked 170 miles as part of a healing march.

After the formal addresses, the crowd turned its attention to a road across the park, which was lined with steel barriers and dozens of police officers to keep the path clear for Franciss ride in the popemobile. Onlookers erupted in applause when Francis rolled by, with dozens of cellphones hoisted in the air to capture the moment, and some people handing off babies to the pontiffs aides to be kissed on the head by Francis.

As we awaited the pope, I spoke to Nathalie Rochon, who has learned about residential schools in the last two years that she has lived in Quebec City, where she moved from Bordeaux, France. Ms. Rochon said she hoped that Indigenous people would feel a measure of satisfaction now that the pope took a first step to give them the apology they deserve.
We have these ideas about what our children will be  a lawyer, a doctor, an astronaut, she added. Krzys taught me about love.

But in all her counsel, she said, one thing barely features: the abortion ban.

This has not impacted how people make decisions, she said. Those who want to get an abortion do it anyway, only abroad.

Many women here concurred.

Kasia, who also did not want her full name used because the stigma that surrounds the issue, is one of nine women currently living at Father Kancelarczyks shelter. She was 23 when she became pregnant. She said her boyfriend had abused her  the police refused to intervene  and then left her. Her mother had kicked her out of the house. A friend contacted an abortion clinic across the border in Germany.

It is not difficult, she said of getting an illegal termination. It is a matter of getting a phone number.

In the end, it was a near-miscarriage in the eighth week of her pregnancy that changed Kasias mind and persuaded her to carry out her pregnancy.

Father Kancelarczyk offered her not just free room and board in his shelter but a lawyer, who took the former boyfriend to court. He is now serving a 10-month sentence and might lose custody.
LONDON  Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, faced new scrutiny over the financing of his charities on Saturday after a report found that one organization had accepted a donation of 1 million pounds ($1.21 million) from the family of Osama bin Laden.

As first reported by The Sunday Times of London, The Prince of Waless Charitable Fund received the donation in 2013 from the brothers Bakr and Shafiq bin Laden, half brothers of Osama bin Laden, the founder of Al Qaeda and architect of the Sept. 11 attacks.

News of the payment follows a series of recent royal scandals, including a report in June that Prince Charles had accepted $3.1 million in cash donations from a Qatari billionaire between 2011 and 2015, some of which was received personally in a suitcase and shopping bags.
As global outrage grew over an explosion that killed at least 50 Ukrainian prisoners held at a Russian detention camp, Ukrainian authorities called for an international investigation on Saturday while marshaling evidence that they said would prove that Russia had orchestrated what they described as a terrorist attack.

Since the explosion late Thursday at Correctional Colony No. 120, a prison camp in the Russian-occupied eastern region of Donetsk, the warring parties have presented diametrically opposed accounts of what happened, further embittering a war now entering its sixth month.

Russian officials claimed that Ukrainians, using precision weapons supplied by the United States, had attacked the prison themselves, to deter defectors. The Ukrainian authorities rejected the narrative as absurd and said that the deaths were a premeditated atrocity committed by Russian forces from within the prison, where survivors described being given just enough food to survive and suffering ritual beatings, including with chains and metal pipes.
Although Russias forces are trying to push deeper into the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, they have not been able to break through Ukrainian defenses, according to Ukrainian and Western officials.

Throughout July, the occupiers have been trying to storm Donetsk region, Serhii Haidai, the head of the military administration in neighboring Luhansk Province, said in a statement. But unlike with the Russians push in the spring and early summer, when they could use their significant artillery advantage to flatten areas before advancing, Mr. Haidai said the Ukrainians destruction of Russian ammunition depots had made it much more difficult for them to replenish arms stocks and maneuver.

Still, he said, Russian forces continued to destroy settlements, employing barrel and jet artillery. At least six civilians were killed and 15 others were injured by Russian shelling in the Donetsk region on Friday, local Ukrainian officials said.

On the southern front, at least one civilian in the port city of Mykolaiv died when a Russian missile struck a high-rise building overnight, according to Vitalii Kim, the local governor.
When it comes to the Middle East and climate change, we always tend to talk about drought and water shortage, but this is misleading, said Kaveh Madani, an environmental scientist and water management expert at United Nations University in Germany. Climate change can emerge as all sorts of extremes, including floods, landslides, wildfires and dust.

Subway systems in the cities of Isfahan and Shiraz were shut down, and the governors asked residents to stay home. In Tehran, the capital, residents were urged to avoid unnecessary travel. Also in Tehran, the authorities closed a popular summer retreat in a palace complex in the foothills of the mountains, and banned hiking and dining on the trails and in the riverside cafes that dot the area.

The two major roads that connect Tehran to the northern Caspian Sea region were shut down as of early Saturday because of landslides and flood risks, local news media reported.

Mr. Madani said that weather forecasters had predicted heavy rains and flash floods in many parts of the country but those warnings had been mostly ignored by both officials and the population. Flooding is not uncommon in Iran, but what sets this episode apart, he said, was how widespread flooding occurred simultaneously in many parts of the country.
Mr. Sadr, however, did not judge the most recent political situation accurately. Since he cannot undo his decision to withdraw from the government and is now an outsider, he has leveraged the option left to him: to send his legions of supporters to halt the creation of a new government and demand reforms and new elections that could once again bring his group power within the government.

The protesters have issued several demands that I think are dangerous, Sarmad Al-Bayati, an Iraqi political analyst, said in an interview.

It might cause excitement among Iraqis; they might even get support from the Tishreen movement, he said, referring to the thousands of protesters from different backgrounds who came together in October 2019 to demand that the government deal with unemployment, rein in corruption, supply electricity and put an end to the unbridled power of the armed groups linked to Iran. Their protests immobilized city centers from Baghdad to the south of Iraq; more than 500 protesters were killed by security forces and armed groups, and more than 19,000 were wounded, according to the United Nations.

Among the demands that could be a rallying call are: to amend the constitution to change Iraqs government from a parliamentary to a presidential system; to anoint a caretaker government that is responsible for constitutional changes and agrees to hold early elections; and to hold corrupt officials to account, Mr. Al-Bayati said.

These demands have been enumerated by people close to Mr. Sadr in statements or tweets in recent days.
By Sabina Mammadli

Weapons were found on the territory of Azerbaijan's Khizi District, the Emergencies Ministry reported.

The ministry said that the 112 hotline received information about the discovery of suspicious items in Agdara village of the district.

According to the information, deminers of the ministry's Special Risk Rescue Service were immediately sent to the scene.

One 122-mm Grad missile without a warhead and one TAB-50 air bomb were discovered as a result of the inspection.

Employees of the civil defense troops of the National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) under the Emergencies Ministry were also dispatched to the scene.

On September 27, 2020, the second Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and Armenia started and ended in 44 days on November 10, 2020, with the signing of a capitulation act by Armenia.

The cease-fire agreement stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Armenian-occupied Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin districts. Before the signing of the deal, the Azerbaijani army had liberated around 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city.




JERUSALEM  Amid a sea of Israeli flags at the entrance to the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalems Old City, Abdullah al-Hajj walked toward a group of far-right Jewish marchers, some of them yelling racist chants, and raised the Palestinian flag above his head.

He knew he only had a few seconds.

With cheers from supporters and jeers from the Jewish marchers erupting around him, Mr. al-Hajj, 61, was quickly seized by three paramilitary police officers who wrestled the flag from his hands and carried him away.

After I raised the flag I didnt care what happened to me, if I got killed, had my bones broken or if I was arrested, said Mr. al-Hajj at his home in Jericho in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, recounting how he confronted the far-right rally in late May. It was important to me to show that this land belongs to Palestinians.
Texas governor Greg Abbott reportedly spent almost three hours at a fundraiser for his re-election campaign after the Uvalde school shooting unfolded - amid criticism the event was not cancelled.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

LONDON (AP)  Moves by rich countries to buy large quantities of monkeypox vaccine, while declining to share doses with Africa, could leave millions of people unprotected against a more dangerous version of the disease and risk continued spillovers of the virus into humans, public health officials are warning.

Critics fear a repeat of the catastrophic inequity problems seen during the coronavirus pandemic.

The mistakes we saw during the COVID-19 pandemic are already being repeated, said Dr. Boghuma Kabisen Titanji, an assistant professor of medicine at Emory University.

While rich countries have ordered millions of vaccines to stop monkeypox within their borders, none have announced plans to share doses with Africa, where a more lethal form of monkeypox is spreading than in the West.

To date, there have been more than 22,000 monkeypox cases reported in nearly 80 countries since May, with about 75 suspected deaths in Africa, mostly in Nigeria and Congo. On Friday, Brazil and Spain reported deaths linked to monkeypox, the first reported outside Africa. Spain reported a second monkeypox death Saturday.

The African countries dealing with monkeypox outbreaks for decades have been relegated to a footnote in conversations about the global response, Titanji said.

Scientists say that, unlike campaigns to stop COVID-19, mass vaccinations against monkeypox wont be necessary. They think targeted use of the available doses, along with other measures, could shut down the expanding epidemics that were recently designated by the World Health Organization as a global health emergency.

Yet while monkeypox is much harder to spread than COVID-19, experts warn if the disease spills over into general populations  currently in Europe and North America it is circulating almost exclusively among gay and bisexual men  the need for vaccines could intensify, especially if the virus becomes entrenched in new regions.

On Thursday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called for the continent to be prioritized for vaccines, saying it was again being left behind.

If were not safe, the rest of the world is not safe, said Africa CDCs acting director, Ahmed Ogwell.

Although monkeypox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades, it mostly jumps into people from infected wild animals and has not typically spread very far beyond the continent.

Experts suspect the monkeypox outbreaks in North America and Europe may have originated in Africa long before the disease started spreading via sex at two raves in Spain and Belgium. Currently, more than 70% of the worlds monkeypox cases are in Europe, and 98% are in men who have sex with men.

Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergencies officer at WHO Europe, said the deaths in Spain did not change the agency's assessment of the outbreak.

Although the disease is self-limiting in most cases, monkeypox can cause severe complications, she said in an email, adding that about 8% of infections reported had required hospitalization and that monkeypox could sometimes lead to life-threatening complications like encephalitis.

With the continued spread of monkeypox in Europe, we will expect to see more deaths, Smallwood said.

WHO is developing a vaccine-sharing mechanism for affected countries, but has released few details about how it might work. The U.N. health agency has made no guarantees about prioritizing poor countries in Africa, saying only that vaccines would be dispensed based on epidemiological need.

Some experts worry the mechanism could duplicate the problems seen with COVAX, created by WHO and partners in 2020 to try to ensure poorer countries would get COVID-19 shots. That missed repeated targets to share vaccines with poorer nations.

Just asking countries to share is not going to be enough, said Sharmila Shetty, a vaccines adviser for Medecins Sans Frontieres. The longer monkeypox circulates, the greater chances it could get into new animal reservoirs or spread to" the human general population, she said.

At the moment, there's only one producer of the most advanced monkeypox vaccine: the Danish company Bavarian Nordic. Its production capacity this year is about 30 million doses, with about 16 million vaccines available now.

In May, Bavarian Nordic asked the U.S. to release more than 215,000 doses it was due to receive to assist with international requests the company was receiving, and the U.S. complied, according to Bill Hall, a spokesman for the department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. will still receive the doses but at a later date.

The company declined to specify which countries it was allocating doses for.

Hall said the U.S. has not made any other promises to share vaccines. The U.S. has ordered by far the most number of doses, with 13 million reserved, although only about 1.4 million have been delivered.

Some African officials said it would be wise to stockpile some doses on the continent, especially given the difficulties Western countries were having stopping monkeypox.

I really didnt think this would spread very far, because monkeypox does not spread like COVID, said Salim Abdool Karim, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Africa should procure some vaccines in case we need them, but we should prioritize diagnostics and surveillance so we know who to target.

Dr. Ingrid Katz, a global health expert at Harvard University, said the monkeypox epidemics were potentially manageable if the limited vaccines were distributed appropriately. She believed it was still possible to prevent monkeypox from turning into a pandemic but we need to be thoughtful in our prevention strategies and rapid in our response.

In Spain, which has Europes biggest monkeypox outbreak, the demand for vaccines far exceeds supply.

There is a real gap between the number of vaccines that we currently have available and the people who could benefit, said Pep Coll, a medical director at a Barcelona health center that was dispensing shots this week.

Daniel Rofin, 41, was more than happy to be offered a dose. He said he decided to get vaccinated for the same reasons he was immunized against COVID-19.

I feel reassured it is a way to stop the spread, he said. We (gay men) are a group at risk.

___

Joseph Wilson and Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, Chris Megerian in Washington and Cara Anna in Nairobi, Kenya contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

Boat motors in open garages, spare change in a vehicle console and bicycles on the front lawn are all subject to someone walking by and taking them.

Recent larcenies in Midland County include a 32-year-old Ingersoll Township man who reported nearly $2,000 in tools stolen from his work trailer. An Edenville Township man said someone stole a $500 catalytic converter off of his car.

Its really sad that people think they can just take what is yours, said Ruth Wiseman of Midland.

Wiseman, who moved to Midland from the Detroit area recently, said a few years ago someone smashed her Chevrolet Cavalier passenger window, fleeing with the change in the console and an empty book bag.

The window cost $200 to replace, all for less than $2 in change and a $10 book bag, she said.

Wiseman said since moving to Midland, she feels much safer.

Midlander Nan Spadacene said authorities arent being transparent in what they report. She said the crime reporting in the Midland Daily News crime log gives people a false sense of safety.

I feel were being duped a little bit by the crime log, Spadacene said.

She said there have been larcenies in Larkin Township that havent been reported by the sheriffs office, including two storage businesses and her neighbors home, where the culprits drained all the fluids from his vehicles. The neighbor's house was also reportedly broken into in 2018. Within the past few months, he had a freezer near the roadway to be picked up, and someone smashed into it, tossing it into the ditch.

Spadacene said with these things happening less than a mile and a half from her, it makes her feel nervous. Still, she said that if she feels she needs to call 911, someone would be there quickly.

Midland County Sheriff Myron Greene said he isnt aware of houses being broken into but did address the storage units. His deputies are investigating the storage unit complaints and said they could be connected to Saginaw larcenies. Officers from the Midland Police Department are working with the Midland County Sheriffs Office on the case. Greene said some of the stolen property was recovered.

It could be the same group, Greene said.

Greene said larcenies are more prevalent in warmer months. He said its a time when people can creep around at 3 a.m. with little or no suspicion. Also, its a time when kids are out of school and some teenagers rummage through unlocked cars.

Both Greene and Midland Police Department Community Relations Officer Brennon Warren said people locking their vehicles will help deter many such thefts. Warren said the city isnt an area heavily hit with smash and grabs. Most area criminals wont extend the effort to break the windows, they just want to open the door. Both Greene and Warren said to further reduce the possibility of a larceny from a vehicle, dont leave anything of value in the open.

Warren said if people dont know what is inside the vehicle, they will most likely go on their way. He suggests that people try to hide valuable items in the vehicle if they must leave them there.

Dont entice them, Warren said.

Midland police investigated 175 larcenies in the city in 2021. So far in 2022, there have been 60 larceny reports.

At this point we are a little lower than last year, Warren said. Hopefully that trend continues.

Law enforcement said the use of surveillance cameras is becoming more widespread and often deters criminals.

A big thing is to keep valuables locked up, Greene said. Another thing is having a camera around the home. Theyre cheap and a good deterrent, as are motion lights.

Warren said the quality of the surveillance cameras is bar none, which lends in helping catch criminals caught on tape.

We will track you down, Warren said.

Spadacene has cameras for the primary reason of seeing what is happening when she isnt home.

Authorities say having cameras certainly helps when an incident occurs.

Greene said that although Midland is a generally safe community, there are times when someone breaks into a house or goes into an open garage containing valuables.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

For decades, local teenagers in the Midland area have devoted their summer vacations to staging musicals with Teenage Musicals Inc. (TMI). In many cases, their experiences have inspired them long after the final curtain has dropped.

TMI is marking 60 years of providing musical theater experiences to students ages 13-23.

For the love of theater

TMI began in 1962, when students of Midland voice and music teacher Betty Hath asked her to create a summer musical. At the time, children and teenagers had very few opportunities to perform in plays.

Betty and her husband, Gerald, answered the kids wishes and went to work on their first show, Ill Never Let You Go, performing at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library Auditorium. About 30 students were involved that first year, either working backstage or performing. The group grew to eventually accommodate over 100 students.

Through TMI, teenagers and young adults are involved in nearly every aspect of putting on a musical.

In the summer of 1999, former Midlander Micah Young landed a role in TMIs production of Babes in Arms. He enjoyed learning different skills, participating in fundraisers and hanging out with fellow TMI members after rehearsals and performances.

That community environment is so important when youre a teenager, Young stated.

In 2002, Young was given the chance to conduct a rehearsal for The Wizard of Oz under Jim Hohmeyer, which Young described as a formidable moment. Young went on to conduct several other TMI shows and was student president on the board.

That experience prepared me for a lot, Young said. Conducting is one of those things you learn by doing.

TMI left Young feeling empowered about pursuing a career in the performing arts. He has since worked in 11 Broadway shows; he just began as the substitute pianist with the Broadway production of The Music Man, the same show that TMI is performing this year.

Midland has a lot of resources, he said. To have TMI, these are tried and true people doing the arts for a living. It opens your mind to I can do this.

Growing up in Bay City, Claudia Marsh had no summer theater opportunities. She planned to study theater in college but was lacking confidence in her acting abilities. In 2008, her sister heard TMI was hosting auditions for Oklahoma! and encouraged Marsh to try out. Although hesitant, Marsh decided on a whim to audition and landed a role in the ensemble.

It was the best decision I couldve made, she said.

She credits team members Billy Anderson, Adam Gardner-Northrop and Kelli Jolly for helping her realize her talent and build her confidence. Marsh continued to perform in TMI shows including Beauty and the Beast, Cats and Kiss Me Kate. In addition to performing on stage, Marsh was a student representative on the TMI board.

Marsh, who now resides in Midland, went on to study musical theater performance with a concentration in acting and directing at Central Michigan University. She teaches middle school drama classes, directs high school productions in Bay City and continues to audition for area shows. She also serves as a board chair at Midland Center for the Arts.

I think each student can have their own experience, Marsh said. Mine was having people notice that I could be a leader and fostering me.

Building friendships one summer at a time

A small team of adults assists teenagers in the weeks leading up to TMI shows.

Former Midlander Pennye Padgett served on the TMI board and as choreographer for 16 shows, spanning from Bye Bye Birdie in 1973 to The Little Mermaid in 2018.

The biggest star in the world to me was Betty Hath, Padgett said. She was lovely in real life and on stage. It was such a thrill for me and both of my girls to perform for Betty and Gerry Hath.

After helping with a couple shows in the 1970s, Padgett moved out of state for a while. In 1993, director Kay Collison invited her back to Midland to choreograph Carousel. Upon seeing the smiling faces of the kids gathered in the theater, Padgett was fully committed.

Its a family. The older kids took care of the younger kids, Padgett said. They helped them and taught them the dances.

Padgett appreciated how hard the students worked for shows, saying that in the end they taught the adults more than the adults could teach them. She has received notes from former TMI members saying how much the program has meant to them and inspired them over the years.

Its the most rewarding thing to me, she said. Were passing it on every single summer.

Peter Conarty, of Midland, taught speech and drama for Midland Public Schools in the 1970s. It was through his connection with Gerald Hath that he became involved with TMI.

I became a TMI board member and before I knew it, I was directing shows, Conarty said. It was right in my field.

Conarty directed seven TMI shows, but one of his favorites was Guys and Dolls in 1975. Not only was it his first time directing TMI, but he also has fond memories of building the sets with the students. He explained how the program brought out his enthusiasm and energy for theater.

Conarty observed how TMI provided an opportunity for students to not only showcase their talents, but also meet other people from around the area. To this day, Conarty keeps in contact with former TMI members, receiving the occasional email and Christmas card.

Its nice to be remembered after all these years, Conarty said. In all the years I directed, the students were wonderful. They really put themselves out for the shows.

The legacy lives on

Students have continued to benefit from TMI even after a particular summer has concluded. As early as the 1970s, TMI awarded theater scholarships  funded by the shows' profits  to Midland college students who wished to further their studies in the performing arts. United Steelworkers Local 12075 currently provides an annual scholarship worth $500 to a TMI student who exhibits commitment to community.

Betty Hath died in 2016 and Gerald Hath died in 2018, but their legacy lives on in the lives they touched.

For Marsh, TMI has impacted her life in multiple ways, and she still fosters friendships made during her time with the program. She cant imagine how her life would be without her experience with TMI.

Im very thankful that I got to meet Gerry and Betty Hath, Marsh said. They were amazing people who made a difference in kids lives 60 years later.

Padgett explained how TMI instills valuable lessons in younger generations, including the value of hard work, public speaking, relationships and following the rules.

I hope the community keeps supporting TMI, Padgett stated. Theres so much to be gained in the arts.
Note: The Daily News invited each of the Republican primary candidates for the 35th District State Senate seat to submit a 500-word statement about their candidacies.

Martin Blank, 61, is a decorated Army Reserve Colonel (ret.) whos served in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hes a graduate of the U.S. Army War College. Hes also a medical doctor, a law school graduate, and a recipient of six masters degrees.

Blank is currently a trauma surgeon at Saginaws Covenant Hospital. Hes also a Saginaw County Deputy Sheriff.

There are three key points for you to remember.

First Point: Martin Blank is a soldier, not a politician.

If career politicians had the answers, we wouldnt be in the mess were in. They caused this, with their reckless spending and tax giveaways to their special interest friends.

Life is good for career politicians. Theyve received hundreds of thousands of dollars from Lansing, free trips, and dinners on the town -- all paid for with our tax dollars and special interest money.

Its a different story for the rest of us. Many of us can barely afford groceries, gas, and are a paycheck or two away from disaster. Seniors on fixed incomes have been hit especially hard.

Second Point: Martin Blank is listening to you.

While career politicians pay lip service to us during campaign season, Martin Blank has met with thousands of families across the 35th State Senate district.

The stories he hears are heart-breaking -- and familiar.

The economy no longer works for people like us. Many of our neighbors are barely hanging on, living paycheck to paycheck. They dont know how theyre going to retire. And theyre fearful for their childrens future.

Martin Blank hears you.

Martin Blanks been knocked around by life. He knows what its like to struggle and live paycheck to paycheck.

Blank made enormous sacrifices to serve in our military, to protect our way of life. Hes been on the verge of financial ruin after lengthy deployments. As difficult as it was, hed do it again.

So, when Martin Blank hears a family describe their fear of losing their home, he hears his own story. He knows our issues and concerns because theyre his, too.

Third Point: Only Martin Blank has a way forward

While other candidates make the same old vague promises, Martin Blank is the only candidate with a detailed 10-point Contract with Michigan Families.

Included in the Contract:

1. Eliminate Welfare for Billionaires

2. Protect Local Jobs

3. Taxpayer Benefits Only for American Citizens

4. Defend American Values

5. Disclose the True Cost of Government & Greater Transparency

6. Establish Multi-Year Budgeting

7. Reduce Burdensome Regulations

8. Enforce Parental Control of Public Education

9. Protect the Constitution

10. Enhance Election Security

Space does not allow for a detailed discussion of Blanks Contract for Michigan Families. So please visit www.DrMartinBlank.com for more details.

To conclude, its time for a change. Its time to go in a new direction. Weve had enough of career politicians and their broken promises. Its time to put state government back on the side of working families.

Its time to elect Martin Blank as our new State Senator.
TO THE EDITOR:

The Aug. 2 primary election is quickly approaching, and I would like to address the facilities bond proposal from the Midland County Educational Service Agency (ESA). The request is for $17 million, which would be .5 mill for 12 years. If it is approved by taxpayers, the funds will go toward renovations, an addition, and several structural upgrades to the historic Sugnet School located at the corner of Jefferson and Sugnet. It would also support a roof replacement at the ESAs Longview Early Childhood and Family Center.

This bond would benefit all students in Midland County. As one of Michigans 56 ISD/ESAs, the ESA supports students in Midland Countys local school districts from birth to age 26 through instructional support, administrative, special education, early childhood, career and technical education, and technology services. Currently, the Sugnet School houses Post-Secondary and SK-12 students as well as administrative staff. Post-Secondary students are those aged 18-26 who are eligible to receive special education services. SK-12 is the countys program for students with severe autism or who have severe emotional impairments.

Sugnet School has been in the community since the 1860s and has undergone additions and renovations over the years. However, without dedicated revenue, the buildings condition has declined. Three Rivers Corporation conducted an extensive facilities audit of the Sugnet School to determine the best route moving forward as the ESA considered a request to taxpayers. The building was deemed structurally sound and an historic part of the community. Renovations and an addition to the current structure were determined to be the most fiscally responsible pathway.

The ESA is grateful for the communitys ongoing support of our programs in early childhood, career and technical education, and in special education. Please exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

JOHN M. SEARLES

Superintendent

Midland County ESA
Note: The Daily News invited each of the Republican primary candidates for the 35th District State Senate seat to submit a 500-word statement about their candidacies.

The people in the new and open 35th District continue to provide insights into the priorities and culture of this new district. Top issues for voters are the economy, inflation, education, energy, road infrastructure, and individual rights.

Also, citizens expressed what they want in their next State Senator: integrity, transparency, listening skills, demonstrated leadership, and the ability to get the right things done. They have made it clear that they dont want a career politician. My skillset matches what people want.

I want to represent this new district, which is the heart of the Great Lakes Bay Region, to protect our home and elevate priorities important to the people of the 35th District. I am not a career politician and dont need a job. Voters can count on me to advocate for removal of unproductive regulations, reducing taxes, and getting government out of the way of innovation and job creation.

Dow Corning invited my wife, Jenee, and me to Midland in the fall of 1991. We quickly discovered our forever home. Dow and our customers benefitted from my work in engineering, manufacturing, research and development, finance, marketing, sales, business development, business leadership, foundation leadership, and government affairs.

After retirement from Dow, I worked directly with small businesses such as Impact Analytical and as a consultant to other businesses through PointsNorth Consulting. Having experience in global and local businesses will help me better serve the economic engines that create wealth in our community.

Our new district has all the elements for growth. The expertise we have in manufacturing, agriculture and tourism is distinctive. Our rivers and bay are cherished natural resources. We have world-class talent and welcome more people to our region through our festivals and events, college and universities, and skilled career training programs. Attracting talent is important as we work to address the needs of our aging and declining population. I have a growth mindset and believe we will thrive by strengthening an environment that encourages entrepreneurism, innovation, and investment, with a talent retention and attraction strategy to match.

Electing a State Senator with business, education, and leadership experience who can analyze and advise on legislation, from practical work experience, will serve our region best.

Having called this region home for over 30 years, my family and I have lived in the 35th District longer than any other candidate. We are passionate about continuing to work for an even brighter future here in the Great Lakes Bay Region. Our daughter, Isabel, and future generations are counting on us.

As voters evaluate each candidates experience, demonstrated results, and character, I hope they choose me to serve them as their State Senator for the 35th District. Please vote for Christian Velasquez on August 2nd.
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.
We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The United Nations is still pursuing efforts to appoint as soon as possible a candidate to replace the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams, who is leaving her post at the end of July, deputy spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General Farhan Haq said on Friday
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

Errol Musk, the 76-year-old father of Elon Musk, claimed that an unnamed South American company has approached him to donate sperm and "create more Elon" by impregnating a high-class Colombian woman.

As per The Sun, he had not been offered payment for his services. Errol also revealed that he would receive other perks if he agreed to be a sperm donor like first-class travel and five-star hotel accommodation for the arrangement.

When asked if it's okay to give his sperm away for free, Errol said, "Why not?"

Keen to have more kids

The old Musk previously said that he is keen to have more kids. He shared that people are on Earth to reproduce, adding that he could not find any reason not to have another child.

Errol had three eldest children from his first wife, Maye Musk. They had three children, Elon, Kimbal, 49, and Tosca, 47. Maye and the three children have openly shared that they have strained relationship with their father for years.

Read Also: Co-sleeping Explained: Alicia Silverstone Shares She Still Shares a Bed with Her 11-Year-Old Son Every Night.

A few weeks earlier, the world's richest man's father revealed that he had a second child with his 35-year-old stepdaughter Jana Bezuidenhout. The baby is his second child with Jana after he announced in 2018 that he had a son named Elliot Rush with his stepdaughter, which he raised since she was four years old. Elliot Rush is now five years old.

Elliot Rush's birth caused much controversy in 2018 as Errol Musk and Jana's mom, Heide Bezuidenhout, were married for 18 years. Heide is a South African widow, and Errol helped her raise her three kids, Jana included. The controversy did not sit well with the general public and family members, who criticized him for his constant philandering and "creepy relationship" with his stepdaughter.

Numerous children

As per Buzz South Africa, Jana and Errol were never officially together as a couple throughout Jana's pregnancy and birth to Elliot. Hence, it was a shock when the older Musk revealed that they now have a second child. The father of the tech CEO said that his second child with Jana was unplanned, but he was living with her after they had their son. He admits not checking her DNA, but the baby looks like her other daughters.

Errol also admits that several women are claiming that they have his child. So far, he revealed that about six women claim to have his children, calling the women "opportunists." However, he admits that in the 1980s, he went out with different women every night, and it is "quite conceivable" that one of them could have his child. He said while many claimed that they have his child, nothing "genuine" was presented to him.

According to Economic Times, the Tesla boss's father lives with his second wife's family in Pretoria, South Africa. He is a pilot, consultant, sailor, electromechanical engineer, and property developer.

Related Article: Mom Berates Husband on Youtube Livestream After He Forgot to Feed and Change Baby for Four Hours

Words Characters Reading time

Words Characters Reading time

Words Characters Reading time
Photo: (Photo : Getty images )

Liv Vasquez, a chef with over 57,000 followers on TikTok, shared that when they were young, her mom would send her and her brother to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, each day after school. The choice may seem strange, but her mom had a simple yet rational explanation for it.

Her mom realized that the annual pass for Universal Studios was much cheaper than the after-school program. Also, their school bus stops "right in front" of the theme park, sparing her mom from worries about transportation. Liv added that they visited Universal Studios so much that their brother tried out for one of the park's shows, according to Your Tango.

Cheaper after-school program alternative

In the now-viral video, the pass that Vasquez showed had an expiration date of August 10, 1998. The video did not indicate the exact cost of the pass in 1998. However, an Orlando Sentinel Article from 1992 indicated that the annual pass would cost $85 for adults and $67.50 for children.

Her mother's hack may still be helpful today. While the annual pass cost may vary depending on the package purchased, the cheapest option, which offers access to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, costs $325 for Florida residents and $425 for non-Florida residents annually.

Meanwhile, many public schools offer after-school programs for anywhere between $100 and $500 per month. In a ten-month school calendar year, parents are expected to spend between $1,000 and $5,000 on after-school programs.

Other after-school programs may be more expensive. Profit nurseries and childcare center costs around $150 and $600 per month. It is more expensive for private schools, costing around $300 to $800 per month depending on various circumstances, plus additional expenses. Most programs end by 6 p.m., and they charge late fees if the parent picks up the child late.

Read Also: Study: Giving Birth in the US Now Comes with the Hefty Price Tag of $20,000

Lack of after-school program options in Florida

According to Jennifer Rinehart, senior vice president of strategy and programs for the Afterschool Alliance, there is a lack of affordable options for after-school programs in Florida.

Afterschool in Florida cites that out-of-school-time programs host more than 500,000 students each day and are the lifeline for working parents. The State of Afterschool & Summer Learning in Florida Report in October 2019 produced by The Florida Afterschool Network stated that there are only 8,500 afterschool providers in the state, not enough to accommodate Florida's 2.2 million children between the ages of 5 to 14. The network also cited that 504,759 children and youth are enrolled in afterschool, while 1,480,000 children are still waiting to be accommodated.

The network is calling on Florida to develop an afterschool system that would offer the youth a safe and enriching place to go when the school day or school year ends.

Related Article: Mom Shares Heartbreaking Story of Turning Son Over to the Police Following His Plans for Mass School Shooting
Photo: (Photo : LovableNinja from Pixabay)

Alaska State Troopers told local media that four children are dead in the state after a 15-year-old boy is believed to have shot three of his siblings before taking his own life. The state troopers received a report of a shooting in the Skyridge Drive Subdivision, north of Fairbanks, just before 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday, July 26, according to NBC affiliate KTUU, which is based in Anchorage, Alaska.

Troopers spokesperson, Tim DeSpain, said a neighbor made the report. The affiliate said that responding troopers found four children dead in the residence from apparent gunshot wounds. According to the troopers, the children's parents were not home when the shooting transpired.

The statement said that three other children were at the home and were not injured. DeSpain said the kids who were not injured were all under the age of 7, while those dead were ages 17, 15, 8, and 5. He said all the children who died were siblings.

Motive behind the shooting still being investigated

Troopers said the state Office of Children's Services had been notified about the shooting. Clinton Bennett, a spokesperson for Alaska's Department of Family and Community Services, under which the office falls, said via email that the office would not provide any information due to rules and regulations involving the confidentiality of all those involved in the specific cases.

Bennett wrote that the office would also not provide any information involving a case with an open investigation. According to troopers, their investigation showed that a 15-year-old boy shot three of his siblings before shooting himself. DeSpain said the question of motive is still being investigated at this point.

The children's bodies were sent to the state medical examiner's office, according to the Associated Press. DeSpain revealed that the gun used was a family gun, but beyond that, it is all still part of the ongoing investigation. DeSpain could not say if the 15-year-old boy had any previous interactions with law enforcement, saying that would be part of their investigation.

Read Also: Florida Mom Allegedly Shot Dead By Woman in Backseat of Uber After They Got Into an Argument

Nearly 1,300 kids die from guns every year

Fairbanks is located in central Alaska, about 360 miles north of Anchorage. The Office of Children's Services and Alaska State Troopers did not immediately respond to overnight requests for comment from NBC News.

According to Nationwide Children's, a gun in the home can be very dangerous, especially for kids. Nearly 1,300 children die yearly from firearms, and many more are seriously injured. The American Academy of Pediatrics said that the best way to prevent gun-related injuries to children is to remove guns from home.

However, if one chooses to keep a gun in the house, it must be locked and unloaded, and the ammunition must be locked and stored in a separate location. One in three families with kids has at least one gun in the house in the United States. More than 22 million kids are estimated to live in homes with guns.

Related Article: Georgia Mom Arrives in Queens, NYC for Emotional Reunion with Missing Son
Photo: (Photo : Vicky Lynn/Pixabay)

The reward for leads in the Oakley Carlson missing case has been raised to $75,000 as a community in Washington still needs answers for what happened to the 6-year-old girl, whose young siblings believed she was eaten by wolves.

The child was reported missing in December 2021, but many locals said they had not seen Oakely for some time, even before her perceived disappearance. Her birth parents, Andrew Carlson and Jordan Bowers, have not yet been charged, but they are currently in prison for a few months for crimes unrelated to this missing case.

According to The Sun, the community initially had a $10,000 reward for leads to the Oakley Carlson missing case. By May 2022, the reward was increased to $25,000. The current $75,000 reward will likely go up if the investigations drag on.

Read Also: Missing Maine Mom and Toddler Last Seen With Ex-Boyfriend Who Also Assaulted Her Current Partner

Her siblings were told to keep quiet

Jessica Swift, Oakville Elementary School principal, reported Oakley's disappearance to the police after she visited the home of Carlson and Bowers in November 2021. During that visit, Bowers informed Swift that they had a house fire, and the principal offered to bring some supplies for the repair work.

Swift told News Nation that she did not notice Oakley among the kids playing in the family yard, and when she asked the mom, Bowers said that the girl was inside her room as she was given a time out. The principal brought more supplies to the family a few days later, and she still didn't see Oakley.

Bowers' other children then spent a playdate with Swift's daughter, where she then proceeded to probe about their sister. One of the kids told the principal that Oakley had not been living in their house anymore. Swift immediately called the police, who then investigated the parents and interviewed the children.

Sheriff's deputy Kevin Schrader said that one of the kids told him that Oakley was eaten by the wolves outside. Their mother also told them to never speak of their sister anymore.

Parents did not care to report that Oakley was missing

Tracing back, the police said that Oakley was last seen in February 2021. Her parents never reported her missing.

Oakley used to live with foster parents Eric and Jamie Jo Hiles when she was about seven months to 3 years old. Jamie Jo told Fox News that she was bitter about the biological parents regaining custody of their child after they seemingly improved their lives following child endangerment charges. Carlson and Bowers exposed their children to methamphetamine, but the moment they got their act together, they regained custody.

But Jamie Jo said there had been red flags in the Carlson house before, which were ignored by the system. Before giving Oakley back to her parents, Jamie Jo tried to fight for her to remain under their custody. She even reached out to Gov. Jay Inslee.

Jamie Jo said she has not given up searching for her foster daughter. The Grays Harbor Sheriff's Office welcomes leads via 360-533-8765 or 360-964-1729 or through the email sodetectives@co.grays-harbor.wa.us.

Related Article: Where is Dylan Rounds? Mom Fears Teen Farmer is Murdered, Neighbor Charged With Weapons Crime
Photo: (Photo : Victoria Art/Pixabay)

Is there a legally appropriate age for parents to leave their kids home alone if they have to run a quick errand or have been kept busy at work? It's a question many parents wonder as unsupervised children may be perceived as an act of child neglect in the eyes of the law.

In the U.S., only a handful of states have explicit laws about leaving kids home alone. In Illinois, children can be on their own at home at 14 years old and above. However, state lawmakers are working on changing this from 14 to 12 years old.

On the other hand, Kansas allows kids six years old and above to be home alone and is the youngest in the U.S., per iMom. Maryland, Oregon, North and South Dakota, Colorado, Georgia, and Nebraska also have policies about leaving children without supervision.

However, most states do not have specific age or biding guidelines since "appropriate age" may also depend on the child's maturity, abilities, and the general home environment. It's hard to base the decision just on age alone.

Read Also: Green Bay Parents Charged With Child Neglect After Toddler Dies from Fentanyl Poisoning

Husband got angry when kids were left home alone

There have been plenty of debates about this topic among parents. Recently, a mom in the Reddit community opened up that she got into a fight with her husband because he came home and found the kids alone. Apparently, his wife took off for a doctor's emergency.

"[He] told me that from now on I have to stay home if he's not," the mother shared, per Yahoo! "I was really mad. But later I started wondering if he was right. The kids could still have gotten into trouble."

The blended family has four children from previous relationships; 10 and 11 years old boys for the mom and 14 and 15 years old girls for the dad. The mother said her husband is "very protective over all the kids."

The commenters said that the couple should agree in situations like this because an overprotective parent may also not be helping the kids mature. They also believed that the mother knew the capacity of her kids; thus, she did not have problems deciding to step out for a few minutes.

"You cannot also be forced to be confined to your house," one commenter said. "Your husband does not respect your right as the parent to judge your children's competency."

What the experts say about leaving kids home alone

Dr. Cindy Gellner from the University of Utah said that since each state has different laws about what may constitute child neglect, adequate supervision, or age-appropriate, it might be better for parents to follow the general guidelines and common sense. Children 7 years old and below should never be left alone at any time, while kids eight years old and above might be trusted to be on their own for at least one and a half hours in the daytime.

Kids between 11 to 12 years old can be left unsupervised for at least three hours, while teenagers until 15 years old may be unsupervised but not home alone overnight. By the time the children are 16 to 17, they can be left unsupervised overnight for two days.

Marie Coombes, a childcare resource person, said that parents must talk to their kids about having a trial run for leaving them home alone. This will be a good gauge for the parents to see if their children can already manage independently.

Parents must also establish the rules if they do decide that the children can be home alone. Set clear limits and list the tasks the children can do while the parents are gone.

Related Article: Family Squatting Inside Nevada Children's Museum Storage Room Stockpiled on Guns, Marijuana
Photo: (Photo : ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Public health agencies for New York state and the city of San Francisco issued monkeypox declarations on Thursday, July 28, to cope with the spreading of the deadly virus.

Dr. Mary T. Bassett, the New York health commissioner, announced that monkeypox had been declared an imminent threat to public health in the state as infections continue to rise, according to NBC News.

She said this declaration means local health departments engaged in prevention and response activities can access additional reimbursement from the state after other state and federal funding sources are maximized, to protect all New Yorkers and ultimately limit the spread of monkeypox in their communities.

San Francisco declares state of emergency over monkeypox outbreak

San Francisco also declared a state of emergency, noting that 261 people in the city had confirmed or probable monkeypox infections as of Wednesday, July 27, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Dr. Susan Philip, the city's health officer, said the order would allow flexibility as experts anticipate a wider spread in the community.

San Francisco has received 8,200 doses of the Jynneos vaccine thus far, intended to prevent monkeypox and smallpox infections. Mayor London Breed issued a statement about the declaration, saying San Francisco showed during COVID that early action is essential for protecting public health.

She added that they know this virus impacts everyone equally, but they also know that those in their LGBTQ community are at greater risk now. Breed said many people in their LGBTQ community are scared and frustrated, and this local emergency will allow them to continue supporting their most at-risk while better preparing for what is to come.

Anyone in close contact with a monkeypox patient can get infected with the virus, but since the outbreak started, cases have been concentrated largely among men who have sex with men.

Read Also: Bacteria That Can Cause Deadly Infections Detected for the First Time in US Soil And Water

4,906 monkeypox cases recorded in the U.S. this year

The World Health Organization (WHO) designated monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern over the weekend. The disease is a specific poxvirus that was first discovered in 1958 among laboratory monkeys. The first monkeypox case in a human was diagnosed back in 1970.

The current outbreak has manifested in symptoms of lesions and rashes across the body, including on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, on the face, and in the genital or anal regions, according to CNN.

Monkeypox cases typically last two to four weeks, and people who got the virus may also develop flulike symptoms. Monkeypox is spread through close physical contact, so public health officials advise against having skin-to-skin contact with anyone who exhibits symptoms.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox cases have been reported this year in 71 countries where the disease has not been reported historically. The United States has recorded 4,906 cases this year, according to CDC data as of Thursday, July 28.

Related Article: Mental Health Crises Soaring Among Children and Teens in the United States
Photo: (Photo : Diana Bagnoli/Getty Images)

A pregnant mother of three and her baby died just a couple of days apart after she caught the coronavirus and was transferred to an unsuitable ward to treat her illness, an inquest heard.

Sumera Haq was eight months pregnant with her third kid when she contracted COVID-19 and started suffering severe stomach pain and worsening shortness of breath, according to the Derby Telegraph. The 37-year-old was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone in east London, England, on August 7 and was initially treated in a maternity ward.

The primary school teacher was transferred to a medical ward two days later after her respiratory function worsened, but her condition deteriorated further. She then suffered cardiac arrest three days later.

Tragedy for family as mom and baby die just two days apart

Ayra Butt was delivered by cesarean section on August 12, 2021, but she showed no signs of life, and despite medics trying to resuscitate her, the infant was pronounced dead just 15 minutes after being born. Doctors gave Haq emergency treatment, but her condition caused by COVID pneumonitis continued to deteriorate. She died on August 14, 2021.

An inquest at East London Coroner's Court found that Haq was inappropriately transferred to a medical ward and later died following a lack of clinical leadership, according to Newsweek. The inquest that concluded on July 14 also heard that there was a lack of multi-disciplinary planning and a lack of close monitoring as well as a lack of appropriate escalation due to her deterioration before suffering the cardiac arrest.

Kasim Butt, Haq's husband, described the previous year as a living nightmare after suffering the double heartbreak of losing his beloved wife and young daughter. The 41-year-old delivery driver said it is almost impossible to find words to describe their family's hurt and pain.

Read Also: Daughter Describes Parents as Cancer Warriors as They Fight Their Respective Deadly Disease Together

Haq's husband says the past year has been a living nightmare

He said the last year had been a nightmare he would not wish on anyone. He added that Sumera was a wonderful wife and the best mom any child could ever want. Butt said she went out of her way to help others, and her death at an age when she had her best years ahead of her, has been particularly difficult for him to come to terms with.

Butt said those few days and trying to come to terms with the death of Ayra, while Sumera was also slipping away from them, is something he is not sure he will ever get over.

Medical observations showed Sumera was suffering an acute kidney injury. On August 11, Haq's level of hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen in the blood throughout the body, was considered to be concerningly low.

The inquest was told that her condition deteriorated in the early hours of the following morning. She was administered blood thinners at 7 a.m. on August 12, and not long after, the emergency buzzer was pressed, and she needed help from health care staff, according to the Daily Record.

Related Article: Georgia Mom Arrives in Queens, NYC for Emotional Reunion with Missing Son
Russia delivered less gas to Europe on Wednesday in a further escalation of an energy stand-off between Moscow and the European Union that will make it harder, and costlier, for the bloc to fill up storage ahead of the winter heating season.



The cut in supplies, flagged by Gazprom (GAZP.MM) earlier this week, has reduced the capacity of Nord Stream 1 pipeline - the major delivery route to Europe for Russian gas - to a mere fifth of its total capacity.



A day earlier, EU countries approved a weakened emergency plan to curb gas demand after striking compromise deals to limit cuts for some countries, hoping lower consumption will ease the impact in case Moscow stops supplies altogether.





While Moscow has blamed various technical issues for the supply cuts, Brussels has accused Russia of using energy as a weapon to blackmail the bloc and retaliate for Western sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine.



On Wednesday, physical flows via Nord Stream 1 tumbled to 14.4 million kilowatt hours per hour (kWh/h) between 0700 and 0800 GMT from around 28 million kWh/h a day earlier, less than a week after the pipeline restarted following a scheduled 10-day maintenance period.



Klaus Mueller, head of Germany's network regulator, said the country could still avoid a gas shortage that would prompt its rationing.



Germany, Europe's top economy and its largest importer of Russian gas, has been particularly hit by supply cuts since mid-June, with its gas importer Uniper (UN01.DE) requiring a 15 billion euro ($15.21 billion) state bailout as a result.



Uniper and Italy's Eni (ENI.MI) both said they received less gas from Gazprom than in recent days.



Mueller issued another plea to households and industry to save gas and avoid rationing.



"The crucial thing is to save gas," Mueller said. "I would like to hear less complaints but reports (from industries saying) we as a sector are contributing to this," he told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk.



German industry groups, however, warned companies may have no choice but cut production to achieve bigger savings, pointing to slow approval for switching from natural gas to other, more polluting fuels.



Germany is currently at Phase 2 of a three-stage emergency gas plan, with the final "emergency" phase to be launched once rationing can no longer be avoided.



"If you asked me whether it (a gas shortage) is imminent, then I would say that if flows remain at 20% and if we can still add to storage facilities in the coming days and weeks, then we do not yet have a physical gas shortage, which would be the prerequisite for Phase 3," Mueller said.

Source: Reuters









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
The Police have arrested Safina Mohammed Adizatu, a student and Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku, a Technical Officer for their involvement in the murder of one Frank Kofi Osei at Ashalley Botwe School Junction in Accra.



Osei, a Ghanaian domiciled in Canada was in the country for a vacation.



Safina also known as Safina Diamond on social media and Arku are said to have stabbed the deceased several times on his chin, jaw, back and strangled him to death.



Charged with conspiracy and murder, the Adenta District Court presided over by Nana Aba Quaiba Nunoo preserved their pleas and remanded them into Police custody to reappear on August 12.



Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jacob Nyarko declined a bail application put in by the defence team as the case was under investigations and efforts were underway to nab other accomplices currently at large.



The court turned down the bail application.



Narrating the facts, Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jacob Nyarko said Safina is a 23-year-old level 100 student of the University of Ghana and Arku is a Technical Officer of the Crop Research Institute, Kumasi.



Chief Inspector Nyarko said Osei, now deceased is a Ghanaian domiciled in Canada, but has been in the country a few weeks ago.



On July 24, 2022, Prosecution said Osei visited Safina, his fiance who resides at Ashalley Botwe School Junction and decided to spend the night there.



Prosecution said at night, Safina and Arku together with others yet to be identified stabbed Osei several times with a knife on his chin, jaw, back and strangled him to death.



It said Safina and Arku cleaned up the blood, while the deceased was in the room for a 24-hour period.



According to prosecution, accused persons later dragged the deceased from first floor of the storey building through the staircase and dumped him at the gate of the house near where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra and washed the blood stains off the staircase.



On July 26, this year, at about 0400 hours,Safina called a police officer saying that her boyfriend visited her, and he had died in her room.



Prosecution said the Police Officer called the Police Patrol Team who rushed to the scene and found the body of the deceased lying at the gate of Safina's house, but (she) Safina and Arku were nowhere to be found.



It said the Police later traced Safina to Ashalley Botwe School Junction and nabbed her.



Prosecution said Arku after committing the act, absconded to Kumasi.



It said efforts were underway to apprehend other accomplices on the run.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Board and Management of Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation (BOST) Company has debunked allegations levelled against the company by Minority in Parliament for inflating the cost of a twin tower the company is putting up.



The company in a press release sighted by Peacefmonline is urging the general public not to believe in the report by minority caucus.



The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of inflating the cost of the construction of a twin tower office complex for the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) from $39 million dollars to $78 million.



Below is the full Press statement from the company

Your browser does not support iframes.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Peacefmonline.com can authoritatively confirm that the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon Sarah Adwoa Safo has been dismissed with immediate effect by President Akufo-Addo.



A statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, said the President acted in accordance with article 81 (a) of the constitution.



Family Issues



The dismissed minister, who also doubles as the Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, has been absent from Parliament for several months and also shirked her ministerial duties.



She claims her long absence is because of a family issue; medical attention she is giving to her child.



The statement dated 28th July, 2022 from the Presidency read; "In accordance with Article 81 (a) of the Constitution, the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has revoked the appointment of Hon. Sarah Adwoa Safo, Member of Parliament for Dome Kwabenya, as Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, with immediate effect."



No More Tik Tok?

The Dome-Kwabenya MP, who has a penchant for viral video recordings of her emotional state, interestingly deleted all her Tik Tok posts on Monday, and also had her account completely deactivated.



Earlier this year, outspoken NPP MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, hinted that Adwoa Safo may have lost interest in remaining a Minister after her failed attempt to sack Mrs Gertrude Quashigah, the National Coordinator of the School Feeding Program.



Privileges Committee....Recommends

However, she was summoned by the Privileges Committee of Parliament to answer for her misconduct but all efforts to reach her, even via Zoom, proved futile since she refused to honor the invitation.



The Privileges Committee subsequently recommended that Adwoa Safos seat be declared vacant due to her absenteeism from the house.

Parliament was thus expected to take a decision on her status as MP on Thursday, but the Speaker, Rt. Hon Alban S.K. Bagbin, stalled in making a ruling till the House resumes sitting, saying the issue is not one that needs to be taken in a haste.



Bagbin Stalls



Addressing members before the House rose, the Speaker said;



Honourable Members, I have consulted the old lady, the old lady has given me an advise and I think that advise is correct. The issue raised by the Majority Leader is both of substantive and procedural law.



I need time to submit to this house a reasoned, written ruling. I cannot in a haste of today, give you the ruling. In the circumstance, I will urge this House for us to call it a day, he said.







More soon.....

Statement

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
?? El Ministerio de Salud informa que aumento a 275 los casos confirmados de #ViruelaDelMono, que corresponden a 9 regiones del Peru, todos los pacientes vienen recibiendo asistencia medica, se registraron 68 altas medicas y se esta realizando la identificacion de contactos. pic.twitter.com/3KBQ7NmuJM
Marie-Pier Desharnais is shown atop K2 in this July 2022 handout photo. Marie-Pier Desharnais reached the top of K2 - renowned as one of the toughest mountains on earth - becoming one of the only women in Canada to summit the 8,611-metre monolith on the China-Pakistan border. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Marie-Pier Desharnais
Participants dance to music prior to the start of the Caribbean Carnivals grand parade in Toronto, on Saturday, July 30, 2022. The parade returned to the city after a two-year hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Tijana Martin
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. High around 80F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 79F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
A former 63-unit condominium near the College of Charleston is being converted to student housing and is expected to be ready by the fall semester.

Seven years after Mount Pleasant-based McAlister Development Co. offered $12 million to buy out the owners at 99 St. Philip's Place, the developer received a $12.4 million loan from Bay Point Advisors to help pay for the conversion project. The financing, which closed in April, was announced last week.

The development will create 254 beds in the four-story building at 99 St. Philip St. and an adjoining lot at 106 Coming St., which formerly was the site of the YWCA. McAlister bought the latter property for $8.25 million in 2014.

Many of the units at 99 St. Philip's Place were rentals in 2015, but several were owner-occupied. Some of the owners initially resisted efforts to sell, but all but a handful were acquired before 2020, when the last ones changed hands.

McAlister Development has been approved by the college and the state to lease the beds for one year with renewal options for up to four subsequent years for no more than $9.8 million in total.

The converted condo building will be used as "swing space" to house students from the nearby McAlister Residence Hall, which is to renovated over the next year.

CofC requested approval of the rental agreement from the State Fiscal Accountability Authority in April to meet current demand and future projections for college-provided student housing. The lease terms do not include a purchase option.

The college will pay a base rent of $3,500 per bed per semester, or $1.778 million for the academic year. Students will be charged $4,500 per bed based on double occupancy. The college also is responsible for the operating costs, which are to be about $353,000 for the year.

The two-acre property is near three existing residence halls at the college.

"Every bed built on or adjacent to campus relieves pressure on our valuable neighborhoods," said Anthony McAlister, a CofC graduate who founded the development company. "The intent of 99 Saint Philip Street is to offer affordable student housing, which has become a crisis-level issue for students and parents of the College of Charleston."

New townhomes

An Atlanta-based developer plans to build 155 rental townhomes in West Ashley.

RangeWater Real Estate will break ground in August on the 17-acre Bellerose at Bees Ferry residences at Bees Ferry Road and Bluewater Way.

Units will come with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one-car garages, 9-foot ceilings and stone kitchen countertops. The development also will include an open-air club house, pool, firepits and planned events.

The build-to-rent units are part of the company's Storia-branded neighborhoods.

Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email

Sign Up!

"Charleston is one of our favorite places to develop because of the lifestyle and economic opportunity here," said Steven Shores, chairman and CEO of RangeWater.

First move-ins are slated for October 2023.

RangeWater built the 231-unit Merchant Apartments off Morrison Drive on Charleston's upper peninsula and sold the property for $80.8 million last December to Arlington, Va.-based Merchant Owner LLC., an affiliate of Blackfin Real Estate Investors, according to Charleston County land records.

Changing hands

A small apartment community in North Charleston now has a new owner.

Remount Properties LLC paid $1.915 million on July 18 for the 16-unit Palmetto Square Apartments at 1370 Remount Road.

Andrew Batkins and Wayne Simon of commercial real estate firm Woodlock Capital represented the seller, 1370 Remount Road LLC.

Storing stuff

A Charleston-based commercial real estate firm recently added five self-storage properties across the Southeast to its management portfolio.

Adams Property Group acquired the newly built Monster Self Storage sites in Valdosta and Statesboro, Ga., and will manage both of them. The sale prices were not disclosed.

The company also took on management of the new Your Storage Units in North Augusta, and in Jacksonville and Kissimmee, both in Florida.

In addition to adding new properties to manage, the company also was involved in the expansions of Monster Self Storage in Greenwood, which the company owns and manages northwest of Columbia, and Your Storage Units in Panama City Beach, Fla., which Adams manages.

Adams Property Group also owns about 1 million square feet of retail and flex space in the Carolinas and Georgia. Its non-storage investment portfolio is comprised of grocery-anchored retail, non-anchored retail, business parks and light-industrial facilities.

Adams affiliate A.L. Adams Construction Co. of Greenwood completed construction of Monster Self Storage Valdosta in March and Monster Self Storage Statesboro in May. The company also headed up construction for the expansion at Monster Self Storage in its home base.
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Becoming cloudy with occasional rain during the afternoon. High 82F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low around 70F. Winds light and variable.
Suspended Augusta District 4 Commissioner Sammie Lee Sias was convicted Friday, July 29 of destroying records, including those related to the expenditure of public money, and then lying about it to federal investigators.

A U.S. District Court jury found Sias of Hephzibah, Georgia, guilty of destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations; and false statement or representation made to a department or agency of the United States, according to David H. Estes, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.

The July 29 verdict came down after a 4-day trial and just two hours of deliberation by the jury.

Former Commissioner Sias knew his handling of sales tax funds was under investigation, and he deleted thousands of electronic files within hours of a federal order requiring him to provide those files, said U.S. Attorney David H. Estes. This verdict demonstrates that no one is above the law, and that there is a penalty for obstructing investigators working to find the truth.

Sias, elected in 2015, had been under investigation by the FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for his role in the expenditure of Richmond County Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds.

An FBI agent eventually served Sias and the private organization Sandridge Community Association (SCA) with federal subpoenas in July and August of 2019, according to a July 29, 2022, news release from the office of U.S. Attorney Estes.

The subpoenas had requested records pertaining to the SCA (which, at the time, Sias had served as its president); and the Jamestown Community Center, owned by Richmond County but run by Sias organization.

The subpoenas also had requested records for Jamestown SPLOST, the SCA Board of Directors and the SCA Summer Camp.

According the release, the FBI testified that within hours of the agents visit, Sias deleted approximately 7,000 relevant files from a laptop computer in his possession that belonged to the Jamestown Community Center.

Those files included invoices, spreadsheets, work orders, payments, agendas, minutes, financial reports and other documentation related to the community center, according to the indictment, which had alleged Sias knowingly destroyed or altered these records with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of a federal criminal grand jury investigation.

Further, in a recorded interview with an FBI agent four days after that initial visit, Sias lied when he told the agent that he had provided all files in his possession related to the investigation, according to the recent release, which says that digital forensics experts later found evidence of the missing files on Sias laptop.

Sias is currently free on bond, pending sentencing. No date has yet been set for sentencing; according to the release, an investigation by U.S. Probation Service must first occur.

Sias faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison, substantial financial penalties and up to five years supervised release. The federal system offers no chance of parole.
The Trump administration completed 450 miles out of a projected 750 miles of Mexican border wall, but President Biden stopped all wall construction on his first day in office. He and his officials have continued to denounce the project.

However, the administration now announces that it will resume construction to plug four gaps in Arizona:

More than 450 miles of barriers were built under Mr. Trump, and Homeland Security had plans for nearly 300 additional miles, but Mr. Biden halted all construction on his first day in office. That left gaps, including four holes in the fence near the Morelos Dam Project along the Colorado River near Yuma, Arizona. Migrants have streamed through those gaps in recent months. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Thursday authorized Customs and Border Protection to close those gaps.

Why? If the wall is terrible, why arent the gaps good?

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre balked at the notion that President Biden is reversing course after vowing not to build another foot of the wall. We are not finishing the wall, Ms. Jean-Pierre said Friday. We are cleaning up the mess that the prior administration made. We are trying to save lives.

A classic Biden administration response. Meaningless, beyond expressing hate for Donald Trump. Jean-Pierre added that the wall is ineffective. So, if its ineffective, why are you plugging the gaps?

In a statement announcing the authorization, Homeland Security said the gaps present safety and life hazard risks to migrants, who risk drowning in the Colorado River to reach the holes in the fence, and to agents who have to rescue them.

Of course, what creates the risk is not the gaps, but rather the open border policy that draws illegals to the Rio Grande border like a magnet. Whether they want to admit it or not, the administrations resuming border wall construction is a testament to the failure of the Democrats immigration policies.

Now they just have another 300 miles to go.
Churchill expert Richard Langworth is senior fellow at the Hilldale College Churchill Project. He wrote me yesterday after I cited Churchills comments on Stanley Baldwin in What base ingratitude. I said that Baldwin had tested the limits of Churchills magnanimity. My quotations from Churchill suggested that Baldwin had exceeded the limits. Mr. Langworth wrote to let me know that he had a further refinement on that[.]

In Churchills Magnanimity: Stanley Baldwin (1867-1947), Mr. Langworth updates and elaborates on the older Langworth post I cited. Mr. Langworth commented in his message to me: What Churchill said about Baldwin was about as rough as he said of anyone except wartime enemiesand yet he came back with those remarks at the Baldwin Memorial. Imagine our rulers today saying anything like that about old antagonists.

Mr. Langworth is an authority on Churchill quotations. In the early days of the Obama administration, Obama to the contrary notwithstanding, he attested to the absence of the statement We dont torture from Churchills vast corpus. I cited him in Obama veers into the Daily Ditch.

Mr. Langworth is the author of several books on Churchill including Churchill By Himself: The Definitive Collection of Quotations. Turning to the section on Baldwin we find the memorable quote: Occasionally he stumbled over the truth, but hastily picked himself up and hurried on as if nothing had happened.

Reading Churchill is an elevating experience. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature and he should have won the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Most recently restored to print in two volumes is James Mullers long-awaited edition of Churchills The River War. The first edition quickly sold out upon publication last year, but the second edition is now available. I didnt make the mistake of waiting to buy it this time around.
On Thursday President Biden spoke with China President Xi Jinping by phone. Biden tweeted out the photo of himself speaking with Xi from the Oval Office (below). Its not a good look. Its a bad look.

Today I spoke with President Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China as part of our efforts to deepen lines of communication, responsibly manage our differences, and address issues of mutual interest. pic.twitter.com/mwIeg35h8j  President Biden (@POTUS) July 28, 2022

Who said what to whom? Biden barely hints at the substance of the conversation.

The White House has posted its readout of the call. The White House has also posted the somewhat more informative transcript of a press backgrounder on the call.

This is the White House readout of the call:

President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spoke today with President Xi Jinping of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The call was a part of the Biden Administrations efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the PRC and responsibly manage our differences and work together where our interests align. The call follows the two leaders conversation on March 18th and a series of conversations between high-level U.S. and PRC officials. The two presidents discussed a range of issues important to the bilateral relationship and other regional and global issues, and tasked their teams to continue following up on todays conversation, in particular to address climate change and health security. On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States policy has not changed and that the United States strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Xi is no dummy. He has sized up Biden to our disadvantage. I assess with a high degree of certainty that Xi finds Bidens climate shtick laughable.

Xi has of course compromised Biden through Chinese investments in the Biden family business. He therefore feels free to let it be known that he threatened Biden during the call. According to Chinese state media, Xi told Biden: Those who play with fire will only get burnt. Hope the U.S. side can see this clearly. New York Post covered the more forthcoming Chinese readout of the call here. The Daily Mail covered it here. The transcript of the White House backgrounder makes it clear that the Chinese state media had this right.

The Post circles back to incorporate its own coverage of the Biden family business via the laptop from hell:

Thursdays call took place amid uncertainty over whether first son Hunter Biden still holds a 10% stake in a Chinese investment firm thats controlled in part by state-owned entities. The company, BHR Partners, was formed 12 days after Hunter Biden joined his father, then-vice president Joe Biden, aboard Air Force Two for a 2013 trip to Beijing. Online business records suggest the first son still holds the 10% stake in BHR and the White House has provided no transparency about his alleged divestment. [White House press secretary Karine] Jean-Pierre referred a question about Hunter Bidens ownership status to the first sons legal team, which claimed in November he no longer held the stake. The Biden-Xi call also happened less than a day after The Post reported that a Hunter Biden associate, James Gilliar, referred to Joe Biden at least twice as the big guy  a term that relates to a different Biden family business venture in China, with energy company CEFC. CEFC paid Hunter Biden and first brother Jim Biden $4.8 million in 2017 and 2018, the Washington Post reported this year. Joe Biden allegedly was due to receive a 10% equity stake in a corporate entity established with CEFC. Former Hunter Biden business partner Tony Bobulinski says that he spoke with Joe Biden in May 2017 about the CEFC joint venture and a May 13, 2017, email written by Gilliar said that the big guy would get 10%. Bobulinski previously alleged that the president was the big guy, a claim confirmed by Gilliars latest message.

I further assess with a high degree of certainty that Xi believes he has the upper hand with Biden and his clown car administration.
A random search online for images of women who practise female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), also known as cutters, shows them in traditional attire displaying the tools they work with either on a tattered piece of cloth or on their bare hands.

These tools are razors, local knives, scissors, scalpels, and pieces of glass, which they use for the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia (most times the clitoris) for non-medical reasons. This is mostly carried out on girls between infancy and age 15, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Now, these tools once used to carry out FGM as part of inherent cultural beliefs are no longer part of the identity of some cutters in Nigeria.

This is the case of Charity Aforkwalam whose grandmother taught her at 15 how to circumcise a newborn girl, a knowledge that was also passed to the grandmother by Mrs Aforkwalams great-grandmother. It was how the culture was passed to many girls born in Warri in Nigerias Delta State.

While the WHO sees female genital mutilation as a violation of the human rights of girls and women, Mrs Aforkwalam was taught that when a woman is circumcised, it stops her from being a harlot.

This perception that she was saving girls by controlling their sexuality, made her decide to follow her grandmother, a known cutter in Warri, for every circumcision. Making money from the practice was a bonus. Her grandmother collected between one and five kobos for each circumcision.

The process would start with unwrapping the blade from a piece of cloth. The blade would only be rinsed with water after a previous cut while the mother of the newborn would struggle to keep her crying baby still.

In the corner, there would be a boiling pot of water mixed with herbs used to stop bleeding. Using the razorblade, her grandmother would slowly slice through the clitoris of the newborn from top to bottom, then administer the now warm herbs to the wound.

For any 15-year-old, this would not be a thrilling sight, but for Mrs Aforkwalam who trusted her grandmother and the purpose of the practice, she patiently watched each process because she felt it was the right thing.

After every cut, Mrs Aforkwalams grandmother would spit into her palms, place them on her granddaughters palms and tell her that when she dies, she must continue the practice. For this reason, Ms Aforkwalam felt she had been bestowed ancestral powers that could not be foregone.

There are several reasons why women practise FGM, which include psychosexual (to control womens sexuality), sociology and culture (initiation into womanhood), hygiene and aesthetic appeal, religious doctrine and socio-economic factors (a prerequisite for marriage).

The medical cutter

Like Mrs Aforkwalam, Funmilayo Ajayi, 68, learnt the practice from her grandmother but practised hers medically as the head of midwives and traditional birth attendants in Ikere Local Government Area of Nigerias south-west state, Ekiti.

Women who patronised her felt comfortable with her because, being a health practitioner, she would perform the act with better hygiene. Beyond her health background, it was a way to uphold an intergenerational practice while she also made some money from it.

FGM/C is not only perpetuated by traditionalists but also by health workers. But even when medicalised, UNICEF says it is still not safe and there is no medical justification for the practice.

The global body estimated that at least 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM, out of which over 20 million of them were mutilated by a health care provider.

The national prevalence of medicalised FGM is above 10 per cent in eight countries, including Nigeria. Mrs Ajayi, who is part of the 12 per cent of health practitioners that have conducted medicalised FGM in Nigeria, has lost count of the number of girls she cut.

The journey to redemption

The death of her grandmother in 1977 launched Mrs Aforkwalam into personal practice, charging N100 per cut. This was her only source of income until she left Warri with her family in 1983 for Oforola, a community in Nigerias south-east state of Imo where she combined trading, farming and cutting.

She went about the usual business of cutting until the gospel of #EndFGM got to her one day while seeking medical attention at a community health centre in 2018.

While waiting for her turn to see the doctor, she heard someone saying, Stop female circumcision; it is harmful to our girls. Wondering what the message was about, she stepped out and saw community residents known as the Opi committee lecture nursing mothers who had come to immunise their children.

Opi means trumpet blower in Igbo. Opi Committee are selected community residents who campaign against the practice.

The committee was birthed from an awareness programme on gender-based violence carried out by a non-governmental organisation, Honourbirth Foundation in two Imo communities  Oforola and Olaukwu in Owerri West Local Government.

They were later trained on how to respond to GBV by international bodies like ActionAid and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) alongside local authorities like the National Human Rights Commission.

After several encounters with the committee at the marketplace and in her church, Mrs Aforkwalam bought a document that contained the by-laws produced to guide the residents on gender-based violence. From there, she further learned the health complications linked to the practice.

The WHO associates several health risks with FGM/C. They include complications like excessive bleeding, urinary problems, fever, infections, death and long-term effects like sexual problems (painful intercourse, decreased satisfaction), childbirth complications, psychological problems (depression and anxiety), and vaginal and menstrual problems.

Before she abandoned the practice, Mrs Aforkwalam had cut about 30 girls, a low number because there were a lot of cutters in her community. The girls are part of the 19.9 million FGM survivors in Nigeria, the third-highest number of girls and women who have undergone FGM worldwide, according to UNICEF.

Once she stopped performing FGM, Mrs Aforkwalam said she prayed to God to forgive her because it was done out of ignorance.

For Mrs Ajayi, the criminalisation of gender-based violence and constant sensitisation from GBV responders, made her stop. Now, she urges other health practitioners to shun the practice.

I now know that it is bad and we were just harming the young girls. I threaten to hand them (circumcised, Mrs Ajayi, fondly called Iya Nurse, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone.

To further curb the practice, in April 2022 the Ekiti State government introduced stiffer punishment for erring health and local practitioners in its reviewed Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Provision Law. Such officials risk losing their license, a two-year jail term and a fine of N200,000 ($480) but no one has been punished yet.

Also, the Chairman of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) in Ekiti, Oyin Olatunbosun, promised to engage relevant bodies in the countrys health sector to stop the act among them.

It will be easy for us to stop it, especially when they know people are now watching, she said.

The rise of the Opi committeeGBV combatants

After learning a lot from the by-laws and as a way to atone for her past deeds, Mrs Aforkwalam approached the secretary of the Opi Committee to become a member in August 2021. Since then, she serves as an advocate against the harmful practice.

Whenever I hear that a woman has delivered a baby at the health centre, I visit the mother at her home to sensitise her about the dangers of FGM on her newborn and how to resist pressure from her mother-in-law. I follow-up several times too, the 62-year-old told PREMIUM TIMES.

Mrs Aforkwalam is among the 15 men and women who make up the Opi Committee. In this committee, there are traditional leaders, health workers, women leaders, local security and youth representatives. She is the only repentant cutter on the committee.

Besides constant sensitisation, they track and respond to cases of violence against women and girls, refer cases to the NGO and criminal matters to the states Human Rights Commission.

In responding to civil cases, the committee set up a local court where proceedings are held every Thursday. They have not handled any FGM cases because the numbers have dropped.

Their by-laws also warn residents to shun FGM and stipulate that offenders will be reported to the authorities.

The health workers who are part of this committee routinely check the babies brought to the health centre for immunisation and during postnatal days to monitor the prevalence of the practice which they said has dropped drastically.

Before 2021, we would see between 12 and 13 baby girls cut weekly but now, you will see one and that is for those stubborn people. Sometimes you wont see any, said Achonwa Isabella, the focal person in charge of female genital mutilation in Owerri West Local Government.

With the interventions of the Opi Committee in the communities, the Executive Director of Honourbirth Foundation, Elizabeth Onyemaechi, believes despite their financial constraints, they will be sustained because they are working on becoming an autonomous unit.

In addition to the Opi Committees work, the traditional ruler of Olaukwu community, Apollo Ekeocha, placed female spies in the community who monitor the progress of every newborn girl and report any wrongdoing to him.

Dwindling practice yet a worrisome increase

Several approaches have been adopted for the abandonment of FGM/C practice in Africa, such as human rights frameworks, a health risk approach, training health workers as change agents, and the use of comprehensive social development initiatives.

In Nigeria, empowering selected residents like Mrs Ajayi and Mrs Aforkwalam in states where the practice is prevalent to serve as responders in tackling GBV issues has helped with the reduction.

The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) states that FGM/C reduced in Nigeria from 25 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent in 2018 for women aged 15-49. This was restated by the UNFPA resident representative in Nigeria, Ulla Mueller, in 2021. The next NDHS in 2023 is expected to give more accurate data on the current state of the practice.

Quoting the NDHS 2013/2018 statistics, Ms Mueller said in Osun State, the prevalence reduced from 78 per cent to 45.9 per cent; Ebonyi: 74 per cent to 53.2 per cent; Ekiti: 72 per cent to 57.9 per cent; Imo: 68 per cent to 61.7 per cent, and Oyo: 66 per cent to 31.1 per cent.

Reacting to this development, an FGM survivor and activist, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, said it gives her strength to know that all the work as a grassroots campaigner and survivor is not a waste. But the target is zero.

However, a UNICEF report released in February warned that FGM is on the rise among Nigerian girls aged 0-14.

While the national prevalence of FGM among women in Nigeria aged 15-49 dropped from 25 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent in 2018, prevalence among girls aged 0-14 increased from 16.9 per cent to 19.2 per cent in the same period, according to NDHS figures, UNICEF said in the report.

A factor that could have caused the increase is the non-acceptance of awareness programmes by some people who still cherish the tradition.

For instance, Alice Uchenna, a mother the reporter met at Obinze Health Centre in Owerri West Local Government, said she still believes in the practice, but her mother, who supports the advocacy, stopped her from circumcising her daughter,

Nevertheless, the Director of Gender in the Ekiti State Ministry of Health, Olukemi Akinleye, told PREMIUM TIMES she is confident that with the level of awareness and popularisation of the law against FGM, the next NDHS report will indicate a reduction.

Also, new initiatives introduced by the Nigerian government, like the Movement For Good where critical actors mobilise local action using the #Act2endFGM to stop the practice, are expected to show progress in the coming year.

How other African countries are tackling FGM/C practice

According to Mrs Aforkwalam and Mrs Ajayi, the reason for practising FGM is to limit sexual urges, but in some parts of Nigeria and some African countries like Kenya and Sierra Leone, it is to observe the rite of passage from childhood into womanhood and to guarantee a girls marriageability.

The process starts with a ceremony to train the girls on family and womens social roles and a public declaration stating the communitys recognition of the girls initiation to womanhood and ends with the genital cutting.

In these places, girls who do not undergo such a ceremony are usually stigmatised because it is seen as a thing of pride.

Now, Alternative Rites of Passage have been introduced by NGOs and international bodies. The alternative ceremonies keep and respect the tradition, but exclude the cut. During these ceremonies, the girls are made aware of the dangers of FGM and provided with sexual and reproductive health education. Girls education is also promoted.

After the historical ceremony and the cut, the girls are given a red scarf as a symbol of their initiation, but to show acceptance of the new ritual they replaced the red scarf with a yellow one.

Consequently, the Demographic Health Survey in Kenya showed that the overall prevalence of FGM decreased from 38 per cent in 1998, to 21 per cent in 2014 as restated by Jean Lokenga, UNICEF Kenya deputy representative.

Finding alternative income for previous cutters

It was not easy for Mrs Aforkwalam to forgo the practice because she earned as much as N1000 per cut by the time she stopped the practice. But she eventually could, due to the other businesses she runs. Mrs Ajayi, on the other hand, is still struggling.

She was part of the beneficiaries of former circumcisers who were given N250,000 by the Ekiti State Government in 2021 at the Drop the Blade Initiative to discourage the practice and to enable them to use the funds as capital to start up a business.

However, Mrs Ajayi still pleads for more financial support because she said she used the money to offset the economic difficulties caused by the global pandemic.

The FGM survivor, Mrs Aladejare-Salako, condemned the recurring requests from the former cutters because it feels as though they have not internalised the fact that FGM is harmful.

UNFPA Gender/GBV Specialist, Zubaida Abubakar, agreed that financial support for previous circumcisers is not sustainable because they will keep requesting more.

A public health specialist, Laz Eze, proposed that the cutters be trained on other skills of their choice, and be given start-up tools and grants to begin their businesses.

But if they continue, he said they should be prosecuted in line with the Violence Against Prohibition Act 2015 which stipulates a four-year jail term or N200,000 ($482) or both to serve as a deterrent.

In Sierra Leone, empowerment with livelihood skills was adopted and accepted by the previous cutters.

Mrs Aforkwalam and Mrs Ajayi want cutters who are still practising in secret to stop, mostly because of its harmful effects on girls and women.

This article was produced as part of the WA GBV Reporting Fellowship with support from the Africa Womens Journalism Project (AWJP) in partnership with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and through the support of the Ford Foundation and Premium Times.
EDITORS NOTE: Our earlier report quoted the tweet by the parody account as coming from Mr Adebanjo. We have now confirmed that the account is a parody and have updated the story.

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, has disowned a Twitter account impersonating its leader, Ayo Adebanjo, noting that its leader has no social media account.

The group, however, restated its support for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.

The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Jare Ajayi, in a statement on Sunday, said Mr Adebanjo has no social media account.

A parody account, @PaAdebanjo, has been impersonating Mr Adebanjo.

Last week, the account tweeted that the group is opposed to the candidacy of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because the former Lagos State governor will ensure continuity of the current administration.

Ahmed Tinubu will only give continuity to Buharis incompetence. We know Peter Obi very well, that is why we endorse him. He will not disappoint Nigerians, let us put our tribal difference apart and vote right leaders, the tweet from the parody account reads.

Afenifere promotes Yoruba interest and Mr Tinubu is Yoruba. But the group and the former Lagos governor often take opposite political positions. In 2015, Afenifere supported the then incumbent president, Goodluck Jonathan, while Mr Tinubu supported Muhammadu Buhari who won the election.

In his statement on Sunday, Mr Ajayi said the endorsement of Mr Obi is more fundamental and constitutional than the reason being purported in the spurious social media account under reference.

The group had earlier declared support for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Obi, an Igbo man and former governor of Anambra State, on the basis that it is the turn of the South-east geopolitical zone of the country.

Yes, we have endorsed Peter Obi. My reason for supporting him is because, based on equity and justice, the presidency should go to the South-east, Mr Adebanjo had said some weeks back.

Adebanjo speaks through press statement or interview

Mr Ajayi added that Mr Adebanjo only addresses the public through interviews or press statements.

He urged the public to dismiss any statement from any handle on social media representing Mr Adebanjo.

Whenever he (Adebanjo) has anything to say to the public, he does so directly by addressing the press, through an interview or a Press Statement. He also addresses the public through the Secretary-General or the National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere.

Since the elder statesman does not have any social media account, whatever is found in the Twitter account could not be said to have come from him. He has no such accounts as he speaks directly to the media or causes his views to be channelled to the public via the organisations Secretary General or the national publicity secretary.

The media and members of the public are hereby enjoined to disregard any statement purported to have been sourced from Pa Adebanjos social media account because he has none.
YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. The Ministry of Defense of Armenia is denying the statement of the Azerbaijani defense ministry on opening fire at the border.

The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan has spread disinformation, stating that on July 30, the units of the Armenian Armed Forces opened fire from firearms at the Azerbaijani positions located in the eastern section of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border is relatively stable and is under the full control of the Armenian Armed Forces, the Armenian Defense Ministry said in a statement.
After weeks of waiting for the crowd at her registration centre to reduce, Lovelyn Asukwo (real name hidden) and her friends were introduced to an INEC official at the commissions office in Area 10, Garki in Abuja.

The seven of them paid N2,000 each to the official and immediately got their Permanent Voters Card (PVC), two days to the 30 June initial deadline for registration.

Although voter registration is free, some corrupt officials have been taking advantage of the rush by Nigerians to beat the deadline for the exercise.

I spent almost all my two weeks leave from office on queue before our HR spoke to a friend who linked us up with an INEC official in Area 10, 23-years-old Ms Asukwo told PREMIUM TIMES.

Ms Asukwo had visited the same office four consecutive days but left each day in disappointment either due to the capturing machines being slow or staff resuming late.

However, after collecting N14,000 from them, the official advised Ms Asukwo and her friends to meet him at the office before 6 a.m.

The entire process, including capturing, did not take up to 20 minutes. It was very fast, she explained.

Commotion at registration centres and experiences like that of Ms Asukwo had forced INEC to extend its 30 June deadline for the exercise by one month. However, a week before the new deadline, crowds have disappeared at the registration centres in many parts of the country.

Why the surge and rush?

The Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) had resumed on June 28, 2021 to allow especially Nigerians who clocked 18 years since the 2019 general elections to participate in the 2023 elections. The exercise was last conducted in 2018.

With the target of capturing 20 million new voters, INEC conducted the registration online and at centres across the country. The exercise was to last until the end of June 2022.

The youth want to know when the registration will end. I want to assure you on behalf of the commission that the registration wont end on June 30. For as long as we have you people trying to register, we will continue to register you, the commissions chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, told a crowd of expectant registrants at the Old Parade Ground in Abuja on 25 June

His statement came after the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim order restraining INEC from closing the exercise on 30 June.

Due to rowdy scenes at the registration centres in many parts of the country, a civil society organisation, SERAP had approached the court for the order directing the electoral body to continue the exercise indefinitely.

The applicants in the case had argued that INEC would be disenfranchising many Nigerians if its deadline was not moved.

The development followed a new spark of interest in voter registration in many parts of Nigeria, attributed to recent developments on the political scene in the run-up to the 2023 general elections.

The entrance of a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and a former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, into the presidential race has caused excitement among Nigerian youths on social media.

The two politicians had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to pick up the presidential tickets of the Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) respectively.

Hiccups

Unlike Ms Asukwo and her friends who got their PVCs after bribing a corrupt INEC official in Abuja, Samuel David, decided to follow the procedure stipulated by INEC in Enugu State.

Mr Davids face was gloomy as he approached the exit gate of the Michael Okpara Square, where he had gone to register on a Wednesday afternoon.

He had been going to the centre for two weeks and was part of a long queue when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter arrived that Wednesday in July.

I havent eaten since morning. I am exhausted. Maybe I should try my luck somewhere else, a frustrated Mr David said.

The capturing machines were too few for the population of eligible registrants in the area, resulting in a large crowd at the centre every day.

The reporter met over 300 intending registrants milling around at the centre. A few metres away, about 200 others sat under canopies. Those were the people who had been issued numbers and were expecting to be attended to that day.

Inside one of the canopies, officials of INEC were conducting the exercise. But there were only three machines at the centre, so the process was slow.

We worked with seven machines last Friday, Chimobi Nduka, one of the registration officials, told this newspaper. But today they (INEC) brought only three machines.

Mr Nduka said one machine could register 180 persons a day. He blamed the commotion in the centre on the Nigerian factor.

Similar scenarios were playing out at an INEC office inside the headquarters of Enugu East Local Government Area.

Chukwuma Anike, was among the about 200 persons waiting under a canopy waiting to be issued numbers for possible registration the next day.

Mr Anike had arrived at the commissions office before 6 a.m. but as of 3:18 p.m., no number had been given to anyone.

Inside the office complex, another group of over 100 waited under a canopy. We are the people who have received numbers. We came yesterday, one of them said, noting that numbers were no longer being issued for the day.

An INEC official declined comments when this reporter sought explanations for the delays. He, instead, referred this newspaper to the commissions Enugu headquarters.

Across the registration centres visited by PREMIUM TIMES in the state, the trend observed was that machines and personnel were grossly inadequate, which explains the difficulty experienced in getting people registered.

For food vendors, however, it was a welcome opportunity for brisk sales as crowds of intending registrants surged at different centres in the state.

Number tag for sale

Ahmad Abubakar, dressed in a black polka-dot shirt and blue jeans, was engaged in a shouting match with other intending registrants at the INEC office in Area 10 Abuja when PREMIUM TIMES visited the centre again on 8 July.

Dont mind him, its a lie, he just got here, a woman, possibly in her early twenties, said.

Mr Abubakar had been accused of lying about how he got his number tag when he had allegedly not been among those who arrived at the centre early.

Denying that he had paid someone else to take his place, Mr Abubakar said the man in question was his brother who stood in for him while he left for his office in the Central Business District (CBD).

See the number, see, how would I have had it if I was not here before? he asked.

He was not here. I got here around 7 a.m. and he was not among the people I met here, another man insisted despite Mr Abubakars explanation.

The protests against Mr Abubakar were provoked by the atttitude of the staff of the commission at the centre. Intending registrants accused the staff of late resumption and indolence.

How can the staff be coming to work after 10 a.m.? Is it that those of us who got here as early as 7 a.m. dont have jobs? a woman shouted.

A new registrant, Mudi Kings, said he decided to send someone to the INEC registration centre in Trademore Estate in Abuja early in the morning, to pick a number for him after he had failed a couple of times to get one. And it worked for him.

It did not take me up to two hours to get myself registered, he said.

Underaged registrants

After the courts order extending the exercise, states like Plateau, Yobe and Niger declared work-free days to enable citizens get registered in the continuous voter registration exercise. Plateau declared 27 and 28 June, while Yobe and Niger State declared 29 June to 1 July.

The exercise was relatively smooth in Niger and Yobe, but PREMIUM TIMES observed hiccups in Plateau State.

Outside the INEC headquarters at Miango Junction in Jos South Local Government Area, the reporter saw a mammoth crowd of prospective registrants when he visited early July.

In the crowd was Caroline Emmanuel, who confessed that she is 16 years old after the reporter queried whether she was up to 18, the minimum age for eligibility.

There had been reports of underage voters in some parts of the country. Miss Emmanuel said she had been going to the centre for three days without success.

Katsina

In Katsina State, despite the challenges being encountered by residents to register for their voters card, people were still trooping to the registration centres.

During a visit to the Katsina Local Government INEC office, many eligible voters were seen waiting for the arrival of officials.

Though many refused to speak to this reporter, Abba Aliyu, a student, said he was finding it very difficult to register.

Im a student at the Polytechnic (Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic) and I have been coming here for over a week. The officials dont come on time, he said.

Asked if the long queue and the absence of the officials would make him shelve the plan to register to vote, the Office Technology Management student said he would persist.

However, Rukayya Shehu, a married woman in the city centre, said she would only register if the equipment was brought to her home.

As a working mother, I have a lot of things to do other than wasting time on a queue struggling for a voters card, she said.

An official at the office referred our reporter to the state INEC office for comment. But on getting there, no senior staffer was around.

The phone of the director of voters education and mobilisation, Abbani Takai, was unreachable and he did not respond to an SMS sent to him.

Crowds disappear at centres

Before the extension of the 30 June deadline by INEC, the commission received tonnes of complaints from Lagos residents.

PREMIUM TIMES visited some of the registration centres in Lagos at the peak of the social media campaign against the commission in late June and in the first week of July.

Some PVC applicants at the Igbede community in the INEC office at Ojo local government said it was an herculean task to get the cards.

Having arrived at the centre around 6 a.m., a retired civil servant who identified himself as Aliyu said he was shocked when he was given number 100.

I was here around 6 a.m. and I wrote my name. I was number 100. I was wondering how they arrived at that number. Perhaps they had a carryover from Friday, he said.

Mr Aliyu said he went home after writing his name and came back but had yet to be attended to as of 11 a. m.

Adewale Afolabi, one of the few applicants seen outside at the centre, said it took him about seven hours before he was attended to.

They are stressing people here. I came from Iyana Ipaja. I have been here since 7 a.m. I have spent seven hours here, he said.

Before this reporter left the centre, Mr Afolabi, was however, given a form to fill in his details.

Another registrant, Ifeanyi Nwobodo, said he got to the centre with his wife around 8:20 a. m. and wrote their names on a list that was passed among the applicants.

My number was 113 and my wife was 114 as of the time I came. I have done data capturing, he said.

Delay, shortage of machines and late resumption of staff members were among the complaints of PVC applicants in Alimosho, Amuwo-Idofin among other places PREMIUM TIMES visited.

However, nine days to the new deadline, this newspaper noticed the disappearance of crowds at the centres.

Having admitted to having been overwhelmed by the surge of applicants at some of its centres across the country, INEC, in July sent in additional personnel and machines to hasten the process.

Formerly at the centre of social media troll, PREMIUM TIMES on 5 July, saw how nobody showed up to register at the INEC Lagos office following the extension.

This was the same situation in other centres this newspaper revisited in Abuja, Enugu and Plateau. The crowds have disappeared.
Twenty-four hours after prominent Nollywood actors and members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel, aka Agbogidi, were kidnapped in an Enugu suburb, their abductors have contacted their families.

The actors were reported missing after their family members confirmed they didnt return home from a film location at Ozalla Town, Enugu state, on Thursday.

Both actors are renowned for starring in movies shot in Enugu and Delta states.

On Saturday, the AGN national president, Emeka Rollas, told PREMIUM TIMES that the kidnappers are requesting a lump sum in dollars.

He said, The kidnappers have made contact with the families and are demanding the sum of $100,000. We pray to God for his intervention and for Him to put confusion in their midst.

We are also working closely with the different security operatives, but we are not sure what to expect from them because the same thing is happening everywhere in the country.

Mr Rollas also said members of the Guild are working closely with the families of the victims and the security forces to ensure their safe release.

In a Punch newspaper interview published Saturday, Mr Rollas said, the kidnappers cleared the monies in Cynthia Okerekes account this morning.

Extra measures

As part of measures to forestall a repeat occurrence, Mr Rollas said that the Guild had ordered its members not to shoot outside of the metropolis and to ensure that they make adequate provisions for security in their locations.

AGNs Director of Communications, Monalisa Chinda, broke the news of the kidnap of the actors in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

Ms Chinda said their kidnap had increased fear amongst members about the safety of actors filming in the country.
Danladi Hassan, one of the 38 army officers arbitrarily sacked, has sought the intervention of the defence minister, Bashir Magashi, after the Nigerian Army refused to obey the court injunction ordering his reinstatement.

Mr Hassan and 37 other senior officers were forced to retire by the army in June 2016. The mass dismissal affected nine major generals, 11 brigadier generals, seven colonels and 11 lieutenant colonels. However, PREMIUM TIMES investigations showed the authourities acted illegally, and the National Industrial Court has ordered the reinstatement of Mr Hassan and many others.

On 28 June this year, Mr Hassans solicitors submitted a letter on his behalf to Mr Magashis office, urging him to prevail on the army to obey the court orders that declared the retirement of their client illegal.

The solicitors reminded Mr Magashi that on 25 January, 2022, they had forwarded the judgement of the National Industrial Court that set aside the compulsory retirement of Mr Hassan.

Unfortunately, since the receipt of our letter in January 2022, and the Army Council meeting in March 2022, our client is yet to be reinstated by the Nigerian Army in compliance with the judgement of the court of Appeal, the final arbiter in a matter such as this, the letter read in part.

The letter noted that Mr Hassan has been subjected to extreme hardship, emotional and psychological trauma for a period of not less than six years and still counting in disregard of a subsisting and valid judgement of the National Industrial Court, affirmed by the Court of Appeal ordering our clients reinstatement and payment of his salaries and allowances.

In 2018, the army first suffered a defeat at the Abuja National Industrial Court in a suit filed by Mr Hassan seeking N1 billion as damages to void his compulsory retirement.

The court would later vindicate the colonel in 2019 after nullifying Mr Hassans untimely retirement by the army. The trial judge, Sanusi Kado, had ruled that the Nigerian army failed to convince the court about the disciplinary grounds for the compulsory retirement of Mr Hassan.

The army authorities including, the Nigerian Army Council, the Chief of Army Staff, and the Armed Forces Council, decided to appeal against the decision of the Industrial Court.

In December 2021, however, Stephen Adah, reading the lead judgement of the three-person appeal court panel, ruled that the above appellants lacked merit in their suit.

Mr Hassan was vindicated again.

The lower court had elaborate consideration of all the facts, both from the accusers, the accused person and their witnesses before coming to the conclusion that the exercise of compulsory retirement was done in error, the appeal court ruled. There is no piece of evidence that is contrary to what the court has said. So, there is nothing that is perverse by the findings of the lower court.

The court also noted that it was in that respect that the court now held that the compulsory retirement of the claimant was declared null and void; letter of compulsory retirement also set aside and he was ordered to be reinstated and a letter issued to that effect, reinstating him into the Nigerian Army with all rights and privileges.

Apart from petitioning the minister, the affected officers have repeatedly asked President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene.

The president has never acknowledged this.
The Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Orji Kalu, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to put more pressure on his ministers to end the lingering industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Mr Kalu, in a Facebook post on Wednesday, also told ASUU members to endeavor to make their negotiation with the Nigerian government easier so that students can resume academic activities.

I appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari to put more pressure on his ministers and get the students back to class, he said.

The former governor of Abia State who now represents Abia North District in the Nigerian Senate said a lot of people from his constituency have been out of school due the ongoing strike by ASUU.

They have been on me and it gets me more worried, Mr Kalu added.

He said as a legislator he does not have power to resolve the ASUU strike.

The senator said when he was governor of Abia State, he never allowed schools in the state to shut down because of strike.

He said negotiation is key to resolving the industrial action if there was determination by both parties to do so.

The ongoing ASUU strike is worse than insecurity in the country, he said.

I believe that the federal government and ASUU can end this strike today. Nothing derails a country like lack of education. Its worse than insecurity, the lawmaker stated.

Mr Kalus comment comes hours after workers, under the umbrella of the Nigeria Labour Congress embarked on a two-day nationwide protest against the continued shutdown of public universities.

The universities have been shut for more than five months over unresolved issues around underfunding and poor welfare.

Some of the demands of ASUU include the release of earned allowance for university lecturers, the release of revitalisation fund for universities, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the Nigerian government and the deployment of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution platform for the payment of salaries and allowances of university lecturers.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali (IGP), has presented N11.32 million to families of police officers who lost their lives in active service in Enugu State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

He said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Abubakar Lawal, presented the cheques to the families on behalf of the IGP, but did not give a number of families that benefitted from the gesture.

Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the families were among the first set of beneficiaries that have so far presented themselves for receipt of the funds.

They are a part of a total number of 44 beneficiaries from the command who are meant to receive cheques with a cumulative sum of N29, 079, 137.09, he said.

The police spokesperson said the gesture was in furtherance of the IGPs commitment to improving the welfare of police officers.

Mr Lawal lauded the IGP for his high sense of humanitarianism to officers of the Nigeria Police Force, especially families of deceased officers, the police spokesperson said.

The police commissioner commiserated with the families of slain officers and urged them to make judicious use of the funds for the betterment of themselves and those the deceased officers left behind.

The families appreciated the IGP for the immense humanitarian gesture and promised to make good use of the funds.

Police officers and officials of other security agencies have been the target of deadly attacks especially in the South-east.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, a group leading the agitation for the creation of an independent state of Biafra from the South-east and some parts of South-south, have been accused of being responsible for the attacks in the two regions.

But the group has repeatedly denied involvement in the attacks.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State and the Governor-elect, Biodun Oyebanji, have urged a Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti to dismiss a suit filed by an aggrieved aspirant, Kayode Ojo, who is challenging his emergence as the partys candidate at the January 27 governorship primary.

The APC and Mr Oyebanji, who are the first and second defendants in the suit filed by Mr Ojo, maintained that the direct primary held in all the 177 wards in the state were valid and were in compliance with the Nigerian Constitution, the Electoral Act 2010, and the constitution and guidelines of the party.

Mr Oyebanji, after emerging as the partys candidate, became the eventual winner of the governorship election, defeating both the PDP and SDP candidates.

However, on Friday he and his party were in court in a battle to quash a major threat to the outcome of the June 18 election.

At the sitting of the court, parties in the suit marked FHC/AD/CS/151/2022 adopted their written addresses and moved all pending applications after which the judge, Babs Kuewumi, fixed Thursday, August 4 for judgment in the case.

Other defendants in the suit are the Independent National Electoral Commission (third), Ayo Adegbite (fourth), Adeoye Aribasoye (fifth), Vincent Bewaji (sixth), Goke Olajide (seventh), Lateef Akanle (eighth), Richard Apolola (ninth), Kayode Fasakin (10th), Adu Joseph (11th), and Teju Okuyiga (12th).

The other defendants are Olumide Fadipe (13th), Dele Oloje (14th), Victor Adeniyi (15th), Folorunso Olabode (16th), Deji Ajayi (17th), Sunkanmi Onipede (18th), Kemi Olaleye (19th) and the Secretary and Members of the Ekiti APC 2022 Gubernatorial Primary Electoral Committee (20th).

The 4th-19th defendants served as Chairmen of the Electoral Committees/Returning Officers in the 16 Local Government Areas during the Ekiti APC Governorship Primary held across the state.

Mr Ojo was represented by his counsel, Alex Izinyon, while Shaibu Aruwa appeared for the 1st defendant (APC). Kabir Akingbolu appeared for the 2nd defendant, Mr Oyebanji.

The 4th-7th defendants were represented by Samson Adanlawo while Tamunotonye Ekundayo appeared for the 8th-13th defendants.

Nimi Ayua appeared for the 14th-16th defendants and Adedayo Adewumi for the 17th-19th defendants. Ekene Luke stood in for the 20th defendant.

However, the fourth defendant (INEC) was not represented by any counsel at the adoption of written addresses.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Mr Izinyon, moved and adopted his written address urging the court to declare his client (Mr Ojo), who came second in the exercise as the rightful winner of the Ekiti APC governorship primary poll.

But counsel to the first, second and the 4th-20th defendants in the suit urged the court to dismiss the case and hold that the primary which produced Mr Oyebanji as winner was valid and complied with the Constitution, party constitution and guidelines.

Pending applications moved by counsels to defendants include applications for extension of time to file statements of defence, replies on points of law, preliminary objections urging the court to grant same.

Counsel to the plaintiff also moved his reply to all the applications particularly describing the preliminary objections by defendants counsel as bogus and amorphous.

While adopting his written address, Mr Oyebanjis counsel, Mr Akingbolu maintained that there was no pleading as to the declaration of the result of the primary maintaining that there must be a result on ground before the plaintiff could challenge same citing the case of Orji v Ugochukwu as reported in 2009 14 NWLR pt 1161 at 207 PG 284-285.

Mr Akingbolu also drew the attention of the court to the evidence of Defence Witness 1, an INEC official who testified that the primary was free, fair and monitored by the police and other security agencies.

He argued further that the plaintiff had not met the conditions that could warrant challenging the outcome of the primary which include the violation of the Electoral Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the party guidelines adding that all party members were given the opportunity to vote and his (Ojos) agents participated at the primary.

While arguing for the dismissal of the suit, Mr Akingbolu urged the court to resist the dangerous invitation by the plaintiff that the free and fair primary be wished away.

Opposing Mr Akingbolus position, Mr Izinyon maintained that the court has what he described as incontrovertible evidence before it to do justice to the plaintiff describing the court as the last hope to redress this injustice.

While maintaining that Mr Ojo was an aspirant in the January 27 primary, Mr Izinyon said the court had been vested with the power to nullify the election if it was not held in compliance with the provisions of the law.

Mr Izinyon further described the evidence given by Defence Witness 1 referred to by Mr Akingbolu as grotesque and laughable maintaining that the plaintiff has satisfied all requirements to be granted the reliefs he is seeking before the court.

Counsel to the 8th-13th defendant, Mr Ekundayo, urged the court to dismiss Ojos case on the grounds that he has failed to prove the alleged non-compliance with extant laws and rules guiding the conduct of party primaries.

Counsel to the 14th-16th defendants contended that the plaintiff cannot do a 360 degree swoop at the address stage when his pleadings are before the court in his testimony given as a witness, Plaintiff Witness 1 (PW1) under cross-examination.

Counsel to the 17th-19th defendants, described the Writ of Summons filed by the plaintiff as incompetent hence it should be dismissed.

Counsel to the 20th defendant, Mr Ekene, relied on all submissions by other counsels in the suit.

After listening to all counsels before him, Justice Kuewumi adjourned the case till 4 August for ruling on all applications moved and the final judgment.

Mr Ojo had gone to court, dissatisfied with the conduct of the primary, and alleging gross irregularities and faulting the use of individuals he described as political appointees as electoral committee/returning officers.

According to the official result declared by the Chairman of the Ekiti APC 2022 Governorship Primary Election Committee, Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, Mr Oyebanji polled 101,703 votes to defeat Mr Ojo who came second with 767 votes.
A senator of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Elisha Abbo, has backed the move by opposition senators to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Abbo, who represents Adamawa North Senatorial District, said the president has failed in his primary duty of securing the nation and its people.

He made the comment at an APC Christian Leaders Summit in Abuja on Friday. Some prominent APC members also rejected the partys Muslim-Muslim ticket at the event.

Mr Abbos comment came barely 48 hours after opposition senators, mostly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), walked out of plenary and threatened to serve the president an impeachment notice should he fail to address the worsening insecurity across the country.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, dismissed a motion on insecurity and a move to impeach the president. The dismissed motion was moved by the Senate Minority Leader, Philip Aduda of PDP.

The opposition senators numbering over 20 thereafter, walked out of plenary. They later gave the president a six-week ultimatum to tackle insecurity in the country or risk being impeached.

Speaking with Channels TV, Mr Abbo said he was in full support of the impeachment move against the president because Mr Buhari has failed in his fundamental responsibility to secure the lives and property of the people.

Earlier, Kogi senator Smart Adeyemi, who is also an APC member, confirmed that the move for impeachment was a collective tree decision of the entire Senate.

It is a collective decision. Perhaps only about four senators have reservation about it, he told journalists.

The move for the impeachment of the president comes on the heels of violent attacks across the country and security threats in the federal capital.

While some Nigerians have hailed the move for the impeachment by the opposition senators, others have said they waited for too long to act and only issued the impeachment threat because the criminals have started attacks in Abuja.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to consider hiring mercenaries to tackle worsening insecurity in the country.

Mr Benson made the call on Friday during an interview on Politics Today, a political programme on Channels TV.

Although he acknowledged Mr Buharis publicly known opposition to that option because of his background as a military officer, the lawmaker insisted that the current security situation calls for drastic measures.

Nigerias romance with foreign military mercenaries

In 2015, the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan hired a South African private security firm, Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection, (STTEP) to fight the terrorists in the North-east.

In the run-up to the 2015 elections, Mr Buhari criticised the then administrations reliance on foreign mercenaries to fight insurgency.

Before his inauguration, during a meeting with members of the Arewa Consultative Forum, he described the decision of Mr Jonathan to get foreign mercenaries as disgraceful.

What is more worrisome is the fact that Nigerias military has to rely on South African mercenaries before it could gain recent success in the war against Boko Haram. This situation is shameful and unacceptable, he said.

However, in the face of the worsening security situation on his watch, there have been renewed calls for Nigeria to get help from outside the country.

In the wake of the attack on Abuja-Kaduna train, the Governor of Kaduna State and close ally of the president, Nasir El-rufai, vowed that if the federal government is unable to displace terrorists from forests in the North-west, the governors will consider getting mercenaries.

I have complained to Mr President and I swear to God, if action is not taken, we as governors will take actions to protect the lives of our people.

If it means deploying foreign mercenaries to come and do the work, we will do it to address these challenges.

Similarly, the Governor of Borno, Babangana Zulum, has also repeatedly called for the deployment of mercenaries in the North-east.

Lately, the insecurity has been brought to the doorstep of the president as terrorists have been attacking the capital city.

Eight soldiers among the presidential guards were recently killed in an ambush by terrorists within the Federal Capital. On Wednesday, the Senate minority caucus gave Mr Buhari six weeks ultimatum to address insecurity or risk impeachment.

On Thursday, the PDP caucus in the House also joined their counterparts in the Senate in the impeachment move.

The military is overstretched  Benson

While making a case for hiring of mercenaries, Mr Benson said the armed forces are overstretched as there are military operations around the country.

He said Nigeria has a gap that must be filled with mercenaries.

If I were to be the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I will be looking at getting the services of mercenaries or people you call contractors.

The security situation is deteriorating, our armed forces are stretched. There are operations in 35 out of 36 states in Nigeria. They need support from the police, from the NSCDC.

Which is not at the level we expect. So, they are stretched thin, equipment is not forthcoming as we envisage. The exchange rate is tumbling. If I was the C-in-C, I will engage the mercenaries, who are already equipped, he said.

However, the call for mercenaries was opposed by another guest on the programme, Bulama Bukarti, a security expert.

He said mercenaries have a very poor record of finishing any war, noting that Chad and other West African countries with the services of mercenaries have mixed results.

He added that the poor human rights record of mercenaries helps terrorists in recruitment drive.
Emirates Airlines says it will reduce the number of flights to Nigeria from August 15 due to failure to repatriate its revenue from the country.

The airline disclosed this in a letter dated July 22 addressed to Nigerias Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and signed by its DSVP International Affairs, Majid Al Mualla.

With effect from 15 August 2022, Emirates will be forced to reduce flights from Dubai to Lagos from 11 per week to 7 per week. We have had no choice but to take this action, to mitigate the continued losses Emirates is experiencing as a result of funds being blocked in Nigeria, the letter partly read.

The letter noted that as of July, Emirates had $ 85 million of funds awaiting repatriation from Nigeria. It said the figure has been rising by more than $10 million every month, while operational costs of 11 weekly flights to Lagos and five to Abuja continue to accumulate.

The airline said these funds are urgently needed for them to meet their operational costs and maintain the commercial viability of our services to Nigeria.

We simply cannot continue to operate at the current level in the face of mounting losses, especially in the challenging post COVID-19 climate, the airline noted.

According to the Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) with countries, airline tickets are mostly sold in naira while the airlines would repatriate the funds in dollars through the countrys central bank.

Efforts made so far

Emirates said it tried to stem the losses by proposing to pay for fuel in Nigeria in Naira, which would have at least reduced one element of its costs, but that the request was denied by the supplier.

This means that not only are Emirates revenues accumulating, we also have to send hard currency into Nigeria to sustain our own operation. Meanwhile our revenues are out of reach and not even earning credit interest, the airline added.

The airline said, Your Excellency, this is not a decision we have taken lightly. Indeed, we have made every effort to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to find a solution to this issue.

It said, Our Senior Vice-President met with the Deputy Governor of the CBN in May and followed up on the meeting by letter to the Governor himself the following month, however no positive response was received.

The letter also explained that meetings were also held with Emirates bank in Nigeria and in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to discuss improving Forex allocation, but with limited success.

READ ALSO: FG reinstate Emirates schedule to Nigeria

The ariline requested the government to help resolve the problem. Nigeria is facing a foreign currency crunch with amid low oil revenues and rising demand for dollars. Naira sold for N700 a dollar on Friday at the parallel market, about its worst performance.

Should there be any positive development in the coming days, we will of course re-evaluate this decision, the airline noted.

When PREMIUM TIMES reached out to a Special Assistant to Mr Sirika, James Odaudu, for comments he said,  I am not in the mood to talk to you now.

While Nigeria grapples with forex scarcity as demand increases, domestic airline operators within the past weeks and months have lamented the sudden increase in aviation fuel, threatening to halt operations.

Mr Sirika on Tuesday during an emergency meeting with airline operators, said, there are no immediate solutions to the lingering crisis in the sector because what ails the industry is a global problem.
Police in Niger State say they have foiled a robbery on Morocco road in Suleja Local Government Area of the state.

Wasiu Abiodun, the police spokesperson announced this in Minna on Saturday.

Mr Abiodun said on Saturday, five suspected armed robbers attacked a GSM store along Morocco road, Suleja shooting sporadically and removed some mobile phones from the store.

He explained that upon the receipt of information, police operatives attached to Suleja Area Command mobilised to the scene while the robbers hurriedly drove off in a Peugeot 406 with Reg. No. ABJ 467 GX.

He said after a hot chase towards the military checkpoint by Zuma rock, the robbers abandoned the vehicle and took to their heels into the forest.

However, the police and military operatives are on the trail of the fleeing robbers with a view to arresting them.

The Commissioner of Police, Monday Kuryas, called on members of the public not to panic as security operatives were on top of the situation and further development would be made public.
YEREVAN, JULY 30, ARMENPRESS. FemInno women innovation conference launched in Armenia on July 30.

Vice Speaker of Parliament of Armenia Hakob Arshakyan delivered opening remarks, urging Armenian women to believe in their powers and move forward.

FemInno conference has been organized by women. Speakers are women who have already achieved heights and who are going to share their stories. I want to encourage the Armenian women and girls to follow their examples, believe in their strengths and move forward, Hakob Arshakyan told reporters. He said that women employment in different areas is few which, in its turn, causes negative consequences.

Armenia needs to encourage and motivate women to be engaged in science and technologies.

I am happy for being here. Its a great honor for me to deliver welcoming remarks at this conference. Each of us should make efforts so that women more intensify their activities in different areas, he said.

Hakob Arshakyan said holding this format conference is an achievement for Armenia. He expressed hope that this international conference will be exported to other countries as a production, adding that the government of Armenia will provide state support for that.

FemInno conference is being held in Armenia for the first time. The conference will last for two days. The results of competition of startups created by Armenian and foreign women will be summed up during the conference. The conference aims at appreciating, showcasing and empowering women in business, science and technology.
Babatunde Gbadamosi, a former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party (ADP) in Lagos has declared his intention to run for the 2023 race in the state, provided he receives financial support.

The Amen Estate landlord on his Twitter handle on Thursday shared his bank account details to raise funds for the governorship ticket of the Labour Party (LP).

Mr Gbadamosi confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday that he made the tweet. He added that he has left the PDP for LP.

In his post, he said there have been different calls on social media for him to contest on the platform of the Labour Party. He added that he finds it intriguing.

He was the governorship candidate on the platform of the ADP in 2019 but lost to Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC.

He had earlier contested in the governorship race in 2011 and 2015 under the PDP platform. In both years, he failed to secure the partys ticket and lost to Ade Dosunmu in 2011 and Jimi Agbaje in 2015.

After losing to Mr Sanwo-Olu in 2019, he rejoined the PDP in 2020.

While it is true that Lagos needs rescuing from the clutches of those who have turned it into their ATM, it is true too that because of their looting of that ATM, the effort will be an uphill task that will require immense resources, from my personal experience, he wrote.

At this point in time, having almost single-handedly contested two major elections back-to-back within two years in 2019 and 2020 (Gubernatorial and Senatorial bye-election), Im afraid Im all tapped out.

I simply do not have the resources to engage in another electoral adventure, even if the odds seem to favour the Labour Party, provided they can present a solid, politically credible, articulate, knowledgeable, experienced & courageous candidate in Lagos right now.

He said that his political experience has taught him that you cannot rescue people who are not interested in being rescued. The only way I can believe Lagosians are ready for true freedom from the Jagajagabandits is when I see true commitment.

I am told the Labour Party Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms cost 15m, and there is a fee for waiver, that could bring the total to up to N20m. INEC deadline for final substitution of Gubernatorial candidates is August 12th, 2022.

If truly, youre interested in getting me to run, it is time to put your money where your mouth is, and go get me the Labour party form, because honestly, I really no get shishi to give.
The police in Lagos say no Area Commander walked out a magistrate from inspecting detention facilities at any police station in the state.

This is contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the commands spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin.

Mr Hundeyin said that commands attention was drawn to news making the rounds that the Police Area Commander in Ikorodu walked out Magistrate Ganiyat Anifowose from the premises of the Area Command.

He said the clarification became necessary in view of the embarrassement the said story had brought to the command.

According to him, on July 27, 2022, the magistrate came to the Area Command with about 10 lawyers, which is totally against the procedure for monthly-cell visits by magistrates.

Mr Hundeyin said the lawyers were taking pictures and making video recordings, a practice the Area Commander staunchly refused, because it was against laid down procedure.

Furthermore, magistrate-cell visit is totally different from Police Duty Solicitor Scheme (PDSS) visit, which is targeted at providing legal services to suspects who are indigent.

This, the Police have been doing well in collaboration with the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria. It was, therefore, inappropriate for the magistrate to have visited the detention facility accompanied with a PDSS team.

ALSO READ: Police dismiss officer celebrating extortion in viral video

In the instant case, the visit by the magistrate was conducted contrary to the Provisions of the ACJL 2021, which the Police have been trained on and are abiding by.

The Area Commander, having observed all the lapses, had no choice but to insist on the right procedure, he said.

The spokesperson said that contrary to the reports in the social media, the Area Commander never walked any magistrate out of the Police Command, rather, he asked the lawyers to wait outside the station, since they were not part of the monthly visit, by law.

He noted that at no point did armed men harass the magistrate, stressing that armed men were routinely within the premises of police formations.

Having set the record straight, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Abiodun Alabi, reiterated that the Police Command would continue to co-operate and work with the judiciary and all other stakeholders in the administration of justice.

This is to ensure a smooth dispensation of criminal justice within the state, he said.

Last month, the police was accused of locking up a magistrate who came on a routine check of illegally detained suspects at the Area D Command in Mushin.

The police denied the accusation.

(NAN)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the current situation in Ukraine.

July 30, 2022, 09:51 Russian Foreign Ministry: Lavrov and Blinken discuss current situation in Ukraine

STEPANAKERT, JULY 30, ARTSAKHPRESS: According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov outlined "Russia's principled approaches in light of the special military operation on the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic and Ukraine, highlighting that its goals and objectives will be fully met."

"In this context, the attention of the Secretary of State was drawn to the fact that the continued pumping of the AFU and the national battalions with American and NATO weapons, which are used on a large scale against civilians, only prolongs the agony of the regime in Kiev, prolonging the conflict and multiplying the casualties. Lavrov stressed that the Russian Armed Forces strictly observe the norms of international law, and there is systematic work to return to a peaceful life in the liberated territories.

The situation in the area of global food security was discussed at length. Blinken was informed about the details of the "package" agreement signed on July 22 in Istanbul on the transportation of Ukrainian grain from the Black Sea ports and the promotion of Russian exports of foodstuffs and fertilizers. The minister emphasized that the situation is complicated by U.S. sanctions, and U.S. promises to grant appropriate exemptions for Russian food supplies have not yet been realized. It was pointed out that it is unacceptable for the "collective West" to use this problem in its geopolitical interests.

Opinions were exchanged on the bilateral relations, which are in urgent need of normalization.

As regards the possible exchange of prisoners between Russian and U.S. citizens, the Russian side was urged to return to the mode of professional dialogue, without speculative information throwaways, in the mode of "quiet diplomacy".
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- FTX Exchange FZE, today announced that it has received approval to enter Dubai's 'Minimum Viable Product' (MVP) programme for Virtual Assets under the world's only specialist regime for this sector operated by the Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (VARA). As a subsidiary of FTX Europe, FTX Exchange FZE (FTX) becomes the first Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) to receive this MVP licence to operate its Virtual Asset (VA) Exchange and Clearing House services in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Earlier this year, FTX became the first fully regulated Exchange to receive a provisional licence and ready itself to trial complex crypto derivatives dedicated to professional institutional investors in the UAE. Having successfully concluded VARA's rigorous regulatory evaluation, it has now been fully approved to transition to an operational MVP licence, enabling the Company's VA Exchange to deploy regulated crypto derivatives products, and trading services to Qualified Institutional Investors across the region. In addition, the VARA MVP Licence also grants FTX permission to act as a Clearing House, operate an NFT Marketplace, and provide Custodial Services under tightly prescribed parameters for specific class of consumers - assuring strong guardrails for market protection and economic security.

H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre Authority that houses VARA said, "We are pleased to onboard FTX as the first VASP to enter the operational phase of the VARA MVP Programme. VARA's operating model, based on our unique test-scale-adapt principle designed for secure and sustainable growth, is reflective of Dubai's commitment to creating a globally interoperable model for the 'future economy'. The MVP Phase, exclusive to select, responsible international players like FTX, will allow VARA to prudently structure guidelines and risk mitigation levers for secure commercial operations. We look forward to FTX's active participation in this next stage of collaborative global VA innovation".

FTX CEO, Sam Bankman-Fried, commented on the news, "The approval for FTX to receive the first MVP VASP licence from Dubai's prudential supervision regime to fully operate our exchange is a tremendous honor and landmark achievement for our team. Our mission is to lead the way in growing the digital asset industry in countries and jurisdictions that possess a robust digital asset framework."

With VARA's letter of approval, FTX FZE Exchange will operate under a model which has rigorous regulatory oversight and mandatory FATF compliance controls that are in line with the requirements of Tier 1 international financial markets.

Patrick Gruhn, Head of FTX Europe, adds, "Over the last several months, we at FTX Europe have been working alongside regulators to secure the first official VASP-MVP licence to operate in the UAE region. The approval from Dubai's VARA is yet another milestone for FTX Europe, and we look forward to expanding our presence within the Dubai, UAE and MENA regions as a result."

Mohammad Hans Dastmaltchi, Chairman of the Board of FTX Exchange FZE, adds, "We are honored to be the inaugural MVP licence holder of the esteemed VARA Ecosystem. We are grateful and obliged to have our operating licence. This would not have been possible without the progressive business environment in Dubai, the thorough and trustworthy regulatory guidelines provided by VARA, and the outstanding support from their team. We are motivated and committed to being a constructive and responsible participant in the VARA ecosystem and looking forward to growing and strengthening our regional office in Dubai".

About FTX Exchange FZE

FTX Exchange FZE is a subsidiary of FTX Europe and the Middle East division of FTX, a cryptocurrency exchange built by traders, for traders. Through FTX Exchange FZE, users in the Middle East will soon be able to access FTX's innovative products, including industry-leading derivatives, options and volatility products, tokenized stocks, and other services and products.

About FTX.COM

FTX is a cryptocurrency exchange built by traders, for traders. It offers innovative products, including industry-leading derivatives, options and volatility products, tokenized stocks, prediction markets, leveraged tokens and an OTC desk. FTX strives to be an intuitive yet powerful platform for all kinds of users, and to be the most innovative exchange in the industry.

To learn more about FTX.COM, please visit: https://ftx.com

FTX.COM is not available to US residents or residents of other prohibited jurisdictions, as set out in its Terms of Service.

About VARA

Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority [VARA] is the world's first specialised regulator for the Virtual Assets sector. Established in March 2022, following the effect of Law No.4 of 2022, VARA is responsible by decree for licensing and regulating the Virtual Asset sector in the Emirate of Dubai and its free zone territories [excluding DIFC], and oversees all licensing requirements and applications for authorisation of Virtual Asset activities under UAE law. VARA plays a central role in creating Dubai's advanced legal framework to protect investors and establish international standards for Virtual Asset industry governance, while supporting the vision for a borderless economy.

Media Contact

Jay Morakis

M Group Strategic Communications (on behalf of FTX)

+1 646 859 5951

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1869148/Logo_black_bg_Logo.jpg

SOURCE FTX Exchange FZE
HAIKOU, China, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As the second China International Consumer Products Expo ("CICPE" or "Hainan Expo") welcomes 2,800 boutique brands from 61 countries and regions, Sanya, the popular resort city on Hainan Island's southern tip, showcased the city's possibilities and potential as a tourism destination combined with fashionable elements through its theme day on July 28 at the largest consumer boutique exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region.

China International Consumer Products Expo Fashion Week

The Sanya Day event was organized by the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) and co-organized by the Sanya Tourism Promotion Board (STPB). It aimed to cultivate new businesses and promote culture exchange for tourism consumption while encouraging international partners to explore the potential of this "tourism + culture" destination in China.

Fashion show brings Hong Kong designer brands to a top tourist destination

Hainan Expo provides unlimited business opportunities for international brands to explore the Chinese market, while introducing China's fashionable products to consumers across the globe. The Sanya Day event, which was an important part of the Hainan Expo Fashion Week, featured three debut shows from Hong Kong boutique and pioneering designer brands, including Ribyeung, BronzeLucia, and KINGWEN, with elements covering leisure, vacation, youth, and nature.

The cooperation with the Hong Kong designers echoes Sanya's commitment to expanding this business and establishing a long-term collaboration mechanism with international premium and emerging brands with the ambition of bringing travelers more fashion experiences.

While promoting Sanya as a fashionable and trendy tourism option, the show also presented Sanya as an open and diverse international destination and called for mutual cooperation with Hong Kong and the international community.

Fashion as a new approach to discovering the best of Sanya

At the event, STPB and Hainan IEDB signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the fashion sector, leveraging resources to land brand debuts and introduce the fashion cluster to Sanya. The signings will explore opportunities in Sanya's tourism market and future development opportunities in supporting future brand debuts and designer events as well as launching premium conferences and exhibitions.

An internationally renowned tourist destination, Sanya is undoubtedly the best medium for brands to enter the Chinese market given its diversified customer base. It is also an ideal option for travelers who would like to add more fashion-related experiences to their business or leisure trips, as Sanya keeps enhancing its competitiveness against the backdrop of the integrated free trade port policy and the popularity of tourism and leisure consumption scenarios.

"Sanya has been committed to developing partnerships and enriching its offering to serve the demands of various visitors. The idea of achieving win-win cooperation and deepening mutual exchange is the original intention of our participation in the Hainan Expo, as we hope to extend more possibilities of Sanya," said Albert Yip, director general of the STPB. "Building on the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Hainan Free Trade Port and taking the second Hainan Expo as an opportunity, we would like to extend an invitation to visitors from Hong Kong and other places across the world to explore the enormous potential in Sanya, to enjoy the unique experience here with a fashionable taste."

SOURCE Sanya Tourism Promotion Board
NEW ORLEANS, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF continues its investigation into AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV).

Throughout the first half of 2021, the Company promoted its drug product, Rinvoq, a Janus kinase ("JAK") inhibitor for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis ("RA"). During this time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced warnings resulting from studies of another JAK inhibitor, Xeljanz, which the Company downplayed as unrelated to Rinvoq.

In September 2021, the FDA ordered "new and updated warnings" for Xeljanz, as well as other JAK inhibitors including Rinvoq, "since they share mechanisms of action with Xeljanz." On December 3, 2021, the Company announced the updated warning for Rinvoq to include "additional information about the risks of malignancy and thrombosis, and the addition of mortality and MACE (defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke) risks within the Boxed Warnings and Warnings and Precautions sections."

The Company was subsequently sued in a securities class action lawsuit for failing to disclose material information, violating federal securities laws, which remains ongoing.

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether AbbVie's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of AbbVie shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-abbv/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients  including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors  in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

[email protected]

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200

New Orleans, LA 70163

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --The U.S. House of Representatives just passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R. 263) by a vote of 278 to 134. The bill would prohibit keeping tigers, lions and other big cat species as pets, and ban direct public contact like cub petting. Sponsored and championed by Rep. Michael Quigley, D-Ill., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa, the bill now moves to the Senate.

Big cat ownership is an epidemic in the U.S. Untold numbers of captive big cats live in shoddy roadside zoos or as pets living in homes. More often than not, these large, dangerous, wide-roaming apex predators are kept in small, barren cages where they can barely turn around. They are improperly fed, are not provided with appropriate veterinary care, and have no means to express their complex emotional and behavioral needs. Cubs are ripped away from their mothers to be offered to paying customers for feeding and petting sessions and for photo ops. Keeping big cats in these settings is not only inhumane but is also a serious public safety issue.

Big Cat Public Safety Act passes the U.S. House of Representatives Tweet this

Since 1992, there have been at least 100 dangerous and cruel incidents involving big cats kept as pets or in private menageries. Among them, a juvenile tiger wandered in a Houston neighborhood in 2021 and an escaped pet cougar was found lounging in a driveway in Parkland, Florida, in 2019. In 2013, a 400-pound pet lion escaped in Fairfield Beach, Ohio. In 2009, a 330-pound tiger was discovered in a backyard in Ingram, Texas. In 2008, a leopard approached a woman in her yard in Neosho, Missouri. In 2005, a tiger roamed loose for days before being shot and killed in Simi Valley, California.

This crisis is chiefly the result of public contact activities in substandard facilities, such as those featured in the series "Tiger King" and also shown in the Humane Society of the United States' undercover investigations focusing on Joseph Maldonado-Passage, or "Joe Exotic" and others.

Earlier this month, Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue spoke to hundreds of advocates at a conference hosted by the Humane Society of the United States in Washington, urging them to contact their members of Congress to support the Big Cat Public Safety Act. As one of the keynote speakers, she expressed to animal advocates that she had a sincere hope this year would be the year that we would get this bill done. Over 100 of those advocates joined the Humane Society Legislative Fund to lobby their own members of Congress the following week, urging them to support passing this bill.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said: "The big cat breeding and cub petting industry creates a cycle of never-ending misery for the animals involved. In an effort to control the true wild nature of these poor captive animals, breeders and exhibitors mistreat the cubs from the day they are born. One paying customer after another handles the cubs, day in and day out, until they grow too big and dangerous. Then they have nowhere to go. Sometimes they are sold to roadside zoos, where they pace the confines of their cages, or they end up in basements or backyards as 'pets.' Others simply disappear. 'Tiger King' showed just a glimpse of why we need a swift end to the big cat breeding and cub petting industry in the U.S. There are countless Joe Exotics out there. As long as cub petting remains legal, nothing will prevent the next generation of profiteering con artists from casting vulnerable big cats to an uncertain fate."

Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, said: "House passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, H.R. 263, is a giant step toward addressing a problem that has been festering for yearsAmerica's surplus of captive tigers and other big cats. It's the product of people like those in the series 'Tiger King,' who breed big cats to make money, not to provide any conservation value. Although most of the scofflaw breeders in 'Tiger King' have been held to account, as long as cub petting remains legal, nothing will prevent Joe Exotic wannabes from relentlessly exploiting, mistreating and dumping big cat cubs. With well over half of the House cosponsoring this bill, Congress should pass it without delay."

Bexar County Sherriff Javier Salazar, who worked with the HSUS to bring Elsa the cub in San Antonio to the HSUS sanctuary Black Beauty Ranch, said: "As we learned from experience in Bexar County, privately owned big cats pose a serious and significant threat to our communities. Enforcement officers are not provided the training or resources to respond to these extremely high-risk, preventable incidents when owners inevitably fail to control their dangerous animals. The Big Cat Public Safety Act will provide a critical tool for solving this problem and we urge legislators to vote yes."

Noelle Almrud, senior director of Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, said: "Three of the tigers living at our sanctuary Black Beauty RanchLoki, Elsa and Indiawere rescued from the cruel and dangerous exotic pet trade and will never have to be pulled on a leash or confined in a cage or someone's living room ever again. To be clear, tigers never make acceptable pets under any circumstances. They are wild animals and can inflict serious, if not deadly, injury to people who attempt to 'tame' them. It is critical that the Big Cat Public Safety Act is passed so that so that the overbreeding and horrific treatment of captive exotic cats in the United States is finally over."

Sheriff Matt Lutz of the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office, where dozens of exotic animals were shot and killed after their owner freed them from enclosures in Zanesville, Ohio, in 2011, said: "The tragedy in Zanesville highlighted the serious threat posed to our communities when private individuals are allowed to keep big cats in their backyards. Law enforcement does not receive training about how to handle these dangerous incidents, yet are the ones called to respond when disaster strikes. The Big Cat Public Safety Act will help solve this national crisis, and we urge Congress to pass this bill to help protect law enforcement and the citizens we serve."

"Ultimately, this legislation is about public safety. Any American can imagine the danger that exotic cats can pose. These are predators, not pets. Law enforcement has long advocated for legislation that will keep dangerous wild animals out of their communities and reduce the risk to first responders and the animals themselves," said Rep. Michael Quigley, D-Ill. "I have been proud to work alongside law enforcement groups and animal organizations to ensure this bill will make both neighborhoods and animals safer. For too long, lax laws have allowed private citizens to own big cats. The animals subject to these grotesque conditions deserve better. I hope my colleagues in the Senate will swiftly take up this legislation so we can make a difference for communities across the country and save these animals from a life of confinement and restriction."

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said: "As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I am committed to ensuring our government is doing its part to promote animal welfare. For too long, big cats have been mistreated, exploited, and abused in private roadside zoos. Our Big Cat Public Safety Act will prohibit the unlicensed, private possession of big cats and restrict their direct contact with the public, and I am proud to again join Congressman Quigley in championing this bipartisan bill."

Complete list of big cat incidents

Photos/Video for download:

Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States fights the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, we take on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries. With our affiliates, we rescue and care for tens of thousands of animals every year through our animal rescue team's work and other hands-on animal care services. We fight all forms of animal cruelty to achieve the vision behind our name: A humane society. Learn more about our work at humanesociety.org . Subscribe to Kitty Block's blog, A Humane World . Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter . Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast .

Humane Society Legislative Fund works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues and support humane candidates for office. Formed in 2004, HSLF is incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code as a separate lobbying affiliate of the Humane Society of the United States. Visit us on on the web at hslf.org , read our blog at hslf.org/blog,and follow us on Facebook and on Twitter.

SOURCE Humane Society of the United States; Humane Society Legislative Fund
Key Market Segment Highlights:

The correction tapes market report is segmented by End-user (Education and home, and Office), Distribution Channel (offline and online), and Geography (North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, South America, North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America).

Regional Analysis: North America will be the leading region with 39% of the market's growth during the forecast period. The US is the key market for correction tapes market in North America . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in South America. Product innovation, new product development, and technological advance will facilitate the correction tapes market growth in North America over the forecast period.

North America will be the leading region with during the forecast period. The US is the key market for correction tapes market in . Market growth in this region will be faster than the growth of the market in South America. Product innovation, new product development, and technological advance will facilitate the correction tapes market growth in over the forecast period. Revenue-generating Segment Highlights: The education and home end-user segment held the largest correction tapes market share in 2020. The segment will continue to account for the highest revenue throughout the forecast period. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the expansion of the education sector (with an increase in the number of schools, especially in the US) and increased student enrollments. The use of pens in lower grades in schools and paper-based assignments have contributed to the increased sale of correction tapes. In terms of distribution channels, the offline segment is anticipated to garner the highest growth throughout the forecast period.

Request for Sample Report to Access Additional Segment-based Insights and Regional Opportunities

Key Market Vendor Landscape:

The correction tapes market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market. The correction tapes market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying organic and inorganic growth strategies to compete in the market.

Top Companies Mentioned with their Offerings

3M Co.: The company offers a wide range of correction tapes available with different lengths and widths under the brand Scotch.

The company offers a wide range of correction tapes available with different lengths and widths under the brand Scotch.

ACCO Brands Corp.: The company manufactures and provides correction tapes such as ARTLINE EDIT CLIX CORRECTION TAPE PURPLE HS and ARTLINE EDIT KEY RING CORRECTION TAPE PINK HS.

The company manufactures and provides correction tapes such as ARTLINE EDIT CLIX CORRECTION TAPE PURPLE HS and ARTLINE EDIT KEY RING CORRECTION TAPE PINK HS.

BIC Group: The company offers correction tapes under the brands, Tipp-Ex and BIC Wite-Out.

The company offers correction tapes under the brands, Tipp-Ex and BIC Wite-Out.

Mr. Pen: The company offers correction tapes under the product lines, office supplies, and school supplies.

The company offers correction tapes under the product lines, office supplies, and school supplies.

Newell Brands Inc.: The company manufacturers and offers correction tapes such as Paper Mate Dry Line Correction Tape, Paper Mate Liquid Paper DryLine Correction Tape with Dispenser, and Paper Mate Dryline Grip 6915617 Correction Tape.

Some more companies covered in the report are:

PLUS Corp.



SEED Inc.



Soni Polymers Pvt. Ltd.



Staples Inc.



Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd.

To access more vendor profiles with their key offerings available with Technavio, Download PDF Sample

Related Reports:

Loose Leaf Paper Market by Distribution Channel and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Office Stationery and Supplies B2B Market by Distribution Channel, Product, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2022-2026

Luxury Pen Market by Product, Distribution Channel, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025

Correction Tapes Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 7.59% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 38.78 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 6.78 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, South America, North America, Europe, APAC, MEA, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 39% Key consumer countries US, UK, China, Germany, and France Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled 3M Co., ACCO Brands Corp., BIC Group, Mr. Pen, Newell Brands Inc., PLUS Corp., SEED Inc., Soni Polymers Pvt. Ltd., Staples Inc., and Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd. Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID 19 impact and future consumer dynamics, and 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.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Executive Summary

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 01: Parent market



Exhibit 02: Market characteristics

2.2 Value chain analysis

Exhibit 03: Value chain analysis: Office services and supplies

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 04: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 05: Market segments

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 analysis

Exhibit 08: Five forces analysis 2020 & 2025

4.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 09: Bargaining power of buyers

4.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 10: Bargaining power of suppliers

4.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 11: Threat of new entrants

4.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 12: Threat of substitutes

4.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 13: Threat of rivalry

4.7 Market condition

Exhibit 14: Market condition - Five forces 2020

5 Market Segmentation by End-user

5.1 Market segments

Exhibit 15: End-user - Market share 2020-2025 (%)

5.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 16: Comparison by End-user

5.3 Education and home - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 17: Education and home - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 18: Education and home - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.4 Office - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 19: Office - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 20: Office - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

5.5 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 21: Market opportunity by End-user

6 Market Segmentation by Distribution channel

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 22: Distribution channel - Market share 2020-2025 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Distribution channel

Exhibit 23: Comparison by Distribution channel

6.3 Offline - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 24: Offline - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 25: Offline - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

6.4 Online - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 26: Online - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 27: Online - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

6.5 Market opportunity by Distribution channel

Exhibit 28: Market opportunity by Distribution channel

7 Customer landscape

7.1 Customer landscape

Exhibit 29: Customer landscape

8 Geographic Landscape

8.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 30: Market share by geography 2020-2025 (%)

8.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 31: Geographic comparison

8.3 North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 32: North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 33: North America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

8.4 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 34: Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 35: Europe - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

8.5 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 36: APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 37: APAC - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

8.6 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

Exhibit 38: MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: MEA - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

8.7 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Exhibit 40: South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2020-2025 ($ million)

Exhibit 41: South America - Year-over-year growth 2020-2025 (%)

8.8 Key leading countries

Exhibit 42: Key leading countries

8.9 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 43: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)

9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

9.1 Market drivers

9.2 Market challenges

Exhibit 44: Impact of drivers and challenges

9.3 Market trends

10 Vendor Landscape

10.1 Overview

10.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 45: Vendor landscape

10.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 46: Landscape disruption



Exhibit 47: Industry risks

11 Vendor Analysis

11.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 48: Vendors covered

11.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 49: Market positioning of vendors



Exhibit 50: 3M Co. - Overview

Co. - Overview

Exhibit 51: 3M Co. - Business segments

Co. - Business segments

Exhibit 52: 3M Co.- Key news

Co.- Key news

Exhibit 53: 3M Co. - Key offerings

Co. - Key offerings

Exhibit 54: 3M Co. - Segment focus

Co. - Segment focus

Exhibit 55: ACCO Brands Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 56: ACCO Brands Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 57: ACCO Brands Corp.- Key news



Exhibit 58: ACCO Brands Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 59: ACCO Brands Corp. - Segment focus



Exhibit 60: BIC Group - Overview



Exhibit 61: BIC Group - Product and service



Exhibit 62: BIC Group- Key news



Exhibit 63: BIC Group - Key offerings



Exhibit 64: Mr. Pen - Overview



Exhibit 65: Mr. Pen - Product and service



Exhibit 66: Mr. Pen - Key offerings



Exhibit 67: Newell Brands Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 68: Newell Brands Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 69: Newell Brands Inc.- Key news



Exhibit 70: Newell Brands Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 71: Newell Brands Inc. - Segment focus



Exhibit 72: PLUS Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 73: PLUS Corp. - Product and service



Exhibit 74: PLUS Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 75: SEED Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 76: SEED Inc. - Product and service



Exhibit 77: SEED Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 78: Soni Polymers Pvt. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 79: Soni Polymers Pvt. Ltd. - Product and service



Exhibit 80: Soni Polymers Pvt. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 81: Staples Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 82: Staples Inc. - Product and service



Exhibit 83: Staples Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 84: Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 85: Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd. - Product and service



Exhibit 86: Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd.- Key news



Exhibit 87: Tombow Pencil Co. Ltd. - Key offerings

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions.

With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 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
NEW ORLEANS, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE: GEO).

The Company has been the subject of several lawsuits arising from alleged substandard conditions, inadequate medical care and overcrowding at some of its prison facilities; however, in numerous instances it downplayed to investors the expense and financial risks posed by the litigation. In July 2019, news reports revealed correspondence sent by the Company to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") requesting its help to cover the expense of the litigation, which it was "deeply alarmed at the rapidly increasing costs in defendingwithout reimbursement from ICE" and which was "likely to cost $15-20 million with an expense of tens of millions in the event of a final negative ruling by the courts," because the Company "cannot bear the costs of this defense on its own."

Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were sued in a securities class action lawsuit charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period in violation of federal securities laws, which remains ongoing.

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether GEO Group's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws.

If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of GEO Group shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-geo/ to learn more.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients  including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors  in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.

Contact:

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

Lewis Kahn, Managing Partner

[email protected]

1-877-515-1850

1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200

New Orleans, LA 70163

SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC
NEW ORLEANS, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 5, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Teladoc Health, Inc. (NYSE: TDOC), if they purchased the Company's securities between October 28, 2021 and April 27, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Teladoc investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-tdoc/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Teladoc and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On April 27, 2022, the Company disclosed a host of negative financial results, including revenue of $565.4 million, below consensus estimates by $3.23 million, net loss per share of $41.58, primarily driven by a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $6.6 billion or $41.11 per share, and revised FY 2022 revenue guidance to $2.4 - $2.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA guidance to $240 - $265 million, which the Company largely attributed to increased competition in its BetterHelp and chronic care businesses.

On this news, shares of Teladoc fell $22.48 per share, or 40.15%, to close at $33.51 per share on April 28, 2022.

The case is Schneider v. Teladoc Health, Inc., et al., No. 22-cv-04687.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
NEW ORLEANS, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until August 15, 2022 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Unilever PLC (NYSE: UL), if they purchased the Company's American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between September 2, 2020 and July 21, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Unilever investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-ul/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Unilever and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On July 19, 2021, the Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Ben & Jerry's, announced a resolution to end sales of its ice cream in "Occupied Palestinian Territory" upon the expiration of the current licensing agreement by which its products had been distributed in Israel for decades. Then, on July 22, 2021, media sources reported that the states of Texas and Florida were investigating Ben & Jerry's actions for possible violations of the states' Anti-BDS (boycotts, divestment, and sanctions of Israel) legislation.

On this news, ADRs of Unilever fell $3.19 per share, or approximately 5.4%.

The case is City of St. Clair Shores Police and Fire Retirement System v. Unilever PLC, et al., No. 22-cv-05011.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
Ranchi, July 30 : A youth, currently a resident of Palamu district in Jharkhand, has spread false news in the state that he had successfully cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services examination.

On the basis of this false information of clearing the Civil Services exam, the youth was felicitated at more than a dozen places in Jharkhand.

On Wednesday, he received an honour from Chief Minister Hemant Soren during the felicitation ceremony, honouring those candidates successfuly clearing the UPSC exam, organised by the Jharkhand government and also attended a dinner with Soren.

Now it has been revealed that the youth has been identified as Kumar Saurabh alias Saurabh Pandey, who took undue advantage of being the namesake of a successful UPSC candidate from Uttar Pradesh, had misguided the society and the state government since the last two months into believing that he had cleared the UPSC exam.

Saurabh, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, has secured 357th rank in the list of successful candidates in UPSC Civil Services 2021 examination. He received information from somewhere that a youth has been honoured with a similar name as him at a state government function in Jharkhand after which the truth in the matter has finally been revealed..

He was also preparing for the UPSC exam last year but could not pass it. As the results were announced on May 30, Saurabh spread the news about him successfully cracking the exam. He had also put up his photo wearing a suit and tie near the UPSC headquarters at many places in the state.

He was heard telling many people in the state for the last few days that he did not achieve a better ranking in the recently-held UPSC exam. Therefore, he will not apply for a job this year. He is again preparing for the exam and toiling hard to get a better rank next year.

When media persons asked Saurabh to provide them information about him passing the UPSC exam successfully as well as his admit card, he confessed that upon failing to clear the UPSC exam, he had spread false news that he had passed the exam to maintain social stature in the society.

The Jharkhand government had also honoured him on the basis of a report published in the media outlets operating in the state..
Srinagar, July 30 : An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces at Wanigam Bala area in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, police said on Saturday.

"Encounter has started at Wanigam Bala area of Baramulla district. Police and security forces are on the job," police added.

The gunfight started after a joint team of police and security forces received an input about the presence of terrorists in the area.

The security forces cordoned off the area. Terrorists hiding there started firing drawing retaliation by the security forces.

There have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Kashmir over the last few months.

Many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated.

Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by the police and the Army on the basis of specific intelligence inputs.
By Sabina Mammadli

The Armenian armed forces have shelled Azerbaijani military positions near the state border in the liberated Kalbajar region, Azernews reports, citing the Defense Ministry.

On July 30, in the morning, units of the Armenian armed forces, using various weapons, subjected to fire the Azerbaijani army positions in the direction of the Demirchidam settlement of the Kalbajar region from their positions from the Yenikend settlement of the Basarkechar region, the ministry said.

Units of the Azerbaijani army took appropriate retaliatory measures to suppress the opposite side, the report added.

Armenia periodically shells Azerbaijani military positions on its liberated territories.

The trilateral ceasefire deal signed by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders on November 10, 2020, ended the three-decade conflict over Azerbaijans Karabakh region, which along with the seven adjacent regions came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s.

The deal also stipulated the return of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions. Before the signing of the peace deal, Azerbaijan liberated 300 villages, settlements, city centers, and historic Shusha city that had been under Armenian occupation for about 30 years.

On January 11, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed the second statement since the end of the 44-day war. The newly-signed statement was set to implement clause 9 of the November 2020 statement related to the unblocking of all economic and transport communications in the region.

On November 26, 2021, the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders signed a statement and agreed on a number of issues, including the demarcation and delimitation of the Azerbaijani-Armenian border by late 2021, some points related to humanitarian issues and the issue of unblocking of transport corridors which applies to the railway and to automobile communications.

On December 14, 2021, during the Brussels meeting, organized between Azerbaijani and Armenian leaders at the initiative of European Council President Charles Michel, the sides reaffirmed their commitment to the conditions agreed in the Sochi meeting.

Both sides agreed to establish a temporary working group on the delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The issue of demining the liberated territories of Azerbaijan was also brought up on the agenda, and the European Union's readiness to provide technical assistance to Azerbaijan in this regard was underlined at the meeting.
DUBLIN, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Turkey Tractors Market - Industry Analysis and Forecast 2022-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Research and Markets Logo

The 50-75HP segment accounted for the largest share due to its compact size and flexible operational capabilities. Turkey is the 18th largest economy in the world, with a gross domestic product (GDP) and Turkey's agricultural economy is the 7th largest economy in the world.

Turkey is also one of the largest countries in the middle east In terms of agricultural acreage. Arable land covers 35.5% of the territory, while forest covers 15%. As of 2019, there are around 23.7 million hectares of cultivable land. Irrigation covers 18.4% of cultivable land. Vegetable products make for 76% of overall agricultural output, followed by animal husbandry and forestry, with forestry and fishery contributing the least. Most of the vegetable product is made up of fruits and field crops, with wheat being the most common.



The Turkey economy achieved excellent growth in 2021, and the growth rate is expected to sustain in 2023, supported by the rising employment rate and a monetary policy stance that will continue to support domestic demand. Consequently, 2022 is expected to witness a healthy increment of 2% in real GDP growth.



Turkey's agricultural tractors market grew by a massive growth of 83.5% in 2020 compared to 2019. The increase in crop production and tractor sales was due to favorable monsoon rains in 2020 and 2021, which helped the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.



The 50-75 HP Segment has Generated the Highest Sales.



In 2021, Turkey's 50-75 HP agricultural tractors market recorded high growth. The primary factor for the steady growth of the medium-power range of tractors is the increased business turnover among hobby and livestock farmers. The sales of Above 150 HP tractors in the country are expected to remain steady during the forecast period as farm sales are likely to stay the same in the coming years.

Story continues

Turkey Tractors Market & Segmentation by Region Type (Volume in Units)



In terms of region, the Central Anatolia and Black Sea regions of Turkey have reportedly shown a higher demand for agriculture tractors than the Eastern and Marmara region of the country. On the other hand, the Aegean and Mediterranean region of the country has a higher level of mechanization than any other country. Therefore, the strong demand for agricultural tractors is expected to come from the Central Anatolia region of the country during the forecast period.



The region's major crops are cereals and rice; the Central Anatolia region is one of the leading regions with a high penetration of medium size and Average (76-100) HP tractors.

50-75 HP range tractors accounted for the largest share in the Black Sea region in 2021 due to their compact size and flexible operational capabilities. The demand for 50-75 HP is expected to grow significantly with a CAGR of 6.45% during the forecast period.



2-Wheel-Drive Tractors led the Turkish Tractors Industry

Ease of driving and flexibility during light loads and plain fields are significant factors boosting the demand for two-wheel-drive tractors. Older farmers majorly use 2WD types as they are suspicious about using new machines and are more comfortable with traditional 2WD types than 4WD ones.

Most retail brands, including New Holland, Tumosan, and Massey Ferguson, are Turkey's top preferred choices among farmers in the 2WD segment. Turkey has many medium-scale farmers, with an average farm size of 6 ha/farm. For this reason, farmers prefer to own a medium HP range and cost-efficient tractors, which positively impacts the 2WD segment.

TURKEY TRACTORS MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

High Local Production Capacities in Turkey

Turkey has a sizeable domestic tractor manufacturing base. A few prominent market players dominate tractor manufacturing. Eight manufacturing plants supply the majority of tractors for both domestic and international markets. The production of tractors for export accounts for a considerable share of the tractors produced in Turkey. Almost 9,000 tractors are exported annually from Turkey, accounting for nearly 35% of total tractor production.

Increasing Potential for Electric Tractors

Recently, electric vehicles are becoming more popular for various applications. Electric tractors are widely used in the industry for various indoor and outdoor applications. The rising trend of automation and increasing environmental concerns will accelerate growth. Farmers in developed countries are looking for electric tractors to reduce the cost of fuel and replace them with standard ones.

In 2021, US-based tractor manufacturer Solectrac announced the launch of its new 70 HP, 60 kWh electric tractor. They were specially designed for heavy-duty farm and vineyard operations. The tractor can run for up to eight hours on a single charge with a 60-kWh battery.

Declining Commodity Prices

Turkey witnessed declining prices for agricultural products such as rice, wheat, maize, and hazelnut in 2014. The average rice prices slightly increased in 2020 compared to the previous years. The decline in the prices of agricultural commodities coupled with the declining or stagnating growth rate could result in farmers being less willing to invest in new machinery, especially tractors.



COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Turkey's agriculture tractors market has established players in various segments, including open fields and vineyards. The threat to the existing vendors in the country from new vendors is relatively low.

New Holland and Tumosan dominated the Turkey tractors market with a collective market share of over 52%. The threat of rivalry is high in the Turkey tractors market since more than 50% of the claim belongs to the top three key players. These players are thriving on innovation in the tractor market. They are increasingly investing in developing advanced agriculture tractor technology for precision farming and machine automation.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

In February 2022, Massey Ferguson launched the MF 6S series tractors. This machine provides up to 180 HP with advanced technology.

In February 2022, AGCO and AgRevolution showcased new solutions from Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Hesston by Massey Ferguson at the National Farm Machinery in Louisville, Kentucky.

In July 2020, Massey Ferguson launched the MF 8S series tractors. This series of tractors is distinguished by a guard-u install engine and a neo-retro design. These tractors are designed to advance intelligent farming technologies.

MARKET DYNAMICS

Market Opportunities & Trends

High Local Production Capacities in Turkey

Technological Advances in Tractors

Increasing Use of Non-Conventional Fuel in Tractors

Increasing Potential for Electric Tractors

Market Growth Enablers

Financial Support to Farmers Through Loans & Subsidies

Reducing Workforce to Boost Farm Mechanization

Growth in Agricultural Productivity & Exports

Socio-Demographic Changes in Turkey

Market Restraints

Farmers Unaware of Latest Innovations in Agricultural Equipment

Rising Demand for Used & Rental Tractors

Declining Commodity Prices

VENDOR LANDSCAPE

The key manufacturers in the Turkey agriculture tractors market are New Holland, Tumosan, Erkunt, Deutz Fahr, and Massey Ferguson. In terms of units sold, New Holland and Tumosan are the market leaders, which accounted for more than 50% of the overall Turkey tractors market share in 2021. The report covers company ranking across product offerings by HP ranges

Key Vendors

AGCO

CNH Industrial

John Deere

TAFE

Kubota

Other Prominent Vendors

SDF

Action Construction Equipments Ltd (ACE)

Iseki

Deutz-Fahr

Mahindra & Mahindra

Yanmar

Escorts

This report is among the few in the market that offers an outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of:

Market Size & Forecast Volume (Units) 2019-2028

Segmentation by Horsepower

Segmentation by Wheel-Drive

Segmentation by Regions (Federal States)

Production and trade values

Major current & upcoming projects & investments

Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in Turkey, market dynamics, and market share

Latest & innovative technologies

Import & Export analysis

COVID-19 impact analysis of the market

Company Profile of primary and other prominent vendors

Market share of major vendors

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/s5k4wn

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com

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

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg







Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/turkey-tractors-market-report-2022-2028-featuring-key-vendors---agco-cnh-industrial-john-deere-tafe--kubota-301596165.html

SOURCE Research and Markets
Los Angeles, July 30 : At least 162 structures have been destroyed by an explosive wildfire near the Yosemite National Park in US western state of California, authorities said.

The Oak Fire, ignited a week ago in central California's Mariposa County, has rapidly grown to the largest wildfire so far this year in California. The fire burned over 19,200 acre (77.7 square km) with 45 per cent containment as of Friday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) on Friday.

More than 640 structures are under threat as nearly 3,800 firefighters, with aircraft support, are continuing their efforts against the blaze, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Fire crews, along with cooperating agencies, are working around the clock to repopulate the areas within the fire perimeter," said Cal Fire in a release about the incident.

"Firefighters are building and improving direct fire line in extremely steep, rugged, and difficult to access terrain," the agency added, noting that persistent drought, critically dry fuel, and tree mortality remain contributing factors to the fires spread.

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for Mariposa County on Saturday due to the effects of the fire.

The Oak Fire, which forced evacuations for thousands of people, was the third fast-moving wildfire to force evacuation in Mariposa County in two weeks.

Another ferocious wildfire, the Washburn Fire, burning a dozen miles east of the Oak Fire, has charred over 4,883 acre (19.76 square km) to date with 94 per cent contained after more than three weeks near the Yosemite National Park.

The Washburn Fire has drawn national attention as firefighters were working on the blaze to protect some of the world's oldest and largest trees in the park.
Dubai, July 30 : Seven persons were killed due to floods in northern and eastern United Arab Emirates (UAE) triggered by two days of heavy rains.

The toll reached to 7 due to the floods on Friday in the Arab nation, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UAE Interior Ministry has extended its condolences to the families of the victims who are of various Asian nationalities, Al Salem Al Tunaiji, Director General of the Ministry's federal operations, said in a tweet on Friday.

Al Tunaiji added that 80 per cent of those who were evacuated have returned to their homes, noting the rescue operations are still ongoing in the affected three Emirates.

Heavy downpours have lashed northern and eastern UAE for two days since Wednesday, causing floods in several regions, including the Emirates of Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, where 879 people have been rescued, the Ministry said on Thursday evening.

Nearly 827 hotel rooms have been allocated by the Ministry of Community Development to accommodate 1,885 people from the three Emirates.

According to the UAE National Centre of Meteorology, Fujairah has recorded the maximum rainfall during July in the past 27 years.
Moscow, July 30 : Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Ukraine during a phone conversation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov outlined Russia's principled approaches in light of the ongoing special military operation, stressing that its goals and objectives will be achieved, the statement added on Friday.

It said that they also discussed global food security and problems of bilateral relations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Istanbul, July 30 : Visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hailed the Black Sea grain export deal recently signed in Istanbul to transfer Ukrainian grain to global markets, according to Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency.

"Turkey has accomplished a big achievement," Baerbock praised at a joint press conference with her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on Friday.

She said that "you have managed to give a glimmer of hope to the people that are facing hunger. You have our respect for that." Baerbock's Mediterranean region visit, which included Greece and Turkey, sought to increase cooperation and dialogue in the region, which is facing increased tensions due to the global refugee crisis and border dispute, Xinhua news agency reported.

The situation in Ukraine and Syria, NATO issues, and the refugee crisis were among the topics discussed by the Foreign Ministers, according to the report.

Despite having certain dispute, Germany and Turkey have a long tradition of close cooperation. The bilateral trade volume stood at $41.1 billion in 2021, it said.
United Nations, July 30 : Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, has said that the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ending, despite an "encouraging" grain deal.

Ambassadors were briefed by the UN Political Affairs Chief, who pointed to the recent agreement on the safe resumption of grain exports through the Black Sea as a bright light in the conflict, though acknowledging the dim prospects for peace.

"The grain agreement is a sign that dialogue between the parties is possible in the search to ease human suffering," DiCarlo added.

She said that the UN is making every effort to support implementation of the deal, which was signed last week in Turkey, Xinhua news agency reported.

The conflict's impact globally is "glaringly clear," said DiCarlo, noting that the consequences will only become more pronounced the longer fighting lasts, particularly with the onset of winter.

"Despite the encouraging developments on grain and fertilisers, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of prospects for a shift towards a meaningful resumption of diplomatic efforts to end the war," she told the UN Security Council.

"Escalatory rhetoric from any side, including about expanding the conflict geographically or denying Ukraine's statehood, is not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated in Istanbul," she said.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Ramallah, July 30 : Palestine has condemned the killing of a Palestinian teenager, and accused Israel of ignoring the pledges made by US President Joe Biden.

The Palestinian presidency condemns "the crime committed by the Israeli soldiers" in the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of the West Bank city of Ramallah, the Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Friday in a press statement.

"The Israeli government bears the consequences of violating all resolutions of international legitimacy and international law," Abu Rudeineh added.

He said that it confirmed Israel's disregard and rejection of all the commitments and pledges made by Biden during his recent tour of the region, urging the US to stop the Israeli moves, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that a 16-year-old boy was killed by Israeli soldiers in clashes that broke out in the village of Al-Mughayyir during a demonstration against the Israeli policy of expanding settlements and confiscating Palestinian land.

Meanwhile, a number of Palestinians were injured on the same day during clashes with the Israeli soldiers near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

There has been no immediate Israeli authorities' response to the incident.

For many years, the Palestinians have been organising weekly protests, rallies and demonstrations against the Israeli policies of expanding settlements and confiscating lands in the West Bank.

Official Palestinian figures said that there are more than 600,000 Israeli settlers living in West Bank's settlements, an issue that was a major reason for keeping the peace process stalled since 2014.
San Francisco, July 30 : Tech billionaire Elon Musk has filed a countersuit against Twitter as part of an ongoing legal dispute with the microblogging platform over his abandoned $44 billion takeover deal.

However, the lawsuit is not yet accessible to the public and a partially redacted version may be available soon under court rules.

It was not clear why Musk asked the court to keep details of his countersuit confidential when the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had been vocally critical of Twitter on social media and in press interviews in recent months, reports CNBC.

Recently, in a tweet to Musk, a follower wrote that under the SEC Rule 10b-5, Twitter "can be liable for omissions of or misleading material facts. Waiving due diligence does not mean you have to accept a fraudulent disclosure (understated bots)".

Musk replied: "Exactly." The tech billionaire terminated the $44 Twitter takeover deal because he did not believe what CEO Parag Agrawal told him about the actual number of bots on the platform.

When Musk threatened to scrap the $44 billion Twitter acquisition deal, the micro-blogging platform revealed that it is suspending more than 1 million spam accounts a day.

Meanwhile, the US judge in the Twitter vs Musk legal battle has set October 17 as the beginning date of the high-profile trial.

Judge Kathaleen McCormick in the Delaware Court of Chancery has issued an official schedule, with the high-profile trial starting from October 17-21.

Twitter wanted the trial to begin on October 10, but Musk said he wants it to start a week later, stressing that the extra week of preparation time would be crucial.
San Francisco, July 30 : Twitter has confirmed that it is testing a new feature that will allow users to post images, videos and GIFs in one multimedia tweet.

The company confirmed the test and said it is available to some users for a limited time, adding that accounts can add tags to both photos and videos in the tweet, reports TechCrunch.

"We are testing a new feature with select accounts for a limited time that will allow people to mix up to four media assets into a single tweet, regardless of format," the microblogging site was quoted as saying in a statement.

While some users have tweeted about the feature, it is not clear how different media would look like in a single tweet.

"We are seeing people have more visual conversations on Twitter and are using images, GIFS and videos to make these conversations more exciting," the company said.

"With this test, we are hoping to learn how people combine these different media formats to express themselves more creatively on Twitter beyond 280 characters," it added.

Recently, Twitter confirmed that it is testing a new status feature that lets users tag posts with pre-defined labels, much like the statuses that the previous LiveJournal and MySpace systems permitted.

Some of these statuses include "Spoiler alert", "Shower thoughts", "Picture of the day" and for some reason, the very redundant "Current status".
Jammu, July 30 : The mortal remains of flight Lt Advitiya Bal will arrive at Air Force station in this city of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

Lt Colonel, Devender Anand said: "The mortal remains of Flt Lt Advitiya Bal likely to arrive in a service aircraft at AF station Jammu by 9.15 a.m.

"There will be a wreath laying ceremony at AF station, Jammu and then around 9.45 a.m, it will be taken by road to RS Pura for the last rites".

Wing commander, M Rana and flight Lt Adivitya Bal were killed in MIG-21 trainer aircraft crash in Rajasthan on July 28.

M. Rana belonged to Himachal Pradesh while Adivitya Bal belonged to J&K.
Washington, July 30 : A watch said to have belonged to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler sold for a whopping $1.1 million at an auction in the US despite apprehension by members of the Jewish community, a media report said.

The timepiece made by German watch firm Huber, which has a swastika and the initials AH engraved on it, was sold to an anonymous bidder at the Alexander Historical Auctions in Maryland, according to the BBC.

The auction house which which deals with historic autographs, documents, and photographs, militaria from all conflicts, and important relics, says the watch was given to Hitler most likely on April 20, 1933, on his 44th birthday when he became the Chancellor of Germany.

"The watch and its history have been researched by some of the world's most experienced and respected watchmakers and military historians, all of whom have concluded that it is authentic and indeed belonged to Adolf Hitler," the auctioneer said in its product catalogue.

It also said that watch was taken as a war souvenir when a group of some 30 French soldiers stormed the Berghof, Hitler's mountain retreat on May 4, 1945.

Among the members of the group was Sergeant Robert Mignot, who returned to France with the watch, resold the timepiece it over to his cousin, according to the auction house.

The watch has remained in the exclusive possession of the Mignot family and has never been offered for sale before, it added.

But an open letter signed by 34 Jewish leaders described the sale as "abhorrent" and called on the Nazi items to be pulled from the auction, which also included a dress that belonged to Hitler's wife Eva Braun, autographed pictures of Nazi officials and a yellow cloth Star of David imprinted with the word "Jude", which is German for Jew.

Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association said the transaction gave "succour to those who idealise what the Nazi party stood for".

Speaking to German media before the sale, Alexander Historical Auctions' Senior Vice President Mindy Greenstein said that its aim was to preserve history, and that most sold items are kept in private collections or donated to Holocaust museums.

"Whether good or bad history, it must be preserved," the BBC quoted her as saying to Deutsche Welle.

"If you destroy history, there is no proof that it happened".
(Bloomberg) -- Three Black-owned US banks have bought a piece of a $1.23 billion syndicated corporate loan, a rare move in a market typically dominated by bigger Wall Street and regional lenders.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Industrial Bank, First Independence Bank, and Mechanics and Farmers Bank joined the group of lenders to Science Applications International Corp., a provider of IT and other services largely to the government. Together they committed to lend about $10.5 million, or just under 1% of the total, according to a June 30 filing.

They were enlisted by Citigroup Inc. as part of its initiative to connect minority-owned banks to business opportunities that may otherwise be too big for them. While their contributions to the loan are a small portion of the total, the transaction sizes are relatively large compared with their total assets, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation data show.

In the aftermath of protests over George Floyds death at the hands of police, big banks vowed to do more to address racial and economic inequality. Since then, Citigroup and its rivals have poured an estimated $300 million in equity commitments into Black-owned banks and other minority-owned financial firms, which work in communities that might be underserved by other institutions.

Wall Street firms efforts have reached the business of selling corporate debt, where big banks are increasingly tapping institutions owned by minorities, women and veterans to help underwrite bond sales, among other transactions.

Our goal really is to open up the aperture as wide as we can and expose the banks to a wide variety of products and services, said Harold Butler, who runs Citis diverse financial institutions group, which connected the three banks with SAIC. That gives the banks, more horsepower in order to be able to make loans, to help create jobs and to do other things that are important to the growth and vitality to the communities they serve.

Story continues

Corporate loans like the ones SAIC got are key for banks looking to build relationships with companies to win additional business. Such loans are also considered relatively safe as they sit high up in a companys debt stack, meaning theyre among the first in line to get repaid.

For our banks to have long-term sustainability, we need to look at lending to areas wed normally not had the reach or relationship, said Kenneth Kelly, chief executive officer of Detroit-based First Independence Bank. Minority-owned banks typically need more diversification because they focus on lending in low- and moderate-income communities, often hardest hit in recessions, he said.

Participating in a large corporate loan also gives the banks exposure, said Pete Williams, senior vice president at M&F Bank, which is based in Durham, North Carolina.

We dont have the luxury that some large banks have where they have various lines of business where they generate income, he said. We make most of our money off of interest income on loans, so that was one of the big motivators for us.

Citi has also brought minority-owned institutions into affordable multifamily rental housing loans, and created a mentoring program.

Boosting Diversity

As a result, we can do more in our own local communities, said B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr., CEO of Washington, D.C.-based Industrial Bank.

For its part, SAIC wanted to refinance and increase the size of its existing bank loans earlier this year, said Shane Canestra, the companys vice president of corporate communications. Citi, the lead bank on the transaction, suggested adding the three Black-owned lenders.

There were a total of 21 banks on the syndicated term loan, which pays interest in the range of 0.75 to 1.75 percentage point, plus 0.1 percentage point, over the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, depending on the borrowers leverage level, according to the filing.

SAIC has already been focused on supporting diversity and inclusion throughout the business, said Canestra. The opportunity was a tremendous way for our financial organization to further our progress, with its diversity and inclusion efforts, he said.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
New Delhi, July 30 : Days after Delhi Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena recommend a CBI probe into the implementation of the new excise policy, the government in the national capital has decided to return to the old regime of retail liquor sale in the city.

A Delhi government notification said "to rever to old regime of excise policy for a period of six months till a fresh excise policy is in".

"Considering the timelines are very short, while taking other necessary actions in the matter, coordinate with the heads of DSIIDC, DTTDC, DCCWS, and DSCSC to get the information prepared latest by end of today on July 29," the notification to the Excise Commissioner reads.

Meanwhile, the Excise Policy 2021-22, which was extended twice after March 31 for a period of two months each, will come to an end on July 31.

The Department which is mandated to come out with a revised policy every financial year, is still working on the Excise Policy 2022-23 that recommends, among other things, home delivery of liquor in Delhi.

The Delhi Cabinet approved the Revised Excise Policy 2022-23 and the new proposals by the Department and the group of ministers on May 5. But a final approval for amendments and implementation on the ground has to be done by the Lt. Governor.

A draft policy is also yet to be sent to Saxena for his approval.
Beirut, July 30 : Lebanese President Michel Aoun has called for launching a common market to address the food shortage in the Arab region in light of the global crisis caused by the Ukraine-Russia war.

"Arab countries must cooperate to secure food and agricultural products for our people amid the current crisis," Aoun was quoted as saying in a statement released by the Presidency.

The President's remarks came during his meeting with Agriculture Ministers from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq, who attended the Arab Agricultural Ministerial Conference in Beirut to discuss the potential of cooperation among regional countries to achieve food security, reports Xinhua news agency.

Aoun emphasised the need to launch a joint calendar for agricultural production and distribution in the region, which would allow Arab countries to better export their products.

Lebanese Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan said that this country, Syria, Jordan and Iraq agreed to sign a quartet agreement to achieve agricultural integration by removing trade obstacles, which would encourage other countries in the region to follow suit.

Meanwhile, Syrian Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Mohammed Hassan Qatana said that the four countries agreed to unify standard specifications and various technical and administrative procedures to facilitate agricultural trade among these countries.

Qatana said that "our ambition is to include the largest number of Arab countries in this alliance and to strengthen relations at the agricultural level".

Jordanian Minister of Agriculture Khaled Hneifat stressed the importance of the Arab countries tackling the challenges in the agricultural sector as well as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic in a collective manner.

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War

Latest updates on Global Food Crisis
Los Angeles, July 30 : The Los Angeles County has dropped plans to reinstitute a Covid-19 mask mandate amid a falling number of cases and hospitalisations.

Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from July 29, reports Xinhua news agency.

But with new cases and hospitalisations falling and the region set to move back into the "medium" community level of virus spread, officials said that they would hold off on taking action.

"We're on a decline right now," Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.

"We're glad to see this. It would be welcome relief if this current surge has peaked." Based on available data, there is no need for a mandatory masking measure in the immediate future, she said.

"It's reasonable to assume that the recent decline we have seen in cases will lead to continued decreases in hospital admissions over the next couple of weeks," Ferrer said.

"Although there's no way to predict the future, the case and hospital admission status suggests that there's less transmission," she added.
Los Angeles, July 30 : Screenwriting legend Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's beloved coming-of-age novel 'To Kill A Mockingbird' has cancelled its return to Broadway, reports Variety.

The stage play, which opened on Broadway in 2018, played its final performance at the Shubert Theatre on January 16. As per Variety, at the time, it was reported that the show would reopen in June at the Belasco Theatre.

The date was later moved to November 2, with the planned venue changing to the Music Box Theatre. Now, the play will shut down entirely, according to a report by the New York Times.

A spokesperson for the production declined to comment on the cancellation to Variety. News of the hasty cancellation was first reported by Showbiz 411.

In an email obtained by the Times sent to the cast and crew of the show, playwright Sorkin and director Bartlett Sher blamed the decision on the show's original lead producer Scott Rudin.

Sorkin and Sher reportedly wrote in the email that Rudin, who backed away from an active role on the show last year after allegations of his abusive behaviour toward staff broke, "reinserted himself as producer and for reasons which are, frankly, incomprehensible to us both, he stopped the play from reopening." Rudin said in the email, "The reason I opted not to bring back 'TKAM' has to do with my lack of confidence in the climate for plays next winter. I do not believe that a remount of 'Mockingbird' would have been competitive in the marketplace."
Chandigarh, July 30 : Facing humiliation at the hands of a minister in the AAP government, one of country's top orthopaedic surgeons and Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Raj Bahadur sent his resignation to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday.

Raj Bahadur resigned citing humiliation by Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra during his visit to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital in Faridkot on Friday.

The newly-inducted minister was caught in a row when he asked Raj Bahadur to lie on a "dirty" patient's bed during the visit.

A video of the minister "forcibly asking the Vice-Chancellor to lie on the bed" has gone viral on the social media.

The minister can be heard speaking "rudely" with the Vice-Chancellor over the lack of cleanliness in the medical college.

The Indian Ortho Association has condemned the incident.

O.P. Chaudhary, secretary to vice-chancellor, also submitted his resignation.
New Delhi, July 30 : Convicted Kashmiri separatist Yasin Malik was discharged after remaining admitted at the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here for four days and has returned to Tihar Jail.

"He (Malik) came back to Tihar on Friday," Director General (Prisons), Sandeep Goyal, told IANS.

Malik was hospitalised by the prison authorities after his health deteriorated on July 26 following his ongoing hunger strike.

After returning to his cell, Malik has decided to continue with his hunger strike and is still not having any food.

"He is still on intravenous fluids," the top prison official said.

The jailed separatist leader, who is currently lodged at Jail No. 7 of the Tihar Prison, went on the hunger strike on July 22.

When asked the reason behind his hunger strike, the official refrained from divulging any details. However, prison sources said that the Kashmiri separatist is protesting against the agencies that are investigating his cases.

Malik was arrested immediately after the February 2019 terror strike by Jaish-e-Mohammad and has been in Delhi's Tihar Jail for over two years.

The killing of the 40 CRPF personnel in a bomb blast on February 14, 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, came as a turning point. Within days, Malik was lifted from his Srinagar residence.

His JKLF, along with Jamaat-e-Islami, was banned.

The country's premeir probe agencies got two high profile cases -- Rubaiya Sayeed's kidnapping on December 8, 1989 and the assassination of four Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel on January 25, 1990 -- revived against Malik after a freeze of 10 long years.

Malik was convicted in connection with a 2017 terror funding case and sentenced to life imprisonment on May 25 by the National Investigation Agency special court in Delhi in which he pleaded guilty to all charges.

Recently on July 15, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's sister Rubaiya Sayeed identified Malik as her abductor three decades back.

Her release was managed by swapping four jailed militant commanders when her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the then Home Minister in the V.P. Singh government.

Listed as a witness for the prosecution, Rubaiya Sayeed appeared before the CBI court in Jammu and identified Malik and three other accused as her abductors.

Malik is currently lodged at Jail No. 7 of the Tihar Jail.

The NIA Court in its order had awarded two life sentences and five punishments of 10 years of 'Rigorous Imprisonment' each to the convict.

Rigorous imprisonment means confinement of the offender in a manner that increases the hardship of the jail term based upon the nature of the offence by subjecting the offender to special arrangements in the jail.

However, despite Court orders, Malik was not given any work inside the prison due to security reasons.

(Ujwal Jalali can be reached at ujwal.j@ians.in)
Chennai, July 30 : The international chess federation (FIDE) has imposed restrictions on the Indian media covering the 44th Chess Olympiad, said Tamil Nadu government officials on Saturday.

On Saturday, media professionals got a message from the state government information department listing a series of new norms and restrictions.

The message said the "media cannot reach the venue on their own vehicle -- they have to board the bus arranged by the state government; only 50 media persons will be allowed per day on rotation basis, and only media persons holding the state government accreditation card, email from FIDE or those having passes issued by FIDE can be allowed to board the bus." Representatives of several leading publications have not been issued accreditation cards by the state government for the past couple of years due to a pending court case. Besides, there are journalists who have not received emails from FIDE for the coverage of the Olympiad.

In addition, the FIDE passes are at the Olympiad venue, which is about 80km from Chennai.

"The restrictions are as per FIDE instructions. We can't do anything," a state government official told IANS.

Prior to the start of the Olympiad, the media officials of FIDE and All India Chess Federation (AICF) had told IANS that passes have to be collected by reporters at the venue, which is about two-hours' drive from the city.

The FIDE spokesperson had then told IANS that reporters can collect the passes on any day at the venue.

Given the situation, several reporters are in a quandary -- they don't have the FIDE email, FIDE media accreditation pass or the state government's accreditation pass -- to cover the event.

The FIDE officials did not responded to IANS when asked for comment.

The public relation agency hired by AICF had earlier sent invites for a press conference to select the media.

The FIDE officials, who had inspected the venue and hotels where the event, players and officials are to being hosted, seem to have forgotten to check on the facilities for journalists.

(Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
Dakshina Kannada, : July 30 (IANS) Karnataka police said on Saturday that 21 persons have been detained for questioning in the the brutal murder case of a Muslim youth in Surathkal town of Dakshina Kannada district.

Mohammad Fazil Mangalpet was killed on Thursday evening and it is suspected that his death was to take revenge for the murder of Praveen Kumar Nettaru, a BJP Yuva Morcha activist.

The opposition had demanded that the state government should treat the two the murders without prejudice and also charged that since the people have lost faith in the ruling BJP, they are taking law into their hands.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and ADGP Alok Kumar have stated that the murders have been taken seriously and police required some time to nab the accused in the two cases.

While the police have arrested 2 persons in connection with the BJP activist's murder, they are yet to make arrests over Fazil's killing.

Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada district is limping back to normalcy amid prohibitory orders and heavy police security cover.
Anantnag : , July 30 (IANS/ 101Reporters) Poru Kalnag village in the Kokernag area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district is around 40 km from the district headquarters. A remote area located on a hillock, this village has around 250 households with a population of 1,100. Overlooking the beautiful mountain range of Pir Panjal, the view here may be scenic but the village lacks even the most basic facilities, especially health care. The fact that there is no road connectivity to nearby hospitals and medical centres further compounds the situation.

"The village has witnessed the deaths of at least 10 people en route to the hospital. The government has forgotten us, and failed in delivering even basic health care. There is no proper road connectivity and patients and their attendants are forced to walk 6 km to get to the main road before they get transport to reach the sub-district hospital, which is 12 km away," local resident Qasim Boker told 101Reporters.

This dilapidated road heading towards the village is an evidence of poor connectivity in the area, which has adversely impacted access to health facilities for the residents.

Narrating an ill-fated incident, Boker said" "In 2010, Mirza Akhter, a 30-year-old mother of two daughters, died on the way to the hospital. Before that, she had led a normal life. It was a hot summer day and she began experiencing chest pain. Her family members tried to get her to the nearby hospital on a cot carried by the locals. Unfortunately, she died before even reaching the road. Had there been proper health facilities here, she might have survived." "In 2018, Bibi Boker (27), who was suffering from kidney failure, died on the way to the hospital. In 2021, Abdul Aziz Lone (60) and Mohammad Abdullah Bimla (70) both died on the way to the hospital due to high blood pressure," added Boker.

"We are only being given hollow assurances" Since Poru Kalnag village is located on hilly terrain, it also witnesses the frequent movement of wild animals. Locals find it very dangerous while treading the hilly routes in the dark, in case of medical emergencies.

"In 2019, local resident Ghulam Nabi Lone lost two children in a single incident. His sons, Arif Ahmad (22) and Sameer Ahmad Lone (19), died after they slipped into a deep gorge near the village. Their neighbours tried to ferry them to the hospital on cots but unfortunately, both of them died on the way," Aijaz Ahmad (28), a village panchayat member, informed 101Reporters.

So grim is the situation here that the residents find themselves struggling for even the most basic facilities.

"We don't even have a medical store here, leave alone a proper health centre. Even for basic check-ups such as blood pressure or blood sugar, we are forced to walk for miles. It gets worse during the harsh winter. School children, senior citizens and patients are the worst sufferers of this neglect by the local authorities. The government is falsely claiming to have connected all the villages with the tehsil and district headquarters," Bokar pointed out.

"We visited several administrative offices and apprised higher officials about our grievances, but all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears as no one is taking our plight seriously. We are only being given hollow assurances," Ahmad added.

"In case of emergencies, there is every chance of fatality" When 101Reporters spoke to the chief medical officer (CMO) of Anantnag, Doctor Mohammad Zagoo, he called it an "administrational issue". "I've heard about the lack of basic healthcare facilities in the village and I assure you that I will take it up with the Anantnag district administration. If they provide us feasibility there, we will establish a centre," he told.

Dr Zagoo further informs us that the Government of India has launched the National Health Rural Mission (NRHM) to address the health needs of the vulnerable sections of society. He explains that under the public health umbrella, the sub-centre serves as the first level of contact with a community of 5,000 people. For a lower population of 1,000, the first responders are Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), who provide medical aid to the needy, especially to women and children.

Maryam Bibi (45), an ASHA worker in the village, is witness to the miseries of the people. "The residents face a lot of hardship in summer as well as in winter. In the event of a snowfall, which could be three to four feet high, approaching the main road takes hours due to the slippery conditions. I mostly deal with pregnant women in this area and have so far, helped out in at least 400 deliveries at their homes. In case of medical emergencies, there is every chance of fatality as the patients do not reach the hospital on time," Maryam informed 101Reporters.

Maryam Bibi, an ASHA worker, has facilitated over 400 deliveries in and around the village of Poru Kalnag "In 2018, Parveena Banoo (28) a pregnant lady went into labour, and as the family was carrying her towards the hospital, she delivered twins on way. One of the babies died immediately due to the lack of proper medical attention during the delivery. There are many such horrendous tales of deaths, but who listens to the woes of such ill-fated people," she added.

"All medical facilities available", claims BMO Meanwhile, Doctor Gowhar Ali, block medical officer (BMO) of Kokernag, claimed: "We treat almost every patient at the sub-hospital in Kokernag, as nearly all the facilities are available. We conduct general surgeries, deliveries, lower segment caesarean section (LSCS) and, if needed, patients are kept under observation too by admitting them into our health facility." Dr Ali also supervises the sub-district hospital at Kokernag.

Local politician and advocate Mohammad Saleem points out that the right to health is a fundamental right that has been granted by the Constitution of India to every citizen of this country. "As a political worker, I will raise the issue with the administration," he promised.

Even in these modern times, people from far-flung areas are dying due to lack of basic health care. The government claims to have done a lot in terms of developing health facilities in rural areas, but in villages like Poru Kalnag, when people fall seriously ill, they're not sure if they will even make it the hospital," Saleem commented on the dismal state of affairs.

(The author is a Kashmir-based freelance journalist and a member of 101Reporters, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.)
Visakhapatnam, July 30 : The Indian Navy on Saturday recovered two bodies of the engineering students who went missing at the beach in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalli district.

The Navy and Coast Guard were carrying out the search operation with two helicopters and four boats at Pudimadaka beach off Bay of Bengal.

Bodies of P. Ganesh and K. Jagadeesh were recovered on Saturday.

With this, the bodies of three engineering students were found while search was on for three other missing students - S. Jaswanth Kumar, B. Satish Kumar and Rama Chandu. The body of G. Pavan Kumar (19) was recovered on Friday.

Local fishermen with 20 boats are also helping in the search operation. "The search operation will continue till we find the remaining bodies," an official said.

Police and the revenue department were also assisting in the search operation.

A joy trip of 15 of friends at the beach turned tragic when one of them drowned and five others went missing. Fishermen rescued another youth identified as S. Teja. He was shifted to a KGH Hospital at Visakhapatnam.

According to police, the students of a private engineering college at Anakapalli town had gone to beach, about 50 km from Visakhapatnam. Seven of them had stepped into the waters. They were apparently pulled deeper into the waters by strong waves.

The beach where the incident occurred is not a tourist place but some people visit the place despite warning signs installed there.

District Superintendent of Police S. Gauthami, who was supervising the rescue operations along with other top officials, said though the marine police do the patrolling to warn people going closer to the coast, an unfortunate mishap occurred on Friday.
A man was killed Friday morning when his vehicle crashed into a tree and caught fire in Cato.

The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said that Steven C. Reitz, 67, of 10928 Drake Road, Conquest, was killed when his vehicle left the roadway at about 9:15 a.m. on Slayton Road, north of Hunter Road, in the Town of Cato.

Police said the vehicle crashed into a tree and caught on fire following the impact. Reitz was the sole occupant.

The sheriffs office said in a news release Friday afternoon that the investigation was still ongoing and that additional information would not be immediately available.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Robert Guarnieri at (315) 253-3545 or leave information at cayugacounty.us/452/Send-a-Tip.

The sheriff's office said that was assisted by the Cato Fire Department, Conquest Fire Department, CIMVAC Ambulance, New York State Police, the Cayuga County 911 Center and the Cayuga County Coroners Office.
Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 : Varkala MLA V.Joy is expected to replace Education Minister V.Sivankutty, who would be exalted as the secretary of the Thiruvananthapuram District CPI-M in Kerala.

According to sources, during his official trip to the national capital, Sivankutty had called on party general secretary Sitaram Yechuri and the issue was discussed.

Incumbent district secretary Anavoor Nagappan was a surprise choice to the party's state secretariat when it was reconstituted and hence he is moving out, they said.

Meanwhile, the move is also being seen as a step to avoid any sort of embarrassment to Sivankutty and also the Pinarayi Vijayan government. Sivankutty and five other leaders have been asked to be present in the court on September 14 in connection with a case of vandalism against them on the floor of the Assembly in 2015.

If Sivankutty is hauled up by the court, it would come as a huge setback to the education Minister as students look up to him.

Of late, there have been issues in the district unit of the party and Sivankutty, who is known for his organisational skills, will be able to handle it better. He was also acknowledged as a successful Mayor of the Trivandrum Corporation.

Sivankutty won from the Nemom Assembly constituency in the state capital city and was the party's 'unofficial' nominee to the state cabinet from the capital district.

Vijayan is also mulling to hand over the Education portfolio to some other senior party Minister and Joy is likely to get the Cooperation portfolio.
New Delhi, July 30: The Europe-based Baloch Human Rights Council (BHRC) is painstakingly documenting the Pakistani army's helicopter and drone attacks on Baloch communities in the strife-torn province.

The BHRC has been diligently collating Pakistan's excesses on women, students and men placing records before UN agencies and senior politicians in Europe.

India Narrative meets with Qambar Malik Baloch, General Secretary of the HRCB, who says that it is not easy to get information from a tightly-controlled province like Balochistan where only the Pakistani army has the last word.

A writer and human rights defender, he was "forcibly disappeared in February 2009" for leading a campaign for the educational rights of students in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. Following his release, he felt unsafe and migrated to the UK.

In this exclusive interview, Qambar Malik Baloch tells us that the country is implementing a narrow agenda of Islamising the Baloch by imposing the culture, religion and thought of the ruling Pakistani Punjabi Muslims on their people.

IN: You mentioned that Pakistan is Islamising Balochistan. How does that help Pakistan achieve its goals in Balochistan? QMB: Pakistan thought that to counter rising Baloch nationalism, it will use the tool of Islamisation. In a highly organised way, Pakistan has been imposing Islam on a secular Baloch society.

Pakistan introduced religious parties in Balochistan when Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri was in Afghanistan. Our other leader Sardar Menghal was in the UK at the same time. Because there was a political vacuum in the region, the Pakistani government got the opportunity.

As the nationalist sentiment was rising in Balochistan, General Zia as the country's president used his Islamisation policies on our people. He tweaked the Pakistan constitution towards Sharia. In Balochistan, he created space for religions elements to come into the society. The result was that money started flowing into Balochistan and there was large-scale construction of mosques.

The mullahs, who were earlier confined to mosques and strictly observed religious duties, now became political and social. The maulanas, backed by the Pakistani military, invaded our social space completely. With so many mosques around, they began to interfere in the social and political life of the Baloch people.

All these harmed the social and religious fabric of Baloch society as everything was looked at from an Islamist angle.

IN: How is the Islamisation of the Baloch society harming the people? Afterall most of the Baloch are Muslims.

QMB: Our society draws inspiration from our culture, language and identity which is distinct from mainstream Pakistani Muslim culture. Pakistan manipulated the social norms of the Baloch society.

The religious outsiders sowed the seeds of disharmony among the Baloch. They told us that we are Hindus, Zikris or Sunnis. These differences were not known among the Baloch. For example, the Zikris are a different sect of Islam who have separate places of worship. The maulanas from outside tried to correct their practices and convert the Zikris to mainstream Islamic practices.

Earlier, for the Baloch society, people from different faiths and sects were all Baloch. The practices of making us more Islamic affected us in other ways.

In Baloch society, Islam is not considered the main part of your identity.

IN: Did the army continue with General Zia's practices later on? QMB: Yes. General Pervez Musharraf as the president cemented Islamic policies that were introduced by General Zia. He was much more sophisticated as he seeded madrasas in Balochistan in an organised way.

In 2006, under General Musharraf the Ministry of Religious Affairs allotted Rs 1.2 billion for mosques, madrasas and mullahs only for in Balochistan. The same year the budget for the ministry of education was just Rs 200 million.

What was the result of this policy? We got one mosque for every five-six houses. We also had 13,000 madrasas in Balochistan, which was the second-largest in number after Punjab province. But because of the sparse population in Balochistan, we had an extremely high ratio of madrasas with large numbers of students joining these and becoming radicalised.

Soon enough the madrasas became the centres of recruitment for many terror organisations. This served the Pakistani army well because these madrasas became centres for fighting Baloch nationalism.

Soon enough, the militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangwi was introduced in Balochistan.

Then an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Taiba was allowed to come into the province during the 2013 earthquake. The interesting element is that international NGO, Doctors Without Borders was refused entry into Balochistan. Instead, we had the terror organisation distributing aid to people during the earthquake.

Religious groups began to work on behalf of the Pakistan government. They used religion as a tool to abduct, kill and kidnap for ransom during Musharaff's time. For the first time extremist groups began to organise kidnappings for ransom of only Hindu businessmen in Balochistan.

Later, the Pakistani army created the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP)-a political party for the Baloch overnight. The idea was to establish a party that would give the Baloch political rights but keep them away from nationalism. Centred around the mainstream Pakistani thought, the BAP is loyal to the Pakistani military.

IN: Balochistan also has the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) which made big news last year over its Gwadar ko haq do (give rights to Gwadar) protests. Many Baloch nationalists were suspicious of the JI's sudden popularity. Have Pakistan's Islamist policies have become successful in Balochistan? QMB: You have to remember that the JI is that party which provided recruits to Al-Shams and Al-Badr in Bangladesh against the Mukti Bahini and the forces of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The JI is known to target intellectuals, activists and the cream of the society. This is exactly what it is doing in Balochistan now.

The Baloch people and their parties cannot hold apolitical rallies in their region. But the JI could organise large-scale protests in Gwadar. How did that happen? Maulana Hidayat-ur-Rehman organised daily protests and sit-ins. He even provided food and water to the people in an area where gathering of people is banned. It happened because the JI was helped and funded by the army in organising the Gwadar ko haq do protests.

The Pakistani army has political, economic and other kinds of powers. Because it manages the check-points in Balochistan, it also controls the flow of drugs and weapons in the region.

IN: Pakistan has been advertising Gwadar as an investment destination through roadside hoardings and by spots on radio stations in the UK. How successful is this campaign? Is the Pakistani diaspora investing in projects in Balochistan or the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? QMB: These advertisements are a marketing tool aimed at the Pakistani diaspora which is earning in dollars and pounds in Western countries. Pakistan thinks that rich expat Pakistanis will invest in Balochistan, particularly Gwadar.

If the diaspora has to invest back home, they will be dealing with the military because the Pakistani military and its proxies-traffickers and leaders of the Death Squads, have bought prime land in Balochistan. I don't think there is much Pakistani diaspora investment in Gwadar.

The Baloch people think that the CPEC is anti-Baloch. It was a tool for China to achieve its military and economic ambitions in the region.

People who fell in the way of CPEC roads in Panjgur, Turbat and Gwadar were shifted out from their lands without being compensated. Even the Baloch fishermen have been stopped from fishing in their traditional areas because of the CPEC. No Baloch can tell you the benefits of the CPEC but almost everyone will narrate the adverse impacts of the project.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
Islamabad, July 30 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that it was not the job of the country's army chief to approach the US over the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.

"If these reports are correct that (Chief of Army Staff) General Bajwa is seeking America's help in getting IMF (loan) it means that the country is getting weaker," The Express Tribune quoted Khan as saying during an interview with a local TV channel on Friday.

His statement comes as Gen Bajwa reached out to the US administration with a request for help in securing an early dispersal of a tranche of bailout package from the IMF in an effort to stabilise the dwindling economy of Pakistan.

According to security sources, the army chief spoke by phone with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman earlier this week, The Express Tribune reported.

They said Gen Bajwa made an appeal to the White House and the Treasury Department to push the IMF to immediately supply nearly $1.2 billion that Pakistan is due to receive under a resumed loan programme.

"If America helps us in the current situation, what will it demand in return for help? I fear that the security of the country will be weakened," Khan remarked.

Commenting on the development, the former premier said the report implied that no one including the international community and people of the country has confidence in the coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan said the only way to steer the economy out of crisis and to reverse the "regime change operation" was to hold early and transparent elections.
Seoul, July 30 : After chip maker Qualcomm confirmed that the next-generation Samsung Galaxy S23 series will exclusively use the Snapdragon chipset, the South Korean tech giant said it is not giving up on the Exynos project.

The company said it will not discontinue its Exynos manufacturing business and is working on expanding the competitiveness of the Exynos brand, reports GizmoChina.

Samsung said it hopes to collaborate with other IP businesses and begin early developments to shore up the market share of its major clients.

The company is also likely developing a premium processor specifically for the Galaxy S series.

Recently, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said the Galaxy S23 series will use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 exclusively.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm also announced that it had strengthened its strategic partnership with Samsung Electronics to deliver leading premium consumer experiences for Samsung Galaxy devices.

Both the tech giants have agreed to expand their collaboration with Snapdragon platforms for future premium Samsung Galaxy products, including smartphones, PCs, tablets, extended reality, and more.

The tech giant, recently, reported its second-quarter net profit of $8.5 billion, up 15.2 per cent from a year earlier, on the back of robust demand for server chips.
New Delhi, July 30 : A big statement by Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky about his determination to recover the lost territories of Donbas in the next three to six weeks has raised eyebrows across the globe.

Zelensky's assertion of launching a massive counteroffensive in the south, has been carefully timed. The Ukrainian President chose June 28 - the eve of the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, when nationalistic fervour runs high--for his major declaration.

But what is the real backstory that is persuading Zelensky to announce that he was now set to radically change the course of the six-month military campaign with Russia, which began in late February this year? Is Zelensky making his move because Ukraine has already lost control over 20 per cent of its territory, which not only includes a large part of the unrecognised republics of Donbass, but also the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. As a result of his military setbacks, does he think that his political survival is now at stake? In fact, Ukraine has lost the strategically important southeast, where one of the largest nuclear power plants in Europe is located.

This is also a region that opens the way to the Black Sea, which is inscribed in the new NATO strategy as a priority zone on the southern and eastern flanks of the North Atlantic Alliance.

It is here that Zelensky, who recently received American HIMARIS and other weapons and is waiting for new arrivals, plans to "kick Russia in the teeth". He is also trying to assemble a one million strong army, mobilising people as old as 60.

Therefore, has a point of inflection, a now or never situation for the Ukrainian President, been reached in the Ukrainian conflict? In all likelihood, Zelensky is feeling the heat from the West. Having invested so much money and weapons and putting its international prestige on line, the West badly wants Kiev to record a decisive victory over Russia, instead of staring at defeat.

Unsurprisingly, in his major address in the last week of July to raise national morale, Zelensky called for a unified response to stand up to Russia.

Ironically, the events of the last weeks and days show that internal cohesion may be falling apart in Ukraine.

Deep fault lines are emerging in Ukraine's political and military elite. In fact, President Zelensky is waging his war on two fronts simultaneously-one of course is against Russia and the other is supposedly against so-called "internal enemies".

Zelensky has therefore launched mega-purge that is targeting the pillars of the Ukrainian state--security forces, law enforcement officers, oligarchs who have huge resources and capabilities to build a phalanx against Russia. Many in the firing line today have been, until recently, part of President Zelensky's inner circle.

The first two heads to roll a fortnight ago were that of Ivan Bakanov (a former bosom friend of the president) the head of the Security Service of Ukraine. The other to fall from grace was Prosecutor General Irina Venediktova. Both were fired in a single day. The duo was charged with high treason and collaborationist activities.

On the same day the State Bureau of Investigation (GBR) of Ukraine announced the arrest also of the former head of the Security Service of Ukraine in Crimea Oleg Kulinich, who had worked as an assistant to Ivan Bakanov before his detention.

Oleg Kulinich was charged under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - high treason, leadership of a criminal organisation or participation in it, aiding in the transfer of data that is a state secret to another country.

According to leaks in the Ukrainian media, Kulinich and former Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Vladimir Sivkovich are suspected of "surrendering the south of Ukraine to Russian troops." According to the newspaper Observer, "it was Kulinich,who played a big role for ensuring the rapid occupation of the southern regions of Ukraine by concealing counterintelligence information about the Russian offensive from Crimea "from the leadership of the Security Service of Ukraine." Following the dismissal of Ivan Bakanov, decrees on the change of the leadership of the Security Service of Ukraine immediately followed in five key regions of the country - Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Transcarpathian, Dnipropetrovsk regions.

The cascading purge coincides with the failure of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, which unsuccessfully tried to recruit Russian pilots and persuade them to hijack combat aircraft of the Russian aerospace forces. The operation of the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine was stopped by the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia.

Russian pilots, who refused to be financially seduced, were offered $ 1 million and citizenship in one of the European countries if they were ready to hijack combat aircraft, the pride of the Russian military space forces.

However, paradoxically, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, 36-year-old Kirill Budanov, not only was not fired, but got a promotion.

"I made important personnel decisions. In particular, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov, will also head the intelligence committee under the President of Ukraine," President Zelensky said this Monday in a video message published on his Telegram channel.

This week, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine charged former Foreign Minister Konstantin Grishchenko and ex-Justice Minister Alexander Lavrinovich with treason, allegedly acting in "preliminary collusion" with former President Yanukovych and former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.

And finally, the icing on the cake is the deprivation of Ukrainian citizenship of the powerful Ukrainian oligarch and uber nationalist Igor Kolomoisky. Back in 2014, Igor Kolomoisky used his own money to create Ukrainian volunteer battalions in the Donbass to fight the separatist republics.

After that, it was he who played a decisive role in the sensational victory in the 2019 presidential election of Vladimir Zelensky, who at that time was a comedian and had no political experience.

Against the backdrop of the torrential purge, there appears to be a massive competition with the Ukrainian elite to curry favour with the West.

The names include Petro Poroshenko, a former President, who has his own channels of communication with the United States and Europe. But he is not the only one in the leadership fray. Many of Zelensky's rivals have not come out of the shadows, waiting for the decisive moment to deliver a fatal blow to Zelensky, today's protege of the West. Will a flawed Ukrainian offensive provide that decisive moment when the knives are really out for Zelensky? (Sergei Strokan is a veteran journalist, writer and columnist of the Kommersant publishing house based in Moscow. The views expressed are personal and exclusive to India Narrative) (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative

Latest updates on Russia-Ukraine War
Jalna, July 30 : Under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Maharashtra ex-minister and Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Arjun Khotkar announced that he is joining the rebel faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, here on Saturday.

Declaring his intentions at a crowded media conference, Khotkar said that he held detailed discussions with Shiv Sena President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on his decision.

"I have explained to them the compulsions - which all are aware - behind my decision, the harassment to my family... I am forced to make certain decisions... And they (Thackeray-Raut) have understood my predicament," said an emotional Khotkar, without naming the ED.

To a query, he said that when a person is facing a crisis, he will seek protection from somewhere - an indirect indictment of the central agency which is probing him and his family since the past over two years.

On the central agency probe against him, Khotkar reeled off figures of financial deals pertaining to the alleged illegal auction sale of the Jalna Cooperative Sugar Factory Ltd. by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) and claimed he was innocent.

A couple of days ago, Raut lauded Khotkar for displaying courage and admitting to the harassment by the ED which had compelled him to take the decision (to switch sides to Shinde camp).

Seven months after he was raided in November 2021, last month (June 2022), the ED attached Khotkar's properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the FIR lodged by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police.

Among other things, the investigators claimed that the sugar mill was fraudulently sold by the MSCB to the relatives or associates of the bank's officials and directors flouting norms.

Khotkar's move came after he called on Shinde, another rebel ex-minister Abdul Sattar and a union minister in the past couple of days.
Paris, July 30 : Following the stagnation of the first quarter of 2022 (Q1), France's gross domestic product (GDP) recovered by 0.5 per cent in the second quarter (Q2), the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) announced.

According to the Institute, foreign trade contributed greatly to the recovery of the GDP by 0.4 points, due to an 0.8 per cent increase in exports, although imports decreased by 0.6 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.

Household consumption decreased for the second quarter in a row, by 0.2 per cent.

However, consumption of services recovered significantly, particularly accommodation, food, and transport services.

"We believe in the possibility of improving French growth through reforms," Minister of Economy and Finances, Bruno Le Maire, said during the Council of Ministers on Friday.

The Minister said he expected France's GDP to grow by 1.4 per cent in 2023, and by 1.8 per cent by 2027.

France's GDP decreased by 0.2 per cent in Q1 of 2022, due to a decrease in household consumption, particularly of transport equipment, other manufactured goods, and accommodation services and restaurants.
Chandigarh, July 30 : Aiming to boost revenue by reducing the price of alcohol and making the booze lovers kings, the new excise policy of the AAP government in Punjab which became operational from July 1, has come under the judicial scanner with those in the trade accusing the government of monopolising the liquor industry in favour of a "handful of entities".

However, the government claims the policy is aimed at keeping a stringent check on the smuggling of liquor from neighbouring states and is expecting revenue generation of Rs 9,647.85 crore, a spike of about Rs 2,600 crore from the previous fiscal year.

The new policy, approved by the cabinet last month, is applicable for nine months till March 31, 2023.

The petition filed by Akash Enterprises and other wholesale and retail vendors challenged the policy in the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the plea that it is an attempt to monopolise the liquor trade. It is pending before the court.

The petitioners pleaded that the government had issued a corrigendum whereby the maximum number of retail groups that can be allotted to an entity has been increased to five from three, which furthers the intent of monopolising the liquor industry into the hands of a few 'resourceful' bidders.

Contrary to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office told IANS that the new excise policy aims to break the mafia nexus in the liquor trade.

Joining issue, rebel AAP leader and now Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira said since Arvind Kejriwal has replicated the Delhi excise policy in Punjab by putting the liquor trade into the hands of the mafia and has robbed small contractors of their livelihood, there should be a similar CBI probe ordered against this policy in Punjab to bring out the truth.

"It is an irony that while Kejriwal is crying wolf in Delhi and issuing clean chits to his ministers accused of corruption with irrefutable evidence, his government in Punjab is orchestrating a malicious and vengeful vendetta campaign in the state against political opponents on baseless allegations of corruption," he said.

For consumers it has brought cheers with the reduction in the price.

The duties levied on liquor in the wholesale trade have been slashed by 25-60 per cent.

Also in the new policy no quota has been fixed for the sale of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and beer, which means vend owners can sell as much liquor as they can.

Trade insiders told IANS the policy has reduced the number of groups or clusters of liquor vends from about 750 in the last financial year to 177, with the aim to increase control over the liquor trade and tap optimum revenue.

Als, the government gave its nod to allot two special battalions of police to the excise department, in addition to the existing force, for keeping an effective vigil over the excise duty pilferage.

To encourage investment, a provision for a new distillery and brewery licence has been made in the policy for the production of malt spirit which has been done to encourage crop diversification and provide better remuneration to the farmers.

A government official familiar with the matter told IANS earlier that it was the liberal liquor policy of Chandigarh that was hitting neighbouring states the most, including Punjab.

The chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh on several occasions had requested the Chandigarh administration to fix a quota for licensees and increase levies as these have been causing an annual revenue loss of Rs 200-Rs 300 crore to them owing to liquor smuggling.

They had argued that allocation of unlimited quota to a licencee in Chandigarh was promoting smuggling of liquor to nearby states.

"Now it is the liberal liquor policy of Punjab that is going to hit neighbouring states the most," added the official.

In Punjab, alcohol is the maximally abused substance by more than two million people, followed by tobacco which is consumed by more than 1.5 million people, finds the latest study by the Chandigarh-based Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER).

The abuse of opioids is by 1.7 lakh individuals, followed by cannabinoids as well as sedative-inhalant stimulants. The latter are largely a class of pharmacological or prescription drugs being used illicitly.

As per the State of Punjab Household Survey and statewide NCD STEPs Survey by the PGIMER, the projected number of overall substance use in Punjab is 15.4 per cent.

Coming out in support of the new liquor policy, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the government has targeted to generate Rs 9,600 crore as against Rs 6,200 crore in the last fiscal.

He said earlier liquor purchased from Haryana used to be sold in Punjab. "The days of the liquor mafia are over now," he added.

Responding to Delhi's lieutenant governor V.K. Saxena asking the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to inquire into the Delhi government's excise policy, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said the AAP government's links with the liquor cartel would soon be exposed in Punjab too.

In Punjab also Kejriwal has tried to replicate the Delhi model which would soon be exposed, he added.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
Gandhinagar, July 30 : In March 2022, the government informed the Gujarat Assembly that in 2020 and 2021, it seized hard liquor worth Rs 215 crore, country liquor worth Rs four crore and beer amounting to Rs 16 crore. Some 4,046 people accused of smuggling liquor into the state, producing country liquor or bootlegging, are still at large.

Forty six persons recently lost their lives after drinking illicit liquor in Botad and Ahmedabad districts. Whenever the government is questioned about strict implementation or the government's commitment to prohibition, it is prompt in citing the seizures data.

Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghvi said, "We have formed a state monitoring cell, it keeps an eye on smuggling of IMFL and country liquor and conducts raids across the state. It is also running a prohibition awareness campaign." According to the government budget papers, the state is allocating Rs four crore annually to create awareness about prohibition. But it is more for advertisements and administrative expenditure and less for one to one counselling or de-addiction centres or street plays, argues Hasmukh Patel, a social worker from North Gujarat.

Patel says, "For decades I have not seen "Nashabandhi Mandal" or "Nashabandhi Sanskar Kendra's" programme on the streets, villages, so what these centres or NGOs involved in the promotion of prohibition are doing baffles me." For veteran politician Shankersinh Vaghela, "Prohibition policy has crumbled in the state and I am demanding a review of the policy". He is in favour of relaxing the policy and creating employment by allowing local distilleries. These distilleries licenses should be given to youths from the Thakor Koli and tribal communities, who have been manufacturing liquor for generations.

Vaghela said that when a BJP district president is caught on camera under the influence of alcohol at a public event, BJP leaders' family members are either caught drinking liquor or running a den or bootlegging, is it not itself explanatory how serious the government is about the prohibition policy.

The other indication of the lax implementation of the prohibition policy is evident from revenue versus the illegal market. Veteran crime reporter Prashant Dayal in an article stated, "the state government's prohibition and excise department's annual revenue is Rs 150 crore, but the illegal liquor market in the state is estimated to be Rs 25,000 crore." "The prohibition policy in the state exists only on paper, bootleggers in nexus with police officers and politicians are making liquor available at a price. It is impossible to implement prohibition cent per cent, because Gujarat is an island surrounded by non-prohibition states and Union Territories. Cent per cent prohibition is possible for a week or at the most a month, not more than that," is the experience of Arjunsinh Chauhan, a former IPS officer.
New Delhi, July 30 : Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana said the judiciary needs to flag issues which hinder its functioning and there is no meaning in camouflaging or hiding the problems, and also if matters of pressing concern are not addressed, then the system will cripple.

The CJI made the remarks while speaking at the All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet, which had Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the chief guest.

"Wherever I go, I always attempt to project the achievements of the Indian judiciary in winning the trust and faith of the people. But if we intend to serve the people better, we need to flag the issues which hinder our functioning. There is no meaning in camouflaging or hiding the problems," he said.

"If we don't discuss these issues, if matters of pressing concern are not addressed, then the system will cripple. I fear, we may be unable to fulfil our constitutional mandate of social justice. I urge you therefore, to discuss, debate and decide! This is the principle I have been following all through".

The Chief Justice said the reality is that, today, only a small percentage of population can approach the justice delivery system, when in need and majority of the people suffer in silence, lacking awareness and necessary means.

"Modern India was built around the goal of removing the disparities in the society. Project democracy is about providing a space for participation of all. Participation will not be possible without social emancipation. Access to Justice is a tool for social emancipation." CJI Ramana pointed out that the district judiciary is the backbone of the justice delivery system in the world's largest democracy and public opinion about the judiciary is primarily based on their experiences with the district judiciary. "This casts a great responsibility on your shoulders. You must undertake multifaceted tasks and roles. You are best placed to understand people's problems and social issuesa..Strengthening the district judiciary is the need of the hour." He added that Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 was enacted with the objective of reaching the persons at the bottom of the pyramid.

The fact that it is aimed at offering free legal aid to 70 per cent of our population, makes National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) the largest legal aid provider in the world, he said "I know, the challenges before you are enormous. The issues of conditions of service, remunerations and infrastructure deserve immediate attention. The Supreme Court this week tried to address some of these issues by way of direction for implementation of revised pay benefits".

He added that one of the most important aspects which calls for judiciary's active consideration and intervention is in relation to the condition of undertrials.

"The Prime Minister and the Attorney General have also rightly flagged this issue in the recently held conference of Chief Ministers and Chief Justices. I am happy to note that NALSA is actively collaborating with all stakeholders in securing much deserved relief for undertrials," the CJI added.
Hard-hitting all-female rock band Plush will makes its New York State Fair debut with a 2 p.m. show on opening day, Wednesday, Aug. 24, on the Chevy Park stage in the New York Experience festival grounds.

The band, headed by Albany-area native Moriah Formica, is a quartet of women ages 18 to 21 who launched their self-titled debut album in February.

Weve featured trailblazers such as Joan Jett and Lizzy Hale of Halestorm and its great to see another generation of women in rock music," State Fair interim Director Sean Hennessey said in a news release. "Were proud to open the Chevy Park concert season with this show and these ladies.

All concerts in the Chevrolet Music Series are free with fair admission. All concerts at the fair are sponsored by Chevrolet.

Chevrolet Music Festival concerts include:

 Jimmie Allen, 6 p.m. Aug. 24, Chevy Court stage

 Chevelle, 8 p.m. Aug. 24, Chevy Park stage

 Great White, 6 p.m. Aug. 25, Chevy Court Stage

 The Art of Rap featuring Ice-T, 8 p.m. Aug. 25, Chevy Park stage

 Niko Moon, 6 p.m. Aug. 26, Chevy Court stage

 TLC, 8 p.m. Aug. 26, Chevy Park stage

 Tesla, 6 p.m. Aug. 27, Chevy Court stage

 Foreigner, 8 p.m. Aug. 28, Chevy Park stage

 Max Weinberg's Jukebox, 6 p.m. Aug. 29, Chevy Court stage

 Boyz II Men, 8 p.m. Aug. 29, Chevy Park stage

 Hermans Hermits Starring Peter Noone, 1 p.m. Aug. 30, Chevy Court stage

 Big & Rich with Cowboy Troy, 6 p.m. Aug. 30, Chevy Court stage

 38 Special, 6 p.m., Aug. 31, Chevy Court stage

 Nelly, 8 p.m. Aug. 31, Chevy Park stage

 Alex Miller, 1 p.m., Sept. 1, Chevy Court stage

 Riley Green, 8 p.m. Sept. 1, Chevy Park stage

 Tai Verdes, 1 p.m. Sept. 2, Chevy Court stage

 Gin Blossoms, 6 p.m. Sept. 2, Chevy Court stage

 24KGoldn, 8 p.m. Sept. 2, Chevy Park stage

 COIN, 2 p.m. Sept. 3, Chevy Park stage

 Dropkick Murphys, 8 p.m. Sept. 3, Chevy Park stage

 Midnight Star (Headlining Annual FunkFest), 8:30 p.m. Sept. 3, Chevy Court stage

 City Girls, 8 p.m. Sept. 4, Chevy Park stage

 Resurrection  A Journey Tribute Band, 1 p.m. Sept. 4, Chevy Park stage

 Night Ranger, 4 p.m. Sept. 5, Chevy Court stage
Hyderabad, July 30 : In Hyderabad's Shilpakala Vedika, Nandamuri Kalyan Ram and the 'Bimbisara' team hosted a pre-release ceremony on Friday, which had Jr. NTR as the chief guest. In a tragic turn of events during the pre-release event, Sai Ram, a devoted admirer, passed away.

The makers of 'Bimbisara' took to their social media to express condolences to Sai Ram's family. A press note was released, which reads: "An unfortunate incident which has deeply saddened us has come to our notice. In what is a heartbreaking incident, Putta Sai Ram, S/O Mr. Rambabu, who attended the event last night is no more.

"Sai Ram had been an ardent fan from the Pentapadu Mandal of West Godavari District. We express our deepest condolences to the family of Sai Ram and would support the family by any means possible," the 'Bimbisara' team wrote in a press note released on Saturday.

Sai Ram, who exuded excitement as he arrived at the 'Bimbisara' pre-release event, was a die-hard supporter of Jr. NTR and Nandamuri Kalyan Ram. On Friday, he began to have fits during the pre-release event. He was rushed to the nearest hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The incident is being looked into by the Banjara Hills police.
Buenos Aires, July 30 : Argentina's President Alberto Fernandez said that the reshuffle of his cabinet was in response to the economic challenges facing the South American country.

"I have summoned Sergio Massa to join the government team. His vision, capacity and experience will allow us to continue working and improving the roadmap we set out," the President said in a tweet late Friday.

On Thursday, Fernandez unified the three ministries of Economy, Productive Development, and Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries into a single portfolio with Massa, current president of the Chamber of Deputies, at the helm.

"What we have experienced as a country and as a society in the last few months, and particularly in the last few weeks, forces us to have better coordination, calling for a joint effort of the productive forces," he added.

As part of the measures, Fernandez appointed Silvina Batakis, who was Minister of Economy since July 4, the new President of the state-owned Bank of the Argentine Nation, while Daniel Scioli, who was in charge of the Productive Development Ministry, will return to the Argentine Embassy in Brazil.

Since the beginning of July, the country has been facing a devaluation of its currency against the US dollar, which was quoted on Friday at 138.29 Argentine pesos in the official market and 303 Argentine pesos in the black market.
Mumbai, July 30 : Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari again landed in a hot soup - this time after his perceived 'anti-Marathi' remarks, but after a major political row, he made a tactical retreat, here on Saturday.

The stinging salvos were fired in Mumbai on Friday when he lauded the contributions of the Gujarati and Rajasthani communities to the progress and development of Maharashtra, at a ceremony.

"If you remove Gujaratis and Rajasthanis from the state, especially Mumbai and Thane, then nothing will be left. Mumbai will lose its tag of the country's commercial capital without them," Koshyari declared.

The utterances sparked into a political inferno with all major political parties - the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Congress, the ruling Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction and his ally Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena flaying Koshyari, though Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi's Dr Prakash Ambedkar patted the Governor.

Chief Minister Shinde termed it as the Governor's 'personal views' which he did not support and said that the contributions of the Marathis to the state and Mumbai can never be denigrated.

"Mumbai has progressed and got fame as the financial capital because of the hard work of Marathis. The Governor must ensure that the Maharashtrian's pride and image are not hurt by his utterances," said Shinde in Nashik.

BJP's Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis categorically said: "We don't support the Governor's views" and was supported by ex-minister Ashish Shelar, though MLA Nitesh Rane took an opposing viewpoint.

"The Marathis are famed the world over for their achievements in all sectors and fields. Their contributions to the progress of Mumbai and Maharashtra is significant, and even the Governor is aware of this in his hearta We are not with him," said Fadnavis.

Ex-CM and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said Koshyari has "insulted" the people of the state and now deserves to be shown 'Kolhapuri chappals (footwear)'.

"He regularly keeps making such controversial statements and does not maintain the dignity of the august office he occupies. He is trying to divide communities and even the Hindus by naming Mumbai and Thane where civic polls will be held shortly. Now it's time to consider whether this parcel named Koshyari should be packed off from here or put behind bars," said an agitated Thackeray.

In a sharp attack, Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said the Governor habitually demeans and defames Maharashtra and its people, and "those who have sent him here should take him back".

Slamming the Governor, NCP's Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said Koshyari has forgotten that "it were the Marathis who gave their lands and labour" to make the industries and businesses of the migrant communities profitable.

Castigating the Governor, Sena's Raut said that Koshyari has apparently not read the contributions of stalwarts like Jagannath Shankarsheth who had worked to make Bombay a financial powerhouse from the mid-1850s.

Terming it "Koshyari's hoshyari" (Koshyari's oversmartness) MNS President Raj Thackeray asked the Governor not to keep blabbering if he doesn't know the state's history as his comments have pained the people here.

"The Marathi people and others have given their lands and labour, and ensured a conducive environment that attracts people from all over to do business here. Do they get these anywhere else? Ahead of the elections, don't try to spoil the atmosphere or corner the Marathis, that's my request," said Raj Thackeray.

Other leaders like NCP MP Supriya Sule, Clyde Crasto, Congress' Balasaheb Thorat, Atul Londhe, Sena's Kishori Pednekar and many more snubbed the Governor for his remarks, terming them as in bad taste, not behoving the high office he holds, and recalled how Mumbai was saved by the martyrdom of 105 people during the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.

However, VBA's Dr Ambedkar hailed the Governor and said that he has actually taken a swipe at the character of the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP for ruling for many years without doing anything to give Marathis any business, which is still controlled by the Gujaratis-Rajasthanis.

"The people of Maharashtra must open their eyes and think whether to continue supporting these parties. The Governor has spoken out his mind and it's not an insult to the state," affirmed Dr Ambedkar.

Taken aback by the furious backlash, Governor Koshyari hurriedly clarified that his words were misconstrued as usual and reaffirmed the contributions of Marathis to Mumbai which is the pride of Maharashtra and also the country's commercial capital.

"I had no intentions to underestimate the Marathis... they have built Maharashtra by sheer hard work and there are many leading Marathi industrialists here, and are famous not only in the state but all over India and the world. Praising one community does not amount to insulting others," said the Governor in a statement on Saturday.

He reiterated that he was proud of the opportunity to serve the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maharashtrians as the Governor and he had even learnt Marathi in a very short time.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
New Delhi, July 30 : A day after the Delhi government decided to return to the old regime of retail liquor sale policy for six months, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Saturday accused the BJP of threatening shopkeepers and officers with ED and CBI cases.

"The BJP workers are threatening shopkeepers, officers in Delhi with ED and CBI. They want closure of legal liquor shops to make money out of illegal shops. We've decided to stop the new liquor policy and ordered the government to open government liquor shops," said Sisodia during a press briefing.

Sisodia also alleged that like Gujarat, the BJP wants to promote the sale of spurious, off-duty liquor by threatening Delhi's shop-owners and officers.

Deputy CM further said: "In Delhi, our government brought a new excise policy last year. Before excise policy 2021-22, most of the liquor shops in Delhi were government-run and were mired in corruption".

"We brought a new liquor policy to stop corruption. Before that the government used to get around Rs 6,000 crore as revenue from 850 liquor shops. But, after the new policy, our government would have got more than Rs 9,000 crore with the same number of shops," Sisodia said.

"We have withdrawn the new excise policy and directed the opening of government liquor stores. I have directed the chief secretary to ensure no chaos during the transition period," he added.

However, Delhi government has decided to go back to the old regime of liquor sale after LG recommended investigation by Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) into the ongoing excise policy.
14 held at Hyderabad airport with Rs.50 lakh cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Image Source: IANS News

14 held at Hyderabad airport with Rs.50 lakh cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Image Source: IANS News

14 held at Hyderabad airport with Rs.50 lakh cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Image Source: IANS News

14 held at Hyderabad airport with Rs.50 lakh cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, July 30 : Customs officials at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here apprehended 14 passengers who arrived from Sharjah and Dubai and seized cigarettes and e-cigarettes estimated to be valued at Rs 50 lakh, during the last one week.

In the latest incident, six passengers were held while trying to smuggle cigarettes and e-cigarettes from Sharjah.

Customs officials said on Saturday that the passengers arrived by flight 6E1406 on Friday. As many as 22,600 cigarettes and 940 e-cigarettes total valued at Rs 11.66 lakhs were seized.

"The goods have been confiscated. Further Investigation is in progress," Hyderabad Customs said.

This is the third case in a week in which Customs officials apprehended passengers for trying to smuggle cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

On July 27, customs officials had apprehended three passengers and seized the contraband. They too had also arrived from Sharjah by flight 6E1406.

Officials said the three passengers tried to smuggle 40,800 cigarettes and 1010 e-cigarettes valuing approximately Rs 14 lakhs.

Earlier, on July 25, six passengers were apprehended at the airport. They had arrived from Dubai and Sharjah by flights EK526 and 6E1406 respectively.

Cigarettes and e- cigarettes valued about Rs 25 lakhs were confiscated.
Bidar, : July 30 (IANS) Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Saturday said that he will be visiting the residences of all the three murder victims -- two Muslim youths and BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettaru.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's visit to only Nettaru's family and not to the Muslim youths in the same district has stirred a controversy.

"In the name of Hindutva, BJP has enslaved youths. During my tenure as chief minister, no such murder took place. Why are murders being committed in the BJP rule in Karnataka?" Kumaraswamy, the second in command of regional party JD (S) wondered.

BJP has announced to hand over Nettaru muder case to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). However, no one has clues on what happened to the five to six cases that had been handed over to the NIA for investigation over years? Kumaraswamy stated.

He further stated it is not known how many years will NIA take to investigate the case. His mother and sisters had demanded an NIA probe, but they are ignorant. "Our local officers are capable of investigating it and they must be entrusted to probe the matter," he opined.

Stating that he will not demand a ban on any organisation, the JD(S) leader said: "I will give a call to struggle for people's cause. The government should watch the 'Jai Bhim' movie, they will understand how the country's law and order system is," he said.

After the murder of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga, Masood, Praveen and Fazil have been killed in coastal region. The serial killings have shocked the state. There is a political blame game going on. Not only opposition, even BJP party workers are lashing out at BJP for failing to monitor law and order situation in the state, Kumaraswamy stated.
London, July 30 : The Formula 1 community on Saturday came together to deliver a strong message to 'Drive Out' any form of abuse -- online and at events -- and called for greater respect in a sport, which is followed passionately all over the world.

All 20 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel among others, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem issued a message on social media, saying they were "united" in their endeavour in driving out the menace from all sport.

They also issued a video message on social media, saying that, "while passion and competition is a very important part of our sport, it can go too far, resulting in fans, journalists, presenters, and drivers receiving abuse both verbally and online.

"We are all sending a clear message that this isn't acceptable and must end -- and those that continue to spread abuse and offensive comments are not welcome in our sport." A written message posted by F1 on social media said, "Formula 1 is all about competition and rivalries, but also respect. Respect as competitors. Respect for our fans. Respect for the whole F1 family. Abuse of any kind is not welcome online, or anywhere in F1.

"We are united and ask you all to join us in driving this out of all sport and society. We have a duty to call this out and say -- "no more". Those who hide behind social media with abusive and disrespectful views are not our fans. If you cannot be respectful, then don't be part of our sport."

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Panaji, July 30 : In the backdrop of concerns raised by some MLAs from coastline areas, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday urged Indian Institute of Technology, Goa (IIT-Goa) to deal with threat of sea erosion, micro-plastic looming in fish and environmental issues.

"IIT Goa should play significant role in solving environmental issue faced by the state. Goa is known across world for its green vegetation, pristine beaches and clean air. It is cherished by every traveller in Goa and we are committed to protect nature's gift," Sawant said addressing the third convocation of IIT Goa.

"Climate change is affecting the coastline due to sea erosion as change in sea level is witnessed. It is causing flooding and excessive rain. I urge IIT-Goa to deal with such types of issues," he said.

He said that threat of micro plastic in our food chain, particularly in fish, is looming large. "I expect IIT Goa will conduct research study to provide remedial measures to both demand and supply chain," he said.

He said that IIT Goa is collaborating with state pollution control board for developing forecasting tools for the air quality level.

He commended the IIT-Goa for manufacturing face shields during COVID pandemic and providing it to frontline workers.

"It is good example for social commitment. IIT is helping us in various fields. It is assisting us in various matters and governance also. IIT Goa had developed 'chart board' for smooth conduct of recent legislative assembly election," he said appreciating scientists and students of IIT-Goa.

He also said that IIT-Goa is helping government in promotion of start-up and making state IT friendly.

Goa Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte had recently said that sea erosion has become a major threat for the tourism industry, which needs to be tackled with new concepts. Also MLAs from coastal line areas had expressed concern over beaches getting washed out due to sea erosion.
San Francisco, July 30 : Tesla CEO Elon Musk has suggested that Nicole Shanahan, wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, should sue The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) for falsely reporting that she had a brief affair with him last December while separated from Brin.

Musk has already denied he had a fling with Shanahan, slamming WSJ for the story.

"As a 'public person', standard to win a defamation lawsuit against a news org is almost impossible," Musk said in one of his tweets.

"Nicole is not a public person, so (she) could win. I hope she sues them," added Musk, the world's richest person with an estimated net worth of $219 billion.

Shanahan's attorney, Bryan Freedman, told NBC News that "make no mistake, any suggestion that Nicole had an affair with Elon Musk is not only an outright lie but also defamatory".

According to a New York Post report, Musk then attacked the WSJ's investigations editor, Michael Siconolfi, for doing "so many fake hit pieces".

The newspaper hit back at Musk.

"Recent attacks on Michael Siconolfi are unwarranted and unfounded. Mike is a celebrated and widely respected editor and reporter in our industry. He has overseen a wide array of impactful stories with integrity and high standards for The Wall Street Journal over many decades," the newspaper responded to the Tesla CEO.

Musk has said that he has not had sex in the longest time.

After slamming the media for publishing his alleged brief affair with Brin's wife, he said: "Haven't even had sex in ages (sigh)".

A follower asked, "damn not even on vacation?", to which Musk replied, "nope".
Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 : Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding a CBI probe into the Karuvannur Cooperative bank fraud in Kerala's Thrissur.

This cooperative bank is controlled by the CPI-M and reports now allege that those who had good connections in the party were able to get back their deposits, while a majority of the hapless depositors are running from pillar to post to get back their money.

"It's been a year since the fraud was detected when the bank was unable to pay depositors and the total loss is around Rs 300 crore. We are now hearing heart-wrenching stories of how the people suffered as they were unable to get money for their medical and educational needs," said Satheesan.

"It has come to light that it's just not the employees of the bank who were involved but it was the result of a large rooted conspiracy and hence a CBI probe is needed. The ongoing police probe appears to be heading nowhere." Early this week, tempers ran high one Philomina passed away as her family, whose money was locked in the scam-tainted co-op bank, could not bear her medical expenses.

To make matters worse, the local legislator who is also the State Higher Education Minister R. Bindhu went public stating that the matter was being given a political twist and that money was given to Philomina's family.

Philomina's son slammed the Minister saying they did not get the money. The minister is not fully updated on issues and what she said is not true, he added.

Satheesan, in his letter to Vijayan, has demanded that the government pass an Ordinance to strengthen the Deposit Guarantee Scheme, which at present is toothless and pledged full support of the Opposition to ensure that the Cooperative movement, which is the backbone of the rural economy is sustained.

There are also reports that things are not fine in over 100 Cooperative banks in the state and the maximum number of such banks are in the state capital district.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd. ("CAERI"), an important technical support institute in China's automotive industry, announced on July 28 its board of directors had approved to build its east China headquarters project with around 2.382 billion yuan ($353.177 million) to be invested.

Under the new project, CAERI plans to build two bases, which are located in Suzhou and Changshu cities of Jiangsu province. The decision came after CAERI signed investment agreements with the management committees of Suzhou National Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone and Changshu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in November and December last year, respectively.

According to CAERI's latest announcement, the Suzhou base would involve an investment of 2.349 billion yuan ($348.284 million). To be specific, engineering construction will cost the company 890 million yuan ($131.96 million), and facility procurement and installation will use up 1.23 billion yuan ($182.371 million).

Photo credit: CAERI

At the Suzhou-based site, the company plans to build several labs for testing and R&D of new energy vehicles (NEVs), electronic communications and software, auto parts for military and auto racing uses, as well as automobile performance, aiming to provide both auto parts suppliers and automakers with a full-chain testing services from high-precision devices, key auto components, to core automotive systems and complete vehicles.

Involving a planned investment of 33 million yuan ($4.893 million), the Changshu base will have a testing and R&D lab for hydrogen-powered vehicles, and relevant supporting testing equipment. It will be dedicated to offering technical services related to tests and R&D of hydrogen-fueled vehicles and systems.

Established in 1965, CAERI is engaged in product development and technical consulting, testing, quality inspection, and authentication for Chinas automotive industry.

Gasgoo not only offers timely news and profound insight about China auto industry, but also help with business connection and expansion for suppliers and purchasers via multiple channels and methods. Buyer service: buyer-support@gasgoo.com Seller Service: seller-support@gasgoo.com

All Rights Reserved. Do not reproduce, copy and use the editorial content without permission. Contact us: autonews@gasgoo.com.
Chandigarh, July 30 : With drug trafficking posing a threat to society, the Centre has adopted a zero tolerance policy towards narcotics and it is showing results, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Chandigarh on Saturday.

Shah was in Chandigarh, his second visit to the city within four months, to inaugurate the two-day Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) national conference on drug trafficking and national security at Punjab Raj Bhavan. He will also inaugurate several developmental projects.

Under the virtual watch of the Home Minister, more than 30,000 kg of seized drugs was destroyed by the NCB, which started the drug disposal campaign from June 1 and over 51,217 kg of narcotics have been disposed of in 11 states till July 29.

On the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the NCB took a pledge to destroy 75,000 kg of drugs on 75 years of independence.

Shah in the evening will attend the "Har Ghar Tiranga" and "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" laser show at the famed rain-fed Sukhna Lake.

On reaching the Chandigarh airport, which was delayed by some hours, he was received by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij, Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher and Chandigarh Adviser Dharam Pal.
Bengaluru : Police personnel detained ABVP members as they protest against the killing of BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettar at Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra residence, in Bengaluru on Saturday, July 30, 2022.(Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Bengaluru : Police personnel detained ABVP members as they protest against the killing of BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettar at Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra residence, in Bengaluru on Saturday, July 30, 2022.(Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Bengaluru : Police personnel detained ABVP members as they protest against the killing of BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettar at Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra residence, in Bengaluru on Saturday, July 30, 2022.(Photo:IANS) Image Source: IANS News

Bengaluru, July 30 : Condemning the murder of BJP activist Praveen Kumar Nettaru, a large number of RSS-affiliated student outfit Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members laid siege to the residence of Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra here on Saturday.

Condemning the "inaction" of the ruling BJP, the agitators tried to barge inside Jnanendra's residence in Jayamahal area as they demanded his resignation.

Police had to carry out a baton charge to disperse the protesters and detained ABVP members. The Home Minister was not at the residence at the time of protest and the police have arranged tight security at the residence after the protest.

Reacting to the protest, Jnanendra stated that the protestors have opened his eyes.

"ABVP members who staged the protest demanded a ban on communal organisations like PFI, SFI. They have attempted to open my eyes and draw my attention in this regard," he said.

"The protestors maintain that without banning these organisations, it is not possible to establish peace," he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has taken DGP Praveen Sood and state Intelligence chief B Dayanand to task for not getting inputs on a flash protest in front of the Home Minister's residence, police sources said. He also questioned police's lack of success in making breakthroughs in the investigation of the BJP activist's murder, sources added.
New Delhi, July 30 : Aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has received requests from lessor for deregistration of three aircraft of budget carrier SpiceJet.

Leasing firm Awas Ireland Limited filed the requests against three Boeing 737 aircraft on July 29.

The planes- VT-SYW, VT-SYX and VT-SYY, are stationed at Varanasi and Amritsar.

The deregistration requests of flights have been filed under Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisations (IDERA) and sources said that it is usually filed if a lessor and airline fail to reach a payment negotiation.

Deregistration process is generally allowed after the aviation regulator checks if the aircraft has any pending dues from tax authorities and airports.

The government has taken measures to strengthen the ecosystem for aircraft leasing and financing in India. Under International Financial Services Centres Authority Act 2019, the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) was established during April, 2020.

Earlier on July 27, the DGCA ordered SpiceJet airline to operate only 50 per cent of its flights for eight weeks.

"In view of findings of various spot checks, inspections and the reply to the show-cause notice submitted by SpiceJet, for continued sustenance of safe and reliable air transport service, the number of departures of SpiceJet are restricted to 50% of the number of departures approved under summer schedule 2022 for a period of eight weeks," said the DGCA in an order.

During these eight weeks, the airline would be subjected to "enhanced surveillance," said the DGCA.

Financial assessment carried out by DGCA in September 2021 revealed that SpiceJet is operating on cash and carry, and suppliers are not being paid on a regular basis leading to the shortage of spares, said the aviation regulator.
Bhopal, July 30 : While the case of a Bhopal B-Tech student found dead in mysterious circumstances is yet to be solved, yet another engineering student was found dead on his institute's campus on Saturday, police said.

Uddeshya Ahirwar, 22, a 4th year engineering student, was found hanging from a tree in the campus of the Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT) here, Anil Vajpayee, in-charge of Kamla Nagar police station, said.

Ahirwar, a resident of Burhanpur district, was staying at campus hostel of MANIT college run under the Union Education Ministry, he said.

"The body has been sent for post-mortem examination and further investigation is underway. We are interrogating college staff and students staying in college campus," Vajpayee said.

On July 24, the body of Nishank Rathore, who was a B-Tech student in Bhopal based college, was found cut into two pieces on railway tracks in Barkhedi-Midghat area in Raisen district.

While the police investigation revealed that it was a suicide case, however, the family claimed Rathore was murdered.
Tashkent, July 30 : Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who is currently attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers Meeting, asserted that Islamabad has no plans of holding any bilateral meeting with India, Pakistani media reported.

Bilawal held six bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of Central Asian countries on the sidelines of the conference which is being held in connection with preparations for the SCO Heads of State meeting scheduled to be held in September, Geo News reported.

Bilawal held meetings with his counterparts from Afghanistan, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

"There are no plans of any meetings between Indian and Pakistani prime ministers in September," Bilawal said, adding that both India and Pakistan are part of the SCO and the two countries are only engaged in the context of the broad-based activities of the organisation.

He said: "India is our neighbouring country. While one can decide on a lot of things, one cannot choose its neighbours, therefore, we should get used to living with them." Bilawal recalled that after 2019, constructive dialogue with India became difficult, "while statements based on Islamophobia by Indian officials are further creating hurdles in dialogue".

He maintained, "We are trying to find economic opportunities for our people".

The government is committed to improving economic ties with all the countries, including the US, he added.
Jammu, July 30 : Two persons were killed while four others injured in a hutment collapse in J&K's Reasi district on Saturday, officials said.

The hutment collapsed early morning in Khanikote area of Reasi.

"Two persons, a male and a female were killed on the spot and 4 other persons were injured. Some livestock - 3 sheep, 2 oxen and 3 goats - were also killed in this incident.

"The injured have been shifted to hospital for treatment," an official said.
New Delhi, July 30 : Amid deregistration request for its aircraft, budget carrier SpiceJet on Saturday said that it plans to replace all its older Boeing aircraft with the new Max model in a phased manner and by the next calendar year, it will induct around 20 new Max planes into its fleet.

Its statement came as aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has received requests from the lessor for deregistration of three of the airline's planes.

Leasing firm Awas Ireland Ltds filed the requests for three Boeing 737 aircraft - VT-SYW, VT-SYX and VT-SYY, stationed at Varanasi and Amritsar - on July 29.

The deregistration requests of flights has been filed under Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisations (IDERA) and sources said that it is usually filed if a lessor and airline are unable to reach a payment negotiation.

Deregistration process is generally allowed after the aviation regulator checks if the aircraft has any pending dues from tax authorities and airports.

A SpiceJet spokesman said: "As part of this modernisation plan, we are returning older aircraft in a phased manner including these three aircraft. These returns have been planned and will not have any impact on our operations. SpiceJet has already returned 12 old Boeing aircraft to lessors in the last calendar year. We have 13 MAX aircraft in our fleet and the new inductions would begin from October 2022." The government has taken measures to strengthen the ecosystem for aircraft leasing and financing in India. Under International Financial Services Centres Authority Act 2019, the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) was established during April, 2020.

Financial assessment carried out by it in September 2021 revealed that SpiceJet is operating on cash and carry and suppliers are not being paid on a regular basis leading to the shortrage of spares, the DGCA said.
New Delhi, July 30 : Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday virtually inaugurated the direct Indigo flight between Delhi and Deoghar.

Indigo will be deploying its A-320 Neo, a 180-seater twin turbofan engine passenger aircraft and is primarily used on domestic routes.

With this new flight launch, the total number of daily departures from Deoghar will be 11.

BJP parliamentarian Rajiv Pratap Rudy will be captain of the inaugural flight.

Speaking on the occasion, Scindia said: "Baba Baidya Nath Dham in Deoghar is an international religious heritage, and it gives me immense pleasure to state that my ministry has helped millions of pilgrims to visit Deoghar. Along with the country's hard economic power, we need to dovetail the country's soft power too. That's the reason why major aviation infrastructure is created at places such as Ayodhya International Airport, Kushinagar International Airport and now Deoghar Airport." The minister further said: "We constructed Deoghar Airport which is spread over 655 acres at a cost of Rs 400 crore, making it the second airport in Jharkhand after Ranchi. We are also working on 3 more airports in Jharkhand -- Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka taking the total number of airports in Jharkhand to 5.

"We have announced 14 new routes connecting Jharkhand out of which 2 routes - Deoghar - Kolkata and Delhi - Deoghar have been started and in the coming days, we will connect Deoghar with Ranchi and Patna. Along with this, we will connect Dumka with Ranchi and Kolkata. Bokaro airport, once completed, will be connected with Patna and Kolkata." The minister added: "425 routes and 68 airports, heliports, water dromes have been operationalised under the UDAN scheme and more than 1 crore people, mostly first-time flyers, have benefitted from it. Over 1 lakh 90 thousand flights have flown under this scheme. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has constructed 66 airports in the last 8 years which stood at 74 airports in the year 2014. We are planning to construct 220 new airports which includes Water Dromes and Heliports in the next 5 years."
Thiruvananthapuram, July 30 : In a shocking incident, a man in Kerala's Kasargod on Saturday doused kerosene on his wife and set her on fire on suspicion that she was having an affair, leaving her seriously injured, police said.

Pramod, an auto-rickshaw driver, suspected his wife Minisha and arrived at the medical store where she was working around 2.30 p.m. As there was no one else in the shop, he threw kerosene on her and set her afire, but she dodged him and ran out of the shop, crying for help.

Pramod tried to escape, but the locals, who had gathered hearing the cries of Minisha, overpowered him and handed him over to the police.

The police took Pramod to the hospital as he also suffered burns and is under the police custody in the hospital.

Minisha, according to the doctors treating her, has suffered burns on her face and hands.
Kolkata, July 30 : The close association between Arpita Mukherjee and Partha Chatterjee started much before the latter became West Bengal Education Minister as is evident from a land purchase deed at Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district, famous for Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore-founded Visva Bharati University.

Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths, probing the multi-crore West Bengal Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam, have accessed documents of a luxurious mansion in the name of Mukherjee at Fuldanga area in Bolpur-Santiniketan. The name of the mansion is "APA" - deemed to be derived from the first letter of her name and first two letters of his name.

Residents of Fuldanga area have also confirmed that they have seen Chatterjee and Mukherjee coming together to 'APA' several times.

ED sources said that although currently the mansion is registered in the name of Mukherjee, past records of the land on which the mansion is constructed shows the association of Chatterjee with it.

As per records of the West Bengal Land and Land Reforms, and Refugee, Relief and Rehabilitation department, the land, of around seven kathas on which the mansion is constructed, was purchased in 2012 jointly by Mukherjee and Chatterjee from a Kolkata- based Bengali family at a price of Rs 20 lakh.

However, after the construction of the mansion, its mutation was done in 2020 and that certificate was issued only in the name of Mukherjee.

From the timeline, it is clear that their association was much before Chatterjee became Education Minister. In 2012, or a year after the Trinamool Congress came to power ousting the 34-year-old Left Front government, Chatterjee was the state Commerce and Industries and Parliamentary Affairs minister. He became Education Minister in May 2014 and continued in that chair till May 2021.

After the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls, Chatterjee was again given the portfolio of Commerce and Industries and held it till July 28, when he was stripped of all his ministerial and party charges.

ED sources said that this is not the only property in the district that has monetary involvement of Chatterjee and Mukherjee. "Many more such properties are currently under our scanner and all details will be revealed in the days to come," an ED official said.
To counter the widespread use and environmental damage caused by single-use plastics, a Chinese research institute has proposed developing new technologies by using a more eco-friendly substitutebamboo.

The proposal, announced on Thursday by the International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, comes in the wake of the Bamboo as a Substitute for Plastic Initiative introduced at the High-level Dialogue on Global Development held virtually in Beijing in June.

Fei Benhua, director of the International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, said bamboo-straw manufacturing technology could be realized and used to replace plastic straws on a large scale, adding that using bamboo to make straws is just the beginning.

"There is a huge space for the initiative to develop," he said, quoting government data that the world produces nearly 400 million metric tons of plastic every year for use in packaging, construction, catering and other purposes, and that China's delivery industry annually produces about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste.

Jiang Zehui, co-chair and acting chair of the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization (INBAR), said that moving forward with the initiative and developing more technologies and ways to use bamboo instead of single-use plastics will lay a solid foundation for the future.

A sharp rise in single-use plastics, which are produced almost entirely from fossil fuels, has damaged the well-being of the planet, according to INBAR. After being discarded, they enter terrestrial and marine ecosystems, and as they break down they degrade into microplastics that contaminate food sources, creating a significant risk to human health.

Bamboo, on the other hand, which is fast-growing, resilient and sustainable, can be used as a substitute for single-use plastics. Bamboo can be used to produce cups, straws, paper and packaging, while being recyclable and environmentally friendly, the organization said.

The potential knock-on effects of using bamboo are also good for the environment.

Planting bamboo can restore degraded or deforested land, mitigate soil erosion and act as a food source for vulnerable or endangered animal species, such as the giant panda and mountain gorilla. Its ability to thrive in suboptimal soil types and rapidly mature, as well as it being a carbon sink, make it ideal for agroforestry.

Given that 50 million hectares of bamboo are distributed across Asia, Africa and the Americas, there is immense potential to scale up learned lessons and experiences across regions, according to INBAR.
Aizawl, July 30 : The Assam Rifles have seized foreign cigarettes, valued at Rs 1.04 crore, in Mizoram after these were smuggled from Myanmar, officials said on Saturday.

Assam Rifles sources said that the paramilitary troopers, accompanied by Mizoram Police, seized the cigarette carton from an abandoned house at Dungtlang in Champhai district on Friday night.

The seized contraband was handed over to the custom's preventive wing.

No one was arrested in connection with the seizure.

An Assam Rifles statement said: "Ongoing smuggling is a major cause of concern for the state of Mizoram, especially along the India-Myanmar border. Assam Rifles, rightly christened as the 'Sentinels of Northeast' have continued their efforts against the smuggling activities in Mizoram." Besides various illicit drugs, especially heroin, methamphetamine tablets, also commonly known as 'Yaba', poppy seeds, opium, ganja (marijuana), morphine, bottles of cough syrup, various other contraband like gold, as well as arms and ammunition are often smuggled from Myanmar to the northeastern states, especially Mizoram and Manipur, with which it shares an unfenced border.
Guwahati, July 30 : Tahang Gao -- the cousin brother of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao, who went missing on Friday has been rescued from a hotel here on Saturday, officials said.

He was later taken to Dispur police station here for questioning.

Tahang Gao came to Guwahati two days ago for some personal work. He went to the Ganeshguri area of the city to meet a friend on Friday afternoon. Later, his mobile phone got switched off.

The family was worried as they fail to contact Tahang and one of his relatives lodged a police complaint in the city's Dispur police station.

According to reports, some miscreants looted around Rs 5 lakh from Tahang Gao. Police have arrested one person and detained a cab driver in connection to this incident.

The officer-in-charge of the Dispur police station said that they had received a complaint from Gao's family about his disappearance and accordingly, the police conducted a search operation and Gao was rescued from a hotel.

"We are also trying to recover the lost money," he added.

However, police have not divulged the details about Gao's disappearance.
New Delhi, July 30 : Highlighting the Covid pandemic as an inflexion point for the country in all aspects, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said that "when world questioned the ability of India in dealing with the pandemic, our professionals rose to the occasion." He said that all stakeholders came together to showcase India's tradition of 'service before self' in action when it mattered the most.

"We followed the lockdown protocols and health advisories to the best of our abilities. This allowed us to become the first country to tread back to the path of positive growth trajectory in the following year," he added.

Mandaviya was speaking at the 4th Foundation Day cum Convocation Day of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Dr Vinod Kumar Paul, Member NITI Aayog, was also present on the occasion.

Reiterating topmost priority as nation builders, Mandaviya said that all stakeholders be it medical professionals, government officials, industry players etc, we must work in best of our capacities to take India to newer heights. Highlighting idea of India lying in its social, cultural and traditional fabric that sustained despite various foreigner rule, he said that we must learn from it and use it as a platform to a huge leap.

"We have created India's health vision for next 25 years, this vision would not only bring immense opportunities for our medical professionals but will also allow all our nation builders to serve our citizens in a better way," added Mandaviya.

He threw light on the two crucial components of it: "Heal in India" where several consultations were done with stakeholders across the country for identifying avenues to improve health sector. Second aspect of "Heal for India" where opportunities are being identified for harnessing our expertise in healthcare to be used not just for our citizens but for the world. Thus, reiterating the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.' Mandaviya said that "The country has moved towards an accessible, affordable and patient-friendly healthcare system. Our aim remains to ensure 'health for all' to even remotest area of the country by strengthening primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare systems." A total of 172 students of MD/MS and DM/MCh of batch 2018-2021 received their degrees and certificates. 24 students received gold medals with certificates of merit and another six students received certification of merits. Two hospital employers received certification of appreciation for outstanding merit performance of their children at the convocation ceremony.
Ahmedabad, July 30 : A Range Forest Officer in Gujarat's Veraval has been arrested on charges of criminal intimidation and rape of a married woman, officials said on Sunday.

The victim, in her complaint, said she had approached RFO Haresh Galchar to seek bail for one of her relatives arrested under forest laws. The accused then forced her to sleep with him in exchange for her relative's bail.

Since then, he has been repeatedly assaulting her in his office and quarters by threatening to kill her husband and son. He also threatened to kill her husband, she said.

Upon the victim's complaint, the police lodged a case at Veraval City Police Station against Galchar and two others who abetted him.

Veraval Deputy Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jaat told IANS that the complaint was lodged on July 28, but the accused was in contact with the victim since 2019, and are investigating if their relation was consensual.

The key accused in the case was nabbed during night patrolling of Veraval by Sub Inspector R.H. Maru and his team. However, the officials are still searching for the absconding duo of Danish Panja, a driver of the Forest Department, and Raju Galchar, a 108 ambulance driver, who are accused of abetting Haresh Galchar.
Birmingham, July 30 : For over a year, weightlifter Gururaja Poojary did not go to his home in Udupi district in Karnataka, instead deciding to stay at the national camp in Patiala, preparing for his entry into a new weight division, shifting to an Olympic weight category for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

The 27-year-old Junior Warrant Officer (JWO) in India Air Force had got married in May 2021 but decided to leave his wife with his parents in Karnataka so that he can concentrate on his career.

All those sacrifices paid dividends as Gururaja on Saturday captured a bronze medal in the men's 61kg weight division at the Commonwealth Games 2022, the first medal in this weight class according to him.

The Karnataka lifter made it a productive morning session for India at the weightlifting arena in Birmingham, winning the country's second medal of the day at the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday. Sanket Mahadev Sargar had earlier opened India's medal account on the second day of competition by winning a silver medal in the men's 55kg division.

Gururaja came up with the best effort in his last attempt in the men's 61kg division, improving on his personal best by lifting 151 in his third attempt in clean and jerk. He had the best effort of 118 in the snatch, giving him an aggregate of 269kg. He finished behind Malaysia's Muhamad Aznil Bin Bidin, who lifted 127 in snatch and 158 in clean and jerk for a total of 285, which is a new Games Record.

Morea Baru of Papua New Guinea took silver with a total of 272 (121 in snatch and 152 in clean and jerk, finishing well clear of Gururaja, who finished just one kg ahead of Youri Simard of Canada, who had an aggregate of 268.

Having fulfilled his wish, Gururaja was ecstatic with his performance in the men's 61kg.

"The decision not to go home and stay at the national camp at NIS Patiala for over a year has paid. I have made many sacrifices. All those have paid off today as I won another medal for the country." said Gururaja after his event.

He said he was happy with his performance as he had done the same weights during practice.

"I had done the same 118 kg in snatch in practice and also did it 152kg in clean and jerk. So, I am happy because I managed to give my best," said Gururaja.

He said he was hampered by a wrist injury and also had some fever for a couple of days while in India. "I had a slight fever before I left for Birmingham and though it got cured soon after, the weekends.

Gururaja said he will take rest for the next few weeks and rehabilitate his injured wrist.

Latest updates on Commonwealth Games 2022
New Delhi, July 30 : Supreme Court judge Justice U.U. Lalit on Saturday said that the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is going to establish a legal aid system in all districts for the poor, on lines of the public prosecutors' office.

Justice Lalit, Executive Chairperson of the NALSA, was addressing the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet. He said that 350 districts have been selected in the entire nation, including 112 aspirational districts, which, according to the government, are to be given top priority.

The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) office will function as a nodal office, having an interface with the needy undertrial, and defence counsel would be provided to the poor accused who cannot afford private lawyers, he added.

Referring to the 42-day Pan-India Awareness and Outreach Programme, Justice Lalit said in this programme, NALSA, through the State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and DLSAs, reached out to nearly all villages across the nation.

Another Supreme Court judge, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while addressing the meet, said justice should not be limited to the socio-economically privileged sections and state actors should secure a just and egalitarian social order. He emphasised on the use of technology, which could reduce the digital divide by widening the reach.

Justice Chandrachud said: "19.2 million cases were heard on video conferencing by the high courts and district courts as of April 30. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) has data of 17 crore decided and pending cases." Against the existence of graded inequality in the nation, he said justice ought not to be limited to the socio-economically privileged sections of our society and state actors should ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any section of the society due to social and economic disabilities.

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who also addressed the meet, said NALSA has launched a campaign to identify undertrial prisoners who are eligible for release and recommend their cases to review committees. The campaign was launched on July 16, where DLSAs have been mandated to hold weekly meetings of undertrial review committees to discuss progress. He added they will also review additional cases and to discuss further action, which includes filing of bails in high courts and the apex court, if required.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana also addressed the meet and spoke on various issues associated with justice and emphasised on the release of undertrials incarcerated in jails and waiting for legal aid.
New Delhi, July 30 : The Indian Medical Association has demanded the resignation and an unconditional apology from Punjab Health Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra for his misbehaviour with Baba Farid University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor, Raj Bahadur.

The IMA said that the shocking incident wherein Vice Chancellor Raj Bahadur was made to lie on a patient's "dirty" bed sheet was absolutely uncalled for.

"Indian Medical Association strongly condemns the derogatory action by the Punjab Health Minister who humiliated Raj Bahadur, Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences on July 29. It is not only humiliation for the Vice Chancellor Raj Bahadur, but the entire medical fraternity across India has been insulted," the IMA said in a statement.

There have been similar incidences causing humiliation and harassment to the medical community by many politicians, the IMA said, adding that it causes anguish amongst the doctors.

"Raj Bahadur, learned academician and well-respected doctor, has done great work for the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. He has been instrumental in uplifting the status of the university at very high level," the IMA statement said.

It also appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to immediately intervene and take necessary action against the minister immediately.
Mumbai, July 30 : TV anchor, theatre personality, and conedian Cyrus Broacha-hosted podcast 'Cyrus Says', where he discusses life, politics, sports, traffic, food and everything else with the guests, has completed 1,000 episodes.

The first episode premiered in 2015 and has been running for 7 years. Some of the famous guests who have appeared in the podcast include Deepika Padukone, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh, Ananya Pandey, Malaika Arora, and Tapsee Pannu, to name a few.

Apart from Bollywood names, the episodes have seen a wide variety of guests from all walks of life including chefs, authors, journalists, fitness experts, startup founders, business leaders, musicians, and digital content creators.

Cyrus said: "We never aimed at being the or no.1 or anything of that sort. The podcast started and has been run with all heart to date. Before we began, I saw a mixed reaction, more importantly warning me about shifting from a mass video media like television to a rather untapped, nascent audio medium." He added: "Many felt I would lose out on relevance, which I had the gut feeling would only increase if we did a good job. I saw podcasts as a new creative outlet and a fresh way of doing things and today it makes me so happy to be a part of this medium, which I have seen grow from a minuscule industry to where it is today." The podcast broadcasts throughout the week, with new episodes dropping daily from Monday to Friday on IVM Podcasts and all major audio streaming platforms.
New Delhi, July 30 : A resolution seeking ban on PFI and other fronts -- which are "creating discord among citizens", was adopted unanimously during an inter-faith dialogue held here on Saturday in presence of National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval.

It was also resolved that those targeting gods, goddesses and prophets in discussions or debates should be "condemned and dealt with as per law".

"Action should be taken as per the provisions of law against any person or organisation found guilty by any means with evidence of spreading hatred among communities," the participants said unanimously.

The meet was organised as part of Modi government's outreach programme to ensure religious harmony in the country. Apart from religious leaders of different religions, Sufi saints also participated in the dialogue.

"There is an atmosphere of conflict in the world, and if we have to deal with it then it is necessary to maintain the unity of the country. The way India is progressing, people of all religions will get benefited from it," Doval said during the meet.
New Delhi, July 30 : The 5G spectrum auction has crossed Rs 1.5 lakh crore after 30 rounds and the auction will continue for a few more days, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday.

Led by Reliance Jio so far, the 5G spectrum auction by the Department of Telecom (DoT) received bids for more than Rs 112 crore in seven rounds on day 5.

Addressing the 'Telecom Investors Roundtable' in Mumbai, Vaishnaw said that there is no upfront paymentA and the winning telecom companies can pay the money over a period of 20 years.

"There is no upfront payment so that reduces the cash flow stress significantly. Since the auction has crossed Rs 1.5 lakh crore, give a big round of applause for the telecom industry," the minister told the gathering after he was told that the bids crossed the figure.

In 2015, after 19 days of fierce bidding, the telecom spectrum auction had fetched Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the government.

On Friday, the spectrum auction saw intense bidding for the 1800 Mhz band in Uttar Pradesh (East) with the per unit price of the band increasing by 49 per cent to Rs 135.60 crore.

The main bidders are Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and a unit of Gautam Adani's Adani enterprises.

According to Vaishnaw, the government reduced the price of the spectrum significantly, removed several charges, and gave many relaxations.

The ongoing 5G spectrum auction indicates that the country's telecom industry has come a long way in 5G advancements, he said.

The industry has emerged to become a sunrise industry in India and a benchmark for the world, the minister added.
We, Canadian people, are great people because we uphold some values for the cause of Human Being as a whole. We are good not because of what we claim we believe, but because of what we have been doing in the world. Our kindness has been expressed through the actions of some of our fellow Canadians in the international arena. One of these significant Canadians was Dr.Norman Bethune.

Bethune was born in 1890 at Gravenhurst Ontario, the south of Lake Muskoka. He was wounded when conducting a battlefield surgical operation and died of blood poisoning in China in 1939. He was buried in the Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery of Shijiazhuang, China.

Dr. Bethune was a Canadian physician, medical innovator, and political activist. He invented the first mobile blood-transfusion vehicle in 1936 to save human life. He headed Canadian Medical Unite to Spanish War to fight for democracy and joined Second World War in China to fight against Axis, for the cause of world peace.

Canadians commemorate Norman Bethune for his contribution to Human Beings as a whole. Bethune was designated as a Person of Historical Significance by the Canadian government in 1972. His family house at Gravenhurst was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1996 and named as Bethune Memorial House.

In 1998, Bethune was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame located in London, Ontario. After his name, we have Bethune College at York University, and Dr. Norman Bethune Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, Ontario. Chinese also commemorates Bethune, as he fought side by side with the Chinese against Japanese fascism for world peace. After his name in China, there is Norman Bethune College of Medicine, Bethune Military Medical College, Bethune Specialized Medical College, and Bethune International Peace Hospital.

Both Canadian and Chinese commemorate Bethune. On March 23, 1976, the City of Montreal inaugurated the Bethune statue offered by China at Norman Bethune Square. The entire Chinese nation remembers Bethune, as Bethunes story is in Chinas textbook for elementary school. Mao Zedong has a famous article titled In memory of Bethune.He wrote in the article: Comrade Bethunes spirit, his utter devotion to others without any thought of self, was shown in his great sense of responsibility in his work and his great warm-heartedness towards all comrades and the people Now we are all commemorating him, which shows how profoundly his spirit inspires everyone. We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit, everyone can be very useful to the people. A mans ability may be great or small, but if he has this spirit, he is already noble-minded and pure, a man of moral integrity and above vulgar interests, a man who is of value to the people. 

Dr. Norman Bethune showed the Chinese through his action that we Canadian holds values recognized by all human being. And as Mao said in his article, every one of us could be good regardless of how great or small our ability is, as long as we have moral integrity. We are very proud of being Canadian because of Dr. Norman Bethune.
Chandigarh, July 30 : Zero-tolerance policy towards the narcotics is showing results, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday, noting that there were seizures of 3.3 lakh kg drugs, and there was a 200 per cent increase in the number of cases registered.

While chairing a conference here on drug trafficking and national security, Shah said that during the past seven years (2014-2021), there has been a 260 per cent increase in arrests made so far.

A total of 1.52 lakh kg drugs were confiscated during 2006-2013, while 3.3 lakh kg drugs were seized in the 2014-2021 period.

Between 2006 and 2013, Rs 768 crore worth of drugs were seized, while between 2014 and 21, Rs 20,000 crore worth of drugs were seized.

Pointing out that the drug problem was 'more' in Punjab, a border state, he asserted the Centre stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the state government in the fight against the drug menace.

The government is holding talks with all stakeholders to make laws more stringent and has taken a proactive approach to connect with the states in the anti-narcotics efforts, Shah said.

"Everyone says the drug problem is more in Punjab, which is a border state. Therefore, we will have to make more efforts. If the state government allots land, the Centre will set up a forensic lab in Amritsar and a small centre of NCB for training purposes," he stated.

The fight against drugs, which was progressing swiftly and in the right direction, has started showing results, he said.

"In this fight, bringing states together and taking on this scourge with synergy is very important. The drugs have an adverse impact not only on those consuming them but also on society, the economy and the country's security. We have to weed it out completely," Shah noted.

Coinciding with the conference, nearly 31,000 kg drugs were destroyed by the NCB teams in Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati and Kolkata.

"We have adopted a proactive approach to connect the states with it (the fight against drugs). The results are encouraging and it shows that it isn't a problem that can't be weeded out completely," he said, stressing that all agencies should complement each other's efforts.

Pointing to the presence of chief ministers of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as well as the Punjab governor at the conference, Shah urged them to devote at least three hours a week and a day a month to the narcotics issue.

"Till the time we do not take this approach and till the time this culture does not start from our office, it cannot percolate down below," he said.

Shah, however, expressed satisfaction that 21 states have set up anti-narcotics taskforce.
Kolkata, July 30 : Foreign tours of Arpita Mukherjee, the close aide of former state minister and multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam accused Partha Chatterjee, are currently under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials probing the case.

From Mukherjee's passport, which is currently with the ED officials, it was found that during the last few years, she made trips to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. At the same time, the ED has also got definite clues on her multiple visits to neighbouring Nepal.

Now these foreign tours, as confirmed by ED sources, have evoked multiple questions in the minds of the probe officials. The first question is whether these overseas visits were just pleasure tips or is there any financial involvement associated with them. The second question is whether Mukherjee made these trips alone or was accompanied by anyone. The third question is why she specially chose these countries for her overseas trips. The most important question, however, is whether Chatterjee accompanied her on any of these overseas trips.

ED sources said that they have started questioning Mukherjee on these points, though whatever answers she has given so far on this count are self-contradictory.

Noting that current custody of Chatterjee and Mukherjee is till August 3, a source said: "Many of our queries are still unanswered. Although Arpita has started cooperating with us, the former minister is still in a non-cooperation mood. In all probability, we will have to make a plea for extension of their custody." ED sources further said that so far since the time the duo were arrested, officials were mainly concentrating on questioning them only. However, in the course of interrogation, some more names have cropped up and in the second stage, these individuals will have to face the questioning. These names, according to ED sources, are mainly of those who acted as the principal collections agent in the entire scam.

"What has come forth is just a small portion of the entire scam. The coming few weeks will be extremely crucial," an ED official said.
Los Angeles, July 30 : 'Stranger Things' star Jamie Campbell Bower has received praise and support for his decision to speak publicly about his personal struggles with addiction, reports 'Deadline'.

The British actor, who plays the evil Vecna in the mega-hit, posted on social media that he was celebrating seven and a half years of sobriety, and sharing his experience of addiction and receiving hospital treatment.

On July 27, Campbell Bower tweeted: "12 and a half years ago I was in active addiction. Hurting myself and those around me who I loved the most. It got so bad that eventually I ended up in a hospital for mental health. I am now 7 1/2 years clean and sober. I have made many mistakes in my life." And he added: "But each day is a chance to start again. Atone for mistakes and grow. For anyone who wakes up thinking 'Oh God not again', I promise you there's a way. I'm so grateful to be where I am, I'm so grateful to be sober. I'm so grateful to be. Remember, we are all works in progress." His message received thousands of likes and replies from those among his nearly one million followers. A spokesperson for the addiction charity Turning Point, Nat Travis, told BBC of the positive effect such a high-profile figure speaking out could have on others seeking support, making it "a little less scary".

Campbell Bower, who previously appeared in 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn', has enjoyed a whole new fanbase through his portrayal of Vecna, notes 'Deadline'.

For his monstrous role, Campbell Bower told BBC, he spent eight hours a day in makeup, ending with a 15-minute session dedicated to coating him in lubricant to make him "glossy". He also described creating a "mood board" to help him get into terrifying mode, adding pictures of characters he would be interacting with.
Bangkok/Shillong/Kohima, July 30 : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and his Nagaland counterpart Neiphiu Rio on Saturday said that Bangkok and other Southeast Asian nations are geographically nearer to the northeast India than India's capital Delhi, facilitating the region suitable for investment, trade and business and promoting tourism.

Sangma, Rio, Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, along with India's Minister of State for External Affairs R.K. Ranjan Singh, several ministers from the northeastern states, senior officials of Central and state governments in the northeast and top industrialists, among others attended the 2nd edition of 3-day North-East India Festival, which began on Friday in Bangkok's Central World Complex.

Addressing the festival on the second day, Sangma said that northeast India and South East Asian nations can develop strong cultural and economic ties, banking on the similarities of the two regions which are diverse in different ways. "The historical bond between India and Thailand is more than 2,000 years old. It goes back to the time of King Ashoka in the 3rd century BC when Buddhism was introduced to Thailand from India. Buddhism is a common thread that runs through both nations. India's bilateral relations with Thailand are rooted in history, age-old social and cultural interactions and extensive people to people contacts," he added.

Sangma said that it is evident from the fact that recently Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Government of India is implementing various rail, road and air connectivity projects worth $17.19 billion in the northeast. India's Act East policy has been complemented by Thailand's Act West policy in bringing the two countries closer," the Meghalaya Chief Minister added.

Lauding the "Act East Policy" and the political will of the Government of India and the states of the North East, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a lot of thrust on the North East for its economic growth that in turn is slowly bridging the infrastructure gap, which is creating an enabling environment for promoting trade and business ties with Southeast Asian nations.

Speaking at the event, Nagaland Chief Minister Rio hoped that the festival would help in further connecting the two regions with age-old social and cultural relations, shared history and ethnicity. He said that by educating people on the similarities of the people of northeast region of India and the people of Thailand and other South East Asian countries, it can help unify and help form close economic collaboration between Northeast India and Southeast Asian nations. He said that the festival will give a further thrust to the Act East Policy of the Government of India and Act West Policy of Thailand and other South East Asian countries.

The Chief Minister also shed a light on the famous Hornbill Festival. He stated that the state hosted eight ambassadors of the ASEAN countries during the Hornbill Festival last year and is looking forward to welcoming a Thailand delegation of the tourism industry this year. Rio said that India is investing extensively towards building infrastructure to connect its northeastern region with the ASEAN countries as part of its Act East Policy.

"India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway promises to transform the region economic landscape through trade with the ASEAN and the development of Kaladan Multi-Model Transit Transport and building of an Integrated Port and Inland Water Transport Terminal in Sittwe (in Myanmar) being undertaken in consonant with the Act East Policy of the Government of India provides further impetus to the trade and investment of the NE region with the ASEAN countries," he added.

The Chief Minister informed that in the fourth week of August 2022, Nagaland is organising a major national level investment summit in partnership with the government of India under the leadership of Union Finance Minister. He stated that the state's biggest strength is the creativity of its people and that Nagas are emerging in the creative fields in India - starting from music, fashion, hospitality and service industry. He said that the state has a dedicated department under the banner of Task Force for Music and Arts, (TaFMA) engaged in creating an eco-system for music and the arts.
Kolkata, July 30 : A huge amount of cash was seized from the vehicle of a Jharkhand MLA of the Congress at Panchla in West Bengal's Howrah district late on Saturday evening, police said.

According to Superintendent of Police, Howrah Rural, Swati Bhangalia, the cash was recovered from the boot of a SUV, which had the board of Jamtara MLA, Irfan Ansari.

"Besides Ansari, two other MLAs from Jharkhand, namely Rajesh Kacchap from Khijri (ST) Assembly constituency and Naman Bixal Kongari from Kolebira (ST) Assembly constituency, both of the Congress also, were travelling in the vehicle from which the cash was seized. A total of five persons travelling in the car, including the driver, have been detained," she said.

The SP said that the MLAs could not procure any documents relating to the huge cash recovered in bundles of Rs 500 denomination.

"On Saturday evening, we received information about a car carrying huge amount of cash. Accordingly, our officials intercepted the vehicle, seized the car and the cash and detained all the five passengers at Panchla police station. We have asked a local bank to bring currency counting machines. We can inform you about the exact amount of cash seized after the counting is over," Bhangalia said.

She also said that the Jharkhand Police has also been informed since the vehicle seized is registered in that state and three MLAs detained are from that state as well.

According to the Trinamool Congress state General Secretary and party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh, it is up to Congress and its state chief, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to answer why their party MLAs from Jharkhand had come to West Bengal with so much cash.

"Just today he was cheering over the cash recovery from Arpita Mukherjee's residence. Now he should answer. But we are keeping a close watch over the entire development," Ghosh said.

Despite repeated attempts, Chowdhury could not be contacted for comment.
Srinagar, July 30 : A terrorist was killed and two soldiers and a policeman were injured in an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district on Sunday, police said.

Acting on specific information generated by police regarding presence of a terrorist in village Wanigam Bala in Kreeri area of Baramulla, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by police, army and the SSB.

As the joint search party approached towards the spot where the terrorist was hiding, he began firing indiscriminately which was retaliated.

"In the initial exchange of fire, two soldiers and a police personnel received injuries and were shifted to hospital for treatment where their condition is stable," police said.

"In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter. However, the identification and affiliation of the killed terrorist is being ascertained." Arms and ammunition including an AK-47 rifle, three AK magazines, seven AK rounds, a pouch and a bag have been recovered from the site of encounter.
Harare, July 30 : A brilliant fourth-wicket stand between Wesley Madhevere (67 not out) and Sikandar Raza (65 not out) complemented a solid bowling performance as Zimbabwe beat Bangladesh by 17 runs in the first and took 1-0 lead in three-match T20I series, here on Saturday.

Chasing a target of 206, Bangladesh put up a fight and were in the hunt before Zimbabwe managed to close out the contest to win the contest.

Earlier, Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first and the first over of the match was a nine-ball affair as Taskin Ahmed struggled to find this rhythm early on, bowling three wides.

Regis Chakabva took advantage of this nervousness, smashing a four off the fourth official ball of the innings to get Zimbabwe going. However, he was dismissed by Mustafizur Rahman soon after.

Craig Ervine persisted to take the hosts to the Powerplay at 43/1 but succumbed to Mosaddek Hossain on the first ball of the seventh over for 21 (18). Both openers were back in the hut but had ensured a steady start to the innings.

Wesley Madhevere took his time to break free but gave glimpses of brilliance with the occasional aggressive shot. Sean Williams did not take too much time to get in his elements and soon smashed Nasum Ahmed for a six and two fours in one over. His attack did not last for long and eventually departed for a quick-fire 33 (19).

The arrival of Sikandar Raza in the 13th over was just the boost Zimbabwe needed. Madhevere and Raza complemented each other, rapidly establishing a strong partnership. Both took the Bangladesh bowlers to the cleaners, upping the scoring rate in the death overs.

Madhevere got to his seventh T20I fifty in 37 balls, while Raza attacked and got to the milestone in just 23 deliveries. As many as 19 runs came off in the final over as Zimbabwe posted a mammoth 205/3.

In reply, Bangladesh may have wobbled early with the wicket of Munim Shahriar in the second over but Liton Das and Anamul Haque steadied the proceedings quickly, taking the visitors to 60/1, at the end of the Powerplay.

However, they suffered a big setback, when Liton was slow to react and was stranded in the middle of crease, getting run out for a 19-ball 32. Another 22 runs were added before Anamul was sent back by Raza for 32.

On 86/3 after 10 overs, Bangladesh needed a little over 10 runs an over to get across the line. Afif Hossain's stay at the crease was brief with Luke Jongwe dismissing him for 8. And even the established Najmul Hossain Shanto perished after a solid 25-ball 37.

Bangladesh captain Nurul Hasan came in the 13th over and was quick to adapt to the situation. He slammed two sixes off Wellington Masakadza in the 15th over, looking to up the ante. Despite Shanto's wicket, he persisted with the occasional brilliant shot but failed to get the required support from the other end.

As the asking rate continued to climb, the Zimbabwe bowlers began applying the pressure, choking off the singles and doubles. In the end, despite Nurul's fighting 26-ball 42, Bangladesh fell 17 runs short, allowing Zimbabwe to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe 205/3 in 20 overs (Wesley Madhevere 67 retd hurt, Sikandar Raza 65 not out; Mustafizur Rahman 2/50) beat Bangladesh 188/6 in 20 overs (Nurul Hasan 42*, Najmul Shanto 37; Luke Jongwe 2/34) by 17 runs
Kolkata, July 31 : Three Congress MLAs from Jharkhand have been detained in West Bengal's Howrah district by the police after cash worth more than 48 lakh was seized from a vehicle in which all of them were travelling.

The vehicle belonged to one of the three Congress legislators who was arrested on Saturday evening along with the other two party MLAs.

The three detained Congress MLAs -- Irfan Ansari from Jamtara Assembly constituency, Rajesh Kacchap from Khijri (Scheduled Tribe) Assembly constituency and Naman Bixal Kongari from Kolebira (Scheduled Tribe) Assembly constituency -- have told the police that the cash was meant for purchasing sarees from the renowned wholesale market at Burrabazar in central Kolkata.

Howrah Rural Police sources said that all the three Congress MLAs claimed that they represent tribal-dominated constituencies in Jharkhand, especially Khijri and Kolebira.

"They (Congress MLAs) informed us that they wanted to purchase sarees in large quantities from Burrabazar wholesale market for the purpose of distribution in their respective constituencies on the occasion of the forthcoming World Tribal Day on August 9, 2022," said an official of the Howrah Rural Police.

The three MLAs also claimed that they also wanted to use the opportunity of coming to West Bengal to make a pleasure trip to the sea-side resort village of Mandarmani in West Bengal's east Midnapore district.

However, the interrogating police officers are not satisfied with the explanations given by the three MLAs since they were unable to produce any documents to establish the source of the money seized from the vehicle.

Reacting to the arrest of the three Congress legislators late Saturday evening, the West Bengal Congress President and Lok Sabha MP, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that if the three party MLAs from Jharkhand are proved to be involved in any illegal activities, then they must be punished and the Congress leadership will not shield them.
With the rising cost of auto prices and decreased new vehicle inventory across the country, weve made critical pivots to ensure our customers are 100% satisfied" - Signature Auto World

As companies from around the world are seeing continuous shifts in their daily practices, Signature Auto Group New York is also adapting their operations to better suit the ever-changing automotive industry. Manufacturers facing chip shortages, supply chain issues, and ever changing world politics are greatly effecting the car industry, for both buyers and sellers.

Signature Auto Group New York is a trusted car leasing company recognized with an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau. The company has been serving clients in the New York and tri-state areas for the past 15 years, and as such, will continue to support customers in leasing or buying any make or model car.

While the company has been wildly successful throughout its reign at the top of the car leasing industry in New York, Signature Auto Group is no stranger to adapting its business practices to address current trends and consumer needs. Recently, for example, the company has re-vamped their already convenient car leasing website to give customers a fully online leasing experience.

With the rising cost of auto prices and decreased new vehicle inventory across the country, weve made critical pivots to ensure our customers are 100% satisfied, says a spokesperson for Signature Auto Group New York. One of the changes we have focused on is to leverage our nationwide connections and collaborate with industry partners to allow customers to exit their car lease early and in a cost-effective way. By doing so, weve been able to not only help drivers enter newer cars but also create a solid inventory of superior used vehicles.

Overall the Signature Auto Group team in both NYC and Florida are constantly updating their practices to ensure customers have a seamless leasing, car selling, and insurance experience.

For more information about Signature Auto Group and to view all car lease prices, please visit https://signatureautoworld.com/.

About Signature Auto Group

Signature Auto Group is a reputable car leasing company, based in New York and Florida. The companys talented, loyal, and motivated staff go above and beyond to support clients before, during, and after leasing a vehicle  a claim most other companies simply cannot make. Signature Auto Group boasts extensive inventory including many makes and models of vehicles, with numerous specials being offered throughout the year.
500L batch pasteuriser "I've seen increasing demand as many countries seek to develop their cattle herds and begin supplying the emerging middle class in many countries now. There are unique challenges but the market appetite is there."

Bruce Dolby, Director of the Batch Pasteuriser, is traveling to Africa this month following consulting with universities and off-grid businesses about the benefits of the Small Dairy Pasteurisers for independent farmers and dairy co-ops across the continent. Mr. Dolby's visit raises awareness about the importance of milk as a global food source. The Small Dairy Pasteuriser is a low-cost, easy-to-use machine that provides quality pasteurisation for milk producers who are unable to access more expensive commercial machines or don't have access to a power grid. Mr. Dolby's trip will be focused on meeting with potential distributors and partners to increase awareness and adoption of the Small Dairy Batch Pasteuriser in Africa.

One major challenge that has held back pasteurisation is electricity - specifically to be able to refrigerate - both in terms of supply and cost of power. Batch Pasteuriser has developed products with DC capacity for off-grid pasteurisation. Heat requires significant energy and driven the business to focus on improving efficiency through improved insulation and refining the use of heat transfer fluids.

Bruce Dolby has been working closely with projects in Malawi, Kenya and Rwanda, but now governments and international donors ramp up dairy sector investment. "Clearly high-quality pasteurisation equipment is a sizable price tag, and there also needs professional guidance on the operation, maintenance and support with the supply chain. So we are always happy to help new partners assemble that knowledge, create realistic budgets and even visit the country where possible. We want to see developing countries add value and improve livelihoods."

For example, the United Nations and the European Union have invested in sub-Saharan Africa. The challenges don't stop once the pasteurisers have been installed, powered up and staff trained. Chilling, distribution and consumer education are still barriers many in the UK take for granted. One local fix in Rwanda involved a team of cyclists, with large milk churns, rapidly transferring the cold milk to surrounding villages for immediate consumption. Many countries, however (especially Rwanda), are solving the refrigeration issues and affordable goods are slowly appearing in households. Rwanda's capital, Kigali, has around 1 in 8 houses able to store milk in a fridge.

The other demand, unfortunately, for pasteurisation is Africa's significant tuberculosis problem. As such, there is a strong health argument to be made by any entrepreneurs looking to get funding and work with foreign pasteurisation experts.

Bruce Dolby will visit Africa in September and continues to provide webcam and over the phone advice to budding batch pasteurisers during his work week. Any African start-ups or dairy businesses looking for advice and equipment, please call +44 01233 770 780 or send an email.

http://www.batchpasteuriser.co.uk

Batch Pasteuriser

Units B & C, Smarden Business Estate, Monks Hill, Smarden, Ashford, Kent,

TN27 8QL, England.
As the 2022 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally approaches, the city of Sturgis is working on preparations for the town of less than 7,000 residents to swell to the hundreds of thousands. Last year's rally count came in at over half a million.

The citys rally planning department itself consists of three full-time employees but literally every department in the city pitches in, including the police department, public works, the community center, City Hall, human resources, planning and permitting, and attorneys, according to Rally Director Tammy Even-Cordell.

The whole city works on the rally. Nobodys left out of working on the rally, including even the library, said Even-Cordell.

As of Thursday, there are approximately 200 vendors registered for the rally, according to Even-Cordell. Permits are on track to hit last years number, about 650, but Even-Cordell said its difficult to predict vendor numbers because most wait until the Wednesday before the rally before registering.

They wait until they know for sure that theyre coming, so they dont waste their money. With gas prices and the cost of their supply and stuff, most of them wait, she said.

The rally department employees are new to the job. Even-Cordell started as director in May after working as the assistant director for three months and shes the most senior member. She said shes relied on people in the city who have experience planning the rally. According to Journal archives, Even-Cordell also brings experience with event planning including Biketoberfest, Daytona Bike Week festivals and Harley-Davidson Rally Point.

It's a good thing we have a great support staff all the way around the city. They are incredible, she said.

The Sturgis Police Department also bears a responsibility leading up to and during the rally. The SPD hires outside officers to help enforce the law during the rally. Police Chief Geody VanDewater said the department hires officers from all over the country, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio and Alabama.

The majority of them are right in the surrounding states here, VanDewater said.

VanDewater said the department sends letters in the spring reaching out to officers who worked the rally previously. Applicants must be certified law enforcement officers in good standing with their department or governmental agency, according to the SPDs website.

The officers  VanDewater wouldnt disclose how many for safety reasons  are sworn in the first day of the rally and given the authority of the department. They work every day of the rally and bring their own duty weapons, but the SPD provides them with uniforms and a radio. About half the officers will be outfitted with a body camera. VanDewater said not all officers need a body camera.

The primary goal of the force is to address any violation of South Dakota law or city ordinance. He said officers from out of state who have worked the rally before know South Dakota laws through experience, and newer officers are usually paired up as a backup officer.

They learn the stuff. Theyre not out there just shooting at the hip trying to write citations, VanDewater said.

During the rally, the SPD works with the Meade County Sheriffs Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation, the FBI, the ATF and Homeland Security.

Capt. Casey Collins, who oversees the West River office for the Highway Patrol, said the agency meets with other agencies several times throughout the planning process and they work closely together.

With an event like this, large partnerships with local agencies is key to our success, Collins said.

Although Highway Patrol does not hire additional officers, Collins said they make sure there are enough troopers stationed throughout the state as usual to protect people and property.

Our top priority is always public safety and specifically highway safety in an event like the Sturgis Rally. We want the event to be as safe and as efficient as possible for our visitors. Our mission is the same as it is throughout the year  protect people, Collins said.

Highway Patrol sees an increase in DUIs, drug violations and general traffic offenses during the rally. VanDewater said crime increases across the board due to the influx of people entering the area.

We see everything, VanDewater said. When you put a couple 100,000 people in a town of 7,000, that gets pretty congested.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Norcal Healthconnect, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The San Francisco employment law attorneys at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Norcal Healthconnect, LLC violated the California Labor Code. The Norcal Healthconnect, LLC, class action lawsuit, Case No. SCV-271141, is currently pending in the Sonoma County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit filed, Norcal Healthconnect, LLC allegedly failed to fully relieve Plaintiff and other Aggrieved Employees for their legally required thirty (30) minute meals breaks. Employees were also allegedly required, from time to time, to work in excess of four (4) hours without being provided the legally required ten (10) minute rest periods. The California Supreme Court defines off-duty rest periods as time during which an employee is relieved from all work related duties and free from employer control.

Additionally, Norcal Healthconnect, LLC allegedly failed to provide employees with complete and accurate wage statements which showed, among other things, the correct gross and net wages earned. California Labor Code  226 provides that every employer shall furnish each of his or her employees with an accurate itemized wage statement in writing showing, among other things, gross wages earned and all applicable hourly rates in effect during the pay period and the corresponding amount of time worked at each hourly rate.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Norcal Healthconnect, LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.

***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT***
Lerner & Rowe Gives Back Sponsors Nevada SPCAs Brunch Bash: 80s Edition Proceeds from this Las Vegas charitable event and silent auction will directly benefit Nevada SPCA.

Lerner and Rowe Gives Back joins the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Nevada SPCA) in celebration of the non-profits 40 years of commitment to helping over 2,000 dogs, cats, rabbits, and other small pets annually find placements into loving homes. The Nevada SPCA Brunch Bash: 80s Edition will be a totally tubular event held on Saturday, August 20 from 11:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at the Veil Pavilion at Silverton Casino Hotel (3333 Blue Diamond Rd. NV 89139). Proceeds from this Las Vegas charitable event and silent auction will directly benefit Nevada SPCA.

Event highlights include a bodacious brunch with bottomless Meowmosas, a Hair of the Dog Bloody Mary bar, delectable dishes, live 80s music, silent auction, and more.

Many of our team members families have adopted and/or fostered rescue animals. As such, we dont think twice about supporting organizationslike the Nevada SPCAthat make it a priority to look after lost and neglected animals until they can be placed into caring homes, shared Kevin Rowe.

Buy individual tickets online now, or visit nevadaspca.org for more details about the Nevada SPCA Brunch Bash: 80s Edition. You can also email givehappiness@nevadaspca.org to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, like the ones that Lerner and Rowe Gives Back and other local organizations have committed to for this 40th Anniversary celebration.

About Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys

Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is more than just a powerhouse law firm that represents personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 50 attorneys and nearly 400 support employees located in Nevada, New Mexico, Indiana, Illinois, Arizona, California, Washington, Oregon, Alabama, and Tennessee. The law firms reputation for excellence can be attributed to the high levels of respect, dignity, and customer service shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident.

For those injured outside one of the previously listed states, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct.

For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys in Las Vegas, please call 702-877-1500. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, or become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, visit lernerandrowegivesback.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support.

###
ManufacturingCollective.co an alternate path to business. Succession: Professional Management of Private Held Companies The Manufacturing Collective is a manufacturing management company that assumes the management of privately owned manufacturing companies from retiring owners, while pooling resources among its companies to standardize the operational, marketing, and financial processes of its members.

The Manufacturing Collective is a professional management company, managing a group of privately owned manufacturing companies that have come together to create an alternative path to business continuity. The collective provides a forum for sharing best practices, resources, and knowledge so that member companies can continue to operate successfully in the face of challenges such as owner retirement, the sudden loss of a key man, external competition, disruptive technologies, and changing customer demands.

If an owner is thinking about retirement and doesn't want the headaches and tax burden associated with a business sale, but also doesn't have heirs who want to manage the day-to-day of the business The Manufacturing Collective can step in and provide the professional management, resources, personnel, and knowledge needed to keep the company running smoothly without the day to day involvement of its owners. By pooling the resources of many small companies the Manufacturing Collective can provide everything from operational efficiency to reduced costs. For many owners partnering with The Manufacturing Collective might be an intermediate step to "clean up the business" for a sale or a part of an estate plan to keep a running business in the family for the next generation.

In the event of a sudden loss of a business's Key Man, the Manufacturing Collective can provide support in terms of operations, succession planning, and management recruitment. And finally, with disruptive technologies and changing customer demands, the collective can provide resources and knowledge to help companies adapt, modernize their approaches and continue to be successful.

The Manufacturing Collective is an important resource for the manufacturing sector. By pooling resources and knowledge, the collective can help companies overcome challenges and continue to operate successfully. The Manufacturing Collective is not just a group of companies, but a community of like-minded individuals committed to ensuring the continued success of each privately owned company that is part of the Collective. If you are interested in learning more about the Manufacturing Collective or becoming a member, please visit our website or contact us today.


And with food safety, labor and supply chain issues front of mind for many of our customers it's the perfect platform for showcasing how simple automated solutions can help address some of these challenges.

Unifiller Systems Inc, a subsidiary of the Linxis Group, and a global leader in Portioning Equipment for the food and bakery industries, is pleased to be exhibiting at this year's IBIE, Sept 18 to 21, 2022 held in Las Vegas, Nevada. IBIE, which is attended by major players in the baking industry, worldwide.

According to Sonia Bal, Unifiller's Director of Global Marketing This is one show we just don't miss. Its a great opportunity to speak to some of the most prominent bakery brands in the world. And with food safety, labor and supply chain issues front of mind for many of our customers it's the perfect platform for showcasing how simple automated solutions can help address some of these challenges. Among the many reasons to visit Unifiller's booth, here are this year's Top 3:

1. Prepare to be wowed by a unique and modular cake system perfect for round, sheet and cupcake decoration. Capable of finishing cakes in record speed while helping bakers meet production demands and alleviating repetitive cake decorating motion, visitors will see how this modular line can be configured to their unique needs. Want to know more? check out Booth 1025.

2. Check out unique and new product launches! Unifiller will be lanching new technology at the show including a depositor with unique hybrid capabilities! Well also be launching our Total Care App - a system that integrates automation and cloud connectivity to ensure a higher degree of responsiveness, metrics tracking and product standardization for our customers. The app puts our customers in contact with key resources at the touch of a button - perfect for the upcoming holiday season.

3. Check out live demos of equipment including our RP station, the very popular Multistation and our Servo depositor! Weve seen the rising popularity of servo-driven machines with programmable logic controllers (PLC). The addition of these technologies helps companies save and repeat processes, gain speed, reduce changeup time, and improve product consistency.

Of course, Unifiller also wants to talk to bakers to understand how they're handling the current market conditions and get a better understanding of how we may be able to help them.

Unifiller offers an extensive line of automated portioning solutions. Our systems include single piston and multi-piston depositors, food pumps, filling machines, and cake and cupcake decorating equipment. From compact, portable tabletop machines to fully automated lines. Come see why so many customers prefer our machines! Make sure you check out booth 1025, West Hall for these and more exciting updates.
The Spanish-language book market continues to grow abroad. In Spain, the Federation of Publishers Guilds of Spain (FGEE) issued a report stating that the industry generated 2.5 billion ($2.6 billion) in sales in 2021, up 5.6% from 2020. Of that, digital book sales were 134.79 million, up 6.8%. In all, more than 55,000 print titles were produced, with a further 24,000 titles published digitally. Latin America was the largest export market, with books and related income (such as right sales) generating revenue of 180.7 million, a drop of 2% from 2020. Exports to Mexico fell 16%, to 62 million.

Daniel Fernandez, president of the FGEE, called the overall increase in sales, as well as in readership, positive news for the Spanish publishing industry. He added, however, that we must continue to work to recover the figures for the foreign market, which are still affected by the events of the past two years.

New Spanish-Language Titles from Lectorum

Below are some of the top new books in Spanish available from Lectorum Publications in the U.S., with descriptions supplied by the wholesaler.

ADULT

La dulzura del agua

(The Sweetness of Water)

Nathan Harris, AdN

In the last days of the Civil War, two formerly enslaved brothers find unlikely employment on a Georgia farm, while a parallel story describes a forbidden romance between two Confederate soldiers.

El gran circulo

(Great Circle)

Maggie Shipstead, AdN

A saga about a spirited woman and her quest to fly around the world, from pole to pole.

El libro de la Esperanza

(The Comfort Book)

Matt Haig, Contraluz

A collection of inspirational anecdotes from the English author of The Midnight Library and other bestsellers.

Objetos perdidos (Lost Property)

Helen Paris, Maeva

Dot, who works in the lost and found office of the London Underground, forms a special connection with an elderly man who comes to her seeking his deceased wifes bag.

Que hable Casandra (Casandra Speaks)

Elizabeth Lesser, Maeva

The feminist author wonders how Eve would have described her motives for eating the apple, or what Pandora might have said about opening the box. Lesser asks and answers the question, What would these stories have been if women were telling their own stories?

CHILDRENS/YA

Diario de Pilar en India

(Pilars Diary in India)

Flavia Lins e Silva, Vergara & Riba

Pilar, Breno, and Samba travel to India, where they visit famous sites, explore the culture, and meet a young Bollywood actor who enlists them in helping search for her brother.

Este corazon venenoso

(This Poison Heart)

Kalynn Bayron, Fandom Books

Briseis, a girl with a unique gift, inherits a run-down farm, a sinister place filled with some of the most poisonous plants in the world as well as generations of secrets.

Superraton y la amenaza del volcan (Supermouse and the Volcano of Doom)

M.N. Tahl, Edelvives

Supermouse enlists a group of friends in helping him face a new and especially dangerous threat: a cheese-filled volcano thats about to erupt.

Valor (Valiant)

Holly Black, Hidra

Valerie runs away to New York City, where she finds shelter in the subways and makes friends with a group of people hunting a monstera monster that may hold the key to her survival.
Eisner-winning cartoonist Asaf Hanuka chronicles his life as an artist, father, and Israeli citizen in The Realist: Last Day on Earth, the third and final collection of his acclaimed weekly autobiographical comic. Publishers Weekly praised the previous two collections as having all of the warmth, humor, tragedy, and profundity of the best cartoonists and The Realist as a diverse and fascinating portrait of what life truly makes us.

In Last Day on Earth, Hanuka expresses his interior life alongside daily experiences on the streets of Tel Aviv in richly illustrated, endlessly imaginative one-page comics. Translated from Hebrew by Yardenne Greenspan, The Realist: Last Day on Earth is published in English by Archaia, an imprint of Boom! Studios.

Hanuka was working as an editorial cartoonist and illustrator when he started drawing The Realist to fill an empty page in the back of the Israeli newspaper Calcalist. Drawing a weekly strip taught him the art and language of comics. I found my voice, my visual language, I learned how to write stories, he says. In The Realist, Hanukas head transforms into confused scribbles and a mushroom cloud to illustrate his emotions, his body unzips to reveal the child within, and he purees his brain and heart in a blender as a metaphor for his creative process.

Hanuka finds inspiration for autobiography in the shadow, the parts of his life that make him uncomfortable. When Im facing a problem I dont know how to solve, he says, my first instinct is to make a nine-panel grid in my sketchbook. He also finds humor in mundane moments, like being in a supermarket and imagining all the potatoes have my face. Im not sure what it means, but once that thought popped into my head I had to put it on paper. For him, the biggest challenge of drawing an autobiographical comic has been the loss of intimacy that attends making his family life public. As his children have gotten older, hes taken care to depict his family with sensitivity.

This installment of The Realist focuses less on Hanukas family life than previous volumes and more on the political turmoil around him. Israel has changed, he says. The extremists became more powerful, and I felt my way of living and my values were under threat. Metaphorically speaking, I felt I was writing about what happens in the apartment while the building was burning. So I started writing about the building.

 Publishers Weekly praised The Realist as a diverse and fascinating portrait of what life truly makes us. 

After 12 years of drawing The Realist, Hanuka has decided to move onto work on other comics and focus on his position as the head of visual communication at the Shenkar College of Engineering, Design and Art. He hopes that shaking things up will keep his work from getting stale. For me, he says, creating these one-page stories was like doing magic tricks. I realized I need to find new tricks and work on something different. Appropriately, for the very last Realist strip, Hanuka drew himself as a magician on a stage.

The Realist: Last Day on Earth is the third of Hanukas books published by Archaia, but it wont be the last. In October, Archaia will release Im Still Alive, a collaboration with Roberto Saviano, a journalist who has written about the Neapolitan Mafia. Im Still Alive is the story of Savianos run-ins with the Mafia, from his early days in Naples to his current life under constant threat.

Saviano chose Hanuka to illustrate his life story because he wanted to incorporate the same imaginative visual metaphors that Hanuka employs in his comics. Savianos story, Hanuka says, is an unbelievable story of courage, regret, and death the complete opposite of mine.

Im Still Alive is available for preorder now, and The Realist: Last Day on Earth published on Aug. 9, 2022.
From an examination of the ravages of Jim Crow to a meditation on the idea of happiness, this falls noteworthy nonfiction debuts span the range of human experience

Justice Deferred

Margaret Burnham

Margaret Burnhams commitment to civil rights and the Black struggle has taken her from 1960s Mississippi, where she was a staffer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, to Northeastern University School of Law, where she founded the Civil Rights and Restorative Justice Project in 2007. The projects missionto investigate racially motivated homicides in the Jim Crow Southis at the heart of Burnhams powerful debut, By Hands Now Known: Jim Crows Legal Executioners (Norton, Sept.). Drawing on a database of more than 1,000 homicides, the book resurfaces tragedies that are unknown to the public, Burnham says, but that should be.

One such case is the 1943 murder of Edwin Williams in New Orleanss Algiers neighborhood. The perpetrator, a white U.S. Navy sailor who slashed Williams with a broken beer bottle in front of his wife and children as the family walked home from church, was acquitted by a jury and shipped off to the Pacific Theater of WWII. Decades later, Williamss grandchildren knew only that their grandfather had gotten in a fight with some sailors and died.

After presenting the family with records related to the case, Burnham and students from the CRRJP went to Algiers on June 19, 2022 (Juneteenth and Fathers Day), for a celebration of Edwin Williamss life. They filled up the very same church this man had been walking home from with relatives, Burnham recalls. It was a beautiful photograph of Black Americathe kids, the young kids, all the way up the line. Not every case ends like that, but they all have the potential of ending that wayin discoveries that give real meaning to the family, and a real sense of the past to that community.

By Hands Now Known also examines how the federal government failed to protect African Americans, and how a national community of Black lawyers, journalists, and activists came together to respond to racial violence in the South.

From the moment I read the proposal, says Norton editor-in-chief John Glusman, I thought By Hands Now Known had the potential to be a landmark book.

Asked about her own hopes for the book, Burnham points to the Williamses and families like them. I hope they appreciate that their stories are part of a stream of American history, she says. And that they deserve to be told as our countrys story.

D.A.

Ye or Nay

Brandi Collins-Dexter

Brandi Collins-Dexter traces the origins of her first book, Black Skinhead: Reflections on Blackness and Our Political Future (Celadon, Sept.), to her Illinois childhood home, where the self-described latchkey kid grew up watching a lot of TV and movies.

Pop culture became my frame of reference for understanding things, says Collins-Dexter, the former senior campaign director at the progressive nonprofit Color of Change. Whenever I read something that feels particularly complex, Ill be like, Oh, this is like that episode of Saved by the Bell. 

In 2019, during a fellowship at Harvards Technology and Social Change Project, the complex thing Collins-Dexter was trying to understand was online Black political communities and political expression. At the same time, Kanye West was palling around with Donald Trump and talking about his newfound Republicanism.

Collins-Dexter, who considers herself a Kanye fan (but not necessarily someone who wants to meet him in person), saw a link between the things he was saying and what she was observing onlinenamely, the fracturing of the once-unshakable Black Democratic voting bloc and the disillusionment of Black Americans with the failed promises of their country.

Black Skinhead is a bracing look at the forces behind those upheavals. In it, Collins-Dexter sketches the history of alternative Black media spaces, analyzes drill music and streetwear culture, and speaks with Black MAGA supporters, porn performers, and others who live outside the bounds of Black fetishized political identity.

Those conversations, many of which took place over Zoom during Covid-19 lockdowns, made Collins-Dexter feel connected to people in a way I hadnt felt before. But the gaze of Black Skinhead also turns inward, to the authors own frustrations with the Democratic Party, and to her grief over the death of her father, whose health declined rapidly during the writing of the book.

Collins-Dexter credits her co-editors, Ryan Doherty and Cecily van BurenFreedman, with encouraging her to include the poignant account of her fathers life and death that opens the book and touches on themesthe Great Migration, the gutting of Black urban neighborhoodsshe explores throughout.

Brandis writing about her father was so beautiful and raw, we knew we had to feature it prominently in the book, van BurenFreedman says. This isnt dry political theoryits incredibly personal and incredibly high stakes. D.A.

The Nap Minister

Tricia Hersey

Ask my mother, Im always starting some new project, says Tricia Hersey about founding the Nap Ministry. The organization holds community events and workshops focused on the idea that rest is a social justice issue, a notion she explores in Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (Little, Brown Spark, Oct.).

Hersey started the Nap Ministry in 2016, when she was in divinity school at Emory University and exhausted from the pace of my schoolwork, from raising a six-year-old son, from working two jobs. I was probably sleeping three or four hours a night. She worked as an archivist for the university and had been researching capitalisms role in the slave labor system in Georgia.

Nearing burnout, Hersey started hosting collective napping experiences during which participants gather in a communal space to nap for half an hour and then discuss how rest can be used to push back against capitalist exploitation. The program rapidly grew in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, even as Hersey was forced to take her events onto Zoom; she went from about 25,000 social media followers to 200,000 within a month.

Marisa Vigilante, senior editor at Little, Brown Spark, says Hersey came onto her radar in summer 2020. I had thought about reaching out to her, but I actually didnt because I was nervous to reach out to a woman whose entire platform is about resting and ask her to do the labor of writing a book, she adds. But when Vigilante received Herseys proposal, she jumped on it and acquired it in March 2021.

Writing a book during a pandemic was hell, Hersey says, laughing and recalling having to race to meet deadlines while keeping her family healthy. She developed a system to balance productivity and relaxation: There were many times when I would get an idea while I was taking a bath, and I would have my phone next to me and record voice notes.

Much of the book was developed this way, with Hersey recording embryonic ideas on her phone as they occurred to her, then fleshing them out later at her computer. Everybody will be looking for Tricia, she says. Im underneath the desk trying to get this work done! M.G.

Life After Trauma

Mike Mariani

In 2012, Mike Mariani was an adjunct English professor living in Hoboken, N.J., when a heavy malaise came over him that he couldnt shake. It was the onset of chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition that reshaped his life and inspired his debut, What Doesnt Kill Us Makes Us: Who We Become After Tragedy and Trauma (Ballantine, Aug.), which PW called heart-rending and poignant in a starred review.

Mariani remembers subscribing to Nietzsches maxim what doesnt kill me makes me stronger since adolescence, but it took on new meaning after his diagnosis. I was thinking about Nietzsches words and interrogating them, questioning their veracity and validity, he recalls, later deciding to put it to the test by interviewing people who have experienced catastrophic before-and-after life events.

A journalist with bylines in the New York Times and the Guardian, Mariani reached out to dozens of nonprofit organizations that help people who have suffered through traumatic events, and they put him in touch with some of those they serve, including people who have vision impairment, have lost loved ones to overdoses, or have had amputations.

Out of the 150 people Mariani interviewed, he homed in on the stories of six, including a man serving a life sentence for killing a teenager when he was 17 and a young woman who lost nearly all her vision overnight while in graduate school. He credits intuition for helping him select the stories to focus on and says that if Im captivated, sympathetic to, and mesmerized by a certain story and want to know more, and I want to have a follow-up interview right away, then to me thats a powerful indication.

Writing this book has changed Marianis outlook on Nietzsches aphorism. Though these catastrophic before-and-after life events do make us stronger, that strength is in the service of negotiating and bearing whatever burdens we have to endure, he says.

Emily Hartley, Marianis editor at Ballantine, says that though she acquired the book in 2019, she thinks the Covid-19 pandemic became its own kind of before-and-after event for many and that Marianis stories about finding purpose after trauma show how readers might build a better future as the pandemic recedes: Reading about how these people came through and found new meaning in their afterlives, I think, will feel resonant to a lot of people as they move forward with whatever type of life they have after Covid. M.G.

Written in the Stars

Moiya McTier

Moiya McTier wrote The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy (Grand Central, Aug.) in two modes. To channel the imagined voice of the galaxy, which narrates the book, she wrote at night sitting by a window for a direct line between herself and the sky, and she also sometimes wrote underneath a blanketto get rid of Earthly distractions.

The Milky Way is McTiers debut, but not her first literary endeavor. In 2016, she wrote a sci-fi novel for her undergraduate senior project at Harvard, where she was the first person in the schools history to get a combined degree in astronomy and folklore and mythology. It was the beginning of a career finding ways to combine storytelling and science.

In September 2019, McTier got an email from her current agent at the Science Factory, Jeff Shreve. One of his other authors had seen me give a Juneteenth talk about astronomy, tying it into the history of slavery, she says. It was one of the more creative talks Ive given. Shreve wanted to know if McTier might consider writing a book. She was game, at the time in graduate school at Columbia working on her dissertation about the Milky Way.

Doing this weird kind of fictional twist of telling the book from the perspective of the Milky Way made it feel different enough from my dissertation to be a fun project, McTier says.

Maddie Caldwell, a senior editor at Grand Central, says The Milky Way stood out to her because of how funny and accessible it is. The combination of McTiers background in astrophysics and her storytelling chops put her in a sweet spot to deliver the voice of the galaxy to us mortals, Caldwell says. She also pointed out that while its driven by science, working on the book had a lot in common with working on the voice in a novel. It was a voice so authentic to Moiya. And thats kind of a fiction sensibility.

McTier echoes that idea of novelistic voice development, noting that creating the Milky Way as a character was worldbuilding on a galactic scale. C.R.

Whos the Hero

Maya Phillips

Nerd: Adventures in Fandom from This Universe to the Multiverse (Atria, Oct.), Maya Phillipss nonfiction debut, is a sharp, genre-spanning look at nerd culture. The collection includes meditations on, among other topics, mental illness in the anime Paranoia Agent, race in Star Wars, and politics in Doctor Who. Its all told through Phillipss experience as a fan herself. Its obviously criticism, but it does have some memoir elements to it, she says. Lately, in the past couple years in particular, Ive been really interested in bending the boundaries between genres.

Phillips, a critic at the New York Times, has an MFA in poetry from Warren Wilson College and published the poetry collection Erou with Four Way Books in 2019. For all the time that Ive been a journalist, I was always doing poetry, and vice versa, she says. Theyve always been parallel lanes in my life.

Julia Eagleton, Phillipss agent at Janklow & Nesbit Associates, was struck by Phillipss ability to write across forms using what Eagleton calls her Promethean mind. I love working with poets who cross over into writing essays, memoir, and fiction, and it was this that drew me most to her work, Eagleton says, noting that Phillips brings the precision and philosophical nature of her poetry to all of her writing.

Atria editor Melanie Iglesias Perez recalls her excitement when she first saw the manuscript for Nerd. Were seeing heroes who speak Spanish or Spanglish; were seeing heroes like Ms. Marvel speak Urdu; were seeing Black heroes on screen. Thats what Maya was talking about in these essays. The overarching message is, who gets to be the hero of their own story?

Even though many of the shows, books, and films she writes about now are solidly mainstream, Phillips says that the notion still prevails that nerd culture is too lowbrow to be considered seriously. Shows about people flying around in capes or having magical powersthey shaped me as a fan and as a critic. They do reflect the realities of our current age. And thats not insignificant. C.R.

The Kids Arent Alright

Kyle Spencer

One of Kyle Spencers first assignments as a reporter for the University of North Carolinas Daily Tar Heel was covering a 1990 victory party for the states hard-line conservative senator, Jesse Helms. No one else wanted to goand I was excited, she recalls. I wanted to get in a room with these people, see what they looked like, what they sounded like, how they celebrated. My interest in going to the dark side and exploring has been a long-standing obsession.

Raising Them Right: The Untold Story of Americas Ultraconservative Youth Movement and Its Plot for Power (Ecco, Oct.) is the fruit of that obsession. A fascinating group profile of right-wing activists Charlie Kirk, Candace Owens, and Cliff Maloney, its also an expose of the dark money groups supporting them and a wake-up call for Democrats who think they have the youth vote wrapped up.

Spencer came to the story after spending the past 10 years writing about education for the New York Times and other outlets. At various universities, she encountered young, flip-flop-wearing dudes pushing legislation to permit the carrying of guns on college campuses. Discovering that the lobbying organization Gun Owners of America was funding these activists, she searched for similar groups and eventually got invited to a 48-hour training program for young conservatives at the Leadership Institute.

It was mind-numbingly boring for me, she says, but these kids were eating it up. They were excited to tell me how effective they were.

Spencers agent, Larry Weissman, sees Raising Them Right as a companion to his client Michelle Goldbergs bestseller Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism. Kyle is zeroing in on the next generation of young people who want to burn the thing down and seize political power, he says. And she somehow convinced them to let her into their inner sanctum.

Though Spencer was surprised by how much she initially liked her subjects (I found their politics repulsive, but I was really impressed with their drive, their ambition), her perspective had changed by the end of her reporting in May 2022. I saw it with people I was up close withthe shift from troublesome to completely power-hungry and antidemocratic, she says. By the end, I was scared to death of them. D.A.

Visible Cities

Mairead Small Staid

Mairead Small Staids debut, The Traces: An Essay (A Strange Object, Sept.), tackles an idea she thinks a lot of young writers shy away from: happiness. I thought my pain was the most interesting thing about me, and it took a while to shake off that idea, Staid says. But I became intrigued by happiness and by what it could offer as a concept, intellectually, aesthetically, and as a form.

The work grew out of an essay Staid started writing in 2014 about Italy, the novelist Cesare Pavese, depression, and suicide. I had notes compiled for a year or more, and it just didnt work, she says. It kept accruing new material to itself without really taking a shape. As she continued working on it, she reread Italo Calvinos Invisible Cities. Thats when she realized she had a book on her handsone that would examine memory, literature, the nature of happiness, and her time traveling in Italy.

Calvinos novel became the organizing principal behind The Traces. Once I had kind of stolen the structure, which I hope he wouldnt mind, it became a lot easier to fit all of these accumulated materials and fragments into a whole, Staid says. She finished it in a flurry in 2017, while at Exeter on a George Bennett Fellowship.

Staid has an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan, and that training is in large part what made her writing stand out to Jill Meyers, cofounder and editorial director at A Strange Object. It gave Staid a particular eye for imagery, Myers says. The way that she describes the world and engages with art is so dynamic. Shes able to keep so many topics in play, she can really marshal so many ideas and keep you moving between those ideas. Its done in a gorgeous way.

Staid notes that what she admires about Invisible Cities is that its a conversationone that shes eager for The Traces to join. Im drawing on all these thinkers that I admire, and that conversation needs a reader. The book begins with the word you in the very first line. Im hopeful that people will enjoy being part of that. C.R.
DEAL OF THE WEEK

Kuang Gets Seven Figures at Avon Avons Carrie Feron inked Yulin Kuang to a three-book, seven-figure deal for her debut novel, Good in a Room, after winning a six-bidder auction. The novel, set for summer 2023, was sold by Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary and follows, Avon said, a screenwriter and an author linked by a shared tragedy who are thrown together years later in the writers room. In said room, the two discover a spark between them that complicates everything. Kuang is a screenwriter and director who lives in Los Angeles.

Park Row Wins Cervantess Adult Debut

Laura Brown at Park Row Books won North American rights to J.C. Cervantess debut adult novel, The Enchanted Hacienda, as part of a six-figure, two-book agreement. Holly Root at Root Literary sold the coming-of-age tale at auction for Cervantes, a bestselling YA and middle grade author. Park Row described The Enchanted Hacienda, which is inspired by Mexican folklore, as a grown-up version of Encanto. It follows a young woman named Harlow Estrada, whose female relatives have the power to grow and use the magical flowers on the family farm. Harlow, however, seems to have no magical gifts, until she finally opens her heart to a stranger and pursues her dream of becoming a writer.

Berkley Re-ups Henry

Amanda Bergeron at Berkley re-signed bestseller Emily Henry (Book Lovers), inking the author to a four-book agreement for world English rights. The first title under contract is the rom-com Happy Place, about, Berkley said, a couple who broke up months ago, who make a pact to pretend to still be together during their yearly vacation in Maine with a group of best friends. The book explores the intricate dynamics of friendships that withstand years and time apart, while also offering another irresistible love story filled with sizzling chemistry. Henrys books have, per Berkley, sold more than 2.5 million copies to date. Taylor Haggerty at Root Literary represented Henry.

Dey Street Buys Scobies Next Royal Bio

Journalist Omid Scobie sold world English rights to a currently untitled book, set for 2023, to Carrie Thornton at Dey Street. Dey Street said Scobie, who cowrote Finding Freedom, a 2020 biography of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, will focus on a new chapter of the royal story and feature unique insight, deep access, and exclusive revelations. Albert Lee at United Talent Agency brokered the deal on behalf of Scobie.

Atwoods Babes Go to Doubleday

Doubledays Lee Boudreaux acquired U.S. rights to Margaret Atwoods short story collection Old Babes in the Wood. The work, set for March 2023, is Atwoods first collection in nearly a decade and will go to press for an announced first printing of 100,000 copies. Doubleday said it examines family relationships, marriage, loss, and memory, and what it means to spend a life together. Karolina Sutton from Curtis Brown handled the agreement.

Bestler Takes Alexanders Second Chances

In a six-figure, two-book deal, Lara Jones at Emily Bestler Books bought TJ Alexanders Second Chances in New Port Stephen. The Simon & Schuster imprint said the LGBTQ rom-com, slated for December 2023, is an irresistible saga of second chances with first loves, in which a down-on-his-luck, early-40s trans comedian begrudgingly returns to his outlandish Florida hometown for the first time in decades. Once in town, the comedian runs into his high school ex-boyfriend, which throws into question where nostalgia ends and where moving on begins. Larissa Melo Pienkowski at Jill Grinberg Literary Management represented Alexander in the deal.
On June 28, David Lott released Back in Brookford: Stories through Nichols Street Press, his self-publishing imprint, with distribution through IngramSpark. Based on Lotts Staunton, Va., upbringing, the stories use details common to late-20th-century life as anchors for eerie and unsettling events. Clearly these stories came from having grown up in a place like Brookford, said Robin Straus, Lotts literary agent. While the stories arent precisely interconnected, the ties between characters wind up giving a very well-rounded portrait of a place.

Shortly after it was released, Lott received a bound copy of Back in Brookford, and a few days later, on July 10, he died from pancreatic cancer at age 59, leaving behind his wife, Jenny Gillis, and their children Eleanor Gillis Lott and James David Lott III. Back in Brookford is the culmination of a life spent writing and working in book publishingLott was a production editor for Hyperion and was most recently a senior managing editor at Macmillan.

To get his book published, Lott had to defy the odds of his cancer, surviving five years past his diagnosis and providing real hope to the medical staff at his hospital when he came in for checkups. When his cancer returned in spring 2021, Lott partook in an experimental drug trial at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and his tumor markers kept shrinking. He returned to work at Macmillan.

In late spring of this year, however, Lott learned his health had taken a turn for the worse. He knew he was on borrowed time, said Lotts colleague Michelle McMillian, associate director of design at Macmillan. Since his book hadnt sold, he decided to self-publish. He wanted something in the world that was part of him. I decided to design the book to make sure he got to have something hes been working toward for so long.

Straus was disappointed she wasnt able to find a publisher for Back in Brookford, but said that was a reflection on the marketplace and not on the quality of the writing, which was superb.

She wasnt alone in that opinion; Lott had a longtime friend and champion in Will Schwalbe, who is currently an executive v-p at Macmillan. Starting way back at Hyperion, it was always kind of a banner day when David would come in with some incredibly funny story, said Schwalbe, who, in addition to his editorial work at Macmillan, is known for his own books, which include The End of Your Life Book Club, about his mothers death from pancreatic cancer. Whenever I saw him I would shout out Lott!, which became kind of a joke.

On July 17, Schwalbe wrote a long and heartfelt Facebook post about his friend that encouraged everyone he knew to consider buying a copy of Back in Brookford as a tributebut also as a treat.

By the time David showed me this collection of stories that he had worked on for years, I saw that not only was his prose dark, inventive, and funny but that the pieces spoke very deeply of a moment in American society, Schwalbe said. In many of these stories, there are no computers, no cell phones, no game stationsjust kids wandering around the neighborhood and hanging out in each others houses. Its dispatches from the end of the baby boom.

Lotts son agrees that his fathers stories have a distinct atmosphere. My dad and I connected through books, especially Stephen Kings Stand By Mebooks about people who surmount challenges to get to a better place. He also gave my sister and I exploratory childhoods, with long bike rides, time in the natural world and few devices. His book embodies the simultaneous insecurity and beauty in growing up.

Tom Perrotta, who provided the books cover blurb, said that he was struck by the tension between humor and nostalgia on one handalways a part of American small-town fictionand the sudden eruptions of darker material. A lot of whats funny about life is interwoven with the depressing and disturbing stuff we have to deal with every day, and I think David captures that mixture really well in these stories. On learning of Lotts death, Perrotta said he was glad Lott was able to publish his book, adding, I hope people will find their way to it.

Schwalbe said Lott was really beloved at Macmillan. Its easy for people outside of publishing to forget the kind of contribution that a production or managing editor makes to a text, line by line and word by word. He loved the books he worked on and was so proud of them. He devoted his life and career to getting those words exactly the way everyone wanted them. When you read this book, you can tell this was a man who loved storytelling and literature.
Mind-body-spirit publishers are shuffling the deck on tarot cards, bringing forward diverse authors and myriad perspectives ranging from contemplative Christian cards with Bible verses to card guides from LGBTQ authors. Many are branching out from Pamela Colman Smiths ornate, Eurocentric artwork in the venerable Rider-Waite-Smith tarot 78-card deck, which has been the basis for generations of divination decks since it was first published in 1909.

Weiser Books is tracking both trends. In September, its launching The Weiser Tarot, a new edition of the classic Rider-Waite-Smith deck featuring updates by Weiser editors. The original guide to reading the cards will now offer tips and resources for beginners, tarot history, and additional information for people interested in Jewish mysticism and astrology. And Colman Smiths line art is repainted with a rich, vibrant palette, says Weiser associate publisher Peter Turner. He calls it a landmark event in the tarot world, which is being timed with Weisers 65th anniversary.

The press is also publishing Finding the Fool: A Tarot Journey to Radical Transformation (Mar. 2023), a book with contemporary explanations about each card written by Meg Jones Wall, whom Turner describes as a self-taught queer tarot reader. Unlike in most books on tarot, Wall does not include images of cards; rather, Turner says, she is asking the reader to trust their unique natural sense of intuition, wisdom, and magic. Her writing focuses on keeping tarot intuitive and accessible, using gender neutral language, and welcoming readers of all identities into the community. One of the core challenges for todays tarot readers is that the traditional images used to convey the archetypal figures in the tarot are clearly patriarchal and binary in sexual orientation. And often the most popular tarot decks dont include people of color.

Turner quotes Wall, who says, The tarot isnt about following rules or adhering to a strict set of narrow meanings; it isnt only for a certain kind of person.

Magic for every body and belief

Running Press is releasing three titles that reflect the idea of tarot for all. One is not a deck but rather a graphic biography of Colman Smith, written and illustrated by artist Cat Willett. The Queen of Wands (Sept.) sheds light on Colman Smiths experiences, including being mistreated due to her biracial appearance, being paid very little, and, like many women creatives in her time, not being credited or designated any royalties for her work on the famous deck. Many of the same injustices that contribute to the hardship of marginalized groups today also inhibited Pamela, Willett says. The beauty of Pamelas work is that it made tarot more accessible, and I think that the nature of tarot is to be reimagined over and over again.

Running Press executive editor Shannon Fabricant is also highlighting two other books aimed at widening the tarot audience. The first is Black Tarot: An Ancestral Awakening Deck and Guidebook (Dec.), by Nyasha Williams, who describes herself online as a social justice griot working to decolonize spiritual practices, with illustrations by Kimishka Naidoo. Fabricant calls it the deck youve been missing, complete with 78 tarot cards featuring all Black representations of classic tarot figures and iconography. The press is also releasing The Tricksters Journey: A Tarot Deck and Guidebook (Apr. 2023), by painter Jia Sung, which reimagines the tarot through the lens of Eastern mysticism, folklore, and spirituality, says Fabricant.

The Sacred Web Tarot (HarperOne, Sept.), a cards and guide set written by yoga teacher and artist Jannie Bui Brown and illustrated by her son, James W. Brown IV, offers a transformational and timely approach that moves beyond traditional, gendered imagery, card names, and interpretations, focusing on personal and communal growth, according to the publisher.

And at St. Martins Press, executive editor Keith Kahla says the forthcoming deck and accompanying guide One World Tarot (Oct.) was created to encompass many centuries and cultures, embrace our global diversity, and apply to all genders. The guide is by Australian author Lena Rodriguez, host of Tarot Down Under on YouTube, and tarot reader Seanna Rose, with writer June Rifkin and illustrator Alexandra Filipek.

Fair Winds editor Keyla Pizarro-Hernandez observes that its commonplace in media and mind-body-spirit publishing to see the same type of group being representedusually thin, white, blonde, cisand not all of us relate to that particular community and dont see ourselves reflected in their stories or circumstances. The press is publishing The Pulp Girls Tarot Deck (Oct.), by sisters Cailie and Brianna Mitchell; they are artists known for illustrations in the style of old-fashioned fiction magazines called pulps. Their images, the editor says, reflect a more realistic view of the various groups of women that exist in the worldwomen of color, women with different body types, and women from the LGBTQ community.

One worldview rarely included in tarot deck lists, however, is Christian theology. Now, St. Martins Essentials is stepping in with The Contemplative Tarot: A Christian Guide to the Cards (Sept.), by Brittany Muller, who writes a monthly newsletter, Blessed Vigil, on Catholic saints and the liturgical seasons. The cards include Bible verses, meditation prompts for personal prayer, and daily reminders of spiritual truths, according to the publisher.

Oracle decks, free from the archetypes used in tarot, offer imagery from the heavens, the Earth, and the deck creators imagination. The decks, too, reflect mind-body-spirit publishers concern with representing and reaching diverse audiences whose interests include searching for love, security, and wealth, as well as protecting the environment.

For example, Sacred Nature Oracle Deck (Beyond Words, Nov.), by photographer Holly Wilmeth, shows men, women, and children of many racial and ethnic backgrounds, each communing with a different plant, says Beyond Words marketing director Brennah Hermo. The guide describes the healing power of the plants and herbs depicted. And The Cantigee Oracle: An Ecological Spiritual Guide and Creative Prompt Deck (North Atlantic, Nov.), by yoga and meditation teacher Rae Diamond, with watercolors by Laura Zuspan, includes a guide to use the cards to address climate change with presence and care, according to the publisher.

Upcoming oracle and tarot titles include the following:

 The All-Seeing Heart Oracle Deck (Watkins, Sept.), by tattoo artist Saira Hunjan, is inspired by Hunjans heritage and frequent travels to India. Publisher Fiona Robertson says the images of protective beings or talismans set in heart temples can be used for healing and transformation.

 The Amazonian Angel Oracle: Working with Angels, Devas, and Plant Spirits (Inner Traditions, Aug.), by shaman Howard G. Charing, features images of spirits in backdrops of Amazonian jungle plants and animals, celestial bodies, ancient temples, and more, according to the publisher.

 Anime Tarot (Simon Element, out now), by writer and editor Natasha Yglesias, recasts the archetypes and symbols of tarot in modern Japanese anime characters.

 Cozy Witch Tarot Deck and Guidebook (Andrews McMeel, Apr. 2023), by poet and witch Amanda Lovelace, interprets the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck with the simple country lifestyle viewpoint often called cottagecore. The artwork by Janaina Mediros represents racial and ethnic diversity, and all ages, abilities, and body types, says executive editor Patricia Rice.

 Magic Days: Your Journey Through the Astrology, Numerology, and Tarot of Every Day of the Year (Penguin Life, Oct.), by astrologer Nadine Jane, includes daily mantras, rituals, and journaling prompts aimed at promoting self-care and empowerment.

 The Tarot Spellbook: 78 Witchy Ways to Use Your Tarot Deck for Magick and Manifestation (Fair Winds, Sept.) is a traditional Rider-Waite-Smith deck with a guide by witch Sam Magdaleno. She focuses on spells, journal prompts, and rituals inspired by the cards to deal with love, money, wellness, career, and more in daily life, according to the publisher.

 The Trick or Treat Tarot (Llewellyn, Sept.), by prolific tarot reader and author Barbara Moore with fantasy artist Jonathan Hunt, is fit for Halloween or any-time users want to face the future fearlessly, the publisher says.

 The Wild Unknown Pocket Animal Spirit Deck (HarperOne, Oct.), by author and artist Kim Krans, examines the wisdom of creatures both real and imagined, according to the publisher.

Cathy Lynn Grossman is a veteran religion and ethics writer living in Washington, D.C.

Return to main feature.
Tara Janet Sinkler and Dustin Blair Jolliffe died August 4 and 5, respectively, due to blunt force trauma, Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Rich Hoffman said Tuesday. At least six people have been killed while driving in and around Billings so far this summer, the majority of whom were riding motorcycles.
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 07/29/2022



ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

alum Anfisa Arkhipchenko has announced that she is officially an American citizen.Anfisa took to Instagram this week to reveal her big citizenship news.Anfisa posted a photo of herself standing in front of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and waving a little American flag.Anfisa captioned her picture, "US 7/27/22 US."Anfisa was wearing a white blouse with tan pants, and she was also flashing a manila envelope filled with important documents regarding her new citizen status.Jorge was a 27-year-old from Riverside, CA and Anfisa was a 20-year-old from Moscow, Russia when Anfisa arrived in America on a K-1 visa.After originally appearing on Season 4 of , Jorge and Anfisa were also part of the cast of Seasons 2 and 3 of : Happily Ever After?.Jorge met Anfisa on Facebook after seeing her photos online. Anfisa initially ignored the messages, but she eventually agreed to meet with him.After a lavish vacation around Europe and a blowout fight over an expensive handbag that nearly ended it all, the pair reconciled and then Anfisa agreed to move to the United States.Jorge's family was concerned about Anfisa's motives, and so he chose not to buy her an engagement ring or a wedding dress.Anfisa didn't exactly deny she was in the relationship for Jorge's money or a Green Card, but she believed he, in turn, was dating her primarily for her looks.Regardless, the pair got married in a simple courthouse ceremony.Jorge and Anfisa appeared to remain happily together in the months following their wedding.However, in February 2018, Jorge was arrested in Arizona with nearly 300 pounds of marijuana in the trunk of his car. He began serving a 22-month prison sentence in September 2018 after pleading guilty to a felony charge of marijuana transportation.Meanwhile, Anfisa kept herself busy by going to the gym and taking classes at a local community college.In July 2019, Anfisa celebrated her wins in a female bodybuilding competition she had entered in Las Vegas."Stage photos are coming in! To be honest I still can't believe I won every class I competed in last weekend Only when I look at the photos and my trophies I realize that it actually happened!" she gushed.In March 2020, Anfisa went Instagram official with a new man, Leo Assaf, as Jorge remained imprisoned.Shortly afterward, Jorge -- who lost 128 pounds while he has been incarcerated -- announced he planned to divorce Anfisa after he was released from prison.According to Jorge, the dramatic change in his physical appearance contributed to the end of his marriage."I think she was just jealous of the attention that I was getting," Jorge told In Touch Weekly. "The news about my weight loss didn't sit with her very well.""I believe [that led to our breakup] because at that very moment in time, that's when she blocked my phone calls and I kind of was starting to lose contact with her."Jorge continued, "She did tell me like right off the bat, like the day after, that she didn't want anything to do with me and that it was over."In May 2020, Jorge was released from prison, and one month later, he debuted a new girlfriend on Instagram.Over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2020, Jorge announced he and his girlfriend Rhoda Blua were expecting their first child together. Their daughter Zara was born in April 2021.In October 2021, Jorge announced he and Rhoda were expecting a second child together, and the pair welcomed a baby boy in March 2022.Rumors have recently swirled that Anfisa is currently dating a San Diego-based man named Joseph.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our webpage!
Angelica Johnson always dreamt of earning a masters degree in teaching, but her life has taken her down an untraditional path to getting there. Now, 30 years after starting college, as a widowed single parent of four working a full-time job, her dream will become reality.

Its given me so much confidence, Johnson said about attaining her degree before her 50th birthday. Knowing that I can succeed after being told I couldnt for so long.

Born in Billings in 1972, as the youngest of ten siblings and two foster children, Johnson grew up constantly surrounded by children. She knew from an early age she wanted to be a teacher. And over time she learned she wanted to be a special education teacher after growing up with her sister Delilah who was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

Delilahs positive attitude would inspire Johnson throughout her childhood, even as Johnson initially struggled with her schooling. She admits she didnt learn how to read until the first grade and had school teachers tell her she wasnt college material. The two sisters developed a close relationship throughout their childhood and Johnson would visit her sister in her special needs classes.

That was how she knew she wanted to pursue special education.

I would try to be at as many of her events as I could and I just knew that was my calling, Johnson said. Why I chose this field is because of her. She inspired me.

In 1990, Johnson attended Northwest College in Powell, Wyoming to major in their Special Education program before returning to MSU Billings in 1993. During her first semester, her life would change when she met classmate and future-husband Brooks Johnson. The two shared a passion for special education and quickly connected in and out of class. Their academic future was put on hold following the birth of their first child in January 1994.

The couple married that April and welcomed three more children over the next 12 years. They decided Johnson would stop attending school to raise the family while Brooks would stay at MSUB to earn his masters degree. During this time, she would work in daycares over the years to stay close with the kids while still earning a wage.

Thats just how we worked it out, she said with a laugh looking back. He went to school, he also worked and I worked and we just made it work until he got his degree.

Johnson's husband would go on to earn his degrees in psychology and special education and work as a therapist for special needs children over the next 22 years. When their youngest child began attending kindergarten, he encouraged Johnson to return to MSUB herself and complete her degree. Learning she could graduate sooner, she opted for a K-8 bachelors degree and would go on to commencement in May 2016.

Eight years later, Johnsons memory of her husband watching her cross the commencement stage remains vivid in her mind. The university is where they met, where he first graduated without her and where she returned herself twenty years later.

It was also one of her last memories of him alive and well.

If I wouldnt have [chosen that degree], he wouldnt have been able to be there for my undergrad, she said.

After graduating, Johnson soon found a job working at Miles Avenue Elementary while Brooks Johnson changed careers and began work in commercial trucking. The new line of work quickly took a toll on his body and he began to feel ill by the fall season. Early November, he checked into a same-day care clinic and was found unresponsive in the lobby bathroom shortly thereafter. The hospital was able to revive him momentarily, but repeated heart failure led to a loss of brain function.

Family members came to the hospital for one last visit before Johnson and her children were there alone by his side.

None of us really cried, we just kind of talked, we were all laughing and then we all just did our individual goodbyes, gave him our kisses and then they took him off life support, she said.

Brooks Johnson was 44 years old when he died. Johnson later found out through a DNA test he suffered from the heart condition Long QT Syndrome where the heart experiences arrhythmic heart beats that can lead to dizziness, fatigue, palpitations or deadly cardiac events.

Newly graduated but now a widowed, single mother with two kids still going through school, Johnson would move on to work at Independent Elementary School as a substitute and paraprofessional teacher in 2017. She was given an opportunity to teach her own classroom but didnt feel ready yet to take on the challenge.

I didnt feel like it would be fair to my students or to myself, she said. I just needed some time to heal.

Up until the moment her husband died, Johnson had gained most of her support and confidence through other people. Her sister, Delilah, as a child, and her husband as an adult. Following both their deaths  Delilah passed away in 1994she felt unsure about her own future for the first time in her life.

But also during this time while working at the school, one of her co-workers told her about a program offered through the Office of Public Instruction that could allow her to realistically earn a masters degree. She learned OPI's Special Education Supervisor Endorsement would pay for the courses taken towards a special education master's degree if completed within a certain amount of time.

Through the encouragement of her family, co-workers and the grief support group she was attending at the time, she decided to return to MSUB to earn her special education master's degree in 2018.

Over the next four years, she maintained a daily routine of waking up at 5 a.m., dropping off and picking up her kids at school, continuing to work full time at the elementary school, helping her own kids with their homework, cooking dinner and attending extracurricular events while also working on her own schoolwork.

Sometimes I wouldnt get to my evening homework until ten oclock at night, she said. And Id stay up and do what I needed to do until I got done, went to bed and back up and did it all over again.

Outside the school years, she would teach summer school classes and take up additional jobs while attending more summer courses.

Despite the hectic schedule, shes quick to point out the support she received from many. Her studies and coursework being entirely-online allowed her to continue doing her regular day-to-day tasks while her two oldest children, now in their twenties, temporarily moved back in to help her with housework.

Let those who want to love and support you help guide you and help navigate your journey, she said. Its hard and its exhausting but if you set your mind to it, and I know that sounds cliche...just keep that mindset of moving forward.

Johnson is currently finishing her final summer courses and will receive her degree next month ahead of her 50th birthday. Upon receiving her Special Educators Endorsement, she will have a position waiting for her at Independent Elementary as a special education teacher.

Since the school helped her finally achieve her childhood dream, she's content with staying there for a long time going forward.

Its a smaller school but I dont know if Id want to be anywhere else, she said. Its been my healing place.
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

Today

Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 71F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Indonesia also gets US $13 billion in investment pledges from economic partners China, Japan and South Korea.

Joko Jokowi Widodo, the leader of G20 President Indonesia, undertook a carefully curated tour of Northeast Asia this week to ensure multilateral support for the groups summit in November amid divisions over Russias war in Ukraine, analysts said.

The Indonesian president visited China, Japan and South Korea  all countries with important trade and investment ties to Southeast Asias largest economy.

Jokowis trip sent a message of concrete cooperation and friendship amid a global situation steeped in rivalry and containment efforts, Indonesian Foreign Minister told reporters in Seoul, the last leg of Jokowis five-day tour.

The leaders appreciated President Jokowis leadership in contributing to global peace, she said.

Indonesia has often strived to balance its relations between China and its rival superpower, the United States. But in his role as this years holder of the revolving G20 presidency, Jokowi has had to step up his diplomatic game by playing a mediatory role to blunt the wedge that Russias invasion of Ukraine created in the group, observers said.

On one side, western countries in the Group of Twenty have condemned Russia for invading Ukraine. On the other, member-states including China, Indonesia and India, have refused to follow suit and still maintain ties with Moscow.

Still, there is no doubt Jokowi wants the G20 summit, scheduled for November in Bali, to be a success, analysts said.

The trip was relevant to Indonesias chairmanship of the G20, David Sumual, chief economist at Bank Central Asia, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news service.

Indonesia wants to make sure the G20 summit is successful and attended by all members, he said.

According to Agus Haryanto, an analyst at Jenderal Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Indonesia is concerned about the prospect of no agreement at the Bali summit.

At the G20, Indonesia faces a major challenge on what the outcome of the G20 summit in November will be, he said.

With good relations with the three countries [China, Japan and South Korea], Indonesia is looking for support to smoothen things out and reduce tensions.

Jokowi, whose term ends in 2024, wants to leave a legacy of being a peacemaker and reaffirm the countrys independent and active foreign policy, Agus said.

During his first term, the president paid less attention to foreign affairs. Now in his second term, Jokowi has shown that domestic politics and foreign policy are equally important.

Tense meetings

Under Indonesias presidency, G20 meetings have been fraught, as most have occurred after the invasion of Ukraine in late February.

At the groups foreign ministers meeting in Bali earlier in July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov walked out  at least once  during what he called the frenzied castigation of Moscow over Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Before that, top U.S. British, Canadian and Ukrainian financial diplomats walked out as a Russian official addressed a G20 meeting in Washington on April 20.

The trip will also undoubtedly strengthen support for Indonesias G20 presidency, especially in preparation for the summit in Bali, Foreign Minister Retno said on Thursday about her bosss visits to Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (left) shakes hands with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at the Presidential Office in Seoul, July 28, 2022. Credit: Yonhap via Reuters Respect international law

Jokowis trip to Northeast Asia also showcased Indonesias non-aligned foreign policy, which helped him secure U.S. $13 billion in investment pledges in total from China, Japan and South Korea.

At a meeting between Jokowi and Japans top executives on Wednesday, 10 Japanese companies pledged a total of U.S. $5.2 billion in investments in the next few years, Indonesian officials said.

These include a pledge by carmaker Toyota Motor Corp to invest $1.8 billion to build its electric vehicles in Indonesia over the next five years.

In Seoul, South Korean companies expressed intentions to invest $6.72 billion, including in the electric vehicle battery, steel and gas sectors.

In addition, China said it wanted to increase crude palm-oil imports from Indonesia by 1 million tons, worth $1.5 billion.

While investment pledges are welcome, Ninasapti Triaswati, an economist at the University of Indonesia, cautioned about economic and defense deals with China in light of Beijings growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Chinas aggressive actions in the area are causing regional tensions. Likewise, regional tensions between China and Taiwan and Japan will have a negative impact on the ASEAN region and East Asia.

In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Jokowi stressed the importance of peace in the South China Sea, said Retno, Indonesias top diplomat.

The only way to maintain stability and peace is to respect international law, especially UNCLOS 1982, she said, referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.
Couples who cant afford to pay hefty bribes have to wait years to legalize their split, sources say.

The number of North Koreans filing for divorce has increased, due in part, sources say, to the stresses of a crippled economy. But because the government considers the dissolution of a marriage to be anti-socialist, many couples are forced to wait years for their split to become official.

Recently, family strife has worsened for economic reasons and the number of families wanting to divorce is increasing, but the authorities ordered the courts not to easily approve divorces, a resident of Kyongsong county in the northeastern province of North Hamgyong told RFAs Korean Service on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

When I occasionally pass in front of the courthouse, I always see a dozen young men and women gathered in front of the main gate. These are mostly couples who want to see a judge or lawyer to file for divorce, she said.

Courts usually do not grant divorces unless there is an unavoidable reason, the source said. People who have stopped living with their spouses years ago are still waiting for their separations to be finalized.

Divorce is traditionally recognized as an anti-socialist act that creates social unrest. Here in North Korea they insist on living a socialist lifestyle which includes home revolutionization, she said, without elaborating on how staying unhappily married was considered revolutionary.

Last week, I learned something surprising from an acquaintance of mine. Her husband is an influential official in one of the courts. She said the number of divorce cases that each city and county court can handle each year is capped based on the size of the population, the source said.

Kyongsong county, which has a population of about 106,000, can only grant 40 divorces this year, she said.

If the court exceeds their divorce trial quota, it will be questioned by the authorities. I knew the courts were reluctant to approve divorces, but it was shocking to hear that the authorities even set the number of divorce trials, the source said.

The source said she met a woman in front of the court who upon marriage had moved to Kyongsong county from Myonggan, the next county to the south. She returned to her hometown after splitting up with her husband, but still is forced to come back for court appearances to try to finalize her divorce.

She has been coming to the Kyongsong courthouse for over two years trying to get her divorce and this is 60 kilometers [37 miles] from her hometown. She is so upset that it has still not been approved, the source said.

The coronavirus pandemic has ravaged North Koreas economy, in part because it led to the closure of the Sino-Korean border and suspension of all trade with China. Much of the countrys commerce depends on imported Chinese goods, and after the boundary was shut, families have had to scramble to find new means of making a living.

That added stress has led to an increase in marital strife, a resident of Unhung county in the northern province of Ryanggang told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely.

In the past few years, family quarrels have been increasing due to difficulties in living, so the number of families seeking a divorce is increasing. There used to be a tendency to be ashamed of getting a divorce, but this is not the case these days, he said.

People who want to get a divorce try to get one as soon as possible, but it is not easy. The amount of the bribe paid to the court judge or lawyer determines whether a divorce can be granted and how long it will take, he said.

Bribery is a fact of life in North Korea, and people who do not pay judges for their attention can expect to wait longer for their cases to be heard.

Since there are so many divorce applicants, it is impossible to get past the first stage of filing documents without paying a bribe to the court, he said. The reality is that if you dont pay a bribe, you wont get your divorce even after waiting three to five years.

Conversely, divorces can happen quickly for those with plenty of cash to distribute.

A friend of mine, who got divorced this year, gave a lawyer 500 yuan [U.S. $74] to file the papers, and then bribed the judge in charge of the trial with 1500 yuan [U.S. $222]. The process of the hearing was simplified, and the trial proceeded in a snap. He got his divorce in two weeks, the second source said.

The reality in North Korea is that you cannot get a divorce without money. Divorce is so difficult, it has become common for young people to not register their marriages even after they are married.

Unregistered couples do not need to go through the divorce process. They can simply split and the state is none the wiser.

They register their marriages only after theyve had a child or theyve lived together for a few years, the second source said.

Sources told RFA of several more divorce cases they knew of.

A woman in Kyongsong county paid $300 to the courts deputy chief to expedite her divorce last year. She got the money from her older sister who escaped North Korea to resettle in the South.

A resident in the northeastern city of Chongjin paid $500 and a truck battery to a judge who was introduced by a relative. The resident got a divorce without even visiting the court.

A man in Kyongsong county who had less means was not as fortunate. He had been separated from his wife for more than four years without receiving an official divorce. He and a different woman moved in together, but he was caught by authorities for the crime of double marriage and sentenced to hard labor.

Translated by Claire Shinyoung O. Lee and Leejin J. Chung. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
By Trend

The Youth Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) continued in Shusha on July 29, Trend reports.

Upon completion of the summit, young people from over 60 NAM member states familiarized themselves with the monuments of notable Azerbaijani personalities Natavan, Bulbul, and Uzeyir Hajibayli at the central square of Shusha.

The summit participants were told about Armenia's intentions to melt these busts for taking them out of the country. However, they were bought out and brought to Azerbaijan on the initiative of great leader Heydar Aliyev, where they were kept in the courtyard of the Museum of Art in Baku. Following the liberation of Shusha, the busts of prominent public figures have been returned to their former places.

Later, participants visited Jidir Duzu, Molla Panah Vagif's museum-mausoleum, and the Shusha fortress, which were also subjected to Armenian vandalism like other historical monuments. Vagif's mausoleum was completely restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and its second opening ceremony took place in August 2021.

Thus, the visit of the NAM Youth Summit's participants to Shusha ended with a tour of the city.
Bloc has 'big decision' to make on rethinking approach to solving post-coup crisis, Saifuddin Abdullah says.

Filipino activists from the Burma Solidarity Philippines coalition hold a protest in northern Manila, to condemn what they call an illegitimate military junta in Myanmar and its execution of four pro-democracy activists, July 29 2022.

Malaysia on Friday raised the prospect of junking ASEANs five-point consensus to resolve Myanmars post-coup crisis, after the Burmese junta made a mockery of it by executing four political prisoners.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, who has been the most vocal Southeast Asian government official to date to demand that Naypyidaws military regime follow through on the consensus, said the 10-member regional bloc had a big decision to make about the pact at its summit in November.

Until today, there has been no real progress on the 5PC. The violence continues, and in fact [has] gotten worse.  It shows the junta is making a mockery of the 5PC [five-point consensus], Saifuddin wrote on Facebook.

The ASEAN Summit this November will need to make a big decision. Will the 5PC be continued? Can it be improved? Or to create something new?"

To worldwide shock and condemnation, the generals who rule Myanmar put to death veteran democracy activist Ko Jimmy (whose real name is Kyaw Min Yu), former National League for Democracy lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw, and activists Hla Myo Aung and Aung Thura Zaw, likely on July 23.

A military court had convicted them for terrorist acts and they lost appeals against their death sentences. The junta had also rejected the possibility of a pardon for the condemned men.

The regime executed the four in defiance of an appeal made directly to Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the junta chief, by Hun Sen, the prime minister of Cambodia  this years holder of the ASEAN chair  that the military government reconsider their deaths sentences.

On Tuesday, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations harshly criticized the executions, calling them highly reprehensible.

The next day, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to condemn the executions carried out by Myanmar. The vote was unusual because China, which is friendly with the Burmese military, had often used its veto power on the council to block international efforts to sanction the junta over post-coup violence and mass killings.

The executions of the four dissidents marked a setback, Cambodia said as ASEAN chair, in expediting progress on the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus (5PC), namely in building trust and confidence to engender a dialogue among all parties concerned, in order to end violence and alleviate the suffering of the innocent people.

The junta has reneged on the five-point plan that it agreed to with ASEAN in April 2021 to put the country back on a democratic path.

The consensus called for an end to violence; constructive dialogue among all parties; the mediation of such talks by a special ASEAN envoy; the provision of ASEAN-coordinated humanitarian assistance and a visit to Myanmar by an ASEAN delegation to meet with all parties.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah responds to a reporters question during a press conference at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, May 14, 2022. Credit: RFA ASEAN members may face difficulties

Saifuddin, Malaysia's foreign minister, believes it cannot be business as usual at ASEAN.

Through his diplomacy, Malaysia became the first member-state of the regional bloc to officially contact Myanmars shadow, civilian National Unity Government (NUG).

More than ever, in the wake of the executions, ASEAN needs to meet that governments representatives as soon as possible, Saifuddin said.

Now is the time for this meeting to be hastened and [for] its progress [to be] made public, Foreign Minister Saifuddin wrote.

I am of the opinion that ASEAN needs to have a framework that has an end game and lay out the matters/processes required to achieve that end game.  In this context, ASEAN needs to have accurate and up-to-date information about what is actually happening by obtaining it directly from the involved parties.

The end-game, he said, is a democratic, inclusive and just, peaceful and harmonious, prosperous Myanmar whose civil and political rights are guaranteed by the constitution.

Saifuddin reiterated that Myanmar military regime representatives should not be allowed at any meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, including the next ASEAN foreign ministers gathering, scheduled for Aug. 3 in Phnom Penh.

Mahbubul Haque, a scholar who is an expert on Myanmar, said he never had much hope for the five-point consensus on Myanmar  nor was he very optimistic about a potential new plan either.

To make a consensus among the member-states will be difficult. Myanmar did not respect the international communitys decision, the senior lecturer in international relations at the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin in Malaysia told BenarNews.

It will be highly appreciated if Malaysia can take a consistently strong political stand to restore democracy in Myanmar, he added.

Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.

BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service.
Myanmars junta has tightened security in cities across the country following the executions of four prominent pro-democracy leaders, increasing the presence of troops and putting curfews in place, residents said Friday.

Soldiers in military vehicles and security personnel have been patrolling the commercial capital Yangon and Myanmars second-largest city Mandalay since Tuesday, they said.

Additionally, a midnight-to-4 a.m. curfew has been issued in nearly all of Yangons 45 townships, and security personnel in plainclothes have been checking pedestrians during the day, following attacks on the entrance gate to Insein Prison, police stations, and district administrative offices in response to the executions, sources said.

In the days following the killings, the regime banned gatherings of more than five people in all Yangon townships except the Coco Islands.

Anti-junta Peoples Defense Force (PDF) paramilitaries in Yangon have vowed to attack the military in retaliation for the executions.

A Yangon resident told RFA that the city had been eerily quiet this week, and said security is particularly tight.

People don't go out unless its necessary, like going to work, she said. Of course, there are people who have to go out every day to earn a living.

If you go outside, you can see military cars driving around, she said.

Groups of fully armed soldiers have been patrolling Yangon, making it feel like a battlefield zone, other locals said.

A resident of Mandalay, who did not want to be named for safety reasons, told RFA that the regime had beefed up security there due to strong anti-junta protests following the executions.

In the past two days, military vehicles have been moving in groups of three or four, driving around the whole city, he said.

Another strange thing is that the police are not wearing their uniforms, and they are not using police cars  There's been a lot of checking of guest lists in the city, too.

Security personnel have raided nearly every neighborhood in Mandalay, and at least 20 youths were arrested on Monday, according to residents and members of anti-regime strike committees.

Political prisoners in Mandalays Obo Prison and in Bago regions Pyay Prison held protests on Monday night after the junta announced the executions, said residents who live close to the detention facilities.

Saya Kyaung, a spokesman for the Yangon UG Association, an anti-regime guerilla group, said members are planning to strike back at those who participated in the hangings.

We are going to retaliate because it has to be a life for a life, he said. We will retaliate in such a way that they will suffer more than the grieving families on this side.

The Daung Warriors group in Yangons Thaketa township said Thursday that it bombed two police stations the previous night under Operation Zeya Thaw.

PDF forces from Magway and Sagaing regions said they also conducted similar operations on Wednesday to attack the army and pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militia.

Junta troops prepare to set up a security checkpoints in Yangon, Myanmar, July 19, 2022. Credit: RFA

Reactions to UNs statement

Saturdays executions have drawn widespread condemnation, including from the U.N. Security Council, but the junta defended its decision earlier this week, saying it executed the activists for aiding acts of terror as part of the civilian resistance to the regime.

The Security Councils statement drew mixed reactions on Friday from observers and political analysts, depending on whether they support the people or the junta.

Kyaw Htwe, a member of the Central Working Committee of the deposed National League for Democracy, said he welcomed the councils statement but that the body must provide more effective assistance if Myanmar is to return to the road to democracy.

The goal of democracy desired by the Myanmar people will be reached quickly if the U.N. Security Council, various countries of the world, and all nations that value democracy and human rights, provide effective assistance in all possible ways to bring an end to the military council, he said.

RFA could not reach junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment. At a press conference on Tuesday, he said the junta carried out the executions knowing that there would be objections at home and abroad.

China-based political analyst Hla Kyaw Zaw said it is not easy for Russia and China to protect the military regime against the will of the people. The two nations have consistently used their veto power in the Security Council to protect successive Myanmar military dictators from being punished for human rights violations.

The public has been very firm, very strong-willed, he said. Because of this, both Russia and China joined the move. It is the result of our people showing they will never let down their spirit to fight this military dictatorship.

But Thein Tun Oo, executive director of the Thayninga Strategic Studies Institute, a group of former Burmese military officers, said the Security Councils statement was passed on account of political pressure.

They can issue a statement that they are not happy with or they do not accept such and such actions, based on human rights  but they cannot take action against Myanmar for carrying out a death penalty.

Translated by Khin Maung Nyane for RFA Burmese. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.
A Russian ammunition storage unit in northern Crimea has exploded, Russia's Defense Ministry said, injuring at least two people and prompting the evacuation of thousands of nearby residents. The ministry blamed the blast on sabotage.

Local news organizations, meanwhile, reported a second explosion on August 16 at a nearby electrical substation in the Dzhankoy district of the Russian-occupied Black Sea peninsula.

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.

It was unclear if the two incidents, which occurred around the same time, were related.

Ukrainian officials avoided publicly or directly claiming responsibility for the incidents but some appeared to suggest Kyiv was involved.

Crimea was captured and annexed by Russia in 2014 and is still internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory, but Moscow has threatened severe reprisals for any attacks on the peninsula.

The New York Times quoted an unnamed senior Ukrainian official as saying an elite Ukrainian military unit that was operating behind enemy lines was responsible for the explosions.

The head of Zelenskiy's office, Andriy Yermak, wrote on Twitter that "the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue the filigree 'demilitarization' operation to fully rid our land of Russian invaders."

"Our soldiers are the best sponsors of a good mood," Yermak added, "Crimea is Ukraine."

Mykhaylo Podolyak, another top Zelenskiy aide, said on Twitter that thelatest blasts were a reminder that the "Crimea occupied by Russians is about warehouses, explosions and a high risk of death for invaders and thieves."

"What is stolen does not bring prosperity," Podolyak later told Ukrainian television.

Video and photographs posted on Telegram and other social media showed a series of blasts and explosions in the district, which is not far from the administrative border with the mainland Ukrainian region of Kherson, now occupied by Russian forces.

Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the explosion occurred at a temporary storage facility for ammunition. The ministry later blamed the blast on unidentified saboteurs.

"On the morning of August 16, as a result of sabotage, a military warehouse near the village of Dzhankoy was damaged. A number of civilian facilities, including power lines, a power plant, a railway track, as well as a number of residential buildings, were damaged," the ministry said in a statement.

"There are no serious casualties. Necessary measures are being taken to eliminate the consequences of sabotage," it added.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russia-appointed governor for the peninsula, said two people had been injured and that railway traffic had been disrupted. About 3,000 people were also evacuated from a nearby village, he said.

Refat Chubarov, a prominent leader of the Crimean Tatar community, also said in a post on Facebook that the explosion occurred at an ammunition depot.

Two local Crimea news organizations, Kryminform and Crimean Wind, reported that a transformer at an electrical substation had also exploded or caught fire.

Russia's Energy Ministry was quoted by news agencies as confirming a fire at the Crimea substation, but said it had been contained. No cause was given.

The incidents came roughly a week after a series of explosions tore through Russia's Saky air base in a western district of Crimea, destroying a number of Russian warplanes.

There's been no confirmation as to what caused those explosions, though satellite imagery showed extensive destruction at the base. Most observers suggest Ukrainian forces were responsible but Kyiv has not claimed any responsibility.

Mykhaylo Podolyak, a top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a post to Twitter that the latest blasts were a reminder that the "Crimea occupied by Russians is about warehouses, explosions and a high risk of death for invaders and thieves."

"What is stolen does not bring prosperity," Podolyak later told Ukrainian television.

The Dzhankoy district is about 50 kilometers from the Russian-occupied region of Kherson in southern Ukraine.

With reporting by Crimea.Realities, a project of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, and AP
A Swedish citizen has been arrested in Iran on espionage charges, Iranian state media reported on July 30, without providing details on the suspect's identity or the date of their detention.

The announcement comes amid diplomatic tensions between Tehran and Stockholm after a Swedish court sentenced a former Iranian official to life in prison for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners in Iran in the 1980s.

Sweden's Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case.

"This is a known and ongoing case which the Foreign Ministry has been working on for a while," a spokeswoman said in an emailed comment, quoted by Reuters.

The spokeswoman said that the case is that of a Swedish man whom the Foreign Ministry had said in May had been detained in Iran. Tehran did not report that arrest at that time.

Irans Intelligence Ministry said in a statement that the suspect had been under surveillanceduring several previous trips to Iran because of [their] suspicious behavior and contacts.

It said the suspect had visited Iranian cities that were entirely outside of tourist destinations." The suspect had allegedly visited Israel  the Islamic Republics arch-enemy  before going to Iran.

The ministry said the suspect has been taken into custody while leaving Iran.

Iran has arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals in recent years, often on widely criticized espionage and security-related charges.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa
Russia has found itself internationally isolated since President Vladimir Putin ordered a full invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

The West has imposed sanctions to punish Russia and impede Moscows ability to fund its war machine.

A surge in oil and gas prices -- major Russian exports -- have buoyed the countrys current account surplus, but the economy is sputtering, and prospects appear bleak.

Russias economy will shrink 15 percent this year and 3 percent in 2023, the Institute of International Finance recently predicted.

Western sanctions, an exodus of companies, a Russian brain-drain, and a collapse in exports will wipe out 15 years of economic gains, the global banking industry lobby group added.

That has some questioning whether Putins hold on power could become tenuous, including Iver Neumann, the director of Norways Fridtjof Nansen Institute and an expert on Russia.

He boldly predicts that Putins refusal to reform the countrys economy, magnified by the current invasion of its neighbor, could be the beginning of the end of his regime, although when this will occur is hard to predict.

So, since Putin's tenure sort of began 22 years ago, very little, if anything, has really happened to the economy. And I find it stunning that a trained Marxist like Putin simply doesn't grasp that material factors are of the essence, Neumann, author of Russia And The Idea Of Europe, recently told RFE/RLs Georgian Service.

Legacy Fixation

Putin says, The West will have its economy and we will have our volya, or will, and with that we will persevere. But it just doesnt work that way. So, I think this is the beginning of the end for Putins regime, Neumann predicted, adding that a fixation on his legacy may have pushed the Russian leader to invade Ukraine.

Following in the footsteps of Russian tsars of the past, Putin is now perhaps motivated to gather the Russian lands, Neumann explained.

Putin paid tribute on June 9 to Peter the Great on the 350th anniversary of his birth, drawing a parallel between what he portrayed as their twin historic quests to win back Russian lands.

"Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years. It would seem that he was at war with Sweden, he took something from them. He did not take anything from them, he returned [what was Russia's]," Putin said at the time.

So as with so many old despots, we've gotten to a point where Putin is thinking about the history books, and how do Russian tsars get into the history books, in a shining way? Well, they win wars, and they grab territory, Neumann said.

What comes after Putin is difficult to predict, Neumann said, since the Russian president and his regime have done a thorough job of rooting out what there was of organized liberal thinking and work in Russia. Bad for the country, good for the Putin regime.

Jailed Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, whose Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) was labeled extremist and outlawed last year, is cut from the mold of the typical Russian leader, Neumann said.

He is definitely standing up to power and he is speaking his mind. And he is doing it with no filter whatsoever. The man is super Russian in that respect. I'm impressed by Navalny, but I'm not very impressed by his finesse and this is not a refined person in any way. But he has the conviction of his opinions. And he is a good organizer, said Neumann.

Navalny was arrested in January 2021 upon his return to Moscow from Germany, where he was treated for a poison attack in Siberia in 2020 with what European labs defined as a Soviet-style nerve agent.

He was then handed a 2 1/2-year prison sentence for violating the terms of an earlier parole during his convalescence abroad. The original conviction is widely regarded as a trumped-up, politically motivated case.

Despite his anti-corruption credentials, Navalny may not be the Western-friendly figure some may believe he is, Neumann cautioned.

Navalny is in prison, his movement is super interesting. But Navalnys movement is not a clear-cut Westernizing movement -- it started as the Russian nationalist movement. I think of Navalny more as sort of Peter the Great in the making -- that one has to Westernize in order to bring Russia up to speed, as it were.

'Vicious Circle'

Even so, given the nature of the Russian system established and nurtured by Putin, the likelihood of someone like Navalny coming to power is minimal at best, suggested Neumann.

He has consistently talked about corruption being the problem of Russia, and the present regime being a regime of thieves, and he would go about [tackling corruption], which is not easy, because in a corrupt system, any new power will have to sort of consolidate its power by being corrupt itself. So how do you get out of that vicious circle? Neumann asked.

As Russias invasion drags on into a sixth month, and allegations of Russian war crimes and atrocities mount, Neumann advises the West not to close the door on talks with Moscow.

Well, one thing is for certain: Russia is not going anywhere, either politically with Putin or geographically. The country is where it is -- It can take a bit more territory in the Donbas, maybe it will get the land corridor from the Donbas to Crimea, but Russia, in whatever form, will be there. And we will have to speak to it in the future, he explained.

And this is the basic idea of diplomacy: that, if you have to speak to people at some point anyway, why not start right away? So, I think it's very, very important that we maintain some kind of conversation with Russia.

Written by RFE/RL correspondent Tony Wesolowsky based on an interview by Vazha Tavberidze from RFE/RL's Georgian Service.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced that the government has decided on the mandatory evacuation of people in the eastern Donetsk region, which had been the site of intense fighting with Russian invading forces.

In a late-night televised address on July 30, Zelenskiy also said that the hundreds of thousands of people still in combat zones in the larger Donbas region needed to leave.

"The more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian Army will have time to kill," he said, adding that residents would be given compensation.

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.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk was quoted by Ukrainian media as saying the evacuation needed to take place before winter begins since the region's natural gas supplies had been destroyed.

Zelenskiy said hundreds of thousands of people were still living in areas of Donbas where fighting was fierce.

"Many refuse to leave, but it still needs to be done," he said. "If you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in the Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave."

Earlier, the Ukrainian military said on July 30 that it had killed more than 100 Russian soldiers and destroyed two ammunition dumps in fresh fighting in the Kherson region, where Kyiv is concentrating its biggest counteroffensive since the start of the war.

The military's southern command said that rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnieper River had been cut, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river from supplies in Russian-annexed Crimea and the east.

Ukraine has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to badly damage three bridges across the river in recent weeks, making it more difficult for Russia to supply its forces.

"As a result of fire establishing control over the main transport links in occupied territory, it has been established that traffic over the rail bridge crossing the Dnieper is not possible," Ukraine's southern command said in a statement.

It said some 170 Russian soldiers had been killed and seven tanks destroyed in fighting on July 29 in the southern region.

The claims cannot be independently verified.

The Berislav district was particularly hard hit, according to Dmytro Butriy, the pro-Ukrainian governor of the Kherson region. Berislav is across the river, northwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant.

"In some villages, not a single home has been left intact, all infrastructure has been destroyed, people are living in cellars," Butriy wrote on Telegram.

Officials warned residents to stay away from Russian ammunition dumps.

"The Ukrainian Army is pouring it on against the Russians and this is only the beginning," Yuriy Sobolevskiy, the first deputy head of the Kherson regional council wrote on the Telegram app.

The Kherson region, which borders Crimea, fell to the Russians soon after the February 24 invasion.

Russian forces continued rocket attacks on towns and cities across Ukraine's sprawling front line overnight, killing at least one person and hitting civilian targets, Ukrainian officials said on July 30.

The mayor of the southern port city of Mykolayiv said that at least one person was killed and six others were wounded in shelling that hit a residential area. The strikes left windows and doors broken, and balconies destroyed," Oleksandr Sienkevych wrote on Telegram.

A school building was hit in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Russian rockets also hit a bus station in the city of Slovyansk, according to Mayor Vadym Lyakh. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Britain's Defense Ministry said on July 30 that Russia had likely established two pontoon bridges and a ferry system to compensate for bridges damaged in recent Ukrainian strikes.

In its regular bulletin the ministry said it is likely that Ukraine has also successfully repelled small- scale Russian assaults from the long-established front line near Donetsk city in the Donbas.

The previous day, the ministry tweeted that the Kremlin was growing desperate as Russia has lost tens of thousands of soldiers in the unjust war it wont win.

On July 30, Britain's MI6 foreign intelligence agency, Richard Moore, retweeted the Defense Ministrys comment, saying Russia is running out of steam.

With reporting by Reuters and unian.net
When Abraham Lincoln gave his famous address in Peoria, Illinois in 1854, slavery was the issue tearing apart the country, and Congress had just passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act championed by Sen. Stephen Douglas.

A central issue was whether slavery would be permitted in new territories entering the union.

Douglas' answer to the question was politics. Lincoln's answer was morality and the Bible.

Douglas' answer to slavery in new states, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, was democracy. Citizens would vote to permit or not permit slavery in their state.

Lincoln opposed the expansion of what he saw as the inherently evil institution of slavery.

In his Peoria speech, Lincoln stated, "Judge Douglas interrupted me to say that the principle of the Nebraska bill was very old: that it originated when God made man and placed good and evil before him, allowing him to choose for himself, being responsible for the choice he should make."

Lincoln's answer was, "God did not place good and evil before man, telling him to make his choice. On the contrary, he did tell him there was one tree, of the fruit of which he should not eat, on pain of certain death."

Lincoln argued, essentially, that at the heart of political freedom stands man's free choice and that the choices man makes have profound importance and consequences.

Douglas argued that the most important thing is that we can choose. Lincoln argued that the most important thing is what we choose.

Now here we are, almost 170 years after Lincoln and Douglas faced off in Peoria, and the nation is at a similar crossroads in another issue of grave moral consequence -- our responsibilities to the unborn.

Justice Samuel Alito, in his opinion in the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, argued from a legal, constitutional perspective. His conclusion, contrary to the court's conclusion in Roe v. Wade, was the U.S. Constitution does not contain a right for a woman to abort her child.

However, the practical, moral result of this decision is that Alito put the nation on the moral footing where Lincoln argued regarding slavery.

The moral consequence of Roe v. Wade was to institutionalize Douglas' argument that our ultimate American value is choice -- not what we choose.

The moral consequence of the Dobbs decision is to secure the notion that where, in the preamble of the U.S. Constitution, it says its aim is to "secure the blessings of liberty," that what the Constitution protects is our responsibility to make the right choices. Choice is not the ultimate end, but what we choose.

But it's not over. Now we have clarification that it is not moral relativism that our Constitution secures, but deeper truths of right and wrong.

Now that we know what the Constitution does not do, we will find out what our 50 states will choose to do, meaning where the consciences are of the individual citizens in those states, who will determine these outcomes.

We are in a place eerily similar to what Douglas wanted regarding slavery. Now states will choose yes or no on abortion.

In other words, will states decide that the ultimate value is the ability to choose, or is the ultimate value what choices are made?

Is our ultimate value that a woman have the option to destroy her unborn child, or is our ultimate value sanctity of life?

These are the questions before us and that will define who we are as a nation and as a people.

Although in the 1850s the country was deeply divided on the issue of slavery, one would be hard-pressed today to find anyone who would agree with Douglas that democracy and the vote should decide whether slavery would be permitted.

I predict that history will take the same course regarding our increasing awareness regarding the sanctity of life and our responsibility to protect the unborn. But clearly, we are in for the long haul.
Look at this hilarious ad targeting Democrat Mark Kelly, U.S. Senator from Arizona, who is up for re-election in November 2022. The ad says at the end, "the NRSC is responsible for the content of this advertising." I am assuming they are also responsible for funding the ad, but that's never quite made clear. The National Republican Senatorial Committee, according to OpenSecrets.org, is: "The Republican Party's chief fundraising committee dedicated to electing Republican candidates to the U.S. Senate."

You can look around the entry on NRSC at OpenSecrets.org to see how much money the committee has raised, who has contributed that money, and who has received that money. The website states, "Totals here include expenditures made both by the main committee and by all its affiliated committees." For instance, for the 2022 election cycle, the committee has raised $473,469,553 and spent $459,428,131. That's a lot of dough. And they apparently spent some of that cash on the hilarious anti-Mark Kelly ad, which I don't think is as "hard hitting" as they think it is. The graphics are silly and endearing. Throughout the ad a cartoon Biden and Kelly wander through a park, where they picnic and frolic. Biden gives Kelly flowers, and they share a box of chocolates. The script is also redonk. It "exposes" really obvious things, like the fact that Kelly votes with the Democrats the majority of the time (isn't that what he's supposed to do? Ooh, gotcha!). The whole thing is just hilarious, in a sort of heart-warming way. Granted, I'm not the target audience, but all the ad did for me was make me want to vote for Mark Kelly even more. Check it out. Here's a transcript:

Looooooove! It makes us do crazy things, and Mark Kelly's been weak in the knees since Joe Biden's been in office. Kelly's voted with Biden 97% of the time  open borders, $1400 stimulus checks for felons, crippled U.S. oil production. Through every Biden misstep and disaster, Mark Kelly has said "Yes, Dear!" It's looooooove! Don't be blinded like Mark Kelly.

My favorite part is at the end, when cartoon Biden gets on one knee and proposes to cartoon Kelly, who is sitting on a park bench. Biden hands him a ring that says "All of my disasters," and Kelly gleefully accepts, saying, "Yes, Dear." LOL. I, for one, can't wait to vote for Mark Kelly. But in the meantime, please, NRSC, keep sending us these hilarious ads!
I was on Facebook the other day and somehow got recommended a Facebook Live that was called "Pure Blood Love Live." I was like huh, does "pure blood" mean what I think it does? I watched a little of the video and read a bit of the page it was featured onwhich was an anti-masking groupand sure enough, yes, by "pure blood" they mean "folks who haven't gotten the COVID-19 vaccination." So I wondered how common this was and decided to see if I could find out more.

Turns out that during the first year of the pandemic, many dating sites for the "vaccine free" popped up all over the world, while mainstream dating sites like Match, eHarmony, and Tinder also added a feature so you could narrow your choices by vaccination status. I guess both of these phenomena aren't too surprising, and surely being able to narrow your choices to either vaxxed or unvaxxed is helpful to the folks using the sites. But one of the most popular dating sites for the unvaccinated, "Unjected," takes all of this to another level. Unjected embraces language around blood purity (see their website description of themselves, below)  "mRNA free blood," "tainted blood supply," "safe blood match," "integrity of the population"  that is disturbingly reminiscent of Nazi discourses about "purity of blood."

As the Museum of Tolerance explains:

Hitler's racial ideology stemmed from what he called "the basic principle of the blood." This meant that the blood of every person and every race contained the soul of a person and likewise the soul of his race, the Volk. Hitler believed that the Aryan race, to which all "true" Germans belonged, was the race whose blood (soul) was of the highest degree. God Himself had, in fact, created the Aryans as the most perfect men, both physically and spiritually.

Maybe this connection is a huge stretch, but at the very least folks should be aware of the language they are using and seek to find other ways to express their ideas, if they don't want people to make that leap. So what is Unjected? The website describes the site and project this way:

Created by two moms in Hawaii, during the height of the vaccine rollout spring 2021; Unjected is a multi-faceted platform of health conscious, covid-19 unvaccinated humans who believe in medical freedom, freedom of choice, freedom of speech & bodily autonomy. After slander in the media, we have grown to an ever multiplying 110,000 members in 85 different countries around the world in pursuit of love, friendships, community, business connections, and even mRNA free blood directories & fertility directories to protect the integrity of the population. -Unjected is for any Covid-19 unvaccinated adult, who is looking for connection with like minded individuals in their area or across the world. -Features to help you find love with mRNA free partners. -Find friendships with those who truly understand "what's really going on." -Social feeds without fact checkers. -Listings features to connect and do business with those who have always been mandate free or find local artists and creatives to support your local unvaccinated community. -If you're concerned about the tainted blood supply, find your safe blood match. Or even if you're looking for mRNA free donors for reproductive services. Unjected is for you.

Recently, a programmer called GeopJr discovered that the Unjected website was a security risk and all of its users' data were vulnerable. The Daily Dot explains:

The site's administrator dashboard was openly accessible to anyone. The dashboard allows Unjected's administrators to add, edit, or deactivate pages, such as the website's "About Us" section, as well as users' accounts. The discovery was made after GeopJr noticed that Unjected's web application framework had been left in debug mode, allowing them to learn pertinent information "that someone with malicious intent could abuse." After the Daily Dot set up a test account on the platform, GeopJr was able to change the account's private email address, username, and profile picture. GeopJr was also able to edit a public post made by the Daily Dot and change its wording. Other data such as the site's backups could be downloaded or deleted. GeopJr was able to give away $15 per month subscriptions to Unjected as well as reply to and delete help center tickets and reported posts.

When alerted to the security vulnerability, Unjected's co-founder Shelby Thomson emailed the Daily Dot to inform them that the Unjected security team would fix the problem ASAP. Even after 'fixing' the vulnerabilities, however, users continued to report "running into numerous glitches on Unjected that made their personal information even more exposed than before."

Good job, Unjected, way to be on top of things! It's shockingSHOCKING, I tell you!that a website devoted to anti-vaxx "pure blood" propaganda would somehow not be fully knowledgeable on cybersecurity and up to date on security protocols. As if you needed any more reasons to stay far far away.
Hopeful cannabis retailers have a lot of ideas and a lot of questions, but they are short on answers when it comes to the nitty gritty of how things will work day-to-day in the retail cannabis space.

With the industry still evolving and regulations still being written, it's hard to make a plan. Much of what would-be participants will be able to do and how they'll be able to do it is unclear  and that's if they can get their hands on a retail license amid stiff competition.

While hopeful operators can look to other states for an idea on how some things may shake out, New York is writing its rules in a way it hopes will avoid some of the common pitfalls that have happened elsewhere in places that legalized pot first, such as California and Colorado, where high taxes have dampened the legal market.

Here are just some of the issues operators face going foward.

There's still a stigma. Will consumers feel just as comfortable entering a recreational pot store as they are a liquor store?

Though society has become much more progressive than it was in years past, there is still a stigma about wanting to get high.

The industry has done a great job erasing the stigma surrounding medical use of CBD. Consumers have widely been able to use CBD products without embarrassment, even talking to their doctors about how much they should take for pain relief or peaceful sleep.

But there's another bridge to cross when it comes to using cannabis for recreation.

"There's no shame in being a euphoria user and more people need to talk about that," said Kristin Jordan, the CEO of Park Jordan, a commercial real estate brokerage that advises the cannabis industry.

Getting past that stigma will be essential if shopkeepers want to fully build a base of customers who feel comfortable going to their shops and buying pot in a public place.

Will the medical and recreational markets collide?

Will medical marijuana patients still need to use a card when they purchase their cannabis? Will retailers be able to sell medical marijuana and recreational cannabis under one roof? Will there be enough supply from growers to keep up with the added demand?

Answers are unclear. What is clear, though, is that the state is trying to learn from the medical marijuana trade as it goes forward with its adult-use licenses.

It is particularly trying to learn how to nurture smaller businesses and keep the bigger operations from steamrolling them with their higher budgets.

"We have multi-million-dollar medical marijuana companies that are publicly traded," said Chris Alexander, executive director of the New York State office of Cannabis Management.

"What we wanted to do was prioritize finding a way to get our small operators some space first," he said. "I think that being creative on the front end with the conditional cultivators, processors and retailers, we've done some initial work to show the priority we have for small businesses."

To diversify or specialize? Usually when a retailer enters the market, they have a line on who their competitors are and which niches need filling. Not so here.

Byron Cage, a hopeful retail licensee with the Higher Calling in Syracuse, is concentrating on the retail end. He's biding his time by focusing on educating others about the industry and fighting for the social justice that is the key component in how the legalized pot laws are written. His store sells branded hats and clothing online for now.

"You have to get involved early, make your stamp and build your niche now," he said.

Glenna Colaprete, a cannabis grower and spa operator in the Rochester area, is taking a different approach. She is looking to diversify into several aspects of the legal pot market.

Colaprete is a licensed cultivator, processor and distributor.

She also owns two Rochester area spas that use her company's CBD-based products in massages and facials. She has also expressed interest in contract producing infused beverages for other retailers.

"I would like to do more," she said.

Operators will have to decide which approach they want to take.

Banking remains a challenge. Without federal rules legalizing cannabis sales, banks are afraid to do business with operators out of fear they will be penalized by financial regulators.

That means operators cannot rely on traditional lending and are often forced give away equity in their companies. They also have trouble doing something as simple as keeping a bank account.

"I tell people to take 'cannabis' out of their name, it just adds a level of difficulty," said Colaprete whose company calls itself Colorado's Brand Distributing. "We've been cancelled by banks so many times."

Colaprete has also been dropped by website hosts, ecommerce platforms and even Quickbooks, she said.
Species of the horse genus Equus first appeared on the North American continent during the Pliocene era and spread to and across Eurasia beginning around 2.5 million years ago. They disappeared from the Western Hemisphere during the megafauna extinction event at the end of the Pleistocene and the last glacial period. The return of equids to the Americas through the introduction of the domestic horse (Equus caballus) is documented in the historical literature but is not explored fully either archaeologically or genetically. Historical documents suggest that the first domestic horses were brought from the Iberian Peninsula to the Caribbean in the late 15th century CE, but archaeological remains of these early introductions are rare. In new research, scientists from the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Georgia Museum of Natural History sequenced the mitochondrial genome of a 16th century horse from the Spanish colonial site of Puerto Real, northern Haiti.

Located on the island of Hispaniola, the town of Puerto Real was one of Spains first colonized settlements.

It was established in 1507 and served for decades as the last port of call for ships sailing from the Caribbean.

But rampant piracy and the rise of illegal trade in the 16th century forced the Spanish to consolidate their power elsewhere on the island, and in 1578, residents were ordered to evacuate Puerto Real. The abandoned town was destroyed the following year by Spanish officials.

The remnants of the once-bustling port were inadvertently rediscovered by the medical missionary William Hodges in 1975.

Archaeological excavations of the site led by the Florida Museum of Natural Historys Dr. Kathleen Deagan were carried out between 1979 and 1990.

Horse fossils and associated artifacts were incredibly rare at Puerto Real and similar sites from the time period.

Horses were reserved for individuals of high status, and owning one was a sign of prestige, said lead author Dr. Nicolas Delsol, a researcher at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

There are full-page descriptions of horses in the documents that chronicle the arrival of Hernan Cortes in Mexico, demonstrating how important they were to the Spanish.

In a new study, Dr. Delsol and his colleagues examined a tooth fragment, originally misidentified as cow, found at Puerto Real.

They sequenced the mitochondrial genome, not only allowing for a correct identification, but also making this the earliest known complete mitogenome of a post-Columbian domestic horse in the Americas.

According to the team, this horse belongs to a genetic lineage called equine haplogroup A, whose members are well known from Southern Europe, supporting the hypothesis that they originated on the Iberian Peninsula.

Furthermore, this horses closest living relatives are the feral ponies of Chincoteague Island, Virginia, said by local folk stories to have become stranded after a Spanish shipwreck.

Although the study presents only a single mitochondrial genome, the authors suggest the results are significant in multiple respects.

First, this horses position within a common Iberian lineage supports documentation of the Iberian Peninsula as the source of many early American domestic horses.

Second, the relationships between this horse and others in the Americas will help clarify our understanding of the path horses took as they colonized the Americas.

Our study highlights how ancient DNA can help us understand cultural and historical processes, not only in the remote past but also in understudied episodes of more recent history, the authors said.

The analysis of the introduction of European domesticates (e.g. the horse) in the Americas is such a fascinating yet understudied topic.

Our results support the Iberian origins of these animals but they also highlight another narrative: the exploration of the mid-Atlantic coast by the Spanish early during the colonial period.

The study was published in the journal PLoS ONE.

_____

N. Delsol et al. 2022. Analysis of the earliest complete mtDNA genome of a Caribbean colonial horse (Equus caballus) from 16th-century Haiti. PLoS ONE 17 (7): e0270600; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270600
Niagara Falls police and the Niagara Falls Fire Department found a 59-year-old dead from a gunshot wound on the 500 block of 19th Street on Friday night, the City of Niagara Falls Mayor's Office said in a press release Saturday.

At about 11:30 p.m., emergency crews responded to a call about an unresponsive male, who was found dead at the scene, the release said.

Detectives are continuing the investigation and ask anyone with information to contact the Niagara Falls Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division at 716-286-4553 or the general information line at 716-286-4711.
The flying spider-monkey tree fern, scientifically known as Alsophila spinulosa, is a species of tree fern widely distributed across Asia.

Land plants evolved 470 million years ago from aquatic algae and have since transformed the terrestrial ecosystem.

The body plan of land plants has undergone a series of developmental, biochemical and physiological adaptations, one of which is the appearance of vascular tissues.

In seed plants, xylem, with thickened cell walls, provides the trunk with high water-conducting efficiency and strong structural support.

Lignin is an essential component of xylem secondary cell walls  it not only gives mechanical support in fiber cells but also forms a hydrophobic surface in vessels to aid water transport.

Outside of seed plants, tree ferns  members of the order Cyatheales  are one of the few lineages having tree-like trunks.

These plants have high ornamental values and are regarded as a resource for natural products with pharmaceutical applications.

Some molecules have been identified as having antitumor and antibacterial activities in the tree fern Alsophila spinulosa, but they probably represent only a small fraction of the total natural product diversity.

Many tree fern species are also being overexploited, which, in combination with climate change, poses serious threats to their survival.

A better understanding of their recent demographic history will help guide future conservation efforts.

Ferns are the earliest vascular plants, and lignified cell walls were a key innovation during the evolution of these plants, said Professor Ray Ming, a researcher in the Department of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

This study has improved our understanding of how vascular tissues developed in ferns and other land plant species.

In the study, Professor Ming and colleagues sequenced the genome of Alsophila spinulosa and investigated how its vascular tissues are constructed.

They found that two Vascular-related Mac-Domain genes were highly expressed in xylem compared to other tissues, indicating that these might be key regulators in the formation of xylem-specific cells.

Using microscopy and biochemical methods, they also measured the levels of lignin and secondary metabolites in ferns.

They found that lignin made up 40% of the stem cell wall. In comparison, wood generally contains 25%.

They also discovered a new secondary metabolite primarily made in the xylem, which they named alsophilin.

This new compound is abundant in the xylem, likely as one of the compounds filling up the cavity of non-functional tracheid cells, Professor Ming said.

We also identified the genes involved in the biosynthesis of alsophilin in the genome.

To understand how ferns evolved, the researchers compared the genomic sequence of Alsophila spinulosa to other members of the same species across nine locations in China.

To their surprise, they discovered that there were six distinct populations, differing in their genomic sequences.

Based on their sequencing results, the authors reconstructed the history of the fern population and saw that there were two times that these species underwent a drastic decrease in population numbers.

The first one occurred 35.6-34.5 million years ago and the second occurred 2.5-0.7 million years ago.

This analysis of genomes and lignin composition from a broader collection of ferns will help us understand the role of lignin in the early lineage of vascular plants, Professor Ming said.

In our future studies, we hope to increase the number of locations and the sample sizes for the genomic analysis.

The results were published in the journal Nature Plants.

_____

X. Huang et al. The flying spider-monkey tree fern genome provides insights into fern evolution and arborescence. Nat. Plants 8, 500-512; doi: 10.1038/s41477-022-01146-6
Lunar pits, and caves to which they may lead, would make thermally stable sites  around a comfortable 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit)  for lunar exploration compared to areas at the Moons surface, which heat up to 127 degrees Celsius (260 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and cool to minus 173 degrees Celsius (minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit) at night.

Pit craters are formed from the collapsed ceilings of subsurface void spaces, such as natural caves or lava tubes.

Collapse pits have been found on every major rocky body of the inner Solar System. However, distinct overhangs have only been observed on Earth and the Moon.

They are typically the result of a structural instability triggered by seismic activity, tectonism, and/or impacts.

Since the discovery of lunar pits by JAXAs SELENE spacecraft in 2009, there has been interest in whether they provide access to caves that could be explored by rovers and astronauts.

About 16 of the more than 200 pits are probably collapsed lava tubes, said lead author Tyler Horvath, a doctoral student at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Two of the most prominent lunar pits have visible overhangs that clearly lead to caves or voids, and there is strong evidence that anothers overhang may also lead to a large cave.

Humans evolved living in caves, and to caves we might return when we live on the Moon, said co-author Dr. David Paige, a researcher in the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles.

To find out if the temperature within the lunar pits diverged from those on the surface, the study authors analyzed data from the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment aboard NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

Focusing on a roughly cylindrical 100-m- (328- foot) deep depression in the Mare Tranquillitatis, they used computer modeling to analyze the thermal properties of the rock and lunar dust and to chart the pits temperatures over time.

Their results revealed that temperatures within the permanently shadowed reaches of the pit fluctuate only slightly throughout the lunar day, remaining at around 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit).

If a cave extends from the bottom of the pit, as images taken by LROs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera suggest, it too would have this relatively comfortable temperature.

The shadowing overhang is responsible for the steady temperature, limiting how hot things gets during the day and preventing heat from radiating away at night, the researchers said.

A day on the Moon lasts about 15 Earth days, during which the surface is constantly bombarded by sunlight and is frequently hot enough to boil water. Brutally cold nights also last about 15 Earth days.

The teams paper was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

_____

Tyler Horvath et al. Thermal and Illumination Environments of Lunar Pits and Caves: Models and Observations From the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment. Geophysical Research Letters, published online July 8, 2022; doi: 10.1029/2022GL099710
A school supplies giveaway in honor of the late Dr. Jonathan D. Daniels will be held Sunday afternoon at Urban Family Practice in East Buffalo.

The Jonathan D. Daniels, M.D., Memorial School Drive, which the University at Buffalo plans to make an annual event, will provide free backpacks and school supplies to Buffalo children in kindergarten through 12th grade. A total of 300 backpacks stuffed with school supplies, which were donated by the students, faculty and staff of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

The event starts at 1 p.m. in the parking lot of Urban Family Practice at 1315 Jefferson Ave.

Daniels, a well-known Buffalo pediatrician who also was associate director of admissions at the Jacobs School, and two of his daughters, Jordan A., 27, and Jensen A., 23, died July 4 in a fire at their Huntington Avenue home. Daniels was a mentor for many medical students at the Jacobs School, including Beatrice Gonzalez.

'He touched thousands and thousands of lives': Dr. Jonathan Daniels remembered as caring to peers, patients Tributes came pouring in after pediatrician Dr. Jonathan D. Daniels, 53, and two of his daughters, Jordan A., 27, and Jensen A., 23, died Monday in a fire at their Huntington Avenue home.

Before his tragic death, Daniels and Gonzalez had been planning such a school supply drive over the summer. In a statement from UB, Gonzalez said she was even more determined to go ahead with the event after losing her mentor.

"Dr. Daniels and I shared a lot of visions and this backpack event was one of them," said Gonzalez, who received her master's degree from the Jacobs School in May. "The idea behind it was to give students the resources that many of us didn't have when we grew up. After his death, it was important for me to continue his legacy and to move forward with our vision."
When Richard Dean Clark was on trial for the rape and murder of a 15-year-old girl in Ukiah, one of the jurors started feeling qualms about the death penalty, which he generally supported. So he decided to consult his minister.

He told me that in these circumstances the death sentence would be appropriate because the Bible says an eye for an eye, the juror recalled later in a statement to the court. The ministers advice was useful. I had long believed that anyone who is guilty of murder and convicted with a special circumstance should be given the death penalty.

Now, 37 years after the killing, and 35 years after Clark was convicted and sentenced to death, a federal judge in San Francisco has overturned the death verdict because of the jurors contact with a person who may have influenced his vote.

The juror sought his ministers advice on a profound moral question at the exact moment that he contemplated he would have to make the judgment whether to impose life or death, said U.S. District Judge William Orrick III.

Prosecutors said the juror told them he had based his sentencing vote on the evidence of the case. But Orrick said the timing and circumstances of the conversation, which took place during jury deliberations, permits the reasonable inference that (the jurors) sentencing vote was influenced by his improper conversation with his minister.

The judge issued his ruling as a preliminary decision in May and made it a final order July 14 when opposing sides in the case decided not to request a hearing. District Attorney C. David Eyster of Mendocino County, where the killing occurred, said Friday the ruling probably means Clark will be resentenced to life in prison without parole.

The state Attorney Generals Office, which prosecuted the case because a recently elected district attorney had possible conflicts of interest, will not appeal Orricks ruling and opposes a new penalty trial, Eyster said in an interview. He said he would prefer to appeal the case as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, but such review seems unlikely, and the victims family members have told him they did not want to live through a new death penalty proceeding. I dont want to torture them any further.

Clark, then 21, was convicted of raping and murdering 15-year-old Rosie Grover of Ukiah. According to published reports of the trial, she had phoned the California Highway Patrol during early morning hours in July 1985 and asked for a ride home from a bus depot, saying she was afraid to walk by herself. But the dispatcher told her to call the Police Department.

Two hours later, she was found stabbed and beaten to death in a creek bed. Clarks lawyer said his client had been under the influence of cocaine, methamphetamine, alcohol and marijuana, and after recovering the next day was horrified by what he had done. He confessed to police immediately after his arrest.

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.

After learning about the jurors conversation with his minister, defense lawyers asked the state Supreme Court to overturn Clarks death sentence but were turned down. In federal court, U.S. District Judge William Alsup initially upheld Clark's murder conviction and death sentence, but the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered reconsideration in 2019 based on a recent ruling in another case in which a juror had contacted a friend during deliberations. The case was reassigned to Orrick after Alsup transferred to senior status, with a reduced caseload.

In his recent ruling, Orrick said there was no reason to believe the minister had affected the jurors decision to convict Clark. But he noted references in the jurors statement to Clarks horrible childhood, and other evidence indicating the juror had experienced some spiritual or moral doubt about sentencing that could have been influenced by his talk with the minister.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified the judge who had initially upheld the death sentence. It was U.S. District Judge William Alsup.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo has renamed its Mitchell Campus in Cheektowaga to the Milch-Mitchell Campus to honor the late Dr. Robert A. Milch, the organization's co-founder.

Bobs legacy extends far beyond this campus, said Dr. Christopher Kerr, the CEO and chief medical officer of Hospice & Palliative Care Buffalo. Bob is recognized, nationally and internationally, as a pioneer in the hospice movement."

In 1978, Milch became a co-founder of Hospice Buffalo, serving as its first volunteer medical director and later its first full-time director.

The Hospice Mitchell Campus, named for the Mitchell family, opened in 1995 as the nations first integrated hospice campus with a 22-bed residence and 10-bed inpatient unit. The campus effort was spearheaded by another early pioneer, Jock Mitchell, a hospice volunteer and board member, according to a release from the organization.

"I am honored and proud to have Bobs name next to mine in naming this caring and compassionate campus, Mitchell said.

Milch's efforts were instrumental in launching the campus, which includes the nations first freestanding hospice inpatient Unit, Kerr said.

Milch died June 4, 2021, after a short illness.
Federal regulators last week loosened stringent rules around prescribing TPOXX, the only antiviral available to treat monkeypox. But the drug remains scarce, even in San Francisco, where health care infrastructure is better equipped than most to administer the medication.

The issue is not supply but rather the bureaucracy health care providers must navigate to prescribe the drug, a two-week course of pills, which may prevent lesions from worsening.

Thats because TPOXX, or tecovirimat, is not FDA-approved to treat monkeypox and can be given only under a federal designation called expanded access investigational new drug use. The designation requires doctors to seek federal or local institutional approval to prescribe the drug and collect and submit much more documentation for each patient than is required for most other medications.

Most health care providers have not cleared those hurdles yet, severely limiting access to the drug at a time the virus is spreading rapidly and interest in treatments is growing.

Where can I get TPOXX? There are 36 health care providers in California authorized to prescribe the monkeypox antiviral pill. By county, they are: Alameda: Kaiser Oakland, Kaiser San Leandro Contra Costa: Kaiser Walnut Creek Fresno: Kaiser Fresno, UCSF Fresno Long Beach: Long Beach Health and Human Services Los Angeles: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles LGBT Center, L.A. Central Health Center, Men's Health Foundation, Kaiser South Bay (Harbor City) Orange: STD Clinic 17th Street Testing and Treatment-Orange County Health Care Agency Sacramento: Sacramento County Public Health STD Clinic, Kaiser Sacramento San Diego: UC San Diego, Scripps, Family Health Centers of San Diego, Kaiser San Diego, Kaiser Zion Medical Center, San Diego County STI Clinic San Francisco: San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF, San Francisco City Clinic, Kaiser San Francisco, San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center San Mateo: Kaiser South San Francisco San Joaquin: Dignity Health Medical Group Stockton Santa Clara: Santa Clara Health System, Stanford Healthcare Pharmacy, Kaiser Santa Clara, Kaiser San Jose Solano: Kaiser Napa (Vacaville) Sonoma: Kaiser Santa Rosa Source: California Department of Public Health See More Collapse

There are reasons federal regulators require providers to jump through extra hoops to prescribe TPOXX. While the drug is FDA-approved to treat smallpox, a more severe cousin of monkeypox, it has not been approved to treat monkeypox. TPOXX has gone through human clinical trials that show its safe, but it has not gone through randomized controlled human clinical trials for effectiveness in treating monkeypox.

We really dont know if this medication works, said Dr. Stephanie Cohen, medical director of San Francisco City Clinic who is helping lead the San Francisco Department of Public Healths monkeypox response. We do not have good efficacy data on this medication. At the same time, we do have reassuring safety data and as a health care provider, all health care providers want to be able to offer something to patients who are suffering that might help. We dont know whether or not this hastens healing.

Statewide, only 35 health care providers are authorized to prescribe TPOXX, according to the California Department of Public Health. While that number is up significantly from just a handful a couple of weeks ago, it leaves major gaps in coverage. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late last week scaled back some requirements for providers to prescribe TPOXX, but even that hasnt removed all barriers, local health officials say.

Theres still quite a lot of paperwork thats required to prescribe tecovirimat that is making it difficult for community providers and health care providers throughout San Francisco to take this on, Cohen said.

San Francisco has more providers than most jurisdictions able to prescribe TPOXX: UCSF, San Francisco General Hospital, City Clinic, Kaiser San Francisco and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Those providers have collectively prescribed TPOXX to about 50 patients, Cohen said, including some who were referred from other parts of the Bay Area because their regular providers couldnt give it to them.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease physician at UCSF whos treating monkeypox patients from the current outbreak, likened the current state of TPOXX availability to the early days of COVID-19. In those early months, patients with severe COVID were coming to UCSF from all over the region to receive the intravenous antiviral remdesivir  which at the time was scarce and reserved for the sickest patients. Remdesivir is now widely available.

Providers have to get approval from the CDC or their own institutional review board, or both, to be able to prescribe the drug. This is generally easier for large academic institutions because they have more experience than small community clinics running clinical trials and dealing with experimental drugs.

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.

Then theres the time and resources providers must spend to document each patients treatment. For each patient who gets TPOXX, providers must obtain informed consent, supply an intake form describing the patients condition at the time they sought treatment and conduct follow-up visits at days 7 and 21 of treatment. This information must be sent to the CDC, and it takes extra staff and time to do  something not all medical offices have. These requirements are a scaled-back version of the paperwork; prior to the CDCs rollback of restrictions last week, providers had to also submit lab results and photos, and visits had to be done in person. Now the visits can be done online via telehealth instead of in person.

Because monkeypox hasnt been deemed a public health emergency in the United States, providers absorb the cost of administering TPOXX, Chin-Hong said. The pills themselves are free, paid for by the federal government, but the staff time to submit the paperwork and track each patient is not covered by insurance.

Most people who get monkeypox probably wont need antiviral treatment. Symptoms are mild for many people and often resolve with the help of over-the-counter pain relievers. But for the minority of patients who have more serious cases  lesions on certain parts of the body, or who are at risk for severe disease  the drugs can provide relief or reduce severity.

If lesions are near the eye, for instance, they can affect vision and even cause blindness, Chin-Hong said. If theyre in or near the mouth, it can be very painful to eat and drink. Lesions on or near the rectum or urethra can scar and result in narrowing of the anal canal or urethra. And people who are at risk of developing a serious case  such as children, pregnant women, people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised and people with serious skin conditions like eczema  could also benefit, Chin-Hong said.

Catherine Ho (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

An Alameda County Superior Court judge said in a tentative ruling Friday that UC Berkeley could move forward with its controversial plan to build housing at Peoples Park.

The university cant break ground until the ruling becomes final sometime next week when the judge issues a written order.

The ruling comes after local groups sued the university, challenging its long-range development plan, which calls for building housing for 11,730 students by 2037.

The groups behind the lawsuit  Make UC a Good Neighbor, the Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group, Berkeley Citizens for a Better Plan and UCs largest union employer  argued that the long-range plans environmental analysis was inadequate and the university didnt take historic resources, like Peoples Park, into account.

The judge said the environmental analysis for the individual projects associated with the long-range development plan stand and do not violate environmental law.

We are pleased by this latest development and look forward to it becoming official and also look forward to starting construction sometime this summer, said Dan Mogulof, UC spokesperson.

At stake is a major part of the universitys plans to help house its students, who continue to suffer from the lack of affordable rentals in the area, with some struggling with homelessness. The long-range development plan includes two housing projects: the Anchor House project that would house 772 transfer students, and the controversial Peoples Park project to build student housing for more than 1,100 students and 125 formerly homeless people.

In addition, the opponents argued in court that the universitys long-range development failed to properly analyze neighborhood and traffic impacts, and wildlife concerns. They also said that noise from students coming and going, and partying could impact the neighborhood.

Earlier this month, an appeals court temporarily prohibited the university from starting construction at Peoples Park. The university was forced to delay construction, demolition and tree-clearing on the 2.8-acre site.

In September, UC Berkeley approved a $312 million plan to build the Peoples Park project, with construction slated to begin this summer before the lawsuit delayed groundbreaking.

Opponents also argue that the university has other properties where it could build housing and that building at Peoples Park would destroy its history and legacy.

One of their attorneys suggested that the university look at other properties, in Albany, Richmond or Oakland to build undergraduate housing.

But the judge criticized that suggestion.

That is entirely unreasonable, he said.

Harvey Smith, from the Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group, said after the hearing that his group will absolutely appeal the decision and will also apply for a stay in the appeals court to prohibit the university from breaking ground.

Smith said the central argument is that UC has alternatives. The group is urging that UC Berkeley use a parking structure nearby to build the project instead of Peoples Park.

Why would anyone want to keep a parking structure and at the same time destroy a park in the midst of extreme climate change? he said.

The site has a long, controversial history of residents and students opposing housing there. In 1969, the land became a battlefield after UC Berkeley tried to move forward with a plan to build dormitories there. Activists fought the plan and eventually won, but their fight came with bloodshed.

A countys sheriff deputy fatally shot a man during a demonstration and then-Gov. Ronald Reagan brought in the military to occupy the area.

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.

In recent years, the park became a haven for the homeless. But in March, the city and the university partnered together and offered the unhoused residents interim housing at a city motel.

About 55 people living in the park were given a chance to move into Rodeway Inn on University Avenue in North Berkeley. Most of the residents accepted the shelter and can stay for a year and a half, the university said.

On Friday afternoon, people gathered at the park reacted to the ruling.

My heart is broken, Jennifer Knight said through tears and the sound of angry heavy metal music, part of De-Fence Phest, a four-day music festival being held at the park.

Andrea Pritchett, a member of the Peoples Park Council, said its a place where homeless people can find solace and waiting for the ruling and groundbreaking was like waiting for public execution.

We are about to drive a stake in the heart of the hub of the most consistent place of support that exists in this city, said Pritchett.

Tom Lippe, an attorney who represented Make UC A Good Neighbor and the Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group, said after the hearing that they dont know the basis for the judges tentative ruling. If the judge doesnt provide his reasons for the ruling in his order, then his clients intend to appeal.

If it does provide reasons, we will evaluate whether to appeal after reviewing that, he said.

Sarah Ravani (she/her) and Emma Talley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com

emma.talley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani @EmmaT332
The monkeypox outbreak across the country prompted San Francisco officials to declare a state of emergency, as the citys LGBTQ residents wait in hours-long lines to get a vaccinination, sometimes to be told there isnt any left.

But a vaccine for the disease has existed since 2019. So why is it in such short supply?

Officials in San Francisco and California say they are at the mercy of the federal government because it orders and distributes the vaccine. Both have said they are continuing to ask the federal government for more doses.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said his department is doing everything it can to increase the national supply of the vaccine, and that doses now available are the result of years of federal investment and planning.

The federal government already had some vaccine ready to go when the outbreak began  it already owned thousands of doses of the Jynneos vaccine in case of a smallpox outbreak. Bavarian Nordic in Denmark produces the Jynneos smallpox vaccine that can be used against monkeypox, and the U.S. government has been working with Bavarian Nordic on it since 2003.

More for you S.F. clinic reserves 30% of monkeypox vaccines for these men who are the hardest hit

When the current U.S. monkeypox outbreak began, the federal government had only 2,400 doses of the Jynneos vaccine in its national stockpile, the Health and Human Services Department said. It requested another 36,000 doses from the manufacturer on May 20.

On May 23, President Biden told reporters that the U.S. had enough vaccine to deal with the monkeypox outbreak. At that time, there were only two cases reported in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On June 10, the federal government ordered another 36,000 doses. Later in June, the U.S. ordered 300,000 more to be shipped in June and another 500,000 to be produced, according to the Health and Human Services Department.

All told, the federal government said it had ordered 5 million additional vaccine doses since the start of the outbreak in May, which would bring the total supply to 6.9 million, with the doses becoming available in phases through mid-2023.

But much of what has been ordered still needs to be manufactured in Denmark, slowing how soon the doses will be able to get to local jurisdictions. Only Bavarian Nordic manufactures Jynneos.

That means whats currently available falls well short of what several cities, including San Francisco, have ordered. City officials said Friday they have received about 12,000 doses of the vaccine, though they have requested 35,000. Mayor London Breed said that the actual need is closer to 70,000.

While there is seemingly not much the federal government can do at this point to speed up that manufacturing, many people have argued that it should have acted more quickly when monkeypox started circulating more widely in late May.

Dr. Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert at UCSF who specializes in HIV, wrote in an opinion piece for The Chronicle on Friday that the U.S. is still woefully behind in procuring adequate vaccine supplies for monkeypox despite early calls for more action.

Gandhi wrote in June for the Atlantic magazine that the U.S. is underreacting to the monkeypox outbreak, criticizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for not doing more to offer the smallpox vaccine more widely for use against monkeypox.

Given that a vaccine is available for the infection  and can be targeted toward the people most at riskpublic-health authorities and health-care providers need to move more quickly and forcefully to change the outbreaks trajectory, she wrote in June.

In early July, Bay Area officials criticized the federal government for not prioritizing the distribution of the monkeypox vaccine the same way that they did the COVID-19 vaccine when it became available. LGBTQ groups like the San Francisco AIDS Foundation have been ringing the alarm on monkeypox since May.

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.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, who is gay, criticized the federal governments early response as sluggish. Earlier in July, he called the vaccine shortage avoidable saying experts had warned about the potential for monkeypox to spread.

Then a vaccine was developed in 2019 and instead of ordering a massive amount of vaccines, it was ignored, he said.

Many officials have likened the federal response to that of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

Gay and bisexual men are once again being failed by our federal government, Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who is gay and represents the citys Castro district, said at a media briefing this month. Would monkeypox receive a stronger response if it were not primarily affecting queer folks?

For its part, the federal government has said aggressively responding to the monkeypox outbreak is a critical priority, noting that the FDA expedited inspections to make the vaccine available more quickly soon after it learned of the first monkeypox case in the U.S.

Within days of the first U.S. case, we activated a multi-pronged response, significantly increasing vaccine supply and distribution, expanding access to tests, making treatments available for free, and educating the public on steps to reduce risk of infection, Becerra said in a statement this week.

We will continue to accelerate and strengthen our response in the coming days, and will work with partners on the ground, in the community, and internationally to combat this virus and protect those at risk, he said. I applaud the entire FDA team for their tireless work in making this additional vaccine available as quickly as possible while ensuring it meets the highest standards of quality and safety.

Danielle Echeverria is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: danielle.echeverria@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DanielleEchev
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of rebound following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter that Biden has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well. O'Connor said there is no reason to reinitiate treatment at this time.

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Biden will reenter isolation for at least five days. He will isolate at the White House until he tests negative. The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.

Just as when Biden first tested positive, the White House sought to show he was still working. The president sent out a picture of himself masked and tieless on Twitter, which showed him signing a declaration that added individual assistance for flood survivors in Kentucky.

The president followed up by tweeting out a 12-second video of him on a White House balcony with his dog, Commander.

I'm feeling fine, everything is good, said Biden, a pair of aviator sunglasses in his hand. But Commander and I got a little work to do.

The president also took time on Saturday to have a FaceTime conversation with people camping outside the U.S. Capitol who are seeking health benefits for military veterans exposed to toxic substances from burn pits during their service, according to White House chief of staff Ron Klain. A bill to provide expanded benefits failed to clear the Senate on Wednesday. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough brought the group pizza and the phone connection to talk with the president.

Feel better, a member of the group told Biden in a video of the call posted to Twitter. Later, in a tweet, the president said he had planned to meet with families at the Capitol but that his positive test got in the way.

Word of Bidens positive test came  he had been negative Friday morning  just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where first lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive. Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.

Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid after he first tested positive on July 21. He tested negative for the virus on this past Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters on Monday that data "suggests that between 5 and 8 percent of people have rebound after Paxlovid treatment.

Acknowledging the potential for so-called rebound COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid, the President increased his tested cadence, to protect people around him and to assure early detection of any return of viral replication, O'Connor wrote in his letter.

O'Connor cited negative tests for Biden from Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning, before Saturday morning's positive result by antigen testing. This in fact represents rebound' positivity," he wrote.

According to the CDC, those with rebound COVID should isolate for at least five days, ending that if a fever has resolved itself for 24 hours without medication and symptoms have improved. The patient should wear a mask for a total of 10 days after rebound symptoms started. Some people continue to test positive after day 10 but are considerably less likely to shed infectious virus.

Both the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer point out that 1% to 2% of people in Pfizers original study on Paxlovid saw their virus levels rebound after 10 days. The rate was about the same among people taking the drug or dummy pills, so it is unclear at this point that this is related to drug treatment, according to the FDA.

While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines. But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs on the White House complex.

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.

Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.

Regulators are still studying the prevalence and virulence of rebound cases, but the CDC in May warned doctors that it has been reported to occur within two days to eight days after initially testing negative for the virus.

Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease, the agency said at the time.

When Biden was initially released from isolation on Wednesday, OConnor said the president would increase his testing cadence to catch any potential rebound of the virus.

Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce severe disease and death among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. U.S. health officials have encouraged those who test positive to consult their doctors or pharmacists to see if they should be prescribed the treatment, despite the rebound risk.

Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30.

While patients who have recovered from earlier variants of COVID-19 have tended to have high levels of immunity to future reinfection for 90 days, Jha said that the BA.5 subvariant that infected Biden has proven to be more immune-evasive.

We have seen lots of people get reinfected within 90 days, he said, adding that officials dont yet have data on how long those who have recovered from the BA.5 strain have protection from reinfection.
In the month since an agent of the San Francisco Sheriffs Department served the notice to evict, Richard Henegan has barely eaten or slept.

In between shifts at Village Project, where he prepares and distributes food for low-income seniors, the 61-year-old chips away at packing up the three-bedroom apartment at 1218 Pierce St. in the Western Addition, where he has lived since he was in the first grade.

The job is overwhelming. His mother, who died last Halloween, collected decor depicting geese and roosters. Henegan was starting to take some of the geese and roosters off the wall Thursday morning, but was not making much progress.

We are talking like 54 years of accumulative stuff in the house, he said. What do I do with the furniture? My mother was a very fine dresser. What do I do with her clothes? I dont even know how to start to deal with all the stuff.

Henegan is one of five long-term Black tenants currently being evicted at the 211-unit Martin Luther King  Marcus Garvey Apartments at Steiner and Eddy streets. None of the cases involves unpaid rent or just causes. Rather, they all center around disputes over alleged violations of regulations imposed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides the subsidies that allow working-class families to stay on the King-Garvey complex, a co-op built in the 1960s after redevelopment bulldozed the citys premier Black neighborhood.

The situation has attracted the attention of Supervisor Dean Preston, who spent two decades as an eviction defense attorney before getting into politics.

On Thursday, Preston held an impromptu meeting outside Henegans apartment. About a dozen longtime residents gathered on the nearby corner and offered up a litany of complaints about the hardball tactics of the current property manager, Kalco Properties, the fourth management company to oversee the complex in the last year.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Preston said that evictions of longtime tenants is completely unacceptable and promised the residents he would do everything he could to keep them in their homes.

I dont make promises I cant keep so I dont tell people you will never be evicted because I dont know that  I need to know your case, he said. But I can tell you that our office will fight like hell and do everything we can to prevent people from losing their long-term homes.

Under the HUD rules, families receiving subsidies have to go through an annual recertification, where the terms of the lease can be adjusted based on changes in income or family composition.

In a letter sent to Prestons office Wednesday, Kalco CEO Barry Levy said that all of the pending evictions relate to unauthorized occupants that took possession of units after a long term resident had passed away.

These unauthorized occupants were never approved for occupancy or co-tenancy under the Occupancy Agreement for the unit nor did they participate in annual HUD required recertifications, the letter states.

But several of the residents facing eviction  all of whom have lived in the complex for decades  say they have jumped through the bureaucratic hoops required to get recertified, but that the management company had failed to process the paperwork. Several accused the management company of wanting to replace longtime residents with higher-earning residents who are able to pay higher rents.

Under the HUD rules, occupants pay 30% of their income in rent, although, as a co-op, residents of the complex earn some equity in the property that is paid out when they leave. Residents who are evicted, however, are not eligible to pull out equity.

Resident Jeremy Traylor, who is facing eviction, said he has been in his apartment since he was 4. Now in his 20s, he had been living there with his grandmother, Maria Hunter, who died last year. He said that he had filled out the application for recertification, but that the management company didnt finish the paperwork. To make matters worse, he was shot in the leg in January while standing outside his unit.

Its frustrating because I have been trying to communicate with them. Ive been here the entire time. I went through the process, he said. And now Im disabled  Im Black, gay and disabled.

Henegan said he has been trying to get answers about his tenancy status since his mom, Bettey Hammond, died in October at age 87. For the past decade Henegan, who has spent most of his career working as a chef, was his mothers sole caregiver as she lost her eyesight and had heart surgeries. He says he signed all of the paperwork related to establishing himself as the master tenant  but that his efforts to engage the management company have been met with silence.

Their response is no response, he said. Its been like pulling teeth from a chicken.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Longtime resident Verna Jackson, who is retired from work in the juvenile court system, said the management company has tried to evict her three times but she has been able to successfully fight it. The most recent instance came when she went to Florida to see her daughter graduate from college.

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.

When I got back I had an eviction notice on my door saying I had abandoned my home, she said. I wasnt even gone a week. Who are they to have to know where I am all the time?

Maria Hunter, a Muni bus driver, told Preston she was fighting the eviction of her brother, a double amputee who suffers from both psychological and physical disabilities.

This is our foundation, this is where we come from, said Hunter, who drives the 30-Stockton and 22-Fillmore buses for Muni. My nieces and nephews were born in these complexes. My mother died in these complexes. Over the years they have systematically been getting rid of the original shareholders.

In a letter to Kalco, Preston said, The highest priority for my office is to prevent displacement among the residents of District 5, particularly long-term residents of the African-American community. He requested that the management company inform him of the status of any eviction and that they cease moving forward with any cases until they have met with Preston.

In its statement to Preston, Kalco CEO Levy said it is simply trying to recover units that are not compliant with HUD standards, and therefore the co-op is not receiving subsidies for them.

These units have been the subject of a HUD Management Occupancy Review and have been designated as non-compliant, the letter states. While it is our strong preference to avoid evictions, it is our responsibility as a managing and authorized HUD agent to ensure that (the property) is fully compliant with its HUD regulations so that it continues to receive subsidies necessary for its operations.

Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle

Preston characterized the disputes as classic bureaucratic stuff that should be resolved through sitting down at the table and figuring out and not by calling the sheriff and going into court and evicting people.

Meanwhile, although Preston was able to buy Henegan a two-week delay, he still faces eviction on Aug. 10.

Our parents poured their hearts into this place in the hopes that they were leaving their kids something, he said. This was my mothers legacy. Its what she wanted to leave me. Im 61, and Im going to be homeless for the first time in my life.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
The annual Up Your Alley leather and fetish fair is expected to go on this weekend in San Franciscos SoMa area, despite widespread concerns about the spread of monkeypox and the citys decision to declare a state of emergency.

Despite attempts on the part of the city and the fairs organizers to quell concerns, some members of the citys LGBTQ community say theyre concerned about the potential for the weekends festivities  which include the street fair on Sunday along Dore Street and other parties  to be superspreader events for monkeypox.

Im a hypochondriac so I will always be adamant about protecting my health and well-being, said San Jose resident Steven Ferdin, 31, who has attended Dore Alley in the past but plans to skip this years event. My perspective is that there theres always the future, when things calm down.

The fair  the centerpiece of the weekend expected to bring thousands of people to the alley between Howard and Folsom streets for a day of kink demonstrations, dancing and shopping  is organized by Folsom Street, which also produces Folsom Street Fair.

Up Your Alley street fair 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Free but donations accepted. Dore Alley, S.F. folsomstreet.org/up-your-alley-2022 See More Collapse

The same population thats being most affected by the disease is the same population that attends these events, most exclusively, said San Francisco resident David Harris, 29, who just completed a 10-day quarantine after experiencing what he initially thought were monkeypox symptoms but were not. I just dont even want to be here this weekend ... and having a lot of friends I cant see for a long time after.

Harris, who identifies as bisexual, says his biggest gripe has been the silence on the organizers to address the elephant in the room. Like others wary about the rising case counts and dearth of vaccine available for monkeypox, he too, wont be attending Up Your Alley this year.

Ive been scanning their posts, he said, referring to the Folsom Streets website and social media. They have yet to say a single word even mentioning the word monkeypox. ... It just feels utterly irresponsible.

Folsom Street Executive Director Angel Adeyoha said the organization was already taking strong precautions before the emergency announcement to keep festivalgoers safe and has been working with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to provide on-site outreach during the fair.

Its important to remember that not all viruses and infections are the same and they dont all have the same impacts, Adeyoha said. Therefore all interventions dont need to look the same. ... We are trying to keep our reactions (to monkeypox) proportional and in balance, and constantly balancing two conflicting needs.

Those needs, Adeyoha said, are physical health and emotional wellness  which have been a challenge, not just during the isolation of the pandemic but also during the AIDS crisis. The Folsom Street kink festivals were founded during the AIDS crisis, and 2020 was the first time in 37 years that the organization made the decision to cancel its events  because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition to the presence of public health officials on-site to provide information about monkeypox  and who will also be offering COVID-19 boosters  the fair will include about half the content than that of 2019 to allow for reduced crowding.

For the second year in a row, the fair will not include spaces to purchase alcohol and will require participants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Adeyoha said.

San Francisco health department officials said in a statement that the emergency was not declared in relation to this weekends events and that the citys rich tradition of social and cultural activities, which include street fairs, nightlife and the celebrations of the LGBTQ community, are an integral part of the city.

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.

Monkeypox is not confined to those activities and communities and cannot be contained simply by telling people not to participate in those activities, agency spokespeople wrote. And those activities and the communities that host and participate in them must not be stigmatized.

District Six Supervisor Matt Dorsey, whose area includes SoMa and who is the only openly HIV-positive member of the Board of Supervisors, said he thought the decision to move forward with the events was true to the San Francisco model of care developed during the AIDS crisis, which emphasizes a close collaboration with community organizations and services.

Dorsey noted the missed opportunity on the part of San Francisco city officials in the 1980s, who decided to shut down dozens of gay bathhouses thought to be superspreader venues, instead of treating them as places of outreach where people could get information about HIV.

There is nothing prohibitive in the public health order that argues to cancel Dore Alley, and I think doing so would deny the community the benefit of a community-based partner, Dorsey said. Right now Im following the advice of Dr. Susan Philip, San Franciscos health officer.

Whether Dore Alley will be a superspreader event was hard to predict for UCSF Professor of Medicine John Davis, who identifies as gay, but he said that, as a matter of public health, approaches that ban or stigmatize a group of people from gathering tend to backfire.

What weve learned is that does not stop sexual activity, Davis said. The spread has been happening, and we have not had Dore Alley.

Annie Vainshtein (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain
UPDATE: Breed wants S.F. supes president to apologize to cadet he is accused of berating. He threatens to sue instead

Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton was admonished by a Sheriffs Office official last month after being accused of using a racial slur while berating a Black cadet at a City Hall security checkpoint, according to documents obtained by The Chronicle.

Walton, who is also Black, acknowledged using the slur a few times when he became frustrated about having to remove his belt to go through a metal detector June 24, according to a memo by Undersheriff Joseph Engler. The memo was written on the advice of the citys Human Resources Director Carol Isen to document a potential hostile work-environment incident.

President Walton became very angry with Cadet (name redacted), who is African American, and said, it is N-words like you that looks like me that is always the problem referring to the security protocols as some N-word shit several times as he yelled at Cadet (name redacted), Engler wrote in the memo, which was sent to Sheriff Paul Miyamoto and Isen.

Walton, who was the first person to tell Engler about the incident, faces no formal punishment, and Engler and Isen consider the matter closed.

Walton said the memo, written by Engler on June 26, was exaggeraged and malicious, representing an act of retaliation due to Waltons calls for more transparency and accountability at the Sheriffs Office.

No other Supervisor has been a (a bigger) thorn in the Sheriffs Department side than me, Walton said in a text message to The Chronicle. Therefore, there is no surprise that incidents (in the memo) are more colorful and salacious than what I experienced on that day. These incidents are in clear dispute and seek to vilify me and my character. I would never expect the Sheriff's department to provide an accurate account of what transpired between two Black men.

After The Chronicle obtained the memo detailing the incident, the cadet agreed to an interview and identified himself as Emare Butler. He said that in addition to using the slur, Walton verbally threatened him. You must not know who I am, Ill whoop your ass, Butler said Walton told him.

After the incident, Butler said he was moved to a different area of the building where he was less likely to come into contact with Walton. Butler said the day has continued to affect him emotionally, and that he has called in sick a few times and sought guidance from his pastor.

It was embarrassing, said Butler, who stressed that he was granting the interview as an individual and not on behalf of the Sheriffs Office. You come to work, and you dont know who his friends are, you dont know who he has alliances with. Im just an employee here.

On June 29, Isen wrote a confidential memo for the citys files stating that Engler had reported the incident to her, including his reprimand of Walton for using offensive terminology, as doing so creates a hostile working environment for city employees to whom such comments are directed or who might have overheard the statements made by Walton. Isen said the file would remain closed unless an employee or third party files a complaint.

The Chronicle obtained both memos through a public records request.

In a statement provided to The Chronicle Friday afternoon, Sheriffs Office officials said the agency was aware of the matter and has taken proactive steps to support and reassure our employees that racist, derogatory or unprofessional remarks will not be tolerated in our workplace or any place in the City and County of San Francisco.

The Sheriffs Office said it was committed to working with affected parties, city officials and departments to address such concerns brought to our attention. We consider this particular matter resolved.

Walton, one of the most powerful elected officials in San Francisco, has frequently used his post to call out racist language and actions. In 2020, he introduced an ordinance that would make it illegal to call 911 to make a racially biased and fabricated report. The Caren Act (Caution Against Racially Exploitative Non-Emergencies) was a reference to the slang term used to describe a white woman complaining about people of color.

Walton last week called for the resignation of a school board member, Ann Hsu, after she made a racist comment, saying one of the biggest challenges in educating Black and brown students was their unstable family environments and lack of parental encouragement to focus on learning. Walton said, At the end of the day, this is probably reflective of how a person really feels.

On the morning of June 24, Englers memo said, Walton called Engler to ask for a meeting regarding an encounter that had just occured at a City Hall security checkpoint.

Before meeting Walton, Engler called Chief Deputy Kevin McConnell to inquire about the incident and learned from McConnell that Walton, upset by the security measures, had yelled at the cadet and used the offensive term.

When Engler arrived at Waltons office in City Hall, the board president suggested they speak to the cadet together, the memo said. Walton then gave his version of events, saying he was bothered the cadet made him remove a belt rather than using a hand wand, which might have made the process quicker.

Words were exchanged, Walton said, according to Englers memo, and it got pretty heated back and forth.

Asked whether he had used the n-word, Walton admitted to using it multiple times and telling the cadet this is some n shit, referring to the direction to take his belt off.

You cant use that word, Engler, who is white, told Walton, according to the memo. I wont allow anyone to direct that word towards anyone who works for me.

Although Engler wrote that Walton agreed the word should not be used, the memo states, (Walton) explained to me how he believed that the way he had used it could be defended. The memo did not provide details on Waltons rationale for using the word.

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.

Engler said he restated that the word could not be directed at anyone in the Sheriffs Office.

According to the memo, Butler, the cadet, told Engler that Walton had been upset on many prior occasions regarding going through security like everyone else, and that on slow days he (the cadet) will use the hand wand to (get) him through quicker.

But lines were already forming that morning, with many people expected to attend weddings in City Hall, and the security guard asked Walton to remove his belt to not set off the metal detector.

Walton became very angry, the memo said. He castigated the cadet, who had spoken with Walton about security protocols the week prior, and said Walton agreed to go along with it, the memo said.

In his statement to The Chronicle, Walton said he had complained on numerous occasions about what he deemed unfair treatment at the security checkpoint, and said the June 24 incident was not the first time I have been mistreated or targeted by this individual.

Walton, citing his successful introduction of sheriffs oversight legislation in 2020, said the Sheriffs Departments executive team is more than aware of their employees actions and animus towards me.

Moreover this is not the only employee that has shown disdain towards me as a result of the initiatives I have led against the Sheriff Department, he said.

Walton said he would not comment further, and did not respond to requests for clarification and elaboration. He did not specify the ways in which he thought the memo had distorted what transpired.

Butler said he appreciated the response from the Sheriffs Office but said he was less pleased with what he saw as inaction from the city, and that he never received an apology from Walton. Butler said he was particularly upset when he saw Walton on television last week, calling for Hsus resignation.

It was tough to hear. I felt like it was really hypocritical, Butler said. You were perfectly fine with berating me in front of a whole floor of people.

Rachel Swan and Megan Cassidy are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com, megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan @meganrcassidy
Under gray skies on a recent day in San Franciscos quiet Lakeshore neighborhood, about a dozen people listened intently to Brooke Jenkins, the citys newly appointed district attorney, as she spoke about her plans to prosecute drug dealers and those who commit hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Jenkins was in friendly territory: Constituents in the citys District Four, which encompasses Lakeshore and much of the Sunset District, were some of the voters most fervently in favor of recalling Jenkins predecessor, Chesa Boudin.

She was being hosted by Joel Engardio, one of two candidates trying to unseat incumbent District Four Supervisor Gordon Mar. By inviting Jenkins, Engardio was reminding his neighbors and supporters that he backed Boudins recall but Mar did not  a difference hes highlighting as his campaign tries to gain traction.

As supervisor, I would want someone like Brooke Jenkins to be the district attorney  who is going to focus on prosecuting crime and implementing criminal justice reform, but also ensuring that people feel safe and that victims are not ignored, Engardio told The Chronicle.

It was a clear example of Engardio trying to channel voter frustration over public safety as he attempts to pull off the difficult feat of ousting an incumbent from office. Engardio is also tapping into voters concerns about worsening street conditions as well as worries about struggling small businesses and faltering schools.

More broadly, Engardio and the other District Four challenger, Leanna Louie, are attempting to cast Mar as a progressive out of step with his constituents on the most pressing issues facing the city. He and Louie are in many ways in step with Mayor London Breed, who has at times clashed with the progressive majority on the Board of Supervisors over crime, homelessness, housing and the drug crisis  trying to paint herself as a moderate pragmatist and her foes as ideologues who arent focused on solutions.

Although incumbents are often safe in San Francisco supervisor races, and Mar may be no exception to that, he is gearing up for a hard-fought race to keep his seat while his more moderate opponents try to tap into the voter dissatisfaction that became evident in both of the years recall elections.

District Four rallied behind both of this years recalls amid criticism of Boudins public safety policies and the direction of the school board, with the latter facing particularly intense blowback after it ended merit-based admissions at Lowell High School. Among all 11 supervisorial districts, District Four had the second-highest share of voters who cast ballots in favor of both recalls.

At the same time, the Sunset has become one of the citys battlegrounds over housing, which was apparent last year when a group of residents resisted plans for an affordable housing development at Irving Street and 26th Avenue. San Francisco planners are also considering allowing taller, denser buildings on the west side as the city searches for ways to meet a state-mandated goal of 82,000 new housing units by 2032.

Mar defends his record on housing, saying he is fighting to ensure that the Sunset allows more homes for seniors, teachers and middle-income families. He supports the affordable housing project at Irving and 26th, for instance, even after a scaled-down compromise he pushed was rejected by the developer.

But he views attention on his recall positions as a distraction from what should be the focus of his reelection effort: his accomplishments in office.

Certainly, my opponents are going to try to make the District Four supervisor race about the recalls, but I dont think voters are going to go for that, Mar said. The District Four supervisor race should be about my track record in my first term and whether Ive followed through on what I campaigned for.

For example, Mar touted his record on public safety, specifically bringing the police and community groups together to coordinate public safety programs in the Sunset. More recently, he won passage of legislation that requires each city police station to come up with community policing plans, including strategies for foot and bike patrols.

Im proud of what Ive been able to accomplish during my first term, Mar said.

But his recall positions are being highlighted during the campaign whether he likes it or not.

Ethan Swope/The Chronicle

Louie, Mars other challenger, helped found a group called United Peace Collaborative to combat anti-Asian attacks in Chinatown during the early days of COVID-19. She has known Mar for years, and while she said she supported his first campaign, she began to view him differently while he was in office.

How can you support the school board members and Chesa Boudin? said Louie, who collected signatures and campaigned for both recalls. He is just totally out of touch with the people of the Sunset.

Yet Mar remains formidable, and his opposition to the recalls does not disqualify him in the minds of all voters. Engardio saw that firsthand while he was knocking on doors recently in a residential stretch of the Parkside neighborhood. When Joan Brosnan answered her door, it didnt take long for her to view Engardio with polite skepticism after asking where he stood on the Boudin recall.

Brosnan, who used to work as a nurse in the Tenderloin, said she admired Boudins out of the box approach to criminal justice reform and his adoption of progressive policies such as ending cash bail.

These recalls are baloney, Brosnan told The Chronicle.

The District Four race has already had some controversies.

This month, someone plastered offensive flyers over signs supporting Mars re-election at dozens of Sunset storefronts. Its not clear who put up the flyers, some of which falsely labeled Mar a communist pedophile. Engardio and Louie condemned them.

Additionally, Louie posted a letter on Twitter late Monday responding to what she said was a completely untrue accusation from a local Democratic Party official who allegedly accused Louie of having made a racist comment about Black people.

Neither Louie nor Engardio would have been eligible to run for District Four supervisor the last time the seat was on the ballot. Louie lived for many years in the Bayview and moved to the Sunset just last year  timing thats been criticized by some of her detractors. Louie told The Chronicle she moved to the west side so her son could live closer to his school in the Richmond District.

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.

Engardio hasnt moved, but his neighborhood near Lowell High School was just shifted into District Four this year when the citys supervisor districts were redrawn to reflect a decade of population changes.

The district boundary change allowed Engardio to run for election again just two years after his third failed campaign for supervisor in District Seven.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Mar argued that because Engardio and Louie are new to the district, they each have a lack of real relationships and understanding of the concerns and needs of District Four neighborhoods.

After losing his last campaign for supervisor in 2020, Engardio helped organize the signature-gathering campaign to place the school board recall on the ballot. He also leads a volunteer community safety group, Stop Crime SF, that started several years ago in response to a notorious wave of car break-ins. The group did not officially take a stance on the district attorney recall  though Engardio supported it personally.

Theres so much potential and so much to love about our city, but we just keep going down the wrong track, at least at City Hall, Engardio said.

Engardio and Louies strategy for beating Mar goes beyond attacking his record. They want to take advantage of the citys ranked-choice voting system by asking voters to pick either of them as their first or second choices, hoping to increase the odds of ousting Mar.

The two challengers ran into each other while campaigning recently on 21st Avenue. Louie had just come from a walk through local businesses on Taraval Street, where she said merchants aired concerns about broken windows, vandalism and stolen items.

These business owners are over it, Louie said. She said their comments are similar to what shes been hearing from Sunset seniors.

Theyre all concerned about public safety, she said.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Nami Sumida contributed to this report.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

For more stories like this, check out The Chronicles weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here.

During the height of San Franciscos pandemic lockdown, San Franciscos hottest neighborhood for tourists  Fishermans Wharf  was eerily lifeless.

But catch Fishermans Wharf on a sunny weekend afternoon this summer and its nearly as busy as it was pre-pandemic, when San Francisco was enjoying record-high tourist action. Visitors are wandering, sea lions are barking, the crab and chowder are flowing, and foreign languages fill the air.

The life and activity and energy has been really good, said Randall Scott, executive director of the Fishermans Wharf Community Benefit District. You can feel things coming back to normal.

After a brutal two-year stretch interspersed with periods when San Francisco was all but devoid of visitors, the citys biggest industry appears to have finally turned a corner.

For example, cell phone data shows that the number of people walking around Fishermans Wharf from January to July is on target to hit about 80% of the 8.1 million people who padded around the piers during the same period in 2019. Typically, July and August are the busiest months for tourists.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

Citywide, visitor numbers are expected to hit 21.9 million this year, which is 84% of 2019 levels and an encouraging leap above last years 14.8 million. Visitor spending is expected to nearly double this year to $6.1 billion from just $3.1 billion last year. However, thats still far below the record-high $10.3 billion visitors spent here in 2019.

About 72% of the citys 35,000 hotel rooms have been occupied each week on average this year  another metric that lags behind pre-pandemic levels of about 83% but crushes last years paltry 35.5% occupancy rate.

Summer travel is performing significantly better than wed forecast earlier this year, said Joe DAlessandro, president and CEO of San Francisco Travel. We think August will be a great month.

San Franciscos reputation has taken a beating in national media outlets as city officials struggle to get a handle on homelessness and rampant street drug use. The Financial District has felt strangely dull as some of the citys largest employers continue embracing work-from-home policies and pull out of downtown office spaces. Further, travel restrictions in key Asian travel markets are dragging into a third year, discouraging people there from traveling internationally, including to San Francisco.

But those ailments havent dimmed the citys tourism appeal. San Francisco was recently featured on Time magazines Worlds Great Places 2022 and on a similar list from the New York Times. The Times item emphasized the citys adoption of carless corridors, which have invigorated pandemic life.

Several factors are helping the city regain its position as a global travel destination.

European countries relaxing travel restrictions has been huge for business here. The numbers of seats available on commercial flights to San Francisco International Airport from Germany, Spain and Denmark as well as London  one of the airports top pre-pandemic markets  are higher this year than in 2019, according to SFO spokesman Doug Yakel. Thats in spite of total passenger activity this year hovering at about 75% of pre-pandemic levels.

Experts say its hard to envision international travel  a foundational piece of the citys tourism industry  fully returning without China. More than any other U.S. airport, activity levels at SFO are tied to the East Asian markets of China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan. With China virtually shut down to visitors and implementing strict quarantine rules for return travelers, a full rebound of incoming visitors isnt expected this year.

China was the No. 1 market to San Francisco in 2019, and its not even in the top 10 anymore, DAlessandro said. A lot of the recovery were seeing has to do with a rebound in European travelers.

The states tourism bureau, Visit California, is beginning to ramp up marketing campaigns in China, South Korea and elsewhere in hopes of recapturing international appeal.

A host of new cultural venues here is also helping keep San Francisco on peoples travel radars.

Bronte Wittpenn/The Chronicle

The recently opened Presidio Tunnel Tops has already made a splash, DAlessandro said. It was picked up in Time and National Geographic magazine and has appeared in 93 different German newspaper articles, he said.

The Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, slated to open in Dogpatch in the fall, helps stoke the imaginations of prospective visitors.

SFMOMAs Diego Rivera exhibit, which constitutes the largest display of the artists collection, is a win for the city. So is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a Broadway show performing in only three places in the world right now, one of which is San Francisco.

People who come here are always going to want to see the Golden Gate Bridge and ride a cable car, DAlessandro said. But to motivate them to make that decision, we have to give them something new.

Finally, business conventions, which represent a cornerstone of the travel economy, are beginning to reappear in San Francisco after abandoning the city completely for a year and a half. Salesforces Dreamforce conference, for example, is set to return to Moscone Center this fall. Still, a full recovery will be tough to achieve without a healthy return of major conferences and business gatherings.

Even with just about every metric point upward, tourism experts dont expect visitation and spending in the city  or statewide  to eclipse pre-pandemic levels until 2024.

If theres one thing tourism businesses have learned these two tough years, its that catering to a single demographic is risky. Ghirardelli Square, for instance, has repositioned itself to appeal more to residents by attracting hip local restaurants and businesses.

Even Fishermans Wharf, which locals have long given over to sightseers, has plans for new offerings geared toward residents. Expect more holiday-season events going forward and, next year, more live music shows, Scott said.

The pandemic proved it across the big sights, Scott said. If youre relying 100% on travelers, its not sustainable.

Gregory Thomas is The San Francisco Chronicles editor of lifestyle & outdoors. Email: gthomas@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @GregRThomas
For Sunday's updates click here.

LATEST July 30, 7:49 p.m. The McKinney Fire burning near the California-Oregon border in Siskiyou County has blackened 30,000 acres and is just 1% contained, according to Cal Fire's latest update Saturday evening.

July 30, 8 a.m. A Northern California fire broke out northwest of Yreka in the Klamath National Forest, about 15 miles south of the Oregon border, sending out a massive pyrocumulus cloud and triggering a flurry of evacuations in small forestland communities in the northern most part of the Golden State.

The McKinney Fire was reported at 300 acres on Friday night with no containment, and exploded overnight, reaching 18,000 acres by Saturday morning, the U.S. Forest Service said.

"The McKinney Fire has grown significantly as winds from late evening thunderstorms kept the fire active through the night," the Forest Service said. "Runs on the north and south sides of the fire occurred."

"Another day of very active fire behavior is anticipated with very hot temps in the forecast," the agency said.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday as the fire intensified. The proclamation allows Newsom more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and access federal aid.

It also allows firefighting resources from other states to assist California crews in battling the fires, according to a statement from the governor's office.

Infrared video, taken by aircraft flying over the McKinney Fire at 12:29 p.m. by the state Office of Emergency Services for its Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System, was posted on Twitter and showed the first had grown to 29,677 acres.

The fire was burning wildly on Saturday afternoon, and evacuations expanded to just west of Yreka.

Because of the erratic winds the fire is going all over the place, Caroline Quintanilla, a public information officer with the U.S. Forest Service, told SFGATE at 1 p.m.

The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office issued evacuation orders Friday and more early Saturday before the sun rose; you can get the latest evacuation information on the sheriff's office Facebook page. You can find your evacuation zone on ZoneHaven.

The blaze started at 2:38 p.m. in the Oak Knoll Ranger District west of the Walker Creek Bridge on the south side of the Klamath River, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Thunderstorms passed over the region Friday night and may have exacerbated the blaze."We had 100 lightning strikes in western Siskiyou County last night," said Brad Schaaf, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Medford, Ore.

"It looks like the fire definitely came first, before the thunderstorms," Schaaf said. "It looks like there was a wind gust from the fire that aided the thunderstorm development. The first lightning strikes happened after 7 p.m."

More lightning is the forecast on Saturday, putting a Red Flag Warning in effect due to the severe weather conditions.

Schaaf said the fire put out a 39,000-foot-tall pyrocumulus cloud at 11:30 p.m. "It's unusual for a fire to put out a fire cloud of that size late at night because usually fires stabilize after sunset," he said.

Pyrocumulus clouds, also known as fire clouds, form when air heats up and moves upward, pushing smoke, ash and vapor up with it. They are a sign that fire activity on the ground is increasing.

NWS meteorologist Bruno Rodriguez posted on Twitter: "Pretty monstrous fire behavior near midnight on the #McKinneyFire."

Rodriguez added that was even some pyrocumulonimbus cloud activity, with the fire cloud producing its own lightning  "about the last thing the Klamath needs," he wrote.

Multiple roads were closed due to the blaze including Highway 96, Scott River Road, Highway 96, and Highway 263, the Siskiyou Office of Emergency Services said.

Two other smaller fires were reported near the McKinney Fire, the China Peak Fire and the Evans Peak Fire. The Klamath National Forest said at 11 a.m. on Saturday that the China Fire had combined with the Evans Fire and was about 300 to 350 acres and 2 to 3 miles west of the town of Seiad Valley.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A procession of Republican town chairs whose committees have endorsed congressional candidate Nicholas A. Langworthy are feeling the wrath of his primary opponent Carl P. Paladino.

Party leaders in Orchard Park, Hamburg and West Seneca have all reported phone calls from Paladino they described as "threatening" and "disturbing" while he complained about their new support for Langworthy for the upcoming August primary.

Harold Fabinsky, GOP leader in Orchard Park, said Paladino called him this week "demanding to know why we endorsed Langworthy and not him."

"I reminded him he never called or asked to appear before our committee," Fabinsky said. "That's when he became threatening and abusive, saying, 'I'm going to get you, I'm going to get Orchard Park Republicans, and I'm going to get Orchard Park.'

"It was disturbing," he added.

The chairman said that on June 20 Orchard Park opted for Langworthy, chairman of the New York State Republican Committee, because it believes he will better represent the 23rd District.

"Nick will do it skillfully, with dignity, and will never embarrass himself or us," Fabinsky said, adding that he was "disappointed" in the Paladino approach of "if you don't support me I'm going to get you." Paladino's antics remind him too much of the divisive politics in Washington, he said.

"I've been involved for a long time and never saw stuff like that at this level," he said. "It concerns me that we're becoming too polarized and too angry."

Analysis: Warming temperatures in the 23rd Congressional District Digital ads and social media figure heavily in politicking these days, but TV remains king, Bob McCarthy says.

Paladino's campaign did not return a request to discuss Fabinsky's version of the conversation, nor of two other chairs chiming in.

Hamburg Chairman Daniel O'Connell said Paladino called him on Wednesday asking why the committee had chosen Langworthy and complained he had no chance to address the meeting.

"I told him nobody on the committee wanted to endorse him," he said. "He has way too much baggage and is not electable."

This week, Patti Stephens, the West Seneca party leader, told WIVB-TV that she received a "threatening" call from Paladino a few days ago.

It shows a very negative side of a character for someone whos running for office," she told Channel 4. "What I do know is that when you make a threat like that, Im not going to back down. You dont get to bully people because you didnt get your way.

She added that the call affirms the committee correctly chose Langworthy.

Nick Langworthy is a person who will lead with dignity, hell lead with respect, she told the television station. As Carl is ranting on the phone, I just knew that we needed to support Nick even more than ever before.

Langworthy has racked up a number of endorsements from town and county party leaders throughout the district, as well as elected Republicans. Paladino's campaign did not respond to questions about endorsements for him, but there have been few compared to Langworthy, who as state chairman has fostered strong relationships with party organizations throughout the state.

Those same organizations are expected to provide significant logistical support for Langworthy as the primary approaches.
The San Francisco Cooking School is closing at the end of August, reported Eater SF.

The culinary school on Van Ness Avenue first opened in 2012 with the goal to "reinstitute the relevance of culinary school in the 21st century," read the closure announcement on its website. "At the time, chefs were underwhelmed with graduates from traditional culinary schools churning out recipe robots."

SFCS alumni have gone on to work at some of San Franciscos most highly acclaimed restaurants, including Nopa, Mourad, State Bird Provisions and Tartine Bakery.

San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

School co-founder Jodi Liano told Eater that demand for culinary school has decreased in general, but San Francisco in particular has been hit hard. Instead of the city by the Bay, food talent is heading to cities like Austin, Chicago, Birmingham, Copenhagen and Sydney.

Its an expensive place to be  a lot of the citys problems everybody knows about, we dont need to rehash them here  but I think its made it a less desirable place to train and relocate and work, particularly since COVID," Liano told Eater.

SFGATE reached out to SFCS for comment, but has not heard back at time of publication.

However, this may not be the total end for the San Francisco Cooking School. It is currently "exploring ways to expand our teaching campus beyond San Francisco, and continue our mission as an anchored institution for culinary education in the digital age," reads the website.
WETHERSFIELD  The state has named Wethersfields Colonial core a cultural district, a designation meant to highlight local history and boost tourism, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz announced this week.

The historic village encompasses many 18th-century homes, along with the historical society, the Webb Deane Stevens Museum, Wethersfield Academy for the Arts and locally owned restaurants and shops.

The state defines the districts as walkable areas that feature numerous cultural facilities, activities and/or assets that draw visitors from other towns and states and serve as a hub for residents. Other communities with cultural districts are Ridgefield, Torrington and New London.

Approved by application, the designation is meant to promote and encourage artists, entrepreneurs and creative businesses; promote tourism; improve residents quality of life; strengthen a communitys distinctive character; drive economic growth; and highlight local culture and history.

Created by a law that became effective in October 2019, the program  Cultural Districts  requires the formation of a Cultural District Commission that manages all aspects of the district. The state promotes the districts through the Office of Tourism and Office of the Arts, according to the program description.

Founded in 1633-34, Wethersfields historic village, or Old Wethersfield, hosts more than 150 Colonial homes and was the site in May 1781 (at the Webb House on Main Street) where Gen. George Washington and French Marshal Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, planned the battle of Yorktown, which secured American independence.

"I am very appreciative of the state's designation that Wethersfield's historic village is a cultural district, Mayor Mike Rell said. I thank the many volunteers and the state's DECD who worked countless hours on this special recognition. We have known all along that Old Wethersfield has some great qualities, like our historic homes, great restaurants, shops and museums. With this recognition, we can reach out to so many more in Connecticut and beyond.

The Cultural District Program underscores the importance of collaboration in municipal planning to fully capitalize on the wide-ranging impacts of the creative economy, said Liz Shapiro, the Department of Economic and Community Developments director of arts, preservation and museums.

Bringing together arts organizations, artists, creative entrepreneurs, museums, restaurants, hotels and other stakeholders is critical to building a vibrancy that positively impacts residents and visitors alike, Shapiro said. Wethersfield is a shining example of a town with deep historic roots where visitors can step back 300 years in one breath and enjoy a latte, scone or ice cream sundae in the next.

Cultural District partners host concerts, lecture series, walking tours and community events such as the upcoming outdoor performances of Macbeth or PorchFest. Visitors can learn more at HistoricWethersfield.org.

Jesse.Leavenworth@hearstmediact.com
GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  One man was wounded Saturday after gunmen opened fire on soldiers at a checkpoint providing area security for a visit by Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei to a town near the Mexican border.

Ruben Tellez, a spokesman for the Guatemalan army, said soldiers were working a highway checkpoint intended to act as perimeter security for the presidential visit to La Laguna, a town in Huehuetenango province.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  Six people have applied to replace Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery, who won't be seeking another term.

The Tennessee Supreme Court announced that Don Cochran, Jerome Cochran, Michael Dunavant, R. Culver Schmid, Jonathan Skrmetti and Bill Young submitted applications for the opening by Friday's deadline.

Don Cochran served as the U.S. attorney in the Middle District of Tennessee based in Nashville from 2017 until 2021. He was appointed by former President Donald Trump. He is now a law professor at Belmont University.

Jerome Cochran is as an administrative law judge and previously served as a two-term Republican state House representative, elected to his first two-year term in 2002.

Michael Dunavant served as the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee based in Memphis from 2017 to 2021. He was appointed by Trump. Dunavant currently is the chief investigative counsel for the Tennessee comptroller's office in Nashville.

Schmid is an attorney working as the Knoxville office managing shareholder for the firm Baker Donelson.

Skrmetti served as chief deputy attorney general in Slatery's office from 2018 until 2021 before joining Republican Gov. Bill Lee's administration in December 2021 as his general counsel.

Young is the executive director of the Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance. He previously served as a chancery court judge in Nashville and director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, and filled multiple roles in the attorney general's office.

Tennessee is the only state in which the attorney general is appointed by the Supreme Court. The position runs in eight-year terms. The new term begins Sept. 1.

The courts justices selected Slatery in 2014 after he previously served as former Republican Gov. Bill Haslams chief legal counsel. Slatery announced in May that he would not seek another term.

Interviews will be held on Aug. 8 and 9 at the Tennessee Supreme Court building in Nashville. They will also be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/user/TNCourts/featured.
Currently Reading

Alert: Hundreds of protesters breach Iraq's parliament building for a second time this week
Pope Francis crisscrossed Canada this week delivering long overdue apologies to the countrys Indigenous groups for the decades of abuses and cultural destruction they suffered at Catholic Church-run residential schools.

The pontiffs penitential pilgrimage  Alberta to Quebec and stopping in far-north Nunavut before flying back to Rome on Saturday -- stirred a mix of emotions for school survivors. Some welcomed the Holy Fathers apology for the evil of church personnel and catastrophic effect of the school system. Still others say far more needs to be done to correct past wrongs and pursue justice.
BEIJING (AP)  China said it was conducting military exercises Saturday off its coast opposite Taiwan after warning Speaker Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives to scrap possible plans to visit the island democracy, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.

The ruling Communist Partys military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, was conducting live-fire exercises near the Pingtan islands off Fujian province from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., the official Xinhua News Agency said. The Maritime Safety Administration warned ships to avoid the area.

Such exercises usually involve artillery. The one-sentence announcement gave no indication whether Saturdays exercise also might include missiles, fighter planes or other weapons.

Pelosi, who would be the highest-ranking American elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997, has yet to confirm whether she will go. President Xi Jinping warned his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, in a phone call Thursday against external interference in Beijings dealings with the island.

China says Taiwan has no right to conduct foreign relations. It sees visits by American officials as encouragement for the island to make its decades-old de facto independence official.

The Ministry of Defense warned Washington this week not to allow Pelosi, who is Biden's equal in rank as leader of one of three branches of government, to visit Taiwan. A spokesman said the PLA would take unspecified strong measures to stop pro-independence activity.

The PLA has flown growing numbers of fighter planes and bombers near Taiwan and has in the past fired missiles into shipping lanes to the island.

Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war that ended with a communist victory on the mainland.

The two governments say they are one country but disagree over which is entitled to national leadership. They have no official relations but are linked by billions of dollars in trade and investment.
Ben Singson/Journal-Courier

Congressman Darin LaHood of Illinois is among a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers calling for strengthening digital trade and the burgeoning digital economy.

LaHood  along with Suzan DelBene of Washington, Steve Chabot of Ohio and Ami Bera of California  introduced a resolution outlining digital trade's importance. The resolution calls on the White House "to negotiate strong, inclusive, forward-looking and enforceable rules on digital trade and the digital economy" with other countries.
LOWER CHANCEFORD, Pa. (AP)  Authorities say the deaths of a woman and three children in a tractor and utility trailer crash in southern Pennsylvania have been ruled accidental.

State police in York County said the farm tractor was pulling a utility trailer with more a dozen other people, mostly children, when it went over an embankment shortly after 11 a.m. Friday in Lower Chanceford and both the tractor and the trailer overturned.
In early March, a missile tore into a high-rise apartment building in Kharkiv, Ukraine, upending Bella Logachova's life and that of her 8-year-old son Nikita.

They fled their home on the 16th floor and found temporary shelter without water or cooking facilities, before eventually moving in with a friend.

That's one of the many grim experiences Logachova has faced as Russia's war against Ukraine, frequently targeting civilians, enters its seventh month. But like her fellow Ukrainians, Logachova has remained defiant, continuing to produce political art that chronicles the war and its terrible impact along with Ukrainians' brave resistance.

An exhibit of Logachova's artwork opened Friday at Niagara University's Castellani Art Museum. The exhibition, titled "Living Through War: Works from Kharkiv by Bella Logachova," features 19 large canvases of digital art displayed chronologically. They begin when Russian forces invaded Crimea and eastern Ukraine in 2014 and conclude with six artworks depicting the war that began with Russia's invasion on Feb. 24.

The exhibition in Niagara Falls came together quickly.

Museum Director Ellen Owens and Michael Beam, curator of exhibitions and special projects, were approached by Sabine Kutt, a photographer and art curator, about the idea of exhibiting Logachova's work.

"We were so moved by looking at this work that we decided, if possible, to put on an exhibition by an artist in another country living through a war and do it in three months time with three different language barriers," Owens said.

"We want to bring the realities of this war to life in a way that is powerful but also approachable," she said.

It's particularly timely now, Owens said, as the first Ukrainian refugees begin to resettle in Western New York.

"This talented artist who shares these stories from her personal experience helps all of us at Niagara University, including students, faculty, staff and guests, better understand the causes and the effects of this terrible war," said Tim Ireland, a university provost.

Logachova, who lives in danger while continuing to teach media arts at Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Art, made a brief video greeting viewers and expressing her thanks to Niagara University for the exhibition.

Her artwork uses cultural references, historic and modern symbols and accents of color to tell her framed stories.

"The traditional embroidery often shown is not just an elemental decoration, but a symbol of both Ukrainian identity and resistance," said Kutt, who co-curated the show with Beam. "It is connected to images of tanks, rocket launchers and other military equipment."

The rooster, which shows up often, is a symbol of war. Brown and orange colors, Kutt said, are the colors of Ukrainian separatists, while figures in black represent people who have created havoc within Ukraine and are spoken of as "terrorists."

"WARWARWARWAR" depicts bursts of gunfire and explosions, with images of airplanes dropping bombs and artillery, produced on the day Vladimir Putin unleased tens of thousands of ground troops and terrifying aerial bombardments.

"Kindergarten 2022" shows a stuffed teddy bear and alligator in free fall as an explosion rocks a school.

Two pieces, somewhat ironically, depict major symbolic military losses to both Ukraine and Russia.

In "Mriya 2022," the wings of a Ukrainian cargo plane are shown on fire in the first week of the war, leading to the loss of what's claimed to be the heaviest aircraft with the largest wingspan ever built. "Moska Fire 2022" depicts big explosions and soldiers falling into the Black Sea after Ukrainian jets sank Russia's flagship cruiser on April 14.

Five prints of Logachova's artwork are on sale at the museum, with all proceeds going to her to dispense in the ways she feels will best help needs on the ground.

"The exhibit is powerful," said Yuri Hreschchyshyn, president of the Buffalo chapter  Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. "It made an impression on me to recall those events and how it's part of a larger narrative of continuous aggression by Russia on Ukraine."

Victor Bandriwsky, a volunteer with Dnipro Ukrainian Cultural Center, said the exhibition will help keep awareness of the war in the public eye. He also hopes it will spur sympathizers to support both the war and humanitarian effort.

"This is an unprovoked attack, but being so far away there are many things Americans can do to help, including not only keeping our friends and family informed but also to help Ukrainians," Bandriwsky said.

The Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation, which owns the Dnipro center, has shipped 30 tons of medical supplies to Ukraine since the start of the war, including surgical equipment such as catheters, sutures and scalpels, along with wheelchairs and hospital beds, Bandriwsky said.

Some $400,000 has also been raised locally since the start of the war to buy armored vests, helmets and tourniquets.

The foundation has also partnered with Help for Ukraine, a local organization, to pay for multiple shipments of humanitarian supplies to war-torn cities, including diapers and baby food.

"I ask that you continue to stay informed, donate and support Ukraine by participating in Ukrainian events in Buffalo," Bandriwsky said.

For more information, or to donate, go to dniprobuffalo.com.
Boeing has cleared a key hurdle with federal regulators and could soon resume deliveries of its large 787 airliner, which has been plagued by a series of production issues since late 2020, a person familiar with the matter said Saturday.

The Federal Aviation Administration notified Boeing on Friday that it would approve the companys process for validating fixes to each plane before they are delivered to airline customers, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that has not been publicly announced.

The FAA declined to comment and referred inquiries to Boeing. In a statement, Boeing said only, We will continue to work transparently with the FAA and our customers towards resuming 787 deliveries.

Approval to resume deliveries would be a boost for Boeing, which collects a big chunk of each planes purchase price at delivery. Boeing has accumulated a backlog of about 120 undelivered 787s. The plane, which Boeing calls the Dreamliner, lists at $248 million to $338 million depending on size, although airlines pay far less than sticker price.

Issues with the 787 started in 2020 when small gaps were found between panels of the fuselage that are made of carbon composite material. That prompted inspections that turned up problems with a pressurization bulkhead at the front of the plane.

Boeing also had to replace titanium parts including fasteners after it was discovered that the Italian supplier used alloys that did not meet FAA standards.

Boeing has maintained that none of the issues raised immediate safety concerns.

It is not clear how long it will take Boeing to deliver all 120 backlogged planes, which were built at factories in Washington state and South Carolina. Each one will need to be cleared by the FAA.

American Airlines expects to get its first two 787s in early August but isnt including them in the schedule until November, the airlines chief financial officer, Derek Kerr, said last week on a call to discuss quarterly earnings.

The FAA decision to approve Boeings retrofitting plan was first reported by Aviation Week.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP)  Most Iowans dont know how to cook with pumpkin leaves, hibiscus leaves and amaranth, but Alfred Matiyabo grew up with these African crops and believes he can find new markets in the United States.

Matiyabo, 43, grows greens, eggplant and several varieties of hot peppers on 2.5 acres he rents at the Johnson County Poor Farm.

I didnt want to face the competition, so I chose specialty crops that you cant typically find in your local farmers markets, he told the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

Matiyabos company, Africando Foods, sells produce online and at local African and international grocery stores. But there are a limited number of these stores in Eastern Iowa, which has caused Matiyabo to drive his produce to stores in Des Moines, southern Illinois and as far as Ohio. Shipping fresh produce also is expensive.

Now hes thinking of new ways to get his produce to African immigrants and to Iowans interested in trying new foods.

Matiyabo grew up in the Congo, where farmers grow food crops including cassava, plantains, maize, groundnuts, yams, beans, peas and rice. Nearly one-third of Congolese people are involved in agriculture, as was Matiyabos family.

He went to college at the University of Maine, graduating with an engineering degree in 2004.

Thats when a lot of jobs were outsourcing, he said. I didnt really work in my field.

Matiyabo tried farming in Maine and learned about value-added agriculture, which involves turning a raw product into something new, such as the Alfredo Hot Sauce that Matiyabo makes from the peppers he grows.

The hot sauce is available for sale by the bottle at Wawa Caribbean Restaurant, African Family Market and Sisters African Food Market in Cedar Rapids and World Food Market, MODINA African Market and Iowa City Halal Food and Grocery in Iowa City.

Matiyabo moved to Iowa with his family in 2017. He and his wife, Grace Muzemba, have seven kids, 16 months to 17.

He has been farming at the Poor Farm since 2017, first working with the Global Food Project. He started renting 2 acres in 2018 and with the purchase of a tractor this year, hopes to expand to 4 acres next summer.

The Poor Farm, established in 1855 on 160 acres on the edge of Iowa City, originally was a place where the poor and mentally ill could live and work under the countys care, The Gazette reported in 2019. The county-owned land now has been re-imagined for education, local food production, historic preservation, conservation, recreation and affordable housing.

This year, Matiyabo started growing thousands of plants in a farm greenhouse and moved them outside in June.

Matiyabo had help with this process June 22, when students from United Action for Youth came out to see his farm. The students were from SPARK, a program intended to help middle school and high school students of color explore new hobbies and professions.

Popular foods like peas, beans and rice havent always been properly linked to African cultures, said Michael Carter Jr., Small Farm Resource Center coordinator within Virginia State University Extension.

Carter operates Carter Farms in the Piedmont region of Virginia that specializes in growing organic ethnic, African tropical vegetables and serves as a hub for vegetable Afro tourism, according to his website.

Theres not understanding that many of our (American) foodways are directly involved in African agriculture, Carter told The Gazette. For example, the word gumbo is a derivation of the Senegalese word for okra, which immigrants made into soup, Carter said.

Many Americans think because starvation has plagued some African countries and droughts have reduced agricultural production the continent does not produce healthy, filling and tasty food, Carter said.

Sweet potato leaves are great leaves nutritionally  more nutritional than kale and collards, Carter said. Its a good-tasting leaf.

In larger metro areas, such as Washington, D.C., there is demand for greens traditionally grown in Africa, Carter said. But those urban markets arent always accessible to rural farmers.

Matiyabo is hoping to expand his freezing capacity so he can sell frozen produce to outlets nationwide. He also would like to get a better delivery truck to transport fresh produce to Midwest stores without fear of it spoiling or being damaged in transit.

Theres enough markets, its just logistics, he said.

Carter recommends producers of African greens post nutritional information and recipes on their retail sites. The Africando Foods website includes this sort of information, such as how to substitute many of the leaves for spinach.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

PHOENIX (AP)  An interviewer asked Arizona Republican Senate candidate Blake Masters to pick a subversive thinker" whom people should know more about.

Masters gave it some thought and came up with a risky response for someone running for elected office.

He picked the Unabomber.

Ill probably get in trouble for saying this, Masters responded. How about, like, Theodore Kaczynski?

Masters was careful to point out he doesnt condone the bombings that killed three people and injured dozens between 1978 and 1995 and terrorized the nation until Kaczynskis arrest in 1996. But Master's March interview on an obscure podcast is emblematic of the provocative style that has helped the 35-year-old first-time candidate connect with the segment of Republican primary voters eager to confront Democrats, technology companies and other enemies of the right in the midterm elections.

Boosted by Donald Trumps endorsement, Masters is gobbling up most of the attention in a primary defined above all else by fealty to the former president. The winner of Tuesday's election will take on Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, one of the GOPs top targets.

The primary does not fit easily into the Trump vs. GOP establishment pattern that has defined so many contests this year, including the race for Arizona governor. All the major candidates aggressively sought Trump's imprimatur and have not been shy about advancing his false claims of election fraud from the 2020 presidential election. GOP Gov. Doug Ducey declined to run and the partys mainstream has not coalesced around any particular candidate.

Masters faces businessman Jim Lamon, who founded and sold a solar energy company, and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, who started the race as the best-known candidate but has been weighed down by fierce criticism from Trump. Retired Maj. Gen. Michael McGuire, the former head of the Arizona National Guard, and Justin Olson, a former lawmaker and member of the Arizona Corporation Commission, have struggled to gain traction.

As for the Unabomber, Masters said he doesn't endorse all of Kaczynski's views, but there's a lot of insight there. Kaczynski's 35,000-word manifesto, which blames technological progress for societal ills, has found a loyal following.

He had a lot to say about the political left, about how they all have inferiority complexes and fundamentally hate anything like goodness, truth, beauty, justice," Masters said.

Despite a venture capital career tied closely with Silicon Valley startups, Masters is running as a critic of Big Tech and is calling for regulating social media giants such as Facebook, which he says is unfair to conservatives.

It's an interesting position for a candidate who owes virtually his entire professional career to Facebook's first investor, billionaire Peter Thiel. Masters took a class from Thiel as a Stanford law student and formed an enduring bond. They wrote a book together, Masters worked for Thiel's investment firm and foundation, and the billionaire is now bankrolling Masters' run for Senate through a super political action committee to which he's so far contributed $15 million.

Trump last week called Masters a brilliant mind who truly supports the MAGA movement and America First." MAGA refers to Trump's Make America Great Again theme.

Masters was once a strident libertarian whose online posts as a college student have been fodder for his rivals. He called for unrestricted immigration and wrote that the U.S. hasnt been involved in a just war in over 140 years, a period that notably excludes World War II. Masters later told Jewish Insider, which first reported on the comments, that he went too far. He's been critical of his rivals and the media for dwelling on his writings as a teenager.

More recently, hes an immigration hard-liner who espouses the  great replacement theory, accusing Democrats of trying to flood the nation with millions of immigrants to change the demographics of our country. He called Democratic leaders psychopaths and posed with a rifle declaring this is designed to kill people, saying the Second Amendment is not about hunting.

Trump's support has been great for my campaign, Masters said, and he doesn't plan to play down the endorsement if he's nominated.

Do you know how many independents I meet who say, like, Were sorry, we voted for Biden. Please bring back the mean tweets because we want $2 gas, we want a border, Masters said.

After trying hard but failing to get the Trump endorsement, Lamon says the former president got it wrong in Arizona. At a recent campaign stop in Tempe, he claimed Trump endorsed Masters because of business ties to Thiel.

All of these writings Masters did about open borders, open free drug trade and blah, blah, blah  I dont think President Trump knew that when he endorsed," Lamon told a woman who wanted to know why Trump wasn't supporting him. He later said he wasn't worried about alienating the former president or his supporters, pointing to Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania as another example of Trump making a bad endorsement of a Republican Senate candidate.

How's Oz working out for us? Oz has got a boatload of experience compared to Masters," Lamon said in an interview, noting polls that show Oz trailing Democrat John Fetterman.

Lamon, an Army veteran, is drawing from the fortune he built over a career in the energy sector.

He would let the Border Patrol do their job, said Bob Wallace, a 68-year-old retiree from Mesa, who is supporting Lamon. "Not play nursemaid to thousands and thousands of illegals. He would rather have them do their job, which is stopping them at the border."

Brnovich, in his second term as attorney general, is the only major candidate with experience in elected office. But he's seen his star fade since Trump soured on him because he did not deliver what Trump wanted most  indictments of election officials who he claims, without any evidence, illegally deprived him of a second term as president.

Brnovich initially vouched for the integrity of the 2020 election and sat alongside the governor and secretary of state as they certified the election results. More recently, he says he's looking into discredited allegations of irregularities in Maricopa County.

At one recent debate, Brnovich was repeatedly heckled by the crowd as he tried to speak.

Look, Im respecting you, please respect me and let me finish my answer, he eventually clapped back. If the truth hurts, then just shut the hell up, all right? Let me just talk."

Kelly will be a formidable opponent for whoever emerges from the GOP primary. A former astronaut and Navy pilot, Kelly is the husband of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who survived an assassination attempt. He has worked to build a profile as a moderate since he was elected in a 2020 special election to finish the term of the late Republican Sen. John McCain,

Kelly is a fundraising powerhouse and raised $52 million through the end of June for what is likely to be one of the most expensive campaigns in the country this year, with half of it still in his bank account. He's using that fortune to bolster his image with a barrage of positive television ads as the Republicans remain focused on one another.

Republicans, meanwhile, have struggled mightily with fundraising. The candidates combined have raised less than half of Kelly's haul, with much of that money coming from Lamon himself.

___

Follow AP for full coverage of the midterms at https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ap_politics.
WOODSTOCK  Flags across Connecticut were lowered to half-staff Friday in honor of George W. Brown, a former chief and member of the Muddy Brook Fire Department for more than 50 years.

Brown, a Vietnam War veteran, was a fixture within the department since joining in 1967, officials said on Facebook. He also worked as a nurse at a local hospital and was an active member of his church before his unexpected death.

This is a huge loss to the department and our local community, officials said. He was a mentor and dear friend to us all.

In his obituary, Browns family said he had been married to his wife, Pamela, for more than 44 years. He is survived by his wife, two children and other relatives.

He will be remembered for his great love of his family and friends, his country, his church and his community, the obituary stated.

As he ordered flags to be lowered Friday, Gov. Ned Lamont praised Browns devotion to his neighbors and colleagues.

Chief Brown dedicated himself to public protection, including through his military service during the Vietnam War and as a lifelong member of the Muddy Brook Fire Department, Lamont said in a statement. His line-of-duty passing following a response to an emergency call for service is heartbreaking, and I extended my condolences to his friends, family, and colleagues in the fire department.

The Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire Department offered condolences to the Muddy Brook firefighters.

William Halstead, the chief of their department, also died unexpectedly in recent weeks after responding to a call.

We understand what you are going through. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers, Sandy Hook officials posted on Facebook. Rest easy, chief.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

JACKSON, Ky. (AP)  Kentucky's governor said it could take weeks to find all the victims of flash flooding that killed at least 16 people when heavy rains turned streams into torrents that swamped towns across Appalachia.

More rainstorms were forecast to roll through in coming days, keeping the region on edge as rescue crews struggled to get into hard-hit areas that include some of the poorest places in America.

The rain let up early Friday after some areas of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches (20-27 centimeters) over 48 hours. But some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday and Gov. Andy Beshear warned the death toll could rise sharply.

From everything weve seen, we may be updating the count of how many we lost for the next several weeks, Gov. Andy Beshear said. In some of these areas, its hard to know exactly how many people were there.

Patricia Colombo, 63, of Hazard, Kentucky, got stranded after her car stalled in floodwaters on a state highway. Colombo began to panic when water started rushing in. Her phone was dead, but she saw a helicopter overhead and waved it down. The helicopter crew radioed a team on the ground that pulled her safely from her car.

Colombo stayed the night at her fiances home in Jackson and they took turns sleeping, repeatedly checking the water with flashlights to see if it was rising. Colombo lost her car but said others had it worse in a region where poverty is endemic.

Many of these people cannot recover out here. They have homes that are half underwater, theyve lost everything, she said.

Its the latest in a string of catastrophic deluges that have hammered parts of the U.S. this summer, including St. Louis earlier this week and again on Friday. Scientists warn climate change is making weather disasters more common.

As rainfall pounded Appalachia this week, water poured down hillsides and into valleys and hollows where it swelled creeks and streams coursing through small towns. The torrent engulfed homes and businesses and trashed vehicles. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.

Rescue teams backed by the National Guard used helicopters and boats to search for the missing. Beshear said Friday that at least six children were among the victims and that the total number of lives lost could more than double as rescue teams reach more areas. Among those who died were four children from the same family in Knott County, Coroner Corey Watson said Friday.

President Joe Biden said in a social media post that he spoke with Beshear on Friday to offer the federal government's support. Biden also declared a federal disaster to direct relief money to more than a dozen Kentucky counties.

The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia.

Gov. Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties in West Virginia where the flooding downed trees, power outages and blocked roads. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also made an emergency declaration, enabling officials to mobilize resources across the flooded southwest of the state.

More than 20,000 utility customers in Kentucky and almost 6,100 in Virginia remained without power late Friday, poweroutage.us reported.

Extreme rain events have become more common as climate change bakes the planet and alters weather patterns, according to scientists. Thats a growing challenge for officials during disasters, because models used to predict storm impacts are in part based on past events and cant keep up with increasingly devastating flash floods and heat waves like those that have recently hit the Pacific Northwest and southern Plains.

It's a battle of extremes going on right now in the United States, said University of Oklahoma meteorologist Jason Furtado. These are things we expect to happen because of climate change. ... A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor and that means you can produce increased heavy rainfall.

The deluge came two days after record rains around St. Louis dropped more than 12 inches (31 centimeters) and killed at least two people. Last month, heavy rain on mountain snow in Yellowstone National Park triggered historic flooding and the evacuation of more than 10,000 people. In both instances, the rain flooding far exceeded what forecasters predicted.

The floodwaters raging through Appalachia were so swift that some people trapped in their homes couldnt be immediately reached, said Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams.

Just to the west in hard-hit Perry County, authorities said some people remained unaccounted for and almost everyone in the area had suffered some sort of damage.

Weve still got a lot of searching to do, said Jerry Stacy, the emergency management director in Perry County.

More than 330 people have sought shelter, Beshear said. And with property damage so extensive, the governor opened an online portal for donations to the victims.

Beshear predicted that would take more than a year to fully rebuild.

The governor got a look at the flooding Friday aboard a helicopter.

Hundreds of homes, the ballfields, the parks, businesses under more water than I think any of us have ever seen in that area, the governor said. Absolutely impassable in numerous spots. Just devastating.

Portions of at least 28 state roads in Kentucky were blocked due to flooding or mudslides, Beshear said. Rescue crews in Virginia and West Virginia worked to reach people where roads werent passable.

___

Brown reported from Billings, Montana. Contributors include Rebecca Reynolds in Louisville, Kentucky; Timothy D. Easley in Jackson, Kentucky, and Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  New state rules require access to water, shade and breaks on hot days, but workers say theyre still laboring in unsafe conditions.

Skyler Fischer is forklift driver at a Fred Meyer distribution center in the town of Clackamas. Hes been working there for 12 years and works at least four days a week, 10 to 12 hours each day. Fischer said he gets two 15-minute breaks each shift.

On Tuesday, when temperatures soared to 102 degrees Fahrenheit in the Portland metro area, Fischer said he was drained. He said the warehouse has no air conditioning, no ceiling fans or any type of air circulation in the building. He said the only time he can cool down is during his lunch break when he gets to eat inside an air-conditioned office.

Usually, I get home and I do stuff, but I just collapsed on the couch pretty much because Im so exhausted, he told Oregon Public Broadcasting.

In May, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division adopted permanent rules to protect workers laboring in excessive heat or wildfire smoke. They are some of the nations strongest protections for employees working outdoors or in workplaces without air conditioning.

But this week, with daily highs consistently hitting triple-digits, is putting Oregon OSHAs recently implemented heat rules to the test. Some Oregonians have said theyre still laboring in unsafe conditions despite the new heat rules.

The rules went into effect last month and apply when temperatures in a work environment reach 80 degrees Fahrenheit. They require employers to provide access to shaded areas, cool drinking water, and additional rest breaks to cool down and acclimate to the heat. The rule also requires employers to provide heat illness prevention training.

Aaron Corvin, Oregon OSHAs public information officer, said the agency has opened an inspection related to the Fred Meyer facility.

A statement from Fred Meyer said the company has installed a mechanical cooling station at its 1-million-square-foot warehouse in Clackamas. On days with high temperatures, the company provides employees with access to water bottles on ice, water fountains, frozen treats and cooling towels. A distribution team also takes daily temperatures throughout the facility and said this week temperatures have not exceeded 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the statement said.

Last summer, the Pacific Northwest experienced a heat dome event in which nearly 100 people died from heat-related illness in Oregon alone. At least four of those happened on the job and were reported by Oregon OSHA.

That included a farmworker who collapsed and died on a farm north of Salem and a construction worker who became ill while inspecting a roof in Hillsboro, went to a hospital and died nine days later.

Shortly after the first workplace death was reported, several labor rights groups and environmental organizations called on Gov. Kate Brown to take action and direct Oregon OSHA to issue temporary heat rules to protect workers. The agency has since adopted those rules permanently after more than a year and a half of rulemaking.

That process lays out the expectations for employers and their obligations to protect workers against the dangers of extreme heat, Oregon OSHAs Corvin said.

He said that since the rules took effect on June 15, there have been at least 137 open inspections that relate to work hazards and heat complaints. Oregon OSHA has thus far issued nine citations for not following heat rules.

I would certainly expect that we will have more, Corvin said.

Most of the inspections currently underway involve the restaurant industry, warehouse workplaces and construction sites. A citation or violation can lead to a fine.

Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, known as PCUN, along with other labor rights groups and environmental groups, has been advocating for rules like these for years.

PCUNs climate policy associate Ira Cuello-Martinez said, for the most part, PCUN is hearing from its members that employers are following the new rules. Some even go beyond what is required like providing salty crackers and electrolyte drinks to help with maintaining hydration and encourage extra breaks.

But Cuello-Martinez has also heard from farmworkers that some employers arent applying any of the rules.

Some workers were unaware of the rule even being in effect and have not received any sort of training from their employers when it comes to excessive heat, he said.

Under the new rules, workers should be receiving training in language they understand about the dangers of working in extreme heat conditions, Cuello-Martinez said. He said its unclear whether employers are providing flyers, allowing employees to ask questions or giving them time to digest the new information.

Meanwhile, several business organizations criticized the new rules, saying theyre not helpful to employers or employees. Three groups  Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, Associated Oregon Loggers Inc. and the Oregon Forest Industries Council  even sued the state in June to try to prevent the rules from taking effect.

Mary Anne Cooper, vice president of government and legal affairs for the Oregon Farm Bureau said the rules are overly prescriptive and theyve caused confusion for farmers, ranchers and farmworkers.

New documentation and reporting requirements also provide logistical challenges to some smaller family farms, Cooper added.

Its just been a real challenge this year for our employers to meet these pretty burdensome new rules while maintaining a workforce and keeping their employees happy, Cooper said.

Last year, the Biden administration pledged to begin developing federal rules to protect workers from heat-related illnesses after extreme heat left dozens of workers injured or dead.

Currently, Washington and California have temporary rules for protecting workers and are developing permanent rules. Workers in other states are protected through the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administrations General Duty Clause, which requires employers to provide a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious harm to employees.

Groshell said he hopes other states pass laws similar to Oregons, so that it forces the federal government to adopt stronger regulations.

Or the other way that its going to happen is were going to have more and more people die, he said.
Illinois is accepting applications for a share of $15 million through the Tourism Attraction and Festivals Grant program.

This will be the second round of tourism grants in Illinois funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. Communities, groups and tourism and festival businesses can apply for grants of up to $500,000 to establish and enhance tourism attractions or festivals.
DECATUR, Ala. (AP)  The use of trusted inmates to fill local businesses vacancies amid a tight labor market has helped the employers, provided money for fine or restitution payments, and benefited county jail budgets, but the inmates have to follow strict rules to remain eligible for work-release programs.

Kim Thurston, director of Morgan County Community Corrections and Court Services, said fast food and other restaurants, construction companies, and manufacturing plants are the top employers using work-release inmates in the county.

Frank Singleton, a spokesman for Wayne Farms, which employs about 1,900 workers at its three Decatur facilities, said his company has about 10 jail trusties currently on the local payroll, less than 1% of the jobs. He said starting jobs for unskilled labor start at $15 an hour with insurance.

It helps us out while we work to meet our staffing issues, and it helps those workers be productive and be ready when they reenter society. It can change their situation in a positive way, he said.

Morgan County Jail trusty Martavious Birt, 22, of Huntsville, considers himself fortunate to work at a local restaurant not far from the county jail. He also does landscaping on the county-owned jail grounds.

It gives me a chance to make some money, and it looks good when I go to court. Hopefully, I can get out more quickly, he said. Jail records show Birt is locked up on a domestic violence charge.

At the restaurant, I have some pretty good managers, and I enjoy the little freedom I get. I save up part of the money I am paid so I will have it when I get out. He said he occasionally walks to and from work.

The state unemployment rate fell to an all-time low of 2.6% in June, according to preliminary numbers released by the Alabama Department of Labor on Friday, and rates in Lawrence, Morgan and Limestone were about the same, putting a strain on companies seeking workers.

Jeremy Nails, president and CEO of the Morgan County Economic Development Association, said work-release inmates are often readily available to reenter the workforce. Many local employers use inmates from the state Department of Corrections North Alabama Community-Based Facility in Decatur.

Nails said the workers are usually paid the same as standard employees. So it doesnt relieve costs but it does help provide bodies to ensure continuity in their assembly lines or similar areas that are crucial positions to operations, he said.

Morgan County Commission Chairman Ray Long said some jail inmates are not paid while they do landscaping and cleanup duties for various municipalities across the county.

The cities and towns usually provide them lunch and it gives those inmates an opportunity to get out of the jail and be more productive, he said.

The Morgan County Sheriffs Office said it recently had 17 trusties working for nonprofit organizations and municipalities.

Trusties are usually non-violent offenders often awaiting trial or serving out a short sentence, local sheriffs officials say.

Mike Swafford, spokesman for the Morgan County Sheriffs Office, said the jail staff learns the behavior of the inmates and is able to identify those who could serve in trusty roles. Presently, there are 53 in the program, he said. He said the number fluctuates.

We had to stop it because of COVID two years ago, he said. We had to protect the integrity of the building having people coming and going. Then late in 2021 and this year, we moved back to putting people in it. Its a benefit to them, a benefit to the employer and benefit to the county. It generates funds all the way around.

In Lawrence County, sheriffs Chief Deputy Brian Covington said they select work-release inmates who are unlikely to try to flee.

We use those who have no history of violent crime and arent a flight risk, he said.

Somebody who wants to work, Lawrence County Sheriff Max Sanders added.

Angela Baldwin, Lawrence County Solid Waste manager, said her department employs about six trusties on a regular basis.

Two work in the shop and help us with maintenance and washing the trucks, she said. We usually have three or four working on road crews doing roadside cleanup work. Our inmate workers are a tremendous asset.

She said they are paid the state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and her department has hired some after they are released from jail. The Sheriffs Office said other trusties make between $7.50 an hour farming to as much as $15 an hour working for a subcontractor on a state highway project. Records indicate about 30 inmates a month in Lawrence County are on work release. Not at the same time, though, Covington said.

Hiring trusties can be tricky, officials agree.

Swafford and Sanders said the jail trusties dont work overnight positions.

Theyre supposed to be back at a designated time unless the employer calls for additional time, Sanders said. Most are 8 to 5 jobs. Some of the restaurants work them 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sometimes an inmate was employed with a company before being locked up.

An employer will sometimes call us saying the inmate was working with them before they got placed in jail and they were a good employee. The employer wants them to work. We try to work with them, Sanders said. We want the inmate to keep his job.

Swafford and Covington said an employer could lose an inmate worker when the employee makes a bad decision while out of jail.

When they come back in, they are strip-searched and drug tested, Swafford said.

They said trusties will occasionally have unlawful contact with people that are off-limits to them or test positive for drugs after working at a job site.

Covington said about 15% of the Lawrence trusties are rolled back into jail and taken off trusty status. He said the number of trusties ranges from 15 to 35 and currently only one female inmate is in the work-release group.

Sanders said that if an inmate serving time for driving under the influence is caught driving while on work release, we bring him back in, even though the employer has him driving. The inmate knows what is expected of him.

Sanders said a trusty at a job site occasionally will get on the phone and do something like harass his former girlfriend.

Well investigate, Sanders said. Weve got to make sure the ex-girlfriend has a valid complaint.

Swafford said meeting with girlfriends or family members is not allowed.

One worked in a restaurant and was slow getting back to the jail. He would linger at the restaurant. We found out that a girlfriend was visiting, he said. That ended that.

Swafford said the income is a plus for inmates and the system. Of the money the trusties earn, they get to keep about 65%, corrections officials said.

Thurston said Community Corrections in Morgan has collected a total of $52,369 in court costs and restitution this year.

Sanders said 25% of work-release income goes to the Sheriffs Office for supplies and repairs and another 10% goes to pay down the court fines and restitution the inmate may owe. Covington said that some of the 25% goes toward the management of the work-release program.

When we pay for the screening costs and everything that goes along with it, there really is not much money left over. Its not like we are seeing any real money off the program, he said.
By Trend

Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov held an official meeting with Deputies of the Minister of Defense, Commanders of types of troops, Chiefs of Main Departments, Departments, and Services of the Ministry at the Central Command Post on July 30, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Commanders of the Army Corps and formations stationed in the liberated territories were also involved in the meeting via video teleconference.

Noting that during the meeting on the results of six months of the current year, held under the chairmanship of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Force Ilham Aliyev, the head of state highly appreciated the activities of the Azerbaijan Army, the defense minister noted that the opinions expressed by the head of state are important tasks assigned to the Azerbaijan Army.

The minister extensively analyzed the operational situation and the current circumstances on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, as well as in the Karabakh economic zone, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, and ordered to be constantly ready to immediately and resolutely suppress any possible provocation of the opposing side.

The meeting participants were informed that inspections based on the final results of the six-month combat training process would be conducted in the troops.

Colonel General Hasanov instructed to pay attention to the professionalism of servicemen and troops combat training during the new training period, increase the intensity of exercises and field training, as well as maintain a high level of combat readiness.



The defense minister gave instructions to the relevant officers on completion of the work on preparation for the winter in the units in a planned manner, timely delivery of the necessary supplies to the units stationed in mountainous areas, the recruitment and distribution of young soldiers in the relevant units, as well as the high-level organization of preparation for the Military Oath taking ceremonies.

Analyzing the compliance with safety rules in daily service activities, Colonel General Hasanov highlighted the significance of constantly conveying these rules to the military personnel and controlling strict compliance.

At the end of the official meeting, senior officials were given specific tasks on organizing the troops service, further improving service and social and living conditions, as well as continuing the necessary measures for engineering support.
A woman in her late 30s came up to me with tears in her eyes.

I havent left the house in almost two years, she said. But I had to see this.

Shed come out to watch a screening of a feature film I co-wrote and directed called Life After You, which played for two weeks recently at the Allen Theatre in Lebanon, PA  the location where we shot the footage.

Her fiance had died two years prior after overdosing on drugs laced with fentanyl. She had no idea he was using. But she felt something was amiss. She spoke about her feelings with her fiances family, but they brushed her off.

Youre buying a house together, they said. Youre getting married! Everythings fine.

And then they werent.

Covid-19 and grief confined her to her house. When she heard about the screening, she was emboldened to step outside.

Life After You is a narrative feature film centered around the true story of a suburban familys struggle with the death of their 19-year-old son Danny following an overdose of heroin that was also laced with fentanyl. The film, which explores the question of who and what is responsible for this tragedy, is inspired by the book, Life After You: What Your Death From Drugs Leaves Behind by Linda Lajterman.

The woman at the theater asked her friends to come with her for support. They declined, saying it was too sad of a story. So she braved it on her own.

I will never forget her eyes: the wells of grief there and the tears of loneliness leaking out as she told her story. And Ill never forget the uncomfortable laughter when she was done speaking. She sucked in all of those emotions when she felt she had said too much.

Im sorry, she said. I didnt mean to tell you all that.

But Im glad she did. It is the reason Linda Lajterman, whose family had no idea Danny was using, wrote the book a month after her family found him dead in his bedroom. It is what prompted producer Charlene Giannetti to publish it and set in motion the conversation of turning the story into a film.

It is what inspired co-writer and lead actress Florencia Lozano to play the role of Linda. It is what impelled producer Brian Long to help make this conversation a reality. And it is what galvanized me to dive deep and direct the truthful accounts following the worst days of this familys life.

Did it trigger you in a bad way? I asked the woman. Being here today and seeing this?

No, she said, definitively. For the first time, I dont feel like Im alone.

Addiction has gone through the roof during the pandemic. It manifests in different ways: alcohol, food, sex, drugs

But the root is all the same. It stems from loneliness, hopelessness, a feeling of disconnect.

It is easy to hone in on all the bad stuff happening around the world. The subject of addiction  of seeking that warm, fuzzy blanket to block out the bad  is just one of them.

Rather than shy away or judge or reproach one another, we need to reach out, amid our differences, and try to see the humanity in all of us.

Listening. Responding with love, even if its laced with disagreement. These are the things that can begin to curb dark into light. These are the things to help us admit that we have a really big problem here, but there is hope. There is always hope. And it starts with communication.
 NN/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 500-acre fire in North Texas, which ended up destroying five homes, was started with paper trash that was ignited by sunlight through a glass bottle in an open trash can, according to reporting from NBC News. The fire began on July 18 at Possum Kingdom Lake, about 70 miles from Fort Worth. It took eight days to fully contain the fire.

A statement from the Possum Kingdom West Side Volunteer Fire Department said the department found a trash can packed with paper goods and glass bottles, NBC News reported. The department believes a wind gust opened the trash can, exposing the bottles to sunlight and allowing it to ignite the paper. The fire spread from the trash can to nearby cedar trees and then spread from there, according to NBC News.
YORK, Pa. (AP)  A Pennsylvania man has been freed on nominal bail while awaiting retrial on charges of killing his wife and then faking an all-terrain vehicle accident to cover up the slaying a decade ago.

An appeals court earlier in the week upheld a York County judge's decision in June to allow 49-year-old Joseph Fitzpatrick III to be freed on $1 bail. He has been ordered to live with his parents in Fawn Grove, wear a GPS monitoring device and barred from travel outside of the county.

Defense attorney Christopher Ferro said he was ecstatic" about his client's Wednesday afternoon release. He said they are now focused on preparing for the retrial and confident of an acquittal. York county prosecutors are evaluating our appellate options," spokesperson Kyle King said.

The Chanceford Township resident is accused of having drowned 43-year-old Annemarie Fitzpatrick in a creek in June 2012 and then telling police they crashed their ATV in the water. The Pennsylvania Superior Court had halted his release while it reviewed the judge's bail decision.

Fitzpatrick was initially convicted of first- and third-degree murder as well as involuntary manslaughter in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. But the Pennsylvania Supreme Court last year ordered a new trial, saying Fitzpatrick III might not have been convicted without the admission into evidence of a note from his wife which the court called inadmissible hearsay that injected significant prejudice into the trial.

Authorities alleged that Fitzpatrick wanted out of his marriage, was emotionally involved with another woman and had a $1.7 million life insurance policy on his wife. Hours before her death, prosecutors said, Annemarie Fitzpatrick wrote, dated and signed a note in her day-planner at work saying If anything happens to me  Joe. She also wrote an email to herself titled if something happens to me saying the couple had marital problems and a huge log had almost fallen on her the night before.

The trial judge, in a rare move, set aside the jury verdict, saying prosecutors had not presented enough evidence to support a conviction. An appeals court reinstated the conviction, saying the note was allowed as evidence to show the victims state of mind, an exception to the hearsay rule. The court said the email wasnt admissible but ruled that its admission was harmless in light of the overwhelming evidence against Fitzpatrick.

The state Supreme Court majority, however, said the note did more than reflect the womans fear, it also asserted that her husband would be responsible if something untoward or violent happened to her  and offering the note as proof of that would be inadmissible hearsay.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  When World War II veteran George Dramis came home, he didnt talk much about the war. If someone asked what he did there, hed tell them the truth: He was a radio operator.

But there is much, much more to his story.

Dramis, 97, was one of the 1,100 soldiers in the U.S. Armys 23rd Headquarters Special Troops. Referred to now as the Ghost Army, they formed in 1944 with a key job: deceive the German military as to the whereabouts of Army divisions. This was after the D-Day invasion at Normandy, as Allied forces fought to free Europe from the Nazis.

We would come in at night, Dramis told The News & Observer, explaining how the Ghost Army operated.

(An Army division) would sneak away, quietly. We would come in and fake their radio transmissions. We had huge half-tracks with tremendous speakers on them that you could hear for 15 miles. They were recorded things of actual troop movements  tanks, trucks, guys swearing, yelling Get over here! he said.

A half-track was an armored personnel carrier. Those speakers that carried sound for 15 miles weighed 500 pounds, Dramis said, and it sounded like a real division coming in. The Ghost Army used inflatable tanks, trucks and other equipment that would appear to be camouflaged, and soldiers even wore fake division patches.

Those 1,100 troops used visual and audio deception to appear to be 15,000 troops. And as Dramis told people after the war when his work was still classified, he was indeed a radio operator. He kept the secret until 1996, when the Ghost Armys efforts were declassified.

There are just nine veterans of the Ghost Army still living. With a bill co-sponsored by North Carolinas U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross and signed into law by President Joe Biden in February, those men will receive a Congressional Gold Medal. Ross, a Democrat, and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis staffer Trey Lewis were among those who attended a recent ceremony at the Waltonwood Lake Boone assisted living community in Raleigh.

One of Dramis modern counterparts was at the ceremony, too.

Army Col. Chris Stangle is commander of the 4th Psychological Operations Group, 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne), at Fort Bragg. Stangle told Dramis that Special Operations was built off of what the Ghost Army started. Stangle told The N&O that the work Dramis did has been built upon with techniques used by what is known as PSYOP today.

Like at other ceremonies of recent years honoring World War II veterans, speakers often call them heroes, including Dramis.

They keep talking about this hero part all the time. Well, Im not so sure about that hero stuff, Dramis told those gathered.

The 18-, 19-year-old, 20-year-old guys that  Dramis paused and took a deep breath  maybe lasted one minute or two minutes or three minutes, and they never made it. They never got to grow up and have a life  those guys are the heroes.

After the war, Dramis was a factory worker and eventually president of an industrial supply company before he retired in 1990, according to the Ghost Army Legacy Project. He and his late wife had four children, and Dramis two living sons attended the ceremony, along with two of Dramis grandsons.

Saturday, July 23, 2022, was also proclaimed George Dramis Day by Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin.

Dramis son Jim Dramis, of Raleigh, wrote in The Charlotte Observer last year about the Ghost Army Legacy Projects years-long push to get the bill passed so his father and others would be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal. While the medal is still being minted, ceremonies for George Dramis and other Ghost Army veterans are already being held.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)  Richmond's top prosecutor said Friday she won't file criminal charges against police officers who deployed tear gas on demonstrators gathered at the city's Robert E. Lee statue in 2020 to protest police violence.

In a statement, Richmond Commonwealth's Attorney Colette McEachin said confused police radio communications led officers to use tear gas on a peaceful group of protestors who gathered at the statue on June 1, 2020 in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP)  One solider was killed and six insurgents were dead after an overnight operation in Pakistan's volatile southwestern Baluchistan province, the military said Saturday.

The military said in a statement that during exchange of fire with separatists the Hoshab area of Kech district, another soldier was injured.
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP)  Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his weeklong Canadian pilgrimage was a bit of a test that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire.

Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, the 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadnt thought about resigning but said the door is open and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.

Its not strange. Its not a catastrophe. You can change the pope, he said while sitting in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.

Francis said that while he hadn't considered resigning until now, he realizes he has to at least slow down.

I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside, he said.

Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate following the first trip in which he used a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around, sharply limiting his program and ability to mingle with crowds.

He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and continuing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa that was scheduled for the first week of July.

The Canada trip was difficult, and featured several moments when Francis was clearly in pain as he maneuvered getting up and down from chairs.

At the end of his six-day tour, he appeared in good spirits and energetic, despite a long day traveling to the edge of the Arctic on Friday to again apologize to Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canadas church-run residential schools.

Francis ruled out having surgery on his knee, saying it would not necessarily help and noting there are still traces from the effects of having undergone more than six hours of anesthesia in July 2021 to remove 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his large intestine.

Ill try to continue to do the trips and be close to people because I think its a way of servicing, being close. But more than this, I cant say, he said Saturday.

In other comments aboard the papal plane, Francis:

 Agreed that the attempt to eliminate Indigenous culture in Canada through a church-run residential school system amounted to a cultural genocide. Francis said he didn't use the term during his Canada trip because it didn't come to mind. Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commission determined in 2015 that the forced removal of Indigenous children from their homes and placement in church-run residential schools to assimilate them into Christian, Canadian constituted a cultural genocide.

Its true I didnt use the word because it didnt come to mind, but I described genocide, no? Francis said. I apologized, I asked forgiveness for this work, which was genocide.

 Suggested he was not opposed to a development of Catholic doctrine on the use of contraception. Church teaching prohibits artificial contraception. Francis noted that a Vatican think tank recently published the acts of a congress where a modification to the churchs absolute no was discussed. He stressed that doctrine can develop over time and that it was the job of theologians to pursue such developments, with the pope ultimately deciding.

Francis noted that church teaching on atomic weapons was modified during his pontificate to consider not only the use but the mere possession of atomic weapons as immoral and to consider the death penalty immoral in all cases.

 Confirmed he hoped to travel to Kazakhstan in mid-September for an interfaith conference where he might meet with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, who has justified the war in Ukraine. Francis also said he wants to go to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, though no trip has yet been confirmed. He said he hoped to reschedule the trip to South Sudan he canceled because of his knee problems. He said the Congo leg of that trip would probably have to be put off until next year because of the rainy season.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP)  Flash floods triggered by heavy rains killed seven Iraqi tourists in northeastern Iran on Saturday, Iranian state media reported, the latest in rising casualty tolls as the downpours continue to lash the country.

The official IRNA news agency said the tourists were part of a 13-member group of Iraqis visiting Iran. They were traveling in a crammed station wagon on a road near the city of Mashhad, some 900 kilometers (560 miles), north of the capital Tehran, when a flash flood swept their car away.

Among the fatalities were five women and the group's Iranian driver. Three Iraqis were missing while the other passengers managed to get to safety.

About 2 million Iraqis visit Iran every year.

Also Saturday, Iranian authorities raised the death toll from landslides and flash floods that engulfed the country since Thursday to 61 as eight more bodied were retrieved. It said at least 32 people are still missing.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited a rescue operation center in one of the stricken villages northeast of Tehran, promising more help for the area.

There were fears the death toll could rise even further as more bodies are being uncovered as the rains abate. Thousands have been transferred from remote areas to safer places.

Last Saturday, flash floods in Irans drought-stricken southern Fars province killed at least 22 people and affected about a dozen villages in the province. Authorities have warned about heavy rains and possible floods.

This week's storm is the deadliest among Iran's rain-related incidents in the last decade. In 2019, a flashflood killed at least 21 people in the southern city of Shiraz, and two years earlier, a similar storm claimed 48 lives in northwestern Iran.

However, mudslides in northern Iran in 2001 and in Tehran in 1987 killed 500 and 300 people, respectively.

Authorities have blamed the high death tolls on a wide disregard of safety measures by people who venture out in the storms while critics cite mismanagement in construction projects as well as late warnings as other causes.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

MOSCOW (AP)  Russia's state-owned natural gas corporation said Saturday it has halted shipments to Latvia because of contract violations.

In a brief statement, gas giant Gazprom said the shipments were stopped because Latvia broke terms for extraction of gas. It did not elaborate.

The statement likely referred to a refusal to meet Russia's demand for gas payments in rubles rather than other currencies. Gazprom previously suspended shipments to other European Union countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria, because they would not pay in rubles.

The immediate effects of the cutoff were not clear. Latvian media reported this week that the country had resumed buying Russian gas from another supplier.

After the EU imposed sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in March that unfriendly foreign buyers would have to transact with Gazprom in rubles instead of dollars and euros.

The Kremlin said importers had to establish an account in dollars or euros at Russias third-largest bank, Gazprombank, then a second account in rubles. The importer would pay the gas bill in euros or dollars and direct the bank to exchange the money for rubles.

Many countries refused to comply, saying the new payment system could put them in the position of breaking sanctions terms.

___

Follow AP's coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP)  South Bend police officers fatally shot a man Friday near an elementary school after he apparently pointed a gun at officers during a stand-off, northern Indiana police said.

Witness statements and police video show that Dante Kittrell, 51, was threatening to take his own life and appeared to be waving a handgun near athletic fields outside Coquillard Elementary School, St. Joseph County police said.
Best Boots for Summer Festivals

Stay Dry and Comfortable With Rugged, Ready-for-Anything Boots

The AskMen editorial team thoroughly researches & reviews the best gear, services and staples for life. AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service.

Among the many pursuits now packing your social calendar, wed wager a concert or two is chief among them, or better still, a proper music festival packed with headliners and a touch of summer sunshine (or rain).

Heading to a music festival  especially one with the potential for inclement weather  is more than just about packing a poncho. Its about building a stylish, functional outfit from the ground up with some rugged boots. We favor more stable, durable boots over sneakers at festivals, since boots are ready for all manner of weather  and they make it easy to find traction up near the barrier after a long day on your feet.

RELATED: Best Slip-On Sneakers and Slides for Summer

The best boots, either of the pull-on or lace-up variety, can even be mixed and matched with cool summer staples like light wash jeans or, better still, jean shorts. When youre wearing a tough-yet-comfortable pair of boots, anything is possible. Youve got the tickets in hand to your next summer festival  these are the best boots to wear when your next concert rolls around.

Blundstone 500 Boots

Blundstone

The original and best  Blundstone has been making boots like these for decades, with an easy-on, easy-off pull-on style, comfortable elastic side gores and handy pull tabs for quick access at a moments notice. These will stand up to wind, rain and dust without missing a beat, and it helps that they look great with dark blue jeans outside of the festival grounds, too.

From $100.25 at Amazon.com

Dr. Martens 1460 Boots

Dr. Martens

Dr. Martens have been associated with many movements over the years, and they still bring plenty of punk rock attitude and toughness to concerts the world over. For long days on your feet, its hard to top the rebound-minded comfort of these sturdy, rubber-soled boots, and it doesnt hurt that the contrasting yellow lacing on black leather is instantly recognizable and able to pair up with everything from slim black jeans to grey denim shorts.

From $90.87 at Amazon.com

Timberland Earthkeepers Boots

Timberland

Although best known for its wheat-hued 6-inch boots, the Earthkeepers Boots just might be your best bet for prime festival style. Theyre a unique take on the leather lace-up boot thanks to the eye-catching, gets-better-with-age brown leather and contrast stitching, not to mention the breathable, sustainable lining made from recycled plastic bottles. Wear these with rolled light wash jeans and a short-sleeve henley for style that works at any festival, anywhere.

From $94.98 at Amazon.com

Wolverine Lux 1000 Mile Wedge Boots

Wolverine

Its hard to go wrong with any pair of boots from Wolverines famed 1000 Mile collection, which uses heritage-quality materials and time-honored construction to produce boots that stand the test of time. The 1000 Mile line gets a lightweight upgrade here in the form of a rock n roll-approved wedge sole, which should prove ideal for all-day traction. The rich leather will take on a distinctive patina as it ages, too  yet another bonus for a pair full of style points.

$385 at Wolverine.com

Eastland Lumber Lace-Up Boots

Eastland

If its maximum durability you seek, then Eastlands take on the moc toe boot is among the best boots for a summer festival. Theyre triple-stitched for the ideal blend of toughness and even a dash of style (note the rugged moc toe design). The mini-groove sole design also helps you stay light on your feet all day long, while the two-tone laces are a nice design touch alongside richly crafted brown leather. Feel free to wear these with grey stretch jeans for lightweight summer comfort and style.

From $50.47 at Amazon.com

Todd Snyder Nomad Desert Boots

Todd Snyder

Now, look: Not every music festival is going to entail dry, dusty ground or a muddy landscape. Some music festivals these days are much more tranquil and suited for enjoying a glass of wine camped out on a blanket (or taking in the action from a coveted VIP spot). When that description fits the vibe of the next festival youve got on your summer or early fall calendar, you can easily pull off suede desert boots from a famed designer like Todd Snyder. The companys first-ever original boot design is headliner-worthy, no doubt about it.

$324 at ToddSnyder.com

Danner Panorama Mid Boots

Danner

Those hiking boots you trust to take you from town to trail are also an ideal option as far as the best mens boots for a summer festival are concerned, too. How does that work out? Its simple, really: Danners craftsmanship and penchant for next-level durability is outstanding, and theyve applied those principles to a comfortable, up-for-anything pair of boots. Case in point: The cushioned EVA midsole and 100 percent waterproof design, with visually appealing red laces thrown in for good measure.

$160 at Danner.com

Amberjack Chelsea Boots

Amberjack

Remember what we said about some festivals offering a more tranquil environment these days? Dress yourself accordingly with a set of go-anywhere, comfortable-as-can-be Chelsea boots from upstart brand Amberjack. Made from handsome full-grain leather, these feature some sporty appeal thanks to the wedge sole, but theyre as refined a pair of summer festival boots as you could hope to find, and you can rock them with everything from chinos to linen trousers and classic black jeans.

$195 at Amberjack.com

Thursday Boots Captain Boots

Thursday Boots

Thursday Boots are a fan favorite for a reason: Theyre well-designed, theyre ridiculously well-made for the price, and you can rock them anywhere  to the office, sure, but also as a pair of the best boots to wear to a summer festival. The captoe design of the aptly named Captain Boots provides nice durability and styling potential, while the Kevlar-blend laces and Goodyear welt design are also two insanely tough design features.

$199 at ThursdayBoots.com

New Republic Sonoma Suede Chelsea Boots

New Republic

Repeat after us: If youre going to be attending a festival at, say, an amphitheater rather than a dusty park, its perfectly acceptable to go more refined (yet no less comfortable) with your footwear choice. New Republics famed Sonoma Suede Chelsea Boots deliver some serious bang for your buck, with sleek styling potential  try them with slim light wash jeans and a black denim jacket. The natural crepe sole should prove remarkably comfortable and easy-wearing, too.

$89.60 at ShopNewRepublic.com

You Might Also Dig:

AskMen may get paid if you click a link in this article and buy a product or service. To find out more, please read our complete terms of use.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP)  Spain's prime minister on Saturday expressed support for Bosnia to become a candidate for European Union membership amid fears that uncertainty caused by the war in Ukraine could fuel instability in the ethnically torn Balkan nation that went through a devastating conflict in the 1990s'.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez came to Sarajevo from Serbia, where he kicked off his tour of the Balkan region on Friday. Sanchez will also travel to Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania.

During my meetings today I wanted to highlight the opportunity that would be for Bosnia and Herzegovina if the European Union would take its enlargement with a new sense of urgency," Sanchez said at a press conference.

Yet Bosnia, still dominated by nationalist politicians long after the end of the 1992-95 war, has been locked in political and ethnic disputes that have stalled the country's EU membership bid. Bosnia's Serbs, backed by Russia, have sought to win more independence for their Serb-run half of the country, while disagreements between the Bosniaks, who are mostly Muslim, and Croats have blocked the normal functioning of their joint entity.

The political stalemate has sparked concerns that Bosnia could face further ethnic divisions if left behind in the EU process. Some regional leaders have called for Bosnia to be granted a EU candidate status along with Ukraine and Moldova in June to show the EU's commitment to the volatile region.

Sanchez said Spain supports Bosnia's European perspective. He expressed hope the country would take necessary steps to become a membership candidate by the time Spain takes over EU's rotating presidency in the second half of 2023.

"During the last European Council (meeting), I told my fellow heads of governments (of) my full support in favor or Bosnia and Herzegovina being designated a candidate country. said Sanchez.

Sanchez also noted the Srebrenica massacre in July 1995, when Bosnian Serb troops executed over 8,000 Bosniaks months before the end of the war, a crime that has been designated as Europe's only genocide since World War II.

More than 100,000 people were killed and millions were displaced in Bosnia's 1992-95 war before it ended in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.
In the 1860s, photos of Yosemite Valley taken by Carleton Watkins helped persuade President Abraham Lincoln to declare the land a protected public trust, a prelude to it becoming a national park.

The images showed the sheer face of Half Dome, Vernal Falls cascading over rocks, and the glassy and inviting Merced River.

Today, Garrett Dickman, a forest ecologist at Yosemite National Park, uses the same photographs for a very different purpose: determining which trees in the park should be felled.

I will quite literally take the photo and look at where I think the view is and mark the trees that I think need to be removed to restore the vista, Dickman told The New York Times.

New York Times colleagues Thomas Fuller and Livia Albeck-Ripka wrote an article about an effort to save Yosemite, one of Americas oldest national parks, from devastating fires by using chain saws. Rangers have been pruning trees in the park for as long as it has had roads, but these latest tree-cutting projects are of a much larger scale and scope, they report.

Noah Berger/AP

Recent megafires in California have made clear that our forests are overloaded with vegetation and primed to burn in a very hot and damaging way. Prescribed burns arent enough to thin forests anymore, Yosemite officials say, especially as the park seems perennially under siege by fire and smoke.

When Fuller traveled to the park last week, the Washburn fire was smoldering. Two days after he left, the Oak fire erupted.

Every time I go up there some part of the forest seems to be on fire, Fuller said.

But Yosemites plan is not without pushback. A judge this month temporarily halted the parks tree-cutting efforts in response to a lawsuit filed by an environmental group based in Berkeley. The suit argues that the park did not properly review the impacts of that tree thinning.

The debate raises philosophical questions about what preservation really means, and how much humans should intervene. For thousands of years, forests were preserved through the regular use of fire by Native American tribes: Trees were spaced out, meadows were kept clear, water flowed more freely and underbrush was tamed, Fuller said.

The experts we spoke to say that the fire suppression of this past century has been a sharp departure  an aberration in terms of the timeline of human interaction with California forests, he said. Todays park managers at Yosemite argue that they want to bring the forests back to the state they were under Native stewardship.

The parks are being affected by not just decades of fire suppression but also the impacts of global warming and of urban areas increasingly encroaching on undeveloped land, Albeck-Ripka added. The national parks are being greatly influenced by a number of human-driven forces, even if theyre unintentional.

Nate Stephenson, a scientist emeritus in forest ecology for the U.S. Geological Survey, told Albeck-Ripka, The question becomes: Can we or should we do intentional interventions to counteract them?

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
SALEM, Ore. (AP)  The leading candidates in Oregon's gubernatorial race on Friday used the first debate of the campaign as an opportunity to defines themselves.

The Statesman Journal reports that over the 90-minute debate, candidates received questions from a panel of newspaper editors during a meeting of the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association.

Former House Speaker Tina Kotek is the Democratic nominee. Former House Republican Leader Christine Drazan is the Republican nominee. Former Sen. Betsy Johnson is running as a nonaffiliated candidate.

Drazan and Johnson largely pitched themselves as change candidates who would bring a different perspective to a governors office that has been held by Democrats since 1987, Drazan by being a balance on Democratic control and ideas, and Johnson by rejecting both parties, which she said have become too extreme.

Kotek promoted herself as the most experienced candidate who knows what needs to be fixed and has the track record proving her ability to get things done.

Each candidate was also given an opportunity to ask one other candidate a question: Johnson to Kotek, Drazan to Johnson and Kotek to Drazan.

Johnson asked: Without saying the phrase 10-year-plan or 5-year-plan, what would you do in the first year of getting elected governor to end tent cities and why hasnt it happened already?

Kotek responded by saying her immediate actions would be to send more outreach teams onto the streets to build relationships with homeless people and get them into shelters with an eye toward eventual permanency. However, this plan would also require additional shelter space, navigation centers and mental health and addiction services statewide, she said.

Ive worked hard to get shelters funded and build new shelters and make sure people can move from tents to shelters to permanency and get the services they need, and we need more of that, Kotek said.

Drazan asked Johnson: You voted for the corporate activity tax. Since that time you have been very public about the fact that you regret that vote, you wish you hadnt taken that vote. What I would like to know is: Did you not know at that moment to vote no? Why did you vote yes?

Johnson responded by saying lawmakers have failed to apply sufficient oversight of spending in the state, including of the Student Success Act, which the corporate activity tax funded (both were passed in 2019). She said the legislation that led to the tax was rushed and not thoroughly debated in public.

In the end, my belief that we needed to have more money in education was substantiated by my vote, Johnson said. As governor, I would work to modify the punitive effects of the corporate activity tax."

Lastly, Kotek asked Drazan: Youve been asked many, many times about the 2020 election and each time youve pivoted when asked. Youve never directly answered the question, as far as I know, you have never publicly said that Donald Trump lost the presidency in the national election. Not just in Oregon, but nationally. So, will you say today that the results of the national election in 2020 were legitimate and that Donald Trump lost?

As it relates to the 2020 election, there has never been an issue for that with me. Donald Trump did not win. Joe Biden did. He is our president, Drazan said.

Drazan responded by saying that she is focused on Oregon and is not running for a federal elected position.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

RENO, Nev. (AP)  A mysterious daguerreotype of a woman and a pair of jeans possibly made by Levi Strauss himself are among nearly 1,000 Gold Rush-era treasures recovered from the fabled Ship of Gold now on display in Reno.

Since their recovery between the late 1980s and 2014, the remarkable findings extracted from the sunken S.S. Central America have been in secret storage. This week, they began a national tour at the National Antique Bottle Convention from Thursday through Sunday at the Grand Sierra Resort.

This is the first public exhibition of the artifacts, which will be auctioned off later this year, the Reno Gazette Journal reported.

Among the notable recovered items are the lid to the oldest known Wells Fargo treasure shipment box; 1857 clothing, including a pair of the earliest known Gold Rush-era canvas work pants jeans with a button fly that may have been made by Strauss in his early years in business; and jewelry made from California Gold Rush mother lode native gold in quartz as gemstones, according to Fred Holabird, president of Holabird Western Americana Collections in Reno.

One daguerreotype metal plate photograph of an unidentified young woman was nicknamed, Mona Lisa of the Deep, by the recovery team that retrieved the mysterious photo from the seabed where it was discovered in a pile of the ships coal.

There is even a key to the ships wine storage room and an S.S. Central America brass name tag attached to a set of keys that belonged to the ships purser. We believe these were for the locked room where the gold treasure cargo was kept, Holabird said in a press release.

Other items recovered include pistols; brass luggage tags; passengers ticket receipts; galley utensils and dishes; ornate, flint glass wine and spirits decanters that appear to have been a standard amenity in the first-class staterooms; eyeglasses in solid gold frames; and chewing tobacco in a pouch apparently from the 1851 London Worlds Fair, Holabird said.

While laden with booty, the S.S. Central America shipwreck was also a deep sea gravesite.

The ship sank 7,200 feet (2,195 meters) deep in the Atlantic Ocean during a hurricane on September 12, 1857. The ship was on a voyage from Panama to New York carrying tons of California Gold Rush coins, ingots, and gold dust from the San Francisco and Northern California area.

Of the 578 passengers and crewmembers, 425 died and the loss of the gold cargo was a major factor in the economically devastating financial Panic of 1857 in the United States, according to a recent press release.

Recovery from the shipwreck site of what has been described as Americas greatest treasure occurred in several stages between 1988 through 1991 and again in 2014, but it was sullied by scandal in recent years.

Tommy Thompson, a deep-sea explorer who found the shipwreck in 1988, has been in federal prison for six years because he refuses to answer questions about the whereabouts of 500 gold coins, according to a report in USA Today. He also evaded investors who funded his venture and was a fugitive for two years.

The items on display during the upcoming convention were kept in storage in three different states: Maryland, Massachusetts, and Ohio, until a court-approved settlement was reached ending a decades-long ownership dispute.

Scientist Bob Evans, who was on each of the recovery missions, will be at the exhibit in Reno to talk to visitors about the Ship of Gold and the recovered Gold Rush artifacts.

The items will be offered in public auctions in October and November by Holabird Western Americana Collections. Currently, California Gold Marketing Group of Brea, Calif. owns the antiques.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Friday there should no longer be any doubt that Russia intends to dismantle Ukraine and dissolve it from the world map entirely.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the U.N. Security Council that the United States is seeing growing signs that Russia is laying the groundwork to attempt to annex all of the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, including by installing illegitimate proxy officials in Russian-held areas, with the goal of holding sham referenda or decree to join Russia.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has even stated that this is Russias war aim, she said.

Lavrov told an Arab summit in Cairo on Sunday that Moscows overarching goal in Ukraine is to free its people from its unacceptable regime.

Apparently suggesting that Moscows war aims extend beyond Ukraines industrial Donbas region in the east comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, Lavrov said: We will certainly help the Ukrainian people to get rid of the regime, which is absolutely anti-people and anti-historical.

Russias deputy U.N. ambassador Dmitry Polyansky told the Security Council on Friday that The de-Nazification and demilitarization of Ukraine will be carried out in full.

There must no longer be a threat from this stage to Donbas, nor to Russia, nor to the liberated Ukrainian territories where for the first time in several years people are finally able to feel that they can live the way they want, he said.

Polyansky also warned Western nations supplying long-range artillery and MLRS surface-to-surface rockets that they were shifting the provisional security line further toward the west, and in so doing clarifying even further the aims and objectives of our special military operation.

Thomas-Greenfield went after countries that say one country's security should not come at the expense of another's," asking what they call Russia's invasion of Ukraine. She didn't name any country but this is a view China has repeated frequently, including Friday by its deputy U.N. ambassador Geng Shuang.

He told the council, Putting one's own security above that of others, attempting to strengthen military blocs, establishing absolute superiority ... will only lead to conflict and confrontation, divide the international community and make themselves less secure."

The U.S. ambassador also went after nations that call for all countries to embrace diplomacy without naming Russia, saying: Let us be clear: Russias ongoing actions are the obstacle to a resolution to this crisis. Again she named no countries but a significant number of nations in Africa, Asia and the Mideast take this approach.

Thomas-Greenfield cited evidence of mounting atrocities including the reported bombings of schools and hospitals, the killing of aid workers and journalists, the targeting of civilians attempting to flee, the brutal execution-style murder of those going about their daily business in Bucha, the suburb of Ukraines capital Kyiv where local authorities said hundreds of people were killed during its occupation by Russian forces.

She said there is evidence Russia forces have interrogated, detained forcibly, deported an estimated hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian citizens, including children -- tearing them from their homes and sending them to remote regions in the east.

Nearly 2 million Ukrainians refugees have been sent to Russia, according to both Ukrainian and Russian officials. Ukraine portrays these journeys as forced transfers to enemy soil, which is considered a war crime. Russia calls them humanitarian evacuations of war victims who already speak Russian and are grateful for a new home.

A recent Associated Press investigation based on dozens of interviews has found that while the situation is more nuanced that the Ukrainians suggest, many refugees are indeed forced to embark on a surreal trip into Russia, subjected along the way to human rights abuses, stripped of documents and left confused and lost about where they are. Those who leave go through a series of what are known as filtration points, where treatment ranges from interrogation and strip searches to being yanked aside and never seen again.

The United States has information that officials from Russias presidential administration are overseeing and coordinating filtration operations, Thomas-Greenfield told the council.

Polyansky countered that despite Ukraines efforts at intimidation of their citizens people are choosing the country that they trust -- Russia.

He warned that heavy weapons being poured into Ukraine by the West will spill over into Europe because of what he claimed is the flourishing corruption among Ukraines political and military leadership.

Polyansky said Western weapons are only dragging out the agony and increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people.

Addressing Western ambassadors, he said: The aims of our special military operation will be achieved either way, however much fuel you pour into the fire in the form of weapons.

___

Corrects quote in 16th paragraph to say the United States, not the United Nations, has information.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP)  A Virginia judge has entered a default judgment against a Libyan military commander after he repeatedly failed to show up for depositions in a federal lawsuit in which he is accused of war crimes.

The exact amount of the judgment against Khalifa Hifter, who spent decades living in the U.S., will be determined at a future date. Because Hifter and his family own extensive property in northern Virginia from his time in the country, according to the plaintiffs, they are optimistic they will be able to collect any judgment that is awarded.

At a hearing Friday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Judge Leonie Brinkema adopted the recommendations of a magistrate who said the plaintiffs should be granted default judgment.

The magistrate's report cited Hifter's repeated refusal to sit for scheduled depositions about his role in the fighting that has plagued the country over the last decade.

Three separate lawsuits were filed against Hifter by different plaintiffs. Some say family members were killed by military bombardments conducted by Hifter's army in civilian areas. Others accuse Hifter's forces of capturing, torturing and killing family members.

In court papers, Hifter tried to claim immunity from suit as a head of state. After Hifter failed to show up in May for his most recent scheduled deposition, his lawyers filed a motion to withdraw from the case, saying he had stopping communicating with them and stopped paying his legal fees.

Once a lieutenant to Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, Hifter defected to the U.S. during the 1980s and spent many years living in northern Virginia. according to the lawsuits. He is widely believed to have worked with the CIA during his time in exile.

He returned to Libya to support the anti-Gadhafi forces that revolted against the dictator and killed him in 2011. Over the last decade, he led the self-styled Libyan National Army, which has controlled much of the eastern half of the country, with support from countries including Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

A U.N.-supported government has controlled the capital in Tripoli, with extensive support from Turkey. A cease-fire between the warring sides in 2020 was supposed to lead to elections in December 2021, but they never occurred. Negotiations to set a new election have been unsuccessful. One sticking point has been whether to ban military personnel as well as dual citizens from running for the countrys top post, conditions that would eliminate Hifter as a candidate.

The lawsuits were put on pause last year after Brinkema expressed concerns they would be used to interfere with the country's presidential elections, in which Hifter was a candidate.

She reinstated the lawsuits when the elections were postponed with no foreseeable rescheduling.

Esam Omeish, president of the Libyan American Alliance, which supports one group of plaintiffs, praised Brinkema's ruling and said it should send a clear message to the international community to stop supporting a war criminal and a would-be dictator in any proposed Libyan political settlement.
EMMITSBURG, Md. (AP)  A 26-foot statue of the Virgin Mary is back in place at a Catholic university in Maryland.

The Frederick News-Post reports that the statue has been put back in place atop a 78-foot pedestal at the National Shrine Grotto on the campus of Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg after a year of restoration work.
Pentwater.

Baldwin.

Manistee.

Custer.

See more See video and more photos of Chickie with this story online at manisteenews.com. See More Collapse

White Cloud.

These are all northern Michigan towns where the local social media sensation Chickie had been sited since the end of April. Five counties in at least three months.

Chickie was given her name by Mason County Mutts president Sara Lutz, because the young hound mix had a chicken feeder stuck on her head.

The nonprofit organization, which helps "make Mason County a more dog friendly community through community projects, education and animal welfare," worked with multiple animal control agencies to finally aid in the capture of the approximately 1-year-old dog this week in Manistee County.

Teresa Swist, vice president and secretary of Mason County Mutts, told the News Advocate on Friday via email that according to a time stamp on a photo that was shared with the nonprofit, Chickie had been out and about since at least April 30 when a photograph was taken of her in White Cloud with the chicken feeder on her head.

She had a chicken feeder stuck on her head. Someone had stated they saw her in Baldwin before she had that on her head. So obviously she was looking for something to eat before being spotted in all these other places," Swist said.

She said it was a good thing, though, that it was a chicken feeder and not a regular bucket.

"Because the bucket  even though the feeder part was around her head  she was still able to eat and drink with it on. If it had been a closed end bucket  she wouldnt have lasted more than a couple of days," Swist said. "The biggest concern was she couldnt see really well with that on and it was just a matter of time that shed end up getting hit by a car."

Swist said her group began seeing reports of the hound about a month ago and they encouraged people to contact their local animal control.

"The dog was always on the move," she said.

After months on the run and sightings reported throughout at least five counties, Chickie is now under the care of the Manistee County Animal Control.

Dillon Rosa, Manistee County Animal Control officer, also began to hear about Chickie about a month ago.

That was pretty much keeping eyes on it. We knew that we couldnt approach it because it was just too afraid of people at that time. It was in that flight mode," he said. "And it was covering such a large amount of distance that we couldnt pinpoint it enough to trap it. So we were more or less observing it, keeping eyes on it until we could figure out an area to possibly trap it."

Rosa said animal control's role is to safely capture an animal when needed.

"My role is more  in this circumstance  is more of approving, selecting and directing other agencies or nonprofits. We certainly were involved with the different scenarios. We had talked about tranquilizing the animal but were weighing out the pros and cons of doing that," he said. "... However, the animal  at the time that we were exploring the option of trapping it  was running too much. It was covering too far of distance between sightings, and we usually like to set a trap in an area that we see the animal over the course of a couple days and that just wasnt happening for us at that time up until recently."

Earlier this week, an opportunity came along.

Last week Chickie was spotted on U.S. 10 and Schoenherr Road, said Swist. The dog then made her way to Custer.

"I took a ride that way and didnt see her. I was heading home and caught site of her on Custer Road," she said. "It was like, 'Holy cow that dog was in Pentwater and is now on Custer Road.' She was in flight mode at that point. When I saw her, she was just running and running, and there was no way we were going to get her to stay anywhere long enough. The next day Chickie was spotted near Hogue Road and then the Bungalow Inn in Manistee. Then they got a break when hearing from Sheri Pefley.

"We received a message that she had been seen up near Walgreens most recently, and the woman got a hold of us. She was waiting to hear back from someone with a live trap," said Swist, who was available at the time and in possession of a trap.

Swist got in touch with Mason County Animal Control Officer Sarah Colbrook who reached out to Rosa.

Swist and Colbrook arrived in Manistee and got close to Chickie, who was "laying lower underneath a motor home." Chickie ran off at that time after hearing other dogs barking, said Swist.

"There was no way you were going to physically catch her with your hands  she needed to be trapped," said Swist.

She then showed Pefley how to use the trap and what to do if a different animal was caught instead. The next morning, on Tuesday, Pefley reported that a raccoon had been trapped. After letting it out and resetting the trap, Pefley reported to Swist about 10 minutes later that Chickie was in the trap.

From what we have seen of her and the rounds she had been making, she would be seen somewhere in an area for two days and then take off," said Swist. "So it was really important that shed been hanging out in this one spot for a few days. She needs to get caught or shes going to be on the move again and end up who knows where.

Pefley "played a huge part in this, said Swist.

At that point, Rosa took control of Chickie and got her to a veterinary clinic for a wellness exam.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SAN DIEGO (AP)  Wildfires in California and Montana exploded in size overnight amid windy, hot conditions and were quickly encroaching on neighborhoods, forcing evacuation orders for over 100 homes Saturday, while an Idaho blaze was spreading.

In California's Klamath National Forest, the fast-moving McKinney fire, which started Friday, went from charring just over 1 square mile (1 square kilometer) to scorching as much as 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) by Saturday in a largely rural area near the Oregon state line, according to fire officials. The fire burned down at least a dozen residences and wildlife was seen fleeing the area to avoid the flames.

It's continuing to grow with erratic winds and thunderstorms in the area and we're in triple digit temperatures," said Caroline Quintanilla, a spokeswoman at Klamath National Forest.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday as the fire intensified. The proclamation allows Newsom more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and access federal aid.

It also allows firefighting resources from other states to assist California crews in battling the fires, according to a statement from the governor's office.

Meanwhile in Montana, the Elmo wildfire nearly tripled in size to more than 11 square miles (about 28 square kilometers) within a few miles of the town of Elmo. Roughly 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the south, Idaho residents remained under evacuation orders as the Moose Fire in the Salmon-Challis National Forest charred more than 67.5 square miles (174.8 square kilometers) in timbered land near the town of Salmon. It was 17% contained.

A significant build-up of vegetation was fueling the McKinney fire, said Tom Stokesberry, a spokesman with the U.S. Forest Service for the region.

Its a very dangerous fire  the geography there is steep and rugged, and this particular area hasnt burned in a while," he said.

A small fire was also burning nearby, outside the town of Seiad, Stokesberry said. With lightning predicted over the next few days, resources from all over California were being brought in to help fight the regions fires, he said.

McKinneys explosive growth forced crews to shift from trying to control the perimeter of the blaze to trying to protect homes and critical infrastructure like water tanks and power lines, and assist in evacuations in Californias northernmost county of Siskiyou.

Deputies and law enforcement were knocking on doors in the county seat of Yreka and the town of Fort Jones to urge residents to get out and safely evacuate their livestock onto trailers. Automated calls were being sent to land phone lines as well because there were areas without cell phone service.

Over 100 homes were ordered evacuated and authorities were warning people to be on high alert. Smoke from the fire caused the closure of portions of Highway 96.

The Pacific Coast Trail Association urged hikers to get to the nearest town while the U.S. Forest Service closed a 110-mile (177-kilometer) section of the trail from the Etna Summit to the Mt. Ashland Campground in southern Oregon.

Oregon state Rep. Dacia Grayber, who is a firefighter, was camping with her husband, who is also in the fire service, near the California state line when gale-force winds awoke them just after midnight.

The sky was glowing with strikes of lightening in the clouds, while ash was blowing at them, though they were in Oregon, about 10 miles (about 16 kilometers) away. Intense heat from the fire had sent up a massive pyrocumulonimbus cloud, which can produce its own weather system including winds and thunderstorms, Grayber said.

These were some of the worst winds I've ever been in and were used to big fires," she said. I thought it was going to rip the roof top tent off of our truck. We got the heck out of there."

On their way out, they came across hikers on the Pacific Coast Trail fleeing to safety.

The terrifying part for us was the wind velocity," she said. It went from a fairly cool breezy night to hot, dry hurricane-force winds. Usually that happens with a fire during the day but not at night. I hope for everyone's sake this dies down but it's looking like it's going to get worse."

In western Montana, the wind-driven Elmo fire forced evacuations of homes and livestock as it raced across grass and timber, according to The National Interagency Fire Center, based in Idaho. The agency estimated it would take nearly a month to contain the blaze.

Smoke shut down a portion of Highway 28 between Hot Springs and Elmo because of the thick smoke, according to the Montana Department of Transportation.

Crews from several different agencies were fighting the fire on Saturday, including the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Fire Division. Six helicopters were making drops on the fire, aided by 22 engines on the ground.

In Idaho, more than 930 wildland firefighters and support staff were battling the Moose fire Saturday and protecting homes, energy infrastructure and the Highway 93 corridor, a major north-south route.

A red flag warning indicated that the weather could make things worse with the forecast calling for dry thunderstorms," with lightning, wind and no rain.

In Hawaii, fire crews and helicopters have been fighting flames Saturday evening on Maui near Paia Bay. The Maui County Emergency Management Agency said roads have been closed and have advised residents and travelers to avoid the area. It is unclear how many acres have burned. A red flag warning is in effect Sunday.

Meanwhile, crews made significant progress in battling another major blaze in California that forced evacuations of thousands of people near Yosemite National Park earlier this month. The Oak fire was 52% contained by Saturday, according to a Cal Fire incident update.

As fires raged across the West, the U.S. House on Friday approved wide-ranging legislation aimed at helping communities in the region cope with increasingly severe wildfires and drought  fueled by climate change  that have caused billions of dollars in damage to homes and businesses in recent years.

The legislative measure approved by federal lawmakers Friday combines 49 separate bills and would increase firefighter pay and benefits; boost resiliency and mitigation projects for communities affected by climate change; protect watersheds; and make it easier for wildfire victims to get federal assistance.

The bill now goes to the Senate, where California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein has sponsored a similar measure.

_____

Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.
Four years ago, Jessica Tan was ready to discover a new world. In her hometown, Tan had excelled academically and was class valedictorian at Cheshire High School, but in moving to the University of Pennsylvania, she looked forward to immersing herself in the bigger and more diverse city of Philadelphia.

In the summer between high school and college, I traveled to China to see my extended family for like three weeks, recalled Tan. Having that time to decompress from high school and then start a new chapter was good.

Today, she has no regrets about choosing UPenn. Tan earned an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience in three years and recently completed her first year of dental school.

A lot has happened since I attended high school, reflected Tan. It has been a long and winding journey.

While at CHS, Tan was accepted into UPenns seven-year bio-dental program, but as a sophomore, she discovered a passion for neuroscience.

Tan became interested in taking a class called Perception. The course delves into the scientific basis behind senses.

Ever since I was a little, I was interested in visual arts, said Tan. I combined my interest in a unique way and that allowed me to look at things differently.

Tan also enjoyed her course in Neuroscience and Society.

We talked about popular topics in the sciences and the biological reasoning behind them, explained Tan. We learned about gender differences in the brain and biological sciences behind racial profiling.

Picking up electives in anthropology and psychology, she loved learning about human behavior.

I still enjoy looking at the science behind things, added Tan.

She feels that dentistry combines many of her passions in life. Tan likes how people in the field form a human connection with patients to provide pain relief or help them get the smile theyve always wanted.

I always found the human face to be fascinating and how your smile is part of how you perceive yourself, explained Tan.

Growing up, she enjoyed being a job shadow for people like her mother Jin Jiang, who works as a endodontist. Through those experiences, Tan is intrigued about how dentistry connects to the human body.

Dentists often see patients twice a year, so they can check out people more than some doctors, said Tan. I want to make sure that people are good health, starting with their face.

At UPenn, she found that college offers more freedom than in high school.

In college, the learning is more on your own and you need to figure out your schedule, explained Tan. I had to decide how much time I wanted to spend between class and extracurricular activities.

To see life outside of health care, Tan got involved in a lot of student organizations.

I did a lot of product design and did some internships later on to experience the tech industry, recalled Tan.

She also participated in a tutoring program in west Philadelphia.

I didnt have those kind of experiences growing up in Cheshire, said Tan. I also learned how to use public transportation instead of relying on a car.

Tan believes that managing school and swimming while at CHS helped her develop time management.

Handling a busier schedule in high school showed me that I thrive when I have a lot going on, reflected Tan. I dont swim anymore, but being able to exercise, like going to the gym, and participating in student organizations has helped me to be more productive and organized in my life.

Tan felt that her first couple of semesters flew by at UPenn, but when the pandemic came to Pennsylvania, she had to adjust to change like countless other people. In 2020, Tan came home to Cheshire to take virtual courses throughout the spring.

For the fall semester, she also finished studying online.

After that, I had enough credits to graduate early, recalled Tan. For the following spring (2021), I took a gap semester because I thought that the online teaching wasnt the same as in-person learning.

She was happy to attend classes again last fall. While the pandemic has created challenges for education, she feels that some positive aspects have stuck around.

Since a lot of lectures are now taped at UPenn, Tan believes that it allows more flexibility for students.

If people were sick in the past, they would still want to go to class to not miss anything, but now a lot of [classes] are recorded and they can stay home, explained Tan. There is more online information available, too.

While she graduated from CHS in 2018, Tan was proud to return for this years ceremony to see her younger brother Tyler follow in her footsteps as the schools valedictorian.

When I heard the news, I wasnt too surprised. He has always been a good student, reflected Tan. I dont think I deserve so much credit for coming first. I was glad that he achieved the same accomplishment in his own way.

With Tyler choosing to attend Yale University, he will join his sister in the Ivy League this fall. Jessica has tried to give him general advice, including being open to new experiences.

I know that I was very focused on doing dentistry right out of high school, but trying different things has made me into the person I am today, explained Tan. I want him to explore as much as he can, because he isnt in a program set for him.

Next month, Tan will be starting her second year of dental school. She plans to graduate in 2025.

Im planning on studying for a dental residency after graduation, stated Tan. Im interested in periodontics and endodontics.
An Alameda County judge ruled Friday evening that the University of California at Berkeley can build housing on People's Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Judge Frank Roesch denied the petitions by three groups including two citizen groups following three and a half hours of testimony in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland.

At least one citizen group has obtained a stay of demolition to keep the university from starting construction. Otherwise, the groups could be arguing in court while the university starts building. An appeal of Roesch's decision is likely.

Harvey Smith, president of Peoples Park Historic District Advocacy Group, one of the three groups suing the university over its plans, said his group is ready to appeal.

UC Berkeley wants to build student housing at People's Park and housing for disadvantaged groups including homeless people. Part of the park would remain as open space and part would honor the park's historic significance.

At least part of the significance derives from the role it played during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and '70s.

Smith emphasized, as in the past, that he thinks the university has alternatives. One such alternative is a parking structure just over a block from People's Park at Channing Way and Ellsworth Street.

Caltrans will be closing parts of state Highway 37 in Sonoma and Solano counties for five nights in mid-August for a pavement rehabilitation project, the agency announced Friday.

Westbound Highway 37 between Walnut Avenue in Vallejo and state Highway 121 at Sears Point will be closed for five nights beginning at 8 p.m. on Aug. 14. The route will close at 8 p.m. every night and will reopen at 4 a.m. every day and the work will conclude by Aug. 19.

During the closures, the ramp from the Walnut Avenue and Railroad Avenue interchange onto Highway 37 will be closed.

Traffic that would be traveling westbound on Highway 37 will detour to northbound state Highway 29, then connect to westbound state Highway 12, then take Highway 121 to connect to westbound Highway 37.

Workers will be repairing "deteriorated" pavement and shoulders on the 6-mile stretch of westbound Highway 37 between Walnut Avenue and Skaggs Island Road. Caltrans said it wants to get this work done before wet weather arrives in the fall.

A man who appeared to be holding a weapon was fatally shot by a Sonoma County Sheriff's Department deputy Friday morning following a standoff.

At approximately 8:22 a.m., Sonoma County Sheriff's Department deputies were dispatched to the 5200 block of Tre Monte Lane near Geyserville to investigate an involving a man who threw a rock through the window of a residence there.

Sheriff's spokesperson Sgt. Juan Valencia said initial information indicated multiple residents contacted the man, and he asked one of them to shoot him. The man then fled from the resident, fleeing in the resident's truck. He drove through and broke several cattle gates to flee the area.

Deputies searched the area and located the truck in the 5600 block of Tre Monte Lane. The man was no longer in the truck, but deputies were able to track the man into a wooded area east of the 5600 block of Thomas Road. Deputies learned the man stole at least one ATV-type vehicle.

After more than an hour of searching for the suspect, deputies located him. He appeared to be holding a weapon. Deputies ordered him to drop the it, but he refused.

The man initially appeared to charge at one of the deputies, but stopped. After a standoff with multiple commands to drop the weapon, one deputy deployed his taser, but it appeared ineffective; the second deputy shot the man. They immediately began administering medical aid, and a paramedic was flown to the scene.

The shooting occurred at approximately 10:03 a.m. The man was pronounced dead at 10:29 a.m. Neither deputy was physically injured during the encounter with the man.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department invoked the Sonoma County Critical Incident Protocol and requested the Santa Rosa Police Department and the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office to lead an independent investigation into the events that led to the man's death.

The Santa Rosa Police Department will release additional information regarding the investigation Saturday. The man's identity and involved deputies will be released next week.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department will release the names of the deputies involved and their tenure at the department within the guidelines of the Sonoma County Critical Incident Protocol. The Marin County Coroner's Office will conduct an autopsy next week.

The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department will conduct an independent administrative review to determine if deputies followed policies and procedures.

The first mosquitoes found in Contra Costa County to test positive for West Nile virus have been discovered in the East County city of Oakley, the Contra Costa Mosquito & Vector Control District announced Friday.

A trap caught the mosquitoes, which can become infected when they bite certain species of birds that carry the virus and then can pass it onto a person or other animal through a bite. Back in May, the vector control district found a dead American crow that tested positive for West Nile.

Since 2005, 75 people in Contra Costa County have been diagnosed with the virus and in 2006, two people died from it. Symptoms can include fever, head and body aches, and those 50 and up or with chronic medical conditions are most at risk of developing more serious complications.

The vector control district encourages residents to take precautions to reduce the risk of catching the virus by using insect repellents and avoiding being outside where mosquitoes are present, if possible. People can also make sure to dump out any standing water, which can provide breeding grounds for the insects.

People can report dead birds to the district by calling (877) WNV-BIRD or going to https://westnile.ca.gov/report.php. People can also request mosquito service at their residential property by calling (925) 685-9301 or going to https://contracosta.leateamapps.com/#/public/servicerequest.

California is "looking carefully" at declaring a public health emergency for monkeypox to make more resources available to combat the outbreak, the state's lead public health official said Friday.

Dr. Tomas Aragon, the state's public health officer and director of the California Department of Public Health, argued the state is far more prepared to deal with the outbreak than it would have been before the COVID-19 pandemic and has utilized information gathered over the last two years about case investigation and surveillance to combat the monkeypox outbreak.

Aragon demurred about what specific factors the state is considering that would lead to a potential emergency declaration, but did say that an internal review by state officials to that end is ongoing.

Public health officials in San Francisco issued a local public health emergency for the virus on Thursday, saying it will enable the city to expedite emergency planning, staffing and public agency coordination.

As of Thursday, 786 confirmed and probable cases have been reported across the state, two-thirds of which have been reported in San Francisco and Los Angeles counties alone. Eleven of those patients have been hospitalized, but no deaths due to the virus have been reported.

According to CDPH data, the vast majority of monkeypox cases have been among gay or bisexual men between the ages of 25 and 54. More than 80 percent of the total cases have also been detected in white and Hispanic or Latino people.

An 18-year-old Half Moon Bay man was arrested Thursday on charges he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl while providing her with alcohol to intoxicate her.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Department arrested Luis Garcia Guzman Thursday relating to a case that began in May, when deputies were assigned to initiate an investigation involving a sexual assault of a minor in Half Moon Bay.

During the investigation, deputies learned Garcia Guzman would furnish alcohol to the minor to the level of impairment before sexually assaulting her.

Garcia Guzman was known to the victim prior to the crimes being committed. A sheriff's department spokesperson it is believed that the sexual assaults occurred several times between December of last year and February in various locations throughout Half Moon Bay.

Detectives also learned Garcia Guzman also used social media to communicate with the victim. Detectives are further investigating inappropriate and illicit messaging between Garcia Guzman and juvenile females through the use of social media.

Detectives booked Garcia Guzman into the Maguire Correction Facility.

Due to Garcia Guzman facing multiple allegations of sexual assault and known contact with other juveniles through social media, there is concern for potential victims who may not have yet come forward.

Anyone with information about this crime may contact Det. R. Cousenes at (650) 363-4066 and at rcousenes@smcgov.org.

A 24-year-old Newark man died Friday after suffering from injuries sustained while involved in a fight the week before.

Newark police are investigating it as a homicide.

At about 7:45 p.m. last Friday, officers responded to a report of a fight in progress in the area of Wells Avenue and Ash Street. Arriving within two minutes of the call, officers were unable to locate any victims.

At about 11 p.m. that evening, police were made known of an involved victim, a 24-year-old man, being treated at a local hospital for life-threatening injuries believed to be sustained during the earlier incident. Newark detectives are now working on the investigation to identify those involved.

A police spokesperson said this is not believed to be a random act.

The victim's identity has not been released pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Det. Andrew Musantry at (510) 578-4956 or andrew.musantry@newark.org. Anonymous tips may be left at (510) 578-4965.

The National Weather Service forecast for Saturday for the San Francisco Bay Area calls for sunny skies with daytime highs in the 60s along the coast to the 70s and low 80s around the Bay and the 80s and 90s in the inland valleys of the East Bay and South Bay. Overnight lows Saturday morning will range mostly in the 50s. A chance for thunderstorms is possible for Sunday and Monday.

Copyright  2022 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

Copyright  2022 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
Judith Ann Schiff, Yales premier archivist, died at age 84 after 60 years working in the university buildings which loomed over her childhood as her New York Times obituary July 22 says.

Suddenly in 2022 I feel a childhood kinship with her because we both grew up in New Haven in the 1940s and 50s and, according to her obit, we both had the same reaction as kids to the Yales Gothic buildings: We thought they were magic.

She grew up in New Haven and, like my father, she graduated from Hillhouse High School.

A 2016 article in Hartford Magazine about her career at Yale quotes her as letting down her childhood hair about Yales Gothic architecture: Until I began to work at Yale, I didnt realize that they were separate buildings, that it wasnt just one big castle.

I know exactly how young Judith felt because I spent my childhood weekends in the 1950s walking the streets of New Haven where my grandmother lived in a third floor walk-up with no hot water at Elm and State streets, a block from the New Haven Green and Yales Old Campus .

I went one step further than young Judith, however. I not only thought the Yale Gothic buildings were one giant castle, I thought there were kings and queens living inside and maybe even a wicked witch in a tower.

I had never heard anyone else who grew up in New Haven say they thought Yales Gothic campus was one giant castle.

Thank you, Judith. Even though you were eight years older than I am, we were essentially the same generation of kids growing up in New Haven - the generation who watched The Wizard of Oz and Robin Hood and King Arthur movies.

Decades later at age 33 I had contact with Judith when I was a student at Yales Divinity School in 1977  but I doubt she knew my name.

I helped the author Peter Davies donate his manuscript and 60 boxes of research for his book The Truth About Kent State: A Challenge to the American Conscience to Yales Manuscript and Archives Division at Sterling Memorial Library.

Sterling is one of those giant Gothic Yale buildings which fills a whole block of New Havens traffic grid right across from Toads Place off Elm Street.

Peter Davies and I founded Yales Kent State Collection in that Gothic castle and Judith Ann Schiff, archivist was noted on much of the correspondence between Sterling Library and both of us.

I never worked with her personally, but I have followed her career over the decades in Yale Alumni Magazine.

Now in 2022 I suddenly feel a childhood connection with her because of that castle fantasy about Yales buildings mentioned in the obituary.

But in 2010 I had a different uglier opinion of Yale buildings.

I posted replies to snobby student posts on the Yale Daily News web page using an anonymous posting name The Anti-Yale because I was an English teacher in Vermont and I wanted to remain anonymous.

One Yale student, Jeff Gordon, class of 2012, wrote a paper for his English class about my anti-Yale posts in which I describe Yales Gothic buildings as medieval palaces facing INWARD away from the community.

Gordon quoted me as saying Yales architectural palaces are an upraised middle finger to New Haven.

Gordon entitled his 2010 English class paper For God, For Country and For Yale .

He understood that my criticism of Yales snooty architectural impact on us ordinary townies who walk on New Havens streets was really the criticism of a discontented lover : a townie who felt like an outsider even after he had graduated from Yale in 1980.

I believe my fellow townie - Hillhouse High School graduate Judith Ann Schiff  might have understood my mixed love/hate feelings toward Yales castle too.

After all, she had spent all 60 years of her career looking out its windows as an insider  a kind of academic Rapunzel.

Thank you, Judith, for letting down your childhood hair.

Paul Keane was born in New Haven and grew up in Hamden. He is a 1980 graduate of Yale Divinity School and a retired Vermont English teacher.
WFO EUREKA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 30, 2022

_____

HEAT ADVISORY

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Eureka CA

142 PM PDT Sat Jul 30 2022

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

* WHAT...Temperatures up to 110.

* WHERE...Northern Trinity, Southern Trinity, Northeastern

Mendocino Interior, Northern Lake and Southern Lake Counties.

* WHEN...Until 9 PM PDT this evening.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.

* WHERE...A portion of southern California, including the following

county, San Bernardino.

* WHEN...Until 445 PM PDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 144 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to

thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly across Kelbaker, Kingston, and Cima roads.

- Kelbaker, Kingston, and Cima roads are the most likely roads

to experience minor flooding.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Kelso and Cima.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Central Inyo County in south central California...

* Until 845 PM PDT.

* At 545 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain east of Furnace Creek. Between 0.25 and 0.75 inches of

rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly and will impact highway 190 near Furnace Creek as well as

Echo Canyon Road and Hole in the Wall Road.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water

crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Furnace Creek and Texas Springs Campground.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are

potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded

roads. Find an alternate route.

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where

you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become

killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or

creeks.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

South Central Inyo County in south central California...

* Until 945 PM PDT.

* At 632 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain near Panamint Springs and Telescope Peak. Flash

flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water

crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Wildrose Road...Panamint Springs...Surprise Canyon Road.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are

potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded

roads. Find an alternate route.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Southeastern Inyo County in south central California...

* Until 1100 PM PDT.

* At 758 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain near Shoshone. Between 0.25 and 1 inch of rain has

fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

Highways 178 and 127 will be impacted.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water

crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Shoshone, Death Valley Junction and Tecopa.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the

dangers of flooding.

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 845 PM PDT THIS

EVENING FOR CENTRAL INYO COUNTY...

At 758 PM PDT, Local law enforcement reported flooding across

Highway 190 in Furnace Creek between Beatty Junction and Furnace

Creek Wash Rd due to flooding from earlier heavy rainfall. This road

was impassable but conditions are improving and the road is now

passable. Other locations in Furnace Creek and Badwater Basin may

still be seeing flooding issues over the next hour.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding.

SOURCE...Law enforcement reported.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water crossings,

creeks, slot canyons, normally dry washes and some

roads.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Furnace Creek, Badwater Basin and Texas Springs Campground.

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are

potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded

roads. Find an alternate route.

Flooding is occurring or is imminent. It is important to know where

you are relative to streams, rivers, or creeks which can become

killers in heavy rains. Campers and hikers should avoid streams or

creeks.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO LAS VEGAS Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 30, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Las Vegas has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

Southwestern Mohave County in northwestern Arizona...

San Bernardino County in southern California...

* Until 415 PM MST /415 PM PDT/.

* At 105 PM MST /105 PM PDT/, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms

producing heavy rain across the area between Vidal Junction and

Park. Flash flooding is ongoing.

HAZARD...Life-threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms

producing flash flooding.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Life-threatening flash flooding of low-water

crossings, creeks, normally dry washes and roads.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Parker Dam Road, Big River, Earp and Vidal Junction.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

...FLOOD ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall is expected.

* WHERE...A portion of Southern California, including a portion of

San Bernardino County and portions of the Apple and El Dorado burn

scars.

* WHEN...Until 300 PM PDT.

* IMPACTS...Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas.

Water over roadways.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

- At 105 PM PDT, Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to

thunderstorms. Minor flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly in the advisory area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain

has fallen.

- Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are expected

over the area. This additional rain will result in minor

flooding.

- Some locations that will experience flooding include...

Forest Falls, Hwy 38 Between Yucaipa And Onyx Summit,

Yucaipa, Mount San Gorgonio, Angelus Oaks, Mountain Home

Village, Barton Flats Campground and Heart Bar Campground.

- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

Move away from recently burned areas. Life-threatening flooding of

creeks, roads and normally dry arroyos is likely. The heavy rains

will likely trigger rockslides, mudslides and debris flows in steep

terrain, especially in and around these areas.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Carson County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 745 PM CDT.

* At 639 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 11 miles south of

Fritch, or 12 miles northwest of Panhandle, moving east at 15 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

Hail damage to vehicles is expected.

* This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of

central Carson County.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northern Oldham County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Northwestern Potter County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Southwestern Moore County in the Panhandle of Texas...

Southern Hartley County in the Panhandle of Texas...

* Until 815 PM CDT.

* At 707 PM CDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from 7 miles southeast of Nara Visa to 17 miles north of

Adrian to 7 miles southwest of Boys Ranch, moving northeast at 25

mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and nickel size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor damage to roofs, siding, and trees is possible.

* Locations impacted include...

Channing, Boys Ranch, Masterson, Four Way, Valley De Oro and

Romero.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Large hail and damaging winds and continuous cloud to ground

lightning is occurring with these storms. Move indoors immediately.

Lightning is one of nature's leading killers. Remember, if you can

hear thunder, you are close enough to be struck by lightning.

Torrential rainfall is occurring with these storms, and may lead to

flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
WFO AMARILLO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Friday, July 29, 2022

_____

FLASH FLOOD WARNING

The National Weather Service in Amarillo has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...

East Central Carson County in the panhandle of Texas...

West Central Gray County in the panhandle of Texas...

* Until 1130 PM CDT.

* At 736 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing

heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 4 inches of rain

have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin

shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban

areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as

other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...

Kingsmill.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Register for more free articles. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading.

Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! Already a Subscriber? Already a Subscriber? Sign in Terms of Service Privacy Policy
WFO PORTLAND Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 31, 2022

_____

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Portland OR

1113 AM PDT Sat Jul 30 2022

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT

SUNDAY...

* WHAT...High heat risk. High temperatures 98F to 104F. Low

temperatures 60F to 70F.

* WHERE...In Oregon, Upper Hood River Valley, Western Columbia

River Gorge and Central Columbia River Gorge. In Washington,

Western Columbia River Gorge and Central Columbia River Gorge.

* WHEN...Until 9 PM PDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...The prolonged period of extreme heat will

significantly increase the potential for heat related

illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in

outdoor activities and for those that do not have access to

air conditioning.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows in the upper 60s across the

higher hills of the region will provide little relief for those

without air conditioning. Low temperatures in low lying areas,

particularly in the upper Hood River Valley will drop into the

upper 50s to low 60s most nights between now and Monday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances. If attempting to find relief from the

heat in rivers, lakes, or the ocean please apply safe water

practices and wear a life preserver.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

* WHAT...High heat risk. High temperatures 97F to 103F. Low

* WHERE...In Oregon, Greater Portland Metro Area. In Washington,

Greater Vancouver Area.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight lows 65-70F in the

Portland/Vancouver Metro and higher hills of the region will

provide little relief for those without air conditioning. Low

temperatures in more rural low lying areas, particularly in

western Washington County and northern Clark County will drop

into the low 60s most nights between now and Monday.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Moderate heat risk. High temperatures 94F to 99F. Low

* WHERE...In Oregon, Northern Oregon Cascade Foothills. In

Washington, South Washington Cascade Foothills.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight low temperatures will generally

fall between 60F and 70F between now and Monday. The warmest low

temperatures will occur near hilltops.

under any circumstances.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT SUNDAY BELOW

4000 FEET...

* WHAT...Moderate heat risk. High temperatures 90F to 98F below

4000 feet. Lows in the mid 50s to mid 60s.

* WHERE...In Oregon, Northern Oregon Cascades and Cascades in

Lane County. In Washington, South Washington Cascades.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The long duration of the heat added with

potential smoke impacts from California fires may prevent relief

from the heat.

...HEAT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Moderate heat risk, mainly for areas well inland and

closer to the Willamette Valley. Highest temperatures 90F to

95F, mainly east slopes of the Coast Range. Low temperatures 60F

to 70F.

* WHERE...In Oregon, Coast Range of Northwest Oregon and Central

Coast Range of Western Oregon. In Washington, Willapa Hills.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The marine layer will push in a little

stronger tonight, which will keep the western slopes cooler.

* WHAT...Moderate heat risk. High temperatures 95F to 100F. Low

* WHERE...In Oregon, Lower Columbia and South Willamette Valley.

In Washington, I-5 Corridor in Cowlitz County.

fall in the lower 60s most nights between now and Monday, but

the higher hills of the region will experience low temperatures

between 65F to 70F. The long duration of the heat added with

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
Smartphone brand OPPO India on Friday launched a new initiative -- Vihaan -- to boost small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to amplify their operations and, in turn, strengthen the local supply chain for a robust smartphone eco-system in the country.



Under this programme, the company said it will invest $60 million in the next 5 years.



"The forward-looking, industry-friendly policies of the Indian Government have created an enabling environment which nurtures and promotes innovation, unleashing the electronics manufacturing industry," Vivek Vasishtha, Vice-President, Public Affairs, OPPO India, said in a statement.



"With a robust local supply chain getting established, the time is right for promoting exports of our quality 'Make in India' smartphones to identified markets. This would facilitate OPPO India in expanding the export capacity to $5 billion over the next five years," he added.



OPPO India said it has already invested heavily to enhance the country's manufacturing prowess, which has made the company a leader in 'Make in India' smartphone shipments with 22 per cent year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2022, as per a Counterpoint Research report.



"In tandem with the government's vision of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', OPPO India will be strongly supporting local manufacturing and exports, SMEs and MSMEs, cutting-edge technologies, and skill development in the sector through the 'Vihaan' programme," Vasishtha said.



OPPO India aims to partner with more local suppliers to strengthen the local supply chain for a robust smartphone ecosystem in India.



The company has collaborated with the government and industry in encouraging around 30 Tier-1 suppliers to set up operations in India.



They have employed tens of thousands of Indian locals contributing to developing the electronics industry and enhancing India's stature in the global value chains.



In the next 5 years, the company said it will be focussing on initiating the development of next-gen technologies such as AI, 5G etc., to accelerate the product development process from India, empowering and mentoring technology start-ups end-to-end, and exploring collaborations with educational institutions to nurture the innovation culture.
Men



Tokyo Olympic silver medalist triathlete Alex Yee overcame a 16-seconds deficit to leader Hayden Wilde of New Zealand with a sizzling 5-kilometer run split to take the first gold medal of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.



The mens race seemed set for a closer finish until race officials intervened. Yee and Wilde were battling side by side when Wilde was told he sustained a 10-seconds penalty incurred for unclipping his helmet early during the transition between the bike and run disciplines. Current World number one Wilde congratulated Yee before stepping aside, allowing the Englishman to cross the line alone.



Yee finished with a race-best 14:31 run split  28 seconds faster than Wilde  and crossed the finish line of the sprint distance triathlon in 50:34 with a 13 seconds margin over Wilde.



Wilde had enough time to take his penalty and still win silver ahead of Australia's Matt Hauser. Wilde described the penalty as "debatable" and suggested his team might lodge a protest, but was quick to credit Yee, saying he was "chuffed" for the 24-year-old.



Matthew Hauser of Australia was coming on strong with a second-fastest 14:46 run split but could only manage 3rd place - 3 seconds shy of Wilde and 16 seconds shy of Yees winning time.



"I am just happy, Yee told BBC Sport. "I feel extremely grateful and proud to be a triathlete. It's an amazing day for triathlon and I feel super proud to be the winner of this event."



So many emotions through that race, Yee told World Triathlon media. The swim was solid but then I see Hayden up the road and just wanted to stay calm. Ive run on this course hundreds of times so the loop felt familiar, and Im just proud to pull it together for England. This race is honest and hard and I didnt want to blow up my legs on the bike. With those hills, 15 seconds felt like nothing, Hayden was just dangling there in front of me. Im sorry Hayden got his penalty but to have that finish moment is just really special. I looked at the penalty bored and saw his number. Thats racing, therell be plenty more battles along the way.



Women

Reigning Olympic gold medalist Flora Duffy of Bermuda issued a dominating 16:32 5-kilometer run to defend her Commonwealth Games triathlon gold by 41 seconds over current Olympic silver medalist Georgia Taylor-Brown of Great Britain.



In the women's event, the two favorites, defending champion Duffy and Taylor-Brown were the ones to beat. The duo broke away from the pack midway through the bike leg, and were side by side until the Bermudan stole a few yards on Taylor-Brown in the final transition to take the lead in the run. The two finished in the same positions as Tokyo 2020.



I was feeling good today, my form has been building all year and Ive had to be patient and trust Id be ready for this, Duffy told World Triathlon media. I knew it would be super tough to defend the title with Georgia here. The crowd was going crazy and I just tried to soak up the moment. I felt like myself on the run but this is a brutal course and I tried to use the downhills as best I could and remembered Georgia bridging up to me in Abu Dhabi so didnt want to let up. Racing for Bermuda Im one of the few medal hopes so I feel that pressure but its so cool there are so many countries racing and more than on Gold Coast.



Duffy, 34, delivered a patient race, overwhelming Beth Potter of Great Britain, England's Sophie Coldwell and Canada's Emy Legault with a surge off the front of the leading bike group. Taylor-Brown found the strength to follow, but gradually faded on the run as Duffy kept the pressure and the pace high.



"I was a bit gutted I couldn't copy Alex Yee and get gold but I am happy with silver," said Taylor-Brown. "The crowd was incredible, it gave me goose bumps. It's special, but I am bored of coming home second to Flora!"44

Commonwealth Games Triathlon

Birmingham, England

July 29, 2022

S 750m n/ B 20k / R 5 k



Men



1. Alex Yee (GBR) S 8:49 T1 00:50 B 26:07 T2 00:17 R 14:31 TOT 50:34

2. Hayden Wilde (NZL) S 8:38 T1 00:51 B 26:01 T2 00:18 R 14:59 TOT 50:47

3. Matthew Hauser (AUS) S 8:41 T1 00:56 B 26:10 T2 00:17 R 14:46 TOT 50:50

4. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) S 8:51 T1 00:49 B 26:08 T2 0:18 R 15:00 TOT 51:06

5. Grant Sheldon (GBR) S 8:41 T1 00:52 B 26:16 T2 00:20 R 15:15 TOT 51:24

6. Jamie Riddle (RSA) S 8:36 T1 00:51 B 26:04 T2 00:18 R 15:43 TOT 51:32

7. Dylan McCullough (NZL) S 8:44 T1 00:51 B 26:15 T2 00:19 R 15:26 TOT 51:35

8. Tayler Reid (NZL) S 8:34 T1 00:57 B 25:59 T2 00:18 R 15:57 TOT 51:45

9. Lestyn Harrett (GBR) S 8:49 T1 00:52 B 26:08 T2 00:21 R 15:41 TOT 51:51

10. Charles Paquet (CAN) S 8:44 T1 00:58 B 26:07 T2 00:22 R 15:47 TOT 51:58



Women



1. Flora Duffy (BER) S 9:22 T1 00:55 B 28:17 T2 00:19 R 16:32 TOT 55:25

2. Georgia Taylor-Brown (GBR) S 9:25 T1 00:56 B 28:14 T2 00:20 R 17:11 TOT 56:06

3. Beth Potter (GBR) S 9:20 T1 00:52 B 29:22 T2 00:19 R 16:53 TOT 56:46

4. Sophie Coldwell (GBR) S 9:26 T1 00:58 B 29:08 T2 00:20 R 17:14 TOT 57:06

5. Sophie Linn (AUS) S 9:37 T1b 00:57 B 29:20 T2 00:24 R 16:50 TOT 57:08

6. Non Stanford (GBR) S 9:32 T1 00:55 B 29:29 T2 00:21 R 16:53 TOT 57:10

7. Olivia Matthias (GBR) S 9:30 T1 00:57 B 29:27 T2 00:20 R 17:05 TOT 57:19

8. Simone Ackermann (RSA) S 9:30 T1 01:00 B 29:27 T2 00:20 R 17:02 TOT 57:19

9. Nicole Van Der Kaay (NZL) S 9:40 T1 01:04 B 29:12 T2 00:20 R 17:08 TOT 57:24

10. Emy Legault (CAN) S 09:30 T1 00:55 S 29:09 T2 00:21 R 17:36 TOT 57:31
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.

We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.

A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
The new federal health minister has identified the looming shortage of general practitioners as the most pressing medium to long-term challenge in the health system.

Health Minister Mark Butler, speaking at the Australian Medical Associations national conference on Saturday, said the low number of medical graduates applying to specialise in general practice was the most terrifying statistic in health care.

Health Minister Mark Butler says plugging the pipeline for GPs is a priority. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Its hard enough to get a GP right now and we know that the current generation of older GPs are pretty exhausted, particularly over the last 2 years, and we just do not have the pipeline coming through, Butler said. It is probably the most terrifying trend that I see in primary care.

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners president Dr Karen Price told The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age that 16 per cent of medical graduates had applied to specialise in general practice in 2022, up slightly from the 15.2 per cent reported last year but not enough.
When asked if he would support legislation to protect same-sex marriage, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson was almost nonchalant.

I see no reason to oppose it, Johnson, R-Oshkosh, told reporters, bringing Democrats one vote closer to an unexpected victory as they move to safeguard same-sex marriage and other rights after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide.

Johnsons answer, which came after 47 Republicans voted for the bill in the House last week, was reflective of a stark shift in GOP positioning after decades of fighting same-sex marriage. Ten years ago, most Republicans proudly espoused that marriage could only be between a man and a woman. Now, a federal law protecting same-sex marriage is within reach in an election year, with some Republican backing.

The signal of possible support from Johnson  arguably the most vulnerable Republican senator up for reelection this year  comes as Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, is the lead Democrat charged with persuading the necessary 10 Republicans to vote for the bill.

Baldwin, who is the first openly gay senator and has been working on gay rights issues since she first entered state politics in 1986, said the world has changed, especially since the Supreme Courts 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision upholding gay marriage.

Broad support

A Gallup poll conducted in May showed broad support for same-sex marriage, with 71% of U.S. adults saying they think such unions should be recognized by law, including 55% of Republicans. Polling in Wisconsin mirrors that national survey, with 54% of Republicans in the state saying that they favor same-sex marriage in a Marquette Law School Poll from April. In May 2014, the state poll found support from only 23% of Republicans.

People began to see that the sky has not fallen, Baldwin said in an interview, and that the 2015 decision gave legal protections to families who did not previously have them. She said every member of Congress now has friends, family or staff who are openly gay.

That probably has the biggest impact on where people land, she said. This is a vote of conscience.

The bill pending in the Senate would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages and instead required states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. The new Respect for Marriage Act would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.

A vote could come as soon as next week, but it will more likely be in September, when Congress returns from the August recess.

Lining up

Republican Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine and Thom Tillis of North Carolina have said they will vote for the legislation; Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski has also supported same-sex marriage in the past. Several other Republicans have said they are undecided, including Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst and Indiana Sen. Mike Braun.

Notably silent is Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, who has declined to comment until Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer holds a vote.

Baldwin and other advocates say more GOP senators are quietly contemplating the bill. Democrats need 10 Republican votes to overcome a filibuster and get a bill through the 50-50 Senate.

A range of Republicans voted for the bill in the House, including New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican; Pennsylvania Rep. Scott Perry, the chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus; and all four Republican members of Utahs congressional delegation.

Still, the majority of House Republicans voted against it, and a similar dynamic is expected in the Senate.

Some pushback

Republicans opposing the bill give a variety of reasons, with most arguing that the Supreme Court is unlikely to overturn Obergefell and that Senate Democrats are playing politics by putting the bill on the floor. Democrats point to Justice Clarence Thomas concurring opinion to the June ruling overturning Roe in which he said that high court rulings protecting same-sex marriage and the right for couples to use contraception should also be reconsidered.

Asked about their opposition, many Republicans have focused on the process rather than the substance.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who is up for reelection this year, told CNN last week that he thinks the bill is a stupid waste of time. He said later that he believes there is zero chance, below zero chance, that the Supreme Court or anyone is going to outlaw gay marriage in this country.

Even Johnson blamed Democrats as he said he was unlikely to oppose it, arguing that it was settled law and the vote is unnecessary. He said he still believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. But society has pretty well accepted it and moved on, he said.

Other Republicans have made similar arguments, shifting from the more ideologically rigid statements of years past.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who will vote against the bill, said he recognizes that reasonable people can disagree with him that marriage should be between a man and a woman, and there is room for a diversity of views on that question.

North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said he will vote against it unless I can be compelled somehow. He said he believes because of his evangelical Christian faith that marriage is between a man and a woman, but its not like I feel super strongly about it, either.

Cramer said he thinks the Senate will get the 60 votes needed to pass the bill. Its more that people are ambivalent about it, he said.

Change of heart

Portman, who is pushing to get more votes from his party, notes that public opinion has changed substantially over the years. He has supported same-sex marriage since 2013, when he announced that one of his sons is gay and that he believes people should be respected for who they are.

He faced criticism from some fellow Republicans at the time, but he said people now come up to him frequently to thank him for his support.

Its not just Republicans who have evolved on the issue. Former President Barack Obama didnt publicly support same-sex marriage until 2012, pushed in part by his vice president, Joe Biden, who had come out in support a few days earlier. When the Defense of Marriage Act passed the Senate in 1996, only 14 Democrats opposed it.

David Stacy, a lead lobbyist for the Human Rights Campaign, said advocates for same-sex marriage faced many setbacks in the early 2000s, including state ballot measures to ban gay marriages. But he said he believes Republicans created a backlash of sorts by trying to use the issue against Democrats.

While the advocates lost many of those fights, we were educating the public and moving public opinion, Stacy said.
Car crashes into house south-west Sydney

Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later.

Dismiss
The NSW government has reached a compromise with the powerful teachers union over the planned overhaul of suspension and expulsion policies in public schools, paving the way for new rules designed to reduce the number of sanctions to take effect next term.

The student behaviour and inclusive education policies, which have been delayed twice because of opposition from the NSW Teachers Federation, include plans to halve the length of school suspensions and ensure students are not sent home more than three times a year.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell has secured a breakthrough for her signature policies on student behaviour and inclusive education. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The department and the Teachers Federation have been in discussions for weeks, including over the winter school holidays, and the agreement in effect means the policies can be implemented as planned.

The federation wrote to members last week, dropping its ban on teachers familiarising themselves with the new policies once revised documents are released by the Department of Education.
The path to Chandlers appointment as NSWs inaugural building commissioner in 2019 was littered with crumbling apartment blocks, each intensifying pressure on the Berejiklian government to confront systemic problems with the building industry. On Christmas Eve 2018, thousands of residents were forced to flee the Opal Tower at Sydney Olympic Park after cracking noises sparked fears the block would collapse. Months later in June, about 130 residents of the Mascot Towers block on Bourke Street were evacuated due to cracking damage. In July, the Herald revealed tenants and owners of 30 loft-style apartments in Zetland had been told to leave eight months prior due to water and fire safety defects. These woes were compounded by concerns over flammable cladding on apartments, which came into sharp focus following the Grenfell Tower fire in London. NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler and then Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson a day before the commissioners powers began in September 2020. Credit:Nick Moir Faced with desperate homeowners and a growing crisis of confidence in apartment standards, Berejiklian announced in August 2019 she had appointed Chandler to clean up the industry and drive critical reforms. Greens senator David Shoebridge, who led a NSW parliamentary inquiry into building standards as a state MP, said the property sector  fuelled by Sydneys decades-long development bonanza  was a brutal industry for Chandler to come into and try to civilise. This was a boom driven by billions and billions of dollars of development, where the law delivered no consequences for the shonkiest, most amoral behaviour.

Chandler said on his first day in the job that the industry had a culture of trying to avoid accountability, and warned developers and builders: Expect to see me in your site shed sometime soon. He followed swiftly with a push for extensive changes to the states building laws, with the strong backing of then Better Regulation Minister Kevin Anderson. In August 2020, Chandler was given sweeping powers to enter construction sites and issue orders for the rectification of serious defects before occupation certificates could be obtained. He was also given authority to call for documents, and order recovery of costs associated with fixing defects, under the Residential Apartment Building (Compliance and Enforcement) Act. Loading Signalling he would not hesitate to use his strongest powers to stamp out poor work, Chandler slapped developers with orders to fix serious defects  from problematic waterproofing and external cladding, to wall and bathroom tiles  in apartment buildings and townhouses. The orders stopped the developers gaining occupation certificates until the problems were remedied. Among them was a block riddled with serious defects in Sydneys west, which Chandler singled out as one of the worst he had inspected. Further legislation  the Designers and Building Practitioners Act  imposed new obligations on designers, engineers and builders working on new residential apartment buildings, focused on improving performance.

Chandler also backed the development of a ratings tool for developers. The Independent Construction Industry Rating Tool (iCIRT) register, launched in May, scrutinises and then rates developers, with those given three or more stars out of five included on the new platform. In early July, Chandler said four families told him they had withdrawn deposits from unrated builders and developers and instead opted for one built by a rated company. Strata Community Association NSW president Stephen Brell said Chandler had restored confidence in the apartment sector from an all-time low. David Chandler won the respect of many in the residential building and construction sector with his no-nonsense approach. Credit:Kate Geraghty The commissioners been very effective, especially with getting Fair Trading involved with inspecting building defects and holding builders to account for works that theyve done, Brell said. Taylor said the effect of the rating system and the changes to design requirements meant NSW home buyers were armed with extra information about developers, builders, and individual buildings to help them avoid buying an apartment with defects.

I think in a very quick turnaround time, their risk of buying a dud is significantly reduced, he said. Loading Chandlers role won him plenty of detractors in developer circles. However, Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest said while the developer lobby group hadnt always agreed with Chandlers decisions, the formidable figure had won the respect of the property development sector. Forrest said this had been key to his success. Forrest said Petinos and the NSW cabinet would be wise to listen to every word [Chandler] has to say in his final months in the role. Houssos has repeatedly urged Petinos  who took on the Fair Trading portfolio in December  to publicly explain the reasons for Chandlers early departure. Last week, Houssos said Chandler had worked for more than 40 years in one of the toughest industries, yet barely lasted seven months working for this minister.

Labor has invited Chandler to appear at budget estimates in September. The community needs to know who will be leading the governments response to the problems plaguing the building industry, Houssos said on Friday. Faced with speculation over the reasons for Chandlers departure, the NSW Department of Customer Service said in a statement on Wednesday that Chandlers decision to quit had been voluntary. Chandler said in the statement: I believe the time is right for a reset, and I am firmly committed to working with the secretary, the team and industry until the end of my tenure. The department said Chandler had been cleared of misleading parliament following an internal investigation.

Last month, News Corp reported Chandler was subject to the internal probe after video emerged of him telling builders on a construction site that he had given banks an informal list of certifiers which had led to some finding they are unemployable. The leaked footage followed Chandlers remarks to NSW parliament last October that his role as regulator did not include recommending particular building certifiers, sparking claims he misled the parliament. Petinos requested department secretary Emma Hogan investigate the allegations on June 22. The claims were found to be unsubstantiated. Fair Trading Minister Eleni Petinos asked department secretary Emma Hogan to investigate allegations against Chandler, which were found to be unsubstantiated. Credit:Wolter Peeters Petinos did not answer questions about the reasons for Chandlers resignation. In a statement, she thanked him for his work. Mr Chandler has assisted the NSW government to achieve significant reforms in the residential construction sector since 2019. He helped develop and implement Project Remediate, ensuring NSW residential apartment buildings have safe, non-combustible cladding, Petinos said.

The department says it intends to find a replacement commissioner before Chandler finishes on November 30. The terms of the appointment are still being settled. Owners Corporation Network chief executive Karen Stiles said: We cant afford a token or no appointment at this critical time of cultural and systemic change. Brell hoped his departure would not jeopardise the work of improving the building industry, and said Chandler had built a strong team around him who shared his vision and commitment to restoring trust in the sector. Im confident the foundations hes laid will be carried on with whoever his successor will eventually be, Brell said. Shoebridge said Chandlers departure made a strong case for establishing a building commission in NSW.

It cant be dependent on the energy and personality of a single appointment. There should be hundreds of people doing his job, Shoebridge said. Loading Taylor said Chandlers departure might have been well-timed given the extent of the reforms he had already implemented in the role, and suggested he was not a spent force. Nows the time to hand over to someone who will fine-tune and administer these things, and then hes available either statewide or nationally for similar, ground-breaking regulatory reform. To use a building analogy, Taylor said: A rock-breaker is not the tool you use when you need to use a finely honed chisel.
Brisbane, which was severely flooded in 1974, 2011 and again this year, could host a state-first Centre of Excellence for Flood Resilient Design and Construction as part of Brisbane City Councils February 2022 flood action plan, released on Saturday.

The centre would lobby both the Queensland and federal governments for building code changes to include flood-resilient designs.

On Friday, the Insurance Council of Australia released figures showing the February-March flood event in Queensland and New South Wales was the second most expensive natural disaster in Australias history, exceeding even 1974s Cyclone Tracy in Darwin.

Pontoons and ferries were damaged during the February 2022 floods in Brisbane.

This years $5.134 billion flood bill was surpassed only by Sydneys 1999 hailstorm, which caused $5.5 billion in damage.
A 36-year-old woman was charged on Saturday afternoon with murdering an eight-year-old boy in Rockhampton.

Police carrying out a welfare check at 2.20am on Saturday found the boys unresponsive body at a Waterloo Street home in the suburb of Berserker.

A crime scene has been established at a home in Rockhampton where an eight-year-old boy has allegedly been murdered. Credit:Getty Images

A crime scene was established and the Rockhampton Child Protection and Investigation Unit launched a probe into the boys death.

Officers confirmed he and the woman were known to each other, but declined to state the nature of their relationship.
The seat was then held by Michael John, a one-time Liberal cabinet minister who had represented the seat for 15 years. Allan didnt expect to win. Yet a wave of anger at the Kennett government at that election resulted in a swing of about 5 per cent in regional centres and 7.5 per cent in rural Victoria. In Bendigo, there was a 9 per cent swing to Labor, catapulting Allan to Spring Street. Jacinta Allan at the level crossing removal project in Ardeer in May 2022. Credit:Eddie Jim She turned 26 the day after the election. She was the youngest woman to be elected to Victorias parliament. Allan admits she was shocked by the result, describing it as quite an adjustment and transition.

In her first term, she was elevated to the front bench as minister for employment, education services and youth, becoming the states youngest minister, aged just 29. Jacinta Allan pictured after becoming an MP, aged 26. Credit:Craig Sillitoe Allan describes herself as a real Hermione Granger in reference to the bookish Harry Potter character who, like Allan, was dedicated to her school work and at times, a bit of a know-it-all. After leaving school she studied Arts at La Trobe University in Bendigo after missing out on a journalism cadetship at the Bendigo Advertiser. It was there she joined the Labor Party, travelling to Melbourne on weekends for party events with her Labor Party contemporaries including Daniel Andrews, former attorney-general Jill Hennessy and federal Labor politicians Andrews Giles and Julian Hill. For her honours year, she interned for federal Labor MP Lindsay Tanners office in Canberra before slotting into a spot in the electorate office of Neil OKeefe and later Stephen Gibbons in Bendigo. Other than a brief stint on a Coles checkout, Allans entire career has been in politics.

In early interviews, Allan spoke openly about her life away from politics. These days, she is more likely to sidestep personal questions. Colleagues and friends believe her reticence may stem from spending more than half of her life as a high-profile MP, while juggling a career, a marriage breakdown and motherhood. As a young minister, Allan was married to AWU Victorian branch secretary Ben Davis. Four years later, she married Yorick Piper, who had worked as a ministerial adviser to Allan and other ministers in the Brumby government. The couple have two children and live on a farm near Bendigo. She is guarded about her two children, who are 10 and eight years old, but says becoming a mother changed her approach to politics. Friends say Allan and husband Piper have raised beautifully balanced kids despite the unrelenting demands of her job. The biggest impact on my outlook and the way I work has been having kids, Allan says. Having kids is motivating.

Politicians and public servants who have worked alongside her praise Allans work ethic and enthusiasm, but describe her as more of a manager than a visionary. Melbourne Metro Rail Authority chief executive Evan Tattersall, who has worked closely with Allan for the past seven years, describes Allan as tough in meetings but willing to take advice. She is pragmatic, and she listens, he tells The Sunday Age. Shes one of the most open and honest people that I have dealt with in politics. Allan is announced as a minister in 2002 by then-premier Steve Bracks. Credit:Jason South Its a view shared by former COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar who worked alongside Allan in her various transport portfolios and more recently when, as acting premier, she decided to shut the NSW border during the busy summer holiday period, due to rising COVID cases. The decision meant 60,000 people were forced to frantically abandon long-awaited holidays and return to Victoria before midnight on New Years Eve to avoid 14 days of home quarantine. Some were trapped, locked out of their home state.

Recalling daily  sometimes hourly  conversations with Allan between Christmas and New Years Eve, Weimar praises Allan for engaging with the problem, not avoiding it. It was a really difficult time, none of us wanted to be there, he says. Initially, she pushed back on the advice, understanding the gravity and consequences of not only ruining holidays for COVID-weary Victorians, but the potential border crush the decision would create. I dont think it was very enjoyable for her, but she backed us. I think thats what she does. Loading Allan expects the highest standards from her department and will forensically grill bureaucrats. Its a skill she has honed over her two decades in parliament and more than 15 years as a minister. In those early years as a minister, she faced criticism from some longer-serving MPs for falling into a common trap of allowing her department to dictate her decisions. She recalls sitting in the middle of a boardroom table as a newly minted minister in her early 30s and initially feeling quite passive as the men  as most of them were  didnt know how to engage with such a young female minister.

I would get the briefs the night before, and I would read them, take notes, ask questions, and that was when I really learnt the value of not being afraid to ask questions because you might look stupid, she says. It was about making sure that when you were given the opportunity to speak or present that you could show that you could do it. But that work ethic hasnt always shielded her from political storms. Transport Minister Jacinta Allan with Premier Daniel Andrews at the site of the Suburban Rail Loop station in Clayton last month. Credit:Andrew Henshaw As minister for transport infrastructure, Allan has overseen billions of dollars in cost blowouts and delays on Melbournes Metro Tunnel rail project and the troubled West Gate Tunnel. Questions also remain about the merit of the Suburban Rail Loop  the largest infrastructure project in Australias history  which will connect metropolitan train lines in the east with rail lines in the west. Her ambition has also earned her enemies within her own party. A string of recent resignations from the ministry triggered a reshuffle and saw Andrews exploit a divided Labor Party to install Allan, his preferred candidate and factional ally. The factional play was interpreted as a signal that she is the premiers pick to succeed him as Labor leader.

While cabinet reshuffles inevitably cause friction, Allans rise angered many, including many within her own faction, and united opposing forces who are predicted to unite to try and ensure she never takes the top job. Despite her obvious talents, there has long been a view among some on Spring Street that Allan is not universally liked. Her manner has been described as prickly or smug in backroom discussions, but when challenged, those assertions seem to fall apart. Its a view not shared by Andrews, but colleagues say he is aware of it. When asked to explain the undercurrent of hostility, supporters argue it is driven by envy or sexism, rather than reality. And her actions often challenge the perception. Every Thursday at the end of the sitting week, Allan hosts drinks in her office and uses it as forum to bring together Labor women. One of those, Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes, who comes from the partys Right faction, says she has found Allan to be honest and approachable since she joined the ministry. As a member of parliament and a minister I found her to be incredibly supportive in a professional and personal sense, Symes tells The Sunday Age. There are only a few people who understand what this job entails and having someone as approachable, accessible and trustworthy has been hugely helpful.

Some colleagues suspect the roots of hostility towards Allan stem from her factional allegiance. While a member of the Socialist Left faction, Allan has never been a public champion of social reform. Allan considers herself a feminist and is pro-choice. She voted to decriminalise abortion, supported assisted dying laws and backed legislation for same-sex adoption. But you are unlikely to see the country MP tweeting about it. Several cabinet members tell The Sunday Age Allan rarely takes a strong view on social policies in cabinet and is more focused on infrastructure or regional issues. Shes not really focused on social policy land, one cabinet minister says. The Left are expected to do more in that space, so perhaps thats driving discontent. Loading She is passionate about changing the culture of parliament, having been on the receiving end of sexist comments and innuendo in state parliament. She says there is now an environment to call out poor behaviour which she describes as a big, powerful and important change in politics. As a product of the party machine, Allan is unashamed about her priorities: Bendigo, Victoria and Labor. But she is a politician driven by outcomes, not necessarily ideology.

As a young party member, she recalls listening to party members engage in esoteric debates about Cuba while her focus was on her community and improving the outcomes for traditional working people in her electorate. It was her father and grandfather, Bill,  a long-standing president of the Bendigo Trades Hall  who shaped her political views. She was raised to love Labor and loathe the Coalition, particularly the National Party, due to their anti-union policies. It was a view enforced by Allans dad, Peter, an electricity linesman and proud union member. Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack says Jacinta Allan has the smarts to step up to the top job. Credit:Joe Armao In her infrastructure portfolios, Allan was involved in several high-profile spats with the federal government over Victorias share of infrastructure funding, claiming the state has been short-changed. During the Turnbull and Morrison governments, Allan was prepared to take on her federal counterparts, National MPs Darren Chester and Michael McCormack, but it never became the sort of slanging match that came to define the relationship between the Andrews government and Canberra during the pandemic.
Senior West Australian Liberal Michaelia Cash has thrown her support behind preselection changes, saying the party must reform or pay the price.

Attendees are being urged to support a motion for lower house MPs to be preselected through plebiscites of party members in each electorate.

Senator Cash delivered the warning after opening the WA Liberals state conference in Perth on Saturday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The proposal, spearheaded by party president Richard Wilson, is expected to be debated on Saturday afternoon.

It comes after the Liberals suffered a 10 per cent swing in WA at the federal election, losing five seats as Labor claimed majority government.
Political change is difficult. While no one gets sent to the gallows any more, the business of every new government is to decide how much to keep and how much to change. This question is not just a political one; it is existential. How much do we, as Australians, need to retain to preserve the best parts of our country? How much of what we have no longer serves us? What have we outgrown? What is essential? Who are we? Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to make parliamentary debate more civil and conciliatory. Credit:James Brickwood Last week we saw great promises of change  Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pledged to make parliamentary debate more civil and conciliatory. Albanese reinforced his governments commitment to creating an Indigenous Voice to parliament. If it succeeds, the Voice will be a practical change to the way we make policy concerning Indigenous Australians. But it will also be an existential change to the way we perceive ourselves as a nation.

The Voice will centre the experience and tradition of Aboriginal people in the Australian narrative, a reversal of the erasure that taints so much of our history. This centring is, one suspects, the reason many of its opponents find the Voice threatening. It will be difficult for some to change their ideas of Australian-ness to incorporate it. The first week of parliament also brought other changes on the wind. Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke announced the de-funding of the Australian Building and Construction Commission. He said he would like to abolish it. The commissioner and his 140-odd staff found out about their impending redundancy when Burke announced it on the ABCs Insiders last Sunday. Whatever you think of the merits of the commission, it was a harsh way to deliver the news  a reminder that change, when it comes, can be brutal.

Meanwhile, even in the upper house, where tradition usually sails on without interruption, change threatened when Senate President Sue Lines said the Lords Prayer should be abolished. Since 1901, the Lords Prayer has been recited by the presiding officers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and since 2010, the prayer has been followed by an Acknowledgement of Country. It was only last week that Senator Pauline Hanson decided she was opposed to the acknowledgement and walked out in protest while it was recited (she said she objected to yet another change  the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will henceforth be displayed alongside the Australian flag in both houses). Loading Lines said that if we are genuine about the diversity of the parliament we cannot continue to say a Christian prayer to open the day, but her Labor colleagues mostly disagreed with her, saying they had no objection to the prayer and no plans to change the tradition.

You might say these scuffles are minor, and merely symbolic. But they all say something about the kind of nation we hold ourselves out to be. We are rooted in a British parliamentary tradition which is centuries old and has plenty of strange boondoggles attached to it. That tradition is the direct result of our colonial history, yet it is only for the last decade or so parliament has formally acknowledged the millennia of history that existed on the continent before colonisation. Rituals like the Lords Prayer, the Acknowledgement of Country and the speaker-dragging wont change or impact lives, in the way that government policy does. But the 2022 election was largely fought on this ground. Neither party presented much by way of a life-changing policy agenda. Instead, they fought over the broad issue of representation and national identity. Did our parliament look like our country? Did it matter if it didnt? In what ways are we different to other countries, and which differences are worth defending?
The head of the British armed forces says he is envious that Australia doesnt have to suffer the problems his country is facing in the construction of warships promised in a $44 billion program between the two nations.

The UKs Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, moved to reassure Australia it would benefit from the teething problems experienced by Britain while producing the Hunter-class ships, which he said would be the best anti-submarine warfare frigate in the world.

A concept drawing of BAE Systems planned frigate for the Royal Australian Navy. Credit:

Australian officials said earlier this year the frigates would be heavier and slower than first planned under the original design of shipbuilder BAEs Type-26 vessel, joining concerns over project delays that prompted Spain to ramp up its own sales pitch for three destroyers to fill the gap.

Radakin said on Saturday he was unaware of the Spanish offer, but acknowledged Britain had been up front about some of the teething problems that weve had with the first ship.
With Summer Reading coming to an end, that means the start of Teen Fall Programs! Any teen in grades 7-12 can come and sail away on a pirate ship as a Page Paladin, join our LEGO Club to create a wizarding world, or come to our new Manga or Teen Book Clubs to immerse yourselves in another world. I am going to be talking about these programs and more, so stick around!

Ahoy, mateys! The sea be-a-calling all Paladins. Start as a lowly sailor on a merchant vessel, and earn the chance to become captain of your own ship. Learn about pirate superstitions and what life was like aboard a pirate vessel. Meet famous pirates of the high seas. Take part in our pirate escape room or vote in specified tournaments to earn an extra ticket. Drawings are held every month for one of two gift cards. Just head on over to the Beanstack app to get pre-registered today!

Teen Manga Club and Teen Book Club are two new programs that are starting this year. Read a new manga or book every month and share your thoughts with the group. The first Teen Manga Club will be held on September 6 @ 5:30pm. We will be choosing the manga for the entire school year on this night, so come in to get your favorite manga on the list. The first Teen Book Club will be held on September 25 @ 1:30pm. We will also be choosing the books we read for the entire school year on this night.

Teen Drop-In will resume on Sunday, August 7 @ 3pm. Come to the library to hang out, play games, and eat snacks. Anime Club will return on August 4 @ 6pm. Enjoy free anime and take-home Japanese snacks.

The 1st of August is also the opening to our Teen Book Box. If you are a teen in grades 7-12, you can sign up each month to subscribe to our monthly Book Boxes. A Book Box is a library box that you pick up each month at the Service Desk. Each box contains a library book, a free book for you to keep, and other goodies, treats, activities, crafts, and book lists. When you're done reading, just return the book(s) and box, and you keep the treats! We have a limit of 10 Book Boxes a month, so be sure to head over to our website or Facebook page to find the link for this months box.

Every month at the library we host a Who Would Win Tournament. Teens can either come into the library and vote in the Teen Space or vote online to help decide the winner for each months tournament. Make sure to come into the library or check out our Facebook page to find the link for the vote.

Any of the programs that I have discussed above can be attended by any teen in grades 7-12. Make sure to stop by the Teen Space if you want to find out more about any of our programs. I look forward to seeing you all in August! If you have any questions, please call me at 402-562-4203 or email me at Jessica.Wilkinson@columbusne.us.
Advocacy groups say dire workforce shortages in childcare need to be overcome if state and federal governments are to achieve their goal of improving outcomes in the sector.

With about 6500 job vacancies across early education, experts are also urging governments to seize on the momentum for change created by the federal election and state promises, and set the country up to become the best place in the world to raise a child.

Early childhood educators Sumi Chowdhury, Ptiyanka Chopra and Nidhi Katyal with the children they teach at Goodstart Early Learning in Flemington. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Centre for Policy Developments early childhood development council co-chair Leslie Loble says early childhood education and care is on the agenda for politicians around the country, and that should be used as a launch pad for other policies to help children.

The centre on Sunday released a new road map, Starting Now, laying out what governments should do in the next 12 months.
London: Pope Francis has acknowledged that his ailing health may force him to retire early as head of the Catholic church after he struggled with a week-long Canadian pilgrimage because of strained knee ligaments.

The 85-year-old pontiffs six-day trip, which came to an end on Saturday, featured several moments when he was clearly in pain as he manoeuvred getting up and down from chairs.

Francis would be only the third pope in history to retire, but the second in a row. The resignation of Pope Benedict in 2013, saying his health no longer allowed him to carry the burden of his office, caught the churchs power structure off guard.

I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save [my energy] to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside, Francis told journalists on Saturday.
Windhoek (Namibia), 29 July 2022 (SPS)  H.E. Hamdi Jalil Mayara presented his credentials to the Namibian President, HE. Hage Geingob, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Saharawi Republic to the Republic of Namibia.

During the ceremony that took place yesterday in the presidential palace, the Namibian president renewed his country's firm support for the struggle of the Saharawi people and their right to freedom and independence.

The Namibian president reiterated Namibia's firm position in support of the decolonization of Western Sahara.

The ceremony was attended by the Namibian Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Namibia.

H.E. Mr. Hamidi, had presented copies of his Letters of Credence to Hon. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation last Wednesday, 27 July 2022.

Namibia recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) on June 11, 1990 and since then they have maintained strong and excellent diplomatic relations at Ambassadorial level.

Saharawi Liberation movement, POLISARIO Front, also maintains tight relations with SWAPO since the years of the struggle against colonialism in Namibia. (SPS)

090/500/60 (SPS)
STAMFORD  A Stamford man was sentenced to more than four years in prison Friday who tried to traffic kilogram quantities of fentanyl, according to federal prosecutors.

Luis Miguel Rosario-Peralta, 32, was sentenced to 54 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, in U.S. District Court in Hartford, the U.S. attorneys Office for Connecticut said.

He had previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, prosecutors said.

The federal Drug Enforcement Agency and Stamford police identified Rosario-Peralta as a large-scale fentanyl trafficker, then, in July 2019, intercepted a phone call via wiretap in which he allegedly negotiated the sale of kilogram quantities of narcotics, according to prosecutors.

Rosario-Peralta was arrested on July 5, 2019, in Yonkers, N.Y, officials said, after he traveled to a drug stash location there and picked up approximately 3 kilograms of fentanyl.

In her sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie T. Levick said Rosario-Peralta sold drugs in the Stamford area, including fentanyl, from at least the start of 2018 until his arrest.

She called for a fair, just and reasonable sentence, noting the seriousness of Rosario-Peraltas offense and the difficulty of his life, which includes issues with gambling and substance abuse.

Mr. Rosario-Peralta now expresses remorse and shame for hurting others, and a desire to change turn his life around, Levick said.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Rosario-Peralta will face immigration proceedings at the end of his prison term, officials said.

william.lambert@hearstmediact.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

STAMFORD  Children born the year Stamford's West Main Street Bridge closed are college-aged now: For more than two decades, Stamford officials have restricted movement on the once-purple bridge.

That won't change anytime soon, but the city is nearing a new era in the West Main Street Bridge conversation regardless.

City engineers are poised to install a new, pre-fabricated pedestrian bridge next to the 134-year-old structure, head engineer Lou Casolo told the Zoning Board this past week. At the same time, the existing bridge  which has been closed to cars since 2002  will remain intact.

"I'll be so happy not to have to cross the bridge," board member Rosanne McManus said during the meeting, "But as a citizen of Stanford, I am disgusted that it has taken this long."

Casolo showed the board pictures of the "highly deteriorated" current structure to emphasize just how necessary getting people off the bridge is. The deck is collapsing, he said, causing large gaps in the floor beams. Sunlight pokes through them.

The stone abutments and piers underneath show similar signs of wear; masonry has started to fall into the river. Because of the damage, pedestrians can only walk on very specific parts of the structure.

The bridge's future has divided Stamford's residents and lawmakers politically for as long as it has been closed.

The city, in years past, has attempted to make the Purple Bridge pedestrian-only permanently, to the chagrin of some. Longtime West Side residents and their city representatives say that a bridge closed to cars cuts the neighborhood off from the rest of the city and increases emergency service response times on the way to Stamford Hospital.

Representatives for the city and Mill River Park, which the bridge abuts, have consistently argued that cars would interrupt the largest pedestrian path in Downtown Stamford and create a five-way intersection on the West Side.

The new bridge won't put an end to those disagreements.

The administration wants to discuss options for what could come next for the historic bridge, including replacement of the existing structure and rehabilitation. The administration must also decide whether the permanent replacement will be open to pedestrians and emergency traffic only or to all road users.

"Those decisions haven't yet been concluded, but all those options are being deliberated," he told the board.

Since the West Main Street Bridge is in a coastal area, city engineers needed Zoning Board approval to move forward. The board voted unanimously to authorize the bridge.

Though the second bridge is entirely new, it evokes the iron bridges built throughout the United States in the mid-1800s. The arched shape is said to look like a bow-and-arrow, whereas the structural supports on the current West Main Street Bridge are lens-shaped. The new structure will go five feet north of the existing one, will be 10 feet wide and will span the 142-feet across the river, with no piers in the water.

City documents show that 51 companies have applied to install the pre-fabricated bridge. The bidding process will remain open until Aug. 3.

During the construction period, the city will detour pedestrians looking to get from Downtown to Stamford's West Side. Instead, people looking to cross must go down Clinton Avenue and Tresser Boulevard to reach West Main Street.

veronica.delvalle@hearstmediact.com
Recently, we went to see the movie Where the Crawdads Sing and it points to a world that, with growing human encroachment, and the realization those places that are getting harder to find. It also points to among other things, the prejudice and quick to judge attributes of the human race, when we dont understand someone different from us. It makes for a nice love story, but emphasizes the beauty and the resilience of nature, if left alone. I believe most true biologists (naturalists) aspire and dream of the life Kya experienced in the marsh.

Where the Crawdads Sing directed by Olivia Newman from a screenplay by Lucy Alibar, the film is an adaptation of Delia Owens best-selling 2018 novel of the same name. The film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, a woman who lives a simple life in a North Carolina marsh who is accused of killing her ex-boyfriend Chase Andrews.

Kya, listened to her mother who often encouraged her to explore the marsh. Her mother would say: "Go as far as you canway out yonder where the crawdads sing." Kyas boyfriend would reiterate and explain that those places are "far in the bush where critters are wild, still behaving like critters.

First off, crayfish or better yet, crawdads dont sing. They are decopods, that occasionally venture from subsurface aquatic environments completely submerged and burrow into the mud for over-wintering and complete part of their life cycle. For the most part any singing would be hard to hear, although acoustic detectors have come a long way in animal surveys the last 10 years.

Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters (to which they are related). In some places, they are also known as crawfish, crawdads, freshwater lobsters craydids, crawdaddies, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mudbugs, baybugs or yabbies. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some species are found in brooks and streams, where fresh water is running, while others thrive in swamps, ditches, and paddy fields. These critters use hemolymph, not hemoglobin as their primary respiratory pigment. Some of the excitement I had in the good ole days.

In graduate school I conducted a variety toxicity tests on a southern species of crawdad Procambarus clarkii, or the red swamp crayfish and investigated pathways for acute and/or chronic toxicity. Most crayfish cannot tolerate polluted water, although some species, such as Procambarus clarkii, are hardier. The toxicity tests were called 96 hour LC 50 tests. In short, these tests determined lethal concentrations of a contaminant that would kill 50% of the organisms tested in 96-hour period.

In Texas at that time, these crawdads could be found in several sites still relatively unpolluted back in the 1980s and provided great test organisms for determining metabolic pathways for uptake of various forms of nitrogen and ammonia toxicity. Extensive Interstate and road construction, urban sprawl and parking lot construction have altered or eliminated many of the sites I surveyed in the San Marcos area several decades ago. Come to find out crayfish are very sensitive to nitrite, nitrate and all the nitrogen family compounds prevalent in our local streams and waters.

Crayfish, once common in Nebraska Streams, are getting fewer and fewer. Despite their importance ecologically, crayfish populations are declining worldwide, with 48% of North American crayfish species considered threatened according to research by Taylor et al. 2007 and Richman et al. 2015.

Low head dams are one of many threats to crayfishes that can disturb habitat, alter flow regimes, and impede migration, however, sedimentation, loss of aquatic plants, pesticide runoff and riparian development and disturbance are other culprits.

I want to be positive in a time where many are not, because there is so much greed, corruption and bad news in the world today. Remote places are getting few and far between. There are fewer and fewer and wilder-less (wilderness) places that one can see wild things, on even a small scale. Improved management of these ecosystems will be critical in the coming years.

Oceans, estuaries and brackish marshes are biologically so productive, they are always worth talking about, when we think about biodiversity. I had to leave you with some advice from the Ocean by Mr. Ilan Shamir;

Be shore of yourself

Come out of your shell

Take time to relax and coast

Avoid pier pressure

Sea lifes beauty

Dont get tide down

Make waves!

Have a great rest of the summer.

Michael P. Gutzmer, PhD is principal and owner of New Century Environmental LLC and provides environmental consulting services in the Great Plains. NCE works with water, wetlands, habitat development threatened and endangered species and pollution problems. Please email me at mgutzmer@newcenturyenvironmental.com.
As many as 7,532 new cases of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 were recorded in the last 24 hours in Romania, down 1,299 from the previous day, with 22,712 RT-PCR and rapid antigenic tests performed, the Health Ministry informed on Saturday.

Of the new cases, 1,469 were in re-infected patients, who tested positive more than 90 days after the first time they recovered from the disease.

Most of the newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Romania since the previous reporting were recorded in Bucharest City - 1,663, and in the counties of Prahova - 413, Timis - 349, Sibiu - 342, Iasi - 326 and Brasov - 302.

The 14-day notification rate nationwide is 3.09 cases per 1,000 population.

The highest rates are in Bucharest City - 8.66, followed by the counties of Cluj - 7.57, Ilfov - 6.23, Constanta - 5.57.

As of Saturday, 3,059,568 cases of people infected with the novel coronavirus were confirmed in Romania.

- Hospitalisations -

As many as 3,760 people with COVID-19, up 3 from the previous reporting, including 565 children, are hospitalised in Romania at specialist care facilities.

Out of the total number of hospitalised patients, 254 patients, down 12, including four minors, are in intensive care.

Of the 254 patients admitted to ICU, 221 are unvaccinated against COVID-19.

- Deaths -

According to the ministry, 20 Romanians, 13 men and seven women, infected with SARS-CoV-2 are reported dead in the last 24 hours.

Of the 20 deaths, four were recorded in the age group 60-69 years, seven in the age group 70-79 years, nine in the age group over 80 years.

All deaths were in patients with comorbidities, and 14 deaths were in unvaccinated patients.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 65,983 people diagnosed with the SARS-CoV-2 infection have died in Romania. AGERPRES
Reports that US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning a visit to Taiwan have sparked tense exchanges between the United States and China  and growing speculation over how Beijing might react.

While Pelosi  a forthright critic of Beijing  has so far declined to confirm the reports, she has said it is important for the US to show support for Taiwan, and lawmakers on both sides of Washingtons political divide have urged her to go. China, meanwhile, has lashed out at the idea, vowing to take resolute and forceful measures if any trip goes ahead.

Far less vocal, however, has been the island at the center of the controversy.

There has been no statement in favor of, or against, Pelosis potential trip from Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen or her office  though Premier Su Tseng-chang said on Wednesday that Taipei was very grateful to Speaker Pelosi for her strong support and kindness towards Taiwan over the years and that the island welcomes any friendly guests from overseas.

Analysts say the relative silence is because Taiwan, a democratic self-governed island of 24 million people that Chinas ruling Communist Party claims as part of its territory, despite never having controlled it, finds itself in an awkward spot.

Taiwan, they point out, depends on US arms to defend itself against the possibility that China could invade and forcefully take it over  so it does not want to be seen as discouraging support from one of the US most powerful politicians.

Yet if Taiwan appears too enthusiastic about the possibility of a Pelosi visit, the experts say, it risks fueling Beijings anger.

On Thursday, Taiwans Foreign Ministry said it had not received any definite information regarding Speaker Pelosis visit to Taiwan and had no further comment on this matter.

A person familiar with Pelosis plans said she planned to depart Friday, US time, for a tour of Asia, and that the trip would include stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore  but whether she will stop in Taiwan remains uncertain.

Story continues

Background noise

Political analysts said part of the reason Taiwanese authorities are keeping a low profile is because doing so could help deflect any blame if such a trip does go ahead  Beijing would then be more likely to blame Washington, rather than Taipei, they say.

It is in the interest of the Taiwanese government to remain low key and avoid giving the perception that Taiwan is actively encouraging Pelosis visit, said Wen-ti Sung, a political scientist at Australian National Universitys Taiwan Studies Program.

If Taiwan remains muted and Pelosi comes, it will likely be read as a decision made by the US or Pelosi, he said.

But if Taiwan openly calls for her to visit, Beijing could frame it as a plot by Taiwan. Countries in the region  like Japan, South Korea or even Australia  might also become less sympathetic towards Taiwan if they feel Taiwan is actively creating an issue out of nowhere.

However, that may only be part of the reason for Taipeis relative silence.

While international media has extensively covered Pelosis potential visit, it has barely made the headlines in Taiwan this week.

Taiwanese news has instead mostly focused on scandals surrounding upcoming local elections and the islands largest annual military drills.

Wang Ting-yu, a Taiwanese MP from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said this was partly because Taiwanese audiences had become inured to threats from Beijing  which has had designs on the island ever since the end of the Chinese civil war more than seven decades ago.

Brian Hioe, a Taiwanese-American living in Taiwan. - Walid Berrazeg/CNN

Brian Hioe, a Taiwanese-American living in Taipei who founded the New Bloom Magazine, covering Taiwans politics, said Taiwanese people are not generally too worried about the potential repercussions of Pelosis visit, as Beijing has made similar threats in the past.

Chinas threats occur with such frequency that its something like background noise, he said. And so people here actually dont really think that seriously about the possibility of repercussions from a Pelosi visit.

China is obligated to react

At the same time, analysts caution against interpreting the lack of official reaction from Taiwan as meaning it is unaware of the potential dangers should Pelosi visit.

And as the hype around her potential trip grows, each side will feel they need to stick to their positions to avoid looking weak, commentators said.

The matter was discussed at length in a phone call Thursday between US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping  who warned those who play with fire will perish by it, according to a statement provided by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

Analysts said if Pelosi doesnt come, the US risks looking like it was scared of Chinas possible response. Meanwhile, increasing speculation about what China might do to retaliate could back Beijing into a corner where it felt it had to do something to avoid losing face if a visit goes ahead.

At this point in time, because theres already been so much commentary and discussion of how China might react, I think China is obligated to react at this point, Hioe said.

So I think there will be some kind of reaction from China, and it will try to make it seem as if its much more significant.

Despite such concerns, MP Wang said Taiwan is not anyones pawn and that China should not be able to dictate who visits the island.

There is no room for China to interfere in the diplomatic interactions between Taiwan and the United States, said Wang, a member of the parliaments Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

Wang Ting-yu, a Taiwanese MP from the Democratic Progressive Party. - Walid Berrazeg/CNN

We welcome all our friends from the United States and around the world. So whether Pelosi comes or not, we respect their decision. However, dont let China interfere.

Su Tzu-yun, a director of Taiwans Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said the island welcomes any friends from other countries, and we appreciate any support from the international community.

He said that were the situation to escalate, it would be Beijings responsibility.

Taiwan will never become a so-called freerider (on the US). We will show our willingness to defend ourselves, he said.

Additional reporting by Walid Berrazeg in Taipei.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The $100 million second phase of The Boulevard, a retail and office development across Brentwood Boulevard from the Galleria, will break ground early next year.

The office, retail and residential complex just south of the existing Boulevard development is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

The Boulevard is a great brand that appeals to many residents and visitors in the St. Louis region, said Sol Barket, a St. Louis native and founder of Chicago-based Condor Partners. This next phase will undoubtedly further enhance the development by offering more opportunities for people to live, work, play and dine.

A joint venture of Condor and Edwards Realty Group purchased the Boulevard late last year from Pace Properties, which had long planned a second phase. The original Boulevard, opened in 2004, contains Missouris only Crate and Barrel and the metro areas only Soft Surroundings, as well as office space and apartments.

The next phase will contain about 200,000 square-feet of new retail and 75 apartments, similar to the first phase. It will also include about 100,000 square-feet of office space, garage parking and a sky bridge connection between the offices and garage.

The Boulevards location and amenities are unique to the area and, with Clayton experiencing vacancy rates at all time lows, this project couldnt come at a better time, said Dave Biales, who specializes in office leasing for commercial real estate firm JLL. JLL is marketing the project.

Richmond Heights last year approved $15.3 million in tax increment financing to assist the project. The developers will also receive assistance through a special 1 percent sales tax on purchases through a Transportation Development District.

Pace said the project was expected to cost up to $90 million when the former project owner pitched it for TIF assistance last year, rather than the $100 million anticipated now. The first phase cost $45 million to develop.
BERKELEY  Boeing may narrowly avoid a strike at its three St. Louis-area facilities after it made a new contract proposal to the union here.

Local Boeing workers had voted to reject the companys previous offer and initiate a strike, which was scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday. Instead, workers will vote Wednesday on a new offer the company reached after an overnight bargaining session, according to the union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837.

The three-year contract will cover nearly 2,500 workers in north St. Louis County, St. Charles and Mascoutah. They make defense aircrafts including the F-15, F-18, T-7A trainer and MQ-25 refueling drone.

In contract negotiations, the union has been pushing for general wage increases, a faster path for workers to climb the pay scale and improvements to 401(k) plans.

The new proposal withdraws some of the changes to the retirement plan from the previous draft, and includes an $8,000 lump-sum payment, which employees can choose to defer into their 401(k) plans.

Boeing said in a statement Saturday that it is hopeful workers will vote to approve the contract.

The last workers strike here was in 1996, against McDonnell Douglas, the year before it merged with Boeing.
ST. LOUIS  Mediation talks between Boeing Co. and the union representing 2,500 workers here failed to reach an agreement, the company said Friday evening.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837, which represents all three Boeing facilities in St. Charles County, St. Louis County and Mascoutah, confirmed Friday afternoon that the two parties had met with federal mediators.

The IAM has consistently maintained that we are willing to negotiate a fair contract for our hardworking members at the Boeing Co," a union spokesperson said.

Friday evening, Boeing put out a statement saying talks had ended without a resolution.

"We made every effort to avoid a strike, and stand by our strong, competitive offer," Boeing stated. "No one benefits from a strike, but were now focused on ensuring safe and secure operations at our site and minimizing impacts to our customers."

The union this week had said that members werent satisfied with the terms of a proposed contract. The members voted July 24 to go on strike at 12:01 a.m. on Monday.
FRIDAY, July 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Both San Francisco and New York state declared monkeypox a public health emergency on Thursday, as they struggle to gain access to more resources to help contain the spread of the virus. About 40 percent of the 4,907 monkeypox cases recorded in the United States have been diagnosed in California and New York.

"This declaration means that local health departments engaged in response and prevention activities will be able to access additional state reimbursement, after other federal and state funding sources are maximized, to protect all New Yorkers and ultimately limit the spread of monkeypox in our communities," said State Health Commissioner Mary T. Bassett in a news release.

In a separate statement, San Francisco Mayor London Breed said the declaration would mobilize resources and accelerate emergency planning. "We need to be prepared and this declaration will allow us to serve the city better," San Francisco Director of Health Grant Colfax, M.D., said in the statement. "Our COVID-19 response has taught us that it is imperative that we mobilize city resources. The declaration helps us ensure we have all the tools available to augment our outreach, testing and treatment, especially to the LGBTQ+ who remain at highest risk for monkeypox."

California State Sen. Scott Wiener cited several benefits to declaring the emergency, including expanded testing and vaccines, as well as applying pressure to the federal government to take the outbreak more seriously, The Washington Post reported.

Though the World Health Organization has declared monkeypox a public health emergency, the United States is still weighing whether to declare monkeypox a national public health emergency. However, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra noted Thursday that the Biden administration is sending vaccines and treatments to local health departments and added that monkeypox had not reached the threat level of COVID-19 at this point.

"We will weigh any decision on declaring a public health emergency based off the response we're seeing throughout the country," Becerra told reporters at a media briefing, The Post reported. "Bottom line is: We need to stay ahead of this and be able to end this outbreak."
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  In another remapping decision along partisan leanings, the North Carolina Supreme Court has agreed to speed up arguments on further challenges to the boundaries for the state's legislative seats and congressional districts.

By a 4-3 ruling with registered Democrats in the majority, the justices granted a request by Common Cause to accelerate the redistricting proceedings before them. The group is fighting the state House and Senate maps approved by the General Assembly in February. Oral arguments will be held in early or mid-October, read Thursday's order signed by Senior Associate Justice Robin Hudson.

The order said specifically that the court didn't address a recent request by Republican legislators to end its appeal of the congressional district boundaries, which a state trial court drew and adopted for use this year only.

But the order said expediting all redistricting appeals was based on the great public interest in the subject matter of this case, the importance of the issues to the constitutional jurisprudence of this state, and the need to reach a final resolution on the merits at the earliest possible opportunity.

It's too late for any decision after those oral arguments to alter the district lines for this year's elections, which are already happening under the challenged maps. Any ruling could clarify further how partisan bias is avoided in mapmaking and force the legislature to redraw new General Assembly maps that would be used for the remainder of this decade. A new congressional map for the 2024 elections already will be needed.

Associate Justice Tamara Barringer, opposing Thursdays order for the courts three Republican justices, wrote that it made no sense to speed up the process. Any required map redraws for the 2024 elections wouldnt need to be in place until candidate filing begins in December 2023, she said.

Common Cause fails to explain how an expedited decision from this court will make any meaningful difference on the legislatures ability to comply with a deadline that is more than 16 months away, Barringer wrote.

With Hudson retiring from the court at the end of the year, and Democratic Associate Justice Sam Ervin IV up for reelection, its possible a GOP majority would have heard the case if arguments had waited until early 2023.

The contested lines replaced other sets of boundaries that the GOP-controlled House and Senate drew last fall based on 2020 census population changes. The Supreme Court, in an identical 4-3 ruling, struck down those first batch of maps. The court called the lines illegal partisan gerrymanders that failed to treat voters who back Democrats fairly and told legislators to try again.

A panel of three trial judges upheld the replacement maps for the 170 legislative districts drawn by lawmakers, but retooled the second congressional map. The state Supreme Court refused to delay their use with this year's elections.

The appeals didn't end, as Common Cause and the other plaintiffs in redistricting lawsuits said the Senate map, or the district boundaries for both chambers, still harm Black votes and fail to fully give Democrats the chance at governing majorities. GOP legislative leaders appealed the interim congressional plan.

House Speaker Tim Moore, Senate leader Phil Berger and other GOP lawmakers asked July 13 to withdraw their congressional map appeal. Phil Strach, a lawyer for the Republicans, wrote there's no need to spend time and taxpayer dollars on boundaries that will be used in 2022 only.

But Narendra Ghosh, a lawyer representing some voters who are backed by a national Democratic redistricting group, argue the Republicans' dismissal request is pure gamesmanship designed to strengthen their position in upcoming U.S. Supreme Court arguments over the power of state courts to scrutinize congressional maps.

Last month, the nation's highest court agreed to hear the North Carolina Republicans' separate appeal of the map for the states 14 U.S. House seats. The U.S. justices could decide by next year whether state courts have authority to change the rules for federal elections and congressional redistricting plans.

Barringer criticized the refusal of her Democratic colleagues to grant the legislators' dismissal motion, adding that the majoritys decision on both of these motions ... reeks of judicial activism and should deeply trouble every citizen of this state."

In contrast to the legislatures original congressional map, which likely would have resulted in Republicans winning 10 of the 14 seats, the interim plan would give Democrats a reasonable opportunity to win seven of the seats.
COTONOU, Benin (AP)  French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday pledged security cooperation and support to Benin as it fights rising threats of extremism, as well as investments in education and a cultural center for the West African nation.

Macron made the pledges after meeting with Benin President Patrice Talon as part of a three-country tour to improve relations with nations in west and central Africa. Benin is Macrons second leg of the journey after visiting Cameroon. He next heads to Guinea-Bissau.

France promises support in air, intelligence and equipment as well as training for the defense and security forces of Benin, said Macron in a press conference alongside Talon. We are also going to meet Benins needs in terms of equipment and help the country to structure how it arms its army.

Benin and neighboring Togo have suffered deadly recent extremist attacks, and are seeing increased risk of violence from al-Qaida and Islamic State-linked groups who are spreading further south from Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

As France withdraws from Mali, it is restructuring its deployment of troops.

Macron promised to follow the needs of the African states to fight against terrorism and come in to support in terms of training, equipment, and accompaniment.

Macron also announced investments by France in education and culture in Benin, where more than a dozen artifacts were returned in 2021 after being looted by French colonial forces in 1892. The two had earlier visited the returned works of the royal treasures of Abomey.

Talon lauded the support from France, which will also include increased educational funding, and said the two countries would also develop an artistic center in Cotonou.
ST. LOUIS  A 17-year-old was hit by two vehicles and killed Friday evening while crossing the street near Ted Drewes in the St. Louis Hills neighborhood.

The boy was identified Saturday by police as Matthew Nikolai, of the 5500 block of Daggett Avenue on the Hill. He was taken to a hospital just after 8:15 p.m., where he was pronounced dead.

Police said Matthew was crossing Chippewa Street, walking toward Ted Drewes, when he was struck by a pickup going west. He then tumbled into an eastbound lane, where he was hit by a 2014 Ford Fusion driven by an 18-year-old woman.

The driver of the pickup continued heading west after the crash and has not been identified by police. The 18-year-old stopped and is cooperating with the investigation, police said. A stretch of the street was closed east of Jamieson Avenue for several hours as evidence was collected.

Matthew was a rising senior at Christian Brothers College High School, according to a tweet from the school. He was a member of the robotics team, the computer science honors academy and the schools choral group. His brother is also a student at the all-boys Catholic school in Town and Country, and his father, uncle and grandfather are graduates.

As our community grieves together, our prayers, support, and love are with his family and close friends, the tweet said.

Matthew is the second death near the iconic frozen custard stand since May, when a 75-year-old man was struck by a car and killed.

Allyson Putz of Webster Groves took her 8-year-old son to meet friends for dessert on Friday. They were exiting the gift shop next door when she saw Matthew get hit.

I heard a commotion and as soon as I saw what happened, I shielded my son and got him around the corner, Putz said. Her friend called 911 as passersby tried to revive Matthew in the street.

Putz said that her son was terrified and she was infuriated that the city hasnt done anything to make the area safer for pedestrians.

Im familiar enough to know how dangerous it is, said Putz, who either parks in the lot or on residential streets behind the custard stand to avoid crossing Chippewa. But people from out of town dont know.

Ted Drewes owner Travis Dillon said on Saturday that he was not at the stand on Friday night but was very concerned. He said he had talked in the past to city officials about how to make the area safer but wasnt sure what could be done.

The location on the historic Route 66 opened in 1941 and more than doubled its capacity in 1985. There are metal barriers and security officers out front, but summer crowds overflow the small lot; many customers park at businesses across the five-lane street. The speed limit is listed at 35 mph on Chippewa at River Des Peres, near the St. Louis County divide, but there are no speed limit signs near the frozen custard stand.

Dillon said there had never been any incidents until this year. He said distracted driving could be to blame.

Alderman Tom Oldenburg, who represents the 16th Ward, on Saturday said that he had scheduled a meeting for Monday with the traffic commissioner to discuss both short- and long-term solutions. He wants more of a police presence on busy nights and plans to extend a traffic study already in the works to include Chippewa between Hampton and Jamieson avenues.

A previous study that resulted in a lane diet on Hampton has led to a decrease in crashes, he said.

Public safety and traffic safety are always important, said Oldenburg. My heart goes out to the family. Its gut-wrenching.

CBC announced it will have its chapel open Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. for anyone who wants to gather and will hold a formal prayer service for Matthews class at a later date.

It is the second notable death this month for the CBC community. Damion Baker, a star player on the 2014 championship football team, was killed in a shooting July 3.
HAZELWOOD  Lucy Woolfolk had just minutes to get out of her apartment early Tuesday morning when it started to flood.

On Friday, she was rushing out again.

Woolfolk, 58, was one of the dozens of people forced to leave The Reserve at Winding Creek near Interstate 270 in Hazelwood by 6 p.m. Friday after it was declared unfit for human habitation.

She was still rifling through her belongings around 1 p.m., finding a waterlogged speaker and some ruined Bath and Body Works products in her bedroom.

Asked where shed go next, Woolfolk just sighed.

Thats a good question, she said.

Woolfolk was one of many residents left picking up  and wringing out  the pieces on Friday after the second round of torrential rain and flash flooding in three days.

The region received a record 9 inches of rain on Tuesday, smashing the old mark, set in 1915, by more than 2 inches. Fire departments rescued more than 400 people across the region. Then on Thursday, as the area was just starting to dry off, another storm dropped about 2 to 4 more inches of rain, causing another round of flash flooding and mayhem.

Scavenger hunt

At The Reserve at Winding Creek, U-Haul trucks lined the narrow streets while people carted boxes, furniture and clothes to their vehicles.

Heather Jones, 31, was taking her belongings from her second-floor apartment to a storage unit nearby while she looked for another place to live. She said shed stay with her boyfriend temporarily, but she needed her security deposit back before she could find a new place.

I live paycheck to paycheck, she said. This is a lot.

Multi-South Management, which oversees The Reserve, planned to return all security deposits and let residents out of their leases. If they were behind on rent, the company wouldnt pursue them, said CEO David Shores.

Jones said shed gotten fliers the previous day from nonprofits with links to applications for rental assistance and information about shelters and other resources.

But even with the tips, she and people like Tracy Allen, 51, were left to go on a scavenger hunt to find a U-Haul available to rent and get out in time.

Allens car was totaled in the rain, and she said she was frustrated that the apartment complexs required renters insurance covered just the building and not her belongings or moving expenses.

It probably would feel better if they were helping us, she said.

Asked where shed go next, she, too, just sighed.

I have no idea, she said.

Public crews, officials

The regions sewer district has a busy few days ahead of it after recent record rainfall.

Metropolitan Sewer District spokesman Sean Hadley said Friday that workers still had more than 1,800 pending calls for service after downpours Tuesday and Thursday. Crews fanned out across the region to address them with vacuums that can unclog sewers and empty waterlogged basements, and Hadley said they would be working through the weekend.

The stuff from last night, we havent even gotten to that, he said. Its a mess.

City and county officials urged home and business owners to report flood damage to emergency management organizations so it would be considered during applications for federal aid.

Supplies will be distributed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday at St. Vincent Community Center, 7335 St. Charles Rock Road, and at the same time Sunday in the parking lot of the St. Louis Galleria, off Brentwood Boulevard just north of Interstate 64.
Bill McClellan Bill McClellan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Bill McClellan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

In 1990, Liberian rebel leader Charles Taylor led his army against the government. The casualties were mostly civilian. Approximately 200,000 people were killed. An even greater number were displaced.

Among them was Mary Tugbah. She and her four teenaged children fled on foot to the Ivory Coast. Imagine thousands of people slogging through the dust and heat of western Africa.

Their new home was a United Nations refugee camp. It was intended to be a temporary stop, but the economy of the Ivory Coast was not sufficient to handle the influx of refugees, and the developed countries were not eager to take them.

So life in camp took on a sense of permanence. Everyone wanted to get out, and everyone filled out papers, but nothing happened. Mary sold fish heads. Her kids had their own hustles, their own lives. Mary said there was some kind of paperwork mistake, and she and her kids were separated. Mary is a survivor, but she is not a paperwork person. She has very little education.

She is, however, a devout Christian.

In 2004, 14 years after she fled Liberia, her prayers were answered. The paperwork had gone through. She was coming to America.

She had been sponsored by the International Institute of St. Louis. The institute put her in an apartment on the citys south side. Caseworkers helped her get a job cleaning offices.

The official language of Liberia is English, but many people speak only tribal languages. Marys native language is Grebo.

She was 52 when she found herself, magically, in St. Louis. She had no car, and she had to learn to navigate around by bus, made harder by the fact that she could not read English.

Her concept of time was less precise than ours, but she understood that she could not be late to work, so she always arrived early. Sometimes, hours early. She would arrive at her job site and then wait until she saw her colleagues arrive. She would follow along.

She took no help from the government. She had a vague understanding that accepting government help would be a mark against her when she tried to bring family members here. And that was her goal. She had children, and then grandchildren, in Africa.

There is paperwork involved in living in America, and Mary got help with that from the Institute and from New City Fellowship, a local church that believes that Christianity is an international, multiracial sort of thing.

Mary inquired about bringing family members to this country. She got good advice. You need money, Mary.

She lived frugally. She was able to save money. But she faced a question. Mary knew the life she had escaped. Her grown children could use money right now. Would it be better to send them money as she earned it, or save money to bring somebody here?

Mary tried to do both.

She eventually saved about $40,000.

She went to the paperwork people. You can probably bring somebody over. One somebody.

Daniel was her oldest. But he had three children. One of Marys daughters had died. The other was herself a mother and how do you take a mother away from her children? Peter, the second son, had one child. He was the logical choice.

Peter arrived here earlier this month. He is 49.

Last week, I met Peter and Mary at Marys apartment in south St. Louis.

Also present was Melissa Elliott of New City Fellowship. If you ever need to depend on the kindness of strangers, she is a stranger youd want to encounter.

In fact, her husband picked Peter up at the airport.

Marys English is still not very good, so Peter acted as our interpreter. He said he learned English from friends. Like his mother, he has little formal education. The flight to this country was his first time on an airplane.

He said he is eager to get to work, but apparently, this involves some more paperwork. His work experience is farming and construction. Subsistence farming, unsophisticated construction. I imagined cinder blocks.

I also imagined my grandmother and her family. They came from Belfast in the early years of the last century. First, the father and the oldest son came. They lived in an apartment with other recent immigrants from Ireland. Zoning codes today would prohibit so many single men crammed into an apartment.

My great-grandfather and his oldest son worked for a couple of years and then sent for the rest of the family.

They were the face of immigration in those days. Also, Italians. Also, Jews from Eastern Europe.

None of them was welcomed.

Today, the face of immigration is darker complected.

Not everybody welcomes them.

In 2018, then-President Donald Trump complained about immigrants from Haiti and Africa.

We need more people from Norway, he said.

Peter is already thinking about bringing over his daughter.

America is a dream, he told me.

Maybe he will get a job cleaning offices and then one day his daughter will work in one of those offices.

Before we left, Mary led us in prayer. I could not make out the words, but it was a joyful message.
Lady Gaga performing at Old Trafford (Samir Hussein/Getty Images for Live Nation )

I choose to focus on all the bravery, all the courage, says Lady Gaga of the pandemic period that saw her Chromatica Ball tour postponed twice,.I want to look back on this last couple of years and I always want to remember us just like this.

Considering just like this involves 60,000 people in flashing wristbands watching a purple beetle lady play a piano resembling a burning alien throne  seemingly designed by H R Giger were unlikely to forget it.

Were somewhat blessed that, come 2022 and as an acclaimed actor whose Americana 2016 album Joanne veered towards no-artifice personal exposure, Stefani Germanotta remains one of the most eye-searingly bizarre live acts in the world. Thank you for loving a weirdo like me! she beams to the crowd, a significant chunk of which is clad in its own home-made freak outfits. And its hard not to fall for a mind that is avant garde enough to concoct a four-act stadium show where Brazil meets Hostel, A Clockwork Orange, Prometheus, The Great Gatsby, The Warriors, Them!, The Matrix and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

The show opens as strangely as it means to go on. An impressionist film, like a nightmare on celluloid, captures Gaga transforming into an evil bird woman before the Prelude begins, wherein Gaga appears atop a row of brutalist mock-concrete cells, held tight in a mechanical exoskeleton and singing Bad Romance at a troupe of dancing prisoners while spinning oh the spot. The metaphor for being trapped in an abusive relationship is blatant, but from there the Chromatica Ball pays little heed to matching image and theme.

Gaga breaks out of her metallic strait-jacket for Just Dance, red alarm lights drench the stage for the Eurythmics-noir Poker Face and the monster is loose. By Act 1 (Alice, Replay, Monster) shes laid out on a grimy hydraulic operation room slab in a blood-spattered leotard and gore-red dress, like the torture-porn victim of a backstreet Budapest spleen robbery. By Act 2 (911, Sour Candy, a magnificent Telephone and LoveGame, Gagas sizzle-free Baby One More Time) shes recast as a sci-fi S&M cop while the stage transforms into a steampunk version of the Nostromo. Act 3 (Babylon, Free Woman, Born This Way) then takes place at a decadent Gatsby party, Gaga and dancers dressed in gold suits, before they form a procession to a second stage out in the crowd and coronate Gaga as queen of the bug people.

Such shape-shifting largesse has often drawn comparisons to Bowie, but Gaga doesnt display anywhere near the same genre-hopping spriteliness tonight. Drawing heavily from 2020s Chromatica album, her return to dance-pop, she often seems almost a tribute act to her pop predecessors: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Pet Shop Boys and  on the Vogue-aping Babylon and Express Yourself facsimile Born This Way  Madonna. These are hardly bad acts to follow, but its only when Gaga takes to the latest in a long line of surreal pianos for the ballad medley of Act 4 that her individual talent really shines from behind the costume rack. Interrupting tunes to dedicate them to Alexander McQueen and deliver motivational messages about identity, she bawls through the epic country Shallow, from A Star is Born, and stands on one leg on her stool as Fun Tonight turns from dolorous ballad to U2 disco.

Finally, a video of Gaga reciting a poem about how life is art and we are all eternal (tell that to Tottenhams hangover tomorrow) gives way to an ecstatic Finale of Stupid Love, Rain On Me and Hold My Hand, Gaga dressed as a biker Beyonce with one spindly claw hand. Its fair to say the queen of the freaks is back, and still unforgettable.
Joe Holleman Joe Holleman is a reporter for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Joe Holleman Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

CLAYTON  Not only did a St. Louis County Council committee vote unanimously to delve deeper into Councilwoman Lisa Clancys ties to the marijuana industry, it also widened its scope to include several other larger players involved.

The councils ethics committee said Friday it wants to continue researching whether Clancy, D-5th District, violated conflict of interest measures in 2019.

Missouri Voters Guide for Tuesday's primary elections The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis present this guide to the candidates and races on the Aug. 2 ballot.

Along with the committee wanting Clancy to appear, it also said it would like to hear from County Executive Sam Page and influential state lobbyist Steve Tilley.

The specific issue being examined by the committee, first reported by the Post-Dispatch, is that Clancy was paid about $4,500 by the Summers Compton Wells law firm to work on marijuana license applications at the same time she was actively working to influence the countys zoning ordinance regulating marijuana locations.

We need to dig deeper into this arrangement, committee chairman Mark Harder, R-7th District, said.

The other committee members voting to dig deeper were Council Chair Rita Heard Days, D-1st District, and Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District. The fourth committee member, Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, was absent.

We have more work to do. Im not (at the point) to say that Councilwoman Clancy did anything wrong, Fitch said. But lets get this all on table ... bring in witnesses and ask them specific questions.

Fitch said along with Page and Tilley, he would like to hear from the law firm, which is in Frontenac; the marijuana company, VG-St. Louis; and Winston Calvert, Pages chief of staff during the time in question.

Clancy did not attend the ethics meeting. She has refused to be interviewed by phone or in person, saying she would only respond to written questions.

Earlier this week, she provided a letter from the law firm, dated July 11, 2019, that states the firm concluded her work was not a conflict.

The information about Clancys marijuana work came to light through the person who hired her in 2019. Shelby Partridge, who worked on marijuana license applications for the law firm, released text messages and emails to the Post-Dispatch that included exchanges between her and Clancy.

Council members Harder and Fitch also received similar information, anonymously through the mail.

Partridge, who was in a personal relationship with Calvert at the time, said she hired Clancy on Calverts recommendation.

Calvert could not be reached for comment Friday. Previously, he said Clancy was one of several people he recommended, but that he did so before joining Pages staff.

Clancy, who is unopposed in the Aug. 2 primary, first joined the council in January 2019.

Her marijuana-related work began around June 24, 2019, and lasted until about Aug. 7. The council began deliberating the marijuana zoning ordinance on July 2 and finally passed it on Sept. 10.

Clancys work consisted of completing answers to questions that companies had to provide for state license applications, according to an email sent by Clancy to Partridge.

About one month into Clancys work, on July 31, 2019, Clancy told Partridge she would have to stop working on the applications because Sam kinda flipped out about it the other night.

Page, who has twice said he does not recall the incident with Clancy, provided this statement from his office about his appearance before the committee: If the County Council ethics committee has a legitimate question about something in their jurisdiction, Dr. Page is happy to consider the request.

The statement continued to imply the action was politically motivated: Requests three days before an election should be seen for what they are, it said.

Clancys financial interest statement filed with the county for the 2019 calendar year did not list any payments from the law firm.

The zoning ordinance that was being discussed governed the operation of marijuana growers, suppliers and dispensaries in St. Louis County.

The original bill forwarded by the countys Planning Commission recommended a 300-foot buffer between marijuana locations and churches and schools  the buffer size preferred by the marijuana industry.

Clancy opposed the 1,000-foot buffer, recommended by the council public improvements committee, because it was a burden on those in need of medical assistance and on marijuana companies.

The planning commission revised the buffer to 500 feet, a compromise that also was rejected by the committee, which was chaired by Fitch.

The final bill that was passed Sept. 10 by the council specified a 1,000-foot buffer. Clancy and Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, D-2nd District, voted against it.

On Jan. 1, 2020, Clancys campaign team received a $500 contribution from Tilley, a former Republican state House Speaker and close ally of Gov. Mike Parson.

Tilley now is a lobbyist for marijuana companies and also lobbies for the states largest medical marijuana trade group, Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association (MoCann).

The contribution was made on Jan. 1, 2020, and reported on Clancys fundraising report filed on April 15.

That contribution came less than two weeks after a political action committee tied to Tilley and Gardner Capital, a development company Tilley lobbies for, contributed $2,049 to Pages campaign, the Post-Dispatch reported.

According to a Kansas City Star story in November 2019, Tilley and Gardner Capital, a company for whom Tilley lobbies, were among several subjects of an FBI investigation into a possible pay-to-play scheme in Independence, Missouri.

Tilley, reached by phone Friday, said that he was out of the country and was unaware of situation with Clancy and the ethics committee.
JEFFERSON CITY  The Missouri Court of Appeals Southern District on Friday reversed an Oregon County judges ruling that would have forced the state to sell portions of a planned state park located along the Eleven Point River.

The 17-page decision represents a win for parks boosters and Attorney General Eric Schmitt, who had appealed the lower courts ruling following advocacy from public lands supporters in 2020.

Former Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat whose administration arranged the purchase of roughly 4,200 acres in Oregon County in 2016, cheered the decision on Twitter on Friday.

Eleven Point State Park Saved by correct ruling by Missouri Southern District Court of Appeals decision today, he said. Our outdoors are a shared Missouri value. Thanks to all.

Schmitt is among 21 candidates running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate on Tuesday.

The park plans had proved controversial after lead mining settlement funds were used to purchase the property.

Nearby landowners sued the state in 2017 over the purchase, arguing 625 acres were affected by a scenic easement. Use of the land as a park would destroy the wild and scenic nature of the easement, plaintiffs argued at trial.

Oregon County Circuit Court Judge Steven Privette ruled the easement restrictions, under any reasonable interpretation, meant the land cannot be used by the public as a park.

Privette ordered the state to sell 625 acres affected by a federal easement  not all 4,200 acres of parkland. The land that would have been sold is along the western side of the river.

But a panel of three appellate judges sided with the state. Judge Jack A.L. Goodman wrote the opinion, and Judges Jeffrey W. Bates and William W. Francis Jr. concurred.

An easement restricting particular rights or uses on a property does not interfere with (the Department of Natural Resources) ability to acquire and possess such property for park purposes, the ruling said.

The Scenic Easements restrictions on the use of park property are actually consistent with DNRs constitutional duty to administer ... the conservation ... of natural resources and its statutory obligation to preserve land with scenic, historic, prehistoric, archeological, scientific, or other distinctive characteristics or natural features, the ruling said.

It continued, The trial courts judgment holding that the publics actual physical access to 100% of park land is a requirement for DNR to acquire and possess land for park purposes, in spite of DNRs plain statutory and regulatory authority to the contrary, is in direct contradiction to the plain language of DNRs authorizing statutes and regulations.

Derrick Kirby, a Doniphan, Missouri-based attorney representing the three plaintiffs in the case  Van and Elizabeth McGibney, and the James Conner Irrevocable Trust  said Sunday it was yet to be decided whether his clients would appeal.

We will have to discuss the Opinion with our clients in more detail before any decisions are made, Kirby said in an email. They, of course, are disappointed in the outcome and are greatly concerned that the Eleven Point River now will lose its unique and scenic qualities given the evidence adduced at trial related to the Department of Natural Resources intended operation of the Park.

Missouri House Republicans have voted several times to force the sale of the property, arguing the settlement money shouldve been spent on lead cleanup projects in areas affected by mining.

But proponents said spending money to preserve the parkland was an acceptable use given that other land in the state had been damaged by mining.

The easement in question, created by Congress through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, extends a quarter-mile from the banks of the Eleven Point River on both sides.

Originally posted at 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 30. Updated at 5:10 p.m. Monday with statement from the attorney for the plaintiffs.
JEFFERSON CITY  Democrats and the chief clerk of the Missouri House appeared to be in disagreement Friday over whether a lawmaker censured after an ethics investigation could regain powers of his office after the November election.

Rep. Wiley Price, a St. Louis Democrat who lost his committee assignments in January 2021 after his colleagues handed down the official punishment, claimed recently his censure would end if he won reelection this November.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, on Friday backed up Prices interpretation of the censure resolution that stipulates censure by the 101st General Assembly. The new General Assembly begins in January.

Missouri Voters Guide for Tuesday's primary elections The Post-Dispatch and the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis present this guide to the candidates and races on the Aug. 2 ballot.

But the office of Chief Clerk Dana Rademan Miller said in a statement Thursday that the terms of the censure remain in effect for the remainder of the members tenure at the House of Representatives.

Prices censure by colleagues early last year followed a probe into alleged threats he made to cover up a relationship with a Capitol intern.

Comments by Democrats and the chief clerks office, in response to questions by the Post-Dispatch about the wording of the resolution, come days before voters in the 84th House District decide whether to give Price a third term in the Missouri House.

He is running against fellow Democrat Del Taylor, 55, a retired business management consultant, in the Tuesday primary. No other candidates are running, meaning the winner of the primary will take office in January.

Absolutely, Price, 38, said when asked if he would be able to serve on committees if he won reelection. I come off of censure after this election. ... I was censured for one session.

Told of the chief clerks contention that the terms of the censure remain in effect as long as Price is in office, Price said Friday, Does the chief clerk not know how to read? That I was censured for the 100th and 101st session? Its in writing. Its not even for debate.

Taylor, in an interview, said his understanding of the resolution censuring Price is that hed still be censured, punished, unless ever revoked by a vote of the House.

Investigation

The censure followed an investigation into an alleged relationship Price had with a Capitol intern.

In addition to Price, his former legislative assistant, a fellow state representative for whom the legislative assistant also worked, and a Capitol intern who worked for another lawmaker, all spoke to outside investigative counsel.

Prices legislative assistant reported that in January 2020, Price had told her he had sex with an intern the night before. During the investigation, both Price and the intern denied having sex.

A report by the House Ethics Committee, which has an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, found Price threatened and intimidated the aide after she reported the alleged sexual encounter; relationships with legislative interns are forbidden under House rules.

Though Price and the intern denied ever contacting each other or having each others phone numbers, the House Speaker subpoenaed phone records from Jan. 22 to Jan. 27, 2020.

The records revealed seven phone calls and 26 text messages between Price and the intern, with both the intern and Price initiating exchanges. The final communication uncovered was a 42-minute phone call by Price during the evening on Jan. 26.

The report found Price committed perjury by denying he had claimed an inappropriate relationship with the intern, and by denying that he had contacted the intern by phone.

Price said at the time he took issue with some parts of the report, but ultimately accepted being censured by his peers.

Obviously Im frustrated by these proceedings, but I apologize to my friends and my colleagues for even putting us in this position, he said as his colleagues weighed his fate.

Everybody knows that, you know, I kind of got a raw deal, Price said in an interview. There was just a lot of information that wasnt given out in regards to that case.

After Prices censure in January 2021, his desk was moved to a far corner of the chamber, next to other ethically challenged members.

In addition to losing his committee assignments, the House also docked Prices pay by $1,000 per month until he pays off a $22,500 bill associated with the incident.

The House moved his office away from a suite populated with Democratic lawmakers and to a lone office away from others.

The resolution also said Price would not be able to supervise an intern for the remainder of his membership in the House and that any legislative aide working for him would report to the chief clerk for the remainder of his membership in the House.

Quade said that language supports her argument that other punishments  such as Prices removal from committees and his inability to hold leadership positions  would expire at the end of the current term.

My interpretation of this is that upon the ending of the 101st General Assembly that censure expires, Quade said. Thats, you know, my recollection of when this all went down was that was how I understood it at the time as well.

If thats what the chief clerk is saying, then steps would need to be taken for everyone to be in agreement, she said.

Rep. J. Eggleston, a Maysville Republican who served on the ethics committee when Price was censured, said Friday as I recall, the censure of Wiley Price was for his entire time in the House, no matter how many years it is.

Campaign

Despite the censure, Price said he had been an effective legislator, leveraging his relationships with colleagues to bring home some bacon for his district.

I think that my record in Jeff City is really strong for the last four years that Ive been there, even with all that Ive been through, Price said, adding he still was able to produce a lot more than probably people expected me to with the censure over me.

Rep. Peter Merideth of St. Louis, the top Democrat on the House budget panel, said Price advocated for an array of budget items this year. Merideth is among elected officials appearing on a flyer by Prices campaign.

Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, another St. Louis Democrat who appears on Prices flyer, said he agreed with the censure but added Price is an asset to the Democratic caucus, citing his work on marijuana legalization and on election issues.

Sen. Karla May, a St. Louis Democrat who also appears on the flyer in support of Price, said I dont give it credibility, she said, the kangaroo court that the Republicans ran in reference to Wiley Price. I do not give it credibility.

She cited Prices work on legislation to establish no-excuse absentee voting in Missouri. A new law approved this year includes two weeks of early voting.

Representative Price has been an effective legislator and he has the uncanny ability to bring people together and work together at the Capitol, May said.

Taylor has criticized Price for missing about 45% of votes this year on the House floor.

Taylor said a possible oversight he made during the campaign was not aggressively seeking the endorsements of individual elected officials.

But he expressed optimism heading into election day, asserting voters would recognize he is the candidate who wants to legitimately work hard when compared with Price, who had been absent and not taking the job seriously.

I think were going to finish strong, Price said. I would be wary of any man who cant sell himself unless hes tearing down another man.
These must seem like crazy times for anyone considering a vote in Tuesdays Republican primary. In normal times, if there ever was such a thing, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell would be heralded as the partys hero, the man who single-handedly swung the Supreme Court to the right and achieved the GOPs top goal of overturning federal abortion rights. Yet in Missouri, McConnell apparently is evil incarnate.

It started with disgraced former Gov. Eric Greitens attacks on McConnell as mastermind of the nasty child-custody battle being waged by Greitens ex-wife, Sheena. Theres not a shred of evidence to back Eric Greitens claim of top-level Republican collusion to undermine his U.S. Senate campaign. But the attack on McConnell helps distract Missouri Republicans from the elephant in the room: that Greitens is an admitted adulterer and credibly accused abuser.

Suddenly, Greitens two top Republicans opponents, Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Rep. Vicky Hartzler, have decided to adopt his strategy and make McConnell the enemy. At issue is whether McConnell should continue as the Senate Republican leader.

Mitch McConnell hasnt endorsed me, and I dont endorse him for leadership, Schmitt bluntly told NBC affiliate KOMU-TV. Schmitt has been holding out the hope for weeks that former President Donald Trump, a harsh McConnell critic, might endorse him. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, reviled even among his GOP colleagues, is among the few high-profile Republicans endorsing Schmitt, who says he would back a Cruz bid for the leadership.

Hartzler also wont support McConnell, suggesting hes too wishy-washy. We need a true conservative leader who will stand up to Joe Biden and turn things around, she said. McConnell backed bipartisan gun legislation, following a series of horrific mass shootings, that offers financial incentives to states that adopt red-flag laws and other gun-safety measures. Hartzler labeled it kowtowing to Chuck Schumer.

Adding to the confusion, Democrats in other states are actively promoting the campaigns of the most extreme Republican candidates, calculating that the extremists would pose such an abhorrent option that GOP moderates would vote for Democrats instead. In Michigan, for example, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has spent $435,000 to promote former Trump administration official John Gibbs against incumbent Republican Rep. Peter Meijer. Gibbs (like Cruz) promotes Trumps big lie that he was robbed of the 2020 presidential election. Meijer was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump  making him one of the good guys who prioritized country over party.

This is a dangerous game for Democrats because they need only look at the 2016 result to grasp how badly assumptions of GOP voting behavior can backfire. And if Republicans think they can do better than McConnell, they would be smart to reexamine his record. Just because McConnell refuses to kiss Trumps ring, or other parts of his anatomy, doesnt cancel his solidly conservative achievements.
St. Louiss children are on the ballots, if not by name then by implication. Millions of dollars in campaign funding are screaming that the elections are about the economy, guns, climate change, health care, etc. Sure, those are important. But an essential result of voting is the future for Missouris kids.

Our votes help determine what our children will inherit from us. What will living in Missouri be like months, and even years, after the votes are counted?

Voters should not let lies, greed and ignorance influence them. Providing all our kids a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future is what this election should be all about.

Jim Mittino  St. Louis
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / July 29, 2022 / Gold Springs Resource Corp. (TSX:GRC), (OTCQB: GRCAF) (the "Company" or "GRC"), has received drill results from 8 additional holes of its 2022 drilling program around the South Jumbo Resource at its large Gold Springs project located in USA, on the border of Nevada and Utah.

Highlights include:

0.59 g/t gold equivalent over 18.3 meters and

0.61 g/t gold equivalent over 9.1 meters in hole E-22-007

0.61 g/t gold equivalent over 9.1 meters in hole E-22-007 1.37 g/t gold equivalent over 4.6 meters in hole E-22-009

0.72 g/t gold equivalent over 27.4 meters including

2.47 g/t gold equivalent over 4.6 meters and

0.66 g/t gold equivalent over 6.1 meters and

0.59 g/t gold equivalent over 18.3 meters in hole E-22-012

2.47 g/t gold equivalent over 4.6 meters and 0.66 g/t gold equivalent over 6.1 meters and 0.59 g/t gold equivalent over 18.3 meters in hole E-22-012 0.79 g/t gold equivalent over 19.9 meters in hole E-22-014.

Gold equivalent based on US$1,800/oz gold, US$25/oz silver and 50% for silver recovery.

Randall Moore, Executive Vice President of Exploration, stated:

"These new results continue to demonstrate extensions of the South Jumbo gold mineralization as these holes were drilled with the objectives to:

Extend gold values at depth within the northern resource block (E-22-012). Extend gold values in the gap zone between the two resource blocks

(E-22-007, E-22-008, E-22-009, E-22-0013).

Test for shallow gold extensions to the south (E-22-014).

The results from the first 14 holes at South Jumbo clearly support our GRC resource model as we are demonstrating that gold mineralization does expand into areas predicted by our 2021 updated model. Once we receive the gold assays for the 6 remaining holes at South Jumbo, we will update our resource model to define where we will plan our drill holes to continue expanding our South Jumbo resource"

News from GRC 2022 ongoing drilling program:

The 2022 drilling program is progressing well as the Company completed 2 first holes in the untested Snow target, 13 new holes around the North Jumbo resource and 9 holes looking to expand the Charlie Ross resource discovered by the 2021 drilling program.

The diamond Core Drill is now onsite, and the Company has just completed the first hole on the Tremor target discovered in 2021 and now part of the North Jumbo resource.

The CSAMT ground based geophysical survey is well underway to cover most of the 33 identified targets and will help direct future drilling and identify potential new areas of gold mineralization under shallow post-mineral materials.

GRC has now completed 44 holes for a total of 9,317 meters of the planned 20,100 meters RC drilling program. Assays have been received for the first 14 holes, all from the South Jumbo resource area.

The Gold Springs project encompasses nearly 8,000 ha within the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah. Thus far 6 resources have been developed on outcropping low sulfidation epithermal gold systems which are mostly oxidized, and 33 targets have been already identified on approximately 40% of the property.

The 2022 drilling program was designed to expand the 6 existing resources and to test several new targets including the Snow, Midnight, and the Horseshoe Extension. During the 2021 drill campaign GRC made 3 new discoveries, all of which became new resources or merged with existing ones as reported in the last resource update issued July 11, 2022 (please see the Company's news release dated July 15, 2022).

Summary of drill intercepts:

Hole

Number Target From

Meters To

Meters Thickness

Meters Gold

g/t Silver

g/t AuEq

g/t E-22-007 South Jumbo 44.2 62.5 18.3 0.55 5.4 0.59 and 172.2 181.3 9.1 0.58 4.9 0.61 E-22-008 South Jumbo 44.2 64.0 19.8 0.42 2.5 0.44 E-22-009 South Jumbo 50.3 54.9 4.6 1.28 13.5 1.37 E-22-010 South Jumbo 16.8 19.8 3.0 0.60 3.0 0.62 E-22-012 South Jumbo 10.7 38.1 27.4 0.67 7.0 0.72 including 33.5 38.1 4.6 2.32 21.6 2.47 and 67.1 73.2 6.1 0.63 3.8 0.66 and 103.6 121.9 18.3 0.48 16.5 0.59 E-22-013 South Jumbo 83.8 89.9 6.1 0.32 1.4 0.33 E-22-014 South Jumbo 9.1 29.0 19.9 0.60 27.0 0.79

True thickness is estimated to be 70-100% of reported length. Grams per tonne of gold and silver abbreviated as "Au g/t" and "Ag g/t" respectively.

Drill Hole Table

Hole ID Target Easting

UTM NAD 27 Northing Azimuth Inclination TD (ft) TD (m) E-22-007 South Jumbo 760660 4196090 110 -45 660 201.2 E-22-008 South Jumbo 760648 4196207 90 -65 600 182.9 E-22-009 South Jumbo 760616 4196301 90 -65 580 176.8 E-22-010 South Jumbo 760590 4196434 90 -55 600 182.9 E-22-011 South Jumbo 760505 4196726 60 -65 650 198.1 E-22-012 South Jumbo 760573 4196714 0 -90 780 237.7 E-22-013 South Jumbo 760671 4196348 90 -50 720 219.5 E-22-014 South Jumbo 760783 4195887 270 -65 378 115.2

Qualified Person

Randall Moore, Executive Vice-President Exploration, Gold Springs Resource Corp., is the Company's designated Qualified Person for this news release within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and has reviewed and validated that the information contained in the release is accurate.

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Approximately 7 kg of RC chips were sent to the laboratory for each 1.52 meters drill interval. Standards and blanks are submitted into the sample stream at the rate of 15% for QA/QC purposes. In addition, the laboratory also includes duplicates of samples, standards and blanks. The results of these check assays are reviewed prior to the release of data. All RC sample assays are also reviewed for their geological context and checked against the drill logs.

Assay Method

Assays were performed in Reno, Nevada by ALS Geochemical, an ISO 9001:2000 certified and independent laboratory. Gold was analyzed by fire assay of a 30-gram sample with an AAS finish with samples assaying greater than 5 g/t re-assayed using a 30-gram sample and a gravity finish. Silver is analyzed by a four-acid leach ICP method.

About Gold Springs Resource Corp.

Gold Springs Resource Corp. (TSX:GRC and OTCQB: GRCAF) is focused on the exploration and expansion of the gold and silver resources of its Gold Springs project located on the border of Nevada and Utah, USA. The project is situated in the prolific Great Basin of Western USA, one of the best mining jurisdictions in the world.

Gold Springs Resource Corp. Contact:

Antonio Canton, President and CEO

[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements look into the future and provide an opinion as to the effect of certain events and trends on the business. Forward-looking statements herein include the Company's plan to update its resource model upon receiving the assay results of the remaining 6 drill holes at South Jumbo and may also include words such as "creating", "believe", "would", "continue", "will", "promising", "should", and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and entail various risks and uncertainties. Actual results may materially differ from expectations if known and unknown risks or uncertainties affect our business or if our estimates or assumptions prove inaccurate. Factors that could cause results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, risks of the mineral exploration industry which may affect the advancement of the Gold Springs project, including possible variations in mineral resources, grade, recovery rates, metal prices, capital and operating costs, and the application of taxes; availability of sufficient financing to fund planned or further required work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; availability of equipment and qualified personnel, failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, changes in project parameters, including water requirements for operations, as plans continue to be refined; regulatory, environmental and other risks of the mining industry more fully described in the Company's Annual Information Form and continuous disclosure documents, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The assumptions made in developing the forward-looking statements include: the accuracy of current resource estimates and the interpretation of drill, metallurgical testing and other exploration results; the continuing support for mining by local governments in Nevada and Utah; the availability of equipment and qualified personnel to advance the Gold Springs project; execution of the Company's existing plans and further exploration and development programs for Gold Springs, which may change due to changes in the views of the Company or if new information arises which makes it prudent to change such plans or programs. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or any other reason. Unless otherwise indicated, forward-looking statements in this press release describe the Company's expectations as of the date hereof

SOURCE: Gold Springs Resources Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, CTC Global applauds the Unites States House of Representatives for passing H.R. 5118 - the Wildfire Response and Drought Resilience Act. Among many other important features, the Act directs the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct a study on the ability of advanced transmission technologies, including low-sag advanced conductors, to reduce the vulnerability of electric grid infrastructure to energy disruptions caused by natural disasters and extreme weather.

CTC Global anticipates the study will confirm that high-capacity, low-sag advanced conductors, such as CTC Globals ACCC Conductor will: dramatically reduce wildfire risk by improving sag clearances between transmission facilities and vegetation; increase grid capacity to enable electric rerouting around high-risk areas under extreme weather events; and improve electric grid resiliency during active wildfires. In addition to wildfire risk mitigation, advanced conductors reduce consumer electricity costs and GHG emissions.

J.D. Sitton, CEO of CTC Global stated: Electric transmission lines are the backbones of our economy and are increasingly at risk due to wildfires. Modern advanced conductors are being used to reduce wildfire risks on key transmission lines across the western United States. Lawmakers and regulators should insist that legacy conductors, known to sag excessively under high temperature conditions, be removed and replaced with heat-resistant, low-sag advanced conductors. Congress direction to the DOE to study this is an excellent first step towards a more resilient transmission grid.

While the frequency and severity of wildfires, drought conditions, high temperatures and other extreme weather events continue to impact people around the world, CTC Global is very pleased that the U.S. Congress is taking action. And, as efforts to combat climate change are highly dependent on decarbonizing the grid, CTC Global is proud that its high-capacity, low-sag and energy-efficient ACCC Conductor will continue to play an important role.

About CTC Global:

CTC Global is the privately held power grid solutions company whose flagship product, ACCC Conductor, is the leading high-performance, high-voltage power line solution used by utility companies around the world to expand grid capacity and to debottleneck their grids. ACCC Conductors have been selected for over 1,100 projects by more than 250 utilities in 62 countries and are credited with eliminating over 17 million metric tons of line-loss related CO2 emissions. CTC Global is headquartered in Irvine, California. Visit www.ctcglobal.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220727006070/en/

CTC Global

Dave Bryant

+1 (949) 428-8500

[email protected]

Source: CTC Global
ANCHORAGE, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- At the Board of Directors Meeting held July 28, 2022, a cash dividend of $3.20 per share was declared, payable on September 15, 2022, to shareholders of record as of September 1, 2022.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220729005500/en/

Cheri Gillian

Secretary to the Board of Directors

907-777-3409

http://www.FNBAlaska.com

Source: First National Bank Alaska
One of Arkansas highest draft picks has officially signed his rookie contract.

Peyton Pallette, who missed the 2022 season to recover from Tommy John surgery, has signed his rookie contract with the Chicago White Sox, the organization that selected him with the No. 62 overall pick.

Pallette is in for a hefty payday. Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline is reporting that Pallette has signed with the White Sox for $1.5 million, which is just under slot value for the No. 62 overall selection.

In two seasons at Arkansas, Pallette struck out 70 batters while posting an ERA of 3.79. In 2021, Pallete appeared in 15 games, making 11 starts. He struck out 67 batters while issuing 20 walks in 56 innings of work.

Pallette was expected to become the anchor to the Arkansas weekend rotation in 2022, however, an injury to his ulnar collateral ligament forced him to miss what eventually was his final season at Arkansas, making the way for Connor Noland to take the role.

Pallete was the second Razorback selected in the 2022 MLB Draft, and one of three selected in the second round. Cayden Wallace was taken 13 picks higher by the Kansas City Royals, and Robert Moore was taken with a compensation pick by the Milwaukee Brewers.

2nd-rder Peyton Pallette signs with @WhiteSox for $1.5 million (slot 62 value = $1,159,200). @RazorbackBSB RHP, missed season after Tommy John surgery, easy 1st-rder before that, best curveball in @MLBDraft, 93-95 mph fastball to 99, Walker Buehler comps for 6-ft-1 build & stuff. pic.twitter.com/xnoKFxjyel  Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 28, 2022

List

Recap: Nine Razorbacks selected in 2022 MLB Draft

Story originally appeared on Razorbacks Wire
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Future Fuel Corporation (CSE: AMPS; Frankfurt: K14, WKN: A3DQFB) (the Company or American Future Fuel) is pleased to report that over the past several months we have been putting plans in place to execute on our exploration program at Cebolleta. The Company anticipates conducting future drilling across the Project with a focus on direct confirmation drilling to confirm the historical resource with the strategy to produce a compliant 43-101 resource. Additional drilling is also contemplated within the historical drill pattern as infill drilling; with the intention to add confidence in the continuity of the Projects mineralization.

Lengthy conference calls and discussions with EnCore Energy and knowledgeable geologists with years of experience on Cebolleta, give me confidence in our project, states Luke Montaine, CEO of the Company. Years of data extending back to the 1950s is being compiled into one data room for ease of understanding. Our project has past production, in a well known uranium jurisdiction, and a historical resource calculation we are eager to make current. It has come to our attention that areas have still yet to be explored, which could imply more pounds in the ground if drilling proves successful.

The Company looks forward to the coming drill season and will update shareholders on our progress.

ABOUT AMERICAN FUTURE FUEL

American Future Fuel Corporation is a Canadian-based resource company focused on the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of alternative energy projects. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Ceboletta Uranium Project, located in Cibola County, New Mexico, USA, and situated within the Grants Mineral Belt, a prolific mineral belt responsible for approximately 37% of all Uranium produced in the United States of America. Future Fuels Ceboletta Uranium project is an advanced exploration project with an historical resource estimate of approximately 19,000,000 lbs of uranium.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, AMERICAN FUTURE FUEL CORPORATION

Luke Montaine, Chief Executive Officer

For further information, contact:

Luke Montaine at [email protected]

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to 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, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals. 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. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Source: American Future Fuel Corporation
NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W) (Clear Sky or the Company), a mineral exploration and development company focused on American lithium deposits to support domestic demand, announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 2,400,000 units of the Company (the Units) at a price of $1.25 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to approximately $3,000,000 (the Offering).

Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a Share) and one share purchase warrant (a Warrant). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company (a Warrant Share) at a price of $1.50 per Warrant Share for a period of 48 months from the closing of the Offering.

The net proceeds of the Offering will be used for general operations. The Company may pay a commission to eligible finders in the amounts permitted by the Canadian Securities Exchange (the Exchange).

Closing of the Offering is subject to a number of conditions, including receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the Exchange. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with the policies of the Exchange and applicable securities legislation.

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 in the United States. 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.

Clear Sky Lithium advises the public that as part of its disclosure obligations as a public issuer, all material and regulatory filings can be found on www.sedar.com. We also invite the public to visit our website at www.clearskylithium.com and to sign up to our news alerts to be advised of future news releases and related company information. Please also ensure you watch our video which is available on the website.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

Sincerely,

~Patrick Morris~

Patrick Morris

Chief Executive Officer Clear Sky Lithium Corp.www.clearskylithium.com

About Clear Sky Lithium Corp. (CSE: POWR) (FRA: K4A / WKN: A3DM2W)Clear Sky Lithium is an exploration and development company dedicated to the advancement of North American lithium deposits to support domestic demand. The Company holds interests on the Eli property in Nevada. The Company is also focusing on the development of claystone extraction and processing technologies aimed at delivering scalable efficiencies across the value chain in a sustainable manner. Find out more visit www.clearskylithium.com and watch our video.

Forward Looking Information Disclaimer

This news release contains statements and information that, to the extent that they are not historical fact, may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking information may include financial and other projections, as well as statements regarding future plans, objectives, or economic performance, or the assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as may, would, could, will, likely, except, anticipate, believe, intend, plan, forecast, project, estimate, outlook, or the negative thereof or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, the completion of the Offering and the use of proceeds of the Offering.

Forward-looking information is based on the assumptions, estimates, analysis, and opinions of management made in light of its experience and its perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances at the date that such statements are made, but which may prove to be incorrect. The material factors and assumptions used to develop the forward-looking information contained in this news release include, but are not limited to, key personnel and qualified employees continuing their involvement with the Company; the Companys ability to secure additional financing on reasonable terms; the competitive conditions of the sector in which the Company operates; and laws and any amendments thereto applicable to the Company.

Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, risks relating to the future business plans of the Company; risks that the Company will not be able to retain its key personnel; risks that the Company will not be able to secure financing on reasonable terms or at all, as well as all of the other risks as described in the Companys final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2022, under the heading Risks Factors. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking information. Further, any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Companys management to predict all such factors and to assess in advance the impact of each such factor on the Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking information to reflect information or events after the date on which it is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law, including securities laws.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press 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.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Clear Sky Lithium Corp. Investor RelationsEmail: [email protected] Telephone: +1 (778) 383-7240

Source: Clear Sky Lithium Corp.
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, HONG KONG OR THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN.



Reference is made to the stock exchange release by SeaBird Exploration PLC ("SeaBird" or the "Company") on 28 July 2022 regarding the intention to carry out a private placement (the "Private Placement") of new shares in the Company.

The Company is pleased to announce that the Private Placement has been successfully placed, and that it has allocated subscriptions for 26,699,600 offer shares (the "Offer Shares") at a subscription price per share of NOK 3 (the "Offer Price"), raising approx. NOK 80 million in gross proceeds. The placement attracted broad interest from existing and new shareholders. Completion of the Private Placement and the issuance of the new shares were resolved by the Company's Board of Directors (the "Board") pursuant to an authorisation to waive pre-emption rights given by the Company's shareholder meeting.

Notification of allocation, including settlement instructions are expected to be distributed by the Managers on or about 29 July 2022, with settlement on or about 2 August 2022.

The new shares will be delivered under separate ISIN and will not be tradable on Oslo Brs until the approval of a listing prospectus. The Offer Shares will be transferred to the Company's ordinary ISIN and listed upon approval of a listing prospectus. The new shares will be registered on the Euronext NOTC in the interim period, expected within the week starting 1 August 2022.

The following allocation have been given to primary insiders in the Company at the same terms as other investors:

* Executive Chairman of the Board Stale Rodahl, through his wholly owned company Storfjell AS, has been allocated 1,333,300 shares. Following the transaction, he will own 3,255,775 shares in the Company representing 4,1% of the issued share capital after completion of the Private Placement.

* Director ivind Dahl-Stamnes has been allocated 20,000 shares. Following the transaction, he will own 63,200 shares in the Company representing 0.1 % of the issued share capital after completion of the Private Placement.

The Board of Directors has resolved to carry out a subsequent offering of up to 2,000,000 shares raising proceeds of up to NOK 6,000,000 at the Offer Price to its existing shareholders as of close of trading 28 July 2022, as subsequently recorded in the VPS on 1 August 2022, who were not allocated shares in the Private Placement and who are not resident in a jurisdiction where such offering would be unlawful, or would (in jurisdictions other than Norway) require any prospectus filing, registration or similar action. Such shareholders will be granted non-tradable subscription rights to subscribe for, and, upon subscription, be allocated new shares.

The Board, together with the Company's management and the Manager, has considered various transaction alternatives to secure new financing. Based on an overall assessment, considering inter alia the need for funding, execution risk and possible alternatives, the Board has on the basis of careful considerations decided that the Private Placement is the alternative that best protects the Company's and the shareholders' joint interests. Thus, the waiver of the preferential rights inherent in a share capital increase through issuance of new shares is considered necessary.

Fearnley Securities AS acted as Manager for the Private Placement.

For further information, please contact:

This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. This stock exchange announcement was published by Erik von Krogh, CFO of Green Energy Group (SeaBird Exploration PLC), on 28 July 2022 at 23.20 CET.

For additional information, please contact: Finn Atle Hamre, CFO, +47 928 35 991.

This information is considered to be inside information pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. Important information: The release is not for publication or distribution, in whole or in part directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia). This release is an announcement issued pursuant to legal information obligations, and is subject of the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act. It is issued for information purposes only, and does not constitute or form part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities, in the United States or in any other jurisdiction. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "US Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the US Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any portion of the offering of the securities in the United States or to conduct a public offering of the securities in the United States. Copies of this announcement are not being made and may not be distributed or sent into Australia, Canada, Japan or the United States.

The issue, subscription or purchase of shares in the Company is subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Neither the Company nor the Manager assume any responsibility in the event there is a violation by any person of such restrictions.

The distribution of this release may in certain jurisdictions be restricted by law. Persons into whose possession this release comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restrictions. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.

The Manager is acting for the Company and no one else in connection with the Private Placement and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company providing the protections afforded to their respective clients or for providing advice in relation to the Private Placement and/or any other matter referred to in this release.

Forward-looking statements: This release and any materials distributed in connection with this release may contain certain forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they reflect the Company's current expectations and assumptions as to future events and circumstances that may not prove accurate. A number of material factors could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.




TORONTO, July 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: MON) (Montero or the Company) provides an update on its fully funded arbitration proceedings against the United Republic of Tanzania (Tanzania) over the expropriation of the Wigu Hill Rare Earth Element Project before International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), part of the World Bank group.

Montero submitted its Memorial on the Merits (Memorial) to the ICSID arbitral tribunal in May 2022 as per the time schedule agreed by the parties and the tribunal. The Memorial contains the basis for compensation to Montero for CAD$ 90 million including interest up until May 2022, which interest continues to accrue. The damages claimed are for Tanzanias unlawful expropriation and mistreatment of Monteros investment, this is in breach of the Agreement between the Governments of Canada and Tanzania for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments (BIT) signed in 2013.

Dr Tony Harwood, President and CEO of Montero commented: Montero has submitted a claim to the ICSID for damages of CAD$ 90 million. The Company has made repeated attempts to work with Tanzanian Government to reach an amicable settlement without success, while the discovery and development of the Wigu Hill project has created significant value for Tanzania. We are committed to pursuing fair treatment of our shareholders and a return on our substantial investment of time and money in Tanzania through a fully funded arbitration process governed by ICSID, a part of the World Bank.

Background to ClaimsMontero commenced exploration activities on the Wigu Hill Rare Earth Element project in March 2008 under a Prospecting License and spent over CAD$ 15.5 million on discovery and development of the project. In 2015 a five-year Retention License was awarded by the Tanzanian Government on the property. The Wigu Hill Retention License was expropriated by the Tanzanian Government in 2018 when the Mining (Local Content) Regulations 2018, cancelled all previously issued Retention Licenses. Since that time Montero has made repeated attempts to reach an amicable solution with the Government with no success.

Montero filed a request for arbitration with the ICSID on January 8, 2021. On February 9, 2021, ICSID registered Monteros request for the institution of arbitration proceedings to resolve the illegal expropriation matter. The arbitral tribunal was constituted on November 18, 2021, with the appointment of the President, and appointees from Montero and Tanzania.

Montero has retained Mr. Thierry Lauriol of Jeantet AARPI as legal counsel and Dr. Neal Rigby of SRK Consulting (US) Inc. as quantum expert. Mr. Lauriol is highly experienced in international arbitration and has an excellent track record of achieving successful outcomes for clients in Africa. Dr. Rigby has acted in this capacity and as mining and valuation expert in many international mining disputes that have been resolved through ICSID arbitrations. Montero also secured dispute funding from Omni Bridgeway, a leading global dispute funder.

Montero is one of a number of companies that have filed arbitration procedures with ICSID against the Government of Tanzania for the expropriation of Retention Licenses. These include Winshear Gold Corp. with a claim of CAD$ 124 million (https://winshear.com) for the loss of the SMP Gold Project and Indiana Resources Limited with a claim of AUD$ 127 million for the loss of the Ntaka Hill Nickel Project (https://indianaresources.com.au).

Next Steps According to the arbitral tribunals Procedural Order No 1 dated February 18, 2022, Tanzania will respond to Monteros Memorial by October 2022, after which a new round of written submissions will follow in Q2 and Q3 2023.

For further information, please see the Montero recent press releases (PR134 dated 12 April 2022, PR132 dated 29 November 2021 and PR119 dated 8 January 2021) and the ICSID website:

(https://icsid.worldbank.org/services/arbitration/convention/process/overview).

Qualified Person's StatementThis press release was reviewed and approved by Mr. Mike Evans, M.Sc. Pr.Sci.Nat., a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101. It has also been reviewed by Mr Thierry Lauriol, avocat a la cour (Paris, France).

About MonteroMontero is a junior exploration company focused on finding, exploring, and advancing globally significant gold, silver, and base metal deposits in Chile. Monteros board of directors and management have an impressive track record of successfully discovering and advancing precious metal and copper projects. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON and has 38,647,485 shares outstanding.

For more information, contact:Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. Dr. Tony Harwood, President and Chief Executive OfficerE-mail: [email protected]Tel: +1 416 840 9197 | Fax: +1 866 688 4671www.monteromining.com

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.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Share Consolidation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, completion of the agreement, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Monteros mineral properties, and financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: an inability to complete the agreement on the terms as announced or at all; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Monteros activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Monteros forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

Source: Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 29, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rubicon Organics Inc. (TSXV: ROMJ) (OTCQX: ROMJF) (Rubicon Organics or the Company), a licensed producer focused on cultivating and selling organic certified, premium cannabis products, is pleased to announce that it will be reporting its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 (Q2 2022) on Monday, August 15, 2022.

The Company will be hosting a conference call to discuss Q2 2022 results on Monday, August 15, 2022. Conference call details are as follows:

Time: 7:00 AM PT / 10:00 AM ET Conference ID: 46054663 Local dial-in: +1 (416) 764 8646 Toll Free N. America: +1 (888) 396 8049 Webcast: https://app.webinar.net/PqoRLK5Jxv4

ABOUT RUBICON ORGANICS INC.

Rubicon Organics Inc. is the global brand leader in premium organic cannabis products. The Company is vertically integrated through its wholly owned subsidiary Rubicon Holdings Corp, a licensed producer. Rubicon Organics is focused on achieving industry leading profitability through a focus on differentiated product innovation and brand portfolio management, including its flagship super-premium brand Simply Bare Organic, its premium flower and hash brand 1964 Supply Co, its premium concentrate brand LAB THEORY, and its mainstream brand Homestead Cannabis Supply. The Company ensures the quality of its supply chain by cultivating, processing, branding and selling organic certified, sustainably produced, super-premium cannabis products from its state-of-the-art glass roofed facility located in Delta, BC, Canada.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Margaret BrodieChief Financial OfficerPhone: +1 (437) 929-1964Email: [email protected]

The TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, and statements such as the Companys intention of achieving industry leading profitability are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as will or variations of such words or statements that certain actions, events or results will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, events or developments to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. The forward-looking information in this press release is based upon certain assumptions that management considers reasonable in the circumstances, including that its capital needs will be as currently projected. Risks and uncertainties associated with forward looking information in this press release include, among others, information or statements concerning the Companys expectations of financial resources available to fund operations; Rubicon Organics' limited operating history and lack of historical profits; obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals; that regulatory requirements will be maintained; general business and economic conditions; the Companys ability to successfully execute its plans and intentions; the Companys ability to obtain financing at reasonable terms through the sale of equity and/or debt commitments; the Companys ability to attract and retain skilled staff; market competition; the products and technology offered by the Companys competitors; that our current relationships with our suppliers, service providers and other third parties will be maintained; and the impact of the current global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Although Rubicon Organics has attempted to identify important risk factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other risk factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. Rubicon Organics assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new information or for any other reason except as required by law.

Source: Rubicon Organics
Deputy Minister of Trade of Indonesia Dr Jerry Sambuaga was the Guest Of Honor for TRESCON World Blockchain Summit which took place in Marina Bay Sand Expo, Singapore, facilitated by Asia Blockchain Association

Figure 1

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_001full.jpg

Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - July 30, 2022) - Vice Minister Of Trade of Indonesia, Dr. Jerry Sambuaga met his colleague Singapore's Minister of State for Ministry of Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) - also a member of Board Of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Singapore - Mr Alvin Tan, on his visit to Singapore on 15-18 July 2022. On this visit, Mr. Jerry was also invited as the Guest of Honor for TRESCON World Blockchain Summit, facilitated by Asia Blockchain Association, which took place in Marina Bay Sand Expo.

Mr Sambuaga and Mr Tan discussed how emerging technologies and industry like Blockchain (Cryptocurrency) could be applied in the two countries. The Trading crypto - the intangible commodity - is their core concern.

In recent years, governments in many countries have been trying to figure out the proper and adequate regulations for crypto, the digital assets known for its decentralised nature. For Mr. Sambuaga, it's critical for governments to have a monitoring and surveillance system for crypto trading. The trading must have a proper custodian structure as well. The decentralised nature of crypto has to be controlled and supervised by the government.

Dr. Jerry Sambuaga said, "Currently, Indonesia is preparing an integrated Crypto Exchange which will adopt the existing integrated commodity trading system, which will be more advanced and updated. This integrated exchange will make Indonesia the first country to centrally control domestic crypto trading. The Custodian of exchange is part of the system to regulate and supervise the circulation of crypto assets. Custodian is important to be implemented to the industry for safeguarding consumers and investors' digital asset."

At the same time, Mr. Alvin Tan said, "We had a good meeting about strengthening our bilateral trade and economic links, and especially exchanged views about the future of Blockchain-based assets. I am looking forward to strengthening ties with Pak Jerry and also with the new generation of Indonesian leaders."

Figure 2

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_002full.jpg

Both Ministers and Asia Blockchain Association's Singapore headquarters pro tem board, subcommittee members and lead of the secretariat along with Sangkara ($MISA). a blockchain startup from Indonesia also had another close door round-table discussion.

Both countries' thought leaders exchanged views on how crypto will change the world in commerce and finance with the introduction of Securitised Token, Non Fungible Token and money transfers etc. In conclusion, custodianship is important to be implemented to safeguard consumers' and investors' digital assets.

ABA through its pro tem board member Mr. Goh Seh Harn was invited by the Minister to further share his thoughts on certification and how ABA can provide a clear pathway for industry practitioners and companies to engage with the web3 community in addition to introducing training programmes to further explore standards on education certification.

Figure 3

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_003full.jpg

Mr. Goh welcomed and applauded the Indonesian and Singaporean government for their initiatives in the advancement of cryptocurrency exchanges and hoped it inspired more regional countries, resulting in greater exchange of knowledge throughout the region. "For example, Singapore may also contribute from its knowledge base of governance and in turn gain experience from Indonesia's initiatives. ABA through its global chapters hopes to foster these relationships and help various industry stakeholders, including the private sector and regulators to strengthen blockchain capabilities globally," he added.

Figure 4

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_004full.jpg

The day-long programme ended with a VIP Meet And Greet session with the Guest Of Honour Dr Jerry Sambuaga and a fireside chat conducted by representatives from ABA, Sangkara, Bloomberg LP and Rubix Network. ABA is the bridge for inter-governmental programme and inter-country community where the platform synergies cross-border initiatives to further promote the new economy. Ministry of Trade Indonesia and ABA are also in discussion for a Memorandum Of Agreement. During the founding stage (June-September 2022), contributors and supporters across APAC are greatly appreciated : https://tinyurl.com/3ta9uyzz

Figure 5

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_005full.jpg



Figure 6

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_006full.jpg

ABA headquarters interim Chief Executive Officer Ms. Wendy Vanessa Yew added, "Cryptocurrency and digital assets should be regulated in a more structured manner as Blockchain technology, especially decentralised finance, is the future of the financial world. The Republic of Singapore is ready to be positioned as a leading international blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital asset hub."

Headquartered in Singapore, serving the Asia and Pacific region with country specific chapters and notes on a Decentralised Autonomous Organization (DAO) format, ABA aims to be a beacon and serve as an advocate for the Web3 space. With that the association will be supporting partner for the upcoming programmes like:

(1) FutureX Hackathon 2022 by NTUC Income, Amazon Web Services, Plug and Play APAC 25-27.7.22 (Regional) : https://hive.income.com.sg/FutureXHackathon2022

(2) The Web3Con, Web3 Conference 28.7.22 (Singapore) : www.web3con.info

(3) Play To Earn Expo 10-13.8.22 (Thailand) : www.play2earnexpo.com

(4) Coin Fest 25-26.8.22 (Indonesia) : www.coinfest.asia

(5) Game On! 2022 8-9.9.22 (Hong Kong) : www.gameon.io

(6) FIL-Singapore Web3 Summit 26-27.9.22 (Singapore) : https://fil-singapore.io

Asia Blockchain Association will also host its very first signature event - Asia Metaverse Festival on Asia Crypto Week (26 Sept - 2 Oct 2022) in conjunction with Token 2049 and Formula 1 Grand Prix in Singapore. For more information, please visit www.asiablockchainassociation.org.

Figure 7

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/132303_62ff9e8c4446682f_007full.jpg

Mitra Sangkara Abadi PTE LTD

Boulevard Office Tower

6th Floor Suite B1-B2

Tanah Abang

Central Jakarta

Indonesia

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132303
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - July 29, 2022) - MGM Resources Corp. ("MGM" or the "Company") announces that its board of directors has approved a special dividend (the "Special Dividend") and a return of capital (the "Return of Capital"; together with the Special Dividend, the "Distribution") to registered holders ("Registered Holders") of common shares in the capital of MGM ("MGM Shares"), which will be comprised of a combination of cash and common shares in the capital of WonderFi Technologies Inc. ("WonderFi Shares").

Each Registered Holder will receive the Distribution on a pro rata basis based on the percentage of MGM Shares held by each Registered Holder (the "Proportional Interest"), as determined on the date hereof at 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) (the "Record Date"). The Distribution is comprised of a total of $600,000 in cash and 1,500,000 WonderFi Shares.

Registered Holders are required to properly complete, duly execute and submit, together with all other related or required documents, the letter of transmittal (the "Letter of Transmittal") to MGM in order to claim their Proportional Interest of the Distribution. The Letter of Transmittal will be mailed to Registered Holders and will also be made available under MGM's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Registered Holders will be entitled to submit the Letter of Transmittal to claim their Proportional Interest of the Distribution during the Distribution period (the "Distribution Period") being from the Record Date to July 29, 2024 (the "Outside Date").

Any amount of the Distribution that is unclaimed by the Outside Date, will be distributed pro rata to those Registered Holders who submitted the Letter of Transmittal to claim their Proportional Interest of the Distribution before the Outside Date (the "Claiming Shareholders"). Claiming Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax implications of the Distribution and are strongly urged to review the Letter of Transmittal for instructions and additional terms and conditions for this Distribution.

For more information, please contact:

MGM Resources Corp.



Jerry Wang, CEO, CFO and Director

Telephone: (416) 301-3036

Email: [email protected]



Cautionary Note Regarding Forwarding-Looking Statements

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws. 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. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the business plans 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. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure filings with Canadian securities regulators, which are posted on www.sedar.com.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132407
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 29, 2022) - Plurilock Security Inc. (TSXV: PLUR) (OTCQB: PLCKF) and related subsidiaries ("Plurilock" or the "Company"), an identity-centric cybersecurity solutions provider for workforces, is pleased to announce that during its Annual General Meeting (the "Meeting") of shareholders held on July 29th, 2022, each of the five nominees listed below, described further in Plurilock's management information circular dated June 13th, 2022 ("Circular"), were elected as Directors.

The detailed results of the voting by proxy for each nominee are as follows:

Nominee Votes For (#) Votes For (%) Robert Kiesman 6,396,045 94.85 Ian L. Paterson 6,710,607 99.51 Jennifer Swindell 6,631,507 98.34 Michael McConnell 6,631,507 98.34 William Edward Hammersla 6,631,507 98.34



At the Meeting, Plurilock's shareholders also voted in favor of the appointment of Plurilock's auditor, approve the Company's Share Option Plan ("SOP"), and the adoption of the Company's Employee Share Purchase Plan ("ESPP"), all as described in the Circular.

A total of 8,194,111 shares were represented at the Meeting, representing 11.46% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares.

About Plurilock

Plurilock provides identity-centric cybersecurity for today's workforces. The Plurilock family of companies enables organizations to operate safely and securely while reducing cybersecurity friction. Plurilock offers world-class IT and cybersecurity solutions through its Solutions Division, paired with proprietary, AI-driven and cloud-friendly security through its Technology Division. Together, the Plurilock family of companies delivers persistent identity assurance with unmatched ease of use.

For more information, visit https://www.plurilock.com or contact:

Ian L. Paterson

Chief Executive Officer

[email protected]

416.800.1566

Roland Sartorius

Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

Prit Singh

Investor Relations

[email protected]

905.510.7636

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") related to future events or Plurilock's future business, operations, and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements normally contain words like "will", "intend", "anticipate", "could", "should", "may", "might", "expect", "estimate", "forecast", "plan", "potential", "project", "assume", "contemplate", "believe", "shall", "scheduled", and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, actions, or developments and are based on expectations, assumptions, and other factors that management currently believes are relevant, reasonable, and appropriate in the circumstances. Although management believes that the forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, actual results could be substantially different due to the risks and uncertainties associated with and inherent to Plurilock's business. Additional material risks and uncertainties applicable to the forward-looking statements herein include, without limitation, the impact of general economic conditions, the success of the Company in obtaining new or extended contracts or orders; the Company's ability to maintain existing customers or develop new customers; the Company's ability to successfully integrate acquisitions of other businesses and/or companies or to realize on the anticipated benefits thereof; and unforeseen events, developments, or factors causing any of the aforesaid expectations, assumptions, and other factors ultimately being inaccurate or irrelevant. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect the Company's forward-looking statements. Many of these factors are beyond the control of Plurilock. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as at the date hereof, and Plurilock undertakes no obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in its most recent Annual Information Form. They are otherwise disclosed in its filings with securities regulatory authorities available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132408
BOSTON, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.1380 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of July 11, 2022, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income FundNotification of Sources of Distribution

This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) with important information concerning the distribution declared on July 1, 2022, and payable on July 29, 2022. No action is required on your part.

Distribution Period: July 2022 Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.1380

The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable July 29, 2022, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

For the period 07/1/2022-07/31/2022 For the fiscal year-to-date period11/1/2021-07/31/20221 Source CurrentDistribution ($) % Breakdownof the CurrentDistribution Total CumulativeDistributions ($) % Breakdownof the TotalCumulativeDistributions Net Investment Income 0.0429 31 % 0.9973 80 % Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0 % 0.2446 20 % Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0 % 0.0000 0 % Return of Capital or Other Capital Source 0.0951 69 % 0.0000 0 % Total per common share 0.1380 100 % 1.2419 100 % Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on June 30, 2022 6.07 % Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of June 30, 2022 6.99 % Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through June 30, 2022 -1.33 % Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of June 30, 2022 5.24 %

________________________________1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2021, and will end on October 31, 2022.

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund has declared the July 2022 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.1380 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Effective October 1, 2021, copies of all notices informing shareholders of distributions made by the fund in excess of accumulated net investment income will be posted on John Hancock Investment Management's public website (jhinvestments.com) and on the Legal Notice System (LENS), a service offering of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) accessible by broker-dealer firms. To the extent required, notice may also be provided via press release. John Hancock Investment Management distributed paper copies of these notices by mail until March 30, 2022. Effective April 1, 2022, the notices will be delivered exclusively via the methods described above.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Investment Management

A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship.

About Manulife Investment Management

Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/john-hancock-tax-advantaged-dividend-income-fund-notice-to-shareholders--sources-of-distribution-under-section-19a-301596363.html

SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation
MENDOTA, Ill., July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tri-County Financial Group, Inc. (The Company) (OTCQX: TYFG) today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2022.

Net income for the second quarter of 2022 was $2.5 million ($0.99 per share), compared to $3.6 million ($1.44 per share) during the second quarter of 2021.

Net interest income was $11.2 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2022, compared to $10.6 million in the same period of 2021, an increase of 6%. The net interest margin was 3.31% for the second quarter of 2022.

Noninterest income was $2.9 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, a decrease of $3.0 million, or 50%, compared to $5.9 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2021. The decrease can be primarily attributed to lower mortgage volume from the prior year. First State Mortgage net income decreased by $1.6 million compared to the second quarter of 2021.

Noninterest expense was $10.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2022, compared to $11.2 million for the second quarter of 2021, a decrease of $0.9 million, or 8%. The decrease is related primarily to variable expenses resulting from lower mortgage activity.

Total loans increased $88 million, or 9%, to $1.11 billion from $1.02 billion at June 30, 2021. Commercial real estate and agricultural lending activity increased compared to the prior year. Nonperforming loans as a percent of total loans were 0.19% as of June 30, 2022, down from 0.43% at June 30, 2021.

The provision for loan loss remained at $0.9 million as asset quality continues to remain strong. The Company provided $450,000 during the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same amount in the prior year period. The allowance for loan loss ended at $16.97 million at June 30, 2022 and represented 1.54% of gross loans compared to 1.56% at June 30, 2021.

Deposits increased $7.6 million, or 1%, year-over-year. The investment portfolio rose $134.3 million or 106% year over year and totaled $261.4 million at June 30, 2022 due to the significant increase in liquidity from net loan runoff and direct deposit of government relief funds.

The Company's capital levels remain solid as of June 30, 2022, with a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 9.17%, up from 8.96% last year.

On June 14, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a regular dividend of $0.20 per share payable July 7, 2022, to shareholders of record on June 30, 2022.

In announcing the results, President and CEO, Tim McConville, stated "Our second quarter numbers, although down from one of our record quarters a year ago, represented strong earnings performance from a peak refinance period last year. Asset quality as measured by nonperforming loans to total loans is stable as we continue to see strong agricultural performance and good liquidity with our borrowers. We continue to monitor the impact of supply chain issues and staffing shortages on our businesses and consumers. Overall, we anticipate loan demand to remain strong, and we look forward to supporting the credit needs of our businesses and communities."

Tri-County Financial Group, Inc. is the parent holding company for First State Bank, with offices in Mendota, Batavia, Bloomington, Champaign, Geneva, LaMoille, McNabb, North Aurora, Ottawa, Peru, Princeton, Rochelle, Shabbona, St. Charles, Streator, Sycamore, Waterman and West Brooklyn. First State Bank is the parent company of First State Mortgage, LLC and First State Insurance. Tri-County Financial Group, Inc. shares are quoted under the symbol TYFG and traded on OTCQX.

TRI COUNTY FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME QUARTER ENDED JUNE 30TH (000s omitted, except share data) 2022 2021 Interest Income $ 12,470 $ 12,367 Interest Expense 1,232 1,733 Net Interest Income 11,238 10,634 Provision for Loan Losses 450 450 Net Interest Income After Provision for Loan Losses 10,788 10,184 Other Income 2,941 5,887 FDIC Assessments 90 60 Other Expenses 10,337 11,175 Income Before Income Taxes 3,302 4,836 Applicable Income Taxes 837 1,264 Security Gains (Losses) - - Net Income (Loss) $ 2,465 $ 3,572 Basic Net Income Per Share $ 0.99 $ 1.44 Weighted Average Shares Outstanding 2,482,821 2,482,675

** Certain reclassifications have been made to preserve consistency between the periods presented.

TRI-COUNTY FINANCIAL GROUP, INC. & SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (000s omitted, except share data) ASSETS 6/30/2022 6/30/2021 Cash and Due from Banks $ 19,175 $ 140,677 Federal Funds Sold 1,027 26,179 Investment Securities 261,440 127,108 Loans and Leases 1,105,015 1,016,719 Less: Reserve for Loan Losses (16,970) (15,837) Loans, Net 1,088,045 1,000,882 Bank Premises & Equipment 26,759 27,323 Intangibles 8,788 8,392 Other Real Estate Owned 2,376 2,968 Accrued Interest Receivable 5,421 4,821 Other Assets 30,567 34,254 TOTAL ASSETS $ 1,443,598 $ 1,372,604 LIABILITIES Demand Deposits 180,075 170,055 Interest-bearing Demand Deposits 406,883 388,595 Savings Deposits 293,440 270,274 Time Deposits 307,788 351,637 Total Deposits 1,188,186 1,180,561 Repurchase Agreements 27,865 17,816 Fed Funds Purchased 43,038 0 FHLB and Other Borrowings 35,505 5,000 Interest Payable 73 240 Subordinated Debt 9,773 15,723 Total Repos & Borrowings 116,254 38,779 Other Liabilities 11,544 20,011 Dividends Payable 507 382 TOTAL LIABILITIES $ 1,316,491 $ 1,239,733 CAPITAL Common Stock 2,484 2,485 Surplus 25,742 25,871 Preferred Stock 0 0 Retained Earnings 109,999 101,770 FASB 115 Adjustment (11,118) 2,745 TOTAL CAPITAL 127,107 132,871 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND CAPITAL $ 1,443,598 $ 1,372,604 Book Value Per Share $ 51.19 $ 53.52 Tangible Book Value Per Share $ 47.66 $ 50.14 Bid Price $ 46.00 $ 45.60 Period End Outstanding Shares 2,482,821 2,482,675

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tri-county-financial-group-inc-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results-301596395.html

SOURCE Tri-County Financial Group, Inc.
By Trend

Turkiye handed over 13 unmanned, remote-controlled mine clearance vehicles to Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing the Turkish Ministry of National Defense's Twitter post.

"The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan received 13 MEMATT remote-controlled vehicles developed by the Turkish Military Factory and Shipyard Management (ASFAT) defense company. Thus far, a total of 20 vehicles have been delivered to Azerbaijan," the ministry tweeted.








Recently, this column focused on the Biden administration's practice of allowing illegal border crossers to stay in the United States. Documents made public as a result of a lawsuit over border policy revealed just how many illegal crossers the administration has admitted into the country.

The documents showed that 1,049,532 illegal border crossers were allowed to stay in the U.S. between Inauguration Day 2021, the day Joe Biden became president, and May 2022. That is greater than the population of Wyoming, of Vermont, of Alaska, of North Dakota, of South Dakota and of President Biden's home state of Delaware.

The real number is even higher, if one counts the so-called got-aways, who crossed the border illegally and eluded the Border Patrol. The number also does not include 190,053 unaccompanied minors who were allowed to stay. Put them all together, and Biden has allowed as many as 2 million illegal border crossers to stay in the country they entered unlawfully -- and that's in less than two years in office.

Many in the president's party are happy with what is going on. Remember that the 2020 Democratic presidential primary contest was essentially a bidding war in which each candidate proposed progressively more permissive border policies. Biden is making good on his promises.

But now Biden's policies are becoming a painful problem in some Democratic strongholds far from the border. Those areas are getting a first-hand feel for conditions on the border -- and they don't like it.

In April, the Biden administration announced it would let even more illegal border crossers stay in the country by rescinding the Trump-era regulation that allowed authorities to cite the need to stop the spread of COVID as a reason to turn migrants away. In response, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whose state has borne a tremendous burden as a result of Biden's policies, announced that he would begin sending busloads of migrants to Washington, D.C. Then, Abbott said, the Biden administration "will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border."

On April 13, the first bus arrived. Then, in May, Arizona began sending migrants, too. "With Arizona community resources under all-time demand, and little action or assistance from the federal government, individuals who entered Arizona seeking asylum have the opportunity to voluntarily be transported to Washington, D.C.," said Arizona Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

The buses kept coming. "In the last few weeks the number of buses arriving a day has increased from two to four, sometimes five, sometimes late at night," the Washington Post reported recently, "exhausting donations and exceeding the ability of volunteers and mutual aid networks in the city to respond."

That sounds a bit like the situation in Texas, doesn't it? The flow of migrants, encouraged by the Biden administration and supported by many Democrats around the country, has taxed the resources of border states. What Abbott and Ducey have done, by sending migrants to Washington -- which is, after all, a sanctuary city -- is spread the burden around.

At first, local officials, Democrats all, did not react publicly. But now, with more arriving every day, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is beginning to complain.

Bowser has claimed, without evidence, that Texas and Arizona have "tricked" migrants into boarding buses to Washington. (Both Abbott and Ducey have made clear that getting on a bus is entirely voluntary.) Bowser has said that local taxpayers in Washington "should not pick up the tab" for the cost of dealing with the migrant surge. And she is looking to the federal government for help.

"We have for sure called on the federal government to work across state lines to prevent people from really being tricked into getting on buses," Bowser said on CBS recently. "We think they're largely asylum-seekers who are going to final destinations that are not Washington, D.C. I worked with the White House to make sure that FEMA provided a grant to a local organization that is providing services to folks. But I fear they're being tricked into nationwide bus trips when their final destinations are places all over the United States of America."

What Bowser said about Washington, D.C is true of the situation in Texas. For many migrants, Texas is not the final destination. They are hoping to get to destinations that are not on the border. The cost of their care has to be paid by somebody. It is a problem thrust on Texas and Arizona and other border areas by the Biden administration. And now Abbott and Ducey are pushing back.

Recently, another voice jumped into the argument -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The city has a right-to-shelter law, meaning officials are required to provide shelter to anyone who needs it. There has been a spike recently in people staying in the city's shelters, with the system coming under tremendous strain. The mayor is blaming the situation on the border. "Adams said the asylum-seekers are arriving from Latin America and other regions, and in some instances, being sent in on buses by the federal government and the state governments of Texas and Arizona," Politico reported.

Both Abbott and Ducey said they are not sending migrants to New York (which is also a sanctuary city). "If these Democrat mayors are now that concerned about having migrants in their cities, they should call on President Biden to do his job and secure the border, instead of attacking Texas with baseless political accusations," said a spokeswoman for Abbott.

Whatever the case, neither Mayor Adams nor Mayor Bowser should blame Texas and Arizona. Their real problem is with the president of the United States. The massive influx of illegal border crossers is a problem for all of the country, not just the areas closest to the border. When this argument erupted, Christina Pushaw, who is a spokeswoman for another Republican governor, Florida's Ron DeSantis, tweeted, "If wealthy NYC cannot handle an influx of migrants, what makes you think small working-class Texas border towns can handle it?" Thanks to Abbott and Ducey, more Americans are now asking that question.

This content originally appeared on the Washington Examiner at washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/dc-feels-sting-of-biden-border-policy.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. For a deeper dive into many of the topics Byron covers, listen to his podcast, The Byron York Show, available on the Ricochet Audio Network at ricochet.com/series/byron-york-show and everywhere else podcasts are found.
WASHINGTON, July 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would ban assault weapons and accessories that accelerate the rate of fire of semiautomatic guns, including bump stocks and high-capacity magazines. The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) has had policy supporting such legislation since 1991 and the following statement by USCM CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran praises the House's action.

"America's mayors commend the House of Representatives for passing the Assault Weapons Ban. For too many years we have seen the damage such weapons have done, the carnage left in their wake, most recently in Highland Park, Uvalde and Buffalo. Neither our police officers nor our residents, especially our children, should be confronted with these weapons on the streets of our cities, in our schools, in our movie theaters, in our grocery stores, in our places of worship, at a July 4th parade, or in other civilian settings.

"The House did the right thing today. This bill does not in any way infringe on Second Amendment rights and will save lives. The U.S. Conference of Mayors pledges to do all it can to see this bill pass the Senate so that it can be signed into law by President Biden."

About the United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are more than 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-conference-of-mayors-applauds-house-passage-of-assault-weapons-ban-301596428.html

SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors
A Canadian man who was radicalized online and uprooted his life to join the Islamic State in Syria, rising to a top position in the terrorist groups English-language propaganda arm, was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

Mohammed Khalifa, 39, was the English-language narrator in approximately 15 Islamic State propaganda videos, including some of its most influential and violent fare, prosecutors said.

But he also had a starring role.

Khalifa admitted that he appears in the final scenes of two documentary-length Islamic State videos - Flames of War: Fighting Has Just Begun and Flames of War II: Until the Final Hour - executing Syrian soldiers who had been forced to dig their own graves.

Khalifa pleaded guilty in December to conspiring to provide material support to terrorism resulting in death. Prosecutors asked for the maximum penalty of life in prison. Khalifas attorneys had requested a sentence of 20 years, noting that he had killed two Syrian soldiers but no Americans and that he had a wife and three children. The text of the statute under which Khalifa was charged does not require that victims who died be American.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis described Khalifa as the Pied Piper who played the tune, enabling the Islamic State to reach English speakers in the United States and Europe with violent propaganda.

Federal prosecutors said it was effective. The Islamic State recruited 40,000 to 60,000 foreign fighters to Syria in the years it was waging war for control of parts of that country, they said, and Khalifa was an instrumental figure producing English-language content for videos, audio statements and an online magazine.

Ellis said Khalifas sentence has to stand as a warning, as a beacon, to others.

Dont become the recruiting tool for ISIS or any other terrorist organization, the judge said.

Khalifa was born in Saudi Arabia, lived in Canada from a young age, earned a college degree in computer systems technology in Toronto, and then started watching online videos during the Arab Spring that eventually led him to Syria, particularly the lectures of the al-Qaeda organizer Anwar al-Awlaki, Khalifa stated in plea documents.

In a letter to the judge in January, Khalifa wrote that he had left behind a comfortable home, a promising career and marriage prospects in Canada because he was disquieted by the attacks on Syrias Muslim population by the countrys president, Bashar Assad.

Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia argued that Khalifa was aware of the Islamic States activities torturing, ransoming and executing humanitarian aid workers and journalists while he served in the militant groups propaganda bureau.

Khalifa admitted he joined the Islamic State in 2013 and was captured in 2019 after a firefight with the Syrian Democratic Forces. He swore a fighting oath twice to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. He sought and received a fatwa, or religious dispensation, to battle the U.S-backedSDF in Abu Badran, Syria, after Islamic State leaders had issued an order to flee.

In online communications, Khalifa referred to journalists and humanitarian workers being targeted by the Islamic State as disbelievers with whom the militant group had no covenant. In a broadcast, Khalifa called Omar Mateen, the shooter behind the 2019 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando,Fla., our brother and noted that it was the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11. Khalifa referred to the victims at the gay nightclub as filthy crusaders and sodomites, prosecutors said.

The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, employed media and propaganda masterfully as part of its campaign of terror during the 2013-2018 time period, federal prosecutors said in a sentencing brief. Khalifa served as one of the Islamic States most prolific propagandists during the terrorist organizations surge and personally engaged in extreme acts of violence to further the goals of ISIS.

Edward Ungvarsky, an attorney for Khalifa, had argued that a life sentence would be grossly excessive. He declined to comment after Elliss ruling.

Not only did he express regret over their conduct, he affirmatively created a counter narrative set of videos in the hopes he could persuade others to turn away from ISIS in the future and not repeat the mistakes that he made, Ungvarsky and Cary Citronberg, another attorney for Khalifa, wrote in a sentencing brief. They also had argued that Khalifa should get prison-time credit for the rough treatment he received while held captive by the SDF.

Khalifa was captured in January 2019 and turned over to U.S. custody at the end of September 2019.

In a news release after the sentencing, prosecutors said the Flames of War videos in which Khalifa is both the voice-over narrator and an executioner in the footage glamorized portrayals of ISIS and its fighters as well as scenes of violence.

In a court filing, prosecutors said Khalifa did not go down without a fight.

When he had the opportunity to surrender to the Syrian Democratic Forces in Syria in 2019, the defendant threw multiple grenades and fired his AK-47 at Syrian soldiers to continue his murderous campaign on behalf of ISIS, prosecutors said.

In Abu Badran, Khalifa, alone and armed with three grenades and an AK-47, threw a grenade on the roof of a house where SDF soldiers were standing, according to prosecutors.

The grenade detonated and the defendant ran into the house and attempted to go to the roof, but an SDF soldier was firing from the stairs, according to prosecutors sentencing brief. The defendant began firing at the SDF soldier and attempted to use all three of his grenades during the attack. The defendant fired most of his ammunition during the assault before his AK-47 jammed. The defendant was unable to clear his weapon. The defendant received shrapnel injuries to his left leg, right leg, left arm and other parts of his body during the firefight.

He surrendered after his rifle jammed, prosecutors said.
(Tribune News Service)  China held live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait on Saturday as U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prepared to arrive in Asia.

The exercises took place off the coast of Fujian province opposite Taiwan. A warning issued by the local maritime safety agency said the drills would be conducted near Pingtan, a county about 81 miles from Hsinchu city across the strait in northwestern Taiwan. It was the first live-fire drill announced by the agency in at least a year.

Pelosi on Friday said she's "very excited" about the prospect of an upcoming trip to Asia, while refusing to confirm any of her itinerary  including whether she'll visit Taiwan. Reports that her travel would include a stop in Taiwan had sparked a furious reaction in China, which regards the self-governing island as part of its territory.

Beijing has warned there will be consequences if Pelosi visits, including a defense ministry statement that implied China might use military force in response. She was scheduled to depart Friday, according to people familiar with her plans.

"The Chinese mainland will definitely put up a sturdy fight to the end to thwart Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, without fear of any escalation," Hu Xijin, a hawkish commentator and former editor-in-chief of the Communist Party's Global Times newspaper, said in an editorial for the publication. The U.S. and Taiwan "must fully understand that the red line is a high-voltage one that they cannot step on," he said.

President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Taiwan at length on Thursday in a more than two-hour phone call. The island is the biggest flash point in the relationship between Beijing and Washington.

Neither side said in statements whether Pelosi's possible Taiwan stop came up. But a person familiar with the discussion said Xi made clear to Biden how big a problem it would be for Pelosi to visit Taiwan  and Biden made clear to Xi that Pelosi makes her own decisions as speaker, and that he can't control another branch of government.

China has expressed its clear concern over a potential Pelosi visit to Taiwan, Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, told reporters Friday.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Friday that the U.S. has "no physical, tangible indications" that China is preparing a military response to a possible Pelosi visit to Taiwan.

"We just don't have any concrete indications of something happening from a military perspective on the Chinese part," Kirby told reporters Friday on a conference call.

He also said there's no need for "bellicose rhetoric" coming from Chinese officials because "there's been no change to American policy when it comes to Taiwan."

Pelosi's trip is set to include stops in Japan, Indonesia and Singapore, as well as potentially Malaysia, according to a person familiar with the plans. However it remains unclear whether she will put Taiwan on her schedule.

Other members of Congress in both parties are encouraging Pelosi to make the stop in Taiwan, saying that avoiding the island after China's protestations would amount to acquiescing to Beijing.

Pelosi said Friday that Biden has talked about putting a strong emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region, "and we want the Congress of the United States to be part of that initiative."

About a third of the population of Pelosi's district in San Francisco is of Asian ancestry, and she said that "as a West Coast person, we see that as our home, we're part of that as well."

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The 101st Airborne Division marked its official arrival in Europe during a ceremony Saturday at a strategic base in Romania, where soldiers were dispatched on a mission aimed at deterring potential aggression on NATOs southeastern flank.

The divisions headquarters and its 2nd Brigade Combat Team unfurled colors at Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, which will serve as an operational hub for the unit in the months ahead. The positioning of an Army combat brigade in Romania is part of an enhanced military presence along NATOs eastern flank that has taken root in the aftermath of Russias war on Ukraine.

Being here, so close to that fight (in Ukraine), is exactly where the 101st Airborne Division is destined to be, said Maj. Gen. JP McGee, 101st commander, during the livestreamed ceremony.

Following the ceremony, U.S. and Romanian soldiers launched a combined demonstration to showcase their firepower, with attack helicopters, artillery, machine guns and tanks.

In a related move Saturday, the U.S. Army in Poland formally renamed a base hosting the first permanent U.S. troop presence along NATOs eastern flank in Poznan. Camp Kosciuszko, as it is now known, is home to the Armys V Corps, which is in charge of managing soldier maneuvers in Europe.

The increased number of troops in Romania in the form of a rotational brigade and the establishment of a permanent garrison in Poland were announced by President Joe Biden during NATOs June summit in Madrid.

In all, about 4,700 soldiers from the 101st Airborne will carry out missions in Europe during their deployment. The Screaming Eagles arrival in Romania is perhaps the units most significant deployment to the Continent since World War II, when the division became part of military lore for its role on D-Day during the invasion of Normandy.

The return of the 101st Airborne Division represents something significant for us, said McGee, who added the units commitment to fellow NATO allies was ironclad.
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  The name expresses it all  the Secret Service is supposed to operate in the shadows as an apolitical agency protecting U.S. officials and their families. Like oxygen, it should be vital but largely invisible.

So when it emerged that Secret Service text messages tied to last year's lethal attack on the U.S. Capitol had been deleted, and that Vice President Mike Pence disagreed with the agents on the scene, grievous questions of integrity and politicization loomed. Had the agency been hijacked by Donald Trump?

"This feeds the perception that they've taken a side in the political war," said Paul Rosenzweig, who helped oversee the service during the George W. Bush administration.

The service acknowledges that some texts of 24 of its employees from Jan. 5 and 6, 2021 were erased despite federal laws requiring they be kept, but says it was an accident that occurred during a shift to new mobile phones. That, despite at least two prior demands from Congress that it preserve material related to the attack.

The matter has spawned a slew of investigations  first by the Secret Service itself  until the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the agency, took control of the probe. The National Archives and Records Administration wants a report within 30 days. A congressional committee may convene hearings. On Friday, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin asked the Justice Department to investigate.

Meanwhile, the episode has renewed accusations that the Secret Service allowed itself to be co-opted by Trump. The inspector general leading Homeland Security's probe, Joseph Cuffari, is a Trump appointee who waited months before telling the House committee that some of the messages it wanted were missing.

Cuffari has himself been the subject of an unrelated inquiry over his management, and several lawmakers have asked that he be replaced on the probe. Cuffari didn't alert Congress for months about the missing Secret Service texts.

"Inspector General Cuffari's actions in this matter, which follow other troubling reports about his conduct as Inspector General, cast serious doubt on his independence," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the Homeland Security committee and the one investigating the Jan. 6 riot, wrote in a letter released Tuesday.

Cuffari's office didn't respond to requests for comment.

Furthering the concerns: the head of the Secret Service, James Murray, is also a Trump appointee. And Tony Ornato, a veteran agent at the center of an alleged incident involving Trump in his vehicle on Jan. 6, had been promoted by the president to a top political role at the White House.

"Of course, it is very suspicious  they are from the 5th and 6th  Wow! What a coincidence," Joseph Petro, a 23-year agency veteran and former senior executive who co-wrote a book on the Secret Service, said about the missing texts. With regard to the agents' closeness to Trump, he added, "In some ways, they've brought it upon themselves."

Anthony Guglielmi, spokesman for the Secret Service, said in a statement on Wednesday that agents protect presidents "regardless of political affiliation or sentiment" with "integrity and honor."

The agency, he said, "will continue to cooperate fully with the January 6th committee who carry the duty to investigate the unspeakable events of that day."

The Secret Service is celebrated in American culture for heroics, real and imagined. Agent Jerry Parr pushed Ronald Reagan into the presidential limousine during an assassination attempt in 1981, likely saving his life. Clint Eastwood's fictional agent Frank Horrigan jumped in front of an assassin's bullet in the 1993 Hollywood thriller "In the Line of Fire."

In fact, though, this isn't the first time that questions have been raised about the agency. It has a track record of protecting presidential privacy, most infamously regarding John F. Kennedy's sexual affairs.

Some may argue that it was a different era. Nonetheless, recent stumbles more closely resemble the Keystone Cops. In 2011, the Secret Service didn't realize shots were fired at the White House until maintenance staff later noticed bullet damage, including a cracked ballistic window on then-President Barack Obama's second-floor residence. In 2014, a knife-wielding man jumped the fence and made his way into the executive mansion through an unlocked front door. In 2017, another fence jumper eluded capture for 17 minutes, pressing his face against White House windows and jiggling a door handle while Trump watched television in the residence upstairs.

Other embarrassments include two senior agents crashing into a White House barricade during an active bomb investigation in 2015, after they were drinking at a party. In 2012, agents hired prostitutes during a presidential trip to a Summit of the Americas gathering in Cartagena, Colombia.

The text deletions surfaced after riveting testimony to the House Jan. 6 panel from former Trump White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson. Under oath, she said Ornato told her on the day of the insurrection that Trump exploded at Secret Service agents who refused to take him from a rally to the Capitol to join protesters and that he lunged for the steering wheel of his armored vehicle.

People close to Ornato have anonymously disputed the account but not under oath. Nor has he answered questions on it publicly.

Aides to Pence also told the panel that the vice president refused Secret Service requests to get in his armored vehicle during the attack, fearing he'd be spirited away. That raised questions about whether removing him might have figured in plans to interfere with the certification of Joe Biden's victory.

As the committee sought agency texts, Cuffari notified the panel that messages from 24 employees on Jan. 5 and 6 had been erased.

Cuffari has been criticized for delaying the release of survey results showing widespread sexual harassment among Homeland Security personnel and waiting at least nine months to raise the alarm on the lost texts, according to the Project on Government Oversight.

The texts episode spotlighted the unusual role of Ornato, who moved from leading Trump's Secret Service detail to White House deputy chief of staff. He later returned to the Secret Service as an assistant director in charge of training.

Norman Eisen, ethics czar in the Obama White House and a special counsel for House Democrats in Trump's first impeachment trial, said that appointment crossed boundaries between the Secret Service's independent, professional role and partisan politics.

"It sets a terrible example of political influence for other Secret Service members," Eisen said. "I would never allow that."

___

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

Visit bloomberg.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Potters Craft Cider will expand and relocate its production to a vacant warehouse in Albemarle Countys Woolen Mills district, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Friday.

The cidery has seen a boost in sales during the pandemic after focusing on wholesale distribution, according to a news release. Potters market presence also has expanded along the East Coast and the new facility will help the cidery meet increasing demand.

We are entering an exciting new chapter for Potters Craft Cider and are thrilled to be moving into a new production facility, Potters co-founder Tim Edmond said in the release. We have immense gratitude for the support we have received from our community, the Commonwealth, and Albemarle County.

Potters Craft Cider started in 2011 in Free Union. The cidery expanded and opened a tasting room off U.S. Route 29 in 2019. The tasting room at Neve Hall, a former Episcopalian church school built in 1924, will stay open.

Meanwhile, the cider-making operation will move to a vacant 11,500 square-foot warehouse in Woolen Mills, according to the release. The expansion will create eight new jobs and triple Potters production capacity over the next three years. The governors office said the project represents $900,000 in new capital investment.

Potters Craft Ciders commitment to supporting local growers and crafting innovative beverages inspire Virginians to celebrate the rich heritage of apple production in the Commonwealth, Youngkin said in the release. We are thrilled for their expansion as the cider they produce attracts individuals from near and far to get a taste of Virginia and experience the unparalleled ambiance life here offers.

The cidery uses Virginia-grown heirloom and traditional cider apples and is known for producing aromatic and innovative ciders in the dry, farmhouse-style, according to the release.

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services partnered with Albemarle County to secure this project for Virginia. The state is awarding $50,000 to the project, which will be matched by Albemarle County and the Albemarle County Economic Development Authority, according to the release.

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Chair Donna Price said in a statement that the expansion will further boost the light industry-zoned Broadway Street. A $50,000 economic revitalization plan for the street started moving forward in November 2019.

Potters Craft Cider is the quintessential economic development story for Albemarle County  an agribusiness with long roots in our community, which takes locally-grown apples, transforms them into a value-added product that not only supports farmers but also creates production jobs, further activates the rejuvenated Broadway District, and brings revenues into Albemarle County, said Price.
(Tribune News Service)  Louisianas U.S. senators Friday said they voted with fellow Republicans to delay passage of health care for military personnel exposed to toxins while on duty because of certain language in the legislation that they say could lead to a portion of the funding being used for other purposes.

Louisiana Republican U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, of Baton Rouge, and John Kennedy, of Madisonville, both recently had supported the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act  better known as the PACT Act.

But on Wednesday night, both voted not to cut off debate, effectively postponing a final vote on legislation that would provide comprehensive health care for as many as 3.5 million veterans who came home with a number of illnesses, including terminal cancers, related to exposure to toxic fumes from burn pits, radiation and Agent Orange herbicide.

On behalf of Louisianas 283,000 veterans and their families, we are extremely disappointed to see the U.S. Senates action that could jeopardize the final passage of a transformational bill that would provide health care to veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic hazards in all of Americas wars, said Joey Strickland, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs. He served combat tours in the Vietnam War, and his two sons both served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I have reached out to both Sen. Kennedys and Sen. Cassidys offices to request that they step up to help complete this mission before U.S. senators go home for their August recess.

The legislation would create a permanent fund of $285 billion over 10 years that would pay for toxic exposure care. But one portion of the bills language was written in a way that could be interpreted as a way to possibly shift $40 billion a year for 10 years into another pocket fund that could possibly be used for other purposes. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, of Pennsylvania, offered an amendment to fix the language that wasnt considered before the cloture vote.

A Cassidy spokesperson cited the issue as the reason for his opposition.

 Sen. Cassidy supports the legislation like most of his GOP colleagues  in fact, he voted for a previous version, said spokesperson Ty Bofferding.  Republicans are only asking for a vote on an amendment that will fix the $400 billion drafting error in the text to ensure the bill is implemented as intended. Congress needs to fix this issue and can pass the bill next week.

A Kennedy aide said the senator had much the same viewpoint.

Sen. Kennedy has always supported veterans and does not disagree with the policy of the bill (since he voted yes for it previously), said one of his aides who asked not to be identified. But in order to make sure resources actually go to helping veterans, there needs to be a technical fix in this budget. Right now, theres a budget gimmick in the text that could spend $400 billion not on veterans. We want to see that fix happen to make this an effective bill for veterans.

A substantially similar bill passed the Senate 84-14 last month; both senators voted yes. It was returned to the House. The bill then passed the House 342-88 on July 13. U.S. Reps Troy Carter, D- New Orleans; Garret Graves, R- Baton Rouge; and Julia Letlow, R- Start, voted yes. Congressmen Clay Higgins, R- Lafayette; Mike Johnson, R- Benton; and Steve Scalise, R- Jefferson, voted no.

We understand that this is a speed bump, retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. John B. Wells, who is chair of the Slidell-based Military Veterans Advocacy organization, said of the recent Senate vote. Apparently there are some cost and amendment issues that need to be resolved before the bill moves to the floor. I spoke with one senator who voted no, who assured me that the bill will be passed.

The vote launched a firestorm of protest from veterans groups, including the American Legion and the Wounded Warrior Project.

American Legion Legislative Director Lawrence Montreuil said in a Thursday news conference that this delay continues because of political games. ... This bills genesis came from the fact that 70% of veterans with illnesses related to burn pits were being denied, and as a result couldnt access health care.

Sick veterans couldnt meet the burden of proof. Every day that this delay goes on, veterans are unable to receive care. This is wrong.

U.S. Army veteran Aleks Morosky, of the Wounded Warrior Project, said, Passing the PACT Act today would have finally kept that promise for veterans with toxic wounds. But instead, that promise is still being broken.

Comedian Jon Stewart, who also advocated expanded health care for 9/11 rescue workers, gave expletive-riddled criticism from the U.S. Capitol grounds.

Their constituents are dying and theyre going to get it done in recess, Stewart said. This is disgrace.

___
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service)  As the Senate voted this week on a bill that would help veterans sickened by toxic fumes from burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was standing near the front of the room chatting with colleagues.

When Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., cast his "no" vote, Cruz rewarded the Montana Republican with a fist bump.

A video clip of that moment began circulating on social media, with Democrats and advocates of the bill slamming the celebratory gesture.

"The most despicable part of this whole thing is watching on the Senate floor Ted Cruz fist-bumping and then patting each other on the back when they blocked this bill," comedian and activist Jon Stewart said during an appearance on MSNBC. "Josh Hawley and Pat Toomey celebrating their victory over veterans with cancer."

Cruz's office provided a written statement that he is a "strong supporter" of both the legislation and the nation's veterans but took issue with a provision in the bill he says could allow Democrats to spend another $400 billion on programs not related to veterans.

"The Senator and his Republican colleagues are working to advance the bill while removing that provision," according to the statement.

Stewart noted that Cruz, along with Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and many other Republicans previously voted for the bill when it was approved 84-14 but then reversed course and blocked it this week.

The only thing that changed from then to now, he said, was a minor technical correction in the bill that necessitated another Senate vote.

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., has repeatedly spoken out about the $400 billion issue, which deals with congressional budget procedures and whether funding is considered "mandatory" or "discretionary."

Toomey says the change from one category to another opens the door to a massive "slush fund," for unrelated spending  a charge proponents of the bill say is nonsense.

Some bill proponents have suggested Republicans were motivated to block the bill out of spite after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced an agreement with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., to move a package of tax, climate and health care provisions through the budget reconciliation process that allows them to bypass Republicans.

But Republicans denied that and instead accused Schumer of promising Toomey a vote on an amendment to address his budget issue, but then reneging.

A vote on both the Toomey amendment and the underlying bill are expected Monday and Republicans said the measure is likely to pass then.

In the meantime, however, those supporting the bill are frustrated at the holdup. The bill would help veterans from recent wars  as well as those going back to Vietnam  to access benefits. Veterans also have fought for assistance through lawsuits.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, met Friday with advocates who were holding placards on the steps of the Senate, including Natalie Thomas, the daughter of retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin E. Thomas of Garland, Texas.

Her father said in a phone interview that he was around burn pits often during his deployments to Kuwait and Iraq. The soldiers were told to throw all manner of garbage into the pits, including batteries, tires and used oil.

"It was horrid," he said of the resulting fumes. "It was like a fog  it was nasty and disgusting."

He said he returned from his deployments hacking up blood and still has health issues today.

Castro said he's been working with Texas advocates behind the bill for years and it's remarkable they have been able to bring the legislation to this point.

He said it's "shameful" to see senators blocking the bill this week and urged the Senate to pass it soon.

"There's people in the hospital right now because of their exposure to burn pits," Castro said. "They're at doctors' offices. They need the benefits that this legislation is going to provide."



2022 The Dallas Morning News.

Visit dallasnews.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
James Flynn was arrested yesterday evening at Dublin Airport following his extradition from the United Kingdom.

A 31 year old man will appear before court in Dublin this morning charged in relation to a credit union robbery during which Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead.

James Flynn was arrested yesterday evening at Dublin Airport following his extradition from the United Kingdom.

He was detained overnight at a Dublin Garda Station.

He is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice, Dublin this morning charged in connection with the Robbery at the Lordship Credit Union, Co Louth on the 25 January 2013.

Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe

During the raid, detective garda Adrian Donohoe, who was on an armed cash escort, was shot and fatally wounded.

In 2020 Aaron Brady (32) was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum 40-year term.

The investigation continued after his conviction and last July, James Flynn was arrested in Watford on foot of an extradition warrant.

Businessman to be extradited from UK charged over raid in which Gda Adrian Donohoe died

He has been in custody ever since while attempting to fight his removal from the UK.

In April, Westminster Magistrates Court ordered his extradition back to Ireland but this was appealed to the High Court.

Earlier this month his appeal was dismissed and James Flynn is due to be brought back to Ireland to be formally charged with the credit union robbery.
Co. Down man James Flynn had been held in Britain since last year pending extradition

A FORMER businessman has been sent forward for trial to the Special Criminal Court accused of the 2013 robbery at the Lordship Credit Union where Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead.

James Flynn, 31, of Ravensglen, Newry, Co. Down, who had been held in Britain since last year pending extradition, was brought back to Ireland on Friday evening and appeared at Dublin District Court on Saturday.

He made no application for bail after the district court president Judge Paul Kelly granted an order sending him forward for trial.

Gardai charged him with two offences.

The first was for the robbery of 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan in Co Louth on January 25, 2013, and conspiracy to commit burglaries, with two other men, including Aaron Brady, between September 11, 2012, and January 23, 2013.

Brady of New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, had denied capital murder for the fatal shooting of Detective Garda Donohoe during a robbery at Lordship Credit Union in Co Louth on January 25, 2013.

Adrian Donohoe

However, he was sentenced to life after being found guilty in August 2020.

At Saturday's hearing, Detective Garda Gareth Kenna, Dundalk station, told Judge Kelly that he arrested Mr Flynn at Dublin Airport's Terminal 2 south apron at 6.26 pm on Friday.

Gardai brought him to Dublin Airport Garda station and charged him just over an hour later.

Detective Garda Kenna said Mr Flynn's reply to the credit union robbery charge was: "I strongly deny the charge. I was not present in the car park on the 25th of January; I'm a businessman who was running a successful business in the USA since 2011."

He responded to the second charge under caution: "I strongly deny that charge."

Mr Flynn, dressed in a light blue shirt, navy jeans and grey runners, was served with a book of evidence in two thick ring-binder folders.

A State solicitor told Judge Kelly that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed that Mr Flynn should be sent forward for trial.

Furthermore, Judge Kelly noted that the DPP had furnished a certificate under section 46.2 of the Offences Against the State Act "that the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice".

The State applied to the judge to make an order sending Mr Flynn forward for trial on both charges to the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Judge Kelly granted the order and warned Mr Flynn that he must notify the prosecution in writing within 14 days if he intended to use an alibi in his defence.

The accused answered, "Yes, your honour", confirming he understood.

There was no application for bail.

Judge Kelly remanded him in custody pending his appearance at the Special Criminal Court.

A date has yet to be set for his appearance there, but lawyers expected it to be in the next two weeks.

Defence counsel John Temple, instructed by solicitor Darragh Mackin, applied for legal aid.

The judge allowed a 20-minute recess for Mr Flynn to complete a statement of his means. The State submitted that it needed to be assessed but added that it had not taken a "predetermine or prefixed view".

When the case resumed, the State asked for time to consider the document in light of Mr Flynn's reply to the charges.

Mr Temple said his client "has no occupation and has no income".

He added that his client had been in the UK since July last year pending his extradition, and legal aid had been granted during proceedings at Westminster Magistrates Court in December.

He added that his client had a family home, but his wife paid the mortgage.

In reply, the prosecution referenced his unsuccessful bail application in the UK, where he had offered 185,000 stg in cash and a 965,000 stg independent surety.

Mr Temple told Judge Kelly that those sums came from "a collection of extended family members" who did not reside in this jurisdiction.

He submitted that his client's reply to the charge after caution stated he "was" a businessman. In response, the State suggested the "characterisation of the financial situation being historic does not ring true".

The court heard the State would assess the statement of means as soon as possible.

Judge Kelly remarked that "there are extraordinary sums available as recently as last December", and he deferred ruling on the legal aid application, which the trial court will now decide.

Mr Flynn waved to family members in the public gallery as he was escorted from the courtroom.
The 33-year-old from Drogheda was given a four-month suspended sentence following the incident at Oldbridge House

Hemant Naek, Fitzwilliam Court, Dyer Street, Drogheda, pleaded guilty to, on 10 April 2021, exposing his genitals to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person.

It was stated on behalf the defendant, who has no previous convictions, that he was suffering from the effects of lockdown at the time.

Evidence was given that at the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre two women who were together alleged that Haek had exposed himself.

One of the victims pointed him out to gardai who were called to the scene.

Solicitor Barry Callan said his client had little to offer by way of explanation.

He was out of employment at the time and suffering from the effects of lockdown. He was very embarrassed.

Originally from Mauritius, the defendant has been eleven years in Ireland. He worked as a general operative in a local factory, earning 400 per week.

Naek was single and has no dependents in this country.

Mr Callan added he didnt put the two ladies to the trouble of giving evidence.

Judge McKiernan noted the defendant had no previous convictions and had taken a hearing date. On the basis of his plea of guilty, she sentenced him to four months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months.
Stephen Clarke (52) was jailed for a total of 10 months at Dublin District Court.

Clarke, a father-of-three of Cabra Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to burglary, theft and handling stolen property in a series of separate incidents.

The court heard Clarke went to Centra, Rosemount Avenue, Artane, and took a Mothers Day hamper worth 40 on March 8, 2021. He passed all points of payment and the hamper was not recovered.

In another incident, he crept on his hands and knees to get behind the counter at Active Life Pharmacy on Talbot Street on May 22, 2021.

He opened the till and also removed items including candles valued at 80 before fleeing. Some items were retrieved and others were not.

Clarke stole 180 worth of Yankee candles at Tesco in Cabra on July 17, 2021.

On December 6, gardai saw him carrying a bag with 10 pairs of jeans with the security tags still attached, worth 590, which had been stolen from Guineys on North Earl Street.

Clarke had 57 previous convictions. He had a difficult upbringing and developed an addiction to heroin by the age of 17, his lawyer said.

The accused was already serving another sentence when he appeared in court.

Judge Patricia Cronin made the 10 months concurrent to Clarkes existing jail term.
Little Santina Cawleys murderer joins infamous group of sickos behinds bars

Fergus Whitty was found guilty of murdering his daughter Vanessa

The murder of Santina Cawley, a defenceless two-year-old child, is truly shocking. It goes against nature for parents to bury a child but to lose a child in these circumstances is beyond description, said Judge Michael McGrath.

He was speaking at the trial of Karen Harrington, who is now serving a life sentence after a jury convicted her of Santinas murder at her Cork city home.

The trial heard how Harrington could have been the only person to have inflicted the 49 external and four internal injuries on Santina after a row with her partner and the childs father, Michael Cawley.

The crime of infanticide is rare but when it does happen it is a profoundly shocking tragedy.

Karen Harrington, who had no record of violence, has maintained her innocence and is appealing her conviction.

She joins a small but infamous group of killers serving a life sentence for killing children and young people, some of whom are now among the longest-serving prisoners in the State.

Tragic Santina Cawley

One of those is Ian Watson, who was jailed in November 1984 for the murder of a 12-year-old boy in Arklow, Co Wicklow.

The 68-year-old was jailed in November 1984 for the murder after pleading guilty and was jailed for life.

As was the practice at the time, none of the evidence surrounding the circumstances of the killing was heard in open court.

Shortly after his arrest in April that year, gardai struggled to prevent a mob from getting at Watson as they transferred him from Arklow District Court following a hearing.

He was punched several times as a crowd surged towards the unmarked Garda car being used to transport him.

Judge Paul Carney effectively changed the practice of not hearing about the defendants motive if they plead guilty when it came to Jerome Kavanaghs trial in 1995. Kavanagh, now in an open prison, pleaded guilty to the stabbing to death of his four-year-old neighbour Ciaran Malone after breaking into his home near Caragh, Co Kildare in February the same year.

It seems to me the people of Ireland are entitled to know Jerome Kavanaghs explanation of why he took a life, said Judge Carney.

After legal argument the court heard how Kavanagh, then a 23-year-old apprentice printer, had gone to the house with a plan to rape the boys mother, but was surprised by the presence of another woman.

Fergus Whitty was found guilty of murdering his daughter Vanessa

Cork man Fergus Whitty was also jailed for life after a jury found him guilty of murdering his six-month-old baby daughter Vanessa. Then aged 31, he had denied the murder at his home in Cork city, on September 15, 1996.

Snapped

He had admitted assaulting the infant and that as a result she had sustained severe injuries which resulted in her death.

Whitty made a statement to gardai admitting he punched the baby three times after he snapped because she would not stop crying.

Derek Hickey stabbed his infant daughter

Leilah Hickey was just three months old when she was stabbed to death in her cot by her father Derek Hickey at the family home in April 2000. Her father, who turned 47 in Arbour Hill Prison last week, was given the mandatory life sentence after a 15-minute court hearing in which he pleaded guilty.

Patrick Slattery is serving a life sentence for the murder of Katelyn Ryan (four) in April 2003 when he burned down her family home in Limerick.

Patrick Slattery

The then 22-year-old said he had been the subject of a relentless campaign of bullying by a relation of the family and didnt mean to harm anyone.

Other kids had been in the house for a sleep-over and nine people needed treatment following the fire. Katelyn died two days later from her injuries.

Katelyn Ryan died after Patrick Slattery burned down her home   ??/>?G?? ?> &?????

Sanjeev Chada is serving life for the murder of his two sons Eoghan (10) and Ruairi (five) in 2013, having failed to take his life after deliberately crashing his car.

He strangled both sons and caused a blunt force injury to the older boy, and then drove around for several hours with their bodies in the boot of his car.

Chada, who had run up debts gambling on internet share trading, was also facing investigation for stealing money at the time. The boys mother, Kathleen, has since been a prominent voice in supporting stronger legislation to protect the rights of victims and their families.

In 2019, Brooklyn Colbert (11) was hit with a hammer and stabbed 27 times by his uncle Patrick Dillon, who pleaded guilty in February 2021 to the killing.

A psychiatrist said Dillon was known to mental health services and had been hearing voices since 2016 but was not psychotic.

Judge Michael White described the murder as a horrific breach of trust and an unspeakably violent crime.
The inmate was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

A man in his 30s is fighting for his life after being attacked by other inmates in Mountjoy Prison.

The man is currently being treated for serious injuries at the Mater Hospital, adjacent to the prison as Gardai launch a full investigation.

Its understood the inmate, who was jailed for serious offences recently, was assaulted in his cell.

A spokesperson for An Gardai Siochana aid: "Gardai are investigating a serious assault on a man in his 30s that occurred on the evening of Friday, 29th July 2022, at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.

"The man is currently receiving treatment for serious injuries at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

"The scene has been technically examined and an incident room has been established at Mountjoy Garda Station.

"Investigations into this matter are ongoing."
After the attack, the inmate was rushed to the Mater Hospital.

An inmate who is fighting for his life in hospital after sustaining a serious brain injury in a horror assault in Mountjoy, had just been sentenced for possession of a firearm.

The man in his 30s was attacked by a number of inmates in his cell in Mountjoy Prison at 5.40 pm on Friday evening.

Three inmates had yesterday been linked to the attack.

After the attack, the inmate was rushed to the Mater Hospital.

The prisoner had been on remand in custody in Cloverhill prison since but was moved to Mountjoy in February.

This week he was sentenced after he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a gun in north Dublin.

Prisoner (30s) fighting for his life after being attacked by inmates in Mountjoy jail

His previous convictions include drugs offences, stealing cars, criminal damage, theft and road traffic offences.

A spokesperson for An Gardai Siochana said: "Gardai are investigating a serious assault on a man in his 30s that occurred on the evening of Friday, 29th July 2022, at Mountjoy Prison in Dublin.

"The man is currently receiving treatment for serious injuries at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital.

"The scene has been technically examined and an incident room has been established at Mountjoy Garda Station.

"Investigations into this matter are ongoing."
Gardai believe the incident was an attempt by a criminal gang to free one of the prisoners

The prison van was transporting inmates from a court sitting in Co Monaghan to Wheatfield Prison

A prisoner is suing the State after a van he was being transported in was rammed in an attempted breakout last month.

Darren Winters (24) has alleged he did not receive proper medical treatment after the prison van that was transporting inmates from a court sitting in Co Monaghan to Wheatfield Prison was struck from behind by a gold BMW X5 on June 15.

According to The Irish Times, gardai believe the incident, which occurred N2 at Kilcrow, Clontribbet, in Co Monaghan, was an attempt by a criminal gang to free one of the prisoners.

But the masked occupants of the car that was bearing false number plates, aborted their plan after hitting the van.

The car, which had been stolen before the breakout attempt, was found burnt out a short time later.

Both prison staff and prisoners were injured and Winters, who was one of them, has been granted leave to take a judicial review against the Irish Prison Service (IPS) and the State after he alleged they had failed to properly treat his injuries.

Winters (24), from Cuirt Droim Ard, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, is serving a sentence for reckless endangerment, but the Times reports that gardai believe it is unlikely he was the target of the breakout attempt.

Winters solicitor Ciaran Mulholland, alleged his client suffered a head injury in the crash and was only treated with ibuprofen.

In a court filing, he also says the prisoner was not allowed to see a doctor while the injured prison officers were taken straight to hospital.

According to a grounding affidavit, the prison van was hit by an unidentified and untraced motorist.

Winters who was seated in a confined cubicle in the back, handcuffed and with no seat belt, hit his head off the wall in front of him.

He was left with a cut and swelling and was later brought back to the prison in a Garda van.

The affidavit claims that he repeatedly asked to see a doctor but with no success.

A prison official wrote to Mr Mulholland saying he had received the appropriate medical treatment, after Winterss solicitor raised concerns with prison authorities.

According to a report from a doctor who examined Winters via video-link a month later, the prisoner said he was left in the prison van for what seemed like hours on a very hot day.

Winters told the doctor he later developed a terrible headache and suffered stiffness in his neck, which made it hard to move.

The report says that he requested to see the prison doctor three times but was refused. The examining doctor said a suspected head injury should be examined by a doctor, possibly using a CT scan.

I would also note that while the prison guards, who were possibly restrained by seat belts, had to be taken by hospital by ambulance, the unrestrained claimant was not given the same consideration.

Winters is seeking several orders including damages, a declaration his rights were breached and an order compelling the IPS to arrange for appropriate treatment.

This is not an isolated matter. Its magnified by the difference in medical treatment provided to prison staff and prisoners arising from the same event, Mr Mulholland told The Irish Times.

The substandard medical treatment provided to prisoners in custody warrants an independent review and is another reason why its imperative the Minister now establish a prisoner ombudsman akin to other EU countries. This is long overdue, he said.

An IPS spokesman said it would not comment as the matter was before the courts.
The family were rescued on Thursday following an anonymous tip to police

The family were in chains when found by police on Thursday July 28

Luiz Antonio Santos Silva, allegedly kept his wife of 23 years and his two adult children, aged 19 and 22, locked up in their home in Guaratiba, Brazil.

Luiz Antonio Santos Silva

He was nicknamed DJ by his neighbours because he often blasted music in a bid to cover up his victims screams.

The three people were rescued after an anonymous report was made to the police.

When officers arrived at the scene on Thursday, July 28th, they described the situation as appalling as the three captors were severely malnourished and dehydrated.

"The police officers who first arrived here found these children really tied up, one officer told g1 News.

Later, I arrived and saw that they were dirty, malnourished. So, the immediate concern was to provide medical assistance.

Conditions were described by police as "appalling" and "sub-human"

The family were in chains when found by police on Thursday July 28

The three people were living, in chains, in unhygienic sub-human conditions.

According to neighbours, his two adult children look like children because of malnutrition.

"I cried when I saw her leaving. You looked at her and thought she would be about 8 years old, one neighbour said.

Neighbours told g1 news that they had made previous complaints but to no avail.

They added that he also used to throw away any donations of food he received so his wife and children could not eat.

One neighbour managed to give a banana to one of the children on the day of their rescue.

"The little creature took the banana and ate it, peel and all. She was very hungry, they said.

In a statement to police, Silvas wife said that the three of them had suffered physical and psychological violence on a permanent basis and that they went up to three days without food.

She said that she tried to separate from her husband several times and he told her that she would only leave when she was dead.

She added that her husband didnt allow her to work or her children to go to school.

Luiz Antonio Santos Silva will now face charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment, ill-treatment and torture.
Derrick Flanagan from Ireland stands accused of child sex crimes

Derrick Patrick Flanagan (36), who worked as a Sheriffs deputy in Hancock County, Mississippi, previously worked as a sous chef in a Galway Hotel from 2016 to 2018.

The former Galway Institute of Technology student appeared at a hearing charged with sending and receiving sexually explicit images and videos of minors across jurisdictions through the Internet.

It comes after investigators discovered not only did he have child sex abuse images on a laptop, but he also used Snapchat to contact minors where he demanded they send him images.

He also allegedly sent minors unsolicited pictures of his genitals.

In some cases, he allegedly threatened the minors if they didnt send videos and pictures of what he wanted.

FBI agents said that authorities have identified many of the alleged victims and sometimes paid for the videos and images he received.

He is already charged in a state child exploitation case and faces an additional federal charge for sending and receiving child pornography across state lines.

He is also charged with possession of videos of children, ages 12 and under, engaged in sex acts.

The original charges came in February after a detective at Hancock County Sheriffs department got a tip from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2020 about the presence of child pornography in a Dropbox account under the fake name of John Adams.

Following an investigation, the internet address attached to the account was tracked down to Flanagans home.

When questioned, he brushed off the allegations and said the internet connection belonged to a former roommate, and subsequently the investigation was closed.

However, another tip report came in about child sex abuse images connected to another Dropbox account belonging to Flanagan.

After investigators confirmed the allegations, they got a warrant to search Flanagans home where FBI agents seized a laptop and multiple mobile phones.

Two more mobile phones were found in the Irishmans possession when he was arrested in February following the search.

During an initial search of the laptop, FBI special agent Hillary Ladner said that at least 10 videos and an image depicting children engaged in sex abuse acts.

Prosecutor Andrea Jones asked the judge to deny bail for Flanagan, branding him a flight risk as he is facing a lengthy sentence and has been in regular contact with his family in Ireland.

She pointed out that he has multiple passports, one Irish and one for the United States.

Derrick Flanagans attorney Rufus Aldridge said that his client should be entitled to bail pending a grand jury indictment.

He pleaded for his client to be let out on bond with restrictions, including an ankle monitor and noted that both his passports are expired.

However, Judge Robert Myers denied his request, citing that he is a safety risk to the community and remanded him into custody.
The trip of a lifetime is a flight away, with luxurious accommodation, ancient artefacts and magnificent vistas, writes Eugene Masterson

With direct flights from Dublin to Cairo recently starting, it is magical that the land of the pharaohs, which has been at the top of my bucket list for decades, is now easily accessible from Ireland.

My journey began by taking Egypt Airs efficient and pleasant service, a flight of about five-and-a-half hours. There is no alcohol served on board, and you will also find there are no local bars in mainly-Muslim Egypt, though alcohol is served in tourist hotels or the ubiquitous English and Irish bars, which are few and far between.

On arrival in Cairo, I checked into the modern Fairmont Nile City Hotel  a towering structure boasting spectacular views over one of the worlds most famous rivers.

Fairmont Nile City Hotel

The Fairmont has a couple of upmarket international restaurants as well as its in-house Egyptian eatery. Upstairs there is a pool bar, where you can take a dip in the warm air. Be warned though, cocktails are very pricey at about 20 a pop, with bottles of lager around 6.

The next morning, I left the hotel at 7am and was whisked through the bustling streets of this city of nearly 20 million people. After only a 20-minute ride, I spotted one of the most magnificent sights Ive ever seen  the iconic pyramids of Giza.

Its amazing to see how close these majestic structures are to the city, lying right on its periphery. There are three major pyramids, as well as the Great Sphinx of Giza. All were built during the fourth dynasty of ancient Egypt, between 2600 and 2500BC (the locals are bemused when I tell them Irelands Newgrange is 500 years older, but perhaps not as spectacular).

The reason why tourists visit this site (and others in the country) so early in the morning during summer is the stifling afternoon heat, which can reach 40C or more. This is also why its usually best to plan your trip in the spring or autumn.

Eugene at the Karnak temple

arrival at the tallest pyramid  which is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and the only one still in existence  its time to take in the sheer enormity of what was for nearly 4,000 years the planets highest man-made structure, standing at 147m (481ft).

The pyramids were originally built to house the tombs of the pharaohs, but the insides are now empty  theyre not for the claustrophobic, as you have to crouch down tunnels to reach the chambers (I passed on this one).

To get totally into the vibe, I donned a headdress and mounted a camel for a jaunt of several minutes on the outskirts of the pyramids, feeling a bit like Lawrence of Arabia (its about 5).

Next up was a photo opportunity with the iconic sphinx, which has the body of a lion and head of a human. Many tourists say the best place to get a snap of the whole vista is from the roof of the local Pizza Hut, though I didnt get time to try this out.

Eugene sailing on a felucca

After this breath-taking visit, we popped into a factory where the papyrus plant is made into the writing support which was used by the ancient Egyptians. Then it was off to the Museum of Civilisation and the Egyptian Museum. Both fascinating buildings house mummies of the pharaohs, the most famous being Ramesses II. The latter museum also has many of the artefacts taken from the tomb of Tutankhamun, including his death mask.

The next morning was spent visiting the historic Citadel  an Islamic fortress built in the 12th century, which housed Egypts rulers for over 700 years. The complex now boasts a huge mosque, while its former palace has been turned into a fascinating museum, with an exhibition of military paraphernalia outside.

A walking trip through the citys Khan el-Khalili market and bazaar allowed me to pick up a couple of local handmade souvenirs, and get a glimpse of what life is like for the locals. Early the next day it was time to fly to Hurghada, a major port city located on the Red Sea. I checked into the beautiful Hilton Plaza Hotel, where I stayed in a fabulous two-story duplex overlooking swimming pools and a beautiful beach.

Taking a hammock break during a snorkelling trip at Giftun Island

Visits to a fascinating Coptic cathedral and a local mosque were followed by a pretty marina, where I took a boat trip which included snorkelling (wear a life vest as the water can be quite choppy). You can also see coral and fish from the boats submarine-like windows downstairs.

The next day, I took a six-hour journey by car through mainly barren countryside to reach Luxor in the Nile Valley, where I checked into the splendid Steigenberger Nile Palace, which has lovely suites overlooking the Nile and delicious Italian and Lebanese restaurants in its airy courtyard.

The Luxor area is known as the worlds largest open-air museum, where one of the greatest civilisations to have walked the earth once lived.

That evening, I visited the enormous Karnak Temple with its mindboggling array of statues and pillars stretching back nearly 4,000 years. A relaxing sunset trip on a traditional felucca sailboat followed, during which I sampled Egyptian tea and saw kingfishers diving for food.

The next day was one jaw-dropping moment after another. First up was a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Valley of the Kings, which has about 60 discovered tombs, four of which I visited; they are readily accessed with steps and lighting and boast wonderful artwork on their walls.

Egypt Air flies direct to Cairo from Dublin

The most famous, of course, is the tomb of Tutankhamun. It still has the mummy of the boy king who reigned Egypt from 1361-1352BC and will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its discovery by Howard Carter in November.

The temple of Queen Hatshepsut and Luxor Temple are both treasure troves, where you can spend hours looking in awe at the detail of carvings and sculptures, while the twin Colossi of Memnon also have the wow factor.

A few tips if you go  youre likely to be targeted by hawkers at major tourist attractions, who usually ask three times the price you can barter them down to, but they are friendly enough. Be wary of tourist traps like alabaster pottery factories, where I was charged 200 for six onyx marble goblets. And at Cairo airport, the euro and dollar are the same rate in duty free, so you may prefer to pay in dollars.

FACTBOX:

See www.egypt.travel

 Egypt Air operates four times per week between Dublin and Cairo, and it is the first Irelands scheduled air service to and from Egypt. Prices average 500 return.

 Fairmont Nile City Hotel is at all.accor.com/fairmont/cairo; Hilton Plaza Hurghada on hilton.com/hurghada and the Steingenber on steigenbergerluxor.guestreservations.com
Irish President Michael D Higgins is to attend and will be joined by Taoiseach Micheal Martin

The former First Minister and co-architect of the Good Friday Agreement will be laid to rest in Lisburn after a ceremony at Harmony Hill Presbyterian Church.

Tributes to Lord Trimble have continued to flow throughout the week following the announcement on Tuesday of his passing following a short illness.

Irish President Michael D Higgins is to attend and will be joined by Taoiseach Micheal Martin.

Mr Higgins attendance will be seen as a conciliatory gesture by unionists following his refusal last year to take up an invitation to attend a church ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the state.

A spokesman for Mr Higgins said he would attend the funeral of Lord Trimble, who was a joint Nobel Prize winner with John Hume of the SDLP for their efforts in the peace process.

They are expected to be joined by a number of Irish government ministers, as well as Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.

Sinn Feins First Minister-in-waiting Michelle ONeill will be there as will party President Mary Lou McDonald.

It is not clear if Gerry Adams, the former West Belfast MP and co-creator of the agreement, will attend. Last week he spoke warmly of Lord Trimbles role in negotiations, thanking him for contribution and speaking of his deep regret at news of his passing.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, who formed a close bond with the then UUP leader and who was guest at the unveiling of a portrait of Lord Trimble at Queens University last month, is out of the country on holiday. But it is understood he is looking at options for him to return for the funeral.

There is expected to be a significant turnout from local political leaders, with DUP chief and former UUP colleague Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UUP leader Doug Beattie, Naomi Long of the Alliance Party and SDLP boss Colum Eastwood all due in Lisburn today.

Former political allies from the GFA negotiations in 1998 will be there as will one-time political foes and they will be joined by current MLAs.

The outpouring of goodwill toward Lord Trimble has resulted in him achieving a political unity that eluded him 24 years ago.

His death means very few of the chief architects of the peace accord remain with us. Ian Paisley in 2014 and the subsequent passing of Martin McGuinness in 2017 and that of Seamus Mallon in 2020 has stripped Irish politics of many of those who made peace in Northern Ireland.

US Consul in Belfast Paul Narain will represent the US government tomorrow while Secretary of State Shailesh Vara and Shadow Secretary Peter Kyle will also attend.

It is not clear if other key players  former Prime Minister Tony Blair or his special adviser Jonathan Powell  will attend.

Lord Trimble is survived by wife Daphne, children Richard, Victoria, Nicholas and Sarah, and grandchildren Matthew, Anastasia, and Georgia. He will be laid to rest at Blaris Cemetery in Lisburn following the 12.30pm funeral service.
I do understand that it is extremely easy to comment on the war when you are not inside the war, and when it is not your country that is being attacked

A Ukrainian MP has said Sabina Higgins is underinformed after the presidents wife suggested that now is the time for peace talks with Russia.

Kira Rudik was speaking to Newstalk after Ms Higgins wrote a letter to the Irish Times, expressing her opinion on the ongoing conflict with Russia.

Ms Higgins said she was "disappointed" that a recent editorial "did not encourage any ceasefire negotiations that might lead towards a peace settlement between the Russians, the Ukrainian forces and the separatists.

"Until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations, the long haul of terrible war will go on. How can there be any winner?", she wrote.

A link to the letter has since been removed from the Aras an Uachtarain website.

However, Ms Rudik told The Hard Shoulder that she believes Mrs Higgins was underinformed.

"I do understand that it is extremely easy to comment on the war when you are not inside the war, and when it is not your country that is being attacked, she said.

"And as a country that had been in war with Russia for the last eight years, we definitely know that it is not enough for one side to want peace - it needs to be mutual."

In relation to Ms Higgins comments, Ms Rudik added: I wouldn't call it naive; I would call it underinformed because when you look at the way how Russia behaved for the last eight years - when you look at the last five and a half months - you would understand that there is no way of peaceful negotiations".

Ms Rudik says the prospect of negotiations means Russia gets away with its invasion.

"These talks are extremely dangerous - because basically what is written in the letter is 'let's make peace' - so we will allow [the] bully, allow [the] aggressive country to get away with what they have done.

"And there is an emotional side of this matter.

"Today Russia bombarded the captives camp and killed 53 people - 53 men who will never return home, because Russia decided so.

"And yesterday there was a peaceful bus station in one of the cities of Ukraine that was hit by a missile.

"Five people were killed - these people woke up in the morning, they went to get some cup of coffee or they were waiting for their children to go back from school and they just died.

"What kind of peace could be there? It's very dangerous to say the word 'peace' especially when you're talking about the aggressor".

And she says there are no guarantees that Russian President Putin would keep his word.

"When you have a country like Russia that attacked another sovereign country, what kind of negotiations can be there?

"And what are their ways to ensure that Putin, after these negotiations, wouldn't go further?"
Its absolutely amazing and its amazing for the LGBT community to be on the streets  thousands of people celebrating who they are

The last Pride parade in 2019 was Belfast's biggest ever of its kind, with 60,000 people attending. Pic Pacemaker.

Belfast was a sea of colour today as thousands took to the streets to celebrate Pride.

People in fancy dress and their most extravagant outfits laughed and cheered as they celebrated what was Belfasts biggest Pride parade in history.

The LGBT community were out in force supported by delighted onlookers revelling in the good spirits and craic for the first time since the pandemic struck.

The atmosphere was festival, there were smiles on everyones faces as they took part in the spectacular street show, a joyous celebration showing both diversity and solidarity for the LGBT community.

The Sunday World caught up with Pride host Trudy Scrumptious, AKA Gordon Crawford, the Belfast-based drag queen who said he was overwhelmed being asked to front the event.

I am honoured and humbled to be one of the hosts. Its absolutely amazing and its amazing for the LGBT community to be on the streets  thousands of people celebrating who they are, Trudy told the Sunday World.

This has taken months of preparation but its worth it and so important to show people we are proud of ourselves and who we are.

And he admitted he has spent weeks preparing for yesterdays Pride.

Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill takes part as Belfast Pride parade takes place for the first time in three years. Pic Pacemaker.

I am used to being watched but this is such an honour for me, it really is the pinnacle for me. It is my 24th Pride and my 23rd in drag. To be there hosting is a dream come true and I just know everyone will be having a ball.

Gordon, who designs and makes all his own clothes, was working until the early hours of this morning to finish his stunning outfits.

Sure somebody had to make sure they provided the eye candy, he laughed.

The parade took off from Custom House Square and made its way through the streets of the city for what will be a weekend-long party for some.

Those marching said they were taking part to promote and celebrate inclusivity.

Drag queen Trudy Scrumptious

Trudy led the parade alongside Sinn Fein Lord Mayor Tina Black, who was followed by the partys First Minister-designate Michelle ONeill.

They were followed by members of the GAA, Ulster Rugby and the PSNI, with members of the Rainbow Project represented in full.

I just think we should be living in a world where diversity is accepted. It is the norm and everybody, no matter their colour, creed, ethnicity or orientation, should be celebrated, said Roisin from Belfast.

The last Pride parade in 2019 was Belfast's biggest ever of its kind, with 60,000 people attending. Pic Pacemaker.

This is the first Pride in three years and it was also the first time a parade has taken place since the introduction of equal marriage in Northern Ireland.

People in Belfast, in our community, are very happy to see the return of Pride and theyre ready to see it back on our streets, Belfast Prides co-chair, John ODoherty said.

Were so excited to have so many new groups joining us for the first time, not least of all the GAA and Ulster Rugby.

This year the parade was also led by a group of asylum seekers and refugees.

We want to send a very clear message that Belfast is a welcoming city for all, not least of all newcomers to our city. John added.

Michelle O Neill said: This is a celebration, this is a carnival of love. Love  thats what its all about.

paula.mackin@sundayworld.com
A traditionally leftwing rallying point, the call for universal health care, is attracting local churches into the fold.

A rally to raise attention to the issue was held Saturday, July 30 at Fourth Avenue and Broadalbin Street, across from City Hall and next to Saturday's Farmers Market.

The rally drew a small crowd  organizers mentioned the heat as a possible factor for keeping some people from attending  and lasted about 40 minutes with some singing, people holding signs and a booth set up with more information.

In his 14 years working as a psychiatrist, Rick Staggenborg saw a lot of people who need help and cant afford it."

One case that stood out to him was a man with no insurance and disabling anxiety. He was unable to keep his job due to the onset of his anxiety and lost nearly everything.

Staggenborg can cite many other similar cases, individuals who fell through the cracks," even ones who qualified for services, he said.

Since retiring, Staggenborg has seen affordability and access to health care become ever more exasperating, he said. Personal spending on health care is higher in Oregon than the national average and families and employers are paying almost the equivalent of a new car every year in the form of health insurance premiums, according to a 2019 report from Oregon Health Authority.

Staggenborg believes everyone should have access to health care.

We all benefit from a healthy society, he said.

Now he advocates for universal health care, serving as Chair of Health Care for All Oregon Faith Caucus, and more recently, rallying local faith-based organizations to get behind the cause in Albany.

Many values of faith align with seeking health care for all, Staggenborg said. He noted that most religions try to help the poor and encourage their flocks to treat their neighbor. To Staggenborg, these values of community and charity are an easy association to universal healthcare.

The faith community should be a leader in this effort, he said.

Albanys First Christian Church is the latest to join the coalition, sponsoring Saturday's rally.

Staggenborg said that the reason medical costs are so high is because they are being privatized. The skyrocketing costs are putting medical expenses beyond reach, even causing bankrupt for some.

According to OHA, 69% of those who filed for bankruptcy in Linn County listed the cause as medical expenses, the most of all of Oregon's most populous counties.

The people who are most hurt by the current health care system are the working poor, Staggenborg said. Because they earn some money, they don't qualify for services, but don't make enough to afford premiums. They're the ones who get left behind, he said.

The cause has attracted its fair share of nonbelievers. That makes bringing the faithful into the fold a challenge, Staggenborg said.

People hear "socialized medicine" and get hung up on the word socialist, he said. But Staggenborg likens access to health care to services available to everyone, like the fire department.

It shouldnt be a conservative-liberal issue," he said. "It's a moral issue, not a political one.

Staggenborg added his church is a mix of different political values.

Health Care for All Oregon continues to educate the public about insurance privatization and universal health care, hoping that access to information will spur change. He's hoping success the group has seen in Corvallis is duplicated in Albany.

I hope the people of Albany will listen because if they dont know about an issue, they cant be a part of the solution.
The National Crime Agency say they believe Steven Armstrong has been involved in laundering money for the gang as well committing fraud.

Steven Armstrong was publicly named this week by the NCA after they seized a property belonging to him valued at 85,000 and 28,000 from a bank account while alleging he has links to West Belfast UDA.

But speaking exclusively to the Sunday Worldyesterday from his home in Newtowabbey, Co Antrim, the 39-year-old categorically denied any involvement with the loyalist terror group and was adamant he was no UDA money man.

Instead he says its all a misunderstanding over tax. He says he wasnt paying tax for a number of years and because hed been arrested in 2017 with a high-profile loyalist they assumed he was involved with the UDA.

West Belfast UDA is regarded as one of Ulsters most active crime gangs  making millions from selling drugs like cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis.

The National Crime Agency, working alongside the Paramilitary Crime Task Force, say they believe Steven Armstrong has been involved in laundering money for the gang as well committing fraud.

But he says he has not been charged with any criminal offences and points out he wasnt even arrested as part of this investigation.

Ive got absolutely nothing to do with the UDA, this is all complete nonsense, he told us yesterday.

I was arrested in 2017 alongside a high-profile loyalist who Im not going to name but I wasnt charged with anything because I hadnt done anything wrong.

Then a couple of years later they seized the house and the bank account and came up with this nonsense that it was linked to the UDA.

The issue is I hadnt been paying my taxes for years so they looked at my assets and thought this guy hasnt worked in ten years it must be UDA money.

But Ive worked in the same place since I was 16 or 17 years old and thats the truth. Id rather you didnt mention my employer because Im worried I could lose my job over this and its completely wrong.

The property they took was a rental I owned, it was my partners old home, and the money in the account was from an inheritance. Honestly Im horrified that Im being linked to the UDA.

Steven Anderson (right) speaks to Sunday World reporter Steven Moore

Steven Armstrong is pictured here on a boat while enjoying a family holiday in Ibiza in 2017.

The Sunday Worldcan confirm they spoke to several UDA sources who said they had not heard of Steven Armstrong.

However, they claimed that the terror group has many sleepers who have clean criminal records who are used to buy property and launder criminal cash for them.

direction

We understand West Belfasts C Company, according to sources under the direction of alleged UDA boss Denis Cunningham, has a number of figures with clean criminal records who launder money for them.

Steven Armstrong insists he has nothing to do with the terror group and maintains the issue is a misunderstanding over tax.

In the High Court the other day there was no mention of UDA on any documents  it states its all about tax liabilities, he protested to us.

I have no link to the UDA at all and to be honest Im horrified this is happening.

A loyalist source told us: Gangs like West Belfast UDA and East Belfast UVF will regularly use people who havent come under the radar of the police, said a source.

Theyll get them to put property in their name and look after cash in their legitimate accounts. Ive never heard of Steven Armstrong and if he wasnt paying his taxes, hed be an unusual person for the UDA to use because theyd know there could be a risk hed come under the radar of the authorities.

On Wednesday the authorities named Mr Armstrong and his alleged UDA links, having gone to the High Court in Belfast 24 hours earlier to ask to be allowed to recover his property and cash.

In a press release issued to all media outlets they said: National Crime Agency officers working as part of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force (PCTF) have seized a property in the Newtownabbey area valued at 85,000 and 28,000 held in a bank account from a man with alleged links to the West Belfast Ulster Defence Association.

On 19 July 2022, the High Court in Belfast granted a Civil Recovery Order by consent under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 against Steven Armstrong, aged 39, of Newtownabbey, Greater Belfast.

Officers from the National Crime Agency. File photo

Armstrong is suspected of being engaged in fraud and money laundering offences. The NCA will now work with partners to realise the value of the property and recover the funds held in the bank account under the terms of the Order.

Representatives from the three authorities were quick to comment to express their delight at what they see as a major strike against organised crime.

NCA Operations Manager Stephen Brown said: This is another example of the NCA using its powers under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 to take action against those suspected of involvement in paramilitary related crime.

The message to those involved in paramilitary crime is clear  we will use every tool available to us. Where we can identify assets that are the proceeds of crime, we will do all we can to pursue them.

The NCA, Police Service of Northern Ireland and HM Revenue & Customs established the PCTF to tackle criminality linked to paramilitary activity as part of the Executives action plan on Tackling Paramilitary Activity, Criminality, and Organised Crime.

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Kelly said: This action demonstrates the strength of the three agencies working together as part of the Paramilitary Crime Task Force and their commitment to tackling the harm inflicted on communities by these individuals and groups.

The NCA have not brought criminal proceedings against Mr Armstrong, who continues to deny any link to criminality.

Instead they brought civil proceedings against him.

Civil Recovery proceedings under Part 5 of POCA provide for the recovery of property which has been acquired within the previous 20 years through unlawful conduct and therefore is, or represents the proceeds of crime.

Unlike criminal confiscation, following a criminal conviction, the proceedings are brought in the High Court in the form of a civil action.

Any civil recovery claim focuses on the property as opposed to the person and whether property is recoverable or not is determined by the High Court on the civil standard of proof namely, the balance of probabilities.

Money recovered will be returned to the Treasury and are often given out to law enforcement agencies to help them continue further investigations like the one taken against Steven Armstrong.
The Ministry of Health are today reporting 6232 new community cases of Covid-19, 769 current hospitalisations. There are 243 new cases of Covid from people who have recently travelled overseas. There are 18 people in ICU.

The Ministry says that todays reported deaths with Covid--19 (COVID-19 death data) of 67 includes deaths between May 12 2022 to July 30 2022.

This higher number reflects a recent data reconciliation process, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.

Of the 67, only 25 were in the past week. These figures are now usually reported only on the website but are in todays statement because of this additional information.

The Ministry says the assessment of whether these deaths are attributable to Covid--19 will be made in coming days.

Of the 67 people whose deaths we are reporting today, nine were from Northland, 16 were from Auckland region, seven were from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, two were from Lakes, one was from Hawke's Bay, four were from Taranaki, six were from MidCentral, three were from Wellington region, eight were from Canterbury, one was from West Coast, seven were from Southern.

Six were in their 20s, three were in their 30s, five were in their 40s, four were in their 50s, six were in their 60s, ten were in their 70s, 22 were in their 80s and 11 were aged over 90. Of these people, 27 were women and 40 were men.

As at yesterday, Friday July 29, there were a total of 1,479 deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor, says the Ministry of Health spokesperson.

There are 270 new cases in the Bay of Plenty region and 124 in the Lakes region. There are 34 people in Bay of Plenty hospitals with Covid-19 and 15 in Lakes hospitals.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 7405.

Covid-19 Hospitalisations

Covid-19 Cases in hospital*: total number 769: Northland: 15; Waitemata: 75; Counties Manukau: 51; Auckland: 140; Waikato: 97; Bay of Plenty: 34; Lakes: 15; Hawkes Bay: 37; MidCentral: 48; Whanganui: 14; Taranaki: 18; Tairawhiti: 3; Wairarapa: 6; Capital & Coast/Hutt: 29; Nelson Marlborough: 15; Canterbury/West Coast: 113; South Canterbury: 16; Southern: 43.

Weekly Covid-19 Hospitalisations - 7 day rolling average: 797 (This time last week 764)

Average age of current Covid-19 hospitalisations: 64

Cases in ICU or HDU: 18

Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (63 cases); partially immunised <7 days from second dose or have only received one dose (6 cases); double vaccinated at least 7 days before being reported as a case (62 cases); received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (332 cases).

* Hospitalisation numbers from Te Whatu Ora Counties Manukau and Te Whatu Ora Waikato were unavailable this morning, so yesterdays numbers have been used.

These are new hospital admissions in the past 7 days prior to yesterday who had COVID at the time of admission or while in hospital, excluding hospitalisations that were admitted and discharged within 24hrs. This data is from Districts with tertiary hospitals: Auckland, Canterbury, Southern, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Capital, Coast and Hutt, and Northland.

Covid-19 vaccinations administered

Vaccines administered to date: 4,029,197 first doses; 3,982,035 second doses; 34,005 third primary doses; 2,705,317 first booster doses: 308,483 second booster doses: 265,923 paediatric first doses and 144,637 paediatric second doses.

Vaccines administered yesterday: 35 first doses; 29 second doses; 17 third primary doses; 725 first booster doses; 11,798 second booster doses; 60 paediatric first doses and 214 paediatric second doses.

More detailed information, including vaccine uptake by District, is available on the Ministry website.

Tests

Number of PCR tests total (last 24 hours): 3,467

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 12,270

PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 4,063

Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (last seven days as of 28 July 2022): 2.1 million.

Covid-19 Cases

Total number of new community cases: 6,232

Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 243

Seven day rolling average of community cases: 7,405

Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 8,703

Number of active cases (total): 54,192 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered)

Confirmed cases (total): 1,599,202

New cases by District and other more detailed case information

Please note, the Ministry of Healths daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a District or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO.

Covid-19 deaths**

** Please note, updates on deaths confirmed as attributable to Covid--19 are only available on weekdays.

There are now a total of 1,479 deaths confirmed as attributable to COVID-19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor. This is the number that will be reported to the World Health Organization as it provides the most accurate assessment of COVID-19 related mortality in New Zealand.



In the past seven days  to Friday 29 July  there was an average of 18 deaths confirmed each day as being attributable to Covid--19.

This is a very sad time for whanau and friends of those who have died and our thoughts and condolences are with them, says a Ministry of Health spokesperson.



Information on the number of new deaths of people with Covid--19 reported to the Ministry of Health in the last 24 hours, and the seven day rolling average, is available on the Ministry of Health website. This includes information on the age band and location of these newly reported deaths.

These newly reported deaths have not yet been categorised as to whether they are attributable to Covid--19, either as the underlying cause of death or as a contributing factor or are unrelated to Covid--19. As this categorisation is made over coming days, the attributable deaths will be added to the total reported above.
Two lucky Lotto players from Tauranga and Whakatane each won $16,013 in Saturday night's Lotto Second Division draw.

The winning Second Division tickets were sold at Greerton Lotto and Paper Plus Whakatane,

Four lucky Lotto players from Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington and Christchurch will be ending the month on a high after each winning $250,000 with Lotto First Division in Saturday night's live Lotto draw.

The winning tickets were sold at Whitcoulls Botany Downs in Auckland, Vogel Street Pharmacy in Palmerston North and on MyLotto to players from Wellington and Christchurch.

Powerball was not struck on Saturday and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $6 million.

Meanwhile Strike has rolled over and will be $300,000 on Wednesday night.

Fifteen lucky Lotto players will be celebrating after each winning $16,013 with Lotto Second Division in Saturday night's live Lotto draw.

One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $31,133. The winning Powerball Second Division tickets were sold at Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy in Hastings.

The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores:

Store Location Sweet Gifts Ruakaka Sweet Lotto Centre Auckland MyLotto (x4) Auckland Kepa Road Superette Auckland Greerton Lotto Tauranga Paper Plus Whakatane Whakatane Lifeline Convenience and Lotto Gisborne Unichem Stortford Lodge Pharmacy (+PB) Hastings Countdown Kelvin Grove Palmerston North Hornby Mall Lotto Hornby MyLotto Dunedin City Pak n Save Dunedin Dunedin

Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, online at mylotto.co.nz, or through the Lotto NZ App.

With 100 per cent of Lotto NZs profits supporting thousands of great causes each year, every time you play one of Lotto NZs games, youre a Kiwi helping other Kiwis.
Oregon public health officials will no longer report COVID-19 outbreaks in workplace, K-12 schools and child care settings, it was announced last week.

While an Oregon Health Authority spokesperson said the agency will continue to collect reports of positive COVID-19 test results, it will no longer report outbreaks in these settings.

"OHA will continue to receive reports from local public health authorities of outbreaks as they become aware of them," Rudy Owens said by email.

OHA will continue to report active and resolved outbreaks in long-term care facilities, senior living communities and congregate living settings, according to a news release, what it deems "in high-consequence settings."

"OHA defines high-consequence settings as congregate settings where there is an increased risk of widespread secondary transmission among vulnerable populations, increased risk of severe illness or risk of community destabilization," Owens said. "Examples include long term care facilities and homeless shelters."

On April 1, about two years into the pandemic but amid a subsidence of the then-dominant version of the omicron variant, OHA announced it would no longer report daily numbers of cases, hospitalizations and deaths. At the time, it said it would continue the outbreak reports on a biweekly basis.

The shrinking of the publicly released outbreak report will take effect Aug. 10, OHA reported. A news release said the change reflects staffing issues and the need to address other public health needs.

Since the biweekly report is not automated, several hours of review are needed to ensure accurate reporting, the OHA news release said.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

Marc Siegel, spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Education, noted that the OHA outbreak reports weren't always timely.

"Data were occasionally reported several weeks retrospectively," he said by email.

School communities should continue to count on their local school districts for up-to-date information, Siegel said.

"As Oregon enters the fourth school year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and local public health authorities are practiced and equipped to manage COVID-19," he wrote.

He added that school districts will "continue to make local policy decisions about COVID-19 protocols to mitigate spread and ensure in-person learning in their school community, including communicating health and safety measures needed based on illness and absence in their school community.

School-level COVID-19 management plans will be available at https://bit.ly/3JnRfLt, beginning Aug. 26.

The state still requires school districts to report all positive cases from a test that occurs on a school campus, noted Michelle Steinhebel of Greater Albany Public Schools.

"As we are already collecting this information for OHA, we intend to continue sharing weekly COVID updates on our website when school resumes," Steinhebel said by email.

Meanwhile, the Corvallis School District is taking a wait-and-see approach, according to district spokesperson Kelly Locey.

"The district is watching to see how this shift will impact the COVID guidelines from ODE and OHA," she said by email. "Corvallis schools will continue to follow requirements directed by ODE/OHA."
Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription.

Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service.
During the first General Election debate in a race for who will become the next governor of Oregon, the three candidates empathized with many Oregonians dissatisfied with where the state is headed.

Each of the three women, however, offered differing solutions to the state's myriad issues in a 90-minute forum that underscored the chasms among their political philosophies and leadership styles.

Republican nominee Christine Drazan, Democratic nominee Tina Kotek and independent Betsy Johnson  who are running neck-and-neck in recent polls  shared the stage in an event hosted by Pamplin Media Group and sponsored by the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association at the Mt. Hood Oregon Resort in Welches on Friday, July 29.

The debate was moderated by PMG President Mark Garber and included questions from local journalists, as well as the opportunity for the candidates to confront each other with their own inquiries.

Drazan, a Canby resident and former Oregon House of Representatives minority leader who won the Republican nomination, made clear that she views her opponents as leaders of an establishment that has brought Oregon to where it is today, and that the state needs new solutions to chronic problems such as homelessness, a lack of housing and mental health services, and economic insecurity.

"It's a little bit ironic to me to constantly hear my opponents on the stage be (aghast) on how horrible Oregon is on this and that and the other  'We're 50th (in the country) on this and we have to work on that,'" Drazan said. "They've been in charge. We got here because of their voices. There are not two other people in the state with more power than them besides the governor herself and maybe the senate president."

Johnson, a Scappoose resident who was a Democratic state senator before resigning to run as a unaffiliated candidate, emphasized that she represents a middle ground between what she described as extremes on her political right and left, noting Drazan's pro-life stance on abortion and positing that Kotek is a part of a progressive left that is responsible for mounting problems.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

"Oregonians are distrustful of the radical right and they are terrified of the progressive left  What could be more different and impactful than a governor with an allegiance only to Oregonians and not to a party agenda or special interests?" she said.

Kotek, a Portlander who was the speaker of the house for nine years prior to winning the Democratic nomination, framed herself as a candidate who seeks solutions rather than simply rejecting the status quo.

"No matter what the other candidates say today, there are no quick fixes. There are no miracle cures to take on these large challenges. Only hard work is going to allow us to ensure that every part of our state can thrive," she said.

On the issues, Drazan clarified that she considers Joe Biden to be the fairly elected president of the United States  despite efforts from members of her party to sow distrust in the 2020 election results  while also stating that she would maintain the current gun and abortion laws in place in Oregon and expressing opposition to Gov. Kate Brown's executive order directing state agencies to reduce carbon emissions.

Regarding her and her colleagues' decision in 2020 to walk out of the Capitol to combat Democrats' cap-and-trade proposal while she was the House minority leader, she said she may have supported some form of policy incentivizing businesses to reduce emissions  but not in the form proposed by Democrats.

"The need to lead a Republican effort to deny quorum on this was simply because of the intensity of single-party majority control," she said.

Drazan also said she felt the state was focusing too much on housing to address the homelessness crisis, and not enough on other issues, like treating addiction and mental health.

Kotek described the walkout as a decision to throw in the towel on the issue of addressing climate change and expressed support for the governor's executive order.

Further, she was the only candidate to firmly say she would direct public resources to helping people living in states where abortion is illegal to access that service here. Johnson also emphasized her staunch pro-choice stance on abortion, but felt organizations like Planned Parenthood could support people arriving from other states without governmental funding.

"We are in too big of a moment in our country to say no to women who need access to care," Kotek said. "And I'm the only person in this race who is a champion on this issue, who has believed in access to health care  and that is what abortion is  and that's why I'm backed by Planned Parenthood and Pro Choice Oregon."

Drazan, meanwhile, said she is pro-life but that her responsibility as governor would be to uphold the laws in place.

Unlike Drazan and Johnson, Kotek said she supports IP17  a ballot measure that would require background checks for purchasing firearms, prohibit the sale of large-capacity magazines (except for military and law enforcement)  and established herself as the candidate in support of gun control measures. She clarified that she's not interested in "taking people's guns away," however, after a quip from Johnson suggesting that intention.

Johnson, meanwhile, castigated Gov. Kate Brown and state leadership for Intel's decision to build a new chip manufacturing facility in Ohio rather than Oregon, saying that she had talked with Intel executives who said state leadership was not receptive to their needs and that she would make sure she consulted regularly with major industry players.

Further, Johnson addressed her decision to vote for the corporate activity tax to add school funding even though she now is against it, saying that she felt schools needed more money at the time but now believes the tax is too big of a burden on businesses and should be altered.

Similar to Drazan, Johnson felt that Kotek's leadership has led to there being "tent cities all over Portland."

"This is a humanitarian crisis and we must never lose sight of the fact that it's inexorably tied to drugs and mental illness in our streets," Johnson said.

In closing remarks, Drazan commented on what she felt was a divisive attitude exuded by Johnson, saying she was tired of being yelled at and adding that she felt Johnson left the Democratic Party when it was politically convenient to do so.

Johnson said choosing Drazan would be moving from one extreme to the other and told voters she does not care whether you voted for Biden or Donald Trump.

"I want to recapture the maverick spirit and get us back on track," Johnson said.

Kotek, in her final remarks, talked about how she fell in love with Oregon when she moved there 35 years ago and that she views it as a state of possibility toward what it could become.

"I am sure I know how to work with people and solve problems because I have a track record to show that," she added.
TikTok gadgets are one of the viewed content in the phenomenal video streaming service as viewers look for their next purchase.

That said, here are some of the best viral gadgets on TikTok that you might want to consider getting yourself.

(Photo : Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

In this photo illustration, the download page for the TikTok app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on August 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order.

TikTok Gadgets

It is worth noting that the "new tech gadgets 2022" page on TikTok already has nearly 6 million views in total.

It includes viral videos from users like Best Gadget 266 with username @coolgadgets30 and KITCHENGADGETS198 that goes by the name username @kitchengadgets13.

The videos in this category showcase various handy gadgets that make our life easier. In most cases, it makes tedious tasks much easier and more efficient than ever.

Some of the gadgets featured in these viral TikTok videos flaunt some life-changing offerings out there.

Top Tiktok Gadgets That Went Viral 2022

Given that, there are overwhelmingly too many choices of new viral gadgets on TikTok. And as such, searching for the best suits your needs might be a Herculean endeavor.

But do not fret. This article is here to help you narrow your choice to the best viral TikTok gadgets out there.

Wireless Charger with UV Sanitizer

One of the best choices is none other than a wireless charging station, which also comes with a UV sanitizer.

As per a news story by Science Focus, the TikTok viral gadget is available on Parasol for around $80.

It charges your smartphone wirelessly, ditching the annoying cables altogether, to top up the battery of your mobile devices.

But that's not all. This TikTok viral gadget also features a 10W UV sanitizer, which vows to kill up to 99.9% of germs.

Pet Hair Remover

Meanwhile, a pet hair remover also got viral on TikTok, helping pet owners get rid of their pesky fur from their clothes and furniture at home.

According to a recent report by Buzz Feed, it is available on Amazon for only $28.95. Unlike most pet hair removers, the one that got viral on TikTok is not the disposable type. It is reusable, allowing users to get rid of pet hair in various parts of their homes without needing to buy another one.

Read Also: Why TikTok is a Threat to Google? Here's the Alarming Part About Search Results

Watermelon Slicer

If you are craving some fresh watermelon, you might opt to buy it sliced already as cutting it into smaller pieces is tedious to do. However, thanks to this watermelon slicer, which got the shimmer of the spotlight on TikTok, it should not be that hard anymore.

The life-changing watermelon slicer is available on Amazon for only $12.37. It cuts the fruit into perfect cube pieces efficiently.

Related Article: Meta's Instagram TikTok-Like Features Pulled Out After Kardashian Sisters' Criticism

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple chip supplier TSMC recently held its topping-out ceremony for its new fabrication plant in Phoenix, Arizona.

In 2021, the manufacturer of Apple's A-series processors, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, or TSMC, announced intentions to build an advanced chip factory in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.

The company then disclosed that the factory would make new 5-nanometer transistor chips, with its manufacturing set to start in 2024.

The $12 billion factory will be the first of its kind in the country to mass-produce 5nm chips. Since the A14 Bionic and M1 chip, all of Apple's most recent chips have been made using a 5nm technology.

TSMC stated in a LinkedIn post:



READ ALSO: Apple Supplier, TSMC, Say There Are Lower Demand for Smartphones; Does it Mean Less Chip Production?



According to TSMC Chairman Mark Liu's announcement last year, 2021, the Arizona plant will begin its mass production in the first quarter of 2024. Following TSMC's previously released plan, equipment move-in at the factory will start in the second half of 2022.

The factory also anticipates starting volume production in the first quarter of 2024 at the phase-one facility of the fab, which is planned for a monthly output capacity of 20,000 chips.

Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Apple are among the companies that may purchase the chips produced in the Arizona plant.

Apple's 5nm custom silicon chips may potentially be produced in the United States for the first time with the new Arizona facility.

Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to shift its custom silicon to a 3nm process, starting with the M2 Pro or M3 chip.

By early 2024, when the Arizona factory begins commercial production, likely, Apple will still require a supply of 5nm chips from TSMC since the A16 chip in the iPhone 14 Pro is anticipated to be produced using a 5nm technology.

The Arizona facility will be TSMC's second production location in the United States; its primary facilities are in Taiwan. It also has a factory in Camas, Washington, and design centers in Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California.

According to reports, Apple will establish a new research and development facility in Israel to produce future Mac-specific silicon chips.

During a Q&A session of the TSMC's earnings conference in mid-July, Chairman Mark Liu discussed the higher-than-anticipated expenses for the new factory in Arizona.

However, costs should not be an issue because the factory intends to serve TSMC's domestic customers in the U.S., according to Liu. He also mentioned that the U.S. government's subsidies would be essential to TSMC's efforts to cut costs.

READ ALSO: Apple 3nm M2 Pro Mass Production by TSMC to Start Later This Year

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SpaceX's Starlink will soon have major design changes as part of the independent aerospace agency's efforts to mitigate its satellites' brightness.

(Photo : Red Huber/Getty Images)

CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - MAY 6: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from launch complex 39A on May 6, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Ever since Elon Musk announced that he plans to create a giant artificial constellation consisting of thousands of Starlink cube sats, experts have shared their concerns.

Astronomers, astrologers, and other researchers studying the night sky said that they are worried that the satellites will reflect too much light, preventing them from observing important space objects.

Now, SpaceX announced three solutions it would use to mitigate Starlink's brightness.

SpaceX's Starlink Design Change To Reduce Brightness

According to PC Mag's latest report, the independent space company is now working on several enhancements for its Starlink cube satellites.

(Photo : Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX, speaks during the Satellite 2020 at the Washington Convention CenterMarch 9, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP)

Also Read: SpaceX Starlink Internet Service Expands in Southeast Asia, Starting in the Philippines! NTC Gives Go Signal

SpaceX shared its exact plans via its official "Brightness Mitigation Best Practices for Satellite Operators" document.

These include the following:

SpaceX plans to use black paint on all components of its Starlink satellite. The space agency explained that even the small parts of the cube sats could contribute to the overall brightness.

SpaceX will use second-gen dielectric mirror films, which offer 10 times better brightness reduction capability. This new film is claimed to be more efficient than the black visor foam, as well as the first-gen dielectric mirror film.

SpaceX also announced that it would change the direction of its Starlink solar arrays, pointing them away from the Sun once the cube sats reach the dark parts of Earth.

SpaceX's Older Starlink Brightness Mitigation Plans

Before the space agency announced its three new brightness mitigation plans, SpaceX had already tried various methods to reduce the reflected light of its Starlink satellites.

One of these is using a sun visor to block the Sun's incoming light. However, this component also affects the laser links of Starlink satellites.

Because of this, SpaceX decided to remove the Starlink sun virus. If you want to learn more about the recent efforts made by SpaceX to lessen Starlink's brightness, you can click this link.

Recently, experts claimed that SpaceX Starlink could allow the United States to dominate cyberspace.

On the other hand, SpaceX Starlink helped Ukraine users, allowing hundreds of thousands of residents to have an internet connection.

For more news updates about SpaceX and its other plans, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: SpaceX Starlink Satellites Are Bringing More Than Just Super-Fast Internet

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk is now bashing Wikipedia after the online website decided to remove the edit feature of its "recession page."

(Photo : JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk pauses and looks down as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022.

Although Wikipedia's content can be edited, it has remained among the most trusted online encyclopedia websites.

But, there are some instances when words described by the multilingual website are being changed, especially during important events.

This can be seen in its "recession" section, which has been edited many times in just a short period.

Elon Musk Bashes Wikipedia Recession Page Edit Removal

According to New York Post's latest report, Elon Musk bashed Wikipedia for removing the edit button of its "recession" page.

(Photo : Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

A laptop computer displays Wikipedia's front page showing a darkened logo on January 18, 2012 in London, England. The Wikipedia website has shut down it's English language service for 24 hours in protest over the US anti-piracy laws.

Also Read: Elon Musk New Philosophy: Universe Curiosity, Multiplanetary Life, Interstellar-SpaceX to Deliver Sub-Lightspeed?

He shared his opinion as his reply to the Twitter post of Mile Solana, the vice president at Founders Fund, a venture capital firm.

"Wikipedia is losing its objectivity," said the billionaire via his official Twitter reply.

Wikipedia is losing its objectivity @jimmy_wales  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2022

Musk even tagged the official account of Jimmy Wales, one of the two founders of Wikipedia.

As of press time, the tweet of Elon already generated more than 40,000 likes, 3,200 retweets, and 460 quote tweets.

Elon Musk is now the 5th most followed Twitter account. He passed Cristiano Ronaldo today in Twitter followers. pic.twitter.com/8zOecDogbA  DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) July 29, 2022

On the other hand, other users also agreed with his statement. Meanwhile, some individuals said that Wikipedia did not have any goal right from the start.

Why Wikipedia 'Recession' Page's Edit Was Removed?

The "recession" page of Wikipedia suddenly became an issue after many editors changed the word's definition numerous times.

As of writing, the page is still locked. But, registered and established users can still edit the section. On the official website, the online encyclopedia explained why it decided to remove the edit button.

The company said that the article may be affected by the ongoing political debate in the United States. Wikipedia further explained that the information on the site is expected to change rapidly as the event continues.

It added that registered users can edit the section, but if their provided information doesn't have reliable sources, the changes will be removed.

Meanwhile, Elon Musk's buyout deal is being blamed for the revenue loss of Twitter.

On the other hand, the trial between Elon Musk and Twitter has been scheduled for Oct. 17.

For more news updates about Elon Musk and other billionaires, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk Wishes Russia 'Bon Voyage' on its International Space Station Exit on 2024

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA and SpaceX's Crew-1 Dragon had debris that detached from the spacecraft and made its re-entry to the planet, and this piece fell in Australia and made a massive bang upon impact on the ground. The space debris is a massive piece of the spacecraft, particularly what an expert believed to be a part of the "unpressurized crew trunk" of the ship.

NASA, SpaceX's Crew-1 Dragon Debris: Fell in Australia

In a tweet by an astrophysicist that recently returned from Dalgety, New South Wales, Australia, Brad Tucker said that he investigated a piece of space debris that fell in the middle of a sheep paddock. Here, the space debris that a sheep farmer, Mick Miner, found on his property is a massive three-feet long debris from the first crewed mission it delivered to the International Space Station.

The experts believe that it is NASA and SpaceX's Crew-1 Dragon spacecraft's debris that fell to the planet, and good thing it fell on an open area that did not have any residential houses nearby. The loud sound of the impact reached that of the far away areas that one would think would not reach its vicinity.

According to ABC News Australia, the impact sound was very loud that it alerted Miner and made him believe that it was debris from space.

Experts that looked into it confirmed that it is from SpaceX through its serial numbers.

Read Also: Space Garbage Can Apparently 'Trap' Humans On Earth--Just How Bad Is The Problem?

I just got back from Dalgety, NSW. I was busy confirming that parts of a @SpaceX Crew-1 Trunk capsule crashed into a few paddocks in rural NSW! More info to come:https://t.co/2VJzeYMhhn pic.twitter.com/sQsE4WAxRq  Brad Tucker (@btucker22) July 29, 2022

No One was Hurt, Debris Larger Than a Person

The good thing is that no one was hurt in this incident, but it would have been fatal if it fell on the house or near an area where there were many people present in public. It is still unconfirmed what part of the spacecraft it is, with SpaceX not yet releasing any statements regarding the piece.

The debris is larger than a person's and may potentially be hazardous for all.

SpaceX Debris: What Happens to It?

SpaceX said before that its Starlink satellites disintegrate without debris if it ever falls back to the planet, and it would not hurt anyone or damage any property if the space objects re-enter the planet unknowingly. Several space companies claim this would happen when their spacecraft falls, and not all ensure this for all.

There are significant worries regarding the many orbiting satellites from SpaceX that would be potentially dangerous when it re-enters the planet as it would be harmful to many. Not to mention its many satellites that orbit the planet daily and provide the world with a constellation of internet services.

However, Starlink's satellites are safe as they disintegrate without any debris, as Musk originally said.

Not all spacecraft from SpaceX are safe for their re-entry to the planet, as one that came back brought a massive and intact piece from the cosmic heavens. The SpaceX Crew-1 Dragon debris that brought NASA Commercial Crew astronauts to the space station has a piece of it unintentionally detach and fall to Australia, now a significant phenomenon in the area.

Related Article: SpaceX's Starlink Design Change To Reduce Brightness; 2nd-Gen Satellites To Use Three Light Mitigations

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by Isaiah Richard

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Chick-fil-A is planning to open its first restaurant in the mid-Willamette Valley, filling the location left vacant when McGraths Fish House closed in Corvallis in 2019.

The next closest Chick-fil-A, according to the Georgia-based chain's website, is in Keizer.

Chick-fil-A proposes replacing the existing McGraths building at 350 NE Circle Blvd. with a new one that will include a dual drive-thru, city documents show.

To accommodate the drive-thrus, the property owner took a nugget of a nearby property, adding 10,743 square feet from 400 NE Circle Blvd. better known as the old Kmart property, bringing the site from .76 to 1.02 acres, and reducing the adjacent site from 9.05 to 8.79 acres.

The city hasn't yet signed off on all the approvals. The project is currently under review, according to Jason Yaich, Planning Division manager. He said building permit and inspections reviews follow after that.

The property is situated on a busy intersection with 99W. In early July, the city's Public Works Department asked for a traffic review.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

The dual drive-thru lanes would begin along the east side of the lot and run up to the window on the west side of the new building, according to city documents.

Vehicle access to the site is currently provided from right-in-only access from Circle Boulevard and a shared right-in/right-out access immediately east of the property.

Travis Bradley Development of Springfield bought the property in 2019 for $850,000. The assessed value was $1.31 million, Benton County records show.

In 2019, McGrath's Fish House founder John McGrath told Mid-Valley Media that "the building had urgent, major repairs." An expensive estimate to repair the roof contributed to his decision to close the Corvallis restaurant.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article did not correctly identify Chick-fil-A as a Georgia-based company.
The United States (US) federal courts reportedly experienced a massive data breach in their records system.

Now, the US Justice Department is probing the cyber breach that exposed the records management system of federal courts across the country.

(Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

BERLIN, GERMANY - JANUARY 25: In this photo illustration a young man types on an illuminated computer keyboard typically favored by computer coders on January 25, 2021 in Berlin, Germany.

US Federal Courts Data Breach

As per the latest news story by The Verge, the House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler says in his latest testimony that the document system of the US federal courts has been hit by a massive cyber breach.

Nadler testifies that the data breach carries a "startling breadth and scope," which occurred way back in early 2020.

The Verge reports that the Department of Justice has told the judiciary about the massive data breach and informed them that they are already probing the cyberattack.

(Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

A participant sits with a laptop computer as he attends the annual Chaos Communication Congress of the Chaos Computer Club at the Berlin Congress Center on December 28, 2010 in Berlin, Germany.

Meanwhile, the online news outlet went on to note that explicit details regarding the massive data breach remain to be clandestine.

And as such, it is not clear how the cyberattack was carried out or who the threat actors behind it were.

But it is worth noting that in 2021, the federal judiciary system disclosed that it plans to go "low-tech" for all of its sensitive documents. The announcement comes amid the massive SolarWinds hack.

Read Also: 'Neopets' Platform Breach Affects Millions of Users! Hacker Sells User Data for Four BTC

US Justice Department Probes Federal Court Data Breach

According to the latest report by Reuters, the Justice Department has been investigating the data breach in the federal courts.

No less than the head of the National Security Division of the Department of Justice, Matt Olsen, told the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives that he considers the data breach to be a "significant concern."

Olsen further notes that "this is, of course, a significant concern for us given the nature of the information that's often held by the courts."



(Photo : NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images)

(FILES) In this file photo taken on August 04, 2020, Prince, a member of the hacking group Red Hacker Alliance who refused to give his real name, uses his computer at their office in Dongguan, China's southern Guangdong province.

However, he states that he could not "speak directly to the nature of the ongoing investigation of the type of threats that you've mentioned regarding the effort to compromise public judicial dockets."

Reuters says in its report that the National Security Division head failed to specify who was behind the cyberattack in the records system of the US federal courts.

But despite that, the news outlet notes that Olsen highlights that the National Security Division puts its focus on select countries across the globe, such as China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

However, Olsen did not say if the cyber attackers in the federal court records are among these foreign nations.

Related Article: Twitter Hacker is Now Selling 5.4 Million Data it Stole from the Company for $30,000

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Teejay Boris

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The production of eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft is gaining a lot of steam, and automakers are now entering this space by designing their own eVTOL vehicles!

The most recent company to join this movement is Volkswagen Group China after it unveiled the final design of its very own "Vertical Mobility."

The Flying Tiger

The plane, also known as the Flying Tiger, was introduced during the Year of the Tiger and was painted in a black-and-gold scheme to mimic the big cat's black and orange colors.

As reported first by New Atlas, the current functional prototype has eight horizontal rotors for vertical lift and two rear vertical pusher props for forwarding flight.

The aircraft was produced due to a collaboration between VW China, the UK design studio tangerine, and the Chinese aviation manufacturer Sunward.

Tangerine claims that extensive user research involving more than a hundred high-net-worth people from all over China significantly impacted the aircraft's design, format, and layout.

Volkswagen China's plans for the current model include conducting numerous test flights later this year, followed by test flights late next summer for a more enhanced prototype.

According to the company, the final production prototype will be fully autonomous and capable of transporting four passengers and luggage with a range of up to 200km (124 miles).

In order to keep passengers far from the propellers, the cabin is positioned beneath the wings in an aerodynamic shape. It has an aerodynamic skate that supports ground-level passenger access to the cabin while lifting the vehicle off the ground.

Read also: 'Flying Hotel That Never Lands': AI Sky Cruise Ship Will Use Nuclear Energy to Fly in Luxury

Ground-Breaking Project

"Through this pilot project, we are bringing Volkswagen's long tradition of precision engineering, design, and innovation to the next level, by developing a premium product that will serve the vertical mobility needs of our future tech savvy Chinese customers," Dr. Stephan Wollenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, said.

He claims the aircraft is a ground-breaking project that their young Chinese experts started from scratch - using cutting-edge design principles, materials, and safety standards.

Urban air mobility is a rapidly developing industry that aims to use air space for short- and medium-distance links, particularly above and between large cities, according to Volkswagen.

V.MO is most likely to be marketed in the early stages of its commercial use as a high-end product for wealthy, tech-savvy Chinese consumers, such as for VIP air shuttle services.

In comparison to the current conventional modes of terrestrial transportation, Volkswagen said that eVTOL air vehicles would be more flexible and capable of moving passengers more quickly and efficiently.

Related Article: Volkswagen, Bosch Agrees to Setup 6 Battery Production Centers in EU by 2030; Is this for Electric Vehicles?

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Due to their failure to adhere to licensing requirements, Indonesia has blocked the search engine Yahoo, the payments company PayPal, and several gaming websites, according to a report by Reuters.

An official revealed the announcement on Saturday, July 30, which ultimately set off a social media backlash.

"BlokirKominfo"

Regulations that went into effect in late November 2020 mandated registration and gave officials broad authority to order platforms to hand over user data and remove content deemed illegal or that "disturbs public order" within four hours if necessary and 24 hours if not.

The deadline was eventually extended until Friday, July 29. Hence, several tech companies such as Facebook, Instagram, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, WhatsApp, and Amazon.com had to register immediately before missing the deadline.

Yahoo, Paypal, and gaming websites like Steam, Dota2, Counter-Strike, and EpicGames, among others, have also been blocked, according to Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, a senior official at Indonesia's Communications Ministry.

On Indonesian Twitter, hashtags like "BlokirKominfo" ( which means block the Ministry of Communication), "Epic Games," and "PayPal" became trending. Many users posted messages criticizing the government's action as harming Indonesia's online gaming sector and freelancers who use PayPal.

One Twitter user wrote, "I just found out that Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information just blocked Steam, PayPal, and LinkedIn. They're literally killing freelancers and eSport players in this country."

I just found out that Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information just blocked Steam, PayPal and LinkedIn.. They're literally killing freelancers and eSport players in this country.#BlokirKominfo pic.twitter.com/NDp0kiwEes  LALISA (@hwiPARA3bam) July 30, 2022

As of July 29, the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Kominfo) reported receiving 8,680 domestic and 282 foreign permit applications.

Read also: Tech Time: Amazon's Prime Air Service Drones, PayPal BNPL Extension, Microsoft Surface Deals, and More

Gaming Platforms Blocked

As reported first by IGN, major online gaming platforms such as Epic Games, EA, Nintendo, Battle Net, Origin, and Ubisoft were unable to submit their applications for licenses before the deadline.

As of now, it is unknown if users' access to platforms like Steam and Epic Games would be restored if they register late with Kominfo.

After being unable to access their game libraries, millions of Indonesian gamers have taken to social media to voice out their frustrations. Several internet users also encouraged one another to use a VPN or change their DNS to play games.

The Southeast Asian country is a significant market for a variety of tech platforms, with an estimated 191 million internet users, according to Reuters.

Related Article: Yahoo Halts Operations in China, Says 'Increasingly Challenging Business' Amid Shutdown

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Apple posted a 2% improvement in its revenue over the past quarter compared to the same quarter last year. According to the Cupertino firm, this was attributed to a huge number of iPhone "switchers."

The term "switcher" refers to those Android users who switched the platform. The iPhone maker said they played an important part in their third-quarter results.

Android Users Are Jumping to iOS Platform

(Photo : Marga Santoso from Unsplash)

According to Apple, more Android users are switching to iPhone during the recent quarter

According to ZDNet's report, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that their revenue record and "switchers" population have improved for the latest quarter.

During the earnings call, the tech boss acknowledged that the "switchers are gradually moving to iPhone. It does not mean that the Android platform is dying, but this means that more patrons are coming to the iPhone for a change.

"And the iPhone active installed base reached a new all-time high across all geographies as a result of this level of sales performance combined with unmatched customer loyalty. In fact, the latest survey of U.S. consumers from 451 Research indicates iPhone customer satisfaction of 98%. We also attracted a record number of switchers for the June quarter, with strong double-digit year-over-year growth," Apple CFO Luca Maestri said.

Related Article: Android Users Are Switching To iOS Because Of The iPhone XR

What Attracted Users to Switch From iPhone to Android?

In a similar story from ZDNet, iPhone seems to be driving a strong market in select regions, including India, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Maestri explained that they are looking to study the effect of geographic distribution on the adoption of Apple products.

As per Cook, the high rate of iPhone switchers has taken place because of 5G technology and a high level of customer satisfaction.

Cook continued that customer loyalty and satisfaction should be the important stuff that every company must maintain. Additionally, he said that the 5G penetration in the market had gone globally, so this means that more users will be able to use it.

Although the 5G capability is already known in some parts of the world, the usage of this technology remains low in other areas. Cook said there's a "reason to be optimistic" for it.

Apple recorded a 12% increase in the revenue from its services, while it improved by up to 3% because of the iPhones.

The tech titan said there's less revenue generated from selling smart home products, iPad, Mac, and wearables. The company was aware that supply constraints slowed them down, but it's still hopeful that its upcoming Apple Silicon hardware will do some magic in sales.

In the meantime, Apple could focus on improving the number of Mac switchers from the Windows platform. It's about time to test another ground for growth.

Elsewhere, Business Insider shared some tricks on how to troubleshoot your iPhone if it's not sending messages to Android users.

Read Also: Will Apple Buy Netflix? Rumors Circulate While Tim Cook Said He Won't Rule Out a Major Acquisition

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Elon Musk allegedly plans to build his own Texas private airport. But can he do this while his too busy with Tesla and SpaceX?



(Photo : Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during a press conference at SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022. - Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk delivered an eagerly-awaited update on SpaceX's Starship, a prototype rocket the company is developing for crewed interplanetary exploration.

This detail was shared by some sources who are familiar with Musk's works. As of press time, the billionaire already has some of his companies based in Texas.

These include SpaceX and the Boring Company. Last December 2021, he decided to move his Tesla HQ from Silicon Valley to Texas as well.

Now, it seems like he is also planning to construct a private airport in the U.S. South Central region. But, what will he do with it?

Elon Musk Texas Private Airport?

According to Business Insider's latest report, the rumored private airport is expected to service the operations in Texas-based SpaceX, Tesla, and Boring Company factories and facilities.

(Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Spacex founder Elon Musk celebrates after the successful launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft at the Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Earlier in the day NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley lifted off an inaugural flight and will be the first people.

Related Article: Elon Musk New Philosophy: Universe Curiosity, Multiplanetary Life, Interstellar-SpaceX to Deliver Sub-Lightspeed?

As of writing, Musk hasn't confirmed this plan yet. Specific details about the exact size and location are also unclear.

Although this is the case, several sources told Austonia, a local publication site, claimed that the private airport will be around the east of Austin, near Bastrop.

They added that the new private airport would be used for private jet flights by Musk and his executives.

Elon Musk's Owned Land in Texas

As of press time, the popular tech CEO already owns thousands of acres of land in central Texas. More than 2,000 acres were already used to construct the massive Tesla Giga Texas.

Meanwhile, SpaceX and the Boring Company were also able to acquire more land in the past few years. Going back to the private airport, speculations stated that it would be larger than the Austin Executive Airport, which is around 585 acres.

But, before Musk can start building his own private airport, he still needs to get approval from the FAA.

Previously, the trial between Elon Musk and Twitter had been scheduled for Oct. 17.

On the other hand, Elon Musk reacted to Donald Trump's post.

For more news updates about Elon Musk and his other plans, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk Admits SpaceX Starship Design is 'Pointy,' Inspired by 'The Dictator'

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
GM's warranty transfer limit is now being rolled out. The giant automaker decided to launch this change so buyers would be discouraged from purchasing the company's in-demand vehicles just for reselling.

(Photo : Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

A General Motors logo is shown at the General Motors Technical Center, where today Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra held a press conference on June 5, 2014 in Warren, Michigan. Barra spoke to provide an update on GM's internal investigation into the ignition switch recall at the General Motors Technical Center.

This plan was already announced by General Motors North America President Steve Carlisle earlier this 2022.

The automaker also sent a letter to its GM Dealership teams that flippers affected the automaker's image, as Corvette Blogger reported.

For those who are not familiar with the so-called flippers, these are individuals who purchase products for quick profits.

GM Warranty Transfer Limit Rolls Out!

According to Engadget's latest report, GM confirmed that it is now implementing limitations on the transferability of certain warranties.

(Photo : Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

A general view of GMC Hummer EVs is pictured on November 17, 2021 at General Motors' Factory ZERO electric vehicle assembly plant in Detroit, Michigan. U.S. President Joe Biden is set to remarks on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law creates a future made in America, builds electric vehicle charging stations across the country.

Related Article: GM EV Mass Production 2025: Long-Term LG Chem Cathode Material, Livent's Lithium Supplies Now Secured

Specifically, buyers can resell their cars if the purchase was made within the past 12 months. On the other hand, General Motors also announced that sellers would be restricted from placing future reservations or sold orders for some in-demand models.

"When vehicles are quickly resold, particularly by unauthorized dealers or other resellers that do not adhere to GM's standards, the customer experience suffers and GM's brands are damaged," explained Carlisle.

He added that the new warranty transferability changes are now being rolled out, saying that these adjustments will ensure buyers can have exemplary customer service experiences.

The warranty transfer limitations are also expected to strengthen GM's branding and encourage ownership by brand critics and loyal consumers.

GM Models Affected

GM's new warranty limitations will affect the GMC Hummer electric vehicles (SUV and SUT), the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, as well as the 23MY Cadillac Escalade-V.

As of press time, General Motors is having a hard time with its electric Hummer models because these EVs were developed from scratch.

Various sources said that the automaker only manufactures around 12 of its Hummer EVs per day. You can click this link to see more about GM's production issues.

Recently, GM and Ford are expected to overtake Tesla in the EV market around 2025.

On the other hand, General Motors' EV First Responder Training Program was launched to train employees.

For more news updates about General Motors and other automakers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: GM, LG to Build 3 EV Factories in the US from Energy's $2.5B Loan-What Locations?

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Griffin Davis

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
"The 600 million supercar was flooded and sold for 1 million won... Those who want to use it as a decoration"
By Trend

Tajikistan's Minister of Industry and New Technologies Sherali Kabir and Ambassador of Kazakhstan in Tajikistan Valikhan Turekhanov discussed the construction of wholesale distribution centers, Trend reports via khovar.tj.

"Wholesale distribution centers are a complex of facilities designed for storage, package, and sale of agricultural products, which will ensure transparent trade relations in compliance with sanitary standards," the message says.

In addition, the issues of deepening industrial cooperation between the two countries in the context of the implementation of the agreements reached during the official visit of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in May 2021 were also discussed.

As a result, both sides highlighted the great potential between Tajikistan and Kazakhstan for further expansion of trade and economic cooperation.
An immigrant from Honduras that entered the country illegally wears an ankle monitor at a shelter, Monday, July 27, 2015, in San Antonio. Lawyers representing immigrant mothers held in a South Texas detention center say the women have been denied counsel and coerced into accepting ankle-monitoring bracelets as a condition of release, even after judges made clear that paying their bonds would suffice.(AP Photo/Eric Gay) ORG XMIT: OTK
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size There are very few actors whose onscreen death has been cheered as much as Ewen Leslies. That moment in The Cry, when his manipulative husband is sent crashing to his end? Never has the unclicking of a seatbelt brought so much satisfaction. People hated that guy so much, says Leslie. It keeps getting replayed on TV and you can tell when its on because people in parks go, [he whispers] Theres that guy from The Cry. Do they move their children away from him? He laughs. He was just a really well-written narcissist. Thats why it was so believable. Because everyone goes, I know that [type of] guy. [When we were shooting the first half in Melbourne], it was really great because I was like, I dont need to worry about the audience, because no ones going to go with me on this. No ones gonna go, Oh, I kind of liked him. Leslie and Backer will interact with an on-stage camera crew for Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Credit:Daniel Boud But towards the end, I started to struggle with it. Once we were in Glasgow, I was like, F---, man. I just need to get out of this guys head. I found it really challenging.

Advertisement

The 42-year-old is sitting in the sun at Theatre Bar at the End of the Wharf. Hes soon to start rehearsals for Sydney Theatre Companys Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, in which he will be required to get into the head of not only the upstanding Dr Jekyll but his savage alter-ego Mr Hyde. Based on Robert Louis Stevensons 1886 novella and adapted and directed by the STCs artistic director Kip Williams, the story is rooted in Gothic horror and considers the true nature not only of humans but of society. The true monster of doom is public opinion, says Leslie. He lives in this Victorian era, where there were all these social pressures and it was all about how you presented your public standing and what the public opinion was. Ewen Leslie and Matt Backer, are the stars of the Sydney Theatre Companies production of Jekyll and Hyde. Credit:Brook Mitchell But this guy, who had all these secret desires and fantasies about the person who he truly wanted to be, he felt that because of who he was in society, he wasnt able to do it. Does Leslie think we should all reveal our true selves? To a certain degree, he says. We all operate with some level of fear, right? The amount of times you look back and go, Oh, man, I wish I had the bravery to say that.

Advertisement

As an actor, I feel that so much of the time. When I think back on a play, or look at something I did, I go, I wish I wasnt scared when I did that. Were all scared. So in that regard, absolutely. In terms of murdering people? Im gonna draw a line. Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde bears similarities to Williams blockbuster adaptation of Oscar Wildes The Picture of Dorian Gray. That show had Eryn Jean Norvill playing 26 live and pre-recorded characters across two hours while juggling multiple costume changes, four mobile phones and an on-stage camera crew. The books were published only five years apart and examine the Victorian fascination with duality: our public vs private selves. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian makes a pact of sorts with the devil, so his true age is kept hidden, while Jekyll hides his violent alter-ego, fearing what society will make of his real identity. Kip Williams (right) during rehearsals with Leslie and Backer. Terrifying, is how Leslie describes it. Credit:Daniel Boud One thing that interests me in revisiting this story 120-odd years later is what was it that Robert Louis Stevenson couldnt overtly say, back in his period, says Williams. He was deconstructing a society that forces somebody to compartmentalise themselves. The story looks at the damages of that compartmentalisation and the injustice and tragedy of it. And it is interesting that over the course of that 120 years, society has co-opted Robert Louis Stevensons story into this notion of we all have this monster within. I dont personally see Hyde as a monster, I see the Victorian social values as a monster, and Im questioning how much we still hold on to those values.

Advertisement

For his part, Leslie likens the continuing interest in Jekyll and Hyde to the craze for shows about serial killers, such as Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes on Netflix. Theres a fascination people have with the mild-mannered guy that lives next door that secretly does these horrible things, he says. And then people go, Its like a Jekyll and Hyde thing. And I think, in my head, I always thought the story was about someone who accidentally created this potion that makes up why would you want to be a monster. Whereas its actually someone who wants to do that. It becomes this addiction. Leslie with Jenna Coleman in The Cry, which was seen by 8 million people in the UK, his biggest TV audience so far. Credit:Lachlan Moore That mild-mannered guy who lives next door could easily be Leslie. Everyone at STC goes to great lengths to tell you how lovely he is. Williams gushes Ewen is one of the sweetest, nicest people you could ever meet, while Matt Backer, who plays Dr Jekylls good friend Mr Utterson, calls him friggin incredible. In person, Leslie is gregarious and chatty, a much lighter figure than the furrowed brow seen on screen. He starts a story with, I dont know if I should tell you this  (absolutely) and then checks later that Im not going to print it (absolutely not). In fact, the only person who seems vaguely unimpressed is Leslies six-year-old son, who wont let his dad walk through the school gates at drop-off and asks him to stop practising Victorian-era English accents lest anyone at school overhear.

Advertisement

Nice guy he may be, but it cant be denied Leslie has developed quite the knack for playing narcissists, rogues and, well, people you just want to punch. He delivered an unhinged Cassius, one of three roles he played, in Julius Caesar at STC; he popped out of the bushes as a sinister dude in a suit in the Toni Collette Netflix thriller Pieces of Her; was called a bizarro Basil Fawlty in ABC TVs comic drama Operation Buffalo; and chilled as a violent rapist in Warwick Thorntons film Sweet Country. So much of the time as an actor, youre just trying to subvert peoples expectations of what you can do, he says. Its a trick. Like people will go, Ewen Leslie, hes that, he can do that. There were a bunch of years there where I played a bunch of disaffected, tortured intellectual people. And I was like, F---, Ive got to show people I can play an ordinary guy. And then I did The Daughter, which was based on the Wild Duck, where I played a good man in a difficult situation. Leslie as the sadistic station owner Harry March in Warwick Thorntons Sweet Country. And then on the back of that, I got Top of the Lake and Safe Harbour, and other roles like that. And then Sweet Country came along, and I went, Oh, this will be good. I can play a bad guy, I can play an arsehole. No ones seen that before. And then I got The Cry  Williams says its Leslies unique ability to plumb the psychological depths of the character that draws audiences in. He has that remarkable versatility as an actor, says Williams. Technically, in terms of his vocal dexterity, but also in the comic and dramatic interplay he has in all of his creations on stage.

Advertisement
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the July 31 edition of Sunday Life. See all 13 stories. Back in 2010, when Michelle Lim Davidson was about to graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), she was handed advice that no aspiring actor wants to hear. Agents and industry people came directly up to me and said, I just want to let you know, youre very good. You have talent. But you will never work,  she recalls. They were like, Youll never work on television, and its going to be really hard for you to get a job in main-stage theatre. They dont hire people that look like you.  Michelle, who was born in Korea but raised in Australia, was left reeling and racked with self-doubt. I asked myself, What am I going to do? Why am I even here? I just didnt realise it would be such a problem. But only a couple of days after her WAAPA graduation showcase, she proved her doubters wrong. In the audience of that showcase was British comedian Ben Elton, who selected Michelle to be part of his 2011 TV sketch comedy show, Ben Elton Live from Planet Earth. The show would last only three episodes but it was enough to launch Michelles career. Since then she has starred in television shows such as Utopia, Doctor Doctor, Harrow, Get Krack!n, Top of the Lake China Girl, The Secret She Keeps and The Newsreader, for which she was nominated for an AACTA for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama. Bianca Spender Manhattan jacket, $845. Tory Burch dress, $1730. Senso Glory boots, $460. Dinosaur Designs ring, $395, and Louise Olsen ring, $250, from Dinosaur Designs. Both rings worn throughout. Credit:Jedd Cooney Michelles film credits include Ivan Sens Goldstone and she has a huge list of theatre productions to her name. But for anyone with a preschooler in the house, Michelle is probably best known as a regular presenter on Play School, a role shes held for the past 10 years. In real life, Michelle looks much younger than her 34 years, and she admits she still gets asked for ID at her local bottle shop. As someone who spends her time in front of the camera, she is surprisingly apprehensive about todays photo shoot.

Advertisement

The first thing I said to everyone this morning was, Im really nervous. When I say Im nervous, Im actually terrified,  she says, laughing and hiding her face with her hands. Its her latest role, in Channel 9s upcoming drama After the Verdict, that brings her into the Sunday Life photo studio. The series is a murder mystery with a comedic twist about four people who meet while serving jury duty  Clara (Michelle), Daniel (Sullivan Stapleton), Margie (Magda Szubanski) and Ollie (Lincoln Younes). When the case is over, the four jurors start having second thoughts about the woman theyve declared not guilty and go about investigating the murder for which shed been accused. Lincoln Younes, Michelle Lim Davidson, and Magda Szubanski star in Nines upcoming drama, After the Verdict. Credit:Nine One of the things I love about the show is that were all quite different: Magda, Lincoln and Sullivan and me, says Michelle. So the relationship the characters form is a very unlikely bond. Loading Michelle describes her character, Clara, as quirky. She has absolutely no life skills that align with being like a private detective, but shes on this mission to get justice for the victim. So they end up on this extreme journey. Clara is maybe a bit similar to me; she cant back out. Theres something else that makes the role of Clara particularly significant. This is the first time a Korean-Australian character has led an Australian television show. I could not have anticipated that my journey would bring me here. Everyone said it wouldnt happen, says Michelle.

Advertisement

But the path to this point hasnt been without bumps along the way. Michelle recalls once being asked to fill out her details on a form at a casting agency and under the category of Asian ethnicity there were specific options such as Chinese and Japanese, but there was no box to tick for Korean. I remember saying, Im Korean,  says Michelle. The agent just looked at me and said, Oh, you could pass as any of them.  I remember saying, Im Korean. The agent just looked at me and said, Oh, you could pass as any of them.  Michelle doubts many other actors have been asked to end their audition scene with an unscripted karate kick, or been asked if they speak Mandarin. I said, I cant speak Mandarin. And they said, What about Cantonese?  It was Michelles role as Noelene Kim on The Newsreader where she first played a Korean woman on Australian television. Even then, the role was adapted for her. I auditioned and I said, You know, Im Korean  Im not sure if thats going to fit in the show. But they were very open to it. So I had never even auditioned for a Korean woman. Bottega Veneta sweater, $1290 Dinosaur Designs Wishbone bangle, $260. Credit:Jedd Cooney Michelle was four-and-a-half months old when she was adopted by her Australian parents, who live in Newcastle. She speaks of feeling like an outsider growing up in the harbour city. I was the only Asian person at my school until year 4, she says. I never felt like I fit into the beach culture. I was not good at sports.

Advertisement

Michelle says her parents joke that she didnt see the sun for the first 12 years of her life because she was so shy. But she found her personal expression through the arts and took up dancing, where her shyness would evaporate once she was on stage. Michelles parents also enrolled her into drama lessons in an attempt to bring her out of her shell. She says a switch flicked when she started year 7 at a performing arts high school. Soon she was performing in high school musicals and community theatre, and slowly merged from dancing to acting. After finishing school, Michelle worked as a sandwich artist at Subway, while applying year after year to gain entry into WAAPA. It took three attempts. The move to Perth would prove to be life-changing. But there was another important journey Michelle would take. It took many years before she felt ready to return to the country of her birth, but she eventually reconnected with her family in Korea. Its a surreal experience. Ive never really felt like I fit in here. I also dont really fit in there. Its the best and worst thing Ive done in my life. Its not what you think its going to be. Its not all Disney. Its a very unique and special connection; I felt it spiritually. I relate to my fathers home town and just feel connected to a place, to land, that I cant explain. But theres so much loss on either side, and Ive lost so much time. So I just feel like Im kind of catching up. Bianca Spender Allure shirt, $495, and Moro skirt, $425. Senso Gala boots, $320. Credit:Jedd Cooney Michelle beautifully expresses the sense of feeling caught between two worlds and not quite belonging to either. It was when I was flying home and looking at the map of the planes journey on the screen in front of me. The plane was midway across the ocean, the halfway point, and I thought maybe thats where I am.

Advertisement

The plane was midway across the ocean, the halfway point, and I thought maybe thats where I am. Her experience inspired her to write a play which is titled, Where We Love

Is Home. Its ultimately about finding home within you. I feel like I carry my home. Ive made that world for myself. Its so freeing for me. I was no longer trying to fit in anymore. I just felt like I could be me. Michelle has been a regular presenter on Play School for the past 10 years: You realise how important it is for little kids to see you. Credit:ABC Besides the upcoming release of After the Verdict, and developing projects for theatre and television, Michelle is busy preparing for filming the second season of The Newsreader. She has also just wrapped a 90th anniversary special for the ABC, and its her role on Play School that brings her a special kind of joy. Loading When you get out and you meet the kids who are watching, its really enjoyable, she says. Back to that diversity, you realise how important it is for little kids to see you. I remember, a mum told me this story about how her daughter was screaming from the living room. The mum rushed in thinking something was wrong. The girl was pointing to the television saying, This girl looks like me. She has the same eyes. The girl asked her mother, One day, can I be like Michelle? And I got to say to that mum, Yes, yes, she absolutely can. 

Advertisement
The slaughtered bodies of a koala, a border collie, a cat and guinea pigs have been dumped in an inner-city park in Brisbane.

Residents of Toowong near Anzac Park alerted council workers early Thursday evening to bags in the park where the bodies of the animals were discovered.

The animals bodies had been chopped up, police said.

File pic: Police and the RSPCA are investigating the dumping of a koala, border collie and possums in a Brisbane park. Credit:Nine news.

The council workers found the bodies of a koala, a border collie, some possums, guinea pigs and a cat and alerted police and the RSPCA.
Police seek help locating missing Melbourne man Li Bing Di

Were sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. Were working to restore it. Please try again later.

Dismiss
Bundled inside Li Bing Dis 79-page missing persons file are weathered photographs.

The young man with the panther tattoo poses for the camera. In one photograph, his hair drapes down over his left brow as he glances across with swagger.

Li Bing Di has been missing since February 2001.

His file is filled with details gleaned from painstaking police searches  including checks with the passport office, banks, tattoo registries and even casinos  spanning from Dandenong to New Zealand.

But 21 years on, Dis family are no closer to having answers to what happened to the plasterer from Melbournes southeast after he vanished on February 4, 2001, following a house fire he believed he had caused.
The international nurses union says Australia needs to train its own nurses instead of poaching from overseas, as a Filipino academic warned her country was also running short amid a recruitment spree by wealthy nations.

International Council of Nurses chief executive Howard Catton said the ethics of signing up nurses from developing countries had become even more problematic during the coronavirus pandemic when the global shortage of nurses, estimated to be 6 million in 2020, doubled.

Nurses from the Philippines are in high demand around the world. Pictured is Ethel Lydia Matias, working in Dubai. Credit:AP

Professor Teresita Irigo-Barcelo, former dean of the College of Nursing at Centro Escolar University in Manila and a former national president of the Philippine Nurses Association, said she did not agree with rich countries such as Australia poaching nurses from the Philippines.

Our country needs our own nurses to care for our own citizens, Irigo-Barcelo told this masthead. We are also experiencing a shortage of nurses.
Sao Paulo: Brazil on Friday reported the first monkeypox-related death outside the African continent in the current outbreak, shortly before Spain confirmed Europes first known death in the outbreak later in the day.

The Brazilian victim was a 41-year-old man who, according to the Health Ministry, also suffered from lymphoma and a weakened immune system.

The comorbidities aggravated his condition, the ministry said, adding the patient was hospitalised in the south-eastern city of Belo Horizonte and died from septic shock after being taken to the intensive care unit.

A resident receives a vaccine against Monkeypox in Barcelona, Spain. The country has recorded the first death from the disease in Europe. Credit:AP

The first monkeypox death in the Americas came less than a week after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the rapidly spreading outbreak a global health emergency, its highest level of alert.
She was only 16, pregnant, and scared.

It was 1972. That teen was Christie Ballor.

Now 67, Ballor still lives in Alliance, Ohio, where she was born. She recalled her road to recovery from having an abortion at a young ageand now witnessing Roes historic overturning a full 50 years later.

Her parents didnt know better. Lacking guidance, Ballor conceived out of wedlock with her then boyfriend and, fear-driven, she visited a Canton Planned Parenthood where she was told her unborn baby was just a lump of cells, like a tumor.

She now agonizes over how foolish she was.

I look back and I think, How could I believe something like that? she told the newspaper. This was not something that was sometimes said; its been said over and over and over. They stopped saying it publicly so much because theres so much science that they have to refute, but one-on-one? Oh yeah.

Tossing in the words and no one will ever know feigned the escape she (like other scared young women) was looking for.

Crossing State Lines at 16 for an Abortion at Dobbs Ferry Planned Parenthood

Ballor fielded the idea to her boyfriend. He said it was entirely her choice. She felt no fatherly commitment from him should she carry the pregnancy through, but he paid for her flight to get the abortion out of state, at the Dobbs Ferry Planned Parenthood facility in New York. Abortion wasnt illegal in Ohio then, but facilities were lacking.

(Left) A photo from Ballors senior year at Mount Union College in 1976, four years after her abortion; (Right) Ballor in the March for Life in Washington D.C. in 2017. (Courtesy of Christine Ballor)

Looking back, the idea of a minor crossing state lines for an abortion sounds crazypossibly even criminal. But Planned Parenthood didnt care.

They didnt care that someone of age took me across state lines to have an abortion, she recalled. I was 16 years old; I was a minor. They could care less.

He joined her on the flight, but was relieved when he had to wait at the airport upon the clinic station wagons arrival to pick up Ballorwith 5 or 10 other women who made the trip for the same reason. She envisioned her boyfriend chasing her, pleading for her not to go through with it. But as they pulled out, there was no turning back.

I suddenly felt like I was moving along a conveyor belt with other silent, sad, and hopeless women, she told Live Action. From that point, I simply moved like a robot through the process, suppressing any thoughts and feelings. Looking back, I really didnt need the sedative they gave me; my mind was already sedated with hopelessness.

The Dobbs clinic, she described, was a huge facility, like a hospital for abortions. Neither she nor the others got counseling like they were supposed to before the procedure.

Somebody asked, Do you have any questions? Well, whos going to ask a question? she said. And whos going to say, Im not sure I want to do this? I just flew in from Ohio.

Ballor tried to tune out the sounds and smells inside that cold, sterile room. The doctor told her, Relax, this wont take long. And it didnt. Afterward, she heard the weeping of other women in the waiting room. Her own tears started rolling down her cheeks.

I never felt such emptiness and despair in my life, she said. I had been deceived into thinking my baby was just a blob of tissue. But I immediately wiped my eyes, gritted my teeth, and told myself not to cry because I had chosen to do this. Nothing could bring my baby back. I vowed to pretend this never happened. So, I walked out of that place of death and despair the same way I walked in, like a robot going through the motions. I lived in denial for a long time.

In her own words, Ballor had killed her child. She knew it immediately. Ive heard this from other women too, she said. You dont feel empty after youve just had a tumor removed. She shut down emotionally and spent decades in denial, suppressing the demons plaguing her for what shed done.

Falling Into Despair Before Finding Faith, Healing, And Becoming Pro-Life

Through college and her career as an elementary teacher, she sought intimate relationships out of wedlock, as sexual promiscuity was accepted, the normal thing, she said. Today, its even harder to consider the consequences of having sex; our bodies are precious vessels not to be thrown away because some guy tells you he loves you.

Ballor commemorates her lost child at the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children in Canton, Ohio, in 2016. (Courtesy of Christine Ballor)

Subconsciously, she sought callous and abusive partners, to the extent that her former fiance broke into her apartment and raped her at gunpoint. Out of guilt, she felt unworthy, like she deserved this awful treatment.

Thats the kind of path that I was on, and I was abusing alcohol and drugs, she shared. I was still keeping [appearances] outward, I was able to start teaching  but nothing was satisfying. I wore a good face; I was a good actress: everything fine.

Snowballing into the breech of utter desperation, holding a bottle of tequila in one hand, a handful of Seconal in the other, she prayed, God, if you exist and if you think my life is worth anything anymore, please, please help me!

What came next was a miracle.

The answer pierced my soul not in words but in the form of an instant knowledge that I was loved by an indescribable, unfathomable love that seemed almost impossible, she told Live Action. I felt wrapped in a warmth and peace I cannot describe. Yes, God loved me, and my life had meaning. My parents had not provided a religious upbringing, so I would spend three decades searching to know this God who told me He loved me.

For Ballor, it was a turning point. She described divine forces leading her toward pro-life activism, first in Washington D.C. (where nobody knew her) where she joined a protest impromptu, asking to carry a sign saying I regret my abortion.

Ballors converting to Catholicism, joining the abortion healing program Heart, and becoming a pro-life defender of life were all bricks she laid on her path of healing in the years that followed.

An activist role took shape: as educator, imparting to women the truth she so needed as a teen; as walker in the March for Life; and as speaker with the Silent No More Awareness campaign, offering her testimony on the steps of the Supreme Court.

Then, on June 24, 2022, came another miracle.

A Decision 50 Years In The Making Opens a New Pro-Life Chapter

The Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wadea full 50 years after Ballors abortion. She was jubilant.

I was praying outside of Planned Parenthood that day, I just happened to be therethat was my regular day to go and pray at Planned Parenthood, she said. My prayer partner and Iour phones started going off, and I just fell to my knees.

I was crying, I fell to my knees, and started praying, thanking God for this.

Pro-life supporters celebrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on June 24, 2022, after the overturning of Roe v Wade. (Oliver Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

The landmark decision is just the beginning, she admits. But it was a gift.

The end of Roe dethrones the protected status of abortion under the federal government; the matter of legality now falls into the hands of individual states and the people.

Now, the fight is going to be in the states, she said, changing hearts and minds while warding off federal pro-abortion challenges.

Far from the acts of vandalism and disturbing demonstrations initiated by abortion advocates like Janes Revenge, Ballors activities involve education, telling her story, and revealing the truth of what abortion really is.

Its time for the groundwork for replacing abortion facilities with pro-life health centers to expand, said Ballor. And whom does she credit for this?

Our pregnancy centers outnumber all the Planned Parenthoods and the abortion facilities, she added. I truly believe Gods timing was to give the pro-life movement and especially pregnancy health centers a chance to really build up  and take care of those people after abortion becomes illegal.

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
A Screenshot of a video capturing the moment when the TV screen fell and struck the dancers during MIRROR We Are Concert in Hong Kong on Jul 28, 2022. (Screenshot of a video by Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

MIRROR Concert Horror (Part 1): 600 kg TV Screen Fell and Struck Hong Kong Dancers at Mirror Concert

Hong Kong mega boy group MIRROR opened their twelve sold-out concerts MIRROR We Are Live at the Hong Kong Coliseum on July 25. Concertgoers were at their climax when the concert was disrupted by a horrifying accident at the concert on July 28. A 600kg LED TV screen dropped and fell, landing on one of the dancers heads. The serious accident left two dancers injured.

As of August 1, one of the dancers has been discharged while the other is still in critical condition.

*This is a developing story.*

Before MIRRORs sold-out concerts, performers were anxious about their safety during rehearsal. They shared their frustration on Instagram Story, citing that voicing their safety concerns only got them a mockery.

The crew and the band only had a full rehearsal once to familiarize themselves with the stage run-down. Depending on the complexity, rehearsals should be at least a week to a month or more.

Additionally, various hiccups and injuries had suggested signs of more significant safety issues.

No Rest and Rehearsal Caused Safety Concerns With Complicated Stage Design

Recently, MIRROR fans criticized the bands jam-packed schedules, and they had no time to prepare for their first concert. Stage production companies were called out for neglecting performers safety by slacking off on thorough evaluations on engineering, functionality, and mechanical readiness for the entire show.

When MIRROR performed at the first show, they were not fully prepared. They were still rehearsing moments before the show started. The bands first and only full dress rehearsal on the previous day came to a halt when one of the dancers got hurt.

The 1st night and management negligence

On the first night, fans were relieved that no one was badly hurt. Fans witnessed dangerous technical errors reoccurring on stage. Band members grabbed hold of each other as some of them nearly fell off the wobbly, unstable sky bridge they stood on. A MIRROR member, Frankie, fell into one of the open platforms.

Dancers and band members continued to suffer from injuries during rehearsals and performance in the first three shows. Concertgoers for the remaining shows were left with anxiety.

Concert Organizer and Mirrors Management Company, Makerville, ignored the criticism.

The 4th night

When disaster struck on July 28, tragedy came on the fourth night of Mirrors concert. At about 8:30 p.m., a 200-inch TV screen fell from the ceiling and plunged onto two dancers. The 600kg screen hit one of the dancers on the head, who immediately fell. The TV screen then toppled, landing on the dancers body and another who couldnt escape in time.

The 600kg TV screen was damaged after hitting the performers in Hong Kong on July 28, 2022. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

Five people were injured and sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being stabilized by firemen and first aid responders.

Hong Kong Fire Department and EMT arrived to treat the injured dancers at MIRROR We Are Concert in Hong Kong on July 29, 2022. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

Fans stood in shock after witnessing the horrifying accident. It was reported that some people were overwhelmed and fainted.

An undated photo of local talent group Mirror obtained from social media. The group is made up of 12 members who were selected from a reality TV talent show by ViuTV. (Mirror Official/Facebook via The Epoch Times)

Mirrors Manager Wong Wai-kwan, commonly known as Ms. Fa, announced, There has been a serious accident. Please, everyone, leave the venue in an orderly manner. So we can tend to the wounded. She continued, I promise I will fully refund everyones ticket. I am sorry. She bowed as the audience comforted her with applause.

As the injured arrived at the Queen Elizabeth Hospitals Intensive Care Unit, staff and dancers family members waited outside.

Family and staff members await at the Intensive Care Unit of Queen Elizabeth Hospital after a serious accident at Mirrors concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum on July 29, 2022. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

Hong Kong Police Force is investigating whether foul play was involved in the severe industrial accident.

At around 4:30 a.m., three directors from PCCW and Makerville met with the press outside the ICU at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

(L-R) PCCW Media Managing Director Lee Hoi-yee, Makerville Executive Director Lo Ting-fai, PCCW Managing Director of Handling Group Xu Hanqing, met with the press outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital regarding the Mirror Concert Accident on Jul 29, 2022. (Big Mack/The Epoch Times)

Lo stated the dancers who have been admitted to the Hospital are Chang Tsz-fung and Mo Lee Kai-yin.

Cheung suffered from a head injury but was conscious.

(Left) Undated photo of Dancer Cheung Tsz-fung obtained from social media. He shared a photo of himself and Keung To (Right), one of the twelve members of Mirror on Instagram, to wish everyone a good show. (Cheung Tsz-fung/Instagram via The Epoch Times)

Lees condition is critical, with neck and spinal cord injuries. Lee was also reported to be conscious.

Undated photo of dancer Mo Lee Kai-yin celebrating his birthday with his parents who reside in Canada. (Mo Lee Kai-yin/Instagram via The Epoch Times)

Undated photo of Mo Lee Kai-yins dance tutorial obtained from social media (Mo Lee Kai-yin/Instagram via The Epoch Times

Lo said he would like to apologize for the unfortunate event that took place at Mirrors concert. The Makerville director also promised to do his best to assist the wounded and their families.

Lo affirmed, I have communicated with both families and obtained their consent to share updates with the public.

Cheung was discharged later in the afternoon on July 29. His family accompanied him.

Follow on: What we know so far about the Mirroqr Concert Accident.
City fire in garage contained

Marianna city firemen quickly extinguished a garage fire last night, despite a delayed call and an incorrect address. Fire Chief John Burch said the structure was saved, but some items store inside were destroyed. He said the telephone company operator told the fire department the blaze was on Broad Street; however, as the crew left the station, they noticed smoke coming from the 400 N. Jefferson St. home of Joanne Martin.

Later, Martin told the firemen she panicked and called the operator, who apparently confused the address. The cause of the fire had yet to be determined, though Burch said spontaneous combustion was possible, since the garage contained numerous bottles and cans of paint and gasoline.

Jackson County Floridan, Friday, Aug. 16, 1974

Butchers complaint chopped

Dick P. Hardison, State Division of Health sanitation consultant for N.W. Florida defended a local food inspector after a complaint was issued by a Sneads meatcutter, who asked county commissioners to find out why county food inspector Bill J. Dean was inspecting his store, in addition to the inspections made by state employees.

The meatcutter also complained that Dean had gone behind his counter without wearing a hat. Hardison said the attorney general ruled that county employees are considered state employees and their credentials are valid. He added that, unlike for food service employees, there are no specific hair regulations for food inspectors.

Dean said he always kept his hair matted down with hairspray, but was willing to wear a hat, if asked. Hardison said he felt the county had an inadequate sanitation program until Dean was hired.

Jackson County Floridan, Friday, Aug. 16, 1974
A Vietnamese policeman stands watch outside the Phuoc Co jail on the outskirts of the southern coastal town of Vung Tau in 2006. (Hoang Dinh Nam/file/AFP via Getty Images)

Academic Prosecuted After Publication Calling for Reform of Vietnams Communist Party

A Vietnamese academic, who published books detailing his suggestions for the improvement of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam, was charged with abusing democratic freedoms and banned from leaving the country.

Nguyen Son Lo, 74, the former director of the SENA Institute of Technology Research and Development, was prosecuted and placed under house arrest by the Ministry of Public Security on Wednesday.

Authorities issued a search warrant at his house in Hanoi and workplace but provided no explanation for why the investigation was launched against him, a local news agency reported.

His close friend, Nguyen Khac Mai, told Radio Free Asia that Lo produced a number of books with suggestions for the countrys economy and culture and formed a think tank to research the cultural issue in Vietnam.

The Central Inspection Commission, which reports to the ruling Communist Party, allegedly asked Lo not to send his publications to provincial party secretaries or National Assembly lawmakers.

The Central Inspection Commission came to SENA to work with him and confirmed they had not forbidden him from expressing his opinions or making recommendations. They just asked him not to spread them widely, Mai said.

He claimed that Lo had agreed with the commissions order to limit the distribution of his publications to internal entities of the ruling party, but that did not stop authorities from prosecuting him.

Mai added that Lo has no intention to overthrow the regime but rather wants to contribute to the nation and improve the ruling party.

No one wants to overthrow the regime, they just want it to be better, he said. Less corruption, more humanity, less immoral behavior, no land grabbing but negotiation and proper compensation. That is his wish like mine and others.

House Arrest Pervasive in Vietnam

In February, Human Rights Watch (HRW) published a report documenting the Vietnamese governments systematic blocking of more than 170 rights activists, bloggers, dissidents, and their family members from domestic and international travel from 2004 to 2021.

HRW said the actual number of cases is likely to be higher, given the countrys strict censorship regime and victims fear of publicizing their cases.

The authorities employ rights-abusing tactics such as holding activists in indefinite house arrest, detention when away from home, and bans on leaving the country under fabricated national security grounds, said Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director.

House arrests were carried out with various methods, including stationing plainclothes security agents outside homes, gluing locks, erecting roadblocks and other physical barriers, and mobilizing neighborhood thugs to intimidate people.

The practice is so pervasive in the communist-ruled country that rights activists and bloggers adopted a code name for it, calling it banh canh; banh is a Vietnamese word for cake or noodles, while canh means either soup or to guard, the rights group said.

While a number of victims have attempted to dispute the legality of their mistreatment in Vietnam, the rights group said that doing so is an impossible feat given the countrys communist-controlled judiciary.
Aerial view of homes submerged under flood waters from the North Fork of the Kentucky River in Jackson, Ky., on July 28, 2022. (Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images)

Appalachia Flood Death Toll Rises to 25 in Kentucky: Gov. Beshear

The death toll in the Appalachia flood has risen to 25 in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear said on Saturday.

As of 11:00 a.m. this morning, we can confirm 25 fatalities across five counties, he said during a press conference on Saturday.

Most of the deaths, 14, happened in Knott County. Four other counties also reported fatalities, with four in Breathitt County, two in Clay County, two in Letcher County, and three in Perry County.

Various groups joined the rescues by air, foot, and water. The National Guard from Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia have rescued 664 people by aircraft. The Guardsmen also rescued 19 people by boat.

Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife carried out 624 water rescues.

The situation is a hard one and the death toll is likely to increase, the governor said.

We are in search and rescue mode. Again that count is going to continue to go up. We dont lose this many people in flooding. This is a real tough one, he told reporters.

A rescue team from the Jackson Fire Department assists people out of floodwaters downtown in Jackson, Ky., on July 28, 2022. (Michael Swensen/Getty Images)

The rain let up early Friday after parts of eastern Kentucky received between 8 and 10 1/2 inches (2027 centimeters) over 48 hours. But some waterways were not expected to crest until Saturday.

As rainfall hammered Appalachia this week, water tumbled down hillsides and into valleys and hollows where it swelled creeks and streams coursing through small towns. The torrent engulfed homes and businesses and trashed vehicles. Mudslides marooned some people on steep slopes.

Portions of some state roads in Kentucky were blocked due to flooding or mudslides. Rescue crews in Virginia and West Virginia worked to reach people where roads werent passable.

In the tiny community of Garrett on Saturday, couches, tables, and pillows soaked by flooding were stacked in yards along the foothills of the mountainous region as people worked to clear out debris and shovel mud from driveways and roads.

The floodwaters raging through Appalachia were so swift that some people trapped in their homes couldnt be immediately reached, said Floyd County Judge-Executive Robbie Williams.

Just to the west in hard-hit Perry County, authorities said some people remained unaccounted for and almost everyone in the area suffered some damage.

Weve still got a lot of searching to do, said Jerry Stacy, the countys emergency management director.

The flooding extended into western Virginia and southern West Virginia.

A state of emergency was declared for parts of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.

President Joe Biden on Friday approved a federal disaster declaration in Kentucky to direct relief money to 13 Kentucky counties.

The Associated Press contributed to the report.
A person holds a smartphone set to the opening screen of the ArriveCan app in a photo illustration made in Toronto on June 29, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Giordano Ciampini)

Federal Privacy Watchdog Investigating ArriveCans Collection, Use of Personal Data

Following a recent complaint, an investigation is underway into the collection of personal data through the federal governments ArriveCan app and the datas subsequent usage, Canadas federal privacy watchdog confirms.

Our office has received and is currently investigating a complaint that raises concerns with respect to the collection of personal information through ArriveCAN and subsequent use of that information, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) told The Epoch Times in an email.

As a result, we are not in a position to offer comment.

Launched as a voluntary app in April 2020, ArriveCan was made mandatory on Nov. 21 of that year for travellers boarding flights to Canada. Then in March 2021, the app was extended to include travellers arriving at land border crossings.

In June, the Trudeau government announced that the app would remain mandatory until at least Sept. 30. Meanwhile, Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has indicated that ArriveCan will outlast the pandemic as part of a strategy that aims to shrink border bottlenecks.

The complaint and resulting OPC probe was first reported by Global News on July 28. However, the privacy commissioners office declined to answer the media outlets questions about who made the complaint, when it was made, and how long the investigation might take. The office similarly declined to answer these questions when The Epoch Times requested comment.

Call for Investigation

Over the last two years, privacy and technology experts as well as parliamentarians have raised concerns about ArriveCans collection of personal data and the ways in which the data would be stored and used.

Conservative MPs Pierre Paul-Hus, Matt Jeneroux, and Michelle Rempel Garner wrote to the OPC on July 29, 2020, asking it to investigate the app over potential misuse of data among government agencies by sharing Canadians personal information without their consent.

In his Aug. 20, 2020, response, the privacy commissioner said he had no concerns after reviewing the apps privacy terms.

It is our understanding that disclosures to provincial and territorial public health units and law enforcement agencies in Canada are a necessary component of the quarantine process under the Quarantine Act, the commissioner said.

The Epoch Times sought clarification from the OPC as to whether the current complaint was related to the Conservatives request.

I can tell you, the two matters are different, the OPC replied. We responded to the inquiry from shadow ministers in August 2020.

Oversight and Accountability

Global News learned about the complaint and resulting probe from technology expert Bianca Wylie. Wylie has been closely tracking developments surrounding ArriveCan and had emailed an information request to the OPC asking for the commissioners position on the mandatory use of the app.

Wylie has raised concerns about a lack of oversight and accountability for an app that holds peoples sensitive information, and has said that its use should be voluntary.

In a tweet on July 14, Wylie shared a screenshot of her email to the OPC, asking the office to clarify its position on the apps mandatory use, while also mentioning that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is conflating the requirement to collect data under the Quarantine Act with the required use of a mobile/web app.

As an office that helps support government oversight and accountability for responsible use of technology, the silence of your office has been somewhat of a surprise. It would be helpful to receive an update on your offices position regarding ArriveCAN, Wylie wrote.

She shared the OPCs response on Twitter on July 27, in which the office provided the same response as that received by The Epoch Times, saying it was currently investigating a complaint and therefore unable to comment.

In addition, the OPCs reply to Wylie stated that PHAC has engaged with its office about ArriveCan and it has provided the agency with recommendations. The reply also noted, Our last annual report included some information about our early consultations, and referred Wylie to look under the heading Public Health Agency of Canada  Canadian border enhancements in response to COVID-19 in the December 2021 report.

The report said the OPC has also advised the Canada Border Services Agency throughout the process. It said its recommendations to PHAC and its partners included putting measures in place to prevent the over-collection of travellers personal information and ensuring that the data collected was relevant to the monitoring and enforcement of quarantine rules set by the feds.

Wylie criticized the OPC on July 28 for not having performed its job well to safeguard Canadians privacy.

Writing on Twitter, she said that one mode of public oversight we have for ArriveCAN is federal privacy commissioner. first, theyve been helping Public Health Agency of Canada on the app without challenging mandatory use. now theyve gone quiet because they are investigating a complaint.

The Epoch Times contacted PHAC for comment, to which the agency replied that it continues to work with the OPC whenever questions regarding personal information collected by the PHAC are raised.

Given that this appears to be a reference to an ongoing investigation and consultations by the OPC, we do not have further comment at this time, PHAC said.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
A federal judge in Ohio on Wednesday blocked the militarys COVID-19 vaccine mandate nationwide for Air Force, Space Force and Air National Guard service members who requested religious exemptions.

In his 4-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew McFarland said the government failed to raise any persuasive arguments for why the Court should not extend the Preliminary Injunction issued on March 31, 2022, to cover the Class Members.

Wednesdays ruling replaces McFarlands 14-day temporary restraining order, issued July 14. The temporary order was issued to allow the military time to make its case for why the preliminary injunction shouldnt last longer and be expanded to apply to 10,000 or more service members seeking an exemption.

Earlier this month, government lawyers argued that preventing the military from punishing unvaccinated members would interfere with ongoing legal proceedings and would otherwise be improper, particularly in light of significant new developments.

Defendants pointed to the recent Emergency Use Authorization of Novavax  which is not yet fully licensed  and claimed unlike the other three shots available in the U.S., Novavax does not use fetal cells in its development, manufacturing or production.

Those class members whose religious objections were based on mRNA technology or the use of fetal-derived cell lines are no longer substantially burdened by the COVID-19 vaccine requirement because this option is now available, lawyers said.

Moreover, religious beliefs of service members who object to vaccination based on mRNA technology are not substantially burdened by Novavax or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which do not use mRNA technology.

Included in the governments filing as an exhibit was a declaration from Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, director of staff for the Air Force headquarters.

Schneider claimed unvaccinated members are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and substantially more likely to develop severe symptoms resulting in hospitalization or death and that exempting a large number of airmen would pose a significant and unprecedented risk to military readiness and our ability to defend the nation.

As of March 14, 2022, a total of 91,984 Department of the Air Force Service members had contracted COVID-19 during the pandemic, resulting in 229 hospitalizations, of which 14 died, Schneider said. Of those who died, 12 (86%) were completely unvaccinated.

Schneider did not provide the number of servicemen injured or hospitalized as a result of having to receive a COVID-19 vaccine under the militarys vaccine mandate.

McFarland wasnt convinced. He instead modified the class to include all active-duty, active reserve, reserve, national guard, inductees and appointees of the U.S. Air Force and Space Force, including but not limited to Air Force Academy Cadets, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets, members of the Air Force Reserve Command and any airman who has sworn or affirmed the U.S. Uniformed Services Oath of Office or Enlistment and is currently under command and could be deployed.

Under the new order, the Air Force cant take disciplinary action against, or attempt to kick out members who requested a religious exemption on or after Sept. 1, 2021, those confirmed as having a sincerely held religious belief by chaplains and those who either had their request denied or whose request has not yet been acted on.

Obviously, we are thrilled for our clients who we were facing career-ending consequences for the exercise of their sincerely held beliefs, Chris Wiest, an attorney for plaintiffs, said Wednesday.

This case will now proceed into the discovery phase in which we look forward to placing government decision-makers under oath and questioning them about their discriminatory decision-making.

Of the Air Forces 497,000 members, 97% have received a primary COVID-19 vaccination series.

Of the 1,400 exemptions granted, only 104 are religious exemptions  and those were granted only to service members at the end of their term of service.

Currently, 2,847 requests are pending and 6,803 were rejected.

The small number of religious accommodations granted is farcical, McFarland said earlier this year. The Air Force has effectively stacked the deck against service members seeking religious exemptions.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense on Aug. 24, 2021, directed military branch secretaries to immediately begin full vaccination of all members of the armed forces, service members on active duty and those in the reserves, and National Guard, unless exempted.

The Secretary of Defense claimed that to defend the nation, we need a healthy and ready force and after careful consultation with medical experts and military leadership, and with the support of the President  vaccination against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is necessary to protect the Force and defend the American people.

Militarys Recruiting Crisis Deepens Under Vaccine Mandate

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are putting pressure on the Pentagon to fix the militarys recruitment crisis in what has been deemed the worst recruiting environment since the end of the Vietnam War, Politico reported this week.

Recent briefing slides obtained by Politico show senior Pentagon leaders are alarmed by poor enlistment numbers and the military currently faces the most challenging recruiting market since the advent of the All-Volunteer Force, with multiple Services and Components at risk for missing mission in FY 2022.

Arduous market conditions are expected to persist into the future as the market is not likely to self-correct, according to the slides.

While the military said it acknowledges the problem, the desire of young Americans to join the military has fallen off the statistical cliff, according to Politico.

The Army only reached 66% of its goal for the fiscal year ending in September, while the Navy is at 89%, according to data compiled from October 2021 to May 2022.

Although the rates for the Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force are at 100%, that leaves the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) with a total rate of just 85%.

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who chairs the Military Personnel Subcommittee, wants to hold a joint hearing with her panel and the Readiness Subcommittee on recruiting issues.

I would say we have to do a deep dive into why the numbers are shrinking, Speier told Politico. I think we have to have a hearing to kind of explore that.

The DOD says the drop in entry-level troops can be traced to concerns about the physical and psychological risks of service and other career interests, the possibility of interference with a college education, dislike of the military lifestyle and the militarys high standard for recruits.

The Army last week announced it is launching multiple initiatives to address the problem including providing $35,000 bonuses for new recruits ready to ship out to basic training within 45 days and lowering the services physical and academic standards.

Some DOD Officials and Experts Blame COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Former and current DOD officials and experts criticized the Pentagons COVID-19 vaccine mandate as a contributing factor  and claimed the department leadership knows it.

According to Military News, the Army recently cut more than 60,000 National Guard and Reserve soldiers who refused to be vaccinated from military pay and benefits and is preventing them from participating in military duties.

Mackenzie Eaglen, an expert with the conservative American Enterprise Institute, argued the militarys vaccine mandate has indisputably negative impacts on recruiting.

The math and logic simply doesnt add up to let troops go involuntarily over the vaccine while announcing at the same time historically high bonuses for new recruits (which the U.S. Army did this winter), Eaglen said.

It is far more time-consuming and expensive to fire those with experience versus bringing in new, untrained personnel.

If you are sitting in the state of Georgia or Texas and you see they are putting 40,000 members out, you are going to scratch your head a bit and say, why would I join up? a former senior DOD official told Politico. And if you dont want to get vaccinated, you are certainly not going to join.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee, former Green Beret and current member of the National Guard, joined with 49 other republican lawmakers on Tuesday to send a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin requesting the Pentagon reconsider its COVID-19 vaccine mandate in response to the recruiting crisis.

At a time when the department is struggling to recruit qualified young men and women fit for duty to fill the ranks, and while China is embarking on a massive military buildup which threatens American interests around the world, we should not be hindering our own readiness and capabilities by punishing and forcing out experienced and dedicated Guardsmen and Reservists, the letter stated.

07/29/22 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.

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.
A Border Patrol agent organizes a large group of illegal immigrants near Eagle Pass, Texas, on May 20, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Biden Administration Confirms Plan to Give IDs to Illegal Immigrants

President Joe Bidens administration has confirmed a plan that would give identification cards to illegal immigrants.

The pilot program from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is aimed at modernizing documentation provided to some noncitizens, an ICE spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on July 29.

Currently, noncitizens receive paper documents from the federal government about their immigration status. Paper documents pose a security risk, are easily lost, and degrade rapidly in real-world use, creating inefficiencies for the government and noncitizens. Moving to a secure card will save the agency millions, free up resources, and ensure information is quickly accessible to DHS officials while reducing the agencys FOIA backlog, the spokesperson said.

For provisionally released noncitizens, the digital modernization will provide ongoing access to important immigration documents through the secure card and connected portal.

DHS is the Department of Homeland Security, ICEs parent agency. FOIA refers to the Freedom of Information Act.

The program is being described as a concept, with specifics still being decided.

Illegal immigrants who cross the border are supposed to be deported or detained until they appear in court, but thats increasingly not the case.

A recent ICE program, called Alternatives to Detention, colloquially known as catch and release, sees many immigrants released before having a hearing. Many, but not all, are given a Notice to Appear, or a notice to show up at court on a certain date.

The Biden administration said in April it was going to release up to 600,000 illegal immigrants in the coming months amid the unprecedented surge in illegal immigration while a watchdog report released in June showed that the government is utilizing the program more as time goes on.

Concerns

Some Republicans are expressing worries about the program, saying that the Biden administration should work on cracking down on illegal immigration instead of making it easier for illegal immigrants to obtain identification.

We are concerned that this pilot program is yet another Biden Administration move encouraging illegal immigration by rewarding illegal immigrants for breaking our laws, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) wrote to acting ICE Director on July 29.

Under President Joe Biden, the United States has relaxed or reversed a number of Trump-era immigration policies.

The congressmen cited reports that said the card could let illegal immigrants travel by plane and receive benefits through certain aid programs, writing that the issuance of the cards raises the possibility that illegal aliens will use these identification cards to improperly access benefits such as housing, healthcare, and transportation.

Comer and Grothman asked for a briefing on the program as soon as possible and for documents and communications concerning the pilot by Aug. 12.

The ICE spokesperson said that the card will not be an official form of federal identification and would be provided only after national security background checks have been performed.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) is also worried about the program.

He said on Newsmax on Friday that he is working on a bill that would block the Biden administration from issuing the cards.

Theyre illegal, undocumented. The only thing they should be able to access is a trip back across the border, Van Drew said.

So Im doing legislation that is saying not one American tax dollar, or for that matter, any American dollar, can be spent for these cards, he added.
President Joe Biden during a meeting in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, next to the White House, in Washington, on July 28, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Tests Positive for COVID-19 Again, Returns to Isolation

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again on Saturday morning, the presidents physician said.

Dr. Kevin OConnor, the White House physician, said in a letter that its a rare rebound case usually observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid.

Biden has experienced no reemergence of symptoms and continues to feel quite well, OConnor said in the letter.

However, the president has returned to isolation.

Paxlovid and Rebound COVID-19

Paxlovid is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for early-stage treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 among high-risk patients.

COVID-19 rebound has been reported to occur between two and eight days after initial recovery and is characterized by a recurrence of COVID-19 symptoms or a new positive viral test after having tested negative, CDC said in a health advisory in May.

No evidence shows that additional treatment is needed in the so-called COVID-19 rebound cases.

Researchers from the University of CaliforniaSan Diego School of Medicine said the rebound may be caused by insufficient exposure to the drug.

However, the researchers said more information is needed to determine if adjustments are necessary for treatment plans with Paxlovid.

Breach of CDC Protocols

Word of Bidens positive test came just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where First Lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive.

Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.

Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid and tested negative for the virus on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive test put him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs in the White House complex.

Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.

Read the full letter from the White House physician:

The Associated Press contributed to the report.
An electronic microscope image shows the monkeypox virus seen by a team from the Arbovirus Laboratory and the Genomics and Bioinformatics Units of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) in Madrid, May 26, 2022. (The Canadian Press/AP/Unidad de Microscopia Electronica del ISCIII-via)

Brazil and Spain Report First Monkeypox Related Deaths Outside of Africa

The first monkeypox deaths outside of the African continent have been reported in Brazil and Spain, with the latter seeing a second death in a matter of hours.

Brazil was the first to report a monkeypox death on July 29. A 41-year-old man who was suffering from lymphoma and a weakened immune system was the victim. Brazils health ministry insisted that the comorbidities aggravated his condition, according to the BBC. The individual, hospitalized in the city of Belo Horizonte, died from septic shock after he was taken to the ICU.

Brazil has so far reported 1,066 confirmed cases of monkeypox, with 513 additional suspected cases. The state of Sao Paulo accounts for the vast majority of cases. Over 98 percent of confirmed incidents have been found among men who have sex with men, according to ministry data.

Shortly after Brazil announced its first monkeypox death, Spain also announced the same, becoming the first country in Europe to register a death from the illness. The victim had suffered from encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain which is associated with the infection. The death occurred in the Valencia region in the northeast. On Saturday, Spain reported its second monkeypox-related death.

In Spain, 4,298 monkeypox infections have been confirmed by the countrys health ministry. Of the 3,750 patients on which the ministry had information, 120 patients (3.2 percent of the total) have been hospitalized.

In the United States, 5,189 cases have been confirmed as of July 29 according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

New York registered the highest number of cases with 1,345 infections, followed by California with 799, Illinois with 419, Florida with 373, and the states of Georgia and Texas with 351 each.

Declaring Health Emergency

Deaths in Brazil and Spain came as the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General declared the monkeypox outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on July 23. The vast majority of cases are in the WHO European Region, a news release said.

Epidemiologists are divided on whether the WHO emergency declaration was the right choice or not. According to Dr. Jimmy Whitworth, a professor of international public health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the issue is a tricky decision for the WHO emergency committee.

In some senses, it meets the definitionit is an unprecedented outbreak widespread in many countries and would benefit from increased international coordination, he said, according to a commentary on The Epoch Times.

On the other hand, it seems to be an infection for which we have the necessary tools for control; most cases are mild and the mortality rate is extremely low.

In a recent interview with CNN, White House medical advisor Anthony Fauci said that an emergency declaration on the monkeypox virus was under active consideration by the federal government.
An ambulance in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on July 2, 2016. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

British Father and Son Found Dead in Bangladesh

Police in Bangladesh are investigating a case of suspected poisoning after a British man and his son were found dead while three others family members are hospitalized.

Police said that they found five family members unconscious after their relatives raised an alarm when the family did not answer their calls in Sylhet on Tuesday.

Rafiqul Islam, 50, and his son Mahiqul Islam, died on the way to the hospital, according to local media.

Rafiquls wife Hosne Ara Islam, daughter Samira and son Sadiqul are admitted in MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital.

The family from Cardiff had arrived in Bangladesh earlier this month.
A person arrives to receive a monkeypox vaccination at the Northwell Health Immediate Care Center at Fire Island-Cherry Grove, N.Y., on July 15, 2022. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

CDC to Make Monkeypox Nationally Notifiable Condition

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it plans to make monkeypox a nationally notifiable condition.

The designation, which is set to take effect on Aug. 1, updates criteria for reporting of data on cases by states to the agency and would allow the agency to monitor and respond to monkeypox even after the current outbreak recedes, the CDC said.

Over 5,000 monkeypox cases were reported in the United States as of Friday, according to the CDC.

States will be required to report confirmed or probable monkeypox cases within 24 hours. The CDC asked for data to be shared even before the investigation of a case was completed.

State health departments are currently not required to provide the federal government with standardized data on monkeypox.

The disease, which causes flu-like symptoms and skin lesions, has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization.
Court: 70-Year-Old Indicted in Alabama Church Triple Slaying

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.An Alabama grand jury has indicted a 70-year-old man on capital murder charges in the fatal shootings of three people at a church potluck dinner in June, according to court records made public Friday.

The Jefferson County grand jury indicted Robert Findlay Smith this week in connection with the June 16 shootings of Walter Bart Rainey, 84, of Irondale; Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham; and Jane Pounds, 84, of Hoover, al.com reported.

Police responded June 16 to a report of an active shooter at St. Stephens Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, a wealthy suburb of Birmingham. About 25 people, including Smith, had gathered late that afternoon for a Boomers Potluck dinner. He had previously attended some worship services and at least one of the previous potluck dinners there, authorities said.

Jefferson County prosecutors on Thursday presented the case to the grand jury, which returned indictments against Smith.

Smith has been indicted for capital murder for killing two or more people, District Attorney Danny Carr told al.com Friday. It is still very early in the prosecution of this case. We will be working closely with the families of those who lost their lives that terrible day  as we progress toward holding Smith accountable.

Smith is being represented by attorneys Emory Anthony and Moses Stone. Anthony did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. Stones telephone listing went unanswered. Smith remains without bond in the Jefferson County Jail. A trial date has not yet been set.

Smith was seated alone at the dinner when a longtime church member approached him and invited him to sit with others at a table, said the Rev. Doug Carpenter, who founded the church in 1973 and retired in 2005. Smith refused the offer, but then pulled out a handgun and shot three people, authorities and reports said.

A church member rushed to the gunman, struck him with a chair, and held him until officers arrived, according to police.

Rainey was pronounced dead on the scene. Yeager and Pounds were taken to a hospital where they later died.

Authorities said they have not yet identified a motive in the slayings.
A Florida woman has been arrested on murder charges related to two people reported missing in Dothan in early July.

Dothan Police say Sheena Marie Thurman, 35, of Bonifay, has been charged with one count of murder in Dothan and one count of open murder in Holmes County, Fla. Thurman was booked into the Houston County Jail early Saturday.

Police believe the bodies of two individuals buried on property on Long Round Bay Road in Bonifay may possibly be those of Shauna Terry and her boyfriend, Damien Bell. Positive identification will be determined through forensic testing.

On July 11, Dothan Police received a report from family members that Terry and Bell had not been seen or heard from since July 8.

An investigation determined the pair left from the motel on Montgomery Highway where they were staying. A lookout was issued for the two along with the red sport utility vehicle they were traveling in.

On July 28, investigators received information that led authorities to Long Round Bay Road in Bonifay. Holmes County Sheriff John Tate was notified of the information and a joint investigation between the Holmes County Sheriffs Office and the Dothan Police Department began.

Information led authorities to believe one or more bodies were buried on the property on Long Round Bay Road. Holmes County Sheriffs Office executed a search warrant at that location.

Cadaver dogs were brought in and indicated to the presence of human remains. Excavation began and the bodies of two individuals were located.

Dothan Police also executed a search warrant in the 600 block of Dutch Street in Dothan and processed the location for evidence related to this incident.

Even though the investigation is in its early stage, police believe one individual may have been murdered in Dothan and the other individual may have been murdered at the Long Round Bay Road location in Bonifay.
Programs in countries around the world have begun quietly compensating people who have been injured by or died as a result of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Humans are biologically diverse, with respect to both genetic makeup and past environmental exposures. Because of this, explained neurologist Dr. Robert Lowry, people can react very differently to the same medication or vaccination. Whenever a new drug or biologic hits the market, some people will have bad reactions and others may even suffer serious adverse events as a result.

Even under the best testing conditions, rare reactions will be missed. This is especially true for any product which is fast-tracked or authorized for emergency use before all the phases of necessary testing are complete.

COVID-19 vaccines are no exception. Despite the fact that we are constantly and consistently assured that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and that severe adverse reactions are very rare, the FDA and the CDC with its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, as well as the scientists and executives at each of the participating drug companies, know that some people will become permanently disabled or even die as a result of vaccination.

In fact, in 2011 the Supreme Court of the United States (pdf) reiterated the idea that vaccines, like other pharmaceutical products, are unavoidably unsafe.

In many countries around the world, consumers who are injured as a result of vaccines are covered by government compensation programs. In the United States there are two government-funded programs that are designed to compensate consumers for injuries, at the same time shielding vaccine manufacturers from liability for any serious injuries their products cause: The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) and the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP).

Not a Single Claim Compensated in United States

As of July 1, 2022, not a single claim has been compensated by the CICP. However, 31 COVID-19 countermeasure claims have been denied, because the standard of proof for causation was not met and/or a covered injury was not sustained, according to the CICP website. One COVID-19 countermeasure claim, a COVID-19 vaccine claim due to an anaphylactic reaction, has been determined eligible for compensation and is pending a review of eligible expenses.

At the same time, countries around the world are quietly compensating families whose loved ones have been injured or have died as a result of COVID-19 vaccines.

Japan Pays Bereaved Family of 91-Year-Old

The Japan Times reported this week that a 91-year-old woman who died after suffering an allergic response and sudden heart attack is the first person in Japan to be compensated for a COVID vaccine injury.

A ministry of health panel ruled that a causal relationship could not be denied in her case. Her family will receive a lump sum worth approximately $325,000.

The panel reviewed another 11 cases ranging in age from 20s to 90s but did not reach any other ruling.

So far in Japan, according to the article, 3,680 people have applied for compensation, 820 have been approved and 62 denied, with decisions on another 16 being postponed.

Taiwan Compensates 10 Claimants

On June 24, 2022, Taiwans National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program held a meeting to review 65 cases, according to the Taipei Times. The Taiwanese program awarded compensation to 10 claimants. These awards included a lump sum worth $116,877 to the family of someone who died after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This patient was hospitalized 10 days after receiving the vaccine due to a headache and vomiting. Testing revealed thrombocytopenia, a sometimes-lethal blood disorder that is characterized by low platelets.

However, the patient was discharged the next day, only to return that evening after losing consciousness. The patient died of intracerebral hemorrhage, a common cause of stroke.

When the vaccination program first rolled out in the United States, in December of 2020, an otherwise healthy obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Gregory Michael, 56, of Miami Beach, Florida, also died of thrombocytopenia.

Although his death occurred approximately two weeks after he got Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine, and prompted an article exploring this side effect in the New York Times, the coroner deemed that there was no medical certainty that the complications from immune thrombocytopenia was vaccine-induced.

UK Pays Out for Vaccine Injuries

Vicki Spit was the first of a handful of people in the United Kingdom to be awarded compensation for injuries due to COVID vaccines, according to a June 24, 2022 article in the British Medical Journal.

Spits 48-year-old partner, Zion, became ill eight days after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine and died. The victims were awarded the maximum: $150,000. As of May 2022, 1,681 claims for vaccine injury following COVID-19 vaccinations had been filed.

As quoted in the BMJ, Sarah Moore, a spokeswoman for the law firm representing the victims or their families, pointed out that though the awards will not do much to alleviate the financial hardships caused by the injuries, they constitute the clearest statement yet, by the government, that in some rare instances the COVID-19 vaccines have caused very significant injury or death.

Moore believes most of the compensation awards were for vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.

At the same time, Yahoo News has reported that 444 cases of VITT have been recorded in the United Kingdom from 49 million doses of the vaccine, with 81 deaths.

Canada Received More Than 700 Claims, Approved 8

According to Canadas Vaccine Injury Support Program (VISP), from June 1, 2021 to June 1, 2022, 774 claims have been received. Eight of these claims were approved by the Medical Review Board, meaning these claims represent cases where it has been determined by the Medical Review Board that there is a probable link between the injury and the vaccine and that the injury is serious and permanent.

According to the VISP website, eligible individuals may receive income replacement indemnities; injury indemnities; death benefits; coverage for funeral expenses; reimbursement of eligible costs such as otherwise uncovered medical expenses.

Post Shot Blood Clots

Thrombocytopenia can lead to blood clots as well as hemorrhaging. Thrombosis is another word for blood clots. Since it is very unusual for an otherwise healthy younger person to suffer from blood clots, the connection between the vaccines and this injury are difficult to refute.

Scandinavian countries have paid more attention to COVID-19 vaccine injuries than other countries. Norway compensated its first three victims in July of last year, a woman in her 40s who died, as well as a man and a woman in their 30s who both survived their vaccine injuries.

All three were healthcare workers who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, which Norway stopped administering on March 11, 2021, due to reports of serious blood clots, low platelet counts, and abnormal bleeding.

In fact, Norwegian doctors were among the first to point out the connection between the vaccine and these injuries.

Denmark, too, has been quickly and quietly processing vaccine injury claims. The Danish government awarded compensation for their first case of VITT in May of 2021.

At the time, 158 people had filed claims for COVID-19 vaccine injuries. The director of the patient compensation board, Karen Inger-Bast, said, Generally, we often see injuries from vaccination. We also see them from, for example, vaccination against influenza and childrens diseases. Thats also how it will be with COVID-19, with up to 5 million people being vaccinated.

No Financial Assistance for Americans Harmed by Vaccines

Yet, while other countries are compensating people who have been injured by COVID-19 vaccines, America has yet to financially assist a single claimant. According to the Health Resources and Service Administration, as of July 1, 2022, the CICP had yet to award compensation to anyone for damages due to a COVID-19 vaccine.

Thirty-one claims have been denied compensation because the standard of proof for causation was not met and/or a covered injury was not sustained.

A single claim on behalf of someone who suffered an immediate anaphylactic reaction has been deemed eligible for compensation but is pending a review of eligible expenses. For the majority of claims, the CICP is still waiting for records and documentation to be submitted, the website claims.

The AstraZeneca vaccine associated with so many of the injuries quietly compensated has not been made available in the United States.

At the same time, as of July 22, 2022, 86,604 serious adverse events from COVID-19 vaccines administered in the United States have been reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), including 13,805 deaths.

Its difficult to determine exactly how many of those involve blood clots, abnormal bleeding, or low platelets because each of those conditions can be coded in many different ways, but a search by The Epoch Times retrieved 2,609 cases that included some mention of thrombosis or thrombocytopenia, including 420 deaths.

These conditions account for only a small portion of the adverse events that have been reported to the CDC and the FDA. In order for people who have suffered from these adverse events to make a claim, a temporal association between the vaccine and the injury or some kind of causation must be established, as the Norwegian doctors and others did for VITT.

In the United States, we may wait a long time for science that establishes causation with respect to vaccine injuries.

In 2011, the Institute of Medicine conducted a detailed investigation into the science available on 158 suspected links between vaccines and specific adverse outcomes. In this report, the IOM ruled that the science was not sufficient to determine whether a causal link existed or not for 135 of the vaccine injuries patients had sustained.

A 2014 Associated Press investigation found that many families with medically documented non-COVID vaccine injuries have been waiting for yearssome over a decadefor the government to help them.

For now, while other countries are quietly making amends, American families who have lost loved ones and Americans who have seen sharp declines in their health following COVID-19 vaccination have nowhere to turn.

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.
From being taught by the greats to teaching the young

David McGill has blazed an inspirational trail in his career as a teacher and, before that, as principal bassoon player in major orchestras in the United States and Canada.

To him, music isnt an obligation or just a job in the world of music. It is a lifestyle. When not involved in his work, he listens to a lot of great music. He says listening to music consumes him. Its a physical reaction. I just feel so alive, he says.

He especially loves the recordings of Maria Callas, whose voice is her musical instrument. She brought a certain perfection down to this imperfect world, he says.

David McGill. (Todd Rosenberg)

He grew up in a home filled with music. McGills home as a child had a fair collection of records, most of which contained classical music. He listened his way through the recordings to find an instrument to play.

One of the records found at home was Benjamin Brittens Young Persons Guide to the Orchestra, which was a piece that highlighted the fortes of every orchestral instrument. He originally chose the clarinet after listening to its sound. Then he found the deeper vibes of the bassoon intrigued him even more.

I wanted to hear all the recordings in my mothers library of records and examine what the bassoon was doing on these recordings. I think the more I listened, the more I realized, I really love this.

He studied at the Curtis Institute of Music where he found one of his biggest musical influences: his teacher at Curtis, Sol Schoenbach.

On graduation, he performed in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The chair of principal bassoon with the Cleveland Orchestra followed before McGill settled into playing principal bassoon for 17 years with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He learned from the best, when the orchestra was directed by musical great Daniel Barenboim, followed by Riccardo Muti.

Maestro Riccardo Muti (L) and his Cherubini Youth Orchestra with David McGill on bassoon in July, 2016. (RAI Italian Television)

In 2001, McGill received the Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist with Orchestra for the Chicago Symphonys recording of Strausss wind concertos.

Rewards of Teaching

Among his many contributions to the world of music, teaching has always remained closest to his heart, even when a member of an orchestra. My primary love in music was  teaching, he said.

McGill says that playing in an orchestra was, in a way, teaching the audience the meaning of the music. He wanted to help people feel more than the emotion of the piece; he wanted the audience to sense how the performance moved through the composition, with highs and lows, fasts and slows. This was his way of helping his audience get the most out the performance.

In 2014, McGill left the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and joined the faculty at Northwestern Universitys Bienen School of Music. Since starting this position, the number of bassoon students has risen year after year.

He emphasizes that teaching has always been what he feels most comfortable doing. He especially likes to watch as students have that Ah Ha moment when they figure something out. Hes been there and gets it when a student who has practiced and practiced without success suddenly achieve their goal.

Raising the Bar

Added to his great love of teaching and musicianship, McGill published Sound in Motion, (Indiana University Press, Illustrated edition) a book meant for anyone who has a desire to be more musical and to make more sense of the notes on the page; the book also includes other useful tips for musicians.

Sound in Motion presents the musical approach of legendary principal oboist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Marcel Tabuteau, who is considered to have founded the American school of oboe playing. The book blurb says the books approach will help musicians understand what makes a performance musical.

One figure that he mentions in his book is John de Lancie, former principal oboe player in the Philadelphia Orchestra. He was a former director of the Curtis Institute where he also taught and where McGill studied.

McGill took his teaching to another level when he recorded a CD to respond to frequently requested orchestra excerpts for bassoonists preparing for an audition. The CD demonstrates and explains his techniques and thought process for performing. The CD also covers note groupings for optimal music interpretation and using the note groupings to get over technical difficulties.

Cover of Sound in Motion by David McGill. (Indiana University Press)

His CD also explains that what a composer puts to paper has a coded message. McGill believes that the composer of a piece leaves instructions for musical phrasing on the page. Its up to the musician to uncover what those instructions are.
Decline in School-Aged Children in Hong Kong Raises Educators Concerns

Number of HK children in UK is increaseing

The current education system in Hong Kong is suffering a strong impact due to the big wave of emigration, which has led to a sharp decrease in the population of school-aged children.

On July 21, the Hong Kong Secondary School Council and the 18 District Secondary School Principals Association jointly wrote a letter to the Secretary for Education, Choi Yuk-lin, saying that the current education situation is dire and worrying that the decline in the number of school children might bring great turmoil to the education sector.

They believe that the government should take practical action without delay.

HK Children in UK Increasing

According to a survey of School Placement for Children from Outside the UK, recently released by the British government for the 2021-22 school year, there were 10,500 school applications from Hong Kong. Some 9,700 children have been successfully placed, of which 6,800 were primary school placements, and the other 2,900 were secondary school placements. This proportion of applications reflects the general decline of school children in Hong Kong.

The student statistics from the Education Bureau indicate the number of students in Hong Kong decreased by 25,000 as of September 2021.

Concerns from Education Sectors

Choi Yuk-lin claimed that the student population declined mainly due to the low fertility rate, the epidemics impact on the new arrivals program, and family emigration. Furthermore, emigration only reflects family considerations and is not necessarily a result of the poor education system in Hong Kong.

Members of the Hong Kong Secondary School Council and the 18 District Secondary School Principals Associations, which include 26 secondary school principals associations and organizations, stated that due to social unrest and the raging epidemic, students learning progress, physical and mental health have all been seriously affected.

Many surveys and studies have shown that secondary school students are highly stressed and show signs of anxiety and depression. They admitted that the mental health of young people has already sounded the alarm, and it is necessary to implement specific policies to ease the situation.

The collaborative group believes that this sudden decline in the population of school children can lead to turmoil and affect the stability of Hong Kongs education development, ultimately affecting students studying in Hong Kong.

They suggest that apart from repurposing existing schools, opening new secondary schools should also be suspended.

They describe that the current education situation is dire, so the government must take immediate action. It is hoped that the government can create favorable conditions for learning, teaching, and curriculum development so that the education system can keep pace with social development.
Aydin Coban is shown in this handout photo from the time of his arrest by Dutch police, entered into an exhibit at his trial in British Columbia Supreme Court in New Westminster. (The Canadian Press/HO-DUTCH POLICE)

Deleted Bookmark Led to Child Pornography That Depicted Amanda Todd: Crown

A hard drive seized from the home of the Dutch man accused of harassing British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd contained a deleted bookmark to child pornography depicting her, a Crown attorney told B.C. Supreme Court on Friday.

Louise Kenworthy told the jury trial of Aydin Coban that previous expert testimony showed Todds name and several of the online aliases used to harass her were also found on a second hard drive seized when Dutch police arrested Coban in 2014.

Coban has pleaded not guilty to extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possessing child pornography.

Kenworthy said she expects to finish the Crowns closing arguments on Tuesday, when she said she would talk about an online account that was active on a computer just five minutes before police arrested Coban at his home and then seized the device.

She said evidence has shown the account was operated by the same person behind another account, under the guise of a young woman, that harassed Todd.

There was no witness to say, I saw Aydin Coban typing messages on his computer to Amanda Todd or that they saw Coban in possession of child pornography depicting the teen, Kenworthy told the jury on Friday.

But his guilt was the only inference the jury could draw from the testimony of more than 30 witnesses and binders full of 80 exhibits, she said.

She took the jury to testimony from a B.C. RCMP expert in digital forensics, who last month told the court about finding a folder bearing Todds name that had been deleted from a web browser on one of the seized devices.

The folder had contained links to the profiles of a number of Todds Facebook friends, the officer said.

The officer testified he found evidence that several of the accounts used to harass Todd had logged in to social media platforms on the seized devices, she said.

Those accounts were active at the exact times when the teenager from Port Coquitlam was experiencing harassment and extortion, Kenworthy said.

The RCMP officer also testified he found actual fragments of chat between Todd and several of the online aliases on one of the seized devices, she said.

Kenworthy referred to testimony that Coban lived alone in the home, from a childhood friend who helped him move in, and the son of the owner of the bungalow park where the home was located.

At the start of the trial two months ago, Kenworthy told the jury Todd had been the victim of a persistent campaign of online sextortion over three years before her death at age 15 in October 2012.

The jury saw evidence that Todds harasser repeatedly demanded she perform sexual shows on a web camera, and followed through on threats to send sexualized images of the teenager to her family and classmates.

Earlier this week, the jury was shown a Facebook post by Todd in which she expressed fear that the person harassing her would continue for the rest of her life.

Todd urged people to block one of the harassers accounts, saying a sick pedophile was blackmailing her, Crown attorney Kristen LeNoble has said.

The Crown also spent Thursday describing alleged links between Coban and Todd through a phone number, a passport photo and a video file bearing the teens name.

Crown attorney Heather Guinn said one of the Facebook accounts used to harass Todd, which Facebook records and expert testimony have connected to several other aliases, was registered with a mobile phone number linked to Coban.

She recalled testimony from two women who said they received the number in May 2011 while communicating with a man about renting an apartment in Rotterdam.

Both women told the court they met the man at the apartment and later received a passport photo depicting him, Guinn said.

Police found a copy of the same photo while searching Cobans home, she said.

Guinn displayed the photos in the courtroom, and they appeared to show Coban.

Another Crown attorney, Marcel Daigle, cited earlier testimony from a digital investigator with Dutch police who said a deleted video file called AmandaTodd.wmv had been played on one of the seized devices in December 2010, corresponding with a time when Todd was being actively harassed.

Daigle said multiple devices found in Cobans home had software described as an anti-forensics program used to delete files so they cant be restored.

By Brenna Owen
Chris Deluzio is running for the U.S. House seat in western Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional District.(Courtesy of Chris Deluzio for Congress)

Democrats, Republicans Prioritize Open Suburban Pittsburgh Congressional Seat

A U.S. House seat is up for grabs in Pennsylvania after Rep. Conor Lamb, a Democrat, left to run for U.S. Senate in a race he ultimately lost to Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the Democratic primary.

Attorney and Iraq War veteran Chris Deluzio is determined to keep the 17th Congressional District blue while former local township commissioner Jeremy Shaffer is the candidate Republicans hope will prevail and allow the party to flip the seat.

If Republicans achieve a net gain of five seats in the 435-seat chamber this November, they would recapture the majority they lost in 2018.

Both candidates decisively won their respective primaries.

Jeremy Shaffer is running against Chris Deluzio in Pennsylvanias 17th Congressional District general election. (Courtesy of Jeremy Shaffer for Congress)

Deluzio defeated Sean Meloy by almost 27 percentage points, while Shaffer received 58.7 percent of the vote compared to 24.3 percent for Jason Killmeyer and 17 percent for Kathleen Coder.

Shaffer was added to the National Republican Congressional Committees (NRCC) Young Guns program, which is led by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and provides candidates with the tools they need to win.

Deluzio is part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committees Red to Blue program, which provides candidates considered top-tier with organizational and fundraising support.

The NRCC has booked around $3 million in advertising spots to support Shaffer. The DCCC has pledged $1.4 million in advertisements. Other committees related to both parties have indicated they will pour millions of dollars into the race.

The 17th district is located in western Pennsylvania and includes Beaver County and a broad portion of Allegheny County in suburban Pittsburgh. Redistricting has made it friendlier to Democrats.

The Cook Political Report and Sabatos Crystal Ball rate the race as a toss-up. Inside Elections calls the district Tilt Democratic, while FiveThirtyEight ranks it as slightly Democrat.

Chris Deluzio

Deluzio graduated from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis and served as a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, including a tour in Iraq.

When he returned, Deluzio earned a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington and joined the Brennan Center for Justice, working on the Voting Rights and Election Security teams.

He is now the policy director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security.

Deluzio is emphasizing his pro-abortion stance, and Shaffers anti-abortion beliefs.

Earlier this month, Deluzio told CBS Pittsburgh that we saw a 60 percent bump in fundraising in the initial days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Whether theyre Democrats, Independents, Republicans, theyre furious at what the Supreme Court has done in gutting the right to an abortion, overturning decades of precedent, Deluzio said. And I think women especially are angered and fired up and willing to fight for their rights.

The contrast is obvious. Hes an extremist on abortion, Deluzio added about Shaffer. Hes taken the position that there should be no exceptions for rape or incest. Hes called for a constitutional amendment to ban all abortions nationwide.

During a debate before the Republican primary in May, Shaffer said, I believe very strongly in our federal system of government, which means that when hopefully Roe v. Wade is overturned, it will revert back to the individual states to decide.

Shaffer also said that any federal action should be implemented with a constitutional amendment.

Any time the Democrats are in power, then its going to flip to the extreme, he said.

Shaffer has also said that he supports exceptions for rape and incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk.

Jeremy Shaffer

Shaffer earned a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and an MBA from the University of North Carolina.

He served as Ross Township commissioner in suburban Pittsburgh and is the founder of a company that provides software to inspect bridges, roads, and other infrastructure.

I am something of an enigma of a candidate. I stand up for what I believe in and what is right, Shaffer said in an interview with Pittsburghs NPR affiliate.

Shaffer added that he is conservative but I dont necessarily hold to a view because its what my party says. He added that I would have probably been one of the few Republican votes for President Joe Bidens 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Thirteen House Republicans voted for the $1.2 trillion bill, drawing criticism from former President Donald Trump.

Very sad that the RINOs in the House and Senate gave Biden and Democrats a victory on the Non-Infrastructure Bill, Trump said in a statement after the measure was passed last November. All Republicans who voted for Democrat longevity should be ashamed of themselves, in particular Mitch McConnell, for granting a two-month stay which allowed the Democrats time to work things out at our Countrys, and the Republican Partys, expense!

Shaffer recently said that he would have joined the 47 House Republicans who voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which Deluzio also approves.

Shaffer, who ran for state Senate in 2018 and lost by a slim margin in the general election, thinks that he has a crossover appeal that will help him in the 17th district.

Solving problems and improving quality of life should not be a partisan issue, Shaffer told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. As a congressman, I will use my skills as a problem-solver and entrepreneur to work with anyone to solve the issues that matter most to Western Pennsylvanians.
Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) speaks during a House Judiciary Committee mark up hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on June 2, 2022. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

DOJ Investigating Cyber Breach of Federal Court Records System

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is probing a data breach of the U.S. federal courts system dating back to 2020, a government official revealed on July 28.

During a hearing at the House Judiciary Committee, Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) told lawmakers that three hostile foreign actors had attacked the document filing system of U.S. courts in early 2020. The incident caused a system security failure. This was the first time that details of the incident were publicly disclosed. Only in March did the committee learn about the breachs startling breadth and scope.

In response to Nadlers questions about the matter, Matt Olsen, head of the Justice Departments National Security Division (NSD), admitted that the incident was a significant concern.

Though he did not indicate who might have been behind the attack, Olsen noted that his division mostly focuses on cyber attack risks posed by nations like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia. The department was closely working with the federal judiciary across America to address the matter, he added.

While I cant speak directly to the nature of the ongoing investigation of the type of threats that youve mentioned regarding the effort to compromise public judicial dockets, this is of course a significant concern for us given the nature of the information thats often held by the courts, Olsen said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has sent a letter to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts saying that he has serious concerns about the federal judiciary hiding the consequences of the data breach from the public and Congress, according to Politico.

Court Vulnerability

On Jan. 6, 2021, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said that it was implementing new security procedures to safeguard sealed or confidential records. The decision was made after discovering that the courts electronic case management and filing system was compromised.

The federal Judiciarys foremost concern must be the integrity of and public trust in the operation and administration of its courts, James C. Duff, secretary of the Judicial Conference of the United States, the judiciarys national policy-making body, said in a Jan. 6, 2021, communication to the courts.

At the July 28 hearing, David Sellers, a spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, said that the judiciary was facing a significant threat with regard to its electronic case management system.

The U.S. Courts has established the Judiciary IT Security Task Force and is working with the Department of Homeland Security to address vulnerabilities and boost security.

Nadler asked Olsen whether the breach had affected any cases that the NSD is pursuing. Olsen replied that he could not think of anything in particular. The NSD head promised to keep Congress updated on the issue.
Extradited Hongkongers Jailed in China Now Face Prison Hong Kong

The Hong Kong police arrested twelve protesters during the anti-extradition movement in 2019. During their bail, they tried to abscond by trying to flee to Taiwan on a speedboat, but they were caught and arrested by the Chinese Coast Guard and taken to mainland China for trial.

Nine of the 12 who had served their sentences in Mainland China were charged on their return to Hong Kong with Perverting the Course of Justice.

In the court hearings on July 15, Judge Wong commented that the case was serious because it was contempt [of court] and a challenge to the judicial system in Hong Kong. However, because the defendants had already served a sentence in mainland China, sentencing was based on the following: 15 months being the starting point for sentencing, with one-third of the sentence deducted for the guilty plea, each of the seven defendants was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.

The seven to serve 10 months in jail are Liu Tsz-man, Cheng Tsz-ho, Cheung Chun-fu, Cheung Ming-yu, Yim Man-him, Li Tsz-yin, and Kok Tsz-lun, aged between 19 and 32.

One of the seven that pleaded guilty was Li Tsz-yin, failed to appear in court on the first day due to quarantine restrictions, but joined the other six defendants in court on July 16. The lawyers representing Li Tsz-yin submitted several letters of pleading, which state that a defendant is a young man of integrity. Even after his arrest, he worked hard and actively took self-development courses at the Chinese University. The lawyer also pointed out that since the defendant had just been sentenced the previous week to three and a half years imprisonment for rioting, he hoped the judge would exercise discretion to adjust the total sentence. His sentence for this case was pronounced to be seven months.

Another defendant Hoang Lam-phuc had pleaded guilty earlier and was sentenced to admission to a training center.

The ninth person, Wong Wai-yin, pleaded guilty to the accusation of making explosives and was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment. However, the allegation of Perverting the Course of Justice was just put on file and was not prosecuted.

Some Hong Kong people described the incident as extradited to China, and the outside world also questioned the role of Hong Kong police in the incident. They suspected the authorities had sent the Government Flying Service to monitor and track the 12 Hong Kong people but did not prevent them from leaving or being arrested by mainland police. All 12 Hong Kong people were arrested and detained by Chinas Guangdong Coast Guard.

During the proceedings in China, thirteen family lawyers were asked to meet the mainland China police, the pressure was put on them not to take the cases, and six of the lawyers withdrew from defending the accused.

On Sept. 4, 2020, human rights lawyer Lu Si-wei from mainland China was also denied access to the 12 people.

Lu Si-wei and Ren Quan-niu revoked their legal practice license in mainland China.

The 12 Hong Kong people were charged in mainland China with the crimes of organizing others to illegally cross the border and illegally crossing the border. Two of them were underage at the time of the arrest, and no charge was filed. The remaining ten people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7 months to 3 years.
Feed Shortage Leads to Pig Cannibalism; Chinas Economy Worsens

A video showing pigs eating a deceased pig on a farm in China went viral recently. Some of the pig farmers, working for a major Chinese financial group, said that the cannibalism occurred because of feed shortages. One expert believes that feed shortages are a reflection of bigger problems in Chinas economy.

Since July 24, the video has been one of the most searched topics on Chinese social media, putting a spotlight on the listed company and a major pig farming company, Jiangxi Zhengbang Tech (whose subsidiary is Jiangxi Zhengbang Breeding Co.), that contracted the farmers to raise the pigs. Posts about the company have been circulating online, such as the farmers pig feed supply was cut off, the chairman of Zhengbang was restricted from buying high-end products, the companys fundraising was delayed, and the companys court ordered total amount of compensation reached 100 million yuan (about $14.8 million), etc.

It caused the stock of Zhengbang Tech to fall 6.66 percent to 5.89 yuan (about $0.87) per share on July 25. The company then issued several announcements in response to the issues.

On July 25, Zhengbang Tech admitted that there were interruptions to the pig feed supply in July, citing the downturn in pig prices in June, COVID-19, the companys funds being tight, logistics issues, and problems in coordination with the feed producers. Theres no mention of compensation for the pig farmers in the statement.

The companys statements did not affirm or deny that pig cannibalism occurred on the farms.

Bigger Financial Issues

In addition, a necessary reminder was included in the Zhengbang statement. It said: The companys net profit in the first half of 2022 is expected to lose 3.8 billion to 4.6 billion yuan (about $563 million to $682 million). The statement has increased worries from the outside world about the companys shortage of funds.

Independent current affairs commentator Tang Jingyuan told The Epoch Times on July 27, that there are two main reasons for Zhengbang Techs shortage of pig feed. One is a shortage of funds, and there may even be a break in the capital chain. The other is that the COVID-19 epidemic has caused the logistics system to be blocked, which is the problem with the coordination of logistics distribution and feed mills mentioned in the companys official statement. Behind these two reasons, the root cause is actually that the economic environment in mainland China has deteriorated due to the regimes zero-COVID policy and measures, resulting in a vicious cycle of mutual causation between the two reasons mentioned above.

The deterioration in Chinas economy is largely caused by policy mistakes rather than a natural disaster. Zhengbang Tech is only one of the countless companies that pay for it, he said.
Dr. Ricardo Cruciani, a neurologist who admitted groping women at a Philadelphia clinic, leaves Manhattan state Supreme Court, in New York, on Feb. 21, 2018. (AP Photo/Colleen Long)

Former Neurologist in New York City Found Guilty of Raping, Sexually Abusing Patients

Convicted on 12 counts

A former neurologist in New York City was convicted on July 29, on 12 criminal counts of raping and sexually abusing six of his patients after a month-long trial.

A New York City jury deliberated for about three days at the trial of Ricardo Cruciani, 68, before finding him guilty on the charges, which comprise one count of predatory sexual assault, one of attempted rape, one of sex abuse, two of rape, and seven of criminal sexual acts. He was acquitted on two other counts.

The Ivy League-trained doctor, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, was jailed after the verdict was announced. He had been out on bail.

Crucianis sentencing has been scheduled for Sept. 14. The predatory sexual assault charge alone would carry a maximum punishment of life in prison.

Ricardo Cruciani abused his power as a medical professional and knowingly took advantage of his patients pain, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.

We entrust doctors to respect our bodies and health when we go to them for help, yet Dr. Cruciani utterly violated that duty. Dr. Cruciani left in his wake six survivors who continue to suffer from debilitating diseases, and now, years of trauma.

Forced Into Non-Consensual Sex

The six women who testified at Crucianis trial were his patients at Beth Israel Medical Center, and later at his other offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Hopewell, New Jersey. Each of the women had come to Cruciani, who was highly esteemed within the medical field, to treat their chronic and debilitating pain disorders.

They said the sexual abuse often occurred behind closed doors during appointments in 2013, where Cruciani would expose himself and demand sex or sexual favors. Cruciani left Beth Israel Medical Center in 2014.

During the trial, the women testified that they were sexually abused, with some having been forced into having non-consensual sex. They also testified that Cruciani gave them high doses of pain medication to get them addicted so they would continue to be dependent on him.

Prosecutors alleged that Cruciani developed a personal relationship with each patient and gradually advanced on them in a physical manner.

Cruciani initiated physical contact by stroking his patients hair, complimenting their appearance and giving them uncomfortably tight hugs, reads a statement from Braggs office.

Eventually, progressed to forcibly kissing the women, groping them, and compelling them to perform oral sex and have sexual intercourse.

Alvin Bragg speaks during a Get Out the Vote rally at A. Philip Randolph Square in Harlem in New York City, on Nov. 1, 2021. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The prosecutors also alleged that Cruciani frequently forced his patients to perform sexual acts in order to receive prescriptions for addictive pain medications.

He didnt finish writing my prescriptions until I did something for him, one woman told the jury.

Because the patients were hooked on the pain medications, when they sought care from other doctors, some were refused because of the dangerously high doses they had been prescribed.

The survivors were left with opioid addictions, sexual trauma, and without proper medical care for their extremely rare and painful diseases, Braggs office stated.

Cruciani was arrested in 2018 over the case.

During his career, Cruciani worked for several leading pain-management providers. He has denied the sexual abuse allegations. His attorney, Fred Sosinsky, said on July 29 there would be an appeal.

My client and his beautiful family are crushed by todays verdict, the lawyer said. In the end, it appears that the collective weight of six accusers, rather than a fair consideration of each of their problematic accounts, carried the day.

Crucianis lawyer had also argued that the witnesses werent credible. He said the women were willing to lie and dispute the indisputable to convince the jury of the charges.

Among the witnesses was Hillary Tullin, who helped fuel the case by calling a sexual abuse hotline in 2017 and reporting that Cruciani had abused her repeatedly between 2005 and 2013.

In response to the verdict, Tullin, who chose to step forward publicly under her full name, said: Mr. Cruciani and his lawyers were indefatigable in their attempts to portray me and the other witnesses as liars but the truth prevailed, adding, What happened to us is real, its traumatic, and it can no longer be denied.

Still Facing Other Charges

The disgraced former doctor is still facing similar but separate federal charges in Manhattan alleging that he abused multiple patients over 15 years2002 and 2017 at his offices in New York City, Philadelphia, and Hopewell.

He has been charged with five counts of enticement and inducement to travel and engage in unlawful sexual activity. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. He was arrested in October 2021 over the charges and faces a trial next year.

Besides the federal charges, Cruciani faces a state case in New Jersey that alleges he abused seven female patients in New Jersey over a two-year spanbetween January 2014 and January 2016.

The abuses allegedly took place while he was a chief neuroscientist at Capital Healths Institute of Neurosciences, a health facility in Hopewell Township. The 15 counts comprise eight counts of second-degree sexual assault and seven counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

Separately, Cruciani had pleaded guilty to having assaulted seven patients in 2016 at a Philadelphia clinic, while he was chairman of Drexel Universitys neurology department.

He was arrested in 2017 over the matter and was fired from the department that year. Per a plea agreement, Cruciani pleaded guilty in November 2017 and was given a seven-year sentence of probation that required him to register as a sex offender and forfeit his medical license in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A doctor looks at an ultrasound image as he checks a patient with COVID-19 at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province on Feb. 16, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Hospitalizations in China Dropped by 35.83 Million in 2020

Chinas official figures show that the total number of hospital admissions in the country dropped by 35.83 million in 2020.

In late 2019, a sudden outbreak of COVID-19 quietly spread in Wuhan, China. Its possible there is a connection.

On July 12, the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) National Health Commission released the 2021 Statistical Bulletin on Chinas health development that said the number of inpatients in Chinas national health institutions increased every year from 2016 to 2019 but dropped sharply in 2020 by 35.83 million. Even with a slight rebound in 2021, that year saw 18.7 million fewer hospitalizations than in 2019.

Total number of hospitalizations throughout China from 2016 to 2021. (Bar Chart Compiled by The Epoch Times)

The data from the bulletin also shows that there was no shortage of medical resources in China from 2016 to 2021, and the number of beds and health technicians in Chinas medical and health institutions increased every year.

It is possible that patients who were supposed to be inpatients were treated as outpatients. However, the data shown in the bulletin is basically similar to the number of inpatients nationwide: from 2016 to 2019, the total number of outpatients in China increased slightly every year, but suddenly decreased by 980 million in 2020. The number rebounded in 2021 to 8.47 billion, but that was still 250 million fewer than 2019.

Total number of outpatients throughout China from 2016 to 2021. (Bar Chart Compiled by The Epoch Times)

In other words, the decrease in inpatients did not correspond to an increase in outpatients nationwide in 2020, in fact the number of outpatients also decreased significantly.

Nor is it the case that patients who were to be hospitalized or see a doctor in 2020 were rescheduled to 2021, as neither number has exploded.

Regarding the low number of inpatients in the hospitals, Dr. Zhao from the Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University in Heilongjiang Province said that the number of inpatients has indeed decreased in the past two years.

According to Zhao, since some areas implemented lockdowns in the city and residential communities, many patients who needed medical treatment could not leave their home communities. They had to go through many procedures to get to a hospital. After arriving at the hospital, they still needed to provide a nucleic acid test certificate issued in the last 48 hours. In the worst cases, the hospital refused to receive any patients, that is, suspended medical services.

Especially in 2021, there was a period of time when the epidemic in Harbin was very serious, Zhao told The Epoch Times on July 27. Doctors in many hospitals were confined to their hospitals and could not go home, and some doctors were confined to their homes and could not get to work. It was chaotic then. Everyone was jittery.

Qi Yue (pseudonym), a retired doctor from Ruijin Hospital affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, also said that the number of hospitalizations was definitely affected by the pandemic.

How many hospitals in Shanghai have been operating normally in the past six months? he said to The Epoch Times. Many hospitals have been converted into isolation hospitals. [They] take nucleic acid testing very seriously. Some of them focus on nucleic acid testing. Without proof of nucleic acid testing within 48 hours, doctors cannot even see their patients. This kind of extreme thinking is similar to the Cultural Revolution, when learning (Mao Zedong) quotations was more important than rescuing patients. Its not good when it [medical care] gets involved with politics.

20 Million Cell Phone Accounts Disappeared Amid the Pandemic

In December 2019, an unexplained pneumonia emerged in Wuhan, China. On Jan. 8, 2020, the Chinese authorities officially confirmed the novel coronavirus (CCP virus) as the cause of the outbreak. Two weeks later, on Jan. 23, 2020, Wuhan, the worst-hit area of the pandemic was put in lockdown. During this period, Fang Fang, a female writer from Wuhan wrote a lockdown diary, which was later compiled into a book called Wuhan Diary Dispatches from a Quarantined City.

Here is a passage from the book: Diary (20) Maybe then they will understand the people: And what broke my heart even more was a picture from my doctor friend. It made the pathos of the previous days hit hard again. The picture shows a funeral home littered with mobile phones, their owners [were] all being incinerated.

Fang did not include a picture, but industry data released by the CCP and monthly business reports from telecom companies confirmed Fangs allegations and revealed alarming information.

In March 2020, Chinas Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released figures showing that the number of cell phone subscribers in China fell by 21.42 million in early 2020.

The change can also be seen in the monthly reports of Hong Kong-listed companies of China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom, the countrys three major telecom operators: In the first two months of 2020, China Mobile subscribers decreased by 8.116 million, China Unicom decreased by 7.787 million, and China Telecom decreased by 5.17 million.

Cell phones are much more than just a communication tool in communist-ruled China, as The Epoch Times revealed in in March 2020. Through various mobile apps on cell phones such as Alipay and WeChat, the CCP can even bind personal identities and take over peoples finances.

Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the communist regime has taken advantage of peoples fear of the virus in the name of epidemic prevention, and has infiltrated every aspect of their lives, including clothing, food, housing, and transportation through Alipay and WeChat health codes. In China, people cant make a step without a cell phone or health code.

Considering the impact of the pandemic on Chinese peoples behavioral patterns, the demand for cell phone services in 2020 should not be lower than it was in 2019.

At a press conference by the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the CCPs State Council on March 25, 2020, Han Xia, director of MIIT, said that the sharp decline in cell phone accounts in China was due to the economic impact of the pandemic and the cancellations of some dual-card users.

However, data from Chinas three major telecom operators show that the number of cell phone users in China has not increased along with the recovery of economic and social activities, as claimed by the authorities. For the whole of 2020, China Mobile saw a cumulative net loss of 8.359,000 subscribers, China Unicom 12,664,000, and China Telecom saw a net gain of 15.45 million. Adding the three together, there were still about 5.573 million fewer subscribers in 2020.

China saw nearly one billion fewer medical visits, 35.83 million fewer hospital admissions, and 20 million fewer cell phone users after the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020; as well as an extraordinary increase in deaths in 2021, Li Yanming, a China expert and commentator on current affairs, told The Epoch Times.

Data released by different CCP departments is contradictory. The information points to the real number of deaths caused by the pandemic being concealed by the CCP, and that it could be in the tens of millions, Li said.

Epoch Times reporter Kane Zhang contributed to this report.
The new passport of Vietnam. Photo by VnExpress/Tien Ngoc

The Vietnamese embassy in Germany will issue a certificate confirming the birthplace of holders of Vietnam's new passports.

It would be issued free of cost to support people who were already granted entry to perform other administrative procedures, the embassy website said.

Those who want the confirmation "need to ... present proof of place of birth such as a birth certificate or former passport," the announcement said.

The embassy added that the two countries are "actively discussing" how to resolve the problems related to Germany's refusal to recognize the new Vietnamese passport on the grounds that it lacks information about the holder's place of birth.

The German embassy in Hanoi said Thursday it cannot grant visas to holders of the new passports since their identities could not be verified without the place of birth.

German authorities could not find information about place of birth based solely on the personal identification number in the passport, it added.

Vietnam started issuing the new passport on July 1.

The old passport will continue to be valid until expiration.
ICE Officer Arrested for Allegedly Pursuing Sex With 13-Year-Old

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer has been arrested and then released from jail after allegedly trying to have sex with a minor.

In a release from the Othello Police Department in Washington state, Phil Schenck, the department chief, said that Koby Don Williams, 47, had traveled to Othello with the intent to pay for sex with a 13-year-old girl.

During this investigation, it was discovered that Williams was employed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer with [ICE], Schenck said in the release, posted to Facebook.

Williams was booked into the Adams County Jail in Ritzville, Washington, on July 26, with requested charges of attempted commercial sexual abuse of a minor; second-degree attempted rape of a child; and communication with a minor for immoral purposes.

The ICE officer was released on his own recognizance on July 27. Schenck said in a separate interview that it wasnt an uncommon practice, reported the Columbia Basin Herald.

[Williams] went in front of the [Adams County Superior Court] judge and the judge found probable cause [that Williams committed the crimes], Schenck said, reported the outlet. Then the process is, they look to see if the person is a flight risk. My understanding, from my staff talking to the prosecutor, the only issue hes had is a parking ticket. So for them to say hes a flight risk would be difficult.

He also added that being released without needing to post bail is also not uncommon if the judge believes hes going to come to trial when its time. He added: Bail is designed to ensure you come to court.

Williamss supervisors were notified of his arrest, which happened amid the departments ongoing Human Sex Trafficking Demand Reduction investigation in the Washington city.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is fully cooperating in this on-going investigation. The Moses Lake Police Department, Toppenish Police Department, and Washington Department of Corrections has been assisting with the investigation.
(L-R) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend the Quad Fellowship Founding Celebration event in Tokyo, Japan, on May 24, 2022. (Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images)

Is the Quad a Military Alliance? Should It Be?

Commentary

The Quad is the Quadrilateral Security Dialog between the United States, Australia, Japan, and India. The group has been denounced by Beijing as a sinister gang and an incipient Asian NATO. The latter term has often been applied to it in the media. Is the Quad a military alliance in the making? Should it be?

Purpose of the Quad

The idea of organizing the Quadrilateral Security Dialog is credited largely to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In 2007 he proposed a coalition of Indo-Pacific democracies to work together to guarantee a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

That cooperation was in part an outgrowth of Exercise Malabar; a joint U.S.-Indian naval exercise that began in 1992. The United States suspended the exercise in 1998, in response to Indias nuclear weapons testing, but renewed the collaboration following the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

The dialog was given further impetus by the maritime cooperation between India and the United States in the wake of the December 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami. Additionally, both the Japanese and Australian navies participated in those humanitarian relief efforts.

The group met formally for the first time on the sidelines of the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) annual meeting. That organization consists of 10 Southeast Asian countries.

The Quad was largely inactive during the two terms of the Obama administration but was revitalized and prioritized by the Trump administration.

Japan and Australia joined the Malabar Exercise from 2007 on, although their participation was intermittent. Since 2020, however, all four countries have participated in each exercise. Additionally, under the Trump administration, the exercise was expanded to include big deck carriers. New exercises are planned for 2022.

HMAS Ballarat is participating in Exercise Malabar 2020 alongside warships from India, Japan, and the United States. (LSIS Shane Cameron via ADF)

Australia suspended its participation on the Quadrilateral Security Dialog in 2008, at the behest of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, as part of a broader policy seeking to foster closer relations with China. However, in 2010, Australia rejoined the Quad. It also renewed its participation in the yearly Malabar Exercise.

In 2012, Abe proposed the idea of an Asian Democratic Security Diamond consisting of Japan, the United States, India, and Australia. This proposal led to renewed talks among the four nations in Manila ahead of the 2017 ASEAN summit.

The Quad members held a virtual summit, organized by U.S. President Joe Biden in March 2021, attended by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A second in person summit, the fourth overall, occurred on May 24, 2022 in Tokyo. Attending were Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Modi, and President Biden. The next summit will be hosted by Australia in 2023.

At both the 2021 and 2022 Quad summits, the group announced the formation of six working groups focused on: COVID-19 Response and Global Health Security, Climate, Critical and Emerging Technologies, Cyber, Space, and Infrastructure.

The importance of infrastructure development was underscored by a pledge from the four countries to make $50 billion available for infrastructure investment in the Indo-Pacific region.

The group also endorsed Japans Expanded Partnerships for Quality Infrastructure and the Blue Dot Network process that was initiated by the Trump administration. Both initiatives are designed to create a certification and evaluation framework for investments in sustainable development projects in the region.

At the Tokyo Summit, the group also announced the creation of the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA). Working with regional partners, IPMDA will offer a near-real-time, integrated and cost-effective maritime domain awareness picture, according to a White House fact sheet.

The intent of IPMDA is to allow partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores and, in turn, to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Quad Is Not a Military Alliance

The joint naval exercises held under the Quads auspices are designed to foster increasing interoperability between each countrys naval forces and do have significant military value. The four countries, however, do not have a collective security agreement between them where they are pledged to come to a common defense should any of the four be attacked.

In that sense, the military cooperation and obligations between the four members fall far short of the Article 5 provisions in the NATO treaty, although there are bilateral defense agreements between the United States and Japan (1951 U.S.-Japan Mutual Security Treaty) and the United States and Australia (1952 ANZUS Treaty).

While not a military agreement per se, the motivation for the Quad was to respond to Beijings increasingly assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region. That regions strategic importance is underscored by the fact that 42 percent of the worlds exports and 38 percent of global imports transit the Indo-Pacific.

Chinas aggressive behavior has manifested itself on multiple planes. These include a subversion of democratic values, particularly as evidenced by its repression of pro-democracy advocates in Hong Kong, and its persecution of the minority Uighur inhabitants in Xinjiang.

An airstrip made by China is visible beside structures and buildings on the man-made island in the Spratlys group of islands in the South China Sea on March 20, 2022. (Aaron Favila/AP Photo)

In addition, Beijings claims to a wide, sweeping sovereignty over the South and East China Seas, its assertion of ownership over the Senkaku islands, which are currently administered by Japan, its repeated provocation of the Republic of Chinas airspace, repeated border skirmishes with India, as well as incursions in the Philippiness territorial waters, and its aggressive construction and militarization of nine artificial islands covering approximately 3,200 acres in the South and East China Sea, have all underscored Chinas increasingly belligerent foreign policy.

The Quads agenda, however, goes beyond the immediate military threats posed by China. The group also wants to challenge Chinas soft power and its ability to leverage that influence to promote its agenda.

Beijing presents a wide-ranging economic and technological challenge to the United States and its allies that goes beyond its military objectives. China is a central element in many global supply chains and has been willing to use that leverage in pursuing its political agenda.

China has also, through its Belt and Road infrastructure development initiative, emerged as a major source of development capital. Often, the terms surrounding those investments can prove highly destabilizing to the host countries. The recent economic and political meltdown in Sri Lanka being a case in point.

The Grand Aurora vehicle carrier moored at Hambantota Port, operated by China Merchants Group, in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on March 28, 2018. Under the overwhelming burden of debt to China, the Sri Lankan government had to lease the port to Beijing for 99 years. (Atul Loke/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Moreover, in tandem with its String of Pearls program to acquire critical maritime infrastructure assets that potentially have dual civilian and military application, the Belt and Road program is facilitating a significant expansion of Chinas maritime power.

China is also a rising technological powerhouse, especially in the areas of telecommunications and biotechnology, although some of its progress has been exaggerated. Beijing has sought to use Huaweis position in advanced 5G telecommunications infrastructure, for example, to advance its diplomatic goals.

Likewise, it has used Chinas position as a major vaccine supplier to curry diplomatic influence, especially in Africa and the Pacific region. Ninety countries have relied on Chinas Sinovac vaccine in combatting the COVID pandemic, although often with mixed results.

The six working groups that were discussed at the 2022 summit are all focused on those sectors where Beijing is trying to leverage its soft power to maximum advantage.

Should the Quad Be a Military Alliance?

As noted previously, the Quad is not a military alliance because it lacks any mechanism for collective defense. Moreover, India has made it clear that it wishes to maintain its strategic autonomy and a greater flexibility in its foreign policy.

New Delhi, for example, has been noticeable in its unwillingness to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has remained an eager buyer of Russian petroleum, notwithstanding the sanctions that have been placed on Moscow by the United States and the EU.

Although the Quad is not a military alliance, it certainly has significant military value. AUKUS, the trilateral security agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States that was announced on Sept. 21, 2021, however, is most definitely a military alliance.

Britains Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left screen), Australias Prime Minister Scott Morrison (C), and U.S. President Joe Biden (right screen) at a joint press conference via AVL from The Blue Room at Parliament, in Canberra, Australia, on Sept. 16, 2021. (Mick Tsikas/AAP Image)

The agreement enables Australia to acquire eight new nuclear-powered submarines and provide it with sensitive nuclear propulsion technology that hitherto the United States has only shared with the UK military. Moreover, the agreement also calls for cooperation in a wide array of military domains, including cyber warfare, hypersonic and counter-hypersonic technology, and electronic warfare.

The aim of AUKUS is not only to modernize and expand Australias maritime forces, especially its undersea capabilities, but also to improve joint capabilities and interoperability. The agreement does not have any mutual defense provisions, but these are already in place from prior security agreements between the United States, the UK, and Australia.

Its possible that AUKUS could develop into a broader military alliance that would include countries that have already signed security treaties with the United States. In that sense, their participation would not necessarily be a formal entry into a new alliance, but a way of enhancing the military capabilities and interoperability of Americas security partners in the region.

AUKUS and the Quad should be seen not as disparate initiatives but part and parcel of a broader effort to address Beijings rising belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region.

Even without a formal military alliance AUKUS, and its potential expansion, can form the core of a stronger military presence held together by each countrys bilateral security ties to the United States. Such a structure would also allow for the modernization and expansion of each members military forces without requiring an expansion of the U.S. military presence in the region.

The Quad can be an effective instrument for addressing Chinas soft power and Beijings efforts to leverage that influence to achieve its political, diplomatic, and strategic goals in the region. By eschewing a formal military alliance, the Quad will also function to draw India closer to the other members, while at the same time offer other potential members a way of joining the Quad that falls short of a formal military alliance.

What has been missing in this two-pronged approach to dealing with Beijing is a third element, a regional economic framework to spur investment and trade. The United States has just announced an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) with Australia, Japan, and India. Also included are the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Brunei, the Philippines, New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia.

The scope of this initiative has not been well defined by the Biden administration other than to note that it has four pillars: digital trade and trade facilitation, clean energy and decarbonization, supply chain resilience, and anti-corruption and taxes.

The White House has gone to great lengths to emphasize that the IPEF is not intended to be a common market initiative. It falls far short of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement proposed by the Obama Administration in 2015 and subsequently scuttled by the Trump Administration in 2017.

Still, any partnership that expands and strengthens United States economic leadership in the Indo-Pacific region is a critical element in addressing Chinas economic soft power.

The Quad, combined with AUKUS, the IPEF, and the continued U.S. military presence in the Indo-Pacific region, are all interrelated elements of how the United States hopes to respond to Beijings increasingly aggressive ambitions in the region.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Japan Looks to Accept More Foreign Workers Amid Acute Labor Shortages

More jobs return as Japanese companies exit China

Japan has some of the most restrictive immigration laws in the world but its looking to make it easier for local companies to bring in talented foreign workers to some of its less populated regions by offering a fast-track path to permanent residency.

According to Nikkei Asia, the Japanese government will revise a point-based system that grades individuals based on annual income, educational background, and job experience, where those with high scores receive preferential treatment.

With the revision, the government will add points for working at companies promoted by local communities, especially in regions outside the metropolitan areas. The newly revised program is on a trial basis in Hiroshima Prefecture and Kitakyushu, two of the less populated regions in Japan, with plans to roll out the system nationwide.

The move is widely recognized as the governments effort to solve an acute labor shortage in less populated regions, given its dwindling and aging population. As a country long closed to immigrants, pressure has mounted to open up its borders.

The standard requirement for permanent residency is to have lived in Japan consecutively for 10 years, but since April 2017, changes to the rule would allow applicants who receive 70 points to qualify for the highly specialized profession status, allowing them to apply for permanent residency after three years of residing in Japan instead of 10.

Typically, highly skilled professionals refer to engineers, humanities specialists, international services, intra-company transferees, business managers, researchers, and professors.

However, the revised point-based program will give 10 additional points to foreign individuals working in local companies outside the metropolitan areas while treating them the same as having an annual income of 10 million yen or more as a manager.

If the applicant receives 80 points, only one year stay period will be required to apply for permanent residency. Additionally, it will also allow them to bring along parents and domestic servants, while their spouses will also be permitted to work in the country.

According to the report, the number of workers certified as highly specialized reached 31,451 at the end of 2021. And despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number has continued to rise.

Among the certified highly-specialized individuals, about 70 percent were Chinese, 6 percent were Indians, and 5 percent were Americans, according to numbers reported at the end of 2020.

Japanese Companies Exit China

In recent years, Japan has provided many incentives for its companies operating in China to shift production back home or into Southeast Asia in a bid to cut reliance on Chinese manufacturing and build resilient supply chains.

In 2020, the Japanese government generously provided 70 billion yen (about $653 million at the time) in subsidies for 87 companies to withdraw their production lines from China and shift their manufacturing back home or to Southeast Asia, Nikki Asia reported.

Among the 87 Japanese companies, 57 said they would return to Japan, and the other 30 would go to Southeast Asia.

The companies returning to Japan included big names such as household goods maker Iris Ohyama, electronics giant Sharp, hygiene products maker Saraya, pharmaceutical company Shionogi, medical equipment maker Terumo, and chemical manufacturer Kaneka.

Kiyoshi Imamura, former managing executive officer of Tokyo Steel, told local news in May that the rapid depreciation of the yen, disruptions in global supply chains, geopolitical risks, and wage changes are all factors that are driving Japanese companies back home.

Supply Chain Vulnerability

In a recent government report, Japan flagged its supply-side vulnerabilities, highlighting risks posed by the countrys heavy dependence on Chinese imports.

According to Japans twice-yearly World Economic Trends report released in February, the countrys imports from China in 2019 accounted for 23.3 percent of its total, compared with the United States 18.1 percent.

Out of the 5,000 or so items examined, China accounted for more than a 50 percent share (calculated by value) in 1,133 categories of Japans imported goods, compared to the U.S.s 11.9 percent share in 590 categories, the analysis showed.

The analysis said that Japans reliance on China was about twice the U.S.s dependence on China while noting the heightened risks posed by Chinese supply chain disruptions.

Japans reliance on Chinese imports extends across various goods but is most pronounced in household electronics such as personal smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Chinas share of electronic handsets imported by Japan rose to 85.7 percent in 2019 from 69.1 percent in 2009, and the country gets nearly all its imported tablets and laptops, 98.8 percent, from China, according to a Nikkei Asia report.

However, the makeup of Chinas exports has shifted as the countrys economy grew and labor costs rose. While its share of Japanese imports of electronic devices and semiconductors has risen, labor-intensive products have shifted to Vietnam, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries.

In 2019, Japan bought 66 percent of its imported footwear from China, down from 91.7 percent in 2009, a significant reduction.

Japan-based current affairs commentator, Hajime Takamine, told The Epoch Times that significantly more Vietnam-made products had been seen in major Japanese malls in recent years. And that many processing plants have either moved back to Japan or to Vietnam and other countries due to the pandemic and increased labor costs, especially those related to footwear.

While the Japanese analysis showed the countrys overall dependence on Chinese imports had changed little from a decade earlier, Japan has worked hard in recent years to decouple from China.

In May, Japans parliament passed an economic security bill to reinforce critical supply chains, ensure core infrastructure security, enhance research and development, and tighten information disclosure on patents. The measures in the legislation were primarily aimed at China, such as cutting reliance on Chinese imports and safeguarding critical technologies, given Chinas history of stealing intellectual properties.
Pro-abortion advocates in the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort, Ky., demonstrate in April against a bill adopted by lawmakers to place on Novembers ballot a proposed amendment that declares there is no right to abortion in the states constitution. (Bruce Schreiner/AP Photo)

Kansass Aug. 2 Value Them Both Vote First of at Least 6 Abortion Measures on 2022 Ballots

Kansass Value Them Both amendment goes before Sunflower State voters as a special election on their Aug. 2 primary ballots.

The measure asks voters to remove access to abortion as a right guaranteed under the Kansas Constitution in a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling.

Its the nations first public referendum on abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling in a 63 June 24 decision and kicked abortion regulation back to the states.

As such, the Kansas Value Them Both special election is being intensely watched nationwide; pro and con campaigns have collectively spent more than $13 million, polls are knotted, and election officials predict record turnouts for a midterm primary.

Voters in at least five other states, maybe six, will also see abortion-related ballot measures in 2022, but not until Novembers general elections. The six, or perhaps seven, 2022 statewide referendums are the most relating to abortion for a single year in the nations history, according to Ballotpedia.

California, Vermont, and Michigan voters will cast ballots this fall on proposed constitutional amendments that would enshrine access to abortion as a right.

As in Kansas on Aug. 2, Montana and Kentucky voters will be presented in November with proposals that curb access to abortion. Sponsors of a proposed restrictive abortion measure in Colorado have until Aug. 8 to garner the needed signatures to qualify.

Abortion-Related Measures in November

Several abortion-related measures will be on November ballots.

California Proposition 1: The proposed Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment was placed on the Nov. 8 ballot by two-thirds votes of both chambers of the state Legislature.

The amendment states that the state cant deny or interfere with an individuals reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, including decisions to have an abortion or to choose or refuse contraceptives.

Vermont Proposal 5: The proposed Right to Personal Reproductive Autonomy Amendment was placed on the ballot by state lawmakers.

If adopted, the Vermont Constitution would state that an individuals right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine ones own life course.

Michigan Right to Reproductive Freedom initiative: The prospective amendment establishes a state constitutional right to reproductive freedom, defined as the right to make and effectuate decisions about all matters relating to pregnancy, including but not limited to prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, sterilization, abortion care, miscarriage management, and infertility care.

Sponsored by Reproductive Freedom for All, a coalition that includes the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Planned Parenthood, the proposed amendment was cleared for signature gathering in March and needed 425,059 signatures by July 11.

Sponsors submitted 753,759 signatures, nearly double the required number, before the deadline, guaranteeing the measure will be on Novembers ballot.

The national ACLU and the ACLU of Michigan are among the Reproductive Freedom for All PACs top donors. The campaign has received nearly $2 million in donations, according to the Michigan Secretary of State Office.

Citizens to Support MI Women & Children is coordinating opposition to the proposed amendment. By mid-July, it only had about $110,000 in funding, but its campaign was gearing up to challenge Reproductive Freedom For All.

Montana LR 131: Another legislatively referred measure placed on the ballot by lawmakers, the proposal asks voters to install in state law a declaration that infants born alive at any stage of development are legal persons.

The proposed Medical Care Requirements for Born-Alive Infants measure requires medical care to be provided to infants born alive after an induced labor, cesarean section, attempted abortion, or other procedure.

LR 131 states that infants born alive at any stage of development are legal persons and requires medical care to be provided to infants born alive after an induced labor, cesarean section, attempted abortion, or another method.

Kentucky Amendment 2: As in Kansas on Aug. 2, Kentucky voters on Nov. 8 will cast ballots on a proposed amendment that states that the states constitution cant be interpreted to establish a state constitutional right to abortion.

The Kansas and Kentucky ballot measures are similar no right to abortion proposals that seek to repeal existing state court rulings regarding the procedure, clarifying that state lawmakers, not the courts, are the only ones who can craft abortion-related laws.

Voters in four other states have approved ballot measures that declare that theres no right to abortion in their state constitutions.

Tennessee was the first to do so in 2014 with Alabama and West Virginia voters following through in 2018. Louisianans adopted their no right to abortion in the state constitution ballot measure in 2020. Iowa voters will see a no right to abortion in the state constitution ballot measure in 2024.

There are proposed no right to abortion in the state constitution amendments vying for ballots in Pennsylvania in a 2023 ballot and in Iowa in 2024.

A doctor examines an eight-month pregnant woman at a health center in Denver, on March 15, 2017. (Jason Connolly/AFP via Getty Images)

Colorados Initiative No. 56

In Colorado, where the states Democratic majority passed a Reproductive Health Equity Act during its 2022 session that enshrines abortion access, the Equal Protection of Children coalition is attempting to get its Unlawful Murder of a Child measure before voters on Novembers ballot.

The proposed amendmentInitiative No. 56was cleared for signature gathering in April and needs 124,632 valid signatures by Aug. 8 to qualify for the ballot. In late June, sponsors reported that they were three-quarters of the way toward meeting that signature threshold.

If approved, the proposal would make it illegal under state law to murder a child  at any time prior to, during, or after birth with exceptions for acts with the intent or attempt to save the life or preserve the health of both mother and living child, the fetus isnt viable, or the pregnancy is ectopic.

The proposed Colorado statute would define murder as using or prescribing any instrument, medicine, drug, or any other substance, device, or means, and causing death.

Similar measures seeking to restrict abortion in Colorado havent fared well. In 2020, Coloradans rejected an initiative to ban abortions after a fetus reaches 22 weeks.

While abortion rights and pro-life advocates in these seven states have managed to get their proposals on ballots as public referendumswith assists from state lawmakers in several casesmore than a dozen legislatures have independently taken legislative actions regarding abortion during their 2022 sessions.

In anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organizationfew were surprised when it upheld a Mississippi law that bans abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancystate lawmakers across the country adopted measures that would go into effect should the decision return abortion regulation completely back to the states.

Lawmakers in 13 states, including Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, have over the past decadeand especially in the past two yearsadopted trigger laws that automatically make abortion illegal if Roe was overturned.
Our judgments and opinions affect our actions and emotions and, whether they are favorable or unfavorable, lead us to form prejudices. These prejudices can be detrimental, for they can prevent us from seeing the truth around us.

Kate Chopin, most often today considered a forerunner of feminism, addressed something quite different in her short story A Matter of Prejudice (1894), wherein her main character simply learns to see humans as humans.

The story looks at our judgmental tendencies by inspecting the life of Madame Carambeau, who is a woman of many prejudices, so many, in fact, that it would be difficult to name them all.

Though she lives in America, she despises Americans, anyone who practices a different faith, and anyone who is not French or does not speak French. As Jane Austen says in Pride and Prejudice, Madames defect is willfully to misunderstand everything and everyone around her.

Madame Carambeaus daughter, Madame Cecile Lalonde, throws a birthday party for her son, Gustave. The older Madame finds this unbearable. This party has so many children with their horrible noises and their insufferable organ grinders that she must move herself from the back gallery to the front gallery.

Children Playing at Weddings by Emma Ekwall. Oil on canvas. The National Museum, Stockholm. (Public Domain)

Though she distances herself from the party, Madame does not hide far enough away. The horrible noises still reach her and so do two young children, who come running and screaming to the front gallery. The little girl in the lead jumps into Madames lap, while the pursuer lightly strikes her a last tag, and runs laughing gleefully away. Madame scolds the little girl in French, but the girl remains panting and fluttering, like a frightened bird.

Providence

As she is about to move the girl away, Madame notices that the little girl is unwell and is, in fact, contracting a fever. In an instant, Madames manner changes, for though she is a creature of prejudices, she is nevertheless a skillful and accomplished nurse, and a connoisseur in all matters pertaining to health. She sees it as her duty to attend to the little girl. She removes the girl into her own room, where she changes her into cooler clothes and places her on the bed.

When the carriage and nurse come for the little girl after the party, Madame refuses to let the girl go and sends a note to the parents, explaining that the girl must not be moved. Within two days, the girl recovers and is sent home, leaving Madame the mistress of her quiet and peaceful house again.

Yet Madame soon realizes that this little girl has influenced her more than she would like to admit. Madame realizes that she can think of nothing really objectionable against [the little girl] except the accident of her birth  and her ignorance of the French language.

Ever since the little girl threw herself into Madames lap, Madame is never the same. The little girl penetrates the crust of Madames prejudice and reaches her heart. As Madame remembers the little girls hugs and kisses, she can no longer resist the doubt that arises. Doubt, mistrust, and dissatisfaction grow, which give way to doubt and misgiving, until finally the flower of Truth blooms from Madames dusty, opinionated heart. As the flower of Truth grows, Madames prejudices fall like a house of cards.

Grandmother and Granddaughter, 1863, by Julius Scholtz. Oil on canvas. (Public Domain)

The Seed of Truth

With a new perspective, Madame realizes that all her perceptions have proven faulty and have led her to disregard the truth, and she now seeks to mend her ways. On Christmas Day, Madame decides to not only go to an American church (all in English) but also visit her son, M. Henri Carambeau, whom she banished from her life because he married an American girl.

When she and Madame Lalonde arrive at Henris house, he, his wife, and their daughter come out, truly thankful and overjoyed to see them. The granddaughter who approaches Madame proves to be the little girl Madame nursed to health. (Madame Lalonde never tells her mother about her niece, Madame Carambeaus granddaughter, because Henri was banished).

Seeing that the little girl is her granddaughter, Madame says, [The fever] was no accident, I tell you; it was Providence. And as she holds her little granddaughter, Madame announces that she will teach the girl French, while the child, in turn, will teach her grandmother English.

Chopin shows that our prejudices are not really what we think they are and are often made without any proof or knowledge. They can prove to be trivial, weak, and utter nonsense and can be dismantled and destroyed in an instant. Sometimes the people in our lives can help us reverse our deeply held prejudices.

Chopin proves that the seed of Truth will show us the way. By recognizing and addressing our biases, we can live better lives. By recognizing truth, we can truly see and appreciate people, places, and things in the correct light.
Left: Rishi Sunak campaigns in Tunbridge Wells, England, on July 29, 2022. (Peter Nicholls/PA Media) Right: Liz Truss speaking to the media at Biggin Hill Airport on July 30, 2022. (Henry Nicholls/PA Media)

Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak Woo Rural Conservatives Before Crucial Weekend

The UKs Conservative leadership contenders Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak both sought to win the support of rural party members on Friday as they race to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Next week, ballots will arrive at the doorsteps of grassroots Conservative Party members, who are widely expected to cast their ballots early instead of waiting until the Sept. 2 deadline.

Both writing in the Countryside Alliances magazine on Friday, Truss cited her experience as the environment, food, and rural affairs secretary, saying she had championed British towns, villages, and hamlets for two years.

The foreign secretary said if she becomes the prime minister, she will scrap government-imposed top-down housing targets and give planning powers back to the locals so they can grow organically and meet local needs.

Promising to boost the UKs domestic food production such as horticulture and seafood, Truss said she will streamline the inspection regime for UK food producers by removing red tape, reducing costs, and having a greater role for earned recognition.

She also vowed to include farmers and land managers in the environmental land management schemes to harness their skills for landscape-scale conservationusing their expertise and common sense.

Sunak said in his article that he is proud to represent the rural constituency of Richmond since 2015 and campaigned on the issues that matter to local peopleincluding faster broadband, safer roads, and better health care.

The former chancellor promised to always back our farmers, saying food production and food security have never been so important and that the rural communities are part of the solution to the environmental challenges we face, not the problem.

In a separate interview with The Telegraph, Sunak said he would prioritise farmers in trade deals.

The report also said Sunak plans to ban property developers from buying up fields to build homes.

Sunak, who has consistently trailed behind Truss in polls, is facing an uphill battle as his opponent gained two major endorsements on Friday ahead of whats expected to be a crunch weekend.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said Truss is the only candidate who has both the breadth and depth of experience needed to confront the challenges the UK is facing, while former candidate Tom Tugendhat wrote in The Times of London that he saw a firm leader in Truss.

In another bid to woo party members, Sunak vowed to review the 2010 Equality Act, which he said has been a Trojan horse that has allowed every kind of woke nonsense to permeate public life.

Our laws must protect free speech, block biological men from competing in womens sport, and ensure that children are allowed to be children, he said.

Truss has also spoken out in favour of single-sex spaces, telling a hustings audience on Thursday that she backs a policy that guarantees schoolgirls can go to a toilet in a safe environment.
A view shows silos of grain from Odesa Black Sea port, before a shipment of grain as the government of Ukraine awaits signal from U.N. and Turkey to start grain shipments, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Odesa, Ukraine, on July 29, 2022. (Nacho Doce/Reuters)

Lloyds of London to Insure Grain Shipments out of Ukraine

Insurance market Lloyds of London on Friday announced insurance for ships carrying food from Ukraine via freshly-agreed Black Sea corridors, removing a barrier to getting crucial exports underway.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said it was an important step in ensuring grain exports can leave Black Sea ports following the vital U.N. agreement last week.

One of the key concerns after Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and the U.N. signed a deal last week to reopen Black Sea ports blocked by five months of war was around providing security assurances to traders concerned about navigating the mined waters.

Lloyds said its new export facility will allow vessels transporting grain and other food products from Ukrainian ports to have reliable coverage in place for their voyages.

Patrick Tiernan, chief of markets at Lloyds, said the cover would add essential protections to the deal brokered by the U.N. last week and represents the latest support from Lloyds and the insurance industry to help the international community respond to the conflict.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday visited the Odesa region to see a ship loaded with grain as exports resume for the first time since the Feb. 24 invasion.

Moscow agreed not to attack exporting vessels setting sail from ports including Odesa in last weeks deal, but its commitment was thrown into question when Russian missiles hit Odesa hours later.

Truss said: [Russian President Vladimi] Putin must honour this deal and allow ships to leave Ukraine to help alleviate the hugely damaging impact this war has had on global food security.

It is hoped millions of tons of grain that have been trapped in Ukraine by the conflict will be released to countries in Africa and the Middle East and help ease an international food crisis.
Floral tributes left near to the scene where a nine-year-old girl died from a suspected stab wound, in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, on July 29, 2022. (Joe Giddens/PA Media)

Man Arrested Over Fatal Stabbing of 9-Year-Old Girl in Boston, England

A man has been arrested over the fatal stabbing of a nine-year-old girl in Boston.

Lincolnshire Police said officers detained a 22-year-old in the Boston Central Park area at about 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, on suspicion of murdering Lillia Valutyte.

It comes after the force released four CCTV images of a man they sought to identify, and several members of the public came forward with information.

The man is being held in custody, and while police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident, officers will continue investigations in the town.

In a statement at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Chief Superintendent Martyn Parker thanked members of the public who had aided the inquiry, and urged anyone else with information to contact the police.

He said: We are still encouraging anyone with information to contact us and you can do so via the major incident portal, of which the details are on our website.

Once again, I would like to personally thank you for the support you have shown from members of the public and from the media.

Your support is very much appreciated.

A forensic officer near the scene after a nine-year-old girl died from a suspected stab wound, in Boston, Lincolnshire, England, on July 29, 2022. (Joe Giddens/PA Media)

The CCTV released earlier on Saturday showed a man in the Wormgate and Fountain Lane area of Boston at 6:15 p.m. on Thursdayfive minutes before Lillia was found dead.

The force had warned anyone who had seen him not to approach him but to dial 999 immediately.

Lincolnshire Police also said that two people who were arrested earlier this week have now been released with no further action.

They added that a person caught on video being led out of an address by officers on Friday is not a suspect, nor are they under investigation, after footage circulated online.

Lillia was found on Fountain Lane in Boston at about 6:20 pm on Thursday.

She had reportedly been playing with her younger sister on the street just yards from an office where their mother was working at the time.

The girls had a hula-hoop, and a toy pram was left at the scene, according to local people.

A resident from the area told the Telegraph: The little girl was playing in the street with her younger sister when it happened. They had some toys out.

Im sure her mum wouldnt have been far away as she always checked on them. She was a very quiet girl, and I just cant understand it.

I didnt see what happened, but we were told they [police] were looking for footage of a man running away.

Jurate Matulioniene, a family friend and chairwoman of the Boston Lithuanian Community, told The Times of London: Lillia was a beautiful angel, she was quite quiet and loved dancing.

The family used to come to all of our community events and they would always stay late to help clear up.

I have spoken to the mum and asked for her account details because we want to do a fundraiser but she would not accept it.

Police have altered the spelling of Lillias first name in their latest update.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting incident 419 of July 28.
The only thing better than the free break from work many of us had during the pandemic was the free stimulus checks that came rolling in. But how long can the free gravy train chug along before it runs out of steam? Recession looms on the horizon in America. Meanwhile in Argentina, for months, thousands of protesters have been taking to the streets to contest their government-induced money troubles. But the roots of this problem run much farther back than the last few months, or the global pandemic. They go back many, many decades, and involve one of the most celebrated, eccentric, and potentially mentally unstable figures of our time.



* Click the Save button below the video to access it later on My List.

Follow EpochTV on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EpochTVus

Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/EpochTV

Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@EpochTV

Gettr: https://gettr.com/user/epochtv

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EpochTVus

Gab: https://gab.com/EpochTV

Telegram: https://t.me/EpochTV

Mass Protests in Argentina Fueled by Decades of Socialist Handouts | WideAngle Shorts
Moms for Liberty Still Locked out of Twitter for Alleged Hateful Conduct in Transgender Debate

A national parental rights group has been locked out of its Twitter account for nearly a week over a tweet condemning controversial proposed legislation that would make California a transgender sanctuary state.

As of Saturday afternoon, Twitter had not responded to Moms for Libertys appeal.

Im still locked out, the groups co-founder Tiffany Justice told The Epoch Times. Twitter has taken me out of the town square. They have silenced my voice.

Justice wrote on Twitter July 25 that gender dysphoria is a mental health disorder that is being normalized by predators.

Gender dysphoria is a mental health disorder that is being normalized by predators across the USA, she wrote. California kids are at extreme risk from predatory adults. Now they want to liberate children all over the country. Does a double mastectomy on a preteen sound like progress?

Twitter locked her out of the groups account later that day for alleged hateful conduct, she said.

Parental rights group Moms for Liberty is still locked out of its Twitter account as of July 30 over a tweet condemning controversial proposed legislation that would make California a transgender sanctuary state. (Courtesy of Tiffany Justice)

They [Twitter] said, you can either delete this tweet or you can appeal it. I said Im going to appeal it, and my question when I appealed was, What part of this is hateful? she said.

[Twitter founder] Jack Dorsey said that Twitter was created to have conversations. And Im just trying to have a conversation about whats happening with the kids and their safety across the country, she said.

Tiffany Justice and Tina Descovich, co-founders of Moms for Liberty. (Courtesy of Moms for Liberty)

Meanwhile, Justice said she cant access direct messages from people trying to contact Moms For Liberty about Senate Bill 107, legislation proposed by California State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) that would make California a sanctuary state for transgender youth and their gender-affirming parents.

Theres a senate bill in California, thats been proposed that basically says, Hey kids, run away to California and the government will pay to transition your gender without the consent of your parents, she said. Now were talking about a state sanctioning that and paying for it regardless of parents feelings about it for an underage minor.  We have to stop this.

Nicolle Young, who leads the groups Placer County chapter in California, denounced the Twitter lockout as censorship, plain and simple.

They do not want public participation. They do not want the parents voicing their opinions, or their stand, as far as wanting to keep their rights and keep their children safe, she said.

She accused state lawmakers of trying to keep parents in the dark about the gender-affirming legislation, of which people in other states need to take note.

California is the test case for the rest of the country, and they want to see how California fares with all of this legislation. I feel like were a huge social experiment and theyre trying to see how far they can push it, she said.

Meanwhile, Erin Friday, an attorney and co-lead for the American chapter of Our Dutyan international group that opposes transgender ideologytold The Epoch Times it is just beyond the pale for Twitter to think parents are hateful in trying to protect their children and other peoples children.

What is hateful about protecting a child from sterility or irreversible harm from becoming a lifelong medical patient? she asked.

Friday is currently leading the fight against SB 107, which she said encourages minors run away from their parents and come to California to get gender-affirming interventionsas well as SB 923, another bill that advocates for all health insurers to provide gender-affirming health care . 

As a mom whose teen daughter once suffered from gender dysphoria but has since decided she is not transgender, Friday applauds the recent decision of Britains National Health Service (NHS) to close the Tavistock transgender clinic for minorswhich has been accused of rushing children into treatmentand instead focus on a new model of care centering on mental health.

Friday claims that in California, a parent can walk into a gender clinic and obtain cross-sex hormones for their minor child in an hour or less. At least one hospital, she said, has advised parents over the phone to put their kids on puberty blockers.

They didnt even meet the kids, she said. There are no guardrails  not even a requirement in California that there be a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.
Ha Xuan Loc holds up his red Hainan potamon rubrum crab at his home in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan District on July 19, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

It was in February that Vi Dung came to know about the new trend of having colorful freshwater crabs as pets.

The 23-year-old long time aquarist from the northern province of Lao Cai discovered this by chance on social media.

Hooked, he decided to order two large 7-cm long crabs, one red and one yellow, for VND350,000 ($14.97) each to keep as pets in his fish tank.

The price of each crab ranges from a few tens to several hundred thousand dong (VND100,000 = $4.28) depending on the size and color.

Dung said the type of crab he has bought is called Hainan potamon rubrum. Though they can be found in the wild in many countries in the region, they are rarely caught because they live in rivers and lakes in mountainous areas. This type of crab is harmless to the environment, doesnt need to live at high water levels and is suitable to be kept in aquariums, he added.

"I like this type of crab because they are unique. Their colors make the aquarium more lively and shiny."

Dung said he took careful instructions from the seller on how to take care of the crabs, what are their ideal living environment was and many details before making his purchase.

"If I knew that they are this easy to raise, I would have purchased four more crabs," he said, noting he only needs to make sure that the fish tank has enough oxygen and feed them shrimp, worms or tiny fish.

"The best part is that they dont attack other fish in the tank."

Smitten by Dungs new pets, his friends asked him where to get them and bought some for themselves. Some created semi-terrain tanks to raise the crabs separately while others put them in fish tanks along with their fish.

In Can Tho Province, Thanh Tuyen, ordered six colorful crabs of various sizes online for nearly VND1 million to be released into her aquarium in May.

The 24-year-old admitted that she was worried most that her crabs might die because of the long distance transportation. Fortunately, all six arrived safe and sound.

Since the beginning of this year, the number of people seeking colorful crabs has skyrocketed, businesses say.

Ha Xuan Loc, 34, owner of a chain of crab shops in Hanoi, Da Lat and HCMC, said that the main reasons for more and more people choosing to have the colorful crabs as pets were: they are cheap, do not get sick easily and dont require much caring for. People with little experience can also raise them.

"This hobby has emerged in many places around the world since the 2010s. It is most popular in Thailand and China. The Chinese market has a particularly large demand for freshwater aquarium crabs because locals supply is inadequate" Loc said.

In 2016, he started trying to breed the Hainan potamon crab, but they died soon.

It took two years of research and expert guidance from several researchers in the country and abroad, including a teacher in Thailand, for Loc to obtain success in breeding the crabs.

"At that time, I had brought these bred crabs to sell at my aquarium shops, but no one was interested. All the attention of pet lovers were focused on arowanas and arhat fishes, reptiles and imported cats and dogs."

Colorful crabs hook pet lovers Thu nuoi cua kieng A close-up look at Loc's Hainan potamon rubrum crab collection. Video by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

Big change

The red, yellow, green and blue crabs that Loc bred at his farm in Son La Province, coming in 5-6 cm sizes, are selling like hot cakes now.

Since the beginning of this year, he has sold nearly 2,000 crabs on average each month to customers across Vietnam. He has also shipped them abroad.

"Most of my customers are under 40," Loc said, adding that there are times he does not have enough of the crustaceans to sell because it is not spawning season.

According to him, the freshwater aquatic crabs currently on the market are from erstwhile Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). The domesticated crabs can easily adapt to the weather and humidity in Vietnam and rarely get sick. The average life expectancy is from 2-3 years to a dozen years if sufficient care is taken. As a result, raising freshwater aquatic crabs has become very popular in Vietnam, Loc said.

In fact, pet lovers can easily find places that sell these crabs by googling "ornamental crabs" or "freshwater aquatic crabs."

"But pet owners need to be careful with cheap crabs because they might have just been caught fresh from the wild, have not been tamed and are not familiar with the habitat in the tank. So they can die easily," Loc warned.

He advised newcomers to purchase from reputable crab farmers and consult sellers at length on caring for them.

For him, a standard crab must have clear colors, no scratches and all legs and claws must be intact.

Loc stands next to his aquarium at his home in Hanoi's Thanh Xuan District on July 19, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Nguyen

Hanoian Truong Anh, 20, bought 10 crabs for VND200,000 to raise as pets because they were cheap. Others places were selling them for more than VND100,000 each.

But the crabs that were delivered were weak. The color of the shell was not the same as advertised photos. All of them died in just five days.

Meanwhile, Tuyen in Can Tho plans to order a few more with unique colors after successfully raising six of the freshwater crabs.

She said: "Raising crab is as addictive as raising fish, making one want to collect more and more. Not just me, many friends also love to keep these crabs as pets."
A Sea Hunter, a crewless vessel, arrives at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to participate in the Rim of Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, on June 29, 2022. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan/U.S. Navy via AP)

Navy Expedites Waterborne Drones to Close Gap With China

Facing a growing threat from the Chinese communist regime, the Navy envisions drone ships keeping an electronic eye on enemy forces across the vast Pacific Ocean, extending the reach of firepower, and keeping sailors out of harms way.

The Navy is speeding development of those robotic ships as an affordable way to keep pace with the Chinese regimes growing fleet while vowing not to repeat costly shipbuilding blunders from recent years.

The four largest drone ships are being used together this summer during a multination naval exercise in the Pacific Ocean.

Other smaller waterborne drones are already being deployed by the Navys 5th Fleet in the waters off the Middle East.

The goal in coming years is to see how these research vessels radar and sensors can be combined with artificial intelligence, and integrated with traditional cruisers, destroyers, submarine, and aircraft carriers, to create a networked fleet thats resilient because its spread over greater distances and more difficult for enemies to destroy, the Navy says.

Its about moving the technology forward, and having confidence in the capability. Everything takes time, said Cmdr. Jeremiah Daley, commanding officer of Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One in California.

The Navy believes the technology can help with the three keys for military successweapons range, scouting, and command and controlat a lower cost and risk to personnel, said James Holmes, a professor at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.

But all of those benefits must be proven, along with long-term durability in a harsh saltwater environment, he said.

Were sort of in Jerry Maguire show me the money territory with the tech. It will undoubtedly be useful, but whether it will be a game-changer is far less clear, said Holmes, who doesnt speak for the Navy.

Before moving forward, the Navy must first to win over a skeptical Congress after a series of shipbuilding debacles.

Its speedy littoral combat ships have had propulsion problems, leading to early retirements. The Advanced Gun System on its stealth destroyer was a bust because of expensive ammo. And its newest aircraft carrier had problems with elevators and a new system to launch aircraft.

Critics said the Navy rushed to cram too much new technology onto those ships, leading to failures and growing costs.

We cant just throw all the resources at (robotic ships) with the track record of 20 years of failed ship programs, said Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), who is a retired Navy officer.

The Navys Unmanned Task Force is taking a new approach, using a military equivalent of a venture capital model to expedite new ideas, and moving forward only after technologies are proven, said Michael Stewart, the director of the task force.

This summer, four large drone ships are working alongside conventional ships during the war games called RIMPAC.

Those include the Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk, diesel-powered ships equipped with outriggers for stability in rough seas. The other two are Ranger and Nomad, which are based on oil platform replenishment ships. They have large flat decks from which a missile was successfully fired last year.

While those larger vessels are tested in the Pacific, the Navy is already seeing promising results with smaller, commercially available vessels that are being assessed by Task Force 59, which is part of the 5th Fleet in Bahrain, said Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, 5th Fleet spokesperson.

One of the vessels that received attention is the Saildrone, a sail-powered vessel with solar-powered systems. Equipped with radar and cameras, Saildrones are touted as being able to operate autonomously for months at a time without maintenance or resupply.

A Saildrone Explorer (front to rear), a Devil Ray T-38 crewless vessel, a littoral combat ship, and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sail in the Arabian Gulf, on June 26, 2022. (Chief Mass Communication Specialist Roland A. Franklin/U.S. Navy via AP)

Based on the success of multinational exercises last winter, the 5th Fleet said the U.S. Navy and international partners intend to deploy 100 crewless vessels by next summer.

All told, Adm. Mike Gilday, chief of naval operations, envisions a mix of 150 large crewless surface vessels and undersea vessels by 2045. Thats on top of more than 350 conventional battle force ships.

The Navys spending proposal for the new fiscal year includes $433 million for crewless surface vessels and $284 million for underwater vessels.

Those vessels coupled with artificial intelligence have the potential to make the Navys fleet much more effective, said Gilday, the Navys top officer. But the Navy is going about research and development in an evolutionary, deliberate, informed kind of way, he said.

The biggest advantage of robotic ships is that they could be built at a fraction of the cost of conventional warships as the Navy struggles to keep pace with China and Russia, said Loren Thompson, defense analyst at the Lexington Institute. The United States already lags behind the regime in ship numbers, and the gap is growing each year.

But Congress isnt rushing into funding new programs, said Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson institute. Congress wants the Navy to have a good planand then pursue it aggressively, Clark said.

On Capitol Hill, Luria said there may be a place for crewless ships, perhaps in replacing missile capability for ships the Navy wants to retire. But theres a lot of research and development necessary to convince Congress to heavily invest in ships without any sailors.

I just dont think the technology is mature enough now to make a wholesale investment, said Luria.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), chair of the seapower subcommittee, said Gilday has assured her that the Navy is conscious of not moving too quickly on unproven technology.

The Navy must get this right the first time and support rigorous testing with prototypes before committing to buying a fleet, said Hirono.

By David Sharp
OC Education Board Hires Lobbyist to Advocate in DC

The Orange County Board of Educationwhose majority has long been in favor of charter schools and parental choiceis preparing to advocate for their interests at the federal level by hiring a government relations firm.

The board unanimously voted during a special meeting July 26 to hire Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm David Turch and Associates for $120,000 per year.

Trustee Lisa Sparks told The Epoch Times that the board needed a lobbyist to stay informed of what is happening in Washington, D.C.

Were elected to represent the people and we cant represent the people if were not informed on whats happening in terms of things that affect the Orange County Board of Education and decision making, she said.

Turchs firmits clients include municipalities and private corporations across the countryis known for advocating and negotiating with federal departments and programs.

Our job is to raise the views of the parents, the citizens, and the taxpayers in Orange County, and their views about education nationally, Turch told The Epoch Times. The two issues that appear to be dominant are charter schools and parental rights.

One of the bills the board supports, Turch said, is H.R. 7525, a bill introduced by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.) in April that would protect charter schools from federal overreach by prohibiting the Secretary of Education from finalizing or implementing a rule relating to charter school programs.

Trustee Ken Williams said during the meeting that the board has historically retained a government relations firm but allowed its contract to expire without renewal in 2017 because we had a new administration that supported charter schools and parental choice  so it was felt that we no longer needed it for a period of time.

The board also already has a state-level representative, Tom Sheehy, to advocate for their interests in Sacramento.

During the meeting, Williams also spoke of some recent state bills that the board will pay close attention to in the coming months.

One of those bills, he said, is a state Senate bill that would move the boards elections from the June primary to Novembers general elections.

Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), who authored Senate Bill 286 in January, said in a statement that the change is aimed at increasing voter turnout.

Orange County is one of only five counties in the state that holds its Board of Education elections in June, according to Min.

In 2020, nearly 820,000or 45 percentof voters participated in the primary election, while nearly 1.6 million residents cast their votes in the general election.

In the most recent June primary 2022 election, only about 640,000 ballots were cast35 percent of the 1.8 million registered voters in Orange County.

In a statement to The Epoch Times, Min said the bill would bring the boards race in line with other counties across the state and with every other election in Orange County.

The OC Board of Education race  along with the OC Superintendent  is the only election that is decided in the low turnout primary, which confuses voters unnecessarily, Mins statement read. It is sad that this Board of Education has once again chosen to waste our taxpayer dollars rather than actually spend their time and our money trying to improve public education in Orange County.

Trustee Sparks, however, said called Mins bill purely political for singling out the board and not other governing entities that hold elections in June.

[Mins] argument is that theres more representation for voters, Sparks said. Well, that could be but its not really telling the whole truth because if that were the case, then he would have also proposed a new superintendent electionfrom the primary to the generalwhich he did not do.

Correction: A previous version of this article stated that the board hired a government relations firm for state-level, instead of federal-level, issues. The Epoch Times regrets the error.
A smartphone with Facebook's logo is seen with new rebrand logo Meta in this illustration taken on Oct. 28, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Ohio Leads Class-Action Lawsuit Against Facebook

A federal judge has named Ohio the lead plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that seeks to represent all Facebook investors who lost money in the wake of revelations about the company.

Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the suit accuses Facebook of violating federal securities laws by publicly misrepresenting its policies and practices, thus artificially inflating the value of its stockuntil whistleblowers came forward.

This case is about lies and lossesFacebooks lies, and the losses incurred by our pension systems and others, Ohio Attorney General David Yost said in a July 28 statement. Ohio is happy and determined to lead in enforcing accountability against Facebook.

In late 2021, leaked documents revealed that Facebook misled the public about how its proprietary algorithm promoted offensive and dangerous content to users, Yost said.

As a result of the scandal, Facebooks reputation suffered and its stock price plummeted, which erased more than $100 billion in shareholder value, the suit says.

The Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS), which manages assets on behalf of more than 1.1 million state employees, retirees, and beneficiaries, lost $3 million in Facebook stock value, Yost said in the statement.

Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies at a House Financial Services Committee hearing in Washington on Oct. 23, 2019. (Erin Scott/Reuters)

The suit was filed against Meta Platforms Inc., formerly known as Facebook, along with three company executives: Zuckerberg, who founded the social network in 2004; David Wehner, chief financial officer; and Nick Clegg, vice president of global affairs and communications.

Attorneys who are representing Meta in the lawsuit didnt respond to a request by The Epoch Times for comment.

As a result of U.S. District Judge Jon Tigars July 26 decision designating Ohio as the lead plaintiff, Yosts office will represent not only OPERS but also untold numbers of Facebook investors. He said he would seek to recover millions of dollars and to compel Mark Zuckerberg, owner of Facebook, to reform (the companys) internal practices, the statement said.

If the case ends with damages awarded to the plaintiffs, other retirement systems and Facebook investors can file claims to participate in the recovery, Yosts office said.

Leaked Facebook Documents

Facebooks alleged misrepresentations undermined investors ability to make informed decisions.

The magic of free markets doesnt happen if the marketplace is filled with false information  especially deliberately false information, Yost said. This lawsuit will serve to protect investors and the market as a whole.

Ohio Attorney General David Yost (Photo from OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov)

During much of 2021, Facebook had repeatedly assured investors that the company had robust systems in place to ensure users safety and security. But thousands of leaked internal Facebook documents showed the company allegedly acted in its best interest, to maximize profits, rather than in the publics interest, the suit says.

The Wall Street Journal published its investigation in September 2021 in a five-day series of articles, The Facebook Files.

Facebook Inc. knows, in acute detail, that its platforms are riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company fully understands, an introduction to the series reads. That conclusion was based on internal Facebook documents, research reports, online employee discussions, and drafts of presentations to senior management.

The primary whistleblower of that series was later identified as former Facebook project manager Frances Haugen. She gave interviews to other national media outlets, and also shared her concerns with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security.

Shortly after Haugens disclosures, Ohio filed its lawsuit against Meta, alleging that Defendants knew that Facebooks platforms foster division and spread harmful content, facilitate illegal activity and violent extremism, and cause significant harm to children, but lacked the will or ability to correct those issues.

Stock Price Decline

Between the publication of the Wall Street Journals first report on Sept. 13 and its Oct. 21 article raising concerns about the accuracy of Facebooks user data, Facebooks stock price declined by $54.08 per share, a 14 percent plunge, the suit says. At the time, the company had more than 2.3 billion shares of Class A common stock outstanding, On Oct. 28, Facebook changed its name to Meta.

As the lead plaintiff in the suit against Meta/Facebook, Ohio will work directly with the class action lawyers in making important decisions about the case, attorney Mike Allen, an Ohio legal analyst, said in a text message to The Epoch Times. He notes that class-action suits typically take years to conclude.

Ohio, which filed its motion to serve as lead plaintiff jointly with PFA Pension of Denmark, was chosen over the California Public Employees Retirement System, which also petitioned to serve as lead plaintiff.

The suit seeks compensatory damages, plus reasonable costs and expenses involved with the lawsuit, including attorneys fees and expert fees.
South Dakota Governor-elect Kristi Noem (R) sits sits next to U.S. President Donald Trump and Florida Governor-elect Ron DeSantis (L) at the White House on Dec. 13, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Pennsylvania GOP Voters on Their Preferred 2024 Presidential Nominee

The Pennsylvania Department of State counts 4 million registered Democratic voters in the state and 3.5 million Republicans as of May 2022. But even with 550,000 more Democrats than Republicans, Pennsylvania is not quite a blue state. It is more purple, with 1.3 million registered voters who call themselves libertarian, Green, or other. These are the less predictable voters, who make Pennsylvania a swing state, capable of going Democratic or Republican.

And with 19 electoral votes, it is a must-win for presidential hopefuls.

Many, but not all Pennsylvania Republicans, believe former President Donald Trump is still the person for the job. They say getting a Republican back in the Oval Office is vital.

Its absolutely central to our survival, Schuylkill county author Russell S. Hepler told The Epoch Times. And 2022 as well. I dont want to underemphasize this upcoming election, because thats going to lay the foundation for 2024, for good, or for bad.

Hepler, a pastor was speaking as an individual, not for his congregation. His book is titled Yes! We Can Turn This Nation Around!: A Practical Guide for Christian Political Involvement.

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a campaign rally at Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township, Pennsylvania on Sept. 22, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Hepler says the United States is going in the wrong direction.

If they keep pushing this radical leftist, economic, environmental, and cultural agenda, there isnt going to be much left to America. When youve got a Supreme Court nominee who cant even define a woman, we know this nation is in serious trouble, Hepler said. You cant survive if you deny reality. That has been the basis for Marxism since its beginning. Its always based on lies. Its based on, whatever I say the truth is, as the government, as the party, as the big brother.

Rick Rathfon, chairman of the Clarion County Republican party, agrees that winning is critical for Republicans.

Look at the mess that Biden has got us into in just 18 months. I mean, we need to take both the House and Senate back in November and to try to restore sanity and dignity in Washington, Rathfon told The Epoch Times adding that if Trump runs, he would support him.

But it will be ugly.

One Party, Two Views

Democrats will be out to destroy Trump from day one, Rathfon said. Theyve never quit trying to destroy him. Trump did a lot of good things for our country. He absolutely did. But I think it would be a mistake for him to run, just because of the hatred that the Democrats and the mainstream media have for him.

I love Governor Ron DeSantis from Florida. I hear that in my travels, and from a lot of state committee people.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during the inaugural Moms For Liberty Summit at the Tampa Marriott Water Street on July 15, 2022. DeSantis is up for reelection in the 2022 Gubernatorial race against Democratic frontrunner Rep. Charlie Crist (D-FL). (Octavio Jones/Getty Images)

The Pennsylvania Republican Party did not respond to requests for comment in this story.

Sam Faddis is a retired CIA operations officer and author of Beyond Repair: The Decline and Fall of the CIA and Willful Neglect: The Dangerous Illusion of Homeland Security. Faddis has spoken to many Republicans as an organizer of a coalition of more than 75 patriot groups across Pennsylvania that are working together on election reform and other issues.

The majority of Pennsylvanias Republican voters consider themselves Make America Great Again/America first people Faddis said, and they are 100 percent behind Trump on the issues, even if they sometimes have questions about his tactics.

Issues are the center of gravity overwhelmingly for the Republican Party in Pennsylvania, he says.

There is a gap about the size of the Grand Canyon between those [MAGA] people and a very large number of established Republican politicians sitting in Harrisburg, Faddis told The Epoch Times.

While I know the establishment does not want to recognize that factthey want to continue to pretend like that issue doesnt existfor the base, that is kind of the issue.

The base does not feel like establishment Republicans are representing people and what they stand for, he said.

Were over here with Donald Trump again, at least on all of the issues, and you guys want to pretend like 2016 never happened.

Trump is Different

The problem is that Trump is fundamentally different from any president that came before him in recent memory, Republican or Democrat, Faddis said.

Hes totally outside the system. Hes not part of the uni-party.

The establishment in both parties have a general consensus on how Americas government is going to be run, Faddis said. That is, always bigger, always more expensive.

Donald Trump is a wrecking ball, so of course he has to be destroyed as far as the establishment is concerned, Faddis said.

If the Republican who runs is not MAGA, their campaign is dead-on-arrival in Pennsylvania, Faddis said. And he believes it would be a waste of time for another MAGA-minded candidate to challenge Trump.

If Donald Trump runs, he will, head and shoulders, without any question, be the choice, Faddis said. Theres no question. I cant imagine that another MAGA-type person could challenge him in the primary in Pennsylvania and have any hope of winning. Thats not possible.

If Trump decides not to run, Faddis believes DeSantis would be the number one person that the most voters would instantaneously coalesce around.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Floridas Gov. Ron DeSantis hold a COVID-19 and storm preparedness roundtable in Belleair, Fla., on July 31, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

I think that, frankly, would be a smart political move, because in some ways, I think DeSantis is a less controversial guy than Trump, for the middle, Faddis said.

I cant conceive of anybody, even a dyed-in-the-wool guy like Ron DeSantis, beating Trump in Pennsylvania. I mean, DeSantis is very popular here. And I love his policies. But you could not possibly convince the base to walk away from Donald Trump as it stands.

Primary Fight

Several Republicans indicated that they dont want to see DeSantis and Trump battle in a primary. For many, it would be like watching parents fight when you love them both and dont want to choose a favorite.

Toni Shuppe, founder and CEO of Audit the Vote PA, has been investigating anomalies in the 2020 election since right after it happened.

I personally believe, based on what I found through Audit the Vote, that Donald Trump won in 2020, Shuppe told The Epoch Times. I feel like he won the first time, he deserves his second term. I would vote for him if he runs. But I also really like Ron DeSantis.

For most folks in this story, the dream ticket would be Trump and DeSantis, although not everyone is convinced DeSantis would be willing to take a vice presidential role when he could govern Florida instead.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference held in the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 27, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

For Shuppe, the dream ticket would be Trump and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. DeSantis is young. Hes doing such a good job in Florida. I would like to see Trump and Kristi, and then potentially, eight years of DeSantis, Shuppe said. I think, in order to get the country back on track, restoring our constitutional republic, its going to take a long time. And I think that that is why a Trump-and-somebody-else ticket makes sense first, followed by eight years of someone like Ron DeSantis. That could really get things moving in the right direction.

Kurt Dock, a Lancaster Township Republican Committee member, would like to see Trump run, but if he doesnt, Dock believes the Republican party has strong candidates in Noem and DeSantis.

He says the Democrats have moved too far left.

When the pendulum swings one way and goes so extreme, it usually comes back just that hard the other way, Dock said.

I would like to see someone a little bit more centrist. Not so much to the right. Instead of continuing the alienation, try to get some of the people that are very center, or center-left to come to our side. I dont think it would be that tough to do.
Vials of the Pfizer-BioNTech Comirnaty coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine are pictured in a General practitioners practice in Berlin, Germany, on April 10, 2021. (Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters)

Pfizer Leaves COVID-19 Product Forecast Unchanged, Shares Fall

Pfizer Inc. did not raise its 2022 forecast for sales of its COVID-19 vaccine and antiviral treatment on Thursday, and its shares fell nearly 5 percent before recovering.

The U.S. drugmaker maintained its full-year forecast of around $54 billion for its COVID-19 products, even as second-quarter sales of its Paxlovid antiviral pills were much higher-than-expected, raising concerns among some analysts over Pfizers long-term growth prospects.

Paxlovid sales of $8.1 billion topped Wall Street estimates by more than $1 billion, as a surge in cases drove demand. U.S. President Joe Biden took a course of the drug for his recent bout with COVID-19.

The company also kept its overall sales forecast of between $98 billion to $102 billion unchanged, citing the impact of a strong dollar.

Pfizer has enjoyed an unprecedented rise in sales since the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with BioNTech rolled out globally. But sales have started to slow since last year.

Wall Street analysts are divided over the durability of both the vaccine and Paxlovid, as pandemic urgency wanes.

JP Morgan analyst Chris Schott in a research note said the long-term sustainability of Pfizers COVID-19 business is up for debate, and that the companys ability to generate new drugs from its pipeline will be increasingly important for it to outperform expectations.

Pfizer has been banking on sales of vaccine booster doses, including an Omicron-tailored version expected in the fall, to drive demand in the next few years.

Pfizer and BioNTech last month signed a $3.2 billion deal with the U.S. government for 105 million doses of their vaccine, which includes supply of a retooled Omicron-adapted booster, pending regulatory clearance.

Overall sales of $27.74 billion for the quarter exceeded analysts estimates of $25.74 billion.

Citi analyst Andrew Baum said the picture excluding the COVID-19 business was less rosy, as sales of important products such as breast cancer drug Ibrance and arthritis treatment Xeljanz came in well below Wall Street estimates at $1.32 billion and $430 million, respectively.

COVID-19 vaccine sales rose 13 percent to $8.85 billion.

Pfizers second-quarter profit rose to $9.91 billion from $5.56 billion a year ago. Excluding items, it earned $2.04 per share, topping analysts estimates by 26 cents.

Pfizer shares were down 1.2 percent at $50.93.

By Manas Mishra and Michael Erman
A Border Patrol agent organizes illegal immigrants who have gathered by the border fence after crossing from Mexico into the United States in Yuma, Ariz., on Dec. 10, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Rising Number of Deportation Cases Automatically Dismissed Over Failure to Provide Key Documents: Report

Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants are having their deportation cases dismissed before stepping inside an immigration courtroom because Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials are failing to file the requisite paperwork, a new report has found.

One out of every six new cases (16.6 percent) is being dismissed due to the failure, according to the immigration court docket tracker Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) at Syracuse University.

For the six-year period from fiscal year 2013 through fiscal 2018, fewer than 1 percent of the cases, or 1,221, were dismissed due to DHS failure to submit the necessary notice to appear paperwork.

The number of dismissals due to the same failure has increased dramatically every year since, with 47,330 cases so far in fiscal 2022, with three months remaining to be tallied, according to the newly released data.

TRAC obtained the information through a series of Freedom of Information Act requests.

A notice to appear is typically given to an illegal border crosser while the person is still in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. The notice includes the date of the illegal immigrants first court hearing.

After handing over that notice, CBP is required to make sure the court receives an electronic copy of the document, according to TRAC. If CBP fails to submit the paperwork, the court doesnt have jurisdiction to hear the case and must dismiss it.

The failure to properly manage the process suggests there is a serious disconnect between the CBP agents entering new cases and scheduling hearings through the Courts ISS [Interactive Scheduling System] system, and other CBP personnel responsible for submitting a copy to the Court, the report states.

CBP and its parent agency, DHS, didnt respond to requests for comment.

Effects

The dismissals mean asylum seekers now have no path to a work authorization card, possibly no path to asylum (unless they have an attorney who will file affirmatively), plus its just creating a mess for everyone, Austin Kocher, a researcher at TRAC, wrote on Twitter.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, policy director at the American Immigration Council, said immigrants whose cases are dismissed are effectively stuck in limbo, unclear how to proceed.

While TRAC was unable to find where exactly the failure was occurring within CBP, it discovered that several immigration courts are responsible for the bulk of the dismissals.

The immigration court in Miami topped the list for dismissals at 81 percent of all new dedicated docket cases, or a total of 7,700 people. The city was also fourth on the list with a 43 percent dismissal rate for its regular hearing docket. Boston and Houston came in second and third, respectively.

Bryan Griffin, a spokesman for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, told The Epoch Times in an email that immigration proceedings are handled on the federal level. He said the issue was another failure of the Biden administration to defend the sovereignty of our nation.

Biden Administration Changes

The Biden administration created the dedicated docket program in May 2021 and set a goal of issuing decisions in these cases within 300 days from their initial hearing, according to an earlier TRAC report on dedicated dockets. The average wait time for asylum cases is nearly 4 1/2 years.

Immigration judges ruled 92 percent of asylum claims on the dedicated docket as meritless and ordered the defendants be removed from the United States, according to December 2021 data.

In 2021, as illegal border crossings reached record levels, Border Patrol agents began to issue a notice to report to illegal aliens, instead of the official notice to appear form.

The notice to report was essentially a request that the illegal alien report within 60 days to a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office once they got to their destination in the United States.

Nearly 95,000 notices to report were issued from January through October 2021, according to DHS. By January 2022, more than 47,000 illegal immigrants were yet to report to ICE, according to official data received by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.).

Matt OBrien, an immigration judge dismissed by the Biden administration, said during his final two months on the bench that ICE dropped 99 percent of its deportation cases that were pending on his docket.

The vast majority of the matters dismissed were legitimate cases that ICE spent taxpayer dollars investigating, filing, and prosecuting. There was absolutely no legitimate reason to withdraw the charges against any of these immigration law-breakers, OBrien, now the director of investigations for the Immigration Reform Law Institute, told The Epoch Times via email.

OBrien suggested the dumping of cases is related to what he described as the Biden administrations radical commitment to destroying Americas borders and its immigration enforcement mechanisms, as well as a cosmetic reduction in the immigration courts overloaded system.

This kind of complete lawlessness shows a disregard for the safety of the American public that simply cannot be overstated, he wrote.

Charlotte Cuthbertson Senior Reporter Follow Charlotte Cuthbertson is a senior reporter with The Epoch Times who primarily covers border security and the opioid crisis.
San Diego Man Wounded in Shooting When Drug Deal Goes Bad

SAN DIEGOA 20-year-old man was shot multiple times while sitting in his vehicle waiting to make a drug transaction in the Azalea/Hollywood Park neighborhood, the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) said July 30.

The victim told police that at 6:49 p.m. Friday he drove to the 2300 block of Sumac Drive to meet with someone to sell them drugs, SDPD Officer Robert Heims said.

A man in his 20s walked up to the victim sitting in his car and during the drug deal the suspect tried to steal the items the victim was selling, the officer said.

The victim tried to retain the items and that was when the suspect shot the victim multiple times, Heims said. The suspect fled in an unknown direction while the victim drove away to a gas station to call the police.

The victim was shot in the left calf and right thigh, Heims said. He was taken to the hospital for injuries not considered to be life-threatening.

Midcity Division detectives were investigating.
Meagan Wolfe, the head of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, speaks during a virtual press conference on Nov. 4, 2020. (Wisconsin Elections Commission via Reuters)

Sheriff Wants Wisconsin Absentee Ballot Request Process Halted Due to Alleged Vulnerabilities to Fraud

Less than two weeks before the Aug. 9 primary election, Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling called on Wisconsin election officials to immediately suspend a major portion of the state-run absentee ballot program. He also requested an immediate statewide investigation based on an alleged serious threat to voter integrity.

The Racine County Sheriffs Office stated on social media that it was acting in response to citizen complaints that reported apparent vulnerabilities to fraudulent voting within the states website MyVote Wisconsin.

MyVote Wisconsin is an official online election administration and information website.

The sheriffs office stated that citizens have reported that with only a persons name and date of birth, anyone can request another persons ballot and have the ballot sent to any address entered.

No identification is needed, and the requester can make a declaration of being indefinitely confined, thus, for the current and future elections, the requester will be sent someone elses ballot at the different address, it said.

Indefinite confinement in ones residence due to health concerns is a valid reason to receive an absentee ballot under Wisconsin law.

According to the sheriffs office, to test the vulnerability of the MyVote system, one complainant had a second party request an absentee ballot for him. The second party requested that the ballot be sent to the second partys address. The second party received the complainants ballot in the mail.

Election officials count absentee ballots in Milwaukee on Nov. 4, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Another complainant, Harry Wait, a business consultant from the Racine area, explained the vulnerability to The Epoch Times.

Wait said that when a person goes to the MyVote Wisconsin website and searches by name, he can then enter in a persons name and date of birth, and immediately the persons address pops up.

He said a persons date of birth is easily obtainable from marketing companies that routinely sell dates of birth, email addresses, cellphone numbers, and street addresses to the public.

Next, the person can request an absentee ballot and direct it to be delivered to an address other than the address of the voter who was ostensibly requesting the ballot.

He can then declare the voter to be indefinitely confined by checking a box on the form and can request that an absentee ballot be sent to the different address for the upcoming election and every election thereafter.

According to Wait, the problem isnt the fact that, upon request, a clerk mails an absentee ballot to a different address than the voters registered address.

That sort of thing legitimately happens when a person intends to be in Florida during the time of an election, for example. However, the real problem is the lack of verification of who is requesting the ballot, he said.

Anybody from around the world can order absentee ballots for anybody from Wisconsin, especially for names registered to vote in our big cities where it is impossible for election workers to know everybody.

Wisconsin Elections Commission Denies System Is Vulnerable

In a press release dated July 28, the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) stated: There is no indication of any vulnerability with the MyVote application.  Voter fraud remains rare in Wisconsin.  The WEC and your local clerk are continually monitoring for any unlawful activity and working with state and federal authorities to investigate any and all attempts to break the law regarding access to absentee ballots.

The WEC also said in the press release that MyVote doesnt automatically send an absentee ballot to the requester. Instead, an email is sent to the voters municipal clerk, who is responsible to determine if the voter has provided the necessary and correct information. A photo ID must be on file or provided in order for the requester to receive a ballot.

A person who attests they are indefinitely confined is not required to present a photo ID; however, those who make this attestation do so under the penalty of law, the WEC said.

According to Politifact, 215,000 people claimed indefinitely confined status in Wisconsin in the November 2020 election.

Official counts show that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in Wisconsin by 21,000 votes.

On July 22, Wisconsin Assembly election committee Chair Janel Brandtjen joined Assemblyman Tim Ramthun in calling for the decertification of the 2020 election results because of rampant cheating. Both are Republicans.

In a July 27 email to state and local Wisconsin officials of both parties obtained by The Epoch Times, attorney Dan Eastman, a former state securities commissioner and former Racine County finance director, addressed the vulnerability of the states bloated voter rolls to fraud.

Eastman, a Republican, laid the foundation for his argument early this year when he published data that showed that in Wisconsin, a state of 5.8 million people, there are 7 million names on the states voter roll. The study found that there are 4.2 million residents old enough to vote, and 3.3 million voted in the 2020 election.

Speaking directly about the absentee ballot issue, Eastman wrote: This is how the ballot mills got the number of ballots needed to change election results.  We are happy to run any data search needed  for you to detect the hundreds of thousands of fake voters.  Hundreds of thousands of phantoms buried in the 7 million  and voted by nefarious actors.  In the end, this is massive fraud on our clerks and the people of Wisconsin.

Wait told The Epoch Times: When election clerks are overwhelmed with an avalanche of absentee ballot requests, experience has shown that it is just about impossible for them to carefully examine each one.

The voter himself may never know that somebody else applied for an absentee ballot in his name unless he happened to track his ballot, or when he tries to legitimately request an absentee ballot for himself, or until he shows up to vote in person and is turned away because election workers tell him he has already voted by absentee.

Residents drop mail-in ballots into a ballot box outside a Tippecanoe library branch in Milwaukee on Oct. 20, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Cyber analyst Peter Bernegger, who is suing top election officials in Milwaukee to gain access to absentee ballots, applications, and envelopes from the 2020 election, told The Epoch Times on July 27: A bad actor who knows how to automate the process can obtain 100,000 to 125,000 names of voters from the state lists, sort through them, obtain dates of birth, and then electronically flood the zone by sending out requests for an absentee ballot in enormous batches.

It need not even be that technically sophisticated. A dozen individuals sitting in a room in front of computers could manually crank out thousands of such requests per day.

The way to get to the bottom of this is to submit a public records request for every individual who requested an absentee ballot during the last three months and compare the names to the addresses.

Wait said his group has learned from whistleblowers that the going rate for a fraudulent absentee ballot was between $10 and $80 in Wisconsins cities in 2020.

He said his group believes it has identified at least one stash house in the Racine area from which paid intermediaries, called mules, picked up completed absentee ballots and took them to drop boxes.

As a citizen, I am disgusted and appalled with the continued systematic failures of the Wisconsin Elections Commission to secure our elections, Wait said.

Schmaling said in his statement, I am disheartened by the apparent vulnerabilities in MyVote Wisconsin that are ripe for fraud, and everyoneno matter their political leaningsshould join in requesting a thorough, state-wide, investigation into this significant election integrity issue.

The office of Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul didnt respond to a request for comment from The Epoch Times by press time.
University of Queensland student and activist Drew Pavlou takes part in a protest in support of Hong Kong, outside the Chinese consulate in Brisbane, Australia, on May 30, 2020. (Dan Peled/AAP Image)

Student Activist Detained Over Beijing-Linked Bomb Threat Receiving Consular Assistance

The Australian government has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to human rights activist Drew Pavlou after he was arrested in the UK on July 21 for allegedly issuing a fake bomb threat to the Chinese Embassy in London.

The 23-year-old has been a vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party in Australia after facing expulsion from his university for organising a peaceful demonstration on campus grounds calling for the removal of its Confucius Institute.

The Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed to The Epoch Times in an email it was assisting Pavlou.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to Drew Pavlou, an Australian who was arrested and subsequently released in the United Kingdom, a spokesperson said, noting that due to privacy concerns they could not provide further details.

Pavlou was arrested during a small protest outside the Chinese Embassy in London and claimed he had been set up by Beijing.

They said the Chinese Embassy had reported me as a terrorist, as a bomb threat. I was so shocked, Pavlou said in a post on Twitter.

Pavlou also alleged he was held in a cell incommunicado for 23 hours by London Metro police who supposedly denied him access to Australian consular authorities.

They pressured me to hold [an] interview without lawyers present, I was only allowed one 5-minute monitored phone call after 20 hours. They seized my phone and said I cant leave the country, I face a SEVEN YEAR PRISON SENTENCE, he wrote in a thread on Twitter.

They pressured me to hold interview without lawyers present, I was only allowed one 5 minute monitored phone call after 20 hours. They seized my phone and said I cant leave the country, I face a SEVEN YEAR PRISON SENTENCE  Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 22, 2022

Additionally, Pavlou said that the UK police pressured him into surrendering his phone password by threatening to charge him with crimes related to obstructing investigation which carry [sic] a further 5-year prison sentence.

However, the Metropolitan Police Services deny this allegation. In an email to The Epoch Times on July 23, they communicated that after having booked Pavlou at Charing Cross police station, he was offered legal advice, and a duty solicitor was called at 20:22 hours on 21 July.

A Common Tactic Used to Silence Dissent

In response to Pavlous arrest, Amnesty International wrote to Australias Foreign Minister Penny Wong saying he was a victim of a common tactic deployed by Beijing against critics.

Framing peaceful protests as threats to national security and sending fake emails are common tactics used by the Chinese government against Uyghurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers, Amnesty International said in a media statement.

Mr. Pavlou believes the fake email address was designed to frame him for his activism. According to his lawyer, circumstantial evidence suggests his client is a victim of a set-up by the Chinese state.

Amnesty said they were also concerned about Pavlou, who has received many death threats and threatening messages since news of his arrest and the alleged bomb threat became public knowledge.

We urge the Australian government to offer Mr. Pavlou every assistance for his safe return to Australia as quickly as possible and ensure his fundamental rights are protected, particularly given the claims made about how he was treated during the arrest and detention, they said.

Pavlou has alleged in a post on Twitter that he reported the identities of those who sent him death threats to the police.

We uncovered the identity of the bloke who sent me the death threat voice recordingsyoung British guy who studied Chinese at university, now works at a Beijing think tank with strong links to senior CCP officials as well as the Ministry of State Security. Police have his name, Pavlou wrote.

We uncovered the identity of the bloke who sent me the death threat voice recordings  young British guy who studied Chinese at university, now works at a Beijing think tank with strong links to senior CCP officials as well as the Ministry of State Security. Police have his name  Drew Pavlou (@DrewPavlou) July 29, 2022

Arrest Galvanises Anti-CCP Activists

Meanwhile, Pavlous arrest has galvanised human rights activists around the world, with British advocate Benedict Rogers, chief executive of Hong Kong Watch and cofounder of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, taking to Twitter to call Pavlous arrest a totally absurd and outrageous injustice.

Rogers praised Pavlou as a totally peaceful young man who heroically devotes his energies to highlighting the human rights atrocities in Xinjiang and Tibet, the dismantling of Hong Kongs freedoms, and CCP repression.

He should be applauded, not arrested, Rogers wrote.

A totally absurd & outrageous injustice.@DrewPavlou is a totally peaceful young man who heroically devotes his energies to highlighting #UyghurGenocide, #Tibet, the dismantling of #HongKongs freedoms & #Chinas #CCP repression He should be applauded, not arrested / https://t.co/sVrVFQu8DZ  Benedict Rogers  (@benedictrogers) July 22, 2022

British politicians have also taken up Pavlous case, with UK member of Parliament Edward Lucas calling for a full investigation into the Metropolitan Polices handling of the situation.

Lucas, in his complaint, notes that London police should not have pressured the activist into handing over the password to his phone with threats of being jailed.

People who are living in China, who are in contact with activists abroad, face life-threatening risks if their identities become known, Lucas said. The metropolitical police should be protecting him rather than acting as accomplices in his harassment.

Lily Zhou contributed to this article.
Texas Teacher Faces Sexual Abuse Charge Involving 7-Year-Old Student: Police

Authorities in Texas have arrested an elementary school teacher after he allegedly sexually abused a young student during the 20202021 school year.

In a July 28 news release, the Irving Police Department reported that 28-year-old Victor Hugo Moreno was taken into custody on charges of continuous sex abuse of a 7-year-old, as well as having an improper relationship between student and educator.

Moreno was arrested on July 21, police said, adding that he was released again after posting bonds totaling $15,000.

Officials have accused Moreno of sexually abusing the girl during the 20202021 school year while he was teaching second grade at Townsell Elementary in Irving, Texas.

The department also noted that he resigned from the Irving Independent School District (ISD) at the end of the 2021 school year after failing to meet certification requirements. After resigning, he taught at the Plano Independent School District (ISD), where he was fired due to a code of conduct violation.

Police werent notified about the abuse incident until the spring semester of 20212022, the department said.

Robert Reeves, a spokesman of the Irving Police Department, said during a news conference on Thursday that investigators believe there are additional victims.

There is nothing leading us to believe this an isolated incident, Reeves said, CBS News reported.

Reeves also said he was disappointed after seeing Moreno getting such a low bond out of Dallas County.

Someone committing crimes against children should have a higher bond, the spokesman said.

Authorities are encouraging anyone whose child could have interacted with Moreno at Irving ISD and Plano ISD to talk with their children and make them aware of the abuse claims.

Moreno was reported to police after an adult overheard a student talking about him doing something inappropriate to an individual.

From NTD News
ELKO  An Austin man was killed when a semi crossed into his lane on a curve on U.S. Highway 50 last week.

Nevada State Police troopers were called to the crash scene about three miles east of Austin at 4:25 p.m. July 22.

Preliminary investigation determined that a Freightliner combination tractor trailer commercial motor vehicle was traveling west on US-50 in the westbound travel lane. A white Ford F-150 pick-up truck was traveling east on US-50 in the eastbound travel lane, stated NSP. The Freightliner was traveling at a rate of speed too fast to safely negotiate the curved roadway and crossed over the double yellow center line into the eastbound travel lane. The front of the Freightliner struck the left front of the Ford, causing the Ford to be pushed off the roadway.

The driver of the pickup, Cole Thayer, 22, did not survive the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the Freightliner was transported for medical treatment with suspected minor injuries. A passenger in the Ford was transported with suspected serious injuries.

The crash is being investigated by the Nevada Highway Patrol Northern Command East Multi-Disciplinary Investigation and Reconstruction Team. If you were a witness to this incident, or have any information regarding the crash, please contact Sgt. Mitch Payne of the NHP Elko Office at 775-753- 1111.
A voter (R) shows his identification to a Harris County election clerk before voting in Houston, Texas, on July 14, 2020. (David J. Phillip/AP Photo)

Texass Largest County to Be Scrutinized Again With Second Election Audit

Random audit questioned by Democrats, applauded by Republicans after votes go missing in 2022

Harris County, the largest county in Texas, was randomly selected to undergo a second election audit by the secretary of states office, drawing sharp criticism from Democrats.

Harris County, home to Houston and with over 4 million residents, is currently undergoing a state-run forensic audit of the 2020 election. The Democratic-controlled county has been heavily scrutinized for allowing drive-thru and 24-hour voting during the pandemic.

State auditors are looking at some 3,000 potential noncitizens on the voter rolls in Harris County, which is currently attempting to verify the citizenship of those flagged by the state.

More problems occurred during the March 2022 primary elections in Harris County. Isabel Longoria, the countys election administrator, quit after 10,000 uncounted votes were discovered after the primary.

While Longoria served as election administrator, Harris County missed the mandatory 24-hour state deadline to have all ballots counted. During the weekend following election day, officials announced that about 10,000 mail-in ballots from 6,000 Democratic voters and 4,000 Republican voters were discovered missing from the original election night count.

Harris County is one of four counties up for a new audit. Cameron, Guadalupe, and Eastland counties were selected as well. The secretary of states office drew the counties out of a bucket live on Facebook July 28, according to Sam Taylor, a secretary of state spokesman. That means local and state elections from 20212022 in the four counties will be audited under an election integrity law passed by the states Republican-led legislature last year.

A woman in Texas hands out I voted stickers to voters at the Rummel Creek Elementary polling place in Houston on Nov. 6, 2018. (Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

The election law requires four counties to be randomly audited every two yearstwo with a population over 300,000 and two counties with lesser populations. Eighteen of Texass 254 counties have populations greater than 300,000, meaning the states large urban counties will be audited more frequently.

The state will pay for and conduct the county audits after the November elections in even-numbered years.

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat, questioned if the process to select his county for another audit was indeed by chance.

Yea, ok. Im sure the states selection of Harris County was randomized as the Election Code requires. Just like it was a random coincidence when last year the state announced an audit of our 2020 election hours after Trump sent @GregAbbott_TX a public ltr calling for an audit, he said on Twitter.

Menefee was referring to former President Donald Trumps Sept. 23, 2021, open letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, whom Trump has endorsed for reelection in November, pushing for a more thorough forensic audit of the 2020 election.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump shake hands during a border security briefing on June 30, 2021, in Weslaco, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Taylor told The Epoch Times that the Texas Secretary of States Office gave counties a link 24 hours in advance to watch the process live.

The county attorney is spreading conspiracy theories, Taylor said. It begs the question: Why are they so opposed to their elections being audited?

Roxanne Werner, director of communications for the Harris County attorney, released a statement to The Epoch Times saying the county would comply with a second audit, but still, they were a waste of time and resources.

Voters should be asking themselves what purpose these audits serve beyond wasting taxpayer money. As has been shown time and again, our elections are secure. The entire premise of these auditsthat there is widespread fraud in our electionsis false, the statement said.

The statement characterized the Facebook drawing as scraps of paper in a bucket that didnt instill confidence in our democracy.

Harris County Democratic Party Chair Odus Evbagharu issued a similar statement questioning the drawing: It seems an ironic twist of fate that Harris County would be selectedat randomfor another election audit. Id like to say we are gobsmacked by this news, but almost nothing surprises us now.

In December, the secretary of states office announced the results of the first phase of the 2020 election audit that focused on four of the states largest countiesHarris, Collin, Dallas, and Tarrant. President Joe Biden carried all the counties except for Collin.

The preliminary findings included over 11,000 potential noncitizens registered to vote statewide. Of these, 327 records were identified in Collin County, 1,385 in Dallas County, 3,063 in Harris County, and 708 in Tarrant County. At the time of the announcement, Dallas County had canceled 1,193 of these records, with Tarrant County canceling one. Neither Collin nor Harris had canceled any potential non-voting records at the time.

Republican state Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston blasted the criticism from Democrats due to repeated election irregularities in Harris County. He pointed out that Democrats and Republicans complained about this springs primary election fiasco.

The leftist, progressive election administration resigns because there are complaints from both political parties, he said. By random selection, they got the audit they deserve.
Jeffrey Epstein (C) appears in court in West Palm Beach, Fla., on July 30, 2008. (Uma Sanghvi/Palm Beach Post via AP)

The Gateway Pundit Petitions Court to Unseal Epsteins Alleged Client List

The Gateway Pundit has petitioned a New York federal court to unseal the suspected client list for the alleged child sex trafficking ring run by Jeffrey Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Seeking to report on what the lawsuit called the Epstein Client List, The Gateway Pundit, a conservative news outlet, filed a motion on July 27 via lawyers to intervene in the Giuffre v. Maxwell case in the U.S. District Court for the District of New York.

In court documents, attorneys for the outlet said that 23 women testified that they were trafficked and abused by Epstein when they were under age.

Four of those women also testified that they were abused by Epsteins one-time girlfriend Maxwell, who herself was convicted and sentenced for sex trafficking.

The names of the alleged clients the women were allegedly trafficked to when they were minors have never been made public, nor have any of the alleged high-profile clients been charged.

The women have testified that the alleged clients include numerous prominent American politicians, powerful business executives, foreign presidents, a well-known prime minister, and other world leaders, according to court documents.

Yet, despite all these charges and allegations, the government has not revealed to whom, other than Epstein himself, these women (minors at the time) were trafficked.

The world is clamoring for information as to who these world-renowned abusers are (hereinafter the Epstein Client List), the lawyers continued.

Perhaps Epstein and Maxwell were well-organized and kept a client list; perhaps one has been compiled by the Department of Justice or another third-party; or perhaps it may be susceptible to compilation from an inspection of extant records.

The websites lawyers asked the court to immediately unseal any documents or portions of documents that names an alleged client of Epstein who had a minor sex trafficked to them.

The public has a right to know, the lawyers said.

No One in the Media Cares

Elon Musk, the worlds richest man, previously accused legacy media outlets in June of ignoring the alleged Epstein Client List in a series of remarks on Twitter.

Only thing more remarkable than DOJ not leaking the list is that no one in the media cares. Doesnt that seem odd? Musk wrote on June 5, alongside a meme.

Only thing more remarkable than DOJ not leaking the list is that no one in the media cares. Doesnt that seem odd? pic.twitter.com/JEK4TErABB  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 4, 2022

Musk replied to comments made under his original tweet, including one that featured a photo of the Tesla CEO and Maxwell at an Academy Awards party hosted by Vanity Fair.

He said Maxwell photobombed him and suggested people ask Vanity Fair why they invited Maxwell in the first place.

The same people who push this photo say nothing about prominent people who actually went to his island a dozen times. Also very strange  Musk wrote, referring to Epsteins private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Epstein and Maxwell reportedly flew underage girls to his home on Epstein Island, where they were sexually abused, the Independent reported.

The names of prominent guests at Epsteins island were documented in the flight logs of his private plane dubbed Lolita Express. A separate list of high-profile names appear in Epsteins infamous black book, which was first published in Gawker by investigative journalist Nick Bryant.

It is a mosaic of Epsteins social contacts, Bryant told Vanity Fair not long after Epstein was arrested in 2019.

The black book contains the names, phone numbers, and addresses of Hollywood celebrities, U.S. politicians, British royalty, and powerful business people who have all flown on Lolita Express.

The National Center on Sexual Exploitation also petitioned the Department of Justice in January to prosecute the many suspected clients of Epsteins alleged child sex trafficking ring.

Without a network of eager exploiterswho are also sex traffickers under federal lawthe scheme would not have continued for as long as it did.  And the Epstein-Maxwell sex trafficking scheme was not an isolated incident, that petition states.

U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services sex offender registry on March 28, 2017. (New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services via Reuters)

Epstein was convicted and sentenced in 2008 to state charges in Florida of soliciting and procuring girls under 18 for prostitution.

At the time of his death, Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges for abusing women and girls in Manhattan and Florida from 2002 to 2005.

He was jailed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City and found dead on Aug. 10, 2019.

Epsteins death was ruled a suicide by hanging, but a forensic pathologist who was hired by his brother, Mark Epstein, said Epsteins autopsy was more indicative of homicide, not suicide.

Prior to his death, Epstein had been placed on suicide watch in a cell where he was ultimately left alone. Guards at the prison failed to conduct half-hourly checks and security cameras outside Epsteins cell malfunctioned on the night he died.

In a quip apparently referencing Epsteins death and the vast network of alleged powerful child sex trafficking clients, Musk wrote in response to his own tweet, Sometimes I think my list of enemies is too short, so 
To find true happiness, first we have to know what it is

Happiness seems like a simple idea until you consider that this single word covers concepts as diverse as quiet contentment and ecstatic joy.

How we define happiness will decide how we seek it, and not all happiness is created equal. In fact, some forms of happiness arent even good for us. Some paths to happiness lead us to deep satisfaction, but others leave us with a fleeting feeling that is followed by a hunger for more.

For our ancestors, guidance for a happy life came from stories and sages that taught the right way to live. Now, modern science has also made a serious study of happiness, and it begins with an understanding of how we determine our sense of well-being.

A Happiness Heuristic

One very common way that psychologists believe we assess our reality is through something called the peak-end rule.

According to this theory, we judge any given experience by how we felt at its most intense point and how we felt at its end. We dont tend to care about the total sum of our feelings during the course of the experience, or how they may average out.

Instead, we just focus on the highlights: the best parts, the worst parts, and the last parts. The moments that made the strongest impression during our experience tell us whether it was good or bad, and how good or bad it was.

Nobel laureate Dr. Daniel Kahneman, a researcher and psychology professor at Princeton University, helped coin the peak-end rule in 1999 through studies demonstrating evidence for it.

But thats just part of the story.

Hidden Happiness

In a later observational study that Kahneman and his team conducted, a group of 800 women was asked about their happiness with daily activities as well as a specific aspect of happiness: their satisfaction with life.

Time spent with their children was reported among the least enjoyable activities. But a contradiction emerged. When Kahneman analyzed the data he found that, despite the frustration associated with raising kids, mothers reported a higher level of life satisfaction than women without children.

Why didnt the peak-end rule hold up? According to Dr. Talya Miron-Shatz, a psychologist who worked alongside Kahneman, there are limits to this rule. One is that the end only has an effect on experiences that have a distinct end. The other is that the rule only applies to a single level of happiness.

Satisfaction with life is a higher concept than happiness that is experienced on a day-to-day level, Miron-Shatz said. When it comes to evaluating life satisfaction, you think of the big picture: your career, home, marriage, family, etc. Its more of a check-the-boxes activity.

Life on 2 Levels

In labeling these two tiers of happiness, psychologists draw inspiration from ancient Greece. The day-to-day level is called hedonic happiness and the big picture level is called eudaimonic happiness.

Hedonic happiness (derived from the Greek word hedone, meaning pleasure) refers to the feelings we get from creature comforts. Its the thrill that comes with buying new shoes or eating a decadent dessert. Hedonic is whatever feels good in the moment.

Eudaimonic happiness, on the other hand, fulfills our need for meaning and purpose. Aristotle was the first to describe the virtuous pursuits of Eudaimoniaa word that translates to being in line with good divine beings. Later philosophers promoted this idea as the ultimate goal of life.

There are several paths to Eudaimonia, and theres also nothing wrong with enjoying some hedonic moments (provided theyre not immoral or excessive). Both levels can give us joy, but a key point is that we can never replace one level with another.

If I look to hot chocolate for happiness, its not going to give me the gratification I need on a eudaimonic level, Miron-Shatz said.

But that doesnt stop us from trying. In fact, we live in a world in which were constantly encouraged toward such futility. Advertising woos us to buy, not just a product, but a sense of transcendence and self-empowerment that no trinket could possibly deliver.

Hedonic Treadmill

In terms of the amount and intensity of hedonic experiences at our disposal, life has never been better. We have easy access to a variety of pleasures that were unattainable to even the greatest kings of the past. So why arent we the happiest culture in history? Modern malaise, anxiety, and depression arent just linked to a lack of eudaimonia. Its also because we have worn out the hedonic.

Psychologists call it the hedonic treadmill. It describes the pleasure you initially get from a thing or activity that wanes with time. Eventually, we adapt, so that once-reliable happy trigger no longer gives us a thrill. As if on a treadmill, youre running after a feeling youll never reach. Heroin addicts refer to this dynamic as chasing the dragon. But whether its drugs, sweet treats, or some other compulsive thing we rely on for our sense of well-being, the principle is the same.

And it doesnt just apply to vices. Say you get a better paying job, a bigger house, or a fancier car. These upgrades make you happy for a while, but then, it becomes the new normal. You no longer get a gratifying feeling from them because our perception is geared toward grasping changes. Rememberwe recall the peak momentsso the positives that once punctuated our lives eventually become the things we take for granted.

Transcendent Pursuits

Yet there are peaks we can seek that have shown to be reliably sustainable in the pleasure we get from them. In a study of her own design, Miron-Shatz asked a cohort of women from Ohio to report the remarkably high points of their day. When her team analyzed all the peaks people had in common, religious activity, prayer, and hobbies came out on top.

I think its because these things transcend you. They take you beyond the everyday, she said. Another thing they have in common is that theyre voluntary.

Having a sense of freedom ranks high in happiness research. Perhaps thats why something so confiningcommutingranks so low. In one of Kahnemans studies, the daily back-and-forth to work was an activity that people reported hating most.

Nagging Negativity

Another thing that researchers have found when figuring out the happiness equation is that bad experiences have an even greater bearing on how we assess our experience than the good. A 2001 article in the Review of General Psychology, titled Bad is Stronger than Good, by psychology professors from Case Western Reserve University, explores this pattern.

This is not to say that bad will always triumph over good, spelling doom and misery for the human race. Rather, good may prevail over bad by the superior force of numbers: Many good events can overcome the psychological effects of a single bad one. When equal measures of good and bad are present, however, the psychological effects of bad ones outweigh those of the good ones, they wrote.

Some psychologists explain this phenomenon as a survival mechanism. Its nice to feel good, but our feelings are more influenced by the bad moments, so that we pay attention, and avoid this pain in the future.

This phenomenon could also be linked to a disposition toward negative thinking rather than positive. That disposition may be stronger in times of high anxiety, depression, and conflict.

Whatever the reason, there are things we can do to tip the happiness equation in our favor.

Turning Toward Happiness

A big one is gratitude. Miron-Shatz, who now heads Buddy&Soul, an online platform for personal development, says learning to count your blessings can really help with seeing a brighter day. So even when youre hit with something bad, seeing all the good in your life can soothe the sting.

But dont just turn to gratitude when times are tough. With practice, we can learn to perpetually empower our perception.

With a gratitude journal, we condition ourselves to look for things that were grateful for, rather than looking for things were going to complain about, she said.

Another way that research has shown we can lessen the burdens that lead to unhappiness is financial security.

This may at first seem to contradict the old saying that money cant buy happiness. But consider that this trope is really about the unfulfilling nature of hedonic purchases. The real power of wealth is that it can help you avoid the stress and hard times that can grind down your mood.

Its nice to buy yourself a little something when youre feeling low. But if you have less money, you need to limit luxuries and impulse buys in favor of more practical pursuits. Being able to pay your bills without going deeper into debt will leave you happier in the long run, or at least less unhappy.

A third powerful tool for making a happier life is learning how to better interpret events as they unfold. For example, if you feel your day is ruined simply because a restaurant got your order wrong, examine how you came to this conclusion. Its likely that the mixup was an honest mistake and not the personal attack that you may at first perceive.

It can also help to put negative events into a wider context. For example, something that seems terrible now, like a challenging project at work, may become a source of pride in the future. Or an embarrassing incident may seem trivial if we consider how we will think of it in a years time.

This tool isnt about changing reality, merely reframing it, and considering your problem from another angle.

Ask yourself, Could I be looking at it any differently? Its going to help if you do, Miron-Shatz said. You dont have to sugarcoat it, but how you perceive the events around youand if you can brush it offcan make a big difference.

Finally and above all, dont neglect eudaimonia. Our pursuit for meaning, belonging, and doing the right thing may not provide the quick fix and cheap thrills of our hedonic pursuits, but its the higher-level fulfillment that really makes our spirit soar.
A Tim Hortons employee hands out coffee from a drive-thru window to a customer in Mississauga, Ont., on March 17, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette)

Tim Hortons Offers Coffee and Doughnut as Proposed Settlement in Class Action Lawsuit

Tim Hortons has reached a proposed settlement in multiple class action lawsuits alleging the restaurants mobile app violated customer privacy, which would see the restaurant offer a free coffee and doughnut to affected users.

The settlement, negotiated with the legal teams involved in the lawsuits, still requires court approval.

The coffee and doughnut chain would also permanently delete any geolocation information it may have collected between April 1, 2019 and Sept. 30, 2020, and direct third-party service providers to do the same.

We think that its a favourable settlement because it offers compensation that has a real value, said Joey Zukran, a lawyer with the Montreal-based law firm LPC Avocat Inc., which filed the class action in Quebec.

Privacy cases across Canada are never guaranteed a win, he said. Here we have some form of guarantee, some form of recovery  as opposed to uncertainty that could last.

Its unclear how many customers used the app during the 18-month period ending Sept. 30, 2020, and would be eligible to receive a free hot beverage and baked good.

Restaurant Brands International Inc., the parent company of Tim Hortons, said in an investor presentation in May that it had four million active users during the three months ended March 31, 2022.

I think people who receive this will think its paltry, but class action settlements are often paltry for the end consumer, said David Fraser, a privacy lawyer with McInnes Cooper in Halifax.

While the individual compensation may not seem like much, he said given the number of people potentially involved it may be reasonable in aggregate.

Still, others may feel its not high enough to act as a disincentive to further mischief, Fraser said.

Any time you settle, theres going to be a compromise, he said, adding that the case reflects how weird privacy harms are.

If you used that app and Tim Hortons collected your location information without your adequate, informed consent but nothing has happened with that information, you actually havent suffered what would be considered a tangible harm, Fraser said.

Youre trying to compensate for the feeling of ickiness, the creepiness somebody might feel knowing that their information was collected without their knowledge or consent.

The proposed settlement comes after an investigation by federal and provincial privacy watchdogs found the mobile ordering app violated the law by collecting vast amounts of location information from customers.

In a report released last month, privacy commissioners said people who downloaded the Tim Hortons app had their movements tracked and recorded every few minuteseven when the app was not open on their phones.

The investigation was launched after National Post reporter James McLeod obtained data showing the app on his phone had tracked his location more than 2,700 times in less than five months.

In a statement, Tim Hortons said its pleased to have reached a proposed settlement in the four class action lawsuits filed in Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario.

All parties agree this is a fair settlement and we look forward to the Superior Court of Quebecs decision on the proposal, the company said in a statement.

We are confident that pending the Quebec courts approval of the settlement, the courts in British Columbia and Ontario will recognize the settlement.

The company said the allegations raised in the class actions were not proven in court and the settlement is not an admission of any wrongdoing.

Tim Hortons said it would be emailing customers Friday to inform them of the proposed settlement.

Tim Hortons said the retail value of a free hot beverage is $6.19 while the value of a baked good is $2.39, plus taxes, according to court documents.

Customers would be provided with a credit for the items with a coupon or through the Tim Hortons app, documents said.

Details on the distribution of the free hot beverage and baked good would be provided if the court approves the settlement, Tim Hortons said.

A hearing has been scheduled in a Quebec court on Sept. 6 to consider the proposed settlement.

By Brett Bundale
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden and the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to testify before a Senate panel in Washington on Jan. 11, 2022. (Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

TV Host Says She Quit Because She Was Blocked From Questioning Fauci

A host of The Hills morning show says she abruptly resigned because she was blocked from taking part in a recent interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Bidens chief medical adviser.

Kim Iversen joined The Hills Rising in 2021. The show is described as a weekday morning program with bipartisan hosts that breaks the mold of morning TV by taking viewers inside the halls of Washington power like never before.

Iversen has repeatedly discussed COVID-19, COVID-19 vaccines, the government response to the disease, and other related subjects.

She told supporters in a video on July 29 that she vowed when she joined the show that she would maintain independence and not be censored. The Hill is owned by Nexstar Media Group.

Some of the segments made colleagues uncomfortable, but executives and producers never approached Iversen to shift her tone.

On the evening of July 24, Iversen says, she was told that Faucis team asked earlier in the month who the hosts would be when he appeared on the show and that Iversen wasnt included because the interview was going to take place earlier than she typically reports to work.

Iversen told the producers to go back to Faucis team and say Iversen had to be included. If the interview was then canceled, then The Hill could run a segment about the development, she proposed.

While an agreement seemed to be reached, Iversen received a call the next morning from the shows executive producer.

They had made the final decision not to approach Faucis team but to instead move forward with the interview without me. They wanted me to come on the show, record a couple of segments, and then ask me to leave so they could interview Fauci, Iversen said.

During the actual interview, Fauci falsely said that he never recommended lockdowns over COVID-19.

Concerns About Reputation

Iversen felt she could no longer remain with the program because of her promises to viewers.

How could I say its corporate media, but trust me,' Iversen said.

That would make me a liar and that would put my reputation at risk because I made promises to the viewers. And so, because of all of this, I am no longer with Rising,' she added.

The Hill referred comment to Nexstar, which did not respond to an inquiry.

Iversen said she plans to largely continue her work, but with videos appearing on social media websites directly from her, instead of through The Hills program.

I hope you join me, she said.
The Twitter headquarters in San Francisco on April 26, 2022. (Amy Osborne/AFP via Getty Images)

Twitter Stops Censoring Epoch Times Content After Outcry

Twitter has halted its censorship of content from The Epoch Times following a flood of public criticism.

Links posted on the social media platform were working properly on July 30.

Its unclear when the change was made by the technology company.

Earlier in the week, Twitter users who attempted to click on an Epoch Times link on the platform were told that the link may be unsafe.

The link you are trying to access has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe, Twitter said.

The link could be malicious and attempting to steal personal information, spammy and trying to mislead people, violent or misleading, or otherwise in violation of Twitter rules, according to the warning.

The censorship affected all of The Epoch Times content.

Multiple U.S. lawmakers decried the development, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

Twitter must explain itself for this outrageous act of censorship, Rubio, the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote on Twitter.

Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) were among the other members of Congress who criticized Twitters actions.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts said Twitters warning was an outrageous act of censorship.

Twitter has not responded to requests for comment.
The TikTok logo is displayed outside a TikTok office in Culver City, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

UK Parliament Urged to Delete TikTok Account

British lawmakers sanctioned by the Chinese regime on Thursday urged Parliament to delete its newly set up TikTok account, saying they are surprised and disappointed that Parliament set up an account with the Chinese-owned app.

In a post on Twitter promoting its new TikTok account, which appears to target young people, Parliament said on Wednesday that the account was going to publish news and behind-the-scenes content from the Elizabeth Tower, starting with a video on wheres the best spot to get your best selfie with the famous Tower.

Four Conservative MPs, one Labour peer, and one crossbench peer, all sanctioned by Beijing for being vocal about human rights abuses in Xinjiang, wrote a joint letter to the speakers of the two houses of Parliament on Thursday, saying the data security risks associated with Tik Tok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, are considerable.

Recent reports have made clear that, contrary to assurances given by company executives to the BEIS [Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy] Select Committee in 2021, TikTok data is routinely transferred to China. They may have misled Parliament on this point, the letter reads.

The lawmakers said Chinese companies are required to yield data to the authorities upon request and may not reveal that they have done so when asked under the communist regimes 2017 Intelligence Security law.

After repeated questioning from the BEIS Select Committee, TikTok executives were unable to reassure MPs that the company could prevent data transfer to ByteDance, should the parent company make a request for it, the lawmakers said, adding that ByteDance would be legally obliged to hand over UK data to the Chinese authorities if requested.

The prospect of Xi Jinpings government having access to personal data on our childrens phones ought to be a cause of major concern, the letter reads.

British Conservative Party MPs Nusrat Ghani (C) and Sir Iain Duncan Smith (R), and UK director of the World Uyghur Congress UK Rahima Mahmut at a demonstration call on the British Parliament to vote to recognise alleged persecution of Chinas Muslim minority Uyghur people as genocide and crimes against humanity in London on April 22, 2021. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

According to a recent study, the TikTok app on Apples iOS system connects to servers in mainland China, while on Androids system, it collects data from all other running and installed apps.

Leaked recordings recently obtained by BuzzFeed allegedly showed that the apps private U.S. user data were repeatedly accessed in China.

The lawmakers argued that while efforts to engage young people should always be welcome, we cannot and should not legitimise the use of an app which has been described by tech experts as essentially Chinese government spyware.'

They urged the speakers to remove the account until they have determined whether or not the company misled Parliament, and until credible assurances can be given that no data whatsoever can be transferred to China.

Conservative MPs Nusrat Ghani, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Tim Loughton, Tom Tugendhat, Crossbench peer Lord David Alton, and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy are signatories of the letter.

A Parliament spokesperson said the speakers will respond to the letter in due course, and said Parliament had undertaken all necessary steps to ensure none of our data is at risk before setting up the account.

We cannot go into any further detail about these measures for security reasons, the statement reads.

A spokesperson for TikTok said: The TikTok platform does not operate in China and we have never provided user data to the Chinese government. UK politicians and government departments use TikTok to reach millions of people in an engaging and creative waywelcome the opportunity to talk directly to the signatories to clarify the factual inaccuracies contained in their letter to the speakers.
Firefighters work at the site of a destroyed building in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, on July 29, 2022. (Press service of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration/Handout via Reuters)

Zelenskyy Announces Mandatory Evacuation of Donetsk Region

KYIVUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday his government was ordering the mandatory evacuation of people in the eastern Donetsk region, scene of fierce fighting with Russia.

In a late-night television address, Zelenskyy also said the hundreds of thousands of people still in combat zones in the larger Donbas region, which contains Donetsk as well as the neighboring Luhansk region, needed to leave.

The more people leave (the) Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill, he said, adding that residents who left would be given compensation.

Separately, domestic Ukrainian media outlets quoted Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk as saying the evacuation needed to take place before winter begins since the regions natural gas supplies had been destroyed.

Zelenskyy said hundreds of thousands of people were still living in areas of Donbas where fighting was fierce.

Many refuse to leave but it still needs to be done, the president said. If you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave.

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraines military said more than 100 Russian soldiers had been killed and seven tanks destroyed in fighting in the south on Friday, including the Kherson region that is the focus of Kyivs counteroffensive in that part of the country and a key link in Moscows supply lines.

Rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River had been cut, the militarys southern command said, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river from supplies in occupied Crimea and the east.

South of the town of Bakhmut, which Russia has cited as a prime target in Donetsk, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had been partially successful in establishing control over the settlement of Semyhirya by storming it from three directions.

He established himself on the outskirts of the settlement, the militarys evening report said, referring to Russian forces.

Defense and intelligence officials from Britain, which has been one of Ukraines staunchest allies since Moscow invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, portrayed Russian forces as struggling to maintain momentum.

Ukraine has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to badly damage three bridges across the Dnipro in recent weeks, cutting off Kherson city and  in the assessment of British defence officials  leaving Russias 49th Army highly vulnerable on the rivers west bank.

The Kherson regions pro-Ukrainian governor, Dmytro Butriy, said fighting was continuing in many parts of the region, and that Berislav district, just northwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, was particularly hard hit.

In some villages, not a single home has been left intact, all infrastructure has been destroyed, people are living in cellars, he wrote on Telegram.

Just to the north of Lysychansk, which Moscows forces captured in early July after weeks of fighting, Ukrainian partisans destroyed a railway junction box near the Russian-controlled town of Svatove on Friday night, making it harder for Moscow to transport ammunition to the front lines by train, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said in an online post.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.

Officials from the Russian-appointed administration running the Kherson region earlier this week rejected Western and Ukrainian assessments of the situation.

Prison Deaths

Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations over a missile strike or explosion early on Friday that appeared to have killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the front-line town of Olenivka, held by Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Donetsk.

Russias defense ministry on Saturday published a list of 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war killed and 73 wounded in what it said was a Ukrainian military strike with a U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

Ministry spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said all political, criminal, and moral responsibility rested with Zelenskyy, his criminal regime and Washington who supports them.

The ministry said Russia had invited experts from the United Nations and the Red Cross to probe the deaths in the interests of conducting an objective investigation.

The separatists put the death toll at 53.

Ukraines armed forces denied responsibility, saying Russian artillery had targeted the prison to hide mistreatment there. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Friday Russia had committed a war crime and called for international condemnation.

Reuters could not immediately verify the differing versions of events, but some of the deaths were confirmed by Reuters journalists who visited the prison.

The United Nations said earlier it was prepared to send experts to investigate if it obtains consent from both parties. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was seeking access and had offered to help evacuate the wounded.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his condolences in a Friday phone call with Kuleba and said Washington was committed to hold Russia accountable for atrocities, the U.S. State Department said.

Ukraine has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians and identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes. Russia denies targeting civilians and war crimes.
Indonesian army soldiers take part in Garuda Shield Joint Exercise 2021 at the Indonesian Army Combat Training Center in Martapura, South Sumatra province, Indonesia on Aug. 4, 2021. (Antara Foto/Nova Wahyudi/via Reuters)

US, Indonesia Holding Large-Scale Joint Military Drill in Sumatra

Indonesia and the United States are participating in a large-scale military exercise to enhance their combined interoperability capabilities, with 11 other nations participating as partner nations or observers.

The annual Garuda Shield exercise is being conducted on the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan from Aug. 1 to 14.

The drills aim to bolster the U.S.Indonesia Strategic Partnership and advance regional cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Indonesia.

The officials stated that the joint drill would be significantly larger in scope and scale than previous exercises with dozens of other nations taking part for the first time, including Singapore, Australia, and Japan.

Its a symbol of the U.S.Indonesia bond and the growing relationship between land forces in this consequential region, Gen. Charles Flynn, commanding general of U.S. Army Pacific, said in a statement.

Indonesia is deploying seven Black Hawk helicopters, 41 armored vehicles, and 618 weapons for the Garuda Shield exercise, Indonesian Gen. Andika Perkasa told reporters.

The drill includes 2,000 U.S. troops, 2,000 Indonesian forces, and troops from partner nations. Canada, France, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and the United Kingdom are observer nations.

Regional Tensions

The drill comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions between the United States and China over the latters growing assertiveness in the region.

But Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Smith, who will be directing operations on the ground in the exercise, told reporters in Jakarta on July 29 that the drill shouldnt be seen as a response to any tensions.

This exercise is not a threat or should not be viewed as a threat to anybody, anywhere. This is a purely military-to-military exercise, he said.

Tensions and rhetoric flared last week amid reports that U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi planned to visit Taiwan as soon as this month.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping managed largely to steer clear of escalation in a call last week, suggesting that neither sidepreoccupied with economic woes at homewants a fresh crisis across the Taiwan Strait.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken attends a virtual business roundtable at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Tokyo, Japan, on March 16, 2021. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool/Reuters)

US to Bolster Cooperation With Japan in Semiconductors, Economic Security

The United States and Japan vowed on Friday to bolster cooperation in promoting economic security and building supply chain resilience in response to challenges posed by China and the Russia-Ukraine war.

Top officials from both countries met in Washington for the inaugural two-plus-two talks, during which they unveiled a plan to launch a new joint research center for next-generation semiconductors.

The meeting involved U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, as well as Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda.

Today we co-hosted, together with @SecRaimondo, the inaugural ministerial meeting of the U.S.-Japan Economic Policy Consultative Committee with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hagiuda Koichi at the @StateDept. pic.twitter.com/spNT2X224E  Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 29, 2022

Speaking to reporters, Hagiuda said that Japan will quickly move to action on next-generation semiconductors, for which the two allies have agreed to accelerate joint research and development.

The research center would be open to overseas businesses and research institutes, including cooperation from other like-minded countries, he said.

Regardless of the size of the country, it should bring benefits to all the countries. This economic [two-plus-two] is, as it were, a compass for realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific, Hagiuda remarked.

The two countries did not immediately release additional details of their plans, but Japans Nikkei Shimbun newspaper said the hub would be set up in Japan by the end of this year to research 2-nanometer semiconductor chips.

The United States is also pursuing semiconductor cooperation with South Korea through the Chip 4 alliance framework, in which Taiwan and Japan have agreed to participate.

Taiwan now makes the vast majority of semiconductors under 10 nanometers, but there is concern about supply stability if tensions worsen further between Taiwan and China, which views the island as a renegade province.

Countering Threats

The two allies also issued a joint statement in which they reaffirmed their commitment to countering threats to economic security and the rules-based international economic order, and vowed to make their economies more competitive and resilient.

They aim to deepen discussions and foster cooperation among like-minded partners while calling on all major economies to adhere to international rules and obligations, according to the statement.

Blinken said the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war had shown the vulnerability of critical supply chains, while a growing number of countries were struggling with debt burdens due to unsustainable and non-transparent lending practices.

The coercive and retaliatory economic practices of the Peoples Republic of China force countries into choices that compromise their security, their intellectual property, their economic independence, he told reporters.

The United States and Japan pledged to coordinate with other like-minded partners to address economic coercion, effectively confront non-market policies and practices, and deliver calibrated messaging to the international community.

As the worlds first and third largest economies, it is critical that we work together to defend a rules-based international economic order, one in which all countries can participate, compete, and prosper, Blinken said.

The United States and other nations have previously denounced Beijing for using debt-trap diplomacy to lure countries into its Belt and Road Initiative, which was launched by Chinese leader Xi Jinping in 2013 to increase Beijings trade networks.

Reuters contributed to this report.
By Trend

Turkiye, Sweden and Finland is "not an end, but a good start," Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said Thursday, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

"We expect them to fulfill their commitments," Akar said at a news conference with his Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks in the capital of Riga where they discussed defense issues and NATO cooperation.

During the NATO summit in Madrid late last month, the leaders of three countries agreed on a trilateral memorandum to address Turkiye's legitimate security concerns, paving the way for Finland and Sweden's NATO membership bids.

The deal stipulates that Stockholm and Helsinki will not provide support to the YPG, the PKK's Syrian offshoot, nor to the Gulenist Terror Group (FETO), the group behind a 2016 defeated coup.

Turkiye, a member of NATO for more than 70 years, has pushed Sweden and Finland to meet their obligations.

The PKK is listed as a terror organization by Turkiye, the European Union and the United States and is responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

Regarding the Joint Coordination Center in Istanbul to oversee Ukrainian grain exports, Akar said: "The center is operational. Officials from Turkiye, the United Nations, Ukraine and Russia are working day and night for the ships waiting at the Ukrainian ports to start transporting grain in the coming hours and days."

He said Turkey continues its efforts to achieve a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid.
ELKO  Elko County School District is scrambling to fill teacher positions before the new school year begins on Aug. 29, but there will be no Battle Born youth academy classes this fall -- not for a lack of teachers but for a lack of students.

The school district reported that as of July 27 there were roughly 76 teacher positions open, but the number changes daily, and the district has filled 123 positions through hiring or transfers to replace a teacher who retired, resigned or transferred to a new position.

We have a few offers of employment out to prospective candidates that have verbally committed, yet not officially signed up, said Kayla Church, communications specialist for the district.

Cody Krenka, director of human resources for the school district, told the school board on July 27 that the district has held teacher job fairs and revised candidate requirements to help with teacher recruitment.

Superintendent Clayton Anderson told the board that we are in the same boat as most schools in Nevada and not just in Nevada but all over the place, when it comes to finding enough teachers.

Battle Born is the reverse, however, with a lack of enrollment leading to a decision not to hold classes in the fall. Anderson said efforts will begin to work toward second semester classes.

Its a great program, he told the board.

The National Guard Youth Challenge Program opened the Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy in February 2021 at the Elko County Readiness Center near Carlin as a quasi-military, tuition-free academy to help struggling 16- to 18-year-olds. Twenty-one cadets graduated last December.

The district reported via email July 27 that the teachers assigned to Battle Born will stay in Battle Born this upcoming semester for program enrichment and student recruitment.

Class sizes

With teaching positions district-wide still to be filled, the annual class size reduction plan that trustees approved on July 27 has zeros in spots where the class size is yet to be determined, Krenka told the school board.

Were not fully staffed but have the funds to fill the positions, he said, explaining that if all the positions arent filled, then classes will be combined and those ratios will change.

Nevada Department of Education allows school districts with populations under 100,000 to provide alternative class-size plans.

The regular state plan for class sizes is 16 pupils to one teacher for kindergarten through second grade, and 18 to one for third grade through sixth grade. The alternative plan for smaller districts still calls for a 16-1 ratio for kindergarten but allows a ratio of 22 to one for first through third grades and a ratio of 25 to one for grades four through six.

In a perfect world, we would get a 16-1 ratio, Krenka said.

ECSD likely will need a variance for the kindergarten ratio. Projected ratios in the document to be sent to the state show 19 to one for kindergarten, 19.98 to one for first grade, 19 to one for second and third grades, 22 to one for fourth, 21 to one for fifth and 23 to one for sixth grade.

The form to the state estimates the need for 10 variances for kindergarten, and put zeros for the remainder of the elementary grades, until teacher totals and class sizes are determined.

The Nevada Department of Education requires the class-size report, but Anderson said that at this point it is very much a formality of what we are doing with what weve got.

Recruiting teachers

In the class-size report, the district writes that efforts to recruit teachers included sending representatives to four regional career fairs in the spring and revising district policy regarding any ARL (alternative route to licensure) candidates to be considered.

Krenka told trustees that the district had been working with Great Basin College only but was opening the ARL program to other colleges and universities. With ARL, teachers can take classes after they begin their job for up to three years to complete all course and testing requirements for full licensure.

The ECSD website under human resources lists all the teaching jobs available, including those in Owyhee and West Wendover that pay sign-up bonuses, and the list covers job openings for para-educators, who work with licensed instructors in classrooms to assist students and teachers.

The district also has openings for nurses, bus drivers, custodians, a psychologist, a journeyman electrician, building superintendents and secretaries.

Tying in with the need for teachers, the school board approved declaring a critical need for long-term substitute teachers for the next two years so retired teachers can put in more hours than normally allowed by the Public Employees Retirement System.

The districts letter to PERS states that the nationwide substitute shortage continues to impact Nevada, including Elko County School District. The district is very fortunate to have so many retirees who are passionate about supporting the students and teachers through these trying times.

The declaration also includes substitute para-educators, substitutes for maintenance and custodian work, substitute bus drivers, substitute bus aides, substitute food service workers, substitute nurses and substitute health aides and secretaries.

The declaration follows an earlier one that expires on July 31.
Secretary of Security John Lee Ka-Chiu announces the withdrawal of the extradition bill, in Hong Kong, on Oct. 23, 2019. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)

What Can Hong Kongs New Leader Bring to the Table?

Commentary

This July has been an unusual month in Hong Kong. First, Xi Jinping, Chinas leader, came to inaugurate Hong Kongs new cabinet members. Chief Executive John Lee, a former policeman, was cherry-picked by Beijing to take up the top job.

It was shocking at first, but Hongkongers just got used to the citys absurdity, while the so-called one country, two systems literally turned into a police state.

Then, on July 3, renowned novelist Ni Kuang () passed away at the age of 87. At the annual Hong Kong book fair, author Chua Lam () paid tribute to his longtime friend Ni Kuang; he shared with the audience how we should approach death: instead of feeling sorrow, how we should live is more important.

Then came the Hong Kong Film Awards, and Patrick Tse () became the eldest actor ever to win the best actor award at 85.

Then came perhaps the most shocking incident to close the month of July: the falling of a gigantic screen that dropped onto the stage at the boy band group Mirror concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum, injuring two dancers.

Besides Xis official visit to Hong Kong, most of the news in Hong Kong is way too trivial.

What might take up the Hong Kong coming weekend coverage, perhaps, is the long queue at the Animation Comic Game Hong Kong show, which started Friday, July 29, and finishes on Tuesday, August 2.

Trivial news is the new trend, while no major news is good news in Hong Kong.

Is this what the government wants you to think and react to now? Dont want you to think about things that really matter?

Hong Kong, which has now clearly turned into a police state, has joined the ranks of Xin Jiang and Tibet as places with the highest level of surveillance and suppression.

The dismantling of Hong Kongs society is surreal, and the new Hong Kong leader is also a man with no mercy, best known as a yes man, to execute direct orders from Beijing.

After all, John Lee Ka Chiu, former police and subsequently became Security Chief and Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, was brought in, alongside former Chief Executive Carrie Lam, to push the now defunct Extradition Bill to Hong Kong. This defunct bill has caused many grievances and turmoil in our once famed international city.

John Lee, with the blessings from Beijing, has eased in quite well in his first month as the Hong Kong leader, with not much criticism from the Hong Kong general public. That said, nothing can be further from the truth. Those who have been opinionated or protested with resistance in Hong Kong have fled, been detained, imprisoned, or become very silent if they still live inside Hong Kong.

The days of the Hong Kong polices violent crackdown on dissent might be over. Still, the government wants more: limiting freedom of expression, religion, peaceful assembly and association, and indoctrinating the young generation with patriotic education and the extreme makeover will not stop until the city is fully transformed.

As for the not-too-newly minted Chief Executive (CE) John Lee, I wish he could be different from his predecessor Carrie Lam, but my hopes are not high. This former police officer was put into so many posts within the Hong Kong public ranks at supersonic speed since 2019. Beijings decision is absolute ascension into the top job in Hong Kong to replace Carrie Lam was Beijings decision.

Being the CE of Hong Kong is a point of no return. He and his predecessor Carrie Lam have been reprimanded and sanctioned by the former U.S. Trump administration for undermining Hong Kongs autonomy, alongside a few other current administration members.

So, the million-dollar question is: can John Lee heal the wounds of Hong Kong people and distinguish himself from the most hated CE of all time, his predecessor Carrie Lam?

For the coming months and years of Lees first term as CE, instead of running Hong Kong using the rule by fear tactics, he needs to listen to all Hong Kong people living inside and outside of Hong Kong. He needs to be humble, with the ability to listen to all voices, which seems quite difficult for someone with his background.

The massive exodus of Hongkongers due to political uncertainty and high-handed suppression has been more than surreal.

What kind of leader would John Lee look like if he is holding Hongkongers at gunpoint, which he knows well by being almost a lifetime policeman, while not tolerating any form of criticism? It would be a turning point if Hong Kong were allowed to have protests and candlelight vigils for the Tiananmen victims again, but I know this will not happen.

Yes, the government can use any lame excuse to frame its people for colluding with foreign forces without proof, but this would make Hong Kong tumble even faster.

If John Lee still uses the tactic of rule by fear to run Hong Kong, there is absolutely no way to restart the second half of one country, two systems.

Let us also take a step back. The Hong Kong policemen and some protesters have used violence against each other during the 2019 social movement.

But clearly, the use of excessive violence and abusive power from the government reminds the world that Hong Kong was close to like the Tiananmen crackdown incident in 2019. If the totalitarian regime takes more missteps moving forward, Hong Kong will turn into a place of absolute no return.

With all the wishful thinking we have these days for Hong Kong, I wish that John Lee has the wisdom to connect with the people. Just not too long ago, in John Lees one-man race into the post as CE of Hong Kong, his campaign slogan was Starting a new chapter for Hong Kong together ().

And my last advice to John Lee: listen to all voices, bring something tangible to the table, and to not turn himself into a greater joke for Hong Kong.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on July 29, 2022. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

White House Says Border Wall Ineffective After Administration Announces Plan to Plug Gaps

The wall at the U.S.-Mexico border is not effective, the White House said on July 29.

Its ineffective, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in Washington.

She was speaking one day after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it was planning to plug four gaps in the wall in southern Arizona.

The projects will address operational impacts, as well as immediate life and safety risks, the department said in a press release.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a Biden appointee, authorized the projects, which will be funded by money Congress appropriated to the agency. His department in December 2021 said that it was going to plug small gaps in the wall as it wound down projects greenlit under former President Donald Trump.

Jean-Pierre on Friday insisted that the Biden administration was taking the step because of how construction was not complete in the area before the Trump administration ended.

We are not finishing the wall. We are cleaning up the mess that the prior administration left behind in their failed attempt to build a wall, she said.

A reporter noted that President Joe Biden, while campaigning ahead of the 2020 election, vowed that not another foot of wall would be constructed if he were elected.

We are not finishing the wall, Jean-Pierre repeated.

Wall Built Under Trump

After assuming office, Biden sent approximately $2.2 billion that had been allocated for wall construction back to the Department of Defense. The cost of ending the wall was approximately $72 million, Mayorkas has said.

Before the Trump era, about 650 miles of barriers were erected along the border, the bulk being constructed during the Obama administration. Over 118 miles of barriers were constructed during the Trump era, but the majority were replacing existing portions of the wall, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

During the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security said that walls work, including by preventing illegal immigrants from crossing the border. Building the wall was one of Trumps promises during the 2016 campaign.

As proof to support her claim that the wall is not effective, Jean-Pierre cited Customs and Border Protection records that reportedly showed that bollard fencing, a type of barrier, was breached along the border over 3,200 times across two years, requiring millions of dollars in repairs.

Republicans generally favor adding to the wall along the border, while Democrats do not.

Several GOP lawmakers reacted favorably this week to the Biden administrations announcement.

I will always give credit where credit is due, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) said in a statement. This is a great first step in protecting Arizona from the deluge of illegal immigrants flooding the border.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' media company Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy on Friday, but his attorney said it should not disrupt the defamation damages trial underway in Texas that seeks to force Jones to pay $150 million or more to the family of one of the children killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School attack.

The trial in Austin, where Jones lives and Free Speech Systems is based, wrapped up its first week of testimony Friday and is expected to conclude next week. The bankruptcy filing was announced by Jones' attorney Andino Reynal late in the day.

Reynal and attorneys for the family suing Jones told Judge Maya Guerra Gamble that the bankruptcy filing would not halt the lawsuit.

The company wants to put this part of the odyssey behind us so that we have some numbers set for damages, Reynal said.

Details of the bankruptcy filing were not immediately available.

It is not the first time a bankruptcy filing has come amid litigation against Jones by the Sandy Hook families. In April, Jones company Infowars and two more of his business entities filed for bankruptcy protection, which led to a trial delay. Free Speech Systems is the parent company of Infowars.

Courts in Texas and Connecticut have already found Jones liable for defamation for his portrayal of the Sandy Hook massacre as a hoax involving actors aimed at increasing gun control. In both states, judges issued default judgements against Jones without trials because he failed to respond to court orders and turn over documents.

Christopher Mattei, an attorney for the Sandy Hook families in the Connecticut case, issued a statement Friday evening blasting the bankruptcy filing.

Just two days before jury selection is due to begin in Connecticut, Mr. Jones has once again fled like a coward to bankruptcy court in a transparent attempt to delay facing the families that he has spent years hurting," Mattei said. "These families have an endless well of patience and remain determined to hold Mr. Jones accountable in a Connecticut court.

The trial in Austin is to determine how much Jones should pay for defaming Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son, Jesse Lewis, was among the 20 children and six educators who were killed in the country's deadliest school shooting. They and other Sandy Hook families suing Jones say they have suffered years of harassment and threats resulting from Jones' repeated false claims that the shooting was a hoax or didn't happen.

Jones claimed in court records last year that he had a negative net worth of $20 million, but attorneys for Sandy Hook families have painted a different financial picture.

Court records show that Jones Infowars store, which sells nutritional supplements and survival gear, made more than $165 million between 2015 and 2018. Jones has also urged listeners on his Infowars program to donate money.

___

Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

PARIS (AP)  July 16, 1945: An incandescent mushroom cloud in New Mexico heralds the dawn of the nuclear age. July 20, 1969: Neil Armstrong takes a small step and a giant leap in the dust of the Moon.

Feb. 24, 2022: Russian President Vladimir Putin chews up the world order and 77 years of almost uninterrupted peace in Europe by invading Ukraine, disrupting the supplies of food it produces for many of the planet's 8 billion people.

All were watersheds in world history, turning points that will be taught in schools for decades to come. All changed not just lives but also trajectories for mankind, with repercussions felt across continents and for the foreseeable future.

Russia's invasion, the killing and maiming, have quickly added Mariupol, Bucha and other Ukrainian names to Europe's long list of cities and towns associated with the abuses of war: Dresden, Srebrenica, the Nazi massacre in Frances Oradour-sur-Glane, to name only a few.

And after nearly a half-year of fighting, with tens of thousands of dead and wounded on both sides, massive disruptions to supplies of energy, food and financial stability, the world is no longer as it was.

The air raid sirens that howl with regularity over Ukraines cities cant be heard in Paris or Berlin, yet generations of Europeans who had grown up knowing only peace have been brutally awakened to both its value and its fragility.

Renewed war in Europe and the need to take sides  for self-preservation and to stand for right against wrong  have also shifted the worlds geo-political tectonics and relationships between nations.

Some now barely talk to Russia. Some have banded together. Others, notably in Africa, want to avoid being sucked into the breakdown between Russia and the West. Some dont want to jeopardize supplies of food, energy, security and income. Russia and Western nations are working  notably, again, in Africa  on fence-sitters, lobbying them to take sides.

The war in Ukraine has held a mirror to mankind, too, reflecting, yet again, its propensity to live on the razor's edge of folly, to take steps back even as it pursues progress.

And there had been progress, with speedy vaccines against the COVID-19 global pandemic and deals on climate change, before Russia's all-powerful Putin made it his historical mission to force independent, Western-looking Ukraine at gunpoint back into the Kremlin's orbit, as it had been during Soviet times, when he served as an intelligence officer for the feared KGB.

With its united stance against the invasion, NATO has found renewed reason for being. Just three years ago in 2019  before the double shock of COVID-19 followed by the Ukraine war made that seem a lifetime away  the world's biggest military alliance had appeared at risk of slowly sinking into disrepair.

French President Emmanuel Macron said it was suffering brain death. And then-U.S. President Donald Trump didn't have much patience for the alliance that has been a cornerstone of U.S. security policy for more than half a century, grumbling that the U.S. was unfairly shouldering too much of the defense burden and other NATO members too little.

Now NATO is clubbing together increasingly heavy weapons for use by Ukraine on its front lines and relentlessly bombed trenches horribly reminiscent of World War I. It speed-dated Finland and Sweden when those Nordic countries decided that continuing to be nonaligned was too risky in the wake of the Russian invasion and that they needed the shield of the NATO umbrella against whatever Putin might do next.

Their becoming the 31st and 32nd members of NATO will add to the ways in which Europe has been changed permanently, or at least for the foreseeable future, by the war.

Further away, in Asia, the ripples are consequential, too.

China is scrutinizing the Russian campaign for military lessons that could be applied in any eventual invasion of the self-governed island of Taiwan. India, China and other energy-hungry Asian nations are boosting the Kremlin's war chest and undercutting Western sanctions by buying growing amounts of Russian oil.

And then there's Putin himself. In Ukraine, long before the invasion, many already felt that their country was engaged in a battle of survival against the Kremlin leader's designs. Since 2014, thousands of people had already been killed in fighting with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The faces of Ukrainian dead from that conflict stare out from a memorial wall in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, bearing silent testimony to what is now, in the invasion's wake, recognized as fact in Western capitals: Putin cannot and should not be trusted.

Soaring prices for food, energy and just about everything  causing pain across continents and largely driven by the war's disruption to supplies  are another change, although perhaps less permanent. High inflation, an agony disturbingly familiar to those who lived through energy shocks of the 1970s, is back as a household term. Some economists warn that stagflation"  a noxious combo of high inflation and slumping economic growth  could make a comeback, too.

So what's next?

With no end in sight to the war, there are too many ifs and buts to hazard a solid guess. But with each additional day of fighting, the body count and the war's ripples across the globe grow, and peace recedes.

Mankind became inured to the bomb, learning to live with it. Manned spaceflight became routine. All we can hope is that war in Europe will not.

-

Paris-based correspondent John Leicester has reported from Europe since 2002 and from Ukraine this June.

-

Follow the APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
NORWALK  A man was taken to the hospital after being rescued from a boat fire Friday afternoon, according to the Norwalk Fire Department.

The fire was reported at Cove Marina on Calf Pasture Beach Road around 3:10 p.m.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

BOSTON (AP)  Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story likely will be out a bit longer than expected after manager Alex Cora said a second-opinion exam revealed a a little hairline fracture close to his right wrist.

Story has been on the injured list with a bruise since July 14 after getting hit on the right hand with a pitch during a game on July 12 from Tampa Bay right-hander Corey Kluber. He'll be shut down for roughly another 10 days.

The bone bruise is good, Cora said before Boston hosted Milwaukee at Fenway Park on Saturday. The treatment doesnt change. We treat it the same way were doing it now, kind of like a strain. The only thing we have to do now is shut him down (from swinging) for like a week-and-a-half and see where were at.

The 29-year-old Story signed a $140-million, six-year deal with the Red Sox during spring training after spending his first six big-league seasons with Colorado.

Batting just .221, but with good production (15 homers and a team-leading 58 RBIs) Story has been streaky at the plate in his first season with Boston.

Now, his return to the lineup may be slowed a bit longer.

The doctor feels that we have to keep doing what were doing treatment-wise and we to have shut him down for the 10 days and well see where were at, Cora said.

Cora explained that Story had been feeling discomfort when he swung and wanted the second opinion.

The fading Red Sox enter Saturdays game against Milwaukee having lost 12 of their last 15 games, dropping them to 3  games behind the ALs last wild-card spot and trailing two other teams currently out of playoff position, too.

In addition to Story, Boston has been missing All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers, who has been on the IL since July 23 with right hamstring inflammation.

Cora said he expects him to join the team when it opens a series in Houston next week.

Devers leads the team with a .324 average and and 22 homers along with 55 RBIs.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
DOVER, Del. (AP)  A Delaware bankruptcy judge has approved parts of the Boy Scouts of Americas reorganization plan but has rejected other provisions, saying in a ruling Friday that the organization has "decisions to make regarding the plan.

Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein issued her 281-page ruling, months after concluding a trial in the case. She indicated that she is willing to hold a status conference upon a request by attorneys for the Boy Scouts.

The BSA's plan proposed the creation of a $2.6 billion fund to compensate tens of thousands of men who say they were sexually abused as children involved in Scouting, while maintaining the organization's financial ability to continue operating.

The ruling is the just latest example of uncertainty in a case that has seen myriad twists and turns since the Boy Scouts sought bankruptcy protection more than two years ago to stave off a flood of lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by Scout leaders and volunteers.

In the meantime, the cash-strapped BSA has spent more than $327 million in fees and expenses in the bankruptcy and continues to bleed money, with no end in sight. It also remains unclear when any of the 82,000 sexual abuse claimants in the bankruptcy might receive any compensation for their abuse.

The plan called for the Irving, Texas-based BSA and its local councils, along with settling insurance companies and troop sponsoring organizations, to contribute some $2.6 billion in cash and property to a fund for abuse claimants. In return for those contributions, those entities would be shielded from future lawsuits over Scout-related abuse.

When it filed for bankruptcy, the BSA faced about 275 filed lawsuits and was aware of roughly another 1,400 potential cases, but more than 82,200 abuse claims were filed in the bankruptcy. Attorneys for BSA insurers argued early on that the sheer volume of claims was an indication of fraud and the result of aggressive client solicitation by attorneys and for-profit claims aggregators.

While some of those insurers later negotiated settlements for a fraction of the billions of dollars in liability exposure they potentially faced, other insurers continued to oppose the plan. They argued that the procedures for distributing funds from the compensation trust would violate their contractual rights to contest claims, set a dangerous precedent for mass tort litigation, and result in grossly inflated payments of abuse claims, including tens of thousands that would otherwise be barred by the passage of time.

Under the reorganization plan, the BSA and its 250 local councils, along with settling insurance companies and troop sponsoring organizations, would contribute some $2.6 billion in cash and property to a fund for victims of child sexual abuse. In return for those contributions, those entities would be released from further liability, meaning they could not be sued for Scout-related abuse claims. The plan also would allow abuse claimants to sue insurance companies and local troop sponsoring organizations that do not enter into their own settlements within one year.

In addition to the arguments by opposing insurers, the case presented Silverstein with one of the most contentious issues for bankruptcy judges  whether third parties that are not bankruptcy debtors themselves can escape future liability in the tort system by contributing to a Chapter 11 debtors reorganization plan.

Such third-party releases, spawned by asbestos and product-liability cases, have been criticized as an unconstitutional form of bankruptcy grifting, where non-debtor entities obtain benefits by joining with a debtor to resolve mass-tort litigation in bankruptcy.

Federal courts in some jurisdictions, including Delaware, have allowed third-party releases in certain circumstances, while courts in other jurisdictions have rejected them.

Under the plan proposed by the Boy Scouts, insurance companies, local BSA councils and troop sponsoring organizations would receive broad liability releases protecting them from future sex abuse lawsuits in exchange for contributing to the victims compensation fund  or even for just not objecting to the plan.

Some abuse survivors argued that releasing their claims against non-debtor third parties without their consent would violate their due process rights. The U.S. bankruptcy trustee, the governments watchdog in Chapter 11 bankruptcies, argued that such releases are not allowed under the bankruptcy code, and that the scope of the proposed releases in the BSA plan, potentially extending to tens of thousands of entities, was unprecedented.

The plan called for the BSA itself to contribute less than 10% of the proposed settlement fund, consisting of property valued at about $80 million, an $80 million promissory note, and roughly $20 million cash.

The local BSA councils, which run day-to-day operations for troops, offered to contribute at least $515 million in cash and property, and an interest-bearing note of at least $100 million. That contribution was conditioned on certain protections for local troop sponsoring organizations, known as chartered organizations. Those organizations, numbering in the tens of thousands, include religious entities, civic associations and community groups.

The bulk of the compensation fund would come from the BSAs two largest insurers, Century Indemnity and The Hartford, which reached settlements calling for them to contribute $800 million and $787 million, respectively. Other insurers agreed to contribute about $69 million. The BSAs former largest troop sponsor, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, would contribute $250 million for abuse claims involving the Mormon church, while congregations affiliated with the United Methodist Church would contribute $30 million.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

According to the National Weather Service, despite dry conditions before Monday night, rainfall amounts and rates of these magnitudes caused widespread impacts and at least one fatality in St. Louis.

More than nine inches of rain fell in the St. Louis area overnight, the highest 24-hour rainfall total on record.

St. Louis-Lambert International Airport, which is also the city's official weather station, recorded 8.64 inches of rain Tuesday. It surpassed the old record of 6.85 inches, which stood since 1915 from the Galveston hurricane. The airport's two-day rain total then exceeded nine inches.

The normal amount of rain in St. Louis for July and August combined is 7.31 inches.

The metro area was doused with at least another 1.75 inches on Thursday afternoon. In other words, the area has received more than 25 percent of its normal annual rainfall total just this week.

In addition to the flash floods and subsequent damage, another effect of all of this water in just a few days is that the ground becomes too saturated and any additional water just runs off.

Eric Rinkel, of Rinkel's Pumpkin Farm in Glen Carbon, said there was nothing he could do about all the rain that fell this week. He confirmed that crops can suffer from too much water just as they can from a drought.

"We're lucky. We're on high ground here in Glen Carbon," he said.

He said his biggest concern now is all of the standing water and mud at the farm with the opening for sunflower viewing tentatively planned for this weekend. The sunflower heads are starting to open but he is concerned about visitors coming amid stagnant water and mud.

St. Clair County bore the brunt of the heavy rain in the Metro East Tuesday and one place that was quickly apparent was at the Belleville Area Humane Society, which had to be evacuated of more than 40 pets and staff members before it was flooded.

We were wet, we were tired, we were challenged but we are so very grateful today to our friends in the community; especially our wonderful volunteers, fosters and adopters, who came to the rescue," said Kim Vrooman, the society's executive director. People were just outstanding yesterday but our community saw first-hand what is a figurative emergency flood in this industry every day.

What causes all of this rain so quickly? Blame the train.

Training means that storms gather or line up and pass repeatedly over a fixed point, like watching a train and its line of cars cross a road. Summer is also when storms become efficient rain-makers as hot air holds more moisture than cold air.

Can preparation help?

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency's Severe Weather Preparedness Guide suggests considering measures to floodproof your home. Though rainfall this past week was historic, some measures homeowners can take to prepare for heavy rains include checking gutters and downspouts for debris and that water is being directed away from the house's foundation.

In Edwardsville, residents can contact the city's public works department at 618-692-7535 if nearby storm sewers are clogged.

The city maintains most storm and sanitary sewers within its borders. The most basic principle of Illinois Drainage Law is that landowners are responsible for the drainage that occurs on their property and that landowners must accept surface water flowing naturally from higher ground.

Maintenance of ditches, streams, creeks, ponds or other bodies of water is typically the responsibility of the property owner. For those who choose to live near creeks, consider getting flood insurance if you have not already bought a policy as most homeowners' insurance does not cover flood losses. Even if you don't live next to a stream, such insurance could be handy in the event of a storm sewer backup in your basement or if you have a sump pump failure.

How you can help?

Within the first 24 hours of Tuesday's storm, 200 families across Illinois and Missouri had been assisted through the United Way of Greater St. Louis' 211 system. The organization also convened with partners to address the community needs and activated its Volunteer Center to mobilize individuals to support recovery efforts.

In addition, the United Ways Flood Relief Fund has been activated to support immediate and long-term recovery efforts as well as crisis response partners that are equipped and trained to respond in times of natural disaster.

According to an e-newsletter distributed Thursday by Michelle D. Tucker, president and CEO of United Way of Greater St. Louis, 100% of flood relief funds collected will be deployed in response to the crisis and in partnership with Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) and Long Term Recovery Committees (LTRC).

United Way accepts donations online to help those impacted by the crisis. Prospective donors can visit www.stlvolunteer.org/disaster or uwgsl.tfaforms.net. Those in need can also call 2-1-1 or 1-800-427-4626 if you or someone you know needs assistance.

Here are other ways you can help:

Salvation Army in E. St. Louis, 616 N. 16th St., 618-874-3136, samantha.jones@USC.Salvation Army.org

St. Clair County IL Corps, 20 Glory Place, Belleville, 618-235-7378, kenneth.jones@usc.salvationarmy.org

Belleville Family Store and Donation Center, 218 N. Illinois St., 618-233-7617, satruck_stlouis@usc.salvationarmy.org

St. Louis Area Foodbank, 70 Corporate Woods Drive, Bridgeton, MO, 314-292-6262 or mcooper@stlfoodbank.org

Heat Up/Cool Down St. Louis, c/o UMB Bank, P.O. Box 868, St. Louis, MO

American Red Cross, 10195 Corporate Square Drive, St. Louis, MO, 314-516-2800

American Red Cross, Belleville, Illinois, 2 Elm Drive, Belleville, 618-397-4600

Belleville Area Humane Society, 1301 S. 11th St., Belleville, 618-235-3712

Gateway Pet Guardians, 725 N. 15th St., East St. Louis, 618-687-8007

Helping Strays of Monroe County, 4221 Hanover Road, Columbia, Illinois, 618-687-7389
Statewide unemployment was up slightly in June, while Metro East unemployment rates showed a slight downward drop according to the latest figures from the Illinois Department of Employment Security and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

According to data released Thursday, statewide unemployment in June was up .2 percent to 4.7 percent. Last year statewide unemployment was at 5.7 percent.

Locally, the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent, down from 4.6 percent in May, in the St. Louis metropolitan statistical area which includes Bond, Calhoun, Clinton, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties.

There were no real surprises in the numbers, according to Tony Fuhrmann, director of Madison County Employment and Training.

Its pretty consistent to what we would see in the summer, he said. Madison County is 4.0 (percent unemployment), which is a pretty good number. Year-over-year, down a percent and a half.

In June 2019 there were 105,456 jobs in Madison County. That dropped to 97,140 in June 2020 when the countys unemployment rate was more than 13 percent, but it rebounded and, as of June 2022, there were 106,855 jobs.

Were feeling pretty good, Fuhrmann said, adding there were a lot of opportunities and jobs available in a number of job sectors. He pointed to the continuing need for more workers in transportation, warehousing and logistics, and he noted the new retail development in Glen Carbon.

Those types of businesses keep coming, and the need for workers in those types of industries keep coming too, Fuhrmann said.

He said employers are becoming more sophisticated, with even the hospitality industry seeing a need to worry about worker retention.

Business culture is coming up more in the last six months than I have heard in the last 20 years, he said. Employers are trying to be flexible.

Local unemployment rates range from 2.9 percent in Clinton and Monroe counties to 4.9 percent in St. Clair County. Madison County was down by almost one-half percent to 4 percent in June, from 4.4 percent in May. Jersey County stood at 3.7 percent, down .2 percent; Macoupin County was down .4 percent to 3.8 percent; Bond County was at 3.7 percent; and Calhoun County was at 4.1 percent, down .2 percent.

Greene County, which is part of another statistical region, was at 3.8 percent, down .5 percent from May.

State officials continued to emphasize the year-to-year drop.

We continue to be encouraged by the ongoing pandemic-related economic recovery in every corner of the state, said Deputy Gov. Andy Manar. IDES and its local workforce partners remain committed to providing training employment services for the unique Illinois workforce.

With the statewide unemployment rate at its lowest since the onset of the pandemic, the data released today is a further reflection of continued economic recovery and evidence of a strengthening Illinois labor market, Manar added. As continued claims volumes reach record lows, the Pritzker Administration and IDES, working with local partners, are committed to providing employment and training resources to ensure a competitive labor force while assisting employers in finding versatile workers.

Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Director Sylvia I. Garcia also touted the year-to-year improvements.

Illinois has made tremendous strides in the labor market, adding nearly 250,000 jobs over the past year and reaching the lowest unemployment rate since the onset of the pandemic, said DCEO Director Sylvia I. Garcia. Illinois remains laser-focused on supporting the states positive gains by expanding workforce training opportunities, attracting job creators and making resources available for priority industries, such as tourism and hospitality and small businesses.

Fuhrmann said the recent announcement that U.S. Steel was selling off part of its operation to SunCoke Energy Ltd. and closing large parts of its Granite City Works facility, costing about 1,000 jobs, is something they are thinking about. But because the closure will be at least two years before anything happens, there is little they can do right now.

Theres a lot of questions that need to be answered, he said, including the actual timing, and how many of those affected workers will be seeking different employment.

Two issues to be considered are the exact number of workers to be hired at SunCoke and how many workers will opt for retirement.

MCET offers services ranging from job postings and help with resumes or job searches, including funding for training in some fields.

For information about employment and workforce training opportunities, call 618-296-4301, visit the Madison County website at https://www.co.madison.il.us/ or visit the departments Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MCETD.
ELKO  Elko residents woke up to colorful hot air balloons filling the sky early Friday morning, announcing the beginning of the annual Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival.

About a dozen hot air balloons ascended from Elkos parks, floating gracefully above the tree street neighborhoods, bringing families out of their homes before 7 a.m. to wave at the pilots and passengers.

Those smiles and looks of awe from people of all ages motivate many balloon pilots and crews as they find ways to ascend to the skies as often as possible.

Freedom Flight Inc.Luke Cesnik arrived from Caldwell, Idaho, with his wife Pam and team to pilot Freedom Flight Inc.s balloon. It raises awareness about the more than 80,000 servicemen and women listed as Prisoners of War or Missing In Action in five American military conflicts, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Cold War and the Global War on Terror.

This is our 33rd year in operation, he said. We have four balloons; three are out of Minnesota, and the one I brought is out of Caldwell, Idaho.

Cesnik, who retired from the Air Force, said this was his third trip to the Festival, piloting the POW/MIA balloon in 2011 and 2012. He is one of seven volunteer pilots of four balloons who attend about 40 to 50 events each year.

Weve been in six different countries and 42 states and educating the people on what POW/MIA stands for, he said. Its amazing how many thirty-year-olds cannot tell us what it means.

In addition to launching and flying balloons, Cesnik and his team hand out hero cards that list POW/MIA statistics and balloon crew information. He said they used to call them trading cards until I was told by a two-star general these are not trading cards.

These are hero cards because we fly for the over 80,000 heroes that never came home but also for all their families that are still waiting, Cesnik said.

The Freedom Flights board of directors includes a retired two-star general, two retired full bird colonels and non-veterans. Weve been around for 33 years and still going strong.

Freedom Flight is a nonprofit organization that operates with all volunteers. All donations go directly to the POW/MIA awareness group.

A certified pilot with commercial, instrument and multi-engine licenses and flight instruction rating, Cesnik became a certified hot air balloon pilot in 1990.

Ive been flying airplanes for 54 years and balloons for 32 years, he said.

Cesnik said there are similarities and differences between flying fixed-wing airplanes and hot air balloons. However, ballooning is very basic, and ballooning is the safest form of aviation on the face of the Earth.

The Freedom Flight balloon educates communities about POWs and MIAs, along with aviation. Ballooning is a team sport that I think has a wonderful message for people flying regular balloons, but then, of course, ours [POW/MIA] is a special message.

Its the awareness of what we stand for, but its also to make people aware of flight and aviation, he said. I love getting young people involved, too.

Freedom Flight team members Cy and Sundee Hudson traveled from Banks, Oregon, to crew the hot air balloon at the Ruby Mountain festival. The couple has been crewing for 38 years, inspired as they grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and watched hot air balloons regularly take flight.

When I was a little kid, somebody launched his balloon from his lawn in his front yard, Cy Hudson said. I was 10. Ballooning has been big in Albuquerque for a long time.

Friday mornings flight was memorable for Cesnik as he watched his daughter Hannah Hensley become engaged when her boyfriend, Rick Charshafian, proposed during their flight above Elko.

It was like a dream, Hensley said of the proposal.

I loved it, Charshafian said of the experience. Its very peaceful up there.

John Puppo  Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival safety officer

Hot air balloon enthusiast John Puppo of Reno has attended the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival six times as a crew member and became a safety officer for the first time this year.

A friend of mine had a balloon, and I wanted to find out more about it, so he finally invited me out. I got hooked. It was fun, Puppo said.

Hes traveled to Elko, Lovelock, Winnemucca and Albuquerque and makes trips to hot air balloon events about five or six times a year. Puppo also crews most weekends for somebody. I do it fairly often. Its either that or sitting in front of my computer.

In addition to getting out of the house, Puppo said hot air ballooning has helped him make new friends.

Pilots and enthusiasts talk about their own experiences flying  the close calls theyve had and the fun flights theyve had. Ive learned something about how to fly a balloon, even though I dont fly one. Ive learned what to watch for if Im crewing or chasing a balloon. I learn something every time.

Watching peoples reactions to a hot air balloon is another plus to attending events. Especially kids, if its their first time seeing a balloon. Or even adults if its their first time being in a balloon.

Its fun being able to be part of giving them that experience, Puppo said.

Karalyn Mumm  Balloon Meister, and Will and Thomas Vavra

Hot air ballooning is a family event in Karalyn Mumms home. She is a pilot and owner of Citrus in the Sky, along with her sons Will Vavra, who pilots the Dont Tell Mom balloon and Thomas Vavra, the crew chief for both balloons.

The family traveled from Reno for the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival and serves as balloon meister for the 2022 event.

Mumm said she and her family attended Reno events and soon began volunteering as a crew member. I just fell in love with ballooning and crewing and decided I wanted to become a pilot.

Her children have attended hot air balloon camps, where she also served as a volunteer. Starting in 2014, Mumm obtained a student balloon pilot certificate and bought a balloon the following year. She became a private pilot and then a commercial pilot.

Hot air balloons make people smile, Mumm said. Flying in the sky is amazing, but what is cool is that for every person we put in the sky, there are hundreds of people that can see us from down below.

We can make smiles, and we dont even fully know it, she continued. We are literally there to make people smile. Its the fun, the passion and the family atmosphere. Thats what keeps me around, and thats what got me started.

Will Vavra, 18, began working on his pilot certification four years ago. Two years later, he received his private certificate and, in June, obtained his commercial certificate.

Theres nothing like flying with your family, Mumm said. It gives me a chance to take my kids around, see the country, and have a summer trip with them.

Thomas Vavra, 16, said that although it can be unbearably early to fly, hot air ballooning is fun and allows him to travel and meet new people.

I get to connect with kids and teach them about balloons. Thomas said. The look of awe on some kids faces when they learn how to set up balloons, or they hit the burner and see and feel the control in making the fire. Their awe in doing that is cool to see.

Will Varva said he has attended multiple hot air balloon camps but learned the most from balloon pilots sitting around and talking to those selected to come to the camps.

Will added that he hopes to become a hot air balloon instructor one day. I love flying. I dont know what exactly made me want to fly, but Ive wanted to be a pilot since I got into it.

Where I get my excitement in ballooning is [when Im] flying over a house and watching a kid running out into the front yard. Seeing the awe and wonderment in those kids eyes. Thats why I love to fly, Will Vavra said.

Mumm encouraged the public to see the balloons and, if they land in a neighborhood, to walk over and visit.

Our balloons weigh as much as a car. Cautiously approach us, but theres nothing we like more than to tell people about our balloon, she said. Come out and crew. Its the best way to understand the awesomeness of our aircraft.

Mumm thanked all the sponsors of the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival, including Safety First Training and Consulting, Shabonya Dutton State Farm, Family Dental Care, Coldwell Banker Excel Realty, Ignite Life Chiropractic, Great Basin Beverage, Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital, The Klub Bar and Grill, Spring Creek Association, The City of Elko, Elko County Recreation Board and the Elko Convention and Visitors Authority.
Singing sensation, Arjun Kanungo is all set to tie the knot with long-time fiance, Carla Dennis this August. The wedding is believed to take place as per Hindu traditions, where Carla will pair her bridal outfit with her mother-in-laws jewellery.

Arjun says, Carla understands Indian weddings and has, in fact, taken over the prep completely. She picked the venues and hired a wedding planner. She also selected my outfits for the wedding."

Arjun and Carla also plan to hold a white wedding next year.

Arjun shares, We will be hosting this in April 2023 in the UK. This is for Carla and her near and dear ones.

I never thought I would ever get married. Carla changed my life. Shes the reason we are in a successful relationship and are getting married. She never pushed me to get married. Although I knew that she wanted to get married, she had given up as she knew my thoughts. She was okay not getting married as long as we were together and happy. Seeing that Carla was willing to adjust, I thought that if she was willing to compromise for me, why was I being so stubborn?

Right after the August wedding, the couple will take off for their honeymoon. The destination they have picked has an emotional connect. He shares, We are planning to go to Japan. It has a special place in our hearts. I remember after three years of being together, our relationship had hit choppy waters. I was going to Japan for work and asked Carla to join me. During our stay there, we fell in love with each other again. Had not Carla joined me in Japan, maybe we would have broken up. Thats the reason we want to go there for our honeymoon. "
It is not an exaggeration to say that not few Ndigbo today live in a culture where they are highly focused on the next best modern products, services and ideas. We focus on the next best item of sophistication to buy. Our lives are always looking to the next thing from Europe and America. When someone upsets us, or they no longer fulfill our happiness, we walk away, looking for our next modern way of relaxation. Our souls rarely settle, as our lives are planned, priced out, and seeking perfection from modern and technological perspectives. Sadly, we do not even notice the aching question behind our search for the next best item of modernity to the detriment of Omenala Ndigbo.

However, as luck would have it, Alaigbo is richly blessed with highly educated men and women who can in this context be called curators of Omenala Ndigbo so much that by virtue of their deep seated interest in everything Igbo, it would be impossible for Igbo culture and tradition to go into extinction. Just to mention few of such egg headed personalities in this context, for the sake of clarityare Prof Ike Oluka, the National Chairman of Nzuko OzoNdigbo and Prof. Agu Gab Agu, who is an Ozo title holder in Ngwo community of Enugu state, an eminent Law teacher at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).

Without any scintilla of exaggeration, permit me to say that my view about the extant nature of Omenala Ndigbo was formed when, in the course of news gathering as a Journalist, I travelled to Anambra State early this year to cover the celebration of the 1023rd Igu Aro Ndi Igbo at NriKingdom in Anaocha Local Government Area of the State,and at the event, I witnessed how people that have both national and international reputations in various fields of endeavor exhibited collective passionate interest towards the sustenance of Omenala Ndigbo. Truly, I was impressed, and highly inspired to be proud of being an Igbo woman.

To recall the degree of importance attached to the event, it was partly sponsored by Nigerian Breweries PLC, MTN Nigeria and Milani Cosmetics Nigeria. It was a carnival of sorts.

Gainfully enough, I personally considered the event to be an added advantage to my journalism career as it offered me the opportunity of engaging Prof. Ike Oluka in a media parley; on the sideline of the event.

The professor, who arguably came across as a connoisseur of Omenala Ndigbo interactively walked me through everything about Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo particularly as the political and socio-cultural body was at the time marking its ten years anniversary. To aptly put it, he no doubt displayed an encyclopedic knowledge of the body to the admiration of yours sincerely.

On what the Ozo traditional Institution is all about, Olukasaid, The Ozo Traditional Institution is the original and major pillar of Igbo authenticity. It possesses genuinely original philosophical foundations for sustainable political and socio-cultural existence of Ndi-Igbo.

On the characteristics of an Ozo title holder, he explained that virtues that are expected from an Ozo cut across truthfulness and even-handedness in the conduct of personal and public affairs, demonstration of strength of character, leadership and reliability in inter personal relationship; maintenance of peace between self, God and Ancestors; having capacity for good judgment and demonstrable honesty in the process of gradual acquisition of wealth; Upholding of the Ofo and abhorrence of crime and evil particularly acts of theft and treachery, etc.

As the time of parleying with him coincided with the 10thAnniversary of the traditional institution, he said in reaction to the question on how he felt about Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, thus: The institution is an association of Ozo title holders in Nigeria. As part of our activities to mark our 10 years Anniversary, Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, happily welcomes new members to its fold. To qualify to be a member, a prospective new member must have been a fully ordained Ozo title holder from a recognized community in Igbo land. Individual and group memberships are allowed. Such an individual or group of Ozo title holders shall be verified and confirmed by an Area/State Coordinator of the Nzuko OzoNdi Igbo.

On the aims and objectives of Nzuko Ozo Ndi Igbo, the erudite professor said it aims at repositioning the Ozotraditional institution for relevance, responsibility andfunctionality across Igboland, to bring up and unify the OZO system and equivalent institutions in each of the communities in Igbo land, to identify the good attributes/qualities of a good Ozo, inculcate and propagate such qualities among our people, with a view to develop new generation of Ndi Igbo with strong and enviable characters to positively change the value systems and the world view of Ndi Igbo and to document and provide the intellectual base and future direction of the Ozo institution in the scheme of things in Igboland. Other aims and objectives are to generally engage in activities and practices necessary to promote Igbo culture and unity, and to socialize, promote love and good brotherhood among members as well as good citizenship in Igboland and Nigeria.

At the parley, he said Interested Ozo title holders, who may like to grow beyond the local confinement of his village Ozo system are hereby invited to join Nzuko OzoNdi Igbo, and that for further details, those who feel they are qualified should contact him.
There is seldom any argument that will deny the fact that security situation in Nigeria is getting worse by the day. The level of insecurity in the country is such that nobody is safe anymore. Everybody is now a potential victim of abduction and or murder or both, depending on the dispositions of those wielding the instruments of fear. Those hitherto ensconced in safety are no longer free to move about unless they must do so under protection of armed security guards which in itself is not failsafe.

The parlous state of affair is not any better in the Southeast zone of the country where Monday-sit-at-home order compounds the already precarious situation and deepens the pains of the silent majority whose survival rests squarely on daily toil. The hardship brought on the people is such that many are finding it difficult to feed with the collapse of small businesses.

Impunity reigns supreme as pockets of suzerainties are created by feudal lords who issue and enforce orders at will. Idolatry with a penumbra of other things like witchcraft and sorcery previously held in derision begin to creep back into the society with shocking embrace.

The toll on the economy of the zone becomes too heavy, especially of a state like Anambra with predominant business community as its revenue profile begins to wear thin. Government barely functions at the optimum as public ownership suffers vandalization and arson. Funds get frittered away sometimes in placation of the enemy and at other time as a ransom and or via illegal tax collections. Sadly, these monies are not given out on a platter, but are forced out of the people by inflicting maximum fear, evident in hacking to death or abducting and ransoming them.

Aware the deck was stacked against his government, but certain of his ability to steer the course of ridding Anambra of criminal elements, Governor Soludo applies a number of measures to retake the state. He often tells ndi Anambra that the challenge of leading the state is enormous, but that he applied for the job.

First, he created a new Ministry of Homeland Affairs purposely for homeland security. Two he empanelled a cohesive operational team of security forces, charged with isolating real criminals, their accomplices, abodes and supply lines.

However, before moving into action people were consulted and sensitized. Almost everybody, including critical stakeholders, security agencies, the clergy, traditional rulers, town unions, businessmen, civil society groups, women, youths, etc was involved.

Efforts were made to isolate conscientious agitators from criminal elements who hide under the guise of Biafran agitation to commit crime. Amnesty was offered to those willing to turn a new leaf. The Independent People Of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was visited by the Governor in detention to identify with him and clarify issues. The Monday-sit-at-home order was revisited and the IPOB leader reiterated his commitment to peace in Igbo land. Before this time, suspension of the order was subject of heated debate among so many claiming directive from the detained IPOB leader.

With almost every segment of the society duly consulted, including Southeast bishops who were earlier approached to organize prayers, the battle began in earnest. The Security team was enhanced with operational capabilities and duly complemented by a newly formed Anambra State Vigilante Central Strike Force to comb the forest areas and dominate the homeland space.

Seven Local Council Areas in Anambra South Senatorial District, including Ogbaru were isolated as flashpoints and declared an emergency zone with certain restrictions in force. As the battle was taken to the criminals in their lairs, a good number of them were taken out while many more were forced to flee the state. Twenty-four hour surveillance was put in place in the entire state while strike forces were stationed in few areas considered critical points and major arteries of escape by the hoodlums.

Massive clear-out of the criminal abodes around the state was routinely carried out to flush out the occupiers and their coadjutors in crime. It was in the course of smoking the criminals out that it was discovered there is a nexus between crime, idolatry and hard drugs. Accordingly, special intelligence-gathering scheme was introduced to augment the existing one in unraveling the degree of connection. A generous monetary reward was announced as compensation for anybody willing to squeal on crime and criminals. Government went further to list herbal medicine practitioners in the state as a way of keeping tab on their activities. It may not be public knowledge, but it is believed that most of the gruesome murders so far committed in the state were encouraged by activities some of these herbal medicine practitioners.

Today, the security situation in the state has improved tremendously with many of the hoodlums either dead or out of circulation. Communities and forests previously infested by the wastes of space have been cleared and kept inviolate through routine check by security operatives. The Monday-sit-at-home order is now observed in part mostly out of fear since the lucrative criminal enterprise that kept it in force has long been busted.

Anambra is relatively peaceful now though not without occasional incidents here and there. But a one-off incident, coming on the heels of almost a diurnal occurrence, does not qualify any state as unsafe. It would doubtless have been said that security is not an absence of crime, but the ability to bring it under control. And unless there is a relapse to the point of muffing the entire process, which is unlikely, an end has come for the frequent killings and hacking of innocent people in the state.

It is not likely that everybody will appreciate the gradual return of security in the state as an achievement worthy of commendation. This is especially so if, from the perspective of a pedestrian observer, performance is all about brick and mortar. No doubt, the feeling of insecurity still exists among the people which compels the obvious deliberateness in social life, but that is expected. It will take a little time more for the people to forget past fears. But assuredly Anambra is on the exit door of insecurity and the coming months will give value to this fact.

Ejike Anyaduba writes from Abatete


Northern Christian members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday held a summit where they formally rejected the partys Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket for the 2023 election.

According to them, the ticket goes against all the principles of equity, fairness and justice.

A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal restated his objection to the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to run with a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in the 2023 general election.

He said Christians, including members of the APC, will use their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs) and prayers to resist the partys plan ahead of the polls.

Similarly, his stance was echoed by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.

The duo, who are Christian political leaders from the Northern part of the country, spoke at an APC Northern Christian Leaders Summit in Abuja on Friday.

It could be recalls that Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate, picked Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno whos also a Muslim, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.

The development elicited outrage from key stakeholders, particularly the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).

In his speech, Mr Lawal said the APCs Muslim-Muslim ticket is proof of its anti-Christian agenda and that the party has completely eliminated northern Christians from its National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC).

The Muslim-Muslim ticket, he said, has been a long-term political strategy and not a one-off decision.

Thus, all this talk of competence as the reason for the choice of the Muslim VP is balderdash and diversionary. This is a calculated anti-Christian exclusion agenda that is being implemented.

He wondered why the APC is quiet on the opposition of some members and why the party hired fake Bishops to further embarrass the church.

Christians all over the country see this ticket as a deliberate and premeditated attempt to introduce and firmly entrench religion into the politics of the country, which could lead to further disharmony, he said.

This is truly a wake-up call for all Nigerian Christians. We didnt start this religious politics; APC and its candidates did; so, all of us should take note and act as appropriate.

So, our dear APC colleagues, spare us these sanctimonious lectures on competence and the cliche religion of the candidates does not matter. The truth is that the 2023 presidential election will be all about religion, and sadly, you started it; religion does matter in this context so be ready for the consequences, he said.

Mr Dogara, who was the guest speaker at the event, said Mr Tinubu has made a fatal error in choosing a running mate.

The move, he said, is a rude awakening that happened sooner than later.

He lamented unhelpful framings of a debate by pundits that posit that Christians in the North are so small in number that their votes dont count.

This strange argument, he said, seeks to reinforce the satanic agenda of dividing the church in Nigeria into North and South.

The lawmaker further said the Muslim/Muslim ticket is a bad decision because it fuels inequality and breeds division which is counter-productive to the collective aspirations for a united and prosperous nation.

He knocked the APC leaders for their inability to distinguish the Nigeria of 1993 from 2022.
In any society of the world, language has been regarded as one of the vital connections that link humans. It acts as a channel through which ideas, thoughts, and feelings are shared among human. Most especially, language makes the world a global place to live in peace without being barbaric. This is why an African proverb asserted that the limit of peoples language limits their view of the world. Today, the entire world is now considered a global community, where no country can sustain in isolation without international relations. This explains why, in spite of the difference in races and cultures, every nation still tends to engage in foreign trade and global interactions. Meanwhile, the socio-economic interdependence and global alliances have necessitated the need to engage and communicate in a common language, usually a foreign language, especially in a multilingual nation like Nigeria. Therefore, the knowledge of foreign languages has become highly important in Nigeria and across nations that are known as the Third world Countries.

The term foreign language can be referred to as a second tongue of communication which is not typically spoken by natives of a specific society. According to Gbollie and Gong (2013), it is an unofficial language that has no general usage of interaction in one country, whereas indigenous to another. Globally, there are over 7,151 languages according to ethnologue. While languages are going into extinction, some other languages are growing their tentacles. However, other than English, the awareness of other foreign tongues in Nigeria is at barest minimum (Ozdemir, 2015). Prominent among the existing foreign languages in Nigeria are English, French, Portuguese as well as various Nigerian languages. Meanwhile, learning and mastering two or more of these international languages is extremely beneficial to the growth and integration of Nigeria as a country and Nigerians as individuals who seek global exposure, sophistication, integration and and business connections. However, Portuguese would be classified as a foreign language in Nigeria because it is not the first language, second language or major language in Nigeria. Portuguese history in Nigeria can be traced down to colonization and slavery.

One of the fundamental benefits of learning a foreign language such as Portuguese in Nigeria is that it helps to eliminate language barriers and misconceptions between Nigeria and other lusophone nations in foreign alliance or foreign trade. Olakunle and Oladunni (2017) opined that as individual mobility and relationships extend beyond borders, there is a rising need to promote the acquisition of foreign language knowledge as a bid to embrace globalization, promote international participation, enhance employment opportunities, and strengthen sociable ties with other nations across the world.

In addition, an American educator, June K. Philips, also affirmed that learning foreign language is a vital connection in the interdependent relationships of the next century. By learning a foreign language, it broadens one's perspectives of the world by opening their minds and exposing their experiences to other ways of life, because language deals with other aspects of the people's lives (culture, customs, religions and other ways). Without a shadow of a doubt, this can promote global unity and peace as it makes people better understand and tolerate other people across the world. Therefore, learning a foreign language is important and should be part of basic education, which, if adequately encouraged has the potential to liberate many Nigerians from confinement and narrowness in their ideology and imagination about the world.

I have researched and found out that a well learnt and mastered language will always be the property of the learner and would always serve their communicative and interpersonal purposes for as long as they live.

I wish to conclude this piece by stating affirmatively that the world of today is rapidly globalizing, and only individuals with knowledge of one or more foreign languages can successfully integrate themselves in the trend which is known as migration. A Student of Portuguese Language in Nigeria can always migrate to the Portuguese colony without having a barrier in the language of the people. Learning of foreign languages is important and relevant because it aids international cooperation, negotiation and compromise. It also fosters world trade among different countries which belong to different language family. By mastering a foreign language, individuals can obtain a greater understanding of foreign cultures and perspectives of reasoning. Therefore, only a persons who master foreign languages can bridge the gap between cultures and contribute significantly to international diplomacy and world peace and security. The cultures of the people differ a lot. But the understanding of one another's languages create a bridge that allows the translation of culture from one language to another. The bridging of culture with languages gives room for syncretism. A perfect example in Nigeria is Afro-Brazileiro which is also in Brazil. Afro-Brazileiro is the amalgamation of the African culture and Brazil culture. There are African descendants in Brazil till today. They preserve the language and culture of the Africans till date.

Foreign language reduces the rate of racism among people, forgetting about color or race. A Portuguese will always embrace an African that can speak Portuguese language because he will be seen as a brother. Language serves as a means of uniform or identity among people.

Oluwaseyi Moyejoh is a graduate of English Portuguese and writes from Lagos Nigeria through:

[email protected] 07041990434


The pains of Nigerians in many ways are principally due to poor governance, but the Buhari administration cannot be completely blamed alone, and the media itself, although it has its struggles with some shady and unprincipled ways, is needed in society as it helps to normalize the government, especially in times like this in Nigeria.

Lets face it; the abnormal and confused ways of the Buhari regime, which are mixed with toxic religious, sickly ethnic, and irregular institutional practices, make administering the nation difficult.

The press, or the media, especially those with an appetite for truth and boldness in an up and down way, have been the target of the presidents extraordinary fury.

The presidential men and women, especially the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, are sometimes seen to be dripping with anger and threats, especially to the media. Nigerians do not want to get to that stage when they begin to see President Muhammadu Buhari or Mohammed like former U.S president Donald Trump, with his type of thinking that the media are the "enemy of the people.

Buhari every so often feels embarrassed and humiliated, and the likes of Mohammed would like some media outlets to keep their mouths shut sometimes. At all times, the media must aim to be free enough to provide penetrating and investigative reports even if the government screams and gets bitter over it.

Whether the Buhari regime likes it or not, the government is supposed to be accountable to the people through the media, so threatening to deal with the media is telling the Nigerian public to expect punishment for asking the government, locally and nationally, to do right.

The media needs to be valued as they are there to do the listening and ask for good governance and government accountability.

The world and Nigerians watched as they heard Mohammed vow to punish the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Nigerian Daily Trust over what it described as the improper airing of different documentaries that overvalued terrorism and could fuel terrorism in Nigeria. What a nefarious and dangerous statement against democracy from Mohammed.

The Buhari regime is upset about the documentary by the BBC, Africa Eye, where interviews were granted to bandit warlords and terror gangs, thereby promoting terror in the country.

I sometimes wonder why Nigeria acts as a place of governmental extremism from one regime with aberrated, atypical, and peculiar leadership styles.

Mohammed, however, noted that the industry regulator, the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, will take appropriate action and ridicule the BBC for not upholding the same standards and tenets as they would have done in the UK, and condemned the action of the Daily Trust for performing below expectations.

Mohammed said, "They are looking at which part of the Broadcasting Code has been violated by both the BBC and the Daily Trust and I can assure you that there will be consequences.

A Nigerian Islamic scholar, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, reminded the Buhari regime that it is offensive for the Federal Government to threaten to sanction media outlets for their coverage of the lingering insecurity in the country.

It is unprecedented that in this age of global democracy, the Buhari regime, the current pilot of the Nigerian government, will not know the benefit of journalists who, in their risky interviews with terror groups, can come up with a trail of potential evidence and warnings from terrorists that will help the government prepare better and stay alert.

Here is a little history. ABC reporter John Miller recounts his May 1998 hour-long interview with Osama Bin Laden at his mountaintop camp in southern Afghanistan. An interview with the "Nightline" host Ted Koppel recounts his May 1998 hour-long interview with Osama Bin Laden. This interview was shown on "Nightline" by host Ted Koppel during a TV broadcast to millions of Americans.

Robert Fisk is the first British and western journalist to interview Osama bin Laden. Fisk told bin Laden in one of his interviews, "I am a journalist [whose] task is to tell the truth."

The Buhari regime must learn as Fisk said that journalism must "challenge authority, all authority, especially so when governments and politicians take us to war"... Journalism is really about monitoring power and the centers of power.

The Buhari regime must ensure a journalist is supposedly deemed to be generally non-aligned and take nobody's side. He or she must not take sides with the government but the people through fearless, engaging, and candid exposures of the high and mighty. The government must be right with the truth with the people.

The Buhari government should know by now that censorship will always backfire because it is a violation of the right to free expression. No matter what the Buhari regime sees as morality in a secular society, any systemic forms of information control will not only backfire but provoke outrage and anger at any form of censorship.

Instead of attempting to control and terrify the media, the Buhari regime should address increasing poverty, infrastructure shortages, and climate change, and stop taking an authoritarian and antidemocratic stance on the media. Buhari is, to an extent, blaming the media for these ongoing failings as the bearer of bad news. Here are some puzzles: is it the media that attacked the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja and released 100s of inmates, including Boko Haram suspects; is it the media that threatened to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari, is it the media that attacked and killed soldiers from the elite Guards Brigade guarding Abuja, the presidential seat of government; or is it the media that caused Nigeria's Kaduna train attack? Did the media cause gunmen to attack the presidential advance team to Katsina before the last Sallah holidays? It is the media that made a cross section of senators call for Buhari to face impeachment, as they staged a walkout protest, singing "Buhari must go".

Did the media cause gunmen to attack the presidential advance team to Katsina before the last Sallah holidays? It is the media that made a cross section of senators call for Buhari to face impeachment, as they staged a walkout protest, singing "Buhari must go".

Is it the media that causes terrorists to roam freely in the north-west, maiming and killing, causing criminal herders and kidnappers to continue to kill the police and Nigerians? Nowhere in Nigeria has the media advised Buhari to aggressively fan the flames of ethnic and religious bigotry, a subtle psychological factor that contributes to security challenges.

At no point did the media cause the poor state of the power grid, water shortages, or poor roads, all of which contribute to a hostile environment and insecurity.

But again, Nigeria cannot put all its decades of problems on the Buhari government and the likes of Buhari and Mohammed. Instead of engaging in social and psychological combat with the media, he and his allies in the regime need the understanding of the media message in the domain of security and defense, as the media is the main instrument that contributes to the building process of the security space inside society.

How does being hostile to the media by the Buhari regime encourage reporters and the press who, through their daring and risky interviews, might be able to gain some information, educate the people, share information on the government's counter-terrorism strategy, and educate people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism?

We need the media to use credibility to keep contributing effectively to the transmission of messages in order to promote national security interests. We need the medias message that increases the identification effect, ensures that citizens are responsible, serves as a point of information or checkpoint by ensuring that government officials uphold their oaths of office and carry out the wishes of the people.

"The freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty and can never be restrained but by a despotic government." George Mason

John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State in Nigeria to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American based Police/Prison Scientist and Forensic/Clinical/Legal Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical adult and child psychological services in the USA; Chief Educator and Clinician at the Transatlantic Enrichment and Refresher Institute, an Online Lifelong Center for Personal, Professional, and Career Development. He is a former Interim Associate Dean/Assistant Professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings In 2011, he introduced State-of-the-Art Forensic Psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. He is currently a Virtual Behavioral Leadership Professor at ISCOM University, Republic of Benin. Founder of the proposed Transatlantic Egbeazien Open University (TEU) of Values and Ethics, a digital project of Truth, Ethics, and Openness. Over forty academic publications and creations, at least 200 public opinion pieces on African issues, and various books have been written by him. He specializes in psycho-prescriptive writings regarding African institutional and governance issues.

Prof. Oshodi wrote in via [email protected]
Vietnamese students at the competition (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

Accordingly, the two gold medals were awarded to Bui Cong Minh, a student from Hanois Nguyen Tat Thanh High School, and Nguyen Duy Phong from Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST), reported the Vietnam News Agency.

The silver and bronze medals went to Nguyen Trong Khai from the Hanoi University of Science and Technology and Dao Ngoc Tung Chi from Hanoi Foreign Trade University.

Vietnam ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in average height

Vietnamese are the fourth tallest people in Southeast Asia, only after Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, thanks to improvements in maternal and child nutrition, heard a workshop held by the Ministry of Health in Hanoi.

Dr. Tran Dang Khoa, Deputy Director of the ministrys Department of Maternal and Child Health, said the average height for women and men rose by 3.3 and 5.8 centimeters during the 2000-2020 period to reach 155.6 centimeters and 168.1 centimeters, respectively.

Photo for illustration (Source: VNA)

Vietnamese are still getting taller over the past two decades but not as fast as others in Asia, he noted.

According to the official, maternal and child health care in Vietnam has seen many positive changes, but there remains a disparity between regions and among ethnic groups.

According to Vietnam News Agency, the Deputy Director noted that the rate of pregnant women receiving antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy surpassed 80%. The rate of women giving birth supported by medical staff stood at 95 - 97%, and around 80% receive postpartum care in the first week.

However, the maternal mortality rate in the Mong ethnic group is 7-8 times higher than that of their Kinh and Tay sisters, and the mortality rate of infants aged under 1 in rural areas is twice as high as in urban areas.

In addition, neonatal mortality is still high, accounting for 70-80% of deaths among under-1-year-old infants.

The rate of stunting among ethnic minority children (31.4%) is two times higher than that of children of the Kinh ethnic group (15%).

Explaining reasons for these problems, Khoa said that the first is the lack of human resources, especially specialists in obstetrics, paediatrics, anesthesiology and resuscitation.

The second is the lack of medical facilities and equipment, he stated, adding that in disadvantaged areas, the capacity of medical staff in obstetric and neonatal emergencies, in stages such as screening, diagnosis, and prognosis and treatment, is limited.

Vietnam reaches 764 million USD in trade surplus in 7 months

Vietnam enjoyed a trade surplus of 764 million USD in the first seven months of 2022, the General Statistics Office (GSO) reported on July 29.

The countrys export-import turnover in Jan.  July reached an estimated 431.94 billion USD, up 14.8% year-on-year, the office said.

According to GSO, the country earned 216.35 billion USD from exports, while spending 215.59 billion USD on buying goods from abroad, representing year-on-year increases of 16.1% and 13.6%, respectively.

Vietnam reaches 764 million USD in trade surplus in 7 months (Photo: VNA)

In the period, there were 30 export commodities recording over-1-billion USD turnover, accounting for 91.9% of the total export value, said the Vietnam News Agency.

The US remained the biggest importer of Vietnamese commodities in the last seven months, with an estimated value of 67.1 billion USD.

Meanwhile, Vietnam imported the most from China with an estimated value of 72.6 billion USD.

Notably, Vietnam posted a trade surplus of 18.7 billion USD with the EU in January-July, 41.5 percent higher than that of the same period last year, but a trade deficit of over 42.2 billion USD with China, 23.5 billion USD with the Republic of Korea and 7.9 billion USD with ASEAN.

Russian bank launches money transfers to Vietnam in dong

VTB Bank, a Russian majority state-owned bank servicing the countrys foreign trade operations, launched money transfers to Vietnam in Vietnamese dong from July 27.

The new service allows customers to send money abroad using bank details during the day. The service is available to individuals and legal entities, according to the bank's message, said the Vietnam News Agency.

VTB Bank (Photo: AFP)

Customers are able to use the VTB Online money transfer service. The maximum amount of one transaction is 20 million rubles (US$330,715), but not more than 1 million in USD equivalent per month, and the commission is 1% of the transfered amount.

Funds are credited to the recipient's account in Vietnam during the day. Cross-border transfers are available both for the benefit of individuals and legal entities in compliance with the requirements of currency legislation.

Earlier, VTB launched money transfers to neighbouring countries  Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Vietnam offers retirees comfortable lifestyle, lower living cost: US magazine

Vietnam is a very affordable place to retire, especially for adventurous retirees who appreciate the country's beaches, scenery, food, history, and culture, said a recent article on the website of US based Travel+Leisure magazine.

The author assessed that overall cost of living in Vietnam is about 49% lower than in the US, and rents are about 75% lower, depending on the location, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

International tourists in Phu Quoc night market in Kien Giang province (Photo: VNA)

In Ho Chi Minh City, home to the largest expat community in the Southeast Asian nation according to International Living magazine, the cost is 62% lower than in New York, and housing is about 83% lower.

Per the article, high-quality health care is also very affordable, with both public and private systems. Most expats carry international health insurance and take advantage of private hospitals.

Vietnam is among the eight countries recommended by the author, as they offer retirees an opportunity to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle and lower cost of living. The remaining nations in the list include Panama, Mexico, Ecuador, and Costa Rica./.
The former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal and the former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara on Saturday had a closed door meeting with Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike.

The meeting which was held at Wikes country home in Rumueprikom, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, was unconnected with nation's politics ahead of 2023.

While speaking with journalists after the meeting, Dogara said their visit was in their quest and search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria.

Everyone agrees with us that Governor Wike is one of those indispensable political leaders. For us, it is a search to build an all-inclusive Nigeria.

So, we feel that as part of the agenda setting, we should meet with him and that is the reason why we are here. And for the rest, whatever it is, maybe in the future we can discuss that, he said.

Similarly, Lawal explained that their mission was a brotherly visit to the governor of Rivers State.

We came to visit our brother. He (Wike) is our brother. So, every now and then, the Bible enjoins you to visit one another. That is what we just did, he said.

Lawal said the interaction with the Rivers State governor had no connection to the meeting of some northern leaders held in Abuja on Friday.

No, there are many things that in the world for which you need to visit a brother, so it has nothing to do with our meeting in Abuja, he said.
It is true former President Goodluck Jonathan's performance in office was poor, objectively speaking, but his laissez-faire approach, and remarkable policy of not spilling blood of either his rivals for power, or the peasantry for their ancestral lands, meant that Nigeria grew in leaps and bounds, under his Administration, albeit unequally.

President Muhammadu Buhari has been worse than horrible. He has ruined and destroyed everything in sight. His greatest crime against Nigerians however is his determination to resettle his Fulani ethnicity on other ethnicities ancestral lands. Creating a permanent, irrevocable, Fulani overlordship in Nigeria, that, is the sum and totality of his perfidious mission in Government. Nothing more, nothing less.

Now what amazes I and I profoundly is the amount of latitude he has enjoyed and continues to enjoy from a large segment of Nigerians, including otherwise educated and intelligent people.

People who shouted on the rooftops and cried to lungs-bursting point over Jonathan's non-performance, suddenly became mute, subdued, and acquiescent in the face of Buhari's worse than perfidious performance.

The Fulani quietude at best, or conniving, and active support for Buhari at worst, is understandable, even if tragic. Afterall, it is to, and supposedly, for their ultimate benefit that Buhari is mal performing.

The connivance of misinformed and misguided, non-ethnic Fulani is something else altogether. It is a pointer to the very dark, self-harming, downright suicidal tendencies of certain segments of the Nigerian populace.

This mentally damaged segment of Nigeria's elite population ostensibly seek a better society, but it is not a better society for all.

They do not care about equality or equal opportunity. What they really care about is to see their perceived tribal enemies, read the Igbo, situated beneath them, regardless of how far below, they unjustifiably find themselves on the national totem pole.

All that said and decried, given the scope of their stupendous failures, and the deliberate, systematic, manner their violent mischief was perpetrated on Nigeria and Nigerians, it would be a crime against society, if this Maladministration is not impeached and booted out of office, even if only on the eve of their final day of disengagement from office.

For performing much worse than the Jonathan Administration, the Buhari Maladministration deserves a far more severe constitutional rebuke, than merely losing an election, which is now impossible, or peacefully concluding their 8-year tenure, which is totally undeserved.

If that rebuke is not forthcoming for ethnic or religious reasons, then Nigerians would have ipso facto confirmed that there are different strokes for different people. This is short term for saying, Nigeria is one contraption with altogether different nations, treated unequally.

For those misguided Nigerians who see nothing wrong in replacing one mal-performing President of Fulani extraction from the APC, by electing another President of Fulani extraction, from either the PDP or the NNDP, I and I ask but one question.

Before posing that question, I and I must confess that I once belonged to that category of people who see beyond ethnicity, concentrating solely on merit. But the Buhari Maladministrations disastrous tenure has destroyed all that.

Within eight years of promoting everything Fulani as President of Nigeria, while totally neglecting merit, simply because he is Fulani, even to the point of trying to capture other ethnicities ancestral lands for the Fulani, Muhammadu Buhari has set Nigeria back by at least two generations.

Now what I and I champions is simultaneous satisfaction of the demands of merit and diversity in all things. Until Nigeria recovers from the Buhari nightmare, merit plus diversity, is the path to tread.

The simple question I and I want to pose to all Nigerians, which demands serious, honest, soul-searching, is this.

Hypothetically given a current 8-year tenure Southeast Igbo Presidency, will they be as willing to replace such an Igbo Presidency, even a highly performing one, at the end of their maximum tenure, with another President of Igbo extraction, say from the South-South geopolitical region, under similar circumstances?

Will they be willing to replace such an Igbo President even with a non-Igbo from Southern Nigeria? The short answer to this simple question is NO.

Why then should there be different strokes for different folks, except only in one Contraption with different nations?

If that is indeed truly the case, that Nigeria is merely one Contraption, with different nations, what is the rationale and justification, except malicious perfidy, for trying to nationalize all the waterways in that one Contraption, with already confirmed different nations?

This is a very weighty question, demanding an honest, serious answer.

Waterways or Land Resources nationalization is one crime too many, from which one Contraption with different nations, will never recover. Dont even go near it.

We are watching.......

Anthony Chuka Konwea, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE, MNSE, FNIStructE, MNICE.
Firearms seized in Chalong, Rawai drug raids

PHUKET: Two illegal firearms were seized and five suspects arrested in two separate drug raids carried out by Phuket Provincial Police in Chalong and Rawai yesterday (July 29).

crimedrugspolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Saturday 30 July 2022, 09:45AM

Phuket Provincial Police announced the arrests yesterday, marking the beginning of an anti-crime campaign being conducted over the long weekend.

The official dates for the campaign, led by Lt Col Pichit Thongto of the Phuket Provincial Police, are July 29-31, police reported.

The first three arrests were made at a house on Wiset Rd in Moo 5, Rawai.

Marked as a separate case in the raid was the arrest of Athiwat Gift Sanae, 28, registered as living in Moo 4, Rawai.

Athiwat was arrested at the house in Moo 5 then taken to his house in Moo 4, where officers found him in possession of two bags containing in total 33.64 grammes of crystal meth (ya ice).

Police also seized four pills of methamphetamine (ya bah), a pack of clear plastic zip-lock bags, a device for consuming ice, a digital weighing scale and his Oppo A12 mobile phone.

Athiwat was taken to the Chalong Police Station and charged with two counts of illegal possession of a Category I narcotic with intent to sell.

Marked as the second case in the same raid on the house on Wiset Rd were the arrests of Chakrit Sodik Kangkarorb, 31, and Juthathip May Thong-On, 24, both registered as living at different address in Moo 5, Rawai.

The couple were found in possession of 25.45g of ya ice and 794 pills of ya bah.

Officers also seized one digital weighing scale and a Vivo 1724 mobile phone, and a homemade gun with a three-inch barrel made to fire .38-calibre bullets.

In seizing the firearm, police also seized two .38-calibre bullets, one 22-calibre bullet and two 12-gauge shotgun cartridges.

The couple were taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with joint possession of a Category I narcotic with intent to sell and joint illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

The other two arrests reported were both made at the house of Subandit Dit Thanubamrung, 41, in Moo 9, Chalong, said the report.

Subandit was found with 1.57g of ya ice, 61 ya bah pills and three items used for consuming ya ice.

Officers seized his OPPO A16 mobile phone and a custom-made rifle with a barrel 25.5 inches long, made to fire .22-calibre bullets.

At the same house Pornthep Iew Thepchampa, 33, registered as living at another house in Moo 9, Chalong, was arrested after he was found in possession of 10 ya bah pills.

Both Pornthp and Subandit were taken to the Chalong Police Station.

Pornthp was charged with illegal possession of a Category I narcotic, while Subandit was charged with illegal possession of a Category I narcotic with intent to sell and illegal possession of an illegal firearm.
Navy asks women not to wear bikinis on its beaches

BANGKOK: The navy does not prohibit women wearing bikinis on its beaches but asks visitors for their cooperation in not doing so, out of respect for Thai culture, its spokesman said yesterday 9July 29).

tourismmilitaryculture

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 30 July 2022, 09:00AM

Visitors enjoy the view from Koh Samae San, off Chon Buri province. Photo: Bangkok Post / file

VAdm Pokkrong Monthatpalin said the navy asks that visitors not wear bikinis on its beaches for the sake of order and in accordance with Thai culture and tradition. He was responding to a July 27 Facebook post on the Quotidien de Thailande account of a photo showing a No Bikini sign on Koh Samae San, off Chon Buri province. The island is navy territory, reports the Bangkok Post. VAdm Pokkrong said such signs were aimed only at pursuading tourists not to wear bikinis. The navy did not ban bikinis. The signs were being removed and would be replaced with new ones to create a better understanding of the navys intention to encourage a conservative form of tourism, the spokesman said. Koh Samae San is a tourist attraction but it is under the jurisdiction of the navy, he said. The number of visitors was limited and they were not allowed to stay overnight, drink alcohol or gather in noisy groups.
Ryan Gosling is The Gray Man

When Netflix first announced it was making a $200 million action film it is safe to say that most film lovers said Okay, this is going to be interesting. When it was announced that the men in the directors chair were going to be the Russo brothers (Avengers: Endgame) those cinema lovers were then thinking, Okay, now this could potentially be something special.

World-Entertainment

By David Griffiths

Saturday 30 July 2022, 10:40AM

Image: IMDb

As it turns out this project did turn out to be something pretty special. Not only is it a brilliant action piece but somehow The Russos managed to get two of Hollywoods biggest stars to play against type. First we have Chris Evans (Captain America: The First Avenger) playing the villain while Ryan Gosling (Blue Valentine) appears in a franchise something it seemed he would never want to do.

In the film itself Gosling plays Six, a convicted killer hired by the CIA to do the dirty work that nobody else wants to do. His job is to travel around the world and take out dangerous men and women that the CIA need taken care of.

However, things change for him when his handler Fitzroy (Billy Bob Thornton  Armageddon) is forced to take a step back. Six is then teamed up with another agent named Dani Miranda (Ana de Amas  No Time To Die) and ordered by his new handler Carmichael (Rege-Jean Page  Bridgerton) to execute a target.

But the mission goes wrong and soon Six learns that the target is his predecessor Four and he is carrying important information that shows just how corrupt Carmichael really is. Before Six can show the information to his superiors though Carmichael kidnaps Fitzroy and his daughter Claire (Julia Butters  Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) and hires the psychopathic mercenary Lloyd Hansen (Evans) to take out Six.

To be honest the storyline of The Gray Man is something that we have seen played out in shows like La Femme Nikita and Alias a number of times previously, but what makes this film so stunning is how the Russos have presented it. It is like somebody at the Netflix offices said to them, Would you guys like to make a Mission Impossible film or a James Bond film? and their response was Why not both?

The action set-pieces here are absolutely spectacular, in fact that may even put some James Bond films to shame. From epic chases through buildings through to an amazing car vs tram chase sequence, the Russos prove what some people have been saying since Captain America: Winter Soldier  that the Russos are the best action directors in the world at the moment. Not only do their action sequences look impressive and keep their audience on the edge of their seat but they also uniquely seem to move the story along at the same time.

What also makes The Gray Man stand out in the action genre is the fact that the Russos get rid of most of the cliches that we have come to expect from action films. You know how normally the villain will threaten to do something evil but then never actually do it? Well, that doesnt happen here if Lloyd Hansen says he is going to put a bullet in someones head or hurt a child  he does it. That raises the suspense stakes all throughout the film to a point where you actually believe that none of the good characters are truly safe.

It also feels that the screenplay seems to bring the best out of its cast. Chris Evans seems to love the opportunity to play a vile villain and the result is one of the best character acting performances that we have seen from him over the years. Likewise, Gosling seems to lap up the opportunity to play the hero who gets to jump off buildings and shoot bad guys and he is well supported by Butters and de Amas who are determined not to let their male co-stars steal all the limelight.

If you needed a film to prove to you that Netflix is genuinely now a big player in the film production market then The Gray Man is the film that will do just that. Evans and Gosling are amazing in a film that it is truly worth its $200 million budget as this is one of the best action films we have seen in a long time.

The Gray Man is currently screening on Netflix in Phuket.

4/5 Stars

David Griffiths has been working as a film and music reviewer for over 20 years. That time has seen him work in radio, television and in print. You can follow him at www.facebook.com/subcultureentertainmentaus
Thailand has highest number of wild tigers in Southeast Asia

BANGKOK: Thailand has the highest number of wild tigers in Southeast Asia thanks to a national conservation project implemented since 2010, according to Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Varawut Silpa-archa.

animalswildlife

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 30 July 2022, 01:13PM

Photo: Bangkok Post

Yesterday (July 29), at an event commemorating International Tiger Day held at Bueng Chawak Chalermphrakiat in Suphan Buri, Mr Varawut said the National Strategy for Tiger Conservation 2010-2022 endorsed by the government has played a key role in protecting the big cats, reports the Bangkok Post.

He said Thailand was praised for its efficient wildlife conservation efforts by its Asean counterparts at the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation held from Jan 19 to 21 in Malaysia.

Thailands tiger conservation and population recovery plans are certified by international standards. We have successfully improved their habitation areas by using the latest technology and the smart patrol system," said Mr Varawut.

He said the tiger population in the Thungyai and Huai Kha Khaeng wildlife sanctuaries increased from 42 in 2012 to 100 this year as a result of the smart patrol system.

The same technology has been installed in 213 protected forest parks.

Mr Varawut said the government aims to make Thailand the leading country in Southeast Asia in terms of the size of its tiger population by 2034.

Phadet Laithong, director of the departments Wildlife Conservation Office, said India has the highest tiger population in the world.

We have seen tiger footprints from the cameras installed in national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and it is estimated there are 148-149 tigers in the forests, the highest number in Southeast Asia, said Mr Phadet.

To conserve tigers means to conserve the forests where animals live. The biodiversity of an area always correlates with its tiger population.


Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh (right) meets Governor of Western Australia Christopher Dawson. (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

At a reception for Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh who paid an official visit to the state from July 26-28, he emphasised the potential for diverse cooperation between the two sides, affirming that Western Australian leaders wish to visit Vietnam this year to promote cooperative relationship for mutual benefit.



For his part, Thanh expressed his delight at the economic development achievements and the initial results of the Western Australian government in implementing the strategy as well as economic cooperation between the state and Vietnam.



The ambassador said that there is still room for expanding collaboration between the state and Vietnamese localities as Western Australia has advantages in mining, energy and technology industries.



Leaders of the states legislature supported the establishment of a friendship parliamentarian between Western Australia and Ba Ria-Vung Tau province to enhance the exchange between parliamentarians of the two sides.



The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia also pledged to promote the training of judges for Vietnam and accelerate the implementation of a cooperative agreement between the court and the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam which was signed in December 2017.



While highlighting activities to support and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese students to study and live in the state capital, Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said he looks forward to the opening of a direct air route between the city and Vietnam to promote tourism and people-to-people exchanges./.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  A prominent Guatemalan newspaper editor who has overseen investigations into corruption has been arrested, prompting denunciations Saturday by politicians, anticorruption activists and civic groups.

Prosecution agents arrested Jose Ruben Zamora Marroquin at his home on Friday night, searching his home, seizing telephones and accusing him of money laundering. Zamora Marroquin is a prize-winning journalist who heads the newspaper El Periodico.

This is an orchestrated plan, where the aim now is not to pursue those who are corrupt, but rather opponents," said human rights activist Eleonora Muralles. The strategy is to coopt the whole system and have judges  with serious doubts about their impartiality  put together cases and evidence against opponents.

Journalists protested Saturday outside a courthouse where the case is being heard.

U.S. Congressman James P. McGovern, a Massachusetts Democrat, wrote that he was deeply concerned by the detention.

McGovern wrote in his Twitter account, The judiciary is already decimated, is the Free Press next? Journalism is not a crime!

Zamora Marroquin has declared a hunger strike. Speaking before a court hearing, he said, I haven't eaten anything nor drunk any water in 36 hours.

The U.S. government has sharply criticized the weakening of anti-corruption efforts in Guatemala and last year cancelled the U.S. visa of Guatemalan Attorney General Consuelo Porras, who has been pursuing former prosecutors who had been conducting corruption investigations against officials..

More than former anti-corruption officials have fled the country. Now that effort appears to have extended to journalists.

Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei has been dismissive of U.S. officials criticism of his attorney general and what they see as a backsliding in Guatemala on battling corruption. The countrys new special prosecutor against impunity has been placed on a U.S. list of people suspected of corruption or undermining democracy. He is accused of obstructing corruption investigations.

Giammatteis government and prosecutors accelerated efforts begun by his predecessor to undo a U.N.-backed anti-corruption campaign that put several top officials, including former presidents, behind bars. They say those prosecutions themselves were irregular.

Moreover, a number of the Guatemalans, including two Supreme Court magistrates, were allegedly involved in a scheme to stack the Supreme and Appellate Courts with corrupt judges, according to the State Department report.
EDWARDSVILLE  A decision on the court challenge to the states dismissal of Madison Countys 911 consolidation plan could be made public sometime in the next few months, according to Madison County 911 Director Dana Burris.

At Wednesdays Emergency Telephone System Board meeting Burris said a final reply from the Illinois State Police is due to the court by Aug. 6, and a ruling could come within 60-90 days.

Madison Countys state-mandated 911 consolidation has been on hold for several years because of delays and court challenges.

In late 2019 the Illinois State Police rejected the ETSBs plan.

The county had proposed cutting the number to eight from 16. Hearings and final actions on the plan had been delayed by several issues, primarily opposition from St. Clair County

According to the written order from the state 911 administrator at the time, the major issues are that the countys unmanned backup PSAP housed in the 911 offices in Wood River, referred to as MADCOM, does not count as a PSAP for purposes of consolidation. That means the county has 15 PSAPs and must reduce the number to seven rather than eight.

The state also took issue with the lack of direct dispatching, where individual units are dispatched to specific incidents. Instead, dispatching in the county for police calls are done by radio broadcast by dispatchers, which are then acknowledged by the units answering the calls. For many fire departments, especially smaller volunteer departments, dispatching is done by a general call-out with the first members responding radioing acknowledgement to dispatchers.

The county challenged that ruling in court. A decision was delayed in part by continued legal issues involving St. Clair County, but also because of the almost total shutdown of the civil court system because of COVID-19.

In other business the ETSB approved $724,529 in reimbursements to local police departments for 911 services.

They also approved the purchase of an antenna router for the upcoming consolidation of the Highland 911 center into the Madison County Sheriffs Department, at a cost of $8,819.

The ETSB also heard an update on the switchover, with officials saying it would probably occur sometime in August.
EDWARDSVILLE  A Collinsville man was indicted on two charges relating to being a sex offender, including being present at a home child daycare center while it was in operation, and is now listed as living at that address.

Michael E. Totty, 57, of the 8900 block of Collinsville Road, Collinsville, was indicted for unlawful failure to register as a sex offender (second subsequent offense), a Class 2 felony, and child sex offender  have connection with day care, a Class 4 felony.

The failure to register case was originally presented by the Collinsville Police Department. The day care case was presented by the Illinois State Police.

According to court documents, on June 27 Totty, a registered child sex offender, was present at ABC Day Care, a home day care facility at 8901 Collinsville Road, while it was being used for child care.

At the time the charge relating to the daycare was filed, Totty was listed as homeless. Thursday's indictment states that he was living at that address. The address is in the unincorporated area of State Park Place in Madison County.

The facility is registered with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for up to eight children. The phone number listed for the facility has been changed and was not listed as of Friday morning.

Court records show Totty was charged with child pornography in 2009 and sentenced to two years in prison. The Illinois State Police Sex Offender Registry states Totty was 43 and the victim was 12 at the time of the offense.

In 2012 he was convicted of failure to report a change in address or employment.

Totty's criminal record extends back to 1981, with arrests in both Madison and St. Clair counties. His first felony conviction was a burglary charge out of Madison County in 1986.
John Badman

ALTON  A worker from Arrow Signs and Outdoor Advertising in Godfrey on Friday was getting the lights turned "on" at Fast Eddies Bon-Air at 1530 East Broadway in Alton.

The worker was re-routing wiring for the neon Bon Air sign on the awning at the entrance to the world-famous bar and restaurant.
ALTON  Each week award-winning photographer John Badman of The Telegraph captures images of the Riverbend.

Here is a sampling of his photographs from this week. They also appear in the weekend issue of The Telegraph.
The Senate recently advanced a $280 billion chips plus subsidy bill, and as ever in politics theres a lot of plus. Money from Washington always comes with strings attached, and we hope the semiconductor CEOs know what theyve signed up for.

That message couldnt have been clearer from President Biden when he told business and labor leaders on a conference call that the bills $52 billion in grants for Intel and other chip makers would not be a blank check to companies. The President said he will personally have to sign off on the biggest grants.

Hint to companies applying for money: Locate that new factory in a swing state with more than a handful of electoral votes. Mr. Biden or the Vice President may want to swing by during the 2024 election campaign.

The President also underscored that the law requires companies to pay union prevailing wages to build the semiconductor fabrication facilities funded by the bill. Communications Workers of America president Chris Shelton said this will ensure there isnt a race to the bottom.

Translation: Construction will be more expensive, and non-union contractors wont benefit.

Some companies that lobbied for the bill have nonetheless expressed frustration that it forbids recipients of federal largesse from expanding advanced-chip production in China. But what did they expect? The politicians are selling the bill as a national-security necessity to compete with China to make sure that more chips are made in the U.S. in case of conflict with Beijing.

Mr. Biden also made clear his Administration will impose its own conditions on the money. For instance, were not going to allow companies to use these funds to buy back stock or issue dividends. Mr. Biden threatened to claw back subsidies from those that do. This means companies that take federal money wont be allowed to reward shareholders if the investments succeed.

The President also noted that companies whose future innovations derive in part from the bills $200 billion in authorized spending on research and development in areas like green energy and artificial intelligence will be required to deploy that technology and invest in a facility here in America. This requirement will make CEOs add a political calculation to their investment choices.

Industrial policy and the political allocation of capital invariably distort investment. Dont be surprised if the conditions that Congress and the Administration impose on these companies make the firms and the United States less competitive with China.


This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
Westerly, RI (02891)

Today

Rain ending this morning. Remaining cloudy. High 73F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
When thieves ripped the catalytic converter out of Will West's car in broad daylight, he thought that was as bad as it could get.

The 40-year-old piano teacher had left his Honda Jazz safely in a multi-storey car park in Chichester, West Sussex while he went to give a music lesson. He was horrified on his return to find his car rendered unroadworthy.

But when Will contacted his insurer to make a claim, the situation became even worse. Like thousands of victims of this crime, he was told the theft was deemed a 'fault claim'. This means he would have to pay an excess amounting to hundreds of pounds to have the car fixed.

He would also lose his no-claims bonus, probably bumping up his next year's premiums by at least a quarter  a penalty that alone would add nearly 140 to the 554 cost of the average car premium.

Menace: Thieves jack up a car to get at the catalytic converter which they can sell for its valuable metals

Will is one of a rapidly growing number of drivers who have had their car's catalytic converter stolen.

There were 10,000 thefts in London alone last year, up from just 173 in 2017, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Thefts often come in spates. Last month, 17 visitors to Legoland in Windsor had their catalytic converters removed while visiting the theme park while earlier this year doctors and nurses at Surrey hospitals were targeted as they worked long shifts.

Catalytic converters are an essential component of cars with internal combustion engines as they help to filter out harmful emissions. However, they contain expensive metals, making them a prime target for thieves.

Converters fetch several hundred pounds at a scrap merchant for their palladium, rhodium and platinum, which have seen their price surge in recent years, according to online scrap website Scrappie. Some with a particularly high metal content can fetch more than a thousand pounds.

The price of palladium in particular could continue to rise because Russia is a top producer. The country has been hit by harsh sanctions, limiting supply.

Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at switching site Confused.com, says that insurers classify catalytic converter cases as a 'fault claim' because there is nobody else deemed at fault for the problem, and so the blame falls on the claimant.

He says: 'If your car insurance policy covers third party fire and theft, you will be covered for catalytic converter theft. But making a claim will impact on your no claims bonus.

Will West says: 'It's slightly weird logic. It's not my fault that I've had it stolen  I don't think the cost should fall on the policyholder when they've been a victim of theft. It's not as if I have been negligent.'

Will has arranged the repair himself, rather than going through his insurer, losing his no-claims discount and paying the policy excess.

While it is possible to drive a car without a catalytic converter it is illegal, so victims either have to make a claim or finance the repairs themselves.

Cheaper cars are written off

Replacing a catalytic converter costs around 464 on average. But the full price of returning a car to roadworthiness can easily stretch to 3,000 due to the damage caused. This means that many cheaper cars are simply written off.

This can be particularly tough on older drivers who have got used to a beloved car. At worst, having a car written off due to a catalytic converter theft can mark the end of someone's driving life, if they do not have the confidence and funds to buy, and grow accustomed, to a replacement vehicle.

Targeted: Will West faced bill of hundreds of pounds

Stewart Daynes, head mechanic at online repairs marketplace ClickMechanic, says thieves are causing greater damage to cars when they remove the converters because they remove them during the daytime.

'This type of crime was generally carried out at night under the cover of darkness,' he says, 'but more commonly, thieves are brazenly removing them in daylight.'

Daynes adds: 'This means the thieves need to remove the catalytic converter as quickly as possible, so they are more likely to damage bodywork and other parts when they are cutting it away.'

Thieves can steal a converter in a matter of minutes. Victims may not even know until they try to drive their car and it issues a loud roaring sound as soon as they start the engine.

Daynes' firm has seen an increase in thefts in the past month. He says the evidence of crimes is moving steadily from the south to the north of the country.

Daniel Briggs, chief executive of specialist car leasing group Motorfinity, says: 'Unfortunately, a direct knock-on effect of the cost of living crisis is a rise in crime  and motor-related incidences are not immune to this effect.'

The vehicles most at risk from thieves

James Jackson, who runs car repairs platform Bumper.co.uk, says hybrid vehicles are particularly sought-after by thieves.

This is because they only run on their internal combustion engine some of the time, so their catalytic converters see less action and tend to be in better condition than those in petrol or diesel cars. ClickMechanic's Daynes adds that BMWs are often earmarked, because they have two catalytic converters  one of which is quite straightforward to access.

Large 4x4s are also a popular target for criminals. 'As they are further off the ground, the catalytic converters are more easily accessible,' says Daynes. 'They also have larger engines, and therefore bigger catalytic converters, which equates to more profit for the crooks.'

Japanese cars, particularly the Honda Jazz, are also a particular target for their valuable metal content.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

Ms J.T. writes: In April, I was on holiday in Tenerife with my partner when he suffered a massive heart attack and died. After getting myself back home, I needed to bring him home so I contacted his bank, NatWest, as his account included travel insurance.

I supplied his death certificate, but a month later I checked his emails and there were endless messages from NatWest, asking him to get in touch about his claim.

I emailed and called, reminding the bank that the claim was for the 3,000-plus cost of bringing his body back, and unfortunately the dead body could not contact them.

Computer says no: David Walliams in a classic Little Britain sketch

Tony Hetherington replies: You might think that you had gone far enough by reminding them, but no.

Letters began to arrive from NatWest, all addressed to your dead partner, asking him to make contact. You gave me one that was sent to him in June, saying: 'We've tried to contact you as we need some information to progress your claim. Please give us a call.'

Tried to contact you! For heaven's sake  what were they using? A medium? A ouija board?

You called the bank again and again, and eventually you said you wanted to make an official complaint. The result? Another letter urging your late partner to get in touch!

All this was from the travel insurance side of the business. Meanwhile, NatWest's banking operation was fine. It closed your partner's account and sent you the balance as you are the executor of his estate.

The closest you got to an explanation was in one of your many phone calls to NatWest.

When you explained once more that there was no point in asking a dead man to give them a call, the speaker told you that emails and letters were automatically generated and 'the computer settings could not be altered'.

You told me that the whole episode was a macabre version of the Little Britain sketch, with you insisting that your partner was dead and could not give them a ring, and NatWest insisting: 'Computer says no!'

When I contacted them, officials at NatWest's head office were mortified. You very quickly received a call from the chief executive's office, apologising repeatedly.

Apart from meeting the insurance claim for 3,476 in undertakers' fees and transport costs, the bank said it would pay 400 into your account to settle your complaint.

This missed the point though. Your complaint was never about compensation. What was offensive and distressing was what you described to me as 'the brick wall' of trying to deal with NatWest staff who ignored common sense in favour of software stupidity that meant they never had to make a real decision and could blame their computer for everything.

What you really wanted was changes within NatWest and an assurance that the same thing could not happen to someone else in the future.

I can now give you this. The bank has told me from a high level: 'We sincerely apologise to our customer. We made a number of mistakes and incorrect information was given at a very distressing time.

'This absolutely cannot happen again and we have taken steps to ensure that proper care and attention is given in the future.'

The Department for Work & Pensions has written to say that Ms A.L.'s father's estate owes about 12,000 in 'overpaid benefits'

My dad with dementia in 12k benefits riddle

Ms A.L. writes: My father had dementia for ten years and was in a care home for the last six or seven years until he passed away last December.

The Department for Work & Pensions has written to say that my father's estate owes about 12,000 in 'overpaid benefits', but I believe he only ever received about 6,000 in total for personal items such as toiletries.

I tried to make contact, but after six letters and numerous phone calls being transferred from one team to another, I have still had no response.

Tony Hetherington replies: I asked officials at the DWP to look back through their records and see where the payments had gone and why they were not justified. I am afraid the answer is rather sad.

One official told me: 'When Mr N moved into his care home, he was no longer eligible for some aspects of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA), given the support being provided by the home.

'Unfortunately, we were not informed of his move so the payments continued.'

In particular, the ESA payments were actually to cover your father's mortgage interest as long as he was living in his own property.

The DLA payments of more than 4,000 have been written off, and the 6,858 being claimed is money that went towards the mortgage on your father's home.

Another member of your family held a Lasting Power of Attorney, but failed to keep the DWP informed, so payments to the mortgage lender carried on being made.

We're watching you Sometimes, justice takes a long time to catch up with an offender, but it does so in the end. Last Wednesday, four fraudsters were sentenced after their conviction at Southwark Crown Court in London for their part in a property investment scam that raked in more than 13million from more than 800 investors. Essex and London Properties Limited told investors their money would buy houses on the route of the Crossrail scheme, which would spark a rise in their value. Meanwhile, the company would pay investors a fixed eight per cent a year. In fact, the crooks bought just one property, a house in Harwich priced at 147,000. Investigators from Essex Police found the four personally pocketed almost 1.5million between 2015 when the scam began and 2018 when it collapsed. Ringleaders Mohammad Tanveer and Florian Pierini were sentenced to five years' imprisonment, and Mohommed Hussain to four and a half years. Jeffrey Razaq, 61, from Lowestoft, was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for 12 months, and 200 hours of unpaid work, after being convicted of conspiracy and money laundering. Prosecutors told the court Razaq received over 110,000 'for which no legitimate explanation was provided'. I warned in 2013 that Razaq, a financial adviser, was the sole director of MH Carbon Limited, a major scam investment company that took in more than 18million from victims who believed claims that trading in carbon credits was hugely profitable. His penalty for this was a 14-year ban on acting as a company director, a ban that ends in 2029, but which clearly did not stop him from making more money from more victims.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
You have to feel for M&C Saatchi shareholders.

They have two takeover offers to choose between  or stick with the advertising group and its buoyant performance.

Expansion plans are going perfectly well without the need for another party to get involved, a trading update seemed to imply last week.

Decision time: M&C Saatchi shareholders have two takeover offers to choose between

The bids come from UK 'Tech Queen' Vin Murria, a serial entrepreneur whom M&C has rejected from the start, and Next Fifteen Communications.

The trouble is both offers include shares and cash. So, whether one deal is better than the other has swung back and forth with the share price.

Next Fifteen may now have pulled ahead, as its offer has risen to more than 200p a share.

This could be enough to swing some shareholders.

An insider told Stocks To Watch a few weeks ago a 200p bid would be the threshold.

With deadlines approaching in the coming weeks, and competing offers battling it out, many investors will still be scratching their heads.

Serica Energy rejects latest Kistos bid

North Sea oil group Serica Energy has rejected a new proposal from upstart Kistos, saying its 1.15billion bid was still too low.

Kistos began its push in May, but last week's improved offer has helped lifted Serica's value to more than 1billion.

This means retail investor power couple David and Debbie Hardy have seen their stake soar by 25million in two months to more than 100million.

That should help them through the cost-of-living crisis.

Nanoco set for David-and-Goliath fight

Heatwave or not, Nanoco's lawyers have been spending the summer preparing for the next round of the Manchester minnow's David-and-Goliath fight against Samsung.

A trial is due soon in Nanoco's battle over whether Samsung knowingly used the firm's tech in its bestselling QLED TVs  vigorously denied by the South Korean electronics manufacturer.

Nanoco has been optimistic since it won a US Patent Trial and Appeal Board case in May.

But it may all have been too much for Richard Griffiths, founder of former broker Evolution Securities, who has been a long-time investor.

He sold a chunk of his holding last week, taking it to less than 3 per cent  below the threshold for public declaration.

Insiders say it's unlikely he's exited entirely.

Hargreaves Lansdown scepticism

There's scepticism in the City over Hargreaves Lansdown ahead of its full-year results next Friday.

The trading hub for individual investors has attracted a record amount of shorts from hedge funds which will make money if its share price falls.

Six groups have built up the 3.84 per cent position, including the UK's biggest short-selling fund, Marshall Wace.

Hargreaves has suffered the same fate as most so-called 'pandemic winners', whose huge growth during Covid has since fizzled.

Analysts expect profits to fall to 275million from 366million last year.

The outlook will be key.

Will ordinary Britons be less likely to dabble this autumn as higher bills hit households and pots of spare cash shrink?
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Main Intelligence Agency of the Ministry of Defense and the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights demand from the UN and the ICRC to immediately respond to the terrorist attack committed by the Russian Federation in Olenivka, as well as to inspect the detention facility in which captured Ukrainian servicemen were held, according to a joint statement of the departments, released on Friday.

"We demand that the UN and the ICRC, who acted as guarantors of the life and health of Ukrainian prisoners of war, immediately respond to the terrorist act committed by the Russian Federation," the message says.

It also calls for the immediate dispatch of representatives of the UN, the ICRC, the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human Rights and representatives of the Joint Center for the Search and Release of Prisoners to the colony in the village of Olenivka in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region for the purpose of an inspection mission.
The French communications group making a swoop on British satellite giant OneWeb has handed more than 150 million to the Chinese state in the past decade.

Eutelsat said last week it had agreed a deal to merge with OneWeb, which is backed by the taxpayer. But the Chinese connection has triggered security concerns over the plan  which will mean Britain sits alongside China as an investor in the enlarged group.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal the payments have been made in dividends to the China Investment Corporation (CIC), one of Eutelsat's largest shareholders since it bought a seven per cent stake 10 years ago. Britain's stance on Chinese investment has hardened during the Tory leadership election.

Questions: Eutelsat said it had agreed a deal to merge with OneWeb, which is backed by the taxpayer

Rishi Sunak said last week the superpower posed the 'biggest long-term threat to Britain', while Liz Truss pledged to counter China's dominance by forging stronger Commonwealth trade ties.

This weekend Darren Jones, chair of Parliament's influential Business Committee has written to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to raise concerns about China's stake. Jones demanded that the link is closely scrutinised alongside Eutelsat's broadcasts of Russian television during the war in Ukraine.

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, who is a member of a group warning of Beijing's influence, believes the Government will have to stop OneWeb's sale for national security reasons.

He said: 'China is a direct threat now to the UK and its interests. We simply cannot allow it to have access either to our technology or to gain financial advantage as a result of a British technology company. I am sure now, armed with this information, the Government will block this sale.'

OneWeb is a pioneer of communications networks through lower-Earth orbit satellites. It was bailed out by Boris Johnson's Government in 2020.

The merger values OneWeb at 2.8billion and the British taxpayer's stake at almost 500million. The merger, which could help challenge the likes of Elon Musk's SpaceX's Starlink, is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

Former Science Minister George Freeman has accused the Government of handing technology away on the cheap.

Government sources said the merger plan had been reported to Whitehall officials for review, but they stressed that China will 'have no access to any information or influence' over OneWeb.

The sale has been billed as a 'merger of equals' and it has been claimed that OneWeb's UK future will be safeguarded by a special Government share.

This will give Britain powers to block any move abroad, as well as first preference for supply chain opportunities.

Eutelsat, listed in Paris, has previously been criticised for its Chinese and Russian links.

Last year it came under fire over human rights violations for broadcasting Chinese TV channels that aired forced confessions. It has also been accused of broadcasting Kremlin propaganda by the charity Reporters Without Borders, which claimed Russia was Eutelsat's second biggest client in 2021.

Kwarteng has the ability to block the deal under the National Security and Investment Act. But Jones warned Kwarteng he is 'conflicted' because he has influence over Britain's OneWeb stake as well as presiding over the security laws.

He said his committee must therefore be granted 'enhanced scrutiny' over the deal.

China's stake in Eutelsat has fallen from seven per cent to less than four per cent and insiders insist this will drop to 1.8 per cent under the merger.

However, the CIC will still be able to buy shares on the open market. Eutelsat said: 'CIC has never had a seat on Eutelsat's board, has never been involved in any aspect of Eutelsat's governance or operations and has never had access to any non-public information.'

But one City grandee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Chinese stakes in politically sensitive businesses would be likely to have a long-term aim of monitoring or ultimately acquiring key intellectual property.

Conservative MP Bob Seely, a member of the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee, said: 'We're going to have to get a coherent policy on how we treat China's communist party and state enterprises in our dealings with sensitive UK companies.

'There is a naivety about how we have dealt with China which is wrong and contrary to our national interests.'

OneWeb declined to comment.
Rising: The family behind River Island has seen its fortune go up by 30million

The family behind the River Island fashion business has seen the value of its investments rise, despite disruption caused to their shops by the Covid lockdown.

Accounts for the Lewis family's company reveal the assets are worth 964million, a 30million increase on the prior year.

Its interests include a luxury hotel in Florida, and a property division that manages and develops assets across Europe, the US, Caribbean and Thailand.

The group also invests in private equity funds and takes stakes directly in private companies.

The River Island retail chain is run as a separate business and not included in the value of the investments.

The most recent documents for River Island show it plunged into a loss during the pandemic.

Temporary shop closures as a result of Government restrictions had a 'material impact' on the business, bosses said.

The family investment company, called L51N  a reference to the latitudinal position of River Island head office in West London  said it is optimistic about the future.

But L51N only paid a dividend of 600,000 to its shareholders in the year to December 2021  the same as the four previous years and far less than 2016's 100million payout.

Around 40 family members, including founder Bernard Lewis, 96, are in a trust which is a major beneficiary of the investments and dividends.
Think of Cornwall  and cream teas, rugged cliff walks, surfing and golden beaches come to mind.

But move over Cape Canaveral: Cornwall is about to become the epicentre of the UK's world class space industry.

Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit is due in September to launch a rocket from Newquay containing satellites from the likes of the Sultanate of Oman and shoebox-sized 'Cubesats' from the Ministry of Defence.

It will be the culmination of years of home-grown innovation and Government efforts to position the UK ahead of European rivals, including by developing seven prospective 'spaceports' that will allow the UK to become a launch hub.

Rocketman: Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit will launch from Newquay

Built up over decades, space is one of Britain's biggest unsung business success stories, employing more people than the steel industry.

The sector is already worth 16.4billion and is a hotbed of technology. It provides more than 45,000 high-value jobs across an estimated 1,300 companies. Steel, by contrast, accounts for just 33,000.

By many measures, we are coming third in the international space race, chasing only the US and China.

Experts believe there is an opportunity for the UK to become the world's leading space finance centre, just as the City led the world with the famous Lloyd's of London insurance market in the 17th and 18th centuries during the golden age of maritime trade.

Richard Franklin, head of the UK space division at aerospace giant Airbus, says getting ahead now could 'create a huge catalyst for investment' that would attract 'the world's best entrepreneurs and businesses'.

But Virgin Orbit's big moment and the wider future of the sector are being overshadowed by foreign predators keen to hoover up cutting-edge technology, including Chinese-backed Eutelsat, the French operator that has this month unveiled plans to merge with British satellite group OneWeb.

The proposed deal has been greeted with harsh criticism. Former Science Minister George Freeman  who quit his role just three weeks ago  has claimed the deal will hand over more pioneering technology to overseas rivals on the cheap.

The OneWeb controversy comes in the wake of the 5.4billion sale of another satellite firm, Inmarsat, to a US rival and a string of swoops on aerospace and defence firms.

Mark Boggett, managing director of London-listed space investment trust Seraphim Capital, is keen for people to think of the industry beyond rockets and focus on how technology in space can help us here on Earth.

Seraphim's investments include Satellite Vu, an environmentally-oriented group which collects infrared data that can measure the carbon footprint of everything from manufacturing sites to homes and farms.

This month, another Seraphim firm, Altitude Angel, was part of groundbreaking plans unveiled by Ministers at Farnborough Airshow to develop the world's first drone delivery 'superhighway'.

The 164-mile stretch will connect the airspace covering Cambridge, Oxford, Rugby, Milton Keynes and Coventry.

So far, the Government has been keen to push the sector, unveiling a UK Space Strategy last year that outlined the need for billions of pounds of investment.

Whoever wins the current Prime Ministerial race will be under pressure to keep it at the front and centre of policy.

Kevin Craven, the head of aerospace and defence industry body ADS, says the reality is that takeovers will keep occurring because UK firms are undervalued compared with those in other nations.

But he insists a law that came into force in January  the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act  which allows the Government to screen and intervene in mergers in a range of sensitive industries, was a positive development. F

or Franklin at Airbus, one of the most important things is getting young people excited about space, which will encourage more to look at careers in science and technology, where there are big skills shortages.

He says: 'We saw people get interested when [British astronaut] Major Tim Peake went to the International Space Station in 2015 and 2016. I think a lot of people will see rockets going into space now from the UK and be excited about that.'
Divide: HSBC spans East and West

HSBC bosses are preparing to mount a stalwart defence this week against calls by major shareholder Ping An for the bank's break-up.

But a top expert on China has this weekend accused the bank's bosses of being in 'public denial' about Beijing's determination to split off HSBC's Asian operations.

Executives at the lender are understood to believe that a separation would be costly and disrupt its international trade business.

They are expected to hold the line on any new break-up push this week when the banking giant issues its second-quarter results.

It comes after Ping An, the state-backed Chinese insurer that has built an 8 per cent stake over recent years, launched a campaign in April to force the split.

Then, last week, it emerged that HSBC had become the first foreign firm operating in the country to formally establish a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) committee within its ranks.

HSBC's board and several City figures have claimed the company is stronger as one entity because much of its revenue is generated from connecting businesses in the East and West.

But Michael Sheridan, an expert on the communist state and author of The Gate To China, said a split of the British firm into separate Western and Asian businesses was now almost inevitable.

He described HSBC as 'the diamond bank in Hong Kong', and claimed that officials in Beijing are desperate to get their hands on it. There is growing concern about Beijing meddling.

Carmaker Stellantis this month ditched its Jeep operation in the country and boss Carlos Tavares complained political interference is increasing 'by the day'.

The Mail on Sunday has been told by City advisers that separating HSBC's UK business, with its Birmingham headquarters, regulated capital structure and management team, would be relatively straightforward.

That would allow the remainder of the group to 'pivot' toward Asia, they said.

One source said the question had been raised of 'what to do' with the UK business after the company sold its US retail banking network last year and as the focus shifted to Asia. Another source said that separation of the UK banking arm is not under consideration.

Sheridan said: 'There are sound financial and commercial reasons for advocating a break-up. But the reason for [Ping An's demand] is not financial or commercial  it's political.

'The board of Ping An did not wake up one morning seized with a sudden fit of shareholder activism. The top management at HSBC are in public denial.

'They are trying to reason on a financial, commercial level against an argument that's not being made on commercial grounds.'

The bank is based in Britain, with a substantial presence on UK high streets.

But it makes most of its money in Asia, leaving executives walking a tightrope that means co-operating with the CCP.

That position has become increasingly unpalatable to British politicians following China's imposition of a draconian 'national security' law on Hong Kong in 2020.

Sheridan concludes that the growing tensions since mean that HSBC and its boss, Noel Quinn, will eventually have little choice but to split the bank.

HSBC has denied that the establishment of a CCP committee within its investment bank  required under Chinese law if requested by employees  was driven by anything other than a staff petition.

But Sheridan said: 'This is a high-level, state-controlled move. It's the result of a top-level political edict in China. They want to split up HSBC into a Western business and an Asian business.'
BAE Systems will embark on a major recruitment push to help build the supersonic Tempest fighter jet.

The defence giant wants to hire 1,000 engineers over the next 12 months across its air division, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Recruits will work on the 'once in a lifetime' Tempest project as well as the existing batch of Typhoon jets and other future products, said Cliff Robson, who heads BAE's air group.

Fighter: A prototype of the Tempest is expected in five years

The company has ambitious plans for Tempest and a prototype is expected within five years.

Robson, who started as a BAE engineer 39 years ago, said it will play a vital part in Britain's ambitions to retain its military might.

'Without Tempest, we lose the sovereign capability in terms of military aircraft and fast jets, which is essential if you want security and defence of the country,' he added.

Britain must ensure it is prepared for any conflict, even on home soil, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine 'reawakened' military tensions, he said.

Shares in BAE, which last week appointed Cressida Hogg as its first female chairman, have risen by more than 30 per cent in the past year.

BAE's aviation group has seen a surge in demand since war broke out in Ukraine  due to the firm's role servicing the Royal Air Force fleet.

Robson expects an increase in orders for military aircraft in response to the war. BAE's contracts for jets can be worth billions of pounds with customers including Spain and Qatar.

Arms buyers will be able to catch a glimpse of BAE's Tempest 'demonstrator' by 2027.

Some have questioned the ambitious timeline. But Robson is adamant, saying: 'I guarantee we will fly this thing within five years.'

The project will see the UK team up with Japan, Italy and Sweden.

Robson said the international alliance will help boost investment and order potential.

The consortium is led by BAE and includes enginemaker Rolls-Royce and the UK arms of European firms Leonardo and missile-maker MBDA. The UK is due to make a final decision on the project in three years.
ICRC reps will try to get into shelled colony in Olenivka  ICRC spokesperson in Ukraine

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will try to get to Olenivka, where about 40 people were killed and 130 injured as a result of artillery shelling of a penal colony where Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) were held.

"Of course, we are aware of this situation and asked for access to this place as soon as possible in order to make sure and see with our own eyes what happened and whether any of the people there need our help," said the ICRC spokesperson in Ukraine Oleksandr Vlasenko on the telethon.

He also said that a hotline of the central agency of the Red Cross will work in Geneva, where relatives of prisoners of war can apply.
Russia has proved it is the greatest source of terrorism  Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called the death of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Olenivka on Friday a deliberate Russian war crime.

"It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war, " he said in his traditional video address Friday evening.

"When the defenders of Azovstal left the plant, the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross acted as guarantors of the life and health of our soldiers, " he said.

Zelensky supported the joint statement of the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, which demanded on Friday from the UN and the ICRC to immediately respond to the terrorist attack committed by the Russian Federation in Olenivka, as well as to inspect the colony where captured Ukrainian servicemen were held, according to a joint statement of the agencies adopted following a meeting with the head of state and published on Friday.

"We demand from the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which acted as guarantors of the life and health of Ukrainian prisoners of war, to immediately respond to the terrorist act committed by the Russian Federation, " the statement says.

"Now the guarantors must react, protect the lives of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war. And I will add on my own  there should be a clear legal recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism," he said.

Zelensky specifically addressed the United States. "Solutions are needed now. Russia has proved by numerous terrorist attacks that it is the greatest source of terrorism. This is a fact," he said.

According to him, "the UN Security Council has been informed, all participants in international relations will know what really happened."

Earlier, the Azov patronage service confirmed the death of several dozen prisoners of war in Olenivka (Donetsk region) from an explosion in their place of detention.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

NISKAYUNA - Employees at five more Starbucks coffee shops in the Capital Region are attempting to unionize, following successful bids by workers at stores in Guilderland and Latham.

Workers United, the union that helped organize the first two local stores, has petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to unionize Starbucks locations at Crossgates Mall, Clifton Park, Niskayuna, East Greenbush and Malta.

Votes are scheduled for next month for four of the stores. No date has been set for the Crossgates store.

Emily Vick, Workers United's Albany district director, said Friday that workers at more stores could also seek representation in the future.

Baristas and shift supervisors are included in the bid to unionize. Store managers, clerical employees and assistant store managers, are generally excluded. Vick said it has been hard on the workers trying to organize.

Starbucks, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment, has also challenged the NLRB petitions.

In the case of the East Greenbush store, Starbucks tried to argue that the 26 eligible workers there couldn't organize on their own but had to petition as a group with six other stores the company manages together under one district manager.

Linda Leslie, the regional director of the NLRB office in Buffalo, ruled against Starbucks' request on Tuesday, allowing the East Greenbush store's workers to move forward with their petition on their own.

Workers who do vote to unionize can then be represented by Workers United to negotiate labor contracts with management to seek higher wages and additional benefits. The stores that have already unionized are the Stuyvesant Plaza store in Guilderland and the Latham Plaza location.
With the end of COVID-19, the live music scene has been busier than it has been in years. Itd be understandable to forget that when it comes to creating and recording new tunes, local musicians have been equally active. Across pretty much every genre, theres been a slew of quality LPs, EPs and singles out there and available for your listening pleasure.

The McKrells  Still Pickin 2022

The legendary local folk-bluegrass group is back with its first album of material since 2018, and they sound as vital as ever. Album opener Sunshine repurposes the standard You Are My Sunshine into something both referential and fresh. On that Northbound Train is highlighted by some nifty banjo and fiddle solos by Scott Hopkins and Frank Orsini, respectively, and the tracks hard-charging pace pairs nicely with Kevin McKrells lyrical content. Of all the 10 tracks on the LP, this reviewer is partial to the lovely whimsy of A Boat Named Love and Happiness. If youve seen the McKrells at one of the groups many live shows this year, odds are youve heard some of these tunes and enjoyed them. Still Pickin 2022 lets you dig on their studio incarnations from the comfort of your CD player or preferred streaming app.

To check out Still Pickin 2022, check out your favorite streaming platform or visit themckrells.com

Madeline Darby  Not this Universe: The Origins of Madeline Darby

Madeline Darby has steadily built a name for herself on the experimental music circuit. This past spring, she performed in Temple of Sound at Basilica in Hudson. For the past year, Darby has hosted a monthly live experimental music series through Super Dark Collective and has put on her own music-and-movement painting concerts. Not this Universe serves two purposes. Its one part compilation of unreleased material from 2018-2021 and one part collaboration with other local talent. Darby and Nxnes team up for the haunting darkwave track Nxmad. Winter Feels Robotic, a team-up with Zero Lee and 100 Psychic Dreams is a hypnotic noise collage. The key track on this one is a solo Darby endeavor, The Joyous Sounds of America. It provides a nice snapshot of her unique blend of darkwave and experimental electronic music.

To listen to Not this Universe: The Origins of Madeline Darby, visit madelinedarby.bandcamp.com/

Male Patterns and Under Attack  Split EP

Albany punk rockers Male Patterns have followed up its 2020 split EP with New Jerseys Executors with a new EP in conjunction with Richmond, Va.s Under Attack. The two bands hit it hard, fast and loud on this six-song, eight-minute endeavor. Male Patterns Out of the Box is a brutal rejection of societal expectations and being pigeonholed into the status quo, while Greek Life is a scathing rebuke of privileged, fratboy youth culture. Under Attacks contribution is no less relentless. Its I Suffer hearkens back to early 80s Black Flag in its bludgeoning anguish, and the band concludes the EP on an apt note with the brutal aggression of End It. Musically and aesthetically, Male Patterns and Under Attack pair together nicely, making this a great use of the split EP format and a project sure to please fans of hardcore punk.

Stream the split EP or purchase the 7 vinyl at malepatterns.bandcamp.com

Top Beamin (the rapper formerly known as Velli Vell)  Vol. 1How to Lust and Pied A Terre (A Home Away From Home)"

Albany MC Velli Vell is now Top Beamin. To acquaint listeners with his new handle, hes released a pair of EPs a mere two weeks apart from each other. Vol. 1How to Lust finds Beamin teaming up with a few different producers. The most fruitful collaborations on the project are with Deborahs Son. The back-to-back tracks of Till we Learn (also featuring Rhakim Ali) and Easy to Find are two of the prolific artists best songs to date. Pied A Terre is, excepting a brief guest spot from Barry Marz, a Beamin-only affair. He offers up some grimy beats to rap over and the results are strong. The EP is bookended by its two best songs, Super Venture and Dragon Meets Tiger. The latter conjures up feelings of classic Wu Tang Clan. Whether hes Velli Vel or Top Beamin, these projects showcase him as a skilled rapper with an eclectic sonic palette.

Stream or purchase Top Beamins EPs at topbeamin.bandcamp.com
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of rebound following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter that Biden has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well. O'Connor said there is no reason to reinitiate treatment at this time.

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Biden will reenter isolation for at least five days. He will isolate at the White House until he tests negative. The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.

Just as when Biden first tested positive, the White House sought to show he was still working. The president sent out a picture of himself masked and tieless on Twitter, which showed him signing a declaration that added individual assistance for flood survivors in Kentucky.

The president followed up by tweeting out a 12-second video of him on a White House balcony with his dog, Commander.

I'm feeling fine, everything is good, said Biden, a pair of aviator sunglasses in his hand. But Commander and I got a little work to do.

The president also took time on Saturday to have a FaceTime conversation with people camping outside the U.S. Capitol who are seeking health benefits for military veterans exposed to toxic substances from burn pits during their service, according to White House chief of staff Ron Klain. A bill to provide expanded benefits failed to clear the Senate on Wednesday. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough brought the group pizza and the phone connection to talk with the president.

Feel better, a member of the group told Biden in a video of the call posted to Twitter. Later, in a tweet, the president said he had planned to meet with families at the Capitol but that his positive test got in the way.

Word of Bidens positive test came  he had been negative Friday morning  just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where first lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive. Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.

Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid after he first tested positive on July 21. He tested negative for the virus on this past Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters on Monday that data "suggests that between 5 and 8 percent of people have rebound after Paxlovid treatment.

Acknowledging the potential for so-called rebound COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid, the President increased his tested cadence, to protect people around him and to assure early detection of any return of viral replication, O'Connor wrote in his letter.

O'Connor cited negative tests for Biden from Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning, before Saturday morning's positive result by antigen testing. This in fact represents rebound' positivity," he wrote.

According to the CDC, those with rebound COVID should isolate for at least five days, ending that if a fever has resolved itself for 24 hours without medication and symptoms have improved. The patient should wear a mask for a total of 10 days after rebound symptoms started. Some people continue to test positive after day 10 but are considerably less likely to shed infectious virus.

Both the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer point out that 1% to 2% of people in Pfizers original study on Paxlovid saw their virus levels rebound after 10 days. The rate was about the same among people taking the drug or dummy pills, so it is unclear at this point that this is related to drug treatment, according to the FDA.

While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines. But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs on the White House complex.

Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.

Regulators are still studying the prevalence and virulence of rebound cases, but the CDC in May warned doctors that it has been reported to occur within two days to eight days after initially testing negative for the virus.

Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease, the agency said at the time.

When Biden was initially released from isolation on Wednesday, OConnor said the president would increase his testing cadence to catch any potential rebound of the virus.

Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce severe disease and death among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. U.S. health officials have encouraged those who test positive to consult their doctors or pharmacists to see if they should be prescribed the treatment, despite the rebound risk.

Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30.

While patients who have recovered from earlier variants of COVID-19 have tended to have high levels of immunity to future reinfection for 90 days, Jha said that the BA.5 subvariant that infected Biden has proven to be more immune-evasive.

We have seen lots of people get reinfected within 90 days, he said, adding that officials dont yet have data on how long those who have recovered from the BA.5 strain have protection from reinfection.
The U.S. History Regents exam question that led to the test's cancellation in May out of concern that it could compound student trauma after the mass shooting in Buffalo could show up on a future exam, state officials said.

The question has been placed in the question bank from which questions are chosen for future U.S. History and Government exams.

The Times Union filed a Freedom of Information request asking for the question. That request was denied because exam questions can be withheld until they are administered. The Times Union appealed, on the grounds that this question was not ever going to be administered on a test. In response, state officials said the question is available for use.

The issue wasnt really the question itself, Department of Education officials explained.

In this instance, it was not appropriate to administer the exam with a question that could compound the grief and hardship faced by our school communities, they said. The unforeseen context created by the timing of the shooting in Buffalo was the reason for the cancellation of the Regents Examination in United States History and Government, not the question itself, which is why it has been returned to the question bank to be considered for future exams.

The exam for the redesigned U.S. History course would have been given for the first time, so there were not enough questions in the question bank to simply replace it, officials said. The exam was canceled nine days before it was scheduled to be administered and students were allowed to graduate without it.

In responding to the appeal, Education Commissioner Betty Rosa asked the Office of State Assessment to verify whether the question could be used someday.

The office said using the question was an intended possibility.

So, she wrote, the appeal was denied.

Students had prepared for the exam's essays and analysis work for three years, including one year focusing on U.S. history topics.

Passing one Social Studies Regents exam is required for graduation. While there is another exam, Global History and Geography II, many students take the U.S. History exam instead. It is commonly taken in 11th grade, but many students take it in their final year and must pass it to graduate.

Just weeks before graduation, the Board of Regents voted to allow the students to graduate this year without the exam. The state intends to offer the exam in June 2023.
EUCLID, Ohio (AP)  An Ohio police officer has been convicted of assaulting a Black motorist during a 2017 traffic stop.

Jurors deliberated for nearly five hours Friday before convicting Euclid officer Michael Amiott of assault and interfering with civil rights, both first-degree misdemeanors, Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reported. He was acquitted of another count of assault.

Video showed Amiott, who is white, repeatedly punching driver Richard Hubbard III during an August 2017 traffic stop in the Cleveland suburb. The police union argued that Amiott used reasonable force to control Hubbard when he resisted arrest and wounded an officer.

Amiott was fired but an independent arbitrator ordered him reinstated a year later. The city of Euclid last year agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit in the case.

The Fraternal Order of Police/Ohio Labor Council said in a statement it was disappointed by the verdict in Euclid Municipal Court .

We remain confident that officer Amiotts actions were reasonable given the circumstances and we continue to stand by him, said Dave Trend, president of FOP Euclid Lodge #18 and FOP/Ohio Labor Council board member.

Chief Scott Meyer of the Euclid police department said he hoped the decision can start to bring closure to all of the parties affected by this five-year long process."

The dedicated and hard-working men and women of the Euclid Police Department continue to serve honorably and selflessly during an extremely challenging time for our society and our profession," Meyer said, vowing that the department will move forward and continue to serve our community with impartiality and transparency.
Updated: Gov. Kathy Hochul has declared a state disaster emergency in response to monkeypox late Friday night.

The state Department of Health has declared monkeypox an "imminent threat" to public health  activating state reimbursement opportunities for counties' response and prevention efforts  and some lawmakers are calling on the governor to declare a state of emergency to cut through the regulatory red tape that has stalled the public health response.

One obstacle is the limits of currently available monkeypox testing, which cannot confirm cases until lesions appear, making it difficult for public health officials to catch infections early and direct resources accordingly.

Monkeypox is confirmed by swabbing skin boils that have already been scabbed over, something that happens several weeks after exposure. The samples are sent to a lab for analysis.

World health leaders say there is insufficient data on whether people may contract or shed the virus but never exhibit symptoms, though Belgian researchers say they have identified several such cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that some patients present with very mild symptoms resembling a pimple or a rash with tiny bumps.

"We have seen presentations of monkeypox that are mild and sometimes only in limited areas of the body, which differs from the classic presentations seen in endemic countries in West and Central Africa," CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in a briefing last month. "This has prompted concern that some cases may go unrecognized or undiagnosed."

The DOH is just beginning to analyze wastewater samples for monkeypox, utilizing the state's Wastewater Surveillance Network, which was established in the last two years to monitor the spread of COVID-19, health officials said. (The department also used the network as a resource to screen for polio in light of the recent Rockland County case.)

A wastewater testing project in the San Francisco Bay Area that has monitored area sewer systems since June 19 found traces of the monkeypox virus in 10 of 11 sewer sources.

Experts hope that wastewater testing will help flag the presence of an infection in a community  and the number of people infected  days or weeks before symptoms appear. In the case of COVID-19, this early detection has enabled health agencies to direct resources to infection hotspots and alert residents to take precautions.

State health officials note that many people also exhibit pre-symptoms, like fever, fatigue or headache, which can be an early warning for individuals before a rash emerges.

"Prior to this outbreak, the thought with monkeypox was there were no 'asymptomatic' cases  everybody progressed to a rash," DOH spokesman Cort Ruddy said. "And, typically, monkeypox virus spread has been closely connected to contact with lesions."

The state had a total of 1,383 confirmed monkeypox cases as of July 29, accounting for more than a quarter of nearly 5,000 known infections nationwide, according to figures from the CDC and the state Department of Health.

About 94 New York cases are located outside New York City, including three in the Capital Region, in Columbia, Greene and Albany counties, respectively.

The state Department of Health this week began releasing demographic data for confirmed monkeypox cases in counties outside New York City, figures that suggest that the disease is confined almost exclusively to adult men who have sex with men and that Hispanic communities are disproportionately affected. At least 35 percent of all people infected with monkeypox in upstate New York and downstate suburbs identify as Hispanic.

In New York City, which releases its own demographic data, the racial distribution of cases is slightly more balanced between Black, Hispanic, white and other races. At least three women and one person under age 19 in the city have confirmed monkeypox infections.

Federal and state health officials are scrambling to boost vaccine and testing supplies to keep pace with the nationwide outbreak, which is currently surging highest in New York. The U.S. currently has the second-highest number of monkeypox cases in the world, trailing Spain.

The U.S. Federal Drug Administration announced Thursday it will release an additional 786,000 doses to jurisdictions, adding to the 300,000 that have already been distributed.

The FDA approved the two-dose Jynneos vaccine in 2019 for adults who are at high risk of exposure to monkeypox, which is caused by the same family of viruses as smallpox.

The Jynneos vaccine is made by the Danish biotech company Bavarian Nordic. The FDA has been criticized for delays in inspecting and signing off on a Danish manufacturing plant, which prevented doses from being distributed.

The agency says it has expedited its inspection and approval of the plant, releasing the additional doses to the public.

The state Department of Health also overcame a regulatory delay this week, becoming the last state to approve Quest Diagnostics' monkeypox test, giving providers another option when it comes to labs that can process samples and detect the monkeypox virus.

Quest uses a unique PCR technology to test samples from individuals who are presenting with a suspicious rash. New York's approval process for new diagnostic devices involves an added layer review compared to other states.

Specimens can also be tested at the state's Wadsworth Center in Albany, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, as well through private labs including LabCorp, Mayo Clinic, Aegis Sciences Corporation, Sonic Healthcare, and UR Medicine Lab.

"New York still faces a disproportionate number of monkeypox cases, and we will continue to meet this moment with urgency and aggressive action," Gov. Kathy Hochul said earlier this week.

The Times Union spoke to nearly a dozen Capital Region health care providers and urgent care centers this week who said their physicians were not prepared to screen for monkeypox.

State Department of Health officials said New York has ample capacity to process samples and has provided training and guidance on specimen collection to health practitioners. It's up to the providers to implement that guidance, a spokesman said.

Vaccines, which in the Capital Region currently are distributed through the Saratoga Department of Health, are also in short supply.

New York has secured more than 170,000 monkeypox vaccines to date but much of the monkeypox resources are directed downstate, where cases are concentrated.

The limited number of vaccine clinic slots in Saratoga County are filling up the day they become available. Albany County has also received 140 monkeypox vaccine doses but has not provided distribution details yet.

A group of lawmakers has written a letter calling on the governor to declare a state of emergency over monkeypox, which they say will expedite the delivery of testing, treatment and vaccines. Hochul's office said she will review the letter.

Monkeypox is a once-rare, viral infection that causes painful lesions and sometimes, flu-like symptoms. Occasionally, it can result in hospitalization or death. Symptoms typically last from 2 to 4 weeks. Severe cases occur more commonly among children, according to the World Health Organization.

There are currently no FDA-approved treatments, but patients may have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials for a drug that has been effective in treating smallpox, according to the state Department of Health.

Anyone can get monkeypox, which is primarily spread through close, physical contact between people. Although men who have sex with men are bearing the brunt of the monkeypox right now, the virus does not differentiate. Contact does not have to be sexual. A baby and a toddler have contracted monkeypox from their parents in other states.
US Dept of Defense declares very effective use of military aid by Ukraine

The U.S. Defense Ministry announced the very effective use by Ukraine of weapons provided by Washington, as well as the preparation of the next package of military assistance.

According to the US Department of Defense, fighting continues in the east and south of Ukraine.

"Russian advances slow to a crawl, grind to a halt in some places, or are slowly reversed in areas like Kherson. Russia is failing on the battlefield and suffering domestic failures at home," a senior Defense Department official said.

According to him, "the Ukrainians have become very effective in finding and killing Russian command and control nodes and destroying swaths of Russian materiel."

"Even as Russia is talking the big talk, even as Russia is menacing the Ukrainian population, the Ukrainians continue to bravely advance. They're making tremendous use of the $8.2 billion in equipment we've provided, thus far," the official said.

It is noted that the Ministry of Defense is closely consulting with the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine to ensure the supply of the necessary materiel, including ammunition.

"DOD is putting together another security assistance package that will address those needs," the official said.

The preparation of a new package of military assistance was announced by Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov.

"We maintain a constant dialogue with the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin III. Today we discussed the latest developments since our last conversation. Im glad that the US Secretary of Defense is back with good news. Means to strengthen our defence capabilities are coming soon," Reznikov said on Twitter Friday night.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate

SARATOGA SPRINGS  Artorius earned a start in the $1.25 million, Grade I Runhappy Travers Stakes on Aug. 27 with a come-from-behind win in Fridays feature race at Saratoga, the 13th running of the $135,000 Curlin Stakes.

The race, which traditionally serves as a Travers prep, was limited to 3-year-olds that have not won a graded stake at a mile or longer this year.

Artorius came out of the gate sixth in a field of eight starters. He and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. settled into fourth place behind the pace-setting A. P.s Secret and rider Manny Franco. Ortiz asked Artorius for more run as they rounded the far turn and headed for the home stretch.

Ortiz and Artorius had enough of a lead passing the sixteenth pole that the rider was able to start gearing down. When they crossed the wire, it was Artorius by 4 3/4 lengths over Gilded Edge and jockey Junior Alvarado.

Creative Minister, the 9-5 favorite with Dylan Davis in the saddle, was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Artorius finished the 1 1/8-mile race in 1 minute, 50.34 seconds.

The order of finish was completed by A. P.s Secret, Western River, Golden Glider, Make It Big and Be Better.

If Artorius comes out of the Curlin in the tip-top shape it takes to run in the 1 1/4-mile Travers, he will have left behind all of his allowance races and Grade II and Grade III stepping stones while jumping right into Grade I company. His two-race career previous to the Curlin consisted of a second place finish in a Keeneland maiden race and a winning maiden contest at Belmont last month.

Four-time national champion trainer Chad Brown said after the Curlin, I always thought he could be in the conversation with some of my better 3-year-olds on the (Kentucky) Derby trail. But, we were patient with him.

Brown was looking for Artorius to display some of the qualities of the colts sire, Arrogate, the 2016 Travers winner and Eclipse Award winner. Maybe better late than never if he can show up on the big day like his sire did," Brown said.

The trainer saluted the breeding decision Juddmonte made to mate Arrogate to Paulassilverlining, a mare he trained. He described the mare as a seven-furlong horse. He said Artorius is the product of a Brilliant mating to the great Arrogate to put some speed into a classic distance horse like Arrogate.

In Artorius, I think we have a special one here as a result of it, he said.

Artorius went into the Curlin, a race named for the 2007 and 2008 Horse of the Year, as the second choice in the betting at odds of 5-2 behind Creative Mission, the 9-5 favorite. Artorius paid $7.40 to win, $4.80 to place and $3.10 to show. Gilded Age, who was 11-1, paid $10.30 and $4.60. A show ticket on Creative Mission was worth $2.50.
WFO PENDLETON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 31, 2022

_____

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

National Weather Service Pendleton OR

201 PM PDT Fri Jul 29 2022

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT

SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures

approaching 110 to 115. Very warm overnight lows in the upper

60s to lower 70s.

* WHERE...Portions of central, south central and southeast

Washington and central, north central and northeast Oregon.

* WHEN...Until 11 PM PDT Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Extreme heat will significantly increase the

potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those

working or participating in outdoor activities.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out

of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles

under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When

possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or

evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat

stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when

possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational

Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent

rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone

overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.

Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

SATURDAY...

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 PM SATURDAY TO 11 PM

PDT SUNDAY...

* WHAT...For the Excessive Heat Warning, dangerously hot

conditions with temperatures as high as 100 to 105. For the

Heat Advisory on Sunday, temperatures 95 to 98 expected.

* WHERE...East Slopes of the Washington Cascades.

* WHEN...For the Excessive Heat Warning, until 11 PM PDT

Saturday. For the Heat Advisory, from 11 PM Saturday to 11 PM

PDT Sunday.

...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Temperatures 95 to 105. Warm overnight lows as high as

the upper 50s to mid 60s.

* WHERE...In Washington, Northwest Blue Mountains. In Oregon,

Ochoco-John Day Highlands, Northern Blue Mountains of Oregon,

Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon, Grande Ronde Valley, East

Slopes of the Oregon Cascades and Wallowa County.

* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.

_____

Copyright 2022 AccuWeather
A Pennsylvania man has been freed on nominal bail while awaiting retrial on charges of killing his wife and then faking an all-terrain vehicle accident to cover up the slaying a decade ago
The right-wing AG contender weighs in on a controversial decision for Sunflower State voters and, at least, doesn't allow for any ambiguity regarding his position.



Here's the word . . .



Kobach said he is 100% in favor of the amendment, calling the Kansas Supreme Court 2019 decision horrendous.



It returns us to the prior status quo before the Kansas Supreme Court made that really horrible mistake, Kobach said. And as a result of that mistake, right now, youre seeing a massive increase in people coming into Kansas to get abortions. We are becoming kind of the destination abortion state of the midwest. And thats why the yes vote is so critical, Kobach said.



Kobach also stated a yes vote, would correct that error of the Kansas Supreme Court, and make clear that there is no constitutional right to an abortion in Kansas. Rather the legislature can decide how they want to regulate it.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Overall this is a hopeful report and we are certain that longtime voters won't greet it with undue skepticism.



Still . . . Even the premise cautions that youth vote movements haven't panned out for the past half century . . . Take a peek . . .



"These new politicians are working to break political molds they see unfit for serving their generation, as well as trying to get their peers to the polls despite young people historically having the lowest voter turnout."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
In this post we gather some of the nice news that we don't want to skip over. The content is heartfelt, inspiring and offers a somewhat sweeter look at life in this cowtown.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Kansas City joins Missouri and local counties in Back-to-School Tax Holiday Kansas City families getting ready for the school year can save some money during the Missouri Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday the weekend of Aug. 5-7.

Olathe Public Schools hiring for variety of positions ahead of school year KANSAS CITY, Mo. - As the 2022-2023 school year approaches, the Olathe Public Schools district is hiring for a variety of positions. They range from paraeducators and administrative assistants, to custodians, HVAC technicians, warehouse support and more. The district said it's offering shifts ranging from 30 to 60 minutes during 6 a.m.

Kansas City organization 'The College Coaching Network' opens doors for students to go to college KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Claude Harris has a vivid memory of the end of high school. "I had a 3.875 GPA, I was on the principal's honor roll, but I only scored a 17 on the ACT test," Harris said. "And I just wanted to go to college, that was my dream.

H&R Block commits to community service effort in honor of Bloch's 100th birthday - Kansas City Business Journal As part of a larger effort to better connect with clients and their communities, H&R Block proclaimed its late founder Henry Bloch 's July 30 birthday as Make Every Block Better Day. H&R Block organized more than 100 teams of its employees around the world to participate in volunteer events in their local communities over the next month.

Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said that the organization encourages its players to be "civically active" Chiefs Chairman and CEO Clark Hunt said that the organization encourages its players to be "civically active" and supports them when endorsing a candidate or position.

Officials approve $15 million to improve roads, add fire station near future De Soto Panasonic plant KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After Kansas officials announced a Panasonic plant will be built in De Soto, Kansas, the work to support the project is underway. On Thursday, the Johnson County's Board of County Commissioners approved $15 million to improve infrastructure and ensure there is fire protection near the plant.

Missouri grant targets food insecurity, but urban farmers complain of high upfront costs The Missouri Department of Agriculture's Food Insecure Urban Agriculture Matching Grant will award up to $50,000 to nine urban farms who are helping to address food insecurity in their communities. The grant is significantly higher than in previous years, signaling that lawmakers and the Department of Agriculture are making food insecurity a priority.

Arthur Bryant, Gates Bar-B-Q Make National List for Top Barbecue Rivals - In Kansas City Ask any Kansas Citian what's the best barbecue place around town, and you'll likely hear a few different answers. Afterall, it's practically in every Kansas Citians' DNA to go to bat for their favorite Kansas City barbecue. A recent nationwide list from Mashed that examined the top US restaurant rivalries put barbecue at the top...

How the Kansas City Zoo is working to restore the population of native freshwater mussels Many people think of mussels as something you find in the ocean and fry in France or boil in a black bean broth in China. But mussels are a broad category of bivalve mollusks found in rivers, ponds and lakes all over North America-or they should be, at least.

It starts with wool on 125-year-old looms; story of Pancho's Blanket weaves KC into family mission Pancho's Blanket partners with artisans in Tlaxcala, Mexico, to design and make wool jackets, blankets, and sweaters. "We pay the artists well. It's totally ethical. And it's unique because you won't get (these designs anywhere else) in Mexico," said Jonathan Garvey, a UMKC business school grad. "You can only get it from us."

Developing . . .
The suspect swiped the officer's gun and even entered a police vehicle in a struggle that offers a glimpse of the life & death consequences confronting police every day . . . Still, the shooting victim's family challenged police for a "failure" to deescalate the situation.



Accordingly, this passage is telling about the common misconception . . .



Although not commenting specifically on this case, a special agent with the ATF previously explained that de-escalation is not a mandatory tactic.



Instead, he says it's something officers try if safety and time are on their side.



"These situations can go from very calm, to very threatening and life or death situations in a split second," James Balthazar, a senior special agent at the ATF, said. "That's one of the reasons the Supreme Court, even in Graham vs. Connor, they said that people have to make allowances for the fact that officers are making these decisions in situations that are tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Body camera video shows Kansas City, Kansas man grab for gun before being shot by police KANSAS CITY, Mo. - On the same week the Kansas City area laid a North Kansas City police officer to rest, the release of another video of an officer involved shooting demonstrates how quickly a situation can turn deadly. KSHB 41 obtained body worn camera video from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department in the shooting death of Lionel Womack .

Take a look at a better glimpse of the footage . . .



You decide . . .


As we slouch toward election day, it's important to share some of the best reporting and insight on a life & death decision for the Sunflower State.

As always, we try to present info from both sides . . . But the reality is that progressive media is making a full court press on this topic and they're "reporting" is far more substantial.



Still . . . We'll do our best to give an overview of how this election looks going into the weekend . . .



Western Kansas offers a glimpse of what an abortion ban might look like for Kansas City and Wichita HAYS, Kansas - The westernmost abortion provider in Kansas sits in the eastern half of the state - in Wichita. So for someone in Hays or Dodge City, it takes more than two and a half hours to drive to the nearest clinic.

Americans Generally Support Abortion Access, But A Vote In Kansas Has Exposed How Protecting Reproductive Rights Won't Be That Simple In the weeks since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, Republican lawmakers in more than a dozen states have moved swiftly to eliminate or severely restrict access to abortion - even though most Americans believe the medical procedure should stay legal.

Kansas nuns oppose state abortion amendment, challenging archbishop Two Kansas nuns are voicing opposition to a proposed abortion-related amendment to their state's constitution, despite its support by the local archbishop. The nuns argue that the measure, if approved, would have negative repercussions for women and allow politicians to "impose religious beliefs on all Kansans" by passing restrictive abortion bans.

The big upcoming vote on abortion rights in Kansas, explained Next week in Kansas, abortion rights will face the first test at the polls since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade . In 2019, Kansas's Supreme Court ruled that the state's constitution protects the right to an abortion.

Kansas Will Be the First State to Vote on Abortion Since the Fall of Roe Next week, Kansas voters will be the first in the nation to decide whether their state protects the right to abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

Jewish leader shares perspective on Kansas abortion amendment Next week, Kansas will be the first state in the nation to vote on abortion restrictions since Roe v. Wade was overturned. While some Christian groups lead the charge for "yes" on Amendment 2, other religious leaders are voicing their own opinions.

Kansas attorney general's opinion criticized as spin to promote anti-abortion amendment Derek Schmidt issued an attorney general's opinion that said tighter abortion laws would not outlaw procedures to end medically dangerous pregnancies. But abortion advocates say the opinion is designed to build political support ahead of a statewide vote on whether to allow for tighter abortion rules and a possible ban.

Ad check: Looking at 'Value them Both' and the funding driving the messaging As Kansans head to the polls on Aug. 2, one major issue has all eyes on the center of the country: Abortion. Kansas Amendment 2 will be the first public vote on abortion since Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court in June.

Kansas Considers Post-Dobbs Constitutional Amendment on Abortion | National Review Kansans will vote Tuesday on a proposed constitutional amendment declaring that the state constitution does not protect a right to abortion, marking the first such ballot measure to come to voters since the Dobbs decision.

Kansas to vote on abortion in primary: What to know WBAL NewsRadio 1090/FM 101.5 - (TOPEKA, Kan.) -- When Kansans head to the polls on Aug. 2 to vote in their primary election, they will also decide on a critical ballot measure that could impact the future of abortion legislation...

Volunteers on both sides of Amendment 2 canvas in Kansas ahead of Election Day OLATHE, Kan. - Ahead of the Aug. 2 Election Day, one race many are looking forward to is Amendment Two, better known as the Value Them Both Amendment in Kansas. Volunteers on both sides of the aisle are busy canvassing as they head into the final weekend of campaigning.

Kansas abortion amendment: How we got here Kansas is the first battleground. Voters here go to the polls Aug. 2 to determine whether the Kansas Constitution should preserve a right to abortion upheld by a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling.

These Kansas City Chiefs are campaigning for Kansas abortion vote. What they're saying The primary election is a few days away, and abortion rights are on the ballot in Kansas. Kansans will vote on an amendment that would remove the right to abortion from the state constitution, and a couple current and former Kansas City Chiefs are running anti-abortion ads in hopes of influencing voters.

The Value Them Both Amendment does not Value a Mother's Life If the Value Them Both Amendment passes, politicians in the Kansas legislature will be able to outlaw medical procedures necessary to preserve the health of mothers. The specific words of the Value Them Both Amendment, HCR 5003, suggest that the Kansas legislature does not have to allow abortion to save the mother's life or already remove an unviable fetus.

July 29, 2022, Editorial: Aug. 2 election will shape our communities for years to come Whether you live in Kansas or Missouri, you have important decisions to make on or before Aug. 2. This year's primary features statewide, regional, and citywide races to elect lawmakers who will shape the future of our communities for years to come.In Missouri, a key race is the U.S.

At least 43 abortion clinics shut in month after Supreme Court overturned Roe, research says, with more likely to close At least 43 abortion clinics have shut their doors in the 30 days since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, according to new research.

What's at stake in Kansas next week Happy Friday, rulers! Any good summer reading discoveries? I'm reading Either/Or by Elif Batuman, and I love it; more on that below in the recommendations section. Thank you to Maya Parthasarathy for your help putting the newsletter together! Email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter here .

Developing . . .
At night, Russian troops shelled one of the bedroom districts of Mykolaiv, high-rise buildings were badly damaged, one person was killed, six more were injured, Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration reports.

"At night, after 01:00 on July 30, one of the bedroom districts of the city was shelled. It is previously known that one person was killed, six were injured. According to the results of the shelling, high-rise buildings received significant damage. Detailed information is being clarified," it said on Facebook.
By Trend

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a telephone conversation on Friday, as Blinken himself told reporters, Trend reports citing TASS.

"Earlier today, I spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. We had a frank and direct conversation. I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth on the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner," the US top diplomat pointed out, referring to Washingtons proposal to exchange US nationals Whelan and Griner for Russian businessman Viktor Bout.

The parties also discussed an agreement on the creation of a humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian grain exports across the Black Sea. "I also emphasized that the world expects Russia to fulfill its commitments under the deal it reached with Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations on grain shipments from Ukraine," Blinken noted. "It is important and vital that Russia make good on the commitments its made to the world," the US secretary of state said.
There is no difference between Russian diplomats calling for the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Russian troops doing it in the colony of Olenivka (Donetsk region), they are all accomplices in war crimes, said spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko.

"Read this when they tell you Russia must not be isolated. There is no difference between Russian diplomats calling for execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war and Russian troops doing it in Olenivka. They are all ACCOMPLICES in these war crimes and must be held accountable," he said on his Twitter.
Eight Krab howitzers ready to be shipped to Ukraine from Poland

The first eight AHS Krab self-propelled howitzers produced by Poland under an intergovernmental agreement with Ukraine on the supply of weapons are ready for shipment to Kyiv, polskieradio24 reports.

"Eight Krab howitzers from the contract signed in June with Ukraine are ready to be transferred to the recipient. According to the Radio Information Agency, the equipment is awaiting the completion of the last formalities and will be transported to Ukraine," the message says.

Currently, the next training of soldiers of the Ukrainian army who will operate cannon howitzers is being completed in Poland, polskieradio24 informs.

The contract worth more than 3 billion zloty provides for the production by Huta Stalowa Wola for the Ukrainian artillery of about 60 AHS Krab and additional vehicles.

The first 18 Krab howitzers were delivered from Poland to Ukraine as part of military support in May. This equipment was donated from the funds of the Polish army, the publication says.
The White House is preparing another military aid package for Ukraine.

John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, announced this at a briefing on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

I fully expect that and I think youre going to see another one [military aid package] relatively soon, Kirby said.

The White House representative said he would not specify any dates now, however, according to him, another statement on the security assistance support for Ukraine would be announced "very soon."

Commenting on what would be included in the new package, Kirby said that you can expect to see things in line with the kinds of security assistance youve seen in the past.

As reported, the United States has already allocated 16 military aid package worth more than $8 billion to Ukraine since the year started.

iy
In Luhansk region, near the village of Verkhnokamianske, the Ukrainian forces have repulsed an attempt by an enemy reconnaissance group to advance into Donetsk region.

Thats according to the head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, Serhii Haidai, who delivered a statement via Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"Earlier, the occupiers managed to proceed with mass offensives due to a significant advantage in artillery. However, the destruction of enemy ammunition depots made it much more difficult for them to replenish arms stocks and maneuver. Throughout July, the occupiers have only been trying to storm Donetsk region. One such attempt was prevented yesterday near Verkhnokamyanske. Our troops exposed the reconnaissance group in a timely manner, inflicted fire damage on it, forcing the unit to retreat," Haidai informed.

According to the administration chief, the enemy retreated in five more directions, from where they tried to penetrate Ukraines defenses.

However, the Russians continue to destroy settlements, employing barrel and jet artillery. On July 29, they fired seven missiles, carried out seven artillery attacks, a panzer attack, as well as mortared this part of the front.

The enemy continues to exploit their aerial advantage, having struck at least six more populated areas.
The latest explosion at the penal colony in the occupied Olenivka, where the Ukrainian POWs were being held, is part of the worst kind of human rights abuses.

Thats according to Melinda Simmons, the UK Ambassador to Ukraine.

Olenivka needs investigating. It looks like part of an increasingly worrying pattern of the worst kind of human rights abuses, and poss war crimes, being committed in the occupied East of Ukraine with impunity, the ambassador tweeted Saturday.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian military deliberately attacked the facility where Ukrainian POWs were held.

The General Staff decried the Kremlin's statements about the alleged shelling of civilian infrastructure and population by the Armed Forces of Ukraine as blatant lies and provocation.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Ukrainian POWs could have been killed by mercenaries with the Wagner (Liga) Private Military Company, integrated into the Russian invasion forces.
A Sicheslav paratrooper downed a Russian Su-25 armored attack aircraft on July 29.

Thats according to the press service of the Airborne Assault Troops, Ukrinform reports.

"Yesterday, July 29, in Donetsk region, a serviceman with the air defense unit of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade of the Sicheslav Airborne Assault Division shot down with an Igla MANPADS system another Su-25 armored attack aircraft operated by the Russian occupiers," the report reads.

It is noted that with the onset of the large-scale armed aggression of the Russian forces against Ukraine, the air defense units of the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade shot down 29 enemy means of aerial attack, including 15 warplanes, seven helicopters, and seven UAVs.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, another Russian Su-25 attack aircraft was downed by the same Ukrainian unit on July 24.
Norway has transferred 14 Iveco LAV III light armored vehicles to Ukraine.

That's according to the Norwegian news site Norway Today, Ukrinform reports.

"Norway continues to contribute to the Ukrainians' fight for freedom. The government is constantly assessing how Norway can provide further support to Ukraine in the country's defense against Russia's invasion," said Defense Minister Bjrn Arild Gram, commenting on the transfer of armored vehicles.

According to the report, the Norwegian forces used the same type of vehicles in Afghanistan.

Norway has already donated other military equipment such as artillery, portable anti-aircraft defense weapons, and armored personnel carriers to Ukraine.

Photo: Forsvaret / Scanpix
The first eight AHS Krab self-propelled howitzers produced by Poland under a defense contract with Ukraine are ready to be handed over to the recipient.

That's according to Polskie Radio 24, Ukrinform reports.

The equipment is waiting for the last formalities to be completed and will be transported to Ukraine, the report said.

Currently, the further training of soldiers from the Ukrainian army, who will operate the howitzers, is ending in Poland.

The report recalls that the eight Krabs for the Ukrainian army will not be donated as part of the support provided by the Polish government to Ukraine. This is happening as part of the implementation of the intergovernmental agreement that Poland and Ukraine concluded in Kyiv in early June. The contract is worth over PLN 3 billion and provides for the production by Huta Stalowa Wola for the Ukrainian army of about 60 Krabs and additional vehicles.

The first 18 Krab howitzers were delivered from Poland to Ukraine - as part of military support - in May.

In early June, Poland signed a defense contract with Ukraine worth PLN 2.7 billion (about $650 million) for the sale of Krab self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine.

Poland earlier donated about $1.7 billion worth of military equipment to Ukraine. These include, in particular, 240 upgraded T-72 tanks, Piorun MANPADS, Krab self-propelled howitzers, as well as grenade launchers, artillery shells, etc.

Photo: Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej
Lithuania will hand over ten more M113 armored personnel carriers and packages of explosives and smoke grenades to Ukraine.

That's according to Lithuania's Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, Ukrinform reports, citing the Ukrainian service of Polskie Radio.

"Additional Lithuanian military aid will soon arrive in Ukraine," Anusauskas said.

He added that Lithuania also offers training for Ukrainian mechanics and sappers. "We are flexible and ready to help in any possible way, of course, depending on the needs reported by Ukraine," the minister emphasized.

According to him, supporting Ukraine is "our moral duty." "We must clearly understand that if we do not stop the aggressor in Ukraine, we will have a war in our own countries," Anusauskas said.

Photo: Ruslan Stefanchuk's Facebook page
The recognition of Russia as a terrorist state is needed not as a political gesture, but as an effective defense of the free world.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his nightly video address, Ukrinform reports.

Dear Ukrainians!

During this day, our state received many signals from different countries condemning the Russian terrorist act in Olenivka. The world sees the truth. And I thank all our partners who are ready to join in establishing all the circumstances of this terrible execution of our prisoners.

All evidence of this crime committed by the occupiers will be collected. Everyone is guilty  who approved, who organized, who blasted these people, who knew about it  they all will be found. But still, this is not enough now.

There must be legal steps on the part of the world community against the terrorist state. Condemnation at the level of political rhetoric is not enough for this mass murder. What relationship can be with the terrorist after that? What kind of business can be done with such a country?

Ukrainian diplomats and all friends of Ukraine abroad will increase their activity even more to track and destroy all those connections of the terrorist state with the free world, which Russia still uses.

And formal legal recognition of Russia as a terrorist state, in particular, recognition by the United States Department of State, is needed not as a political gesture, but as an effective defense of the free world. This decision will automatically make it difficult for the terrorist state to exist, and will automatically cut various political and business ties that Russia would maintain otherwise.

And all this will happen one hundred percent. It will have to be done  it's only a matter of time and the format of making this decision. And the sooner it happens, the less evil Russia will have time to do.

It is important to hear exactly the same motivation now for all our people who still remain in Donbas, in the areas of the fiercest fighting. There are hundreds of thousands of people, tens of thousands of children... Many people refuse to leave... But it really needs to be done. This decision will still have to be made. Anyway! Believe me.

And the sooner it is done, the more people leave Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill.

Therefore, if you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave, especially if they are families with children. If you have the opportunity to help displaced people, do it.

There is a government decision on mandatory evacuation from Donetsk region, everything is being organized. Full support, full assistance  both logistical and payments. We only need a decision from the people themselves, who have not yet made it for themselves. Go, we will help.

We are not Russia. That is why every life is important for us. And we will use all available opportunities to save as many lives as possible and to limit Russian terror as much as possible.

At this stage of the war, terror is the main weapon for Russia. And that is why the main task of every Ukrainian, every defender of freedom and humanity in the world is to do everything to isolate the terrorist state and to protect as many people as possible from Russian attacks.

I am grateful to everyone who is fighting for Ukraine! To our heroes!

Grateful to everyone who saves our people from this Russian terror!

We will defeat everyone!

Glory to Ukraine!
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said the Netherlands will not stop providing military aid to Ukraine.

He wrote this on his Twitter account, Ukrinform reports.

"Following my recent visit, I spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the grain deal and missile attacks on the ports of Odesa & Mykolaiv. The Netherlands continues to support Ukraine, especially at this crucial juncture. There will be no let-up in deliveries of Dutch military support this summer," Rutte said.

Zelensky earlier discussed defense cooperation and financial support from the EU with Rutte.

Zelensky said the Netherlands was among Ukraine's top ten partners in terms of the amount of security assistance provided to the country.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Azerbaijani Armed Forces came under fire in direction of Kalbajar region, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry

On the morning of July 30, units of the Armenian armed forces from positions in the direction of the Yenikend settlement of the Basarkechar region shelled the positions of the Azerbaijani army in the direction of the Demirchidam settlement of the Kalbajar region from various weapons.

The units of the Azerbaijani army took adequate response measures, the opposing fire was suppressed, the Ministry of Defense said.
Russian assets, frozen in the European Union, that can be used by Ukraine must be handed over to the embattled country, while the rest must be sold at auctions, with the proceeds being transferred to the Ukrainian budget.

Thats according to Guildhall, Ukrinform reports.

"We have to be very frank considering the Russian war against Ukraine as an international crime, everyone who is involved in and continues to make war decisions, who supports (the war - ed.) by information, financially, or even morally, everyone is responsible. And it's not just about political responsibility or moral responsibility, the imposing of sanctions and marginalization -- it's about financial accountability. And financial accountability legally means that Russian citizens, state officials, have to pay, to pay with their wealth, for the damage, for the crimes committed by their leadership, they will pay with their investments that theyve already made in Western countries," Lithuanian Member of the European Parliament Petras Austravicius said in a comment to Guildhall.

"Those frozen Russian assets in Europe have to be very well calculated and really taken under the control by each state in whose territory the asset is located, then I believe they have to be auctioned and sold to those who are interested in the market. If there are some physical assets that could be directly used by Ukrainian side, then they must be transferred directly to the Ukrain. The rest should be auctioned in a particular country," summed up Pietras Austavicius.

At the same time, Member of the European Parliament, member of Germanys Christian Democratic Union, Michael Gahler, said Russian state assets seized in the European Union must be transferred to Ukraine as part of compensation and financing of reconstruction. Assets of illegal origin, owned by Russian oligarchs, should also be handed to Ukraine, as they are essentially state assets of the Russian Federation.

Yes, many countries have already frozen Russian assets, but even where they are frozen, there is still a very large scale to work. Further, I hope we find the legal base to return them to Ukraine for reconstruction. There are two types of assets, those assets which state-owned, here I believe there wont be any problems  whatever belongs to the state and state-owned Russian companies, all this money should be transferred to pay compensation to Ukraine for the damage, destruction, and crimes committed by the Russian Federation, MEP said.

The second type of assets is the oligarchs assets. Here I propose an approach similar to how they worked with the Italian mafia  let them prove the origin of this money, whether it is legal or stolen from Russian taxpayers. This should also be proven by the Russian state  a kind of reversed proof procedure should be applied. And if it's illegal money, which means it also belongs to the Russian state, in this case, I hope it can also be confiscated. Legal specialists must deal with the issue in order not to lose months of time, said Gahler

Earlier, a member of the Swiss Parliaments Foreign Affairs Committee, Nicholas Walder, commenting on the legal side of transferring to Ukraine the assets seized from Russia, said that Russian funds seized from criminals or sanctioned individuals and entities, the ones that are kept in Swiss banks, as well as in other Western countries, must be utilized by Ukraine.
Further bloody and shameful pages are added to the list of Russian war crimes, committed in Ukraine, daily, if not hourly.

Thats according to a statement by Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, who spoke at the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Ukraine on July 29, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Kyslytsya spoke of the latest Russian atrocities committed in Ukraine, including torture of prisoners of war and their killing and blowing up of a penitentiary facility where captured servicemen with the Azov Regiment had been held  in the occupied town of Olenivka, Donetsk region. According to the ambassador, the move aimed at covering up torture and executions committed in the said penal colony.

Kyslytsya also recalled the Russian missile strike that hit the Odesa seaport hours after the grain export agreement was signed in Istanbul, the shelling of a residential building and two rehabilitation facilities in Odesa region, and a five-storey apartment block in Chasovyi Yar, Donetsk region, a missile strike at the center of Vinnytsia, the recent strikes on civilian targets in Kropyvnytskyi, Kyiv region, Chernihiv region, and daily shellings of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv.

It is outrageous that Russia still tries to disseminate fakes instead of fulfilling its obligations. To be frank, a diplomatic note, sent this week and signed by the Russian charge, should be subject to consideration by medical specialists, rather than the Security Council members, Kyslytsya told the UNSC.

The note claimed that the Russian armed forces do not target civilian infrastructure.

Seriously! Does the Russian diplomat believe that the Security Council is the studio of a Skabeyeva show? Kyslytsya said, referring to an infamous propaganda panel show aired on one of the federal TV channels and hosted by one of the Russian propagandas most notorious talking heads.

Killing innocent children  that is what Russian murderers call de-Nazification, Kyslytsya stressed, adding that another declared goal  so-called demilitarization  means razing Ukrainian cities to the ground, with civilian infrastructure being among the primary targets.

As of June, for instance, the Russian war has led to the destruction or damage of 116,000 residential buildings that were home to 3.5 million Ukrainians. 183 religious sites, including 173 Christian, five Muslim and five Jewish, were destroyed in 14 Ukrainian regions, Ukraines Permanent Representative to the UN said.

Russia has resorted to terrorism to intimidate and to undermine our resolve to resist, Kyslytsya said, noting that to this end, they have fired more than 3,000 missiles on cities and villages throughout Ukraine.

The effect, however, is quite the opposite, and Ukrainian society is united in its aspiration to liberate our sovereign territories and to bring all those responsible for the killing and destruction to justice, the ambassador emphasized.

Addressing the Russian permanent representative to the UN, Kyslytsya said that all perpetrators of the atrocities will be held accountable and that the Soviet seat that Russia has taken up in the UN Security Council will not help them escape punishment.
The European Union should stop issuing tourist visas to Russians and officially recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said this on Twitter, Ukrinform reports.

"The EU must consider Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. I repeat the proposal to impose an EU tourist visa ban for Russian citizens," Rinkevics said.

He condemned "the brutal murder of Ukrainian POWs by the Russian Armed Forces in Olenivka and ongoing atrocities committed by the Russian military against Ukraine."

Earlier reports said that Ukrainian law enforcement officers had opened a criminal investigation into the shelling by Russian troops of a prison in Olenivka, Donetsk region, which killed about 40 people and injured 130.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian military deliberately fired at a prison in Olenivka, which housed Ukrainian prisoners of war.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, mercenaries from the Wagner private military company carried out the murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the temporarily captured town of Olenivka.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Turkiye handed over 13 unmanned, remote-controlled mine clearance vehicles to Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing the Turkish Ministry of National Defense's Twitter post.

"The Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan received 13 MEMATT remote-controlled vehicles developed by the Turkish Military Factory and Shipyard Management (ASFAT) defense company. Thus far, a total of 20 vehicles have been delivered to Azerbaijan," the ministry tweeted.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to Mohammed VI, King of Morocco on the occasion of National Holiday, Trend reports.

"Your Majesty,

Dear Brother,

I am privileged to convey my sincerest congratulations and the best wishes to you and through you, to the brotherly people of Morocco on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of your countrys National Holiday.

I am confident that we will continue to put joint efforts to boost the traditional friendly relations between Azerbaijan and Morocco both bilaterally and multilaterally, and in particular, to fully benefit from the potential of our cooperation of mutual interest in the framework of the UN, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement.

On such remarkable day, I wish you strong health, happiness, success in your work, and everlasting peace and prosperity to your brotherly people," the letter said.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :Charg D'affaires of Philippine to Pakistan Dan Erwin Bagaporo and Cultural Office Maria Agnes M. Cervantes on Saturday said the promotion of cultural relations between Pakistan and the Philippines will also strengthen bilateral economic and trade relations.

Cultural, diplomatic, economic and trade ties have been established between the two countries in many potential sectors, which have wider possibilities of further strengthening bilateral relations in the future, she said.

She expressed these views while addressing the cultural show along with senior diplomats and first secretary of embassy Dan Erwin C.Bagaporo, organized by the embassy of Philippine to promote the cultural cooperation between Pakistan and Philippines.

On the occasion ,senior diplomats from the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) including Indonesia, Vietnam, Mayamar,Thailand and Malaysia attended the Cultural Show.

Meanwhile, talking to APP, Maria Agnes said that Pakistan and the Philippines have extensive opportunities for promoting mutual cultural, economic and trade relations.

The Philippines is a representative of a strong cultural heritage, which has many similarities with Pakistan's culture and civilization, which can be helpful in bringing the two countries closer.

She said that Pakistan and Philippines have ample opportunities for cooperation in tourism.

The senior diplomat said that the Philippines can play a significant role in providing economic and trade opportunities to Pakistan.

"It will provide connectivity with 623 million of Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEANs) potential trade market," he said.

In addition, the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has been signed for free trade with ASEAN countries, including Philippines, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which allows Pakistan to benefit from it through Philippines, she said.

She said that ASEAN countries, Asian Pacific countries, Australia and New Zealand are included in this Free Trade Agreement, which allows Pakistan to benefit from the emerging economic markets of these countries.

Today, regionalism is on the rise in the trading world that is why ASEAN is one of the largest trading blocs in the world, with the RCEP bloc accounting for 30% of world trade, which is important in global trade.

Charg D'affaires said that this century called as the century of Asian region and the emerging economies in Asia have great trade and economic opportunities for the world.

She said that other economies, including Pakistan, need to be connected to the global supply chain so that they can reap the benefits.

On this occasion, diplomats and First secretary of embassy of Philippine, Dan Erwin C.

Bagaporo while talking to APP said Pakistan and Philippine have enriched culture and both sides can promote good people to people contacts as well.

He also said that there is a great similarity between food and culture in Pakistan and Philippines which also included many common dishes.

Talking on economic and trade, he said that joint trade between Pakistan and ASEAN countries including the Philippines was not in line with its potential.

This requires further efforts in both and finding some untapped sectors in ASEAN and Pakistan.

He said that there are ample opportunities in the global market including ASEAN for Pakistan's textile sector, local garments and other agricultural products.

It is pertinent to mention that the Philippines and Pakistan signed two economic agreements, namely the Philippines-Pakistan Trade Agreement and the Philippines-Pakistan Agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investment on September 29, 1961 and April 23,1999 in Manila, respectively.

The latter Agreement is presently under review by both sides to bring it into conformity with the emerging global trade and investment patterns.

During the second round of Philippines-Pakistan Policy Consultations held last April 1, 2004, both sides agreed to rejuvenate the trade and investment relations between the Philippines and Pakistan through a Philippines-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission or JEC at the Ministerial level.

The first-ever JEC, however, met many years later in Islamabad in 2018.

It is expected that the Bilateral Policy Consultations Talks to be held in 2022 will in tandem also cater to the holding of the second round of Joint Economic Commission this year.

The annual figures for 2020 and 2021 show considerable increase in bilateral trade despite Covid-19 restrictions in the past year.

The total bilateral trade in 2020 which stood at US$149.98 million rose to US$215.95 million in 2021.

Just to give the latest one month figures; in February 2022, Pakistan's exports to the Philippines stood at US$ 25.254 million and imports from Philippines at US$ 3.659 million.

With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions, the trend seems pointing toward much higher figures by the end of the year.

Top exports to Pakistan include garments, paper products, cosmetics, dairy products, processed fruits, coconut products, tobacco, electronic components and machineries, iron, steel, cement and chemicals. Top imports from Pakistan include housewares, Textiles, processed foods, dairy products, marine products, fresh foods, tobacco, textile yarns and twines, and industrial products.
UNITED NATIONS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :A top UN official said Friday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ending, despite an "encouraging" grain deal.

Briefing the UN Security Council, Rosemary DiCarlo, UN under-secretary-general for political and peace-building affairs, said the recent agreement on the safe resumption of grain exports via the Black Sea was a bright light in the conflict, though acknowledging the dim prospects for peace.

"The grain agreement is a sign that dialogue between the parties is possible in the search to ease human suffering," DiCarlo told the 15-member Council.

She added that the UN is making every effort to support implementation of the deal, which was signed last week in Trkiye.

The war's impact globally is "glaringly clear", said Ms. DiCarlo, noting that the consequences will only become more pronounced the longer fighting lasts, particularly with the onset of winter.

"Despite the encouraging developments on grain and fertilizers, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of prospects for a shift towards a meaningful resumption of diplomatic efforts to end the war," she told the Security Council.

"Escalatory rhetoric from any side, including about expanding the conflict geographically or denying Ukraine's statehood, is not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated in Istanbul." Ms. DiCarlo said that since her last briefing in late June, deadly attacks by Russian forces have continued unabated, reducing many Ukrainian cities and towns to rubble.

The number of civilians killed, wounded, or maimed has also increased. As of Wednesday, there were 12,272 civilian casualties, including 5,237 deaths, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR.

"This represents at least 1,641 new civilian casualties since my last briefing: 506 killed and 1,135 injured. These are figures based on verified incidents; the actual numbers are considerably higher," she said.

Ms. DiCarlo also warned of reported efforts to alter administrative structures on the ground, including attempts to introduce local governing bodies in Russian-controlled areas, which raise serious concerns about the political implications of the war.

"As the conflict enters a more protracted phase, attention is increasingly turning to its longer-term humanitarian, recovery, reconstruction, and socio-economic impact. As summer wanes, the need for winterization planning is also becoming pressing," she said.

"Regrettably, political dialogue has virtually ground to a halt, leaving people without the hope that peace will come anytime soon." UN agencies also continue to document damage and destruction to civilian infrastructure such as homes, schools and healthcare facilities.

The impact on the health sector is "particularly alarming", she said, as there have been 414 attacks so far, resulting in 85 deaths and 100 injuries.

"This includes 350 attacks on facilities in areas of conflict, where on average around 316,000 patients were treated per month," she said.

Since the start of the war, the UN and humanitarian partners have provided aid to some 11 million people, including in the form of food and livelihood assistance, protection services, mine clearance, and in accessing safe water and sanitation.

Nearly six million Ukrainian refugees have found shelter across Europe. Since the war began on 24 February, border crossings from Ukraine have totalled more than 9.5 million, while crossings to Ukraine numbered 3.8 million.

"We are concerned that winter will make it harder for the displaced or the returnee community to have access to shelter and health care," said Ms.

DiCarlo.

She also drew attention to the war's specific impact on women and girls, particularly in areas such as food security and health.

Women's access to health services, including sexual and reproductive health, is rapidly deteriorating, as is access to newborn and child healthcare. They are also now largely responsible for home-schooling, as access to education is severely hindered due to the constant threat of bombing.

"Further, women in Ukraine face significantly increased safety and protection risks," she added.

"Incidents of gender-based violence, including allegations of sexual violence in conflict have increased, but services for survivors are not provided in full. It is also likely that many victims and survivors are currently unable to report their cases." Ms. DiCarlo stressed that it is especially for these reasons why women must be meaningful participants in discussions and initiatives to shape the future of the country, including peace negotiations, recovery efforts, peacebuilding and accountability efforts.

The top UN humanitarian official in Ukraine, Osnat Lubrani, was in the port city of Odessa on Friday, together with the country's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and ambassadors from G7 countries, according to her official Twitter account.

This week saw the start of an operation under the grain exports deal, known as the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC), which will monitor ships transporting grain, as well as related foodstuffs and fertilizers, from Odessa and two other ports along the Black Sea.

The JCC brings together representatives from Ukraine, Russia, Trkiye, and the UN.

Ms. Lubrani wrote that she was "very hopeful for the movements of ships to take place soon, taking much needed grain and related foodstuffs from Ukraine to countries that need them the most".

The visit took place on Ms. Lubrani's final day as the UN's Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine. Her successor, Denise Brown, will assume the post starting on Saturday.

The launch of the Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) is an example of how the international community can affect change even amid the war in Ukraine, a UN humanitarian official said in the capital, Kyiv, on Friday.

Saviano Abreu of the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, was among representatives from six UN agencies who briefed journalists on their ongoing operations to assist millions both within and outside Ukraine whose lives have been uprooted by the conflict.

"Although the world's attention seems to be moving elsewhere, the situation in the country is far from any change," he said.

While humanitarians have provided support to 11 million people so far, he said "we do know that it is not enough".

Abreu reported that since the start of the Russian invasion, aid workers have not been able to send relief items to areas beyond the government's control.

He underscored the obligation to allow free and safe humanitarian passage to all people in need.

"We saw this week that when there is a will, things can change", said Abreu, referring to the JCC launch.

"Now we have to go one step further and make sure that no one is left behind also here in Ukraine. We need the parties to gently agree on humanitarian access to all regions of Ukraine, so we can save lives and alleviate the suffering of people who have endured these five months of war."
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday will visit Jhal Magsi, Balochistan province to review the damages caused by the recent floods and the ongoing rescue, relief and rehabilitation activities.

The Federal ministers and other relevant authorities will be accompanying the prime minister.

Earlier, the prime minister's scheduled visit to flood-affected areas of Balochistan province was deferred due to inclement weather, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.

Due to severe weather conditions, the prime minister could not visit other flood-hit areas of the country. During his visits, the prime minister had to review the rescue and relief activities in the affected areas.

A few days back, the prime minister also chaired a detailed meeting over the rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures in the flood-affected areas.

The meeting was apprised about the distribution of financial support among the flood affectees.

Under the prime minister's direction, affected families who lost their members during the natural calamity were provided with the monetary support of Rs1 million each. The prime minister had also directed for increasing the financial aid to the injured and enhanced compensation support for the damaged houses.

The direction was passed for increasing the amount for the injured and affected from Rs50,000 to Rs200,000. Besides, support for the partially damaged homes had been increased from Rs25,000 to Rs250,000 each and for those completely damaged houses, the amount was amplified from Rs50,000 to Rs500,000 each.

The prime minister had also constituted a special committee comprising the federal ministers to effectively supervise the rescue and relief activities.
JACOBABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Jul, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday visited the flood-hit areas of Balochistan to review rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officers, chief secretary Balochistan and NDMA Chairman Lt. General Akhtar Nawaz briefed the PM about the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the flood-affected areas of the province, PM Office Media Wing said.

The PM took an aerial view of Goth Ali Mardan Shambani in district Jhal Magsi and other affected areas to assess the losses and the chief secretary Balochistan during the flight gave details about the flood situation and the relief operations.

He stopped at the Shambani village and met with the people affected by the floods.

The PM directed for establishing of a medical camp and provision of medicines for the affected village.

He also ordered posting of a veterinary doctor for the livestock and asked the authorities to immediately arrange two boats and ration for the villages and speed up the relief activities for the affectees.

Chief Secretary Balochistan immediately sent additional teams for relief activities in the flood affected areas. On the instructions of the PM, later on the medical camp was established, relief goods and medicines were delivered and a veterinary doctor arrived at the Shambani village.

Talking to media, the PM said he came to Balochistan to assess losses in affected areas including Quetta, Zhob, Chaman, Killa Saifullah, Loralai and Lasbella.

The PM had also held a meeting with the chief ministers and chief secretaries of provinces a few days ago in Islamabad and decided about the relief measures.

Shehbaz Sharif said 300 people including 124 in Balochistan lost their lives in the flood affected areas, adding the government would give Rs one million each to the families of those who lost their lives. The provincial government would also give Rs one million to the families of the deceased.

He said the government would also give Rs 500,000 each for totally damaged houses and Rs 200,000 for partially damaged houses.

He said he had constituted four committees which would hold consultation with the provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan governments to assess the losses of livestock and damage to the crops, adding in the next meeting in Islamabad on August 3, the situation after floods would be further reviewed.

Later in tweets on his Twitter handle, the PM said: "I visited the flood-hit areas of Balochistan today to oversee the ongoing relief work & express solidarity with the affected people. The Federal government is working with the provincial government to provide immediate relief to the people. The work will be further accelerated.

About 300 including 124 people from Balochistan have lost lives in the floods. Although there is no compensation for human life, the federal govt is paying Rs 10 lakh to every household of the deceased. I have also ordered increase in financial assistance for damaged houses.

"These are certainly challenging times in which people have suffered huge losses due to floods and torrential rains. I assured the flood affectees that we will not leave any stone unturned to provide them relief and ensure their rehabilitation."
(@FahadShabbir)

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday arrived here to visit the flood-hit areas of Balochistan to review rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures

JACOBABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday arrived here to visit the flood-hit areas of Balochistan to review rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) officers, chief secretary Balochistan and NDMA Chairman Lt. General Akhtar Nawaz briefed the prime minister about the rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in the flood-affected areas of the province, PM Office Media Wing said.

The prime minister took an aerial view of Goth Ali Mardan Shambani in district Jhal Magsi and other affected areas to assess the losses and the chief secretary Balochistan during the flight gave details about the flood situation and the relief operations.

He stopped at the Shambani village and met with the people affected by the floods.

The Prime Minister directed for establishing of a medical camp and provision of medicines for the affected village.

He also ordered posting of a veterinary doctor for the livestock and asked the authorities to immediately arrange two boats and ration for the villages and speed up the relief activities for the affectees.

Chief Secretary Balochistan immediately sent additional teams for relief activities in the flood affected areas.

Talking to media, the PM said he came to Balochistan to assess losses in affected areas including Quetta, Zhob, Chaman, Killa Saifullah, Loralai and Lasbella.

The Prime Minister had held a meeting with the chief ministers and chief secretaries of provinces a few days ago in Islamabad and decided about the relief measures.

Shehbaz Sharif said 300 people including 124 in Balochistan lost their lives in the flood affected areas, adding the government would give Rs one million each to the families of those who lost their lives.

The provincial government would also give Rs one million to the families of the victims.

He said the government would also give Rs 500,000 each for totally damaged houses and Rs 200,000 for partially damaged houses.

He said he had constituted four committees which would hold consultation with the provinces to assess the losses of livestock and damage to the crops, adding in the next meeting in Islamabad on August 3, the situation after floods would be further reviewed.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Friendly relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Swiss Confederation will continue to evolve and expand through our joint efforts both bilaterally and multilaterally, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Switzerland Fuad Isgandarov said, Trend reports.

He made that statement in congratulatory message on the occasion of the National Day of The Swiss Confederation.

"I would like to cordially congratulate the Swiss people, our distinguished colleagues in Bern, and reliable partners from all cantons of the country on the occasion of the National Day of The Swiss Confederation.

It is gratifying to see the really developing relations between our countries. This year both Azerbaijan and Switzerland celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. The level of political dialogue and economical partnership is constantly increasing," Isgandarov noted.

According to him, just from May through July many significant events were organized. The official visit of the speaker of Azerbaijan's Parliament to the Swiss Confederation, new round of bilateral political consultations between foreign agencies in Bern, participation of Azerbaijani ministerial delegation in jubilee meeting of Bretton Woods Constituency in Bad Ragaz played an important role in the strengthening and deepening of mutually beneficial cooperation between Azerbaijan and Switzerland.

The ambassador emphasized that economical cooperation could be illustrated by two examples-Azerbaijan now is one of the guarantees of energy security of Switzerland when the Swiss Confederation became one of the main partners of my country in non-energy (oil and gas) spheres. Cultural communication and people to people contacts are becoming an essential part of cooperation.

"I am confident that the friendly relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Swiss Confederation will continue to evolve and expand through our joint efforts both bilaterally and multilaterally. I wish prosperity and successful development to the friendly people of Switzerland, good health and happiness to every Swiss citizen," Isgandarov stated.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :The Security Forces on Saturday killed six terrorists in intense exchange of fire during an operation conducted to apprehend them in general area Hoshab of District Kech.

The Security Forces on July 29, on information regarding movement of a terrorist group on motorcycles towards Panjgur from Kech, an operation was conducted by the forces in general area Hoshab of Kech District, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) news release said.

After receiving the information, the security forces immediately cordoned the area and started search operation to apprehend the terrorists.

Once surrounded, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on security forces where heavy exchange of fire took place between terrorists and security forces.

A large cache of arms and ammunition was also recovered by the killed terrorists.

During the engagement with terrorists Havaldar Hidayat Ullah belonging to Lakki Marwat embraced shahadat (martyrdom) while Naik Mir Muhammad belonging to Waziristan got injured.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) has set up a "stakeholders' network," comprising parliamentarians, representatives of law enforcement agencies, media and other departments concerned, for the prevention of human trafficking in the country.

This initiative has been taken on the occasion of the "World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2022" aimed at preventing human trafficking with effective enforcement of legal reforms framework and ensuring required technical assistance, a news release said here.

The World Day against Trafficking in Persons is commemorated on July 30 every year across the globe including Pakistan.

SSDO Executive Director Syed Kausar Abbas said the network would play a key role in curbing the heinous crime of human trafficking which was also a violation of human rights.

He said SSDO was committed to providing technical support for the implementation of the improvised legal framework to reduce trafficking in persons.

He said it would help further increase registration, investigation, and prosecution of cases of human trafficking, besides developing practices of direct referrals of victims for services or rehabilitation.

Kausar said the recently launched helpline "0333-1110566" would serve as the main point of contact for the victims of human trafficking and bonded labour for Trafficking in Persons (TIP) victims who would be further referred for the provision of free legal aid.

He said the SSDO also held "awareness walks" in different cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Sukhar and Jhelum on the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, in which people from all walks of life actively participated.
Jesuit Fr. Alan Fogarty, the CEO of Salt + Light Media, shares his thoughts after attending the meeting of Pope Francis with the Jesuits in Canada, as well as what he hopes people will take from the Apostolic Journey.

By Francesca Merlo

After attending Pope Francis' meeting with Jesuits, Fr Alan Fogarty, SJ, CEO of Salt + Light Media, describes the private meeting as "fantastic".

Speaking to Vatican News' Griselda Mutual, the Jesuit priest noted how "at home" the Holy Father felt with his "brother Jesuits".

The Pope: one of us

Pope Francis sat with his confrers in a circle, and Fr. Fogarty says the meeting was very relaxed and personal.

"You could tell that as he presented various points and as we asked questions; he was very open and very honest just to simply respond. And in everything, he just was one of us," says Fr Fogarty.

Looking back at the "important" week that he spent with Pope Francis in Canada, Fr Fogarty notes the way in which the Pope "gave us images that we could engage with and think about how we could really engage as individuals."

One of his most consistent points was that each person, indigenous and non-indigenous alike, all have to work together, he says, and must all decide to work together.

"It's not just Canada", continues Fr Fogarty, "but around the world because colonialism and colonization and indigenous peoples are everywhere."

Getting the full balance

With the Apostolic Journey now over, and with Pope Francis back in Rome, Fr Fogarty expresses his hope that "really practical things" may come from this visit.

He hopes that as a respone people will start to say "I am going to be different now".

Why? "Because I understand what is happening. I understand the people who are hurt. I understand those who are part of residential schools, as well as the Church's perspective, to try and get a balance between the Indigenous who were are survivors and the Church's position."

Jesus is here

"It was a real effort for him to come here because as we see him struggling with his knee and so on, he wanted to show the love of the Church," continues Fr Fogarty.

What the Pope wanted was to "show that there is a way forward."

Fr Fogarty offers the example of one of the homilies in which the Pope noted that "we don't see that Jesus is walking with us and a moment arrives as a surprise and they recognize him at the breaking of the bread."

Fr Fogarty expresses his hope that we too will "have this moment where we arrive and there's a breaking of the bread and we can say, yes, Jesus is here."
Father Mark Dessureault, OMI, reflects on the significance of the important step taken by Pope Francis towards healing and reconciliation with Canadas Indigenous peoples, and speaks about the new relationship his Congregation has forged with them.

By Linda Bordoni & Fabio Colagrande

The Order of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) was involved in opening and administering Indian Residential Schools across Canada.

Today, the Congregation is actively collaborating in a process of disclosure vis-a-vis Residential Schools, and has participated in Canadas Truth and Reconciliation Commission that presented its Final Report in 2015 with 94 Calls to Action, some specifically directed towards faith communities.

The Oblates continue to accompany Indigenous communities across Canada in supportive ministries on the ground and is committed to helping its members move into advocacy strategies towards fulfilling the TRC Calls to Action in Canadian society.

Reflecting on the significance and importance of this papal penitential pilgrimage, Canadian Father Mark Dessureault, OMI, told Vatican Radio that the Oblates were among the first faith communities to formally extend an apology to the Indigenous Peoples in 1991.

Listen to Father Mark Dessureault

It's clear that this trip of Pope Francis was very, very important for us as Oblates, because it was for us a new step forward in what we started in 1991 with the apology, the official apology, and the request for forgiveness to the First Nations.

Fr. Dessureault explains that the Oblates are present across Canada, and so this pilgrimage of the Pope, whether it is in the West, in Edmonton, in the area at Lac St. Anne, or at the Sacred Heart Parish of the First Nations there were Oblates present to welcome him and thank him.

Read also 29/07/2022 Missionary priest hails Pope's Canada visit as moment of reconciliation As Pope Francis nears the end of his Apostolic Journey to Canada, Fr. Nnaemeka Ali, OMI, a Nigerian priest working with the Innu First Nations in Canada, upholds the papal visit as ...



He points out that the priest who welcomed the Pope at the Sacred Heart Church in Edmonton  Canadas only designated Indigenous Church - is Oblate Father Susai from India who has been working in Canada for the past ten years, and is deeply involved in his ministry with the First Nations.

And the same thing happened on Friday "when the Pope got to Iqaluit in the far north, he said, where OMIs have been present, and where I have been myself for ministry at least twice for replacement some years ago.



Fr. Dessurealt says that in recent years the Congregation has strengthened their "alliance with the First Nations...because of the experience of reconciliation, which we've been through since 1991."

A new relationship

He insisted on the fact that, for the Oblates, this pilgrimage represents a new step forward, also in regards to a new relationship that we're building," based on "knowing and being very much aware of the need for more adaptation and more closeness to the First Nations, recognizing that their faith is authentic and the way they live their faith through their spirituality as Nations, also has a lot of meaning.

Thats why, he adds, everywhere we are, we are the ones who adapted the liturgy in the villages and parishes, putting the liturgy in the language of the Peoples.
On the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, focused this year on the theme Use and abuse of technology, the Sovereign Order of Malta reaffirms the urgent need for more coordinated international efforts to prevent the scourge, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators.

By Lisa Zengarini

As the world celebrates the International Day against Trafficking in Persons, the Sovereign Order of Malta is calling for more effective measures against traffickers, and reiterates its commitment in combating this scourge and protecting the victims.

Human trafficking is a global problem and therefore requires a global response," said the Grand Chancellor of the Catholic Order, Albrecht Boeselager, ahead of the day, which was established in 2013, by the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness of the plight of human trafficking victims and to promote and protect their rights.

2 million people victims of human trafficking every year

According UN global estimates, every year around 2 million men, women and children, mostly vulnerable people fleeing wars, poverty or natural disasters, fall in the hands of unscrupulous criminal networks, including terrorist groups, who abduct them for the purposes of sexual slavery, forced labour, or other forms of exploitation, often grooming their victims with promises of a better life.

Read also 05/04/2022 Holy See urges protection of victims of human trafficking The Vatican Permanent Observer to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reaffirms the urgent need for more effective protection systems for victims of ...

Women, children and illegal migrants most vulnerable

Women and girls are the most affected: in 2018, for every 10 victims detected globally, five were adult women and two were girls. Migrants, especially illegal immigrants, are also particularly vulnerable groups and represent a significant percentage of victims.

Low number of convictions

Overall countries are detecting and reporting more trafficked persons and are convicting more traffickers. However, despite the existence of a comprehensive international legal framework, the number of detected victims and of criminal convictions related to human trafficking is still extremely low with only 1 in 2,154 cases of slavery resulting in a conviction  a rate of 0.047%.

Todays measures to prosecute traffickers and to protect and shelter victims are notoriously insufficient and inefficient, said Michel Veuthey Ambassador of the Order of Malta in Geneva charged with monitoring and combatting human trafficking. Legal instruments and mechanisms exist at the domestic, regional, and global level, but they are not up to the challenge of the increasing scourge of modern trafficking.

Order of Maltas commitment against human trafficking

Since 2017, the Sovereign Order of Malta has been actively engaged in promoting a better understanding of this abhorrent phenomenon. The Catholic lay organization participates and intervenes in the sessions of the Human Rights Council on the various forms of human trafficking or contemporary slavery: forced labor, forced marriages and motherhood, sale of children, pornography, and forced organ harvesting.

It is also increasing partnerships with universities in France, Italy, Switzerland and the USA on this issue. In September 2021, during the G20 Interfaith Forum in Bologna, Italy, the Order contributed to the many discussions and panels with interventions on strengthening dialogue and cooperation to weaken human trafficking, underlining the important role of religious leaders and religious congregations in the protection and assistance to victims of human trafficking.

Over the past years a number of webinars have also been organized to draw attention on the complex mechanisms of human trafficking, forced labour and sexual exploitation. In 2019 the Order of Malta organized a conference in Paris bringing together dozens of experts, including diplomats, academics, policy makers, representative of European and Nigerian institutions, Catholic organizations, and psychosocial counsellors to strengthen synergies and partnerships between the different actors engaged on the ground and at the international community level.

Refugees from Ukraine exposed to the risk of human trafficking

With the massive influx of people fleeing wars and poverty, the Order of Malta is raising attention on the risk of refugees falling victims of human traffickers. Trafficking rings are notoriously active in and around Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia has increased the risks, as repeatedly pointed out by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and many humanitarian agencies.

Read also 09/03/2022 Ukraine: Order of Malta serving those in need at the borders of war Members and volunteers of the Order of Malta in Hungary, and across the border in western Ukraine, join forces to support refugees fleeing war. Barbara Piazza-Georgi speaks of the ...



For this reason, the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to the Republic of Poland has issued an alert containing safety rules for refugees which is being distributed along the main exit routes in Ukrainian, English and Polish, and its volunteers are on the ground to assist them.

On the root causes of the phenomenon, the Order of Malta shares the view that the demand for trafficking should be criminalized, taking into account the different forms of abuse, slave labor or sexual exploitation.

The Order of Malta also advocates for physical and psychological and protection of the victims of human trafficking in addition to legal protection, accompanied by all the medical and social services which they may need.



2022 theme focused the role of technology in human trafficking

This years theme of the World Day against Trafficking in Persons focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and impede human trafficking.

With the global expansion in the use of technology - intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift of our everyday life to online platforms - the crime of human trafficking has conquered cyber space. Indeed, the internet and digital platforms offer traffickers numerous tools to recruit, exploit, and control victims; organize their transport and accommodation; advertise victims and reach out to potential clients; communicate among perpetrators; and hide criminal proceeds  and all that with greater speed, cost-effectiveness and anonymity.

Moreover, technology allows criminal organizations to operate internationally across jurisdictions and evade detection with greater ease. Traffickers use social media to identify, groom and recruit victims, including children; e-mails and messaging services are used for the moral coercion of the victims; and online platforms allow traffickers to widely advertise services provided by victims, including child photographical material.

However, as pointed out by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODOC), in the use of technology also lies great opportunity aiding investigations to shed light on the modus operandi of trafficking networks; enhancing prosecutions through digital evidence to alleviate the situation of victims in criminal proceedings; and providing support services to survivors.

Prevention and awareness-raising activities on the safe use of the internet and social media could also help mitigate the risk of people falling victim of trafficking online.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. The Embassy of Azerbaijan appealed to the compatriots living and temporarily staying in Ukraine, Trend reports.

According to the appeal, the Embassy recommends to take into account the following due to the poor security conditions in Ukraine:

- avoid trips to areas of active hostilities;

- stay away from military units and defense industry enterprises, including other military facilities that may be potential targets;

- be careful while traveling around the country, choose the safest possible route;

- don't visit public places with a large crowd of people, unless there is a serious need for this;

- carry a valid identity document with you, given that there are checkpoints throughout the country;

- comply with the curfew and other safety requirements of the competent authorities;

- keep travel documents ready (Azerbaijani citizens without valid documents can contact the embassy);

- know the available shelters and in case of air raids go down to them, but if this is not possible, take cover on the lower floors of buildings, or stay away from windows and doors, and follow the official information about the situation;

- contact the embassy in case of emergency;

- keep in touch with activists of Azerbaijani diaspora organizations, wherever they are;

- Azerbaijani citizens who are going to visit Ukraine should postpone their trips until security conditions improve, if there is no serious need for such trips.

Embassy contacts:

Phone: 044 484 69 40, 073 505 00 00, 099 408 99 43.

E-mail: [email protected].

Embassy address: Kyiv, st. Glubochitskaya 24. https://www.facebook.com/AzEmbUkraine

Consular Section Reception Hours:

receiving applications - from 10:00 till 13:00.

issuance of finished documents - from 15:00 till 18:00.

The reception of citizens on Saturday, Sunday, and official non-working days will be carried out when urgent measures are required, and on the basis of prior registration.

For other information and recommendations, please follow the embassy's Facebook page.
Pope Francis returns to Rome at the conclusion of his Apostolic Journey to Canada, and makes a stop at St. Mary Major to thank God for blessing his penitential pilgrimage.

By Devin Watkins

As per tradition, the Pope made a brief stop at the Basilica of St. Mary Major on Saturday morning upon his return to Rome at the end of his Apostolic Journey to Canada.

Pope Francis laid a bouquet of flowers on the altar beneath the ancient Marian icon Salus Populi Romani.

He prayed for a few moments to thank the Blessed Virgin Mary for her protection during his six-day penitential pilgrimage to the North American nation, according to the Holy See Press Office.

The Pope then returned to his residence in the Vatican for some much-needed rest.

Sorrow over residential schools

His 24-29 July visit to Canada shone the spotlight on the need for reconciliation and healing for indigenous peoples, especially in the wake of some Catholics involvement in the residential school system.

Pope Francis apologized for the evil committed by so many Christians against the indigenous peoples.

I am here because the first step of my penitential pilgrimage among you is that of again asking forgiveness, of telling you once more that I am deeply sorry. Sorry for the ways in which, regrettably, many Christians supported the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed the indigenous peoples. I am sorry. I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools.

The Pope repeatedly expressed his sorrow and wrapped up his visit to Canada expressing the hope that his visit might advance the search for truth to help in healing and reconciliation.
Pope Francis nearness, especially in his meetings with indigenous peoples, was the hallmark of his Apostolic Journey to Canada, which was filled with actions to underscore the penitential and reconciliatory dimension the Pope wanted to lend to the visit to Canadian soil.

By Alessandro Gisotti

"An effective process of healing requires concrete actions." Pope Francis had stressed this in the conclusion to his address to the delegations of indigenous peoples of Canada, received at the Vatican, in the spring.

The visit to Canadian soil, which the Pope carried out joyfully despite having difficulty walking, was marked precisely by those "concrete actions" that are gestures. Those actions preceded and accompanied the Popes spoken words in the North American country and, in particular, his calls for justice and forgiveness form a premise for an authentic path of reconciliation.

In some ways, the visit itself can be said to have been a concrete action "of enormous impact," to borrow Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's statement. Canadian newspapers published large photos on their front pages in these days to capture such significant gestures.

After all, only a few minutes after arriving in Edmonton, on the first stop of his visit, the Pope had already made a gesture that was as simple as it was effective in giving substance to the definition "penitential pilgrimage" which he had indicated for this Apostolic Journey: kissing the hand of an elderly indigenous lady during the welcoming ceremony at the airport.

Every papal journey can (also) be told in pictures. This is perhaps even more true this time, so strong was the symbolic value of the events and meetings starting with the one on Monday in Maskwacis, which connected well with the concluding event in Iqaluit, with the youth and elders of the Inuit people.

The Pope, in his wheelchair, silently praying in the cemetery of the Ermineskin community. The Pope kissing the red banner imprinted with the names of the children who died in the residential schools and then standing, without the aid of his cane, before the indigenous "Golden Eagle" chief who placed a headdress on his head as a sign of respect and recognition of authority.

There was also the gesture of returning the red moccasins, a symbol of the pain of so many indigenous children, which had been given to him at the Vatican four months ago. Particularly evocative was the image of Pope Francis absorbed in meditation on the shores of Lac Ste. Anne, a place that unites indigenous peoples and Catholic faithful in devotion. This offered a snapshot with an evangelical flavor to take us back to the sources of the faith and which, as he later emphasized in his homily, makes us imagine another lake, thousands of kilometers away, that of Galilee inextricably linked to the life and preaching of Jesus.

Even an "ordinary" gesture like the blessing of a sacred image in this context takes on an "extraordinary" value.

When the Pope, in the the Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, blessed the statue of Kateri Tekakwitha, the first North American indigenous woman to be proclaimed a saint, he was in fact telling us that the leaven of the Gospel canindeed mustgrow and enrich the peoples it encounters without annulling their identity and cultural and spiritual heritage, because faith is proclaimed not imposed.

Then there was a gesture that did not make the headlines but bears witness not only to the profound meaning of this journey but to one of the guiding principles of the Petrine ministry: the "revolution of tenderness."

On Thursday, at the end of the Mass in the Shrine of St. Anne de Beaupre, a mother brought her baby, suffering from a severe birth defect, to the Pope for him to bless. It was a very tender moment with the Pope who not only blessed the baby but also held him in his arms next to the mother. In this circumstance too, as in so many others during the trip, the wheelchair did not hinder his closeness to the people. On the contrary, his own condition of fragility madeif possiblethe Pope even closer to those who suffer.

Pope Francis never withdrew from the pain of the people he met.

To listen, to listen with the hearthe has shown us many timeswe must be close to our neighbor. This attitude was highly visible at Fridays meeting with former students of the residential school in Iqaluit, "at the edge of the world." Pope Francis sat among them in a row of chairs in the shape of a circle, thus placing himself "as an equal."

Having come as far as only three hundred kilometers from the Arctic Circle, he thus concretely reaffirmed with this gesture that the shepherd must have the smell of the sheep, especially the most distant and wounded ones.

His journey, therefore, saw harmoniously interwoven gestures and words, speeches and concrete actions, like the threads of the colored bands of indigenous robes.

To paraphrase the well-known researcher of mass media Marshall McLuhan (Canadian and Catholic), the gesture became the message. A message of love and reconciliation.
Two of the hardest-hit U.S. regions have raised the alert level over the monkeypox outbreak.

San Francisco declared a public health emergency Thursday. The city accounts for 281 of California's nearly 800 cases. The declaration gives health officials access to additional resources to deal with the outbreak.

New York, with nearly 1,400 cases statewide, made a similar declaration Thursday.

Worldwide, more than 21,000 cases have been reported in 78 countries, nearly all of them outside West and Central Africa, where the virus is endemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the threat level to its highest ranking last weekend.

The U.S. case count is nearing 5,000, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The federal government has not declared an emergency but announced plans Thursday to distribute nearly 800,000 additional doses of monkeypox vaccine.

U.S. health officials said they had already distributed 340,000 doses, but many jurisdictions have reported that they have had to turn away patients because of short supplies.

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.

Who gets monkeypox, and how?

The outbreak has been concentrated among men who have sex with men, though anyone can get monkeypox.

The virus spreads through contact with the rash that infected patients develop. It can also pass through bodily fluids, respiratory droplets after prolonged face-to-face contact or contaminated clothing, bedding or towels.

Men who have sex with men should have fewer sex partners in order to curb the spread, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.

"This is an outbreak that can be stopped," Tedros said. "The best way to do that is to reduce the risk of exposure."

However, he added, intolerance of homosexuality would not help.

"Stigma and discrimination can be as dangerous as any virus, and can fuel the outbreak," Tedros said.

What are the symptoms? Is it fatal?

The disease causes fever, headache, muscle pain, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes, followed by a rash, usually on the face, palms and soles of the feet. About a third of cases also develop a rash on the genitals.

The strain of monkeypox responsible for the global outbreak is rarely fatal but can be extremely painful, according to the CDC. About 10% of cases have been hospitalized "to manage the pain caused by the disease," Tedros said.

Five deaths have been reported  three in Nigeria and two in the Central African Republic.

What about vaccines and treatments?

About 16 million doses of vaccine are available worldwide, but most will take several months to be packaged and distributed, according to the WHO, which is recommending vaccination only for people at high risk, including people exposed to an infected person, health workers and people with multiple sex partners.

People vaccinated against smallpox likely have some protection against monkeypox, which is a related virus. Smallpox vaccination ended after the disease was declared eradicated in 1980.

Several antiviral medications have been approved.

How unusual is this outbreak?

The current outbreak is the first time this many cases have occurred in such widely dispersed areas outside the endemic countries in West and Central Africa.

Europe accounts for two-thirds of the cases. Nearly one-fifth are in the United States.

WHO's advisory committee did not agree on the magnitude of the threat at its meeting last Saturday, but Tedros made the decision to declare a "public health emergency of international concern," the agency's highest threat assessment.
Guatemalan police on Friday arrested journalist Jose Ruben Zamora and raided the offices of El Periodico, a newspaper he founded which has accused key political figures in the country of corruption.

The publication's staff denounced the actions as retaliation for its previous reporting on President Alejandro Giammattei, as well as Attorney General Consuelo Porras, whom the United States designated earlier this year for "significant corruption."

Zamora was arrested at his home in the south of Guatemala City on charges of "possible money laundering," Juan Luis Pantaleon, a spokesperson for the Public Prosecutor's Office, told AFP.

"It is not for his journalistic work, but as a businessman," Pantaleon said.

As he was transferred to court, Zamora told reporters he was putting himself "at the disposal of justice to see what happens."

"I imagine there must be a conspiracy, a persecution... and if that is the case, love for Guatemala must be paid with jail," he added.

The headquarters of El Periodico, which has received international recognition for its work, were raided by police.

In social media posts, the newspaper said the attorney general was "following through on her threats against the president of El Periodico. They will not silence us."

Guatemalan Ombudsman Jordan Rodas said Zamora's arrest was regrettable.

"We are in a very difficult moment. I would not like to think that we are becoming Nicaragua 2.0," Rodas said, referring to the prosecution and conviction of journalists critical of President Daniel Ortega in recent years.

In June, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights added Guatemala to its list of countries where it has noted serious human rights violations, a charge Giammattei rejects. Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua are also on the list.

The public prosecutor's office, under the leadership of Porras, has been criticized for arresting and prosecuting several anti-mafia judges and prosecutors.
When the first armored vehicles of Russia's invading army reached the heart of Chernobyl nuclear plant on the afternoon of Feb. 24, they encountered a Ukrainian unit charged with defending the notorious facility. In less than two hours, and without a fight, the 169 members of the Ukrainian National Guard laid down their weapons. Russia had taken Chernobyl, a repository for tonnes of nuclear material and a key staging post on the approach to Kyiv. The fall of Chernobyl, site of the world's worst nuclear disaster, stands out as an anomaly in the five-month old war: a successful blitzkrieg operation in a conflict marked elsewhere by a brutal and halting advance by Russian troops and grinding resistance by Ukraine. Now a Reuters investigation has found that Russia's success at Chernobyl was no accident, but part of a long-standing Kremlin operation to infiltrate the Ukrainian state with secret agents.

Five people with knowledge of the Kremlin's preparations said war planners around President Vladimir Putin believed that, aided by these agents, Russia would require only a small military force and a few days to force Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's administration to quit, flee or capitulate. Through interviews with dozens of officials in Russia and Ukraine and a review of Ukrainian court documents and statements to investigators, related to a probe into the conduct of people who worked at Chernobyl, Reuters has established that this infiltration reached far deeper than has been publicly acknowledged. The officials interviewed include people inside Russia who were briefed on Moscow's invasion planning and Ukrainian investigators tasked with tracking down spies. "Apart from the external enemy, we unfortunately have an internal enemy, and this enemy is no less dangerous," the secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said in an interview. At the time of the invasion, Danilov said, Russia had agents in the Ukrainian defense, security and law enforcement sectors. He declined to give names but said such traitors needed to be "neutralized" at all costs. Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation is conducting a probe into whether the National Guard acted unlawfully by surrendering its weapons to an enemy, a local official told Reuters. The State Bureau of Investigation didn't comment. The National Guard defended the actions of its unit at the plant, pointing to the risks of conflict at a nuclear site. Court documents and testimony, reported here for the first time, reveal the role played by Chernobyl's head of security, Valentin Viter, who is in detention and is being investigated for absenting himself from his post. An extract from the state register of pre-trial investigations, seen by Reuters, shows Viter is also suspected of treason, an allegation his lawyer says is unfounded. In a statement to investigators, Viter said that on the day of the invasion he spoke by phone with the National Guard unit commander. Viter advised the commander not to endanger his unit, telling him: "Spare your people." One source with direct knowledge of the Kremlin's invasion plans told Reuters that Russian agents were deployed to Chernobyl last year to bribe officials and prepare the ground for a bloodless takeover. Reuters couldn't independently verify the details of this assertion. However, Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has said it is investigating a former top intelligence official, Andriy Naumov, on suspicion of treason for passing Chernobyl security secrets to a foreign state. A lawyer for Naumov declined to comment. At a national level, sources with knowledge of the Kremlin's plans said Moscow was counting on activating sleeper agents inside the Ukrainian security apparatus. The sources confirmed Western intelligence reports that the Kremlin was lining up Oleg Tsaryov, a hotelier, to lead a puppet government in Kyiv. And a former Ukrainian prosecutor general disclosed to Reuters in June that Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, a friend of Putin, had an encrypted phone issued by Russia so he could communicate with the Kremlin.

Tsaryov said the Reuters account of how Moscow's operation overall unfolded "has very little to do with reality." He did not address his relationship with the Kremlin. A lawyer for Medvedchuk declined to comment. Medvedchuk is in a Ukrainian jail awaiting trial on treason charges that pre-date the Russian invasion. Though Russia captured Chernobyl, its plan to take power in Kyiv failed. In many cases, the sleeper agents Moscow had installed failed to do their job, according to multiple sources in Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine Security Council Secretary Danilov said the agents and their handlers believed Ukraine was weak, which was "a total misconception." People the Kremlin counted on as its proxies in Ukraine overstated their influence in the years leading up to the invasion, said four of the sources with knowledge of the Kremlin's preparations. The Kremlin relied in its planning on "clowns  they know a little bit, but they always say what the leadership wants to hear because otherwise they won't get paid," said one of the four, a person close to the Moscow-backed separatist leadership in eastern Ukraine. Putin now finds himself in a protracted, full-scale war, fighting for every inch of territory at huge cost. But the Russian intelligence infiltration did succeed in one way: It has sown mistrust inside Ukraine and laid bare the shortcomings of Ukraine's near 30,000-strong Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which shares a complicated history with Russia, and is now tasked with hunting down traitors and collaborators.

This internal Ukrainian turmoil burst into partial view on July 17. In a video address to the nation, President Zelenskyy suspended SBU head Ivan Bakanov, whom he has known for years, citing the large number of SBU staff suspected of treason. Ukrainian law enforcement sources told Reuters that some SBU staff recounted in conversation with them that they were unable to reach Bakanov for several days after Russia invaded, adding to a sense of chaos in Kyiv. Bakanov didn't respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Zelenskyy also said 651 cases of alleged treason and collaboration have been opened against individuals involved in law enforcement and in the prosecutor's office. More than 60 officials from the SBU and the prosecutor general's office are working against Ukraine in Russian-occupied zones, Zelenskyy added. Asked to comment on Reuters' findings, the Ukrainian presidential administration, the SBU and the prosecutor general's office did not respond. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "All these questions have no relation whatsoever to us, therefore there is nothing for us to comment on here." The Russian intelligence agency, the FSB, and the defense ministry did not respond to Reuters' questions. KGB ties Moscow's spy apparatus has been intertwined with Chernobyl for decades. After the 1986 disaster, when a reactor blew up scattering radioactive clouds across Europe, the Soviet KGB stepped in. More than 1,000 KGB staff took part in the clean-up, according to a declassified internal memo to a Ukrainian government minister, dated 1991. Then-KGB boss Viktor Chebrikov ordered his officers to recruit agents among the plant's staff and instructed that a KGB officer should hold the post of deputy boss of the plant in charge of security, according to another memo - an internal KGB communication from 1986. Even after Ukraine became independent in 1991, Moscow's spy chiefs remained powerful there. The first head of Ukraine's domestic intelligence service was Nikolai Golushko, who started his career in Soviet Russia. Before his appointment he led the Ukraine arm of the Soviet KGB. Golushko kept most of the Soviet-era officers in their jobs, he wrote in a 2012 memoir. After four months as Ukraine's spy chief, Golushko moved back to Moscow to rejoin KGB headquarters, and in 1993 became head of Russia's newly created Federal Counter-Intelligence Service, precursor to today's FSB. In Moscow, Golushko received a visit from the deputy head of Ukraine's State Security Service, Golushko wrote in the memoir. He recalled how Oleg Pugach, the Ukrainian official, asked for Golushko's help finding fabric to make the uniforms for Ukraine's intelligence officers. Golushko also wrote that Kyiv, short of its own resources and expertise, signed deals under which the SBU agreed to share intelligence information with Moscow. In exchange, Moscow provided supplies, technology and expert help with investigations. Reuters approached Golushko for comment. A colleague from an intelligence veterans' group told Reuters Golushko, now 85, was in ill health and could not answer questions. Reuters was unable to reach Pugach and couldn't independently confirm Golushko's account. Intelligence officers working at Chernobyl officially became part of Ukraine's security apparatus in 1991, but they continued to take orders from Moscow, said the person with direct knowledge of the invasion plan. "In effect, these were FSB employees," said the person. The SBU did not respond to questions about Chernobyl or historical ties to Russian intelligence.

The Chernobyl nuclear plant is a vast facility. A giant steel structure encases Reactor No. 4, ground zero of the 1986 disaster. The plant lies just 10 kilometers at the closest point from the border with Belarus, in a dense and highly irradiated forest. Russia's war planners considered control of Chernobyl to be strategically important because it sat on the shortest route for their advance on Kyiv, according to Western military analysts. The source with direct knowledge of the invasion plan said that in November 2021 Russia started sending undercover intelligence agents to Ukraine, tasked with establishing contacts with officials responsible for securing the Chernobyl power plant. The agents' goal was to ensure there would be no armed resistance once Russian troops rolled in. The source said Chernobyl also served as a drop-off point for documents from SBU headquarters. In return for payment, Ukrainian officials handed Russian spies information about Ukraine's military readiness. Reuters could not independently verify details of the source's account, and neither Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation nor the SBU responded to the news agency's questions. But a review of Ukrainian testimony and court documents and an interview with a local official show that Kyiv is conducting at least three investigations into the conduct of people who worked at Chernobyl. The investigations have identified at least two people suspected of providing information to Russian agents or otherwise helping them seize the plant, according to these documents. One of the men suspected by Ukrainian prosecutors and investigators of helping Russian forces is Valentin Viter, a 47-year-old colonel in the SBU. At the time of the Russian invasion, Viter was the deputy general-director of the plant responsible for its physical protection. In May last year, Viter oversaw a routine training exercise that was meant to simulate an attack by armed saboteurs. Armed members of the National Guard unit that protects Chernobyl took part, and rehearsed repelling the attackers by force. Viter said the exercise was a success, according to a video interview posted shortly afterwards on the plant's website. He also said he hoped Chernobyl's security team would "not need to apply the knowledge and skills we acquired in a real-life situation." Viter was seconded from the SBU to work at Chernobyl as security chief in mid-2019, according to a statement he gave to investigators. In a further statement, he said that on Feb. 18 this year  six days before the Russian invasion  he went on sick leave with a respiratory problem. By then, Russia was bolstering its troops in Belarus in preparation for an invasion, U.S. officials said at the time. Satellite images shot by U.S. satellite imagery company Maxar on Feb. 15 showed a military pontoon bridge under construction across the Pripyat River in Belarus, north of the power plant. Ukraine's police, and the SBU, were on heightened alert in response to the Russian threat, and the national police chief said in a statement at the time that security was reinforced at the Chernobyl plant. On the morning of the Russian invasion, Feb. 24, Viter said, in a statement to investigators, that he was at his home in Kyiv. He telephoned the head of the Chernobyl National Guard unit, who was at his post. By then, people at the plant knew a column of Russian armored vehicles was heading their way. Viter, according to his testimony to Ukrainian investigators, told the commander, in Russian: "Spare your people." Viter had no official authority over the National Guard, and Reuters could not determine whether the commander was heeding Viter's words when the unit surrendered after discussions with the Russian invaders. A National Guard statement identified the unit commander as Yuriy Pindak.

When the Russian soldiers finally retreated from Chernobyl after a 36-day occupation, they took Pindak and most of his unit away as captives. Ukraine says the guards are being held in Russia or Belarus. Russian officials did not comment on the unit's whereabouts. Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation is conducting a probe into whether the National Guard broke the law by laying down arms, said Yuriy Fomichev, mayor of the town of Slavutych where most of the Chernobyl workers live. Fomichev said he was not aware of anyone having been charged. The State Bureau of Investigation didn't respond to Reuters' questions about the matter. The National Guard declined to comment on the actions of individual commanders and members of the unit tasked with protecting Chernobyl. "Fighting on the territory of nuclear facilities is prohibited by the Geneva Convention," it said, adding that this was "one of the reasons" why there was no heavy fighting at the site. It referred questions about any investigation to the Bureau. Article 56 of an additional protocol to the Geneva Conventions states that nuclear power plants and other dangerous installations should not be attacked. Viter was arrested in western Ukraine and is now in pre-trial detention there on suspicion of absenting himself from his post. An extract from the court's register, seen by Reuters, shows that law enforcement agents have initiated a second investigation into Viter for suspected treason by "deliberately assisting the military units of the aggressor country, the Russian Federation, in carrying out subversive activities against Ukraine." They have yet to uncover evidence tying him to Russian special services. Viter has said in court statements that he fled Kyiv for the safety of his family two days after Chernobyl was seized but tried to stay in contact with colleagues at the plant. His lawyer, Oleksandr Kovalenko, said Viter had a legitimate reason for being off work and was unaware that he should stay at Chernobyl. The lawyer said any treason allegation was unfounded and Viter had not been served with a letter of suspicion, a step which usually precedes charges. According to the lawyer, Viter said "Spare your people" to remind the National Guard commander that many people depended on him. Viter did not discuss surrender, Kovalenko said. He added that investigators had not asked Viter about any exchange of documents at Chernobyl. Cash and emeralds The extent to which Russia infiltrated Chernobyl has focused Ukrainian authorities' attention on the SBU, the agency Viter worked for, sources said. In particular, military prosecutors on Viter's case are interested in his connection to a former Ukrainian official called Andriy Naumov, according to sources with knowledge of the investigation and a transcript of Viter's questioning seen by Reuters. Previously an official in the Ukrainian prosecutor's office, by 2018 Naumov had been appointed head of COTIZ, a state enterprise responsible for estate-management of the radioactive exclusion zone around Chernobyl. A major part of COTIZ's role was to promote "extreme tourism" in the exclusion zone, but the enterprise also had a role in keeping the site secure, according to its website. After his stint at Chernobyl, Naumov was made the head of the SBU's department of internal security, a division that investigates other officers suspected of criminal activity. Last year, the agency said it thwarted an assassination attempt on Naumov by other SBU officers. Naumov was later fired as department chief, according to Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda and a law enforcement source. Naumov vanished shortly before the invasion, a person in law enforcement said. He eventually turned up in Serbia in June. A Serbian police statement issued on June 8 said police and anti-corruption agents had arrested a Ukrainian citizen identified by the initials "A.N." on the border with North Macedonia. He had been trying to cross into North Macedonia from Serbia. A search of the BMW in which he was a passenger uncovered $124,924 and 607,990 euros in cash, plus two emeralds, the statement said. It said the individual and the unnamed driver of the BMW, who was also detained, were suspected of intending to launder the cash and emeralds, which police believe originated from criminal activities. Volodymyr Tolkach, Ukraine's ambassador to Serbia, publicly confirmed the arrested man was Naumov.

The State Bureau of Investigation confirmed a local media report that it is conducting a pre-trial investigation into Naumov for state treason. It said it was looking into whether Naumov collected information on the security set-up at Chernobyl while working at the plant and later at the SBU and passed it to a foreign state. The statement did not say what grounds it had for suspecting he passed on secrets or if it had specific evidence linking him to Russia. On March 31, President Zelenskyy issued a decree stripping Naumov of his brigadier-general rank. The same day, the Ukrainian president announced in an emotional address that Naumov and another SBU general were "traitors" who violated their oath of allegiance to Ukraine. Zelenskyy did not make reference to Chernobyl. Naumov remains in detention in Serbia and could not be reached for comment. His lawyer in Serbia, Viktor Gostiljac, declined to comment. The SBU did not reply to questions about Naumov. Decapitation For Russia's war planners, seizing Chernobyl was just a stepping stone to the main objective: taking control of the Ukrainian national government in Kyiv. There, too, the Kremlin expected that undercover agents in positions of power would play a crucial part, according to four sources with knowledge of the plan. Yuriy Lutsenko, who served as Ukraine's prosecutor general from 2016 until 2019, revealed to Reuters that at the time he left the role "hundreds" of Defense Ministry employees were under surveillance, approved by his office, because they were suspected of ties to the Russian state. Lutsenko said he believed there were similar numbers of suspected spies in other ministries. Russia's war planners were also counting on other allies to help in the takeover, five sources said. One of the most visible loyalists was Viktor Medvedchuk, a leader of Ukraine's Opposition Platform  For Life party. Putin is god-father to one of Medvedchuk's children. Since 2014, Medvedchuk has been a vocal opponent of the popular protests that called for closer ties to the European Union.
Iran has arrested a Swedish citizen on espionage charges, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday, after a court in Stockholm sentenced a former Iranian official for war crimes earlier this month.

Iran has arrested dozens of foreigners and dual nationals in recent years, mostly on espionage and security-related accusations. Rights groups call that a tactic to win concessions from abroad by inventing charges, which Tehran denies.

"The suspect had been under surveillance by the intelligence ministry during several previous trips to Iran because of (their) suspicious behavior and contacts, IRNA quoted the Iranian intelligence ministry statement as saying.

It did not give a name or say when the arrest was made but added that the suspect had a history of going to the Palestinian territories, went to non-tourist destinations in Iran, and contacted people, including Europeans, under surveillance.

The intelligence ministry statement accused Sweden of "proxy spying" on behalf of Iran's archenemy Israel, which it said would draw a "proportional reaction" from Iran.

Sweden's Foreign Ministry said it was aware of the case.

A spokesperson said the case is that of a Swedish man whom the Foreign Ministry had said in May had been detained in Iran. Tehran did not report that arrest at that time.

Relations between Sweden and Iran have been difficult since Sweden detained and put on trial a former Iranian official on charges of war crimes for the mass execution and torture of political prisoners at an Iranian prison in the 1980s.

On July 14, a Swedish court sentenced the man, Hamid Noury, to life in prison.

Iran condemned that as politically motivated.

Among other foreigners and dual nationals held in Iran are Ahmad Reza Jalali, a Swedish-Iranian researcher sentenced to death on charges of spying for Israel.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Saturday called on Muslims including those in Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival to oppose the United States. He also labeled Israel a "fake regime" created by Western nations, and likened its formation following World War II to "a cancerous tumor in the region."



Speaking at the annual Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, Rouhani said the U.S. wants to enslave the Middle East. He said regional Muslim nations should stop "rolling out the red carpet for criminals," a thinly-veiled criticism of Saudi Arabia and other regional nations that have close ties to the U.S.



Shiite-dominated Iran and Saudi Arabia, ruled by a Sunni king, are often on opposite sides of conflicts in the Middle East. Most notably, Iran backs the Houthi rebels in the ongoing civil war in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia leads a coalition of Sunni nations supporting the Yemeni government. The two nations haven't had diplomatic ties in nearly three years, following Iran's execution of a Shi'ite cleric.

Despite those differences, Rouhani said Iran considers the Saudis "brothers."



"We do consider the people of Mecca and Media [Islam's holiest cities, located in Saudi Arabia] our brothers," Rouhani said. He added that Iran is prepared to defend Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region from "terrorism and superpowers."



The U.S. has been a frequent target for fiery rhetoric from Iranian leaders since the 1979 revolution that deposed the U.S.-backed shah. But the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this year to withdraw from a nuclear deal between Iran, the U.S. and major world powers  and to consequently restore some sanctions on Iran that were removed when the deal was struck in 2015  has further inflamed those tensions.
Here is a summary of Native American-related news around the U.S. this week:

Pope Francis Apologizes to Indigenous Canadians for Residential School Abuses

Pope Francis was in Canada this week on what he called a penitential pilgrimage to apologize for the abuses First Nations, Metis and Inuit children endured in Catholic-run residential schools.

Speaking Tuesday in Maskawacis, Alberta, Francis said he was deeply sorryfor the ways in which, regrettably, many Christians supported the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed the Indigenous Peoples, and for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools.

He also pledged a serious search of the facts. Indigenous peoples have long asked for full access to Church records on abusive clergy members.

In a related development, Ermineskin Cree Chief Wilton Littlechild, facing strong criticism for gifting Pope Francis an eagle feather headdress in , defended his decision in an interview (below) with Cree/French/Iroquois journalist which she posted on her Facebook page.

In Quebec Thursday, Pope Francis acknowledged that Church members sexually abused minors and vulnerable people.

Friday, Francis was slated to meet with elder residential school survivors and schoolchildren in the Arctic town of Iqaluit.

Read the full text of Pope Francis' speech and apology

Champion of free Native American Press Dies at 88

Staff at the Native Sun News Today newspaper Thursday burned sage in a ceremonial tribute to the papers owner, Oglala Lakota citizen Tim Giago, who passed away Sunday from complications of heart disease, diabetes and, most recently, COVID-19, family members told VOA. He was 88.

Giago is remembered for founding the Lakota Times in 1981 as a weekly community newsletter for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. It later expanded coverage to state and national issues important to all tribes and was the first independently owned Native American newspaper.

In a 2017 interview with VOA, Giago described the state of Native American media at the time he began publishing.

Primarily, the papers, almost 90% of them, were owned by the tribes, and if the tribal government became disillusioned with the editor of the paper-- because perhaps they wrote something that was critical of the tribe--they just shut them down.

Giago tackled tough issuesand expressed strong opinions that earned him some criticism, gunfire, and the scorching of his newspaper office.

He was critical of the American Indian Movement (AIM), which in 1973 had occupied the settlement of Wounded Knee to protest controversial tribal chairman Richard Wilson. During the 71-day siege, several buildings, including the historic trading post where Giagos father had once worked, burned to the ground.

The battles between AIM and the tribal government were still raging when I started my weekly newspaper, Giago wrote in 2022. A strong believer in freedom of the press, I decided to use my editorial page to point out the damage the warring sides were doing to the everyday citizens of the reservation.

His nephew James Giago Davies told VOA that when Giago announced plans in 2016 to buy Wounded Knee from its non-Native owner, many tribe members slammed him for being profit driven and greedy.

They said that he only wanted to make money and that he was using a sacred site like Wounded Knee to promote himself. They didnt understand that our family has a deep sentimental connection to Wounded Knee. It was their home.

In 1983, Giago and fellow Native journalists organized the Native American Press Association, now the Native American Journalists Association. He served as its first president. Giago received an H.L. Mencken Award for editorial writing in 1985.

He rebranded his newspaper as Indian Country Today in 1992 and sold it to the Oneida Nation in 1998. In 2009, Giago founded Native Sun News Today in Rapid City, S.D.

I think he will be remembered as someone who believed that a newspaper should be independent of any organization, tribe or political party, said Davies. Of all the goals he set for himself, that was the one he was most adamant about.

Dont be afraid to stand up, the legacy of Tim Giago

Minnesota Chippewa leaders to consider changing membership requirements

The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe (MCT), which represents six Chippewa bands, this week voted to remove a long-standing requirement that members have a minimum of 25 percent blood quantum, or Chippewa blood. That is the system the federal government and many tribes use to measure Native ancestry.

Blood quantum is based on a simple formula: Half of the combined degree of Indian blood an individuals parents possess. So, if both parents have 100% Indian blood, their child will have a BQ of 100%.

Increased urbanization and intermarriage with non-Natives has diluted bloodlines. A 2021 study of population trends for MCT as a whole and its six member NationsWhite Earth, Mille Lacs, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac and Bois Forteshowed that if the current one-quarter blood quantum requirement remained, tribal membership would drop drastically by the end of the century.

In the referendum, about 65% of voters said the blood quantum requirement should be removed. Nearly 60% said each tribal Nation should be allowed to determine its own enrollment requirements. Tribal leaders must now decide whether to ask voters to amend the tribe's constitution.

Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Votes to Remove Blood Quantum from Enrollment Requirements

FBI releases names of Native Americans missing in New Mexico and the Navajo Nation

The FBI has released of a list of names and photographs of more than 175 Native Americans confirmed as missing throughout New Mexico and the Navajo Nation, which also spans portions of Arizona and Utah.

Every missing person is important. For a long time, the issue of missing Native Americans has been in the news and a lot of people have been wondering if anybody is paying attention, said Raul Bujanda, the special agent in charge of the FBIs Albuquerque Division. I am here to assure you the FBI has been paying attention, and together with our partners, we are taking a significant step towards justice for these victims, their families, and communities.

FBI Media Alert July 25, 2022 https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/albuquerque/news/press-releases/fbi-media-alert-fbi-works-with-partners-to-improve-reporting-of-missing-indigenous-persons-in-new-mexico-navajo-nation
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Minister of Defense, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov held an official meeting with Deputies of the Minister of Defense, Commanders of types of troops, Chiefs of Main Departments, Departments, and Services of the Ministry at the Central Command Post on July 30, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Commanders of the Army Corps and formations stationed in the liberated territories were also involved in the meeting via video teleconference.

Noting that during the meeting on the results of six months of the current year, held under the chairmanship of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Force Ilham Aliyev, the head of state highly appreciated the activities of the Azerbaijan Army, the defense minister noted that the opinions expressed by the head of state are important tasks assigned to the Azerbaijan Army.

The minister extensively analyzed the operational situation and the current circumstances on the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border, as well as in the Karabakh economic zone, where the Russian peacekeeping contingent is temporarily deployed, and ordered to be constantly ready to immediately and resolutely suppress any possible provocation of the opposing side.

The meeting participants were informed that inspections based on the final results of the six-month combat training process would be conducted in the troops.

Colonel General Hasanov instructed to pay attention to the professionalism of servicemen and troops combat training during the new training period, increase the intensity of exercises and field training, as well as maintain a high level of combat readiness.

The defense minister gave instructions to the relevant officers on completion of the work on preparation for the winter in the units in a planned manner, timely delivery of the necessary supplies to the units stationed in mountainous areas, the recruitment and distribution of young soldiers in the relevant units, as well as the high-level organization of preparation for the Military Oath taking ceremonies.

Analyzing the compliance with safety rules in daily service activities, Colonel General Hasanov highlighted the significance of constantly conveying these rules to the military personnel and controlling strict compliance.

At the end of the official meeting, senior officials were given specific tasks on organizing the troops service, further improving service and social and living conditions, as well as continuing the necessary measures for engineering support.
Pope Francis acknowledged Saturday that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his weeklong Canadian pilgrimage was a bit of a test that showed he needs to slow down and one day possibly retire.

Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, the 85-year-old Francis stressed that he hadnt thought about resigning but said the door is open and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.

Its not strange. Its not a catastrophe. You can change the pope, he said while sitting in an airplane wheelchair during a 45-minute news conference.

Francis said that while he hadn't considered resigning until now, he realizes he has to at least slow down.

I think at my age and with these limitations, I have to save (my energy) to be able to serve the church, or on the contrary, think about the possibility of stepping aside, he said.

Francis was peppered with questions about the future of his pontificate following the first trip in which he used a wheelchair, walker and cane to get around, sharply limiting his program and ability to mingle with crowds.

He strained his right knee ligaments earlier this year, and continuing laser and magnetic therapy forced him to cancel a trip to Africa that was scheduled for the first week of July.

The Canada trip was difficult, and featured several moments when Francis was clearly in pain as he maneuvered getting up and down from chairs.

At the end of his six-day tour, he appeared in good spirits and energetic, despite a long day traveling to the edge of the Arctic on Friday to again apologize to Indigenous peoples for the injustices they suffered in Canadas church-run residential schools.

Francis ruled out having surgery on his knee, saying it would not necessarily help and noting there are still traces from the effects of having undergone more than six hours of anesthesia in July 2021 to remove 33 centimeters of his large intestine.

Ill try to continue to do the trips and be close to people because I think its a way of servicing, being close. But more than this, I cant say, he said Saturday.

In other comments aboard the papal plane, Francis:
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has called on the Somali public to join the government's effort to help millions of people in the country affected by the drought. The U.N. says 7.7 million Somalis have been affected by the drought.

Speaking at a mosque in the country's capital, Mogadishu, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called on citizens to join his governments efforts to help Somalis devastated by the worst drought in more than 40 years in the Horn of Africa nation.

Mohamud said those affected the most by the drought are the elderly and children, who are experiencing severe malnutrition.

He says the drought and its circumstances have worsened, and it now has reached a state of famine and death. The livestock are already gone, there was much hunger, he said, but the government has been doing whatever it can to help people, and the world is helping. He emphasized that the Somali people and those abroad need to double their efforts to reach a lot of people in time of great need.

Mohamud was elected in May by the country's parliament for a second time, and he announced shortly after taking office that his government's priority was to battle the current prolonged drought that has devastated 90 percent of the country.

He also appointed a special envoy for drought response to facilitate the humanitarian activities in the country.

According to the United Nations office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 7.7 million Somalis have been affected by the drought, and nearly a million people have been displaced. Drought-related malnutrition has killed more than 500 children since January of this year.

The U.N. Migration Agency (IOM) in Somalia told VOA on Saturday the people displaced from the drought are living under extreme conditions.

Claudia Rosel is the IOM media and communications officer, and she said the numbers of those displaced by drought have been steadily increasing since the beginning of this year.

"Those who are newly displaced due to drought are on top of 2.5 million people who were already internally displaced in Somalia due to natural hazards and conflicts over the years," said Rosel. "And now what we are preoccupied with is that in just one year, we are seeing almost 1 million people nearly displaced due to drought conditions and most of them - they won't be able to go back to their communities of origin because they have lost everything."

The Somali prime minister's office said the drought has affected more than 15 million livestock -- 28 percent of Somalia's total livestock population -- while killing more than 2 million other animals.

Somalia's southern Jubaland state minister of planning, Abdirahman Abdi Ahmed, told VOA Somali service that 200 children have died because of drought-related illnesses during the past three months.
Thailands opposition parties say Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is bound by law to step down next month. With all signs suggesting he plans to stay put, however, the parties say they will ask the countrys Constitutional Court to settle a debate dividing politicians and lawyers alike.

The constitution says a prime minister can serve no more than eight years, whether consecutively or split up.

The opposition claims the clock started ticking for Prayut on August 24, 2014, the day then-King Bhumibol Adulyadej endorsed him as prime minister, and three months after he seized power in a military coup that toppled an elected government. By that count, Prayut would have to resign by August 23.

Local media reports, citing unnamed sources, say legal advisers to the House of Representatives have concluded that Prayuts first four-year term actually started in June 2019, when the new king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, endorsed him as prime minister a month after he won a controversial election tilted in his favor. Prayut himself has said he intends to serve out his current term through March, the deadline for new elections.

Prayuts coup knocked the popular Pheu Thai party from power; its now the largest party in the opposition. Spokeswoman Theerarat Samrejvanich said Pheu Thai plans to join forces with five other opposition parties in calling on the Constitutional Court to settle the controversy over Prayuts tenure in the coming weeks.

We have plans to do that, she told VOA. We [are] looking to ask to the Constitutional Court about this problem.

Prayuts official time as prime minister, she said, begins from the date that Mr. Prayut Chan-ocha became the prime minister on the first day, and we count day by day and month by month and year by year, and the 23rd of August must be the last day of the eight years.

Rangsiman Rome, a lawmaker and spokesman for Move Forward, another opposition party, said it would join in the court filing.

We agreed that we have to report this case to the Constitution Court because we believe that, by the constitution, Mr. Prime Minister cannot be [more] than eight years, and the way that we count, we count from since he started to be the prime minister in fact, he said.

Government spokesperson Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said he would not comment on the controversy, without explanation. Prayut and his cabinet, though, have given no sign of making plans to step down next month.

In May, Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, who handles legal affairs for the government, told reporters the administration would abide by any court ruling on the debate but would not seek a ruling itself.

The government will not ask for a Constitutional Court ruling on that matter since we have had no doubt about it in the first place, he said, without elaborating.

The controversy is not dividing just political opinion.

The legal community is the same, said Jade Donavanik, a legal scholar who served as an adviser to the ad hoc committee that drafted the current constitution.

Besides those who argue for 2014 or 2019, he said some lawyers believe Prayuts time as prime minister actually began in April 2017, when the constitution took effect, while Thailand was still in the grip of Prayuts military junta.

Jade himself agrees with the opposition, for two main reasons. The first is Article 158, which lays out the eight-year rule. The second is Article 264, which says the council of ministers seated the day before the constitution takes effect will remain the council of ministers after the charter comes into force.

So, when its said that way, that the Cabinet prior to constitutional effectiveness will be the cabinet subsequent to the Constitution coming into effect, that means the term of Gen. Prayut, who was the prime minister prior to the constitutions effective date, will still be the prime minister and will be the prime minister on and on. So, I read from Article 158 as well as Article 264 to mean that Gen. Prayuts term started 2014, said Jade, referring to the prime minister by his former military rank.

Udom Rathamarit, a former law professor who co-wrote the 2017 charter, has publicly endorsed the interpretation that Prayuts official time as prime minister started in 2019. Should that position hold, Prayut could potentially remain in office until 2027.

Prayut has not explicitly stated his intention to run in the coming elections. But political analyst Thitinan Pongsudhirak says the prime minister has sent clear signals he would, and that his party, Palang Pracharath, has shown no one else as an obvious alternative.

He also doubts the Constitutional Court would stand in his way. Most of the courts current justices were appointed since the 2014 coup, and they have already made a number of controversial decisions in his administrations favor.

Thitinan, a political science professor at Thailands Chulalongkorn University, said Prayuts last real test before the coming polls was the confidence vote in parliament on July 23  which he won  that capped a three-day censure debate arranged by the opposition.

After the censure debate, hes now got a clear path toward the next election and he seems to be running, he said. So ... I would be extremely surprised if the Constitutional Court is going to be the agency to derail his bid, because the judges were picked mostly from the junta era.

Actually winning the coming elections is another matter.

In a recent survey on possible candidates for prime minister, Prayut finished third behind senior figures in the Pheu Thai and Move Forward parties. Though the prime minister is not popularly elected, Thitinan said any decision by the Constitutional Court that lets Prayut serve past August would only hurt his party in the coming polls.

The sentiment is going to go against him and the Palang Pracharath party, and the Constitutional Court ruling, in the event that it goes in his favor, which I expect, will be part of that, meaning that it will be part of the adverse sentiment against him, he said.

If Prayut is forced to resign next month, the popularly elected House of Representatives and the junta-appointed Senate would hold a joint vote to choose a new prime minister.
Ukraine has demanded Russia be held accountable for a missile attack that killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war at a Russian-operated detention facility in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government on Saturday called on the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross to immediately investigate Fridays attack.

With international outrage building over the missile strike, the United Nations pledged support to help investigate the prison attack.

In relation to the recent tragedy at the prison in Olenivka, we stand ready to send a group of experts able to conduct an investigation, requiring the consent of the parties, said Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the U.N. secretary-general in a statement released Saturday.

Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of carrying out the attack. Neither claim could be independently verified. So far, no international aid organizations have been granted access to the bombed-out site, but the Red Cross requested access to help evacuate the wounded.

Russia's Defense Ministry said 40 prisoners were killed and 75 were wounded at the detention facility located in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region. Russia insisted Ukraine used American-made weapons to hit the prison to prevent its own fighters from surrendering to Russian forces.

Ukraine's armed forces disputed the claim and said Russian artillery targeted the prison camp to hide the mistreatment of the prisoners.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the attack a deliberate Russian war crime and a mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The Ukrainian army is trying to get the bodies of those killed returned, but Russia has only released the names of the dead.

Meanwhile, fighting raged on as Ukraine's military claimed its forces killed more than 100 Russian soldiers in the southern area of Kherson. Military officials Saturday said its forces bombed railway and road bridges inside Russian controlled territories.

Russia announced Saturday its forces killed more than 130 elite Ukrainian soldiers aboard a train in the Donbas region last week and were making gains in other locations on the battlefield.

Grain shipments



In other developments, the first ship loaded with Ukrainian grain is set to sail from the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk.

Last week Russia and Ukraine agreed to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports, which have been threatened by Russian attacks since the invasion. The blockade of grain in Ukraine, one of the world's biggest exporters, has led to sharp increases in global food prices.



Grain shipments from the country were allowed to resume after a U.N. brokered agreement was signed in Turkey last week.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and mentioned the importance of Russia following through on the agreement.



Blinken also warned of consequences should Moscow move ahead with suspected plans to annex portions of eastern and southern Ukraine.



Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.
The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, Friday called for more to be done to protect African refugees and migrants from traffickers on their way from the Sahel and the Horn of Africa toward North Africa and Europe.

UNHCR spokeswoman Shabia Mantoo says traffickers take advantage of African refugees fleeing persecution and violence and of migrants fleeing poverty and climate shocks, subjecting them to appalling abuse.

Some of them are left to die in the desert. Others suffer repeated sexual and gender-based violence, kidnapped for ransom, torture and many other forms of physical and psychological abuse," said Mantoo. "So, the human trafficking issue is widespread and is incredibly alarming.

The report issued by the UNHCR and the Mixed Migration Center at the Danish Refugee Council, is based on information from 12 countries, from Burkina Faso and Cameroon to Somalia and Sudan.

Mantoo tells VOA human traffickers and smugglers use technology and online platforms to advertise their services to unsuspecting victims. She says traffickers employ the internet to identify, groom and recruit victims, including children.

She says the UNHCR is urging governments and the private sector to work together to crack down on the use of the Internet by traffickers.

These same digital technologies can be leveraged to actually counter the issue and counter trafficking by helping empower communities with trustworthy information, to better protect themselves and also be aware of the risks that they might face on these journeys to ensure that there are protection services available for the people who are taking these precarious and perilous journeys, to prevent and end the human trafficking and smuggling rings," said Mantoo.

The report provides tailored information for refugees and migrants on services available on different routes. The UNHCR is calling for the creation of shelters and safe places, better access to legal services, and specialized services for children and female survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence.

UNHCR officials stress the importance of identifying critical locations to serve as so-called last stops  places where refugees and migrants can get information about the dangers that lie ahead before they embark on journeys across the Sahara.
The United States and Japan launched a new high-level economic dialogue Friday aimed at pushing back against China and countering the disruption caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The two longtime allies agreed to establish a new joint research center for next-generation semiconductors during the so-called economic "two-plus-two" ministerial meeting in Washington, Japanese Trade Minister Koichi Hagiuda said.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Hagiuda also discussed energy and food security, the officials said in a news briefing.

"As the world's first- and third-largest economies, it is critical that we work together to defend the rules-based economic order, one in which all countries can participate, compete and prosper," Blinken told the opening session.

Hagiuda said "Japan will quickly move to action" on next-generation semiconductor research and said Washington and Tokyo had agreed to launch a "new R&D organization" to establish a secure source of the vital components.

The research hub would be open for other "like-minded" countries to participate in, he said.

The two countries did not immediately release additional details of the plan, but Japan's Nikkei Shimbun newspaper earlier said it would be set up in Japan by the end of this year to research 2-nanometer semiconductor chips. It will include a prototype production line and should begin producing semiconductors by 2025, the newspaper said.

"As we discussed today, semiconductors are the linchpin of our economic and national security," said Raimondo, adding that the officials had discussed collaboration on semiconductors, "especially with respect to advanced semiconductors."

Taiwan now makes the vast majority of semiconductors under 10 nanometers, which are used in products such as smart phones, and there is concern about the stability of supply should trouble arise involving Taiwan and China, which views the island as part of its territory.

The United States and Japan said in a joint statement they would work together "to foster supply chain resilience in strategic sectors, including, in particular, semiconductors, batteries, and critical minerals." They vowed to "build a strong battery supply chain to lead collaboration between like-minded countries."

On ties with Russia, Hagiuda said he gained U.S. understanding about Japan's intention to keep its stake in the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project despite sanctions against Moscow by Washington, Tokyo and others following the Ukraine invasion.

"There are voices calling for withdrawal. But it would mean our stake goes to a third country and Russia earns an enormous profit. We explained how keeping our stake is in line with sanctions, and I believe we gained U.S. understanding," he said.

Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Corp hold a combined 22.5% stake in the project.
Villagers in Zimbabwes south-eastern Masvingo province say they are living in fear after three locals were badly mauled by hyenas.

The villagers in Chipinza, Nyakunhuhwa and Bota in Zaka District told VOA Zimbabwe Service the hyenas are also attacking livestock in what appears to be a serious conflict between human and wildlife.

Most of their children are no longer going to school amid fears that they may be attacked by these meat-loving animals.

The injured villagers - Rwativenga Maroyi, Robert Maroyi and his wife, Muchaneta Munodya, are at Masvingo Provincial Hospital.

Robert Maroyi brother, Timothy, said his wife lost both hands during the attack near the familys cattle crawl where they were attempting to kill livestock. She is in pain as she lost both hands. Its tragic as they also attacked her husband.

Villagers are now accompanying their children to school due to the marauding hyenas. Mrs. Hilda Dzoro, said, Hyenas are terrorizing us. We have informed all the relevant authorities including the local chief. The hyenas are killing our cattle and goats and terrorizing villagers. We are so scared that we are now taking our children to school. We fear that they will attack children if they are unaccompanied to and from school. The situation is very scary.

Edaward Njiko of Nyakunhuhwa said they have stopped children from going to school. We want the relevant ministry and other relevant government entities to get rid of these hyenas before taking our children back to school. If this is not done, they wont return to school.

The Department of Wildlife Management says it is in the process of getting rid of these hyenas that are terrorizing villagers.
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe will double the royalty rate it charges mining companies on the platinum group metals (PGMs) they produce to 5% from January 2023 in a bid to increase government revenues, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced on Thursday.

The southern African country is the third largest producer of platinum, after South Africa and Russia, with major miners Anglo American Platinum AMSJ.J, Impala Platinum IMPJ.J and Sibanye Stillwater SSWJ.J operating there.

Presenting a mid-term budget in parliament on Thursday, Ncube said government income from the mining industry was low due to what he called "a generous royalty regime on some major minerals".

"A royalty rate of 5%, which is in line with other platinum-producing countries in Africa, is proposed effective 1 January 2023," Ncube said.

South Africa, the world's leading PGM producer, uses a formula to calculate the royalties it charges mining companies, based on earnings. The royalty rate is capped at 5% for refined minerals and at 7% for unrefined minerals.

Ncube also proposed a 5% royalty rate for lithium, a mineral that is drawing investor interest in Zimbabwe, which holds some of the largest hard-rock lithium deposits in the world, as demand for battery minerals grows.

Mineral exports from Zimbabwe, mainly gold and PGMs, reached $5 billion in 2021, accounting for 80% of the country's total export value.

Ncube expects total export earnings to increase 16% to $7.3 billion this year, buoyed by commodities.

(Reporting by Nelson Banya; Editing by Helen Reid and Jan Harvey)
Subscription to paid content

Gain access to all that Trend has to offer, as well as to premium, licensed content via subscription or direct purchase through a credit card.
Tourists caught in Tritone fountain were aged 20 to 25.

Rome police fined three German tourists a total of more than 1,500 for bathing in an historic fountain in the city centre, reports online newspaper RomaToday.

The incident occurred on Thursday night after the three tourists were caught splashing around in their underwear in the 17th-century fountain in Piazza Barberini.

In addition to the hefty fine, the tourists were banned temporarily from returning to the Tritone fountain which was completed by Baroque genius Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1643.

There have been multiple cases of tourists jumping into Rome's historic fountains recently, including a British tourist who was fined 500 for dipping his feet at the Fontana della Barcaccia at the base of the Spanish Steps.

Photo Welcome to Favelas
Placeholder while article actions load

With US President Joe Biden having departed the Middle East, the regions two prime antagonists are thinking about just getting along. Iran and Saudi Arabia, having completed five rounds of talks in Iraq over the past year, both said last week they were moving toward higher-level negotiations on reconciliation. Paradoxically, this budding rapprochement between friend and foe offers important opportunities for Washington.

After severing diplomatic ties following a January 2016 mob attack on the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, the Riyadh government hoped sanctions on Iran by President Donald Trumps administration might produce a change in Iranian conduct. Instead, Iran became more aggressive than ever, culminating with a devastating missile strike on Saudi Aramco facilities in September 2019.

The Trump administration, usually bellicose toward Iran, turned a blind eye, noting that no Americans had been killed. That proved a final straw for the Saudis. They were already upset that the Barack Obama administrations 2015 nuclear deal with Iran ignored two main concerns  Irans drone and missile arsenal, and its network of armed gangs in Arab countries including Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.

Advertisement

The Saudis concluded that Washington was no longer reliable, and that if they wanted their top security issues involving Tehran to be on the negotiating table, they were going to put them there by themselves. After the 2020 US election, that realization dovetailed with the Biden administrations encouragement of diplomacy over the use of force in the region.

The formal reconciliation talks began in April 2021 at the Baghdad airport; Iraq constituting something approximating neutral ground. Initially, little progress was made. The Saudis focused on getting Iran to pressure its Houthi clients in Yemen to agree to a cease-fire and eventual peace settlement in a war that has turned into a quagmire for Riyadh. The Iranians wanted only to discuss restoring diplomatic relations.

But after the fifth round earlier this year, and amid the growing sense that Iran was stubbornly blocking Bidens effort to revive the nuclear deal, there was a minor, but real, breakthrough. Responding to Iranian prodding, the Houthis finally agreed to a truce, which has lasted more than two months and allowed significant humanitarian relief into the beleaguered country.

Advertisement

The Saudis securing and maintaining the cease-fire in the bloody conflict pleased the White House and Congress. Riyadh also took the opportunity to finally rid itself of the obstreperous Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, replacing him with a new Presidential Leadership Council.

Another round of talks, which seems imminent, will come at a pivotal moment in US relations with friends and foes in the Middle East. Bidens visit was intended to repair strained US-Saudi relations. But perhaps more importantly, the president encouraged Saudi Arabia to join other Arab countries, and even Israel, in building a set of informal cooperative security arrangements. These would include air- and missile-defense systems to offset Irans increasingly powerful arsenal.

The eventual aim of such expanded collaboration is for the US military to reduce its Middle East footprint, doing less with more, because regional cooperation could prove more effective and sustainable than outside intervention.

Advertisement

Not everything is going smoothly. There are already signs that the Houthis may break the uneasy truce in Yemen. Iran will play a central role in whether that happens, because it uses such militias to increase or relieve pressure on its adversaries, adjusting violence like turning a spigot.

Its also clear that Tehran hopes to use the reconciliation talks with Riyadh to drive a wedge between the US and Saudi Arabia. The idea is to make the Saudis choose between either rebuilding close cooperation with Washington or achieving rapprochement with Iran and extraction from the Yemen war.

Its a crude trap. Washington can outflank Tehran by strengthening security commitments to Saudi Arabia, while making it clear it expects greater Saudi cooperation on energy production and pricing, keeping Russia and China at arms length, and being open to greater regional security coordination. The Gulf Arab countries still have major doubts about US commitment and reliability, but they understand theres no practical alternative to American support.

Advertisement

Iranian media are playing up Saudi Arabias supposed enthusiasm for wide-ranging reconciliation, but in fact the Saudis remain highly skeptical. The US and Saudi Arabia can give the Iranians a set of clear choices: They can have relations restored with the Saudis, a renewed nuclear agreement with Washington, and respect for legitimate security concerns  but only on reasonable terms, starting with curbing violence by their regional proxies.

The partnership between Washington and Riyadh may not be as strong as it once was, but its clearly on the mend. And its certainly still strong enough to be able to show Iran that it cant score cheap victories by trying to divide them.

More From This Writer and Bloomberg Opinion:

 Biden Can Unite Israel and Saudi Arabia to Meet Iran Threat: Hussein Ibish

 Mideast Is Frenemy Territory for US and Russia: Hussein Ibish

 A Middle Eastern NATO? Not Gonna Happen: Bobby Ghosh

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Hussein Ibish is a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

GiftOutline Gift Article
Placeholder while article actions load

No sooner had one fire in Yosemite been contained than a new one erupted in a different part of the park. This summers Western wildfires have brought attention to the risks that climate change brings to Americas national parks and the treasures they contain  like the giant sequoia trees, the largest trees on Earth. In the last two years, fires have consumed nearly 20% of them, according to the Forest Service.

The people who know these forests told me the best place to go to understand the fate of these trees is Kings Canyon, a national park a three-hour drive south of Yosemite. What has happened there is unprecedented in natural history. In Kings Canyon, hundreds of giant sequoias have burned to death  even though these trees were built to burn and survive, and rely on fire to reproduce.

At the parks visitor center, I met up with Tony Caprio, a fire ecologist who studies the longstanding relationship between fires and forests. The fire that caused the most trouble as it raged through the park was the KNP complex fire of 2021. A normal lightning strike became a freakish mega-fire, exacerbated human-generated climate change and our misguided attempts to control the natural cycles of fire.

Advertisement

Human-generated carbon emissions have contributed to the drying out of the Sierra and other mountain forests by warming the air and reducing snowfall. Since rain tends to run off slopes quickly, snow is crucial for preventing the ground and plant life from drying out. Then theres fire suppression.

We suppressed fire in those areas for hundred-plus years, Caprio told me. That meant there was a tremendous amount of fuel on the ground. The drought conditions made that fuel more flammable. When it caught fire, it burned very hot.

This is something thats probably unprecedented in the history of sequoias.

Standing on a ridge above the area that had burned, Redwood Canyon, he pointed to a healthy grove of the giant trees. These sequoias were saved by prescribed burns  planned, small fires done in 2011 and 2012. The clearing of brush and small trees from those fires acted like a wall, protecting the groves from the massive fires that devastated other parts of Redwood Canyon.

Advertisement

The giant sequoias thrived for centuries in a normal, natural cycle of fires. The trees have adapted so the cones open and release their seeds when heated by a fire  a fire that in turn clears the ground so that those seeds can reach soil and germinate.

Some of the trees in this grove are 3,000, even 3,400 years old. In the back of his pickup, Caprio had a core sample of a tree  a stick more than five feet long that recorded thousands of tree rings. He pointed to a section about eight inches from the outer edge, or present time. That was A.D. 1295, he said, when you could see the tree survived a fire, and then had a growth spurt. The fire happened right at the end of the Medieval warm period, and from the rings it looks to have been the worst fire for several thousand years  but it didnt kill the tree, and the growth spurt probably resulted from the clearing away of competing plants.

We drove partway into Redwood Canyon, and Caprio removed some barriers from the road so we could enter a region that had been closed to tourists because downed trees hadnt all been cleared. That led to a hiking path through the fire-ravaged area.

Advertisement

The first thing I noticed was how many trunks were black. Everything was covered in soot. But this, he assured me, was the healthier part of the area. You just had to crane your neck to see the crowns of the trees, 200 or more feet in the air, covered with live green needles. Cones were falling, sometimes piled up by squirrels. Each one contained hundreds of seeds the size of oatmeal flakes. A tiny fraction of those would sprout, and a tiny fraction of those sprouts would become new trees.

After two miles of hiking, we reached the bad part  a place called the Sugar Bowl Grove, where we were suddenly surrounded by a ring of blackened trunks. And now, if we looked up, there were no live, green branches. The fire here got so hot, and so high, that it jumped as if climbing a ladder from smaller trees to the crowns of the giants, and spread from one to another until all were dead.

This is something thats probably unprecedented in the history of sequoias as far as we know, he told me. He was the first person to see the remains, and the one to deliver the bad news to others who worked in the park. People cried when they saw this, he said.

Advertisement

Something else is going wrong with some of these trees. Bark beetles started killing sequoias  something never seen until 2014. The beetles are native to this area, and until now, no match for the giant trees, with 15-foot diameter trunks, thick leathery bark and resin that blocks the beetles from boring in. But were in a prolonged drought amplified by human-generated global warming. Some of the trees are stressed, weakened.

Giant sequoias arent going to go extinct any time soon. Some of the oldest trees have lived in drier areas for decades and have harder wood that better withstands the beetles assault. But they live and reproduce so slowly that whenever they do die, they wont be replaced for centuries, if ever.

Reducing emissions will help more trees survive in the long term. And in the shorter term, prescribed burns can mitigate the threat caused by all those decades of fire suppression and unnatural fuel build up. The downside to prescribed burns is that the smoke wont stay in the park; it can affect nearby communities. Getting it right isnt easy: Recent burns in New Mexico got out of control and destroyed hundreds of peoples homes.

Advertisement

But theres always hope. Americans used to be so callous about these natural wonders they would chop them down for lumber. Anything to make money  even if the wood easily shattered and ended up being used for fence posts.

So were learning. And thanks to controlled burning in the past, the Yosemite fire is coming under control, and the sequoias there survived. On the hike back, Caprio bent down and pointed to a tiny little sprig of green sprouting from the ground. Thats an infant sequoia, he told me. And maybe, someday, it will live to be the next generation of giants.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Faye Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering science. She is host of the Follow the Science podcast.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

GiftOutline Gift Article
This account, in previously unreported detail, shines new light on the road to war and the military campaign in Ukraine, drawn from in-depth interviews with dozens of senior U.S., Ukrainian, European and NATO officials.

MORE COVERAGE
By Trend

Helvetas - an independent Swiss development organization is supporting the development of winter tourism in Kyrgyzstan's Karakol since 2019, a source in Helvetas told Trend.

"Since the start into the main project phase in October 2021, we focused on tourism product development, as well as skills improvement needs, and a roadmap for moving Karakol towards becoming a destination certified for taking a holistic, sustainable view on tourism management," the organization said.

In terms of modern technologies, the Swiss organization encourages the advancement of social media and digital marketing abilities, as well as creative digital solutions for the tourism industry of Kyrgyzstan.

"We look to get Karakol destination ready for successful next winter seasons with improved products and new ones available, more year-round jobs created and a strengthened enabling environment for integrating aspects of sustainable development," Helvetas added.

Notably, the project will last until the end of September 2025, and the consolidation phase will go until 2029.

Meanwhile, this year marks the 30th anniversary since Kyrgyzstan and Switzerland established diplomatic relations and new initiatives for cooperation are continuously being evaluated.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. As many as 4,505 people have been infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours in Iran, reads the statement of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of Iran, Trend reports.

In addition, 46 people have died from the coronavirus over the past day.

At the same time, the condition of 1,198 people remains critical.

So far, more than 53.1 million tests have been conducted in Iran for the diagnosis of coronavirus.

In total, over 153 million doses of vaccines have been used in Iran so far. A total of 64.7 million doses have been used in the first stage, 58.1 million doses - in the second stage, and 30.2 million doses  in the third stage.

Iran continues to monitor the coronavirus situation in the country. According to recent reports from Iranian officials, over 7.38 million people have been infected, and 141,937 people have already died.

Meanwhile, about 7.08 million people have reportedly recovered from the disease. The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread of the virus.

Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease. The Islamic Republic announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.

The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.

---

Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur
Over the next three years, Do has another 50 books planned. Hes also adapting several into a television series, working with a team of editors, illustrators, writers and animators to do so.

The 45-year-old artist, author, TV host and comedian is prolific. As well as hosting various TV shows, he has written a memoir, called The Happiest Refugee , and several best-selling series for children: Weirdo, Ninja Kid, Hotdog!, E-Boy, Wolf Girl, Skydragon and PowPowPig. His latest offering, Wolf Girl 7, made its debut at number one.

Anh Do wants to create a movie or TV series using many of the characters from his childrens books. Credit:Matt Davidson

Ive got 10 titles and about 15 characters at the moment, he tells The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

Anh Do has a vision: a world in which all the characters from his books come together in a Marvel-style universe. There might be a Wolf Girl movie and Ninja Kid turns up to help, he says.

A new series called Smarty Pup will land in October, about a little girl whose mother has died, and her dog, JJ. During a meteor storm, some alien goop falls on the dog and turns him into the smartest creature on earth: he can talk, solve maths problems and speak 12 languages. It couldve easily been called Dog Einstein, Do says.

Wolf Girl starts with a little girl being woken by her mother in the middle of the night, saying they have to leave. Its what happened to the author when he was two years old. My mum woke me  and we were heading out on a little nine-metre fishing boat with 38 others, crammed in like sardines, to leave Vietnam as refugees.

Having survived the boat trip, complete with pirates and endless days at sea, and then several months in a refugee camp, the family made it safely to Australia and settled in Sydney. Dos father left when Anh was 13  they wouldnt meet again for nearly a decade. His mother raised three children solo, working in sweatshops where she made about $7 an hour. Even so, it was a happy childhood. Things at home werent always easy but there was always the library  I could borrow books and bring them home and escape for a while.

As a kid, he was a huge fan of the Choose your own adventure books. I used to read every single scenario, and there were times when Id finish the book and Id then try to think of new endings, to come up with even more dramatic endings and plot twists.

His books now regularly top the most borrowed books list of kids junior fiction in libraries around the country. That made me tear up a bit, it brings me so much joy that kids like reading the books.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the July 30 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories. Falling birth rates across nearly all the developed world  and now much of the developing world  have demographers like Paul Morland concerned. While the planet as a whole is projected to be home to 9.8 billion people by 2050  up from 7.96 billion today  a vast number of countries, from within Europe to South-East Asia to the Americas, are dealing with decades of sub-replacement fertility, which means a total fertility rate (TFR) below the 2.1 required for a woman to replace herself and her partner. Australia, for example, has not had a fertility rate above 2.1 since 1976, and without generations of immigration, would have a much smaller, less diverse  and somewhat older  population than it enjoys today. In his new book, Tomorrows People: The Future of Humanity in Ten Numbers, Morland, an academic visitor at St Antonys College at the University of Oxford, reveals how changing population dynamics will help determine prosperity, the balance of power between nations, and the mass movement of peoples in coming decades. While theres a popular belief that low fertility is limited to a handful of countries such as Japan (with a TFR of 1.4), Singapore (1.1), Taiwan (1.2) and Italy (1.3), declining birth rates are now more the rule than the exception across vast areas of the globe. Morland, a father of three adult children, insists we are now living through whats being called a demographic transition. Youve written of an infertile crescent now stretching from Spain to Singapore, accompanied by fast-ageing populations ... Educated, urban and prosperous people tend towards smaller family sizes. As education, urbanisation and prosperity have spread globally, so has sub-replacement fertility rates. Once the preserve of north-west Europe, low fertility spread to the rest of Europe, then to other developed regions like Japan and East Asia. Today, the demography is running ahead of the development, so that even still relatively poor countries like Thailand have low fertility rates. A lot of African countries  particularly in sub-Saharan Africa  arent there yet. Loading Still, the population of the world is increasing, isnt it  in large part due to the booming populations in parts of Africa? In the pre-modern world, high birth rates occurred with tragically high rates of infant mortality to temper population growth. Now the historical preference for large families is combined with mercifully lower levels of infant mortality and higher levels of healthcare to create one of the biggest population explosions in history. Africas population growth has been stupendous, from around one in 14 people in the world in 1950 to around one in seven today. But outside sub-Saharan Africa, fertility rates are dropping, across South America and even places like Afghanistan.

Advertisement

Demographer Paul Morland, author of a new book on world-wide birth rates: Tomorrows People: The Future of Humanity in Ten Numbers. Many greet the news that fertility rates are dropping across most of the world as a blessing for the planet, which is under relentless environmental assault. It is certainly an environmental blessing that, thanks to lower fertility rates, the worlds population is now growing at roughly 1 per cent a year as opposed to 2 per cent a year, which was the case 40 or so years ago. And the slowdown continues. But it has a downside. In Britain, there are no longer significant inflows into the workforce due to demography; there are slightly less early-20s becoming workers as early-60s ceasing to be. We are approaching an era of acute labour shortages in much of the world  and robots are not yet ready to come to our assistance. Ageing also gives rise to challenges such as the provision of healthcare and the funding of taxes. We are approaching an era of acute labour shortages in much of the world  and robots are not yet ready to come to our assistance. Thats happening in Australia as well. Japan, which has traditionally resisted immigration, is in worse shape, with a shrinking population and stagnant economic growth. One publication recently declared a declining birth rate state of emergency. At about the time Japans workforce peaked, its economic growth started to decline. Japan is still a rich and successful economy but combining low fertility with a resistance to immigration means it is baking in a stagnant economy. The governments efforts to counter this through fiscal and monetary means have left a pile of debt but little growth. You write in Tomorrows People that we have already reached what Swedish statistician Hans Rosling called peak child. What does this mean? The worlds total population has not yet peaked, but its number of children more or less has. Older, smaller cohorts will die off and be replaced by the bigger ones, who have already been born  and that is what will drive population growth. But the number of the young will stop growing, if it has not already, and the global population will age. So were headed for a warmer, overcrowded and older planet as the 21st century advances? Yes, we are ageing as a planet. The big population hitters like China are moving in the same direction. China already has a higher mean age than the United States and is getting old very quickly. The average age of a person in Catalonia, Spain, is 43. Falling fertility rates mean nearly every country could have shrinking populations by the end of the century.

Advertisement

The population of Nigeria  now 206 million  is expected to reach 401 million by 2050. Are we seeing a greater gulf between countries with high fertility rates and low fertility rates? It is very much a question of sub-Saharan Africa versus the rest. Outside that region, fertility rates are either low or falling. A few countries like Sri Lanka have managed decades in the two-plus zone, but many others have slipped below it. China has, India is about to. Even countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan have seen sharp falls. Within Africa, there is a complex pattern. South Africa and its neighbours have successfully brought down their fertility rates. Kenya and Ethiopia are doing so. But progress in much of the continent is halting at best. For decades now, Australias population has only increased because of immigration, which ground to a halt with the onset of COVID-19. We have a rapidly ageing population, but immigration by itself cant keep a population young, can it? Immigrant fertility rates converge with host societies fertility rates and fertility rates in the host countries are now much lower, so no, immigration is not a panacea. A country like Australia with a relatively small population, which is highly attractive to migrants, can keep going for a while. If China wanted to keep its population young through migration, it would have to suck in the youth of the world. Italy and Japan are expected to see their populations halve by 2100. Only large-scale immigration could prevent this... Large-scale immigration can be destabilising for a country. Would Italy still be Italy if its culture was overwhelmed, for example? Immigration has enormous benefits but needs to be carefully managed. Loading In one recent TV interview, you spoke of the paradox of one low-fertility, ageing country, Russia, attacking another, Ukraine. When Russian mothers are sending their only sons off to war, and thousands are coming back in body bags, will it reduce public support for a war? It should. The problem in Russias case is there is not a very free flow of information; also, the mechanisms by which a discontented population can change policies are not clear. But this will be a pressure against the indefinite continuation of the war. Russia has been accused of genocide and war crimes, including deporting tens of thousands of Ukrainians. Is this a demographic strategy: trying to weaken and wipe out a culture? Numbers matter here. The group or nation with the larger numbers has an advantage. The strategies the larger group adopts to win this battle, including genocide, can be catastrophic for smaller populations. Are authoritarian countries better positioned to bump up their fertility rate? Two years ago, Vladimir Putin announced plans to increase Russias average birth rate. Has it worked? Its falling again in Russia now and never got up that much. Nicolae Ceausescu tried to increase fertility rates in Romania by banning contraception but that was more than 50 years ago; it would be harder to do now. In Romania, the orphanages filled up and eventually the fertility rate went down as people found ways around the governments efforts. Banning abortion is also problematic. Whatever we do in the West, it has to be about freedom of choice. The idea that we can raise birth rates by banning abortion or contraception is illusory as well as wrong. Developed countries with higher fertility rates have relatively progressive approaches to women in the workforce, and are also relaxed about childbirth outside marriage, says Morland. Credit:Getty Images

Advertisement

Youve said that if a society encourages women to get an education but frowns on those who combine family and career, women will often choose the interesting job rather than the joys of motherhood. This is what has happened in socially conservative countries like Italy and South Korea, isnt it? Yes, and Japan. Developed countries with higher fertility rates, such as the UK, Scandinavia and France, not only have relatively progressive approaches to women in the workforce but are also relaxed about childbirth outside marriage. So pro-natalism should not be associated with the patriarchy or gender inequality. Population can affect the rise and fall of empires, right? In 1900 the Russian Empire had a population of 136 million; today its barely larger, at 146 million, and rural depopulation has been staggering, with up to 20,000 villages abandoned, as you write in your book. By contrast, the US had a population of 76 million in 1900 and now boasts nearly 330 million. Why the stark contrast in population fortunes? First, Russia got to really low fertility rates earlier than the US. Second, it lost much territory  the Russian Empire included todays Ukraine, Belarus, Baltic states, Central Asia, and so on  and their populations. Third, the US continues to be a magnet for migration. There has been some immigration in Russia from the states of the former Soviet Union but nothing like the scale of migration to the US from all over the world. Then there has been substantial emigration from Russia; Jews, for example, have left in their

hundreds of thousands. Religion plays a big role in the number of children women have as well, doesnt it? Israeli women have nearly three times as many children as Singaporean women, although theyre just as educated. This is the most interesting area in demography now. How is it that some value systems drive higher fertility, others lower, and what are the consequences? In the US, people on the right have larger families. In Israel, even secular people have a relatively large number of children. If everywhere is going to become urban, educated and prosperous and we are not to die out as a human race, we have to learn something from the societies which have succeeded in modernising while maintaining above-replacement fertility rates. People have to believe in something, including their country or people, and want to sustain it, and/or love the idea and reality of bringing new life into the world. Yet nowhere has fertility fallen as fast as in fundamentalist Iran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is now calling for policies to boost population growth. There is plenty of data to suggest that Iranians are anti-religious. The mullahs anyway promoted smaller family sizes, scared by the surging population they faced back in the 1980s. Now they are backtracking but, as in China, where one-child policies are being reversed, they are having little success. In the US, the more religious the state, the higher the fertility rate, and they tend to be more conservative. Do fertility rates reflect political leanings? Yes. In the US, the more religious the state, the higher the fertility rate, and they tend to be more conservative. It was the so-called heartland states that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020. By having more children, are conservatives effectively breeding their way to election victory? Not necessarily. The problem for them is that, unlike many religiously conservative groups, the politically conservative dont necessarily get to win over their childrens political views.

Advertisement

Youve equated government policies designed to increase low birth rates by encouraging women to have more children with trying to push water uphill. Why is that? China has progressively relaxed its controls since

officially abandoning its one-child policy in January 2016. Countries like Hungary and Russia have poured resources into raising fertility rates but the impact is limited. I believe its all about values, and that the ability of governments to impact them is limited. What really matters are the priorities of individuals, which can only be nudged by government, not fundamentally changed. Loading While many governments in Asia have been trying to increase birth rates, Indonesia, with a fertility rate of 2.26, has been encouraging people to have fewer kids. Indonesia has had great success in bringing down its fertility rate from about 5.5 to about 2.5 in the last 30 years of the 20th century. Today its benefiting from a demographic dividend, with plenty of young people entering the workforce. Indonesia has succeeded in staying in the Goldilocks zone of fertility  not too high and not too low  for about a quarter of a century. Its been in the news that India will surpass China as the worlds most populous country next year. Has this happened a lot sooner than you expected? This was expected to happen some time in the 2020s. China has probably had the worlds largest population since it became a state. This is the first time it will be surpassed for thousands of years. And it will be hit by a demographic tsunami in the coming years. In any case, China was heading for a big slowdown: look at the fall in fertility rates among Chinese communities outside China  Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia. A society like China, which rapidly urbanised and developed and got educated, was bound to have a sharp fall in fertility rates. It would be a bit less sharp and dramatic had there been no one-child policy, but it would have been a problem anyway. Now, a slightly worse problem than would otherwise have imposed itself will be entirely blamed on the Communist Party for its heartless policy. And any efforts now from the Communist Party to reverse course and get people to have more children will have little credibility. India is projected to surpass China as the worlds most populous country next year. Credit:Getty Images The decline of marriage and the nuclear family is also playing a role in declining fertility, right? Nearly 30 per cent of Singaporean women between 30 and 39 are single; in Japan, the figure is more than 25 per cent, and in South Korea nearly 34 per cent. Whats happening in these countries? Modern societies seem to require a relaxed attitude to family. Where childbearing outside marriage is taboo, fertility rates are low. This includes countries like Italy and Greece. If you want a half-way decent level of fertility, you need to dissociate unmarried and childless. Are large families fading away, especially in the developed world? There is a trend towards richer couples having a third child in some countries, but larger families, yes, are declining.

Advertisement
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size This story is part of the July 30 edition of Good Weekend. See all 15 stories. I first meet Olga Rudenko, the 33-year-old editor-in-chief of the now world-famous Kyiv Independent, and her CEO, 32-year-old Daryna Shevchenko, in early May over Zoom. As we chat, Shevchenko, who is crouched over her laptop in her fifth-floor flat in Kyiv, her glasses balanced on her nose, frequently breaks off our conversation to mutter about air-raid sirens, telling me blithely she should really carry on this conversation from the refuge of her bathroom, the safest place should a missile strike. I used to be emotional. Someone who could cry quite easily, Rudenko says quietly. But during these past months, I havent been able to cry at all. There is so much shit you dont know about war, so much I wish I didnt know. Even the terminology  They launched The Kyiv Independent as an English-language news media start-up only 14 weeks before Russian president Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. Production of the Kyiv Post, a legacy print newspaper, where Rudenko had been deputy editor since 2017, had been suspended in November 2021 by its oligarch proprietor after staff refused to let him curb their editorial independence in reporting on government corruption. Without warning, on November 8, the owner, Adnan Kivan, fired the American editor, Brian Bonner, and the editorial staff. Twenty-five of them felt their only choice was to re-form under a new brand name, with Rudenko, who had worked at the Post for 10 years, unanimously voted in as editor and Shevchenko as CEO. Within two days they were up and running and, with no one being paid for the first six weeks, they launched on social media with an email, a podcast and reader membership. Loading As Russian missiles began exploding over their city, the Independent quickly became a global phenomenon, a startling symbol of fierce national resistance, another Ukrainian David and Goliath story. Its Twitter account grew from 30,000 to 1 million in two days, then to 2 million in a month. Its website, which had only gone live in January with 1000 users a day, had 7.5 million unique views in March. The team has frequently broken stories to English-speaking journalists worldwide. It has been endorsed by former US president Barack Obama and has audiences in Washington, Brussels and London. Two days after our first conversation, Rudenko appears on the front cover of Time magazine, as one of the Next Generation Leaders with the headline, Witnessing a War. Rudenko makes headlines of her own.

Advertisement

When it finally happened, it was just such a huge feeling of disbelief, she recalls of those first surreal, horrifying hours of the conflict. We had been highly anxious for weeks but always clung to the belief Putin was trying to intimidate [Ukrainian president Volodymyr] Zelensky. Maybe he would march into Donbas; no one expected it would be a full-frontal attack from all sides. It was a complete shock. We heard his announcement at 3am; Daryna had even taken a sleeping pill. I was ringing her non-stop and messaging her, When the f are you waking up?  While her CEO continued to sleep, Rudenko quickly uploaded their first article on the war. Putin labelled it a special military operation. Other Western media were also referring to it as such. But I take pride in my decision that our first article minutes after his announcement clearly stated in its headline Putin invades Ukraine. Soon after, we heard the first explosions in the sky. I live on the top floor of an old building, just the roof between me and their missiles. I was thinking, Im going to die now.  They had made contingency plans for an attack and many of the team began leaving Kyiv immediately. By dawn, there were seven-hour traffic queues west. I was still ringing Daryna and calling my mum, who lives in Dnipro [seven hours drive south-east of Kyiv], screaming at her to get in the car and drive west. By 5am I was in a kind of stupor. I hadnt slept. Putin is trying to take away something we spent so much time building  Ukraine wasnt given anything; we built it ourselves. Shevchenko woke at 8am to find the dread that had been building in her stomach was now a nightmarish reality. The city was empty; it was apocalyptic. I called Olga, walked my dog, packed my bag, grabbed my documents and left. While her editor spent the next few days in a bomb shelter trying to stay in touch with the team (and her boyfriend, a famous Ukrainian investigative TV reporter), who had rapidly dispersed across Ukraine, Shevchenko moved to her parents in the northern outskirts of the capital city, very close to the affluent Kyiv suburb of Bucha, which would emerge in April as one of the worst scenes of Russian atrocities, with civilian men, women and children executed, tortured and raped. The atrocities make you so angry  they make you turn to fire. She grimaces. Putin is trying to take away something we spent so much time building  Ukraine wasnt given anything; we built it ourselves. Loading You soon learnt the difference between air missile defence explosions and missiles finding their target, Shevchenko continues. She woke one morning to watch a Russian tank drive over a car under her parents window. After two weeks she relocated again, this time with friends to relative safety in western Ukraine, as did Rudenko, where they remained until April while Russian troops encircled Kyiv during a six-week offensive. Days after Shevchenko left her parents home, a missile destroyed an apartment building one block from them. I was screaming at them to please leave, to come with me, she says. My dad is 75. They refused. They are proud nationalists; they have spent their lives being political activists. They are still there.

Advertisement

Rudenko has dialled in for our Zoom meeting from Dnipro, the closest Ukrainian city to the fighting in Donbas, where her mother and stepfather live. She is visiting for the first time after months apart. Only two of their editorial team moved across the border to Poland to take their children to safety. Another joined the fighting. Their handsome defence editor, Illia Ponomarenko, has become a star in his own right with 1.2 million Twitter followers. His reporting can often be hard to read. Or watch. He does not spare his audience the horrors of war. Shevchenko has raised $US2 million ($2.9 million) through crowdfunding to buy satellite phones and protective clothing, and to pay their staff. There are now 15 journalists in Kyiv, most of whom are in the office uploading reports. Regular editorial video conferences are held three times a week. The Independents defence editor Illia Ponomarenko is a Twitter star. As a former editor of the London Evening Standard, Im interested in how theyre running the operation in such extreme circumstances. There is no management book about leading in a war, admits Rudenko. I want to create an environment where journalists can do their best. The sacrifices our staff members are making to tell the story of war are amazing. We hatch a plan that day for them both to travel to the UK  a feat I am still amazed they pull off in five weeks, given the challenges of getting Ukrainians a UK visa. As well as raising awareness and funds for their own business, the two women and their chief financial officer, Jakub Parusinski, have also founded the Fix, a broad fundraising campaign for independent free media in Ukraine, much of which is under serious financial pressure, never mind operating in a war zone. With the help of supporters in the UK, we begin setting up meetings with UK investors, including Brent Hobermans Founders Forum in London and Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire, where former Google executive Eric Schmidt, Tim Davie of the BBC, designer Thomas Heatherwick and Snap founder Evan Spiegel are among hefty investors gathering for a series of events in London Tech Week. Sixty-four per cent of Ukrainian television, the main source of news, is still under the control of oligarchs. An ecosystem of free media is not only vital now but will also be essential in the rebuilding of Ukraine, unearthing corruption at government and business level. Rudenko and her team will be needed long after CNN and the BBC have moved on to the next tragedy.

Advertisement

Olga Rudenko is talking about counting corpses. It is a ferociously hot June day. We are sheltering inside the Daylesford cafe on Westbourne Grove in west London, surrounded by the yummy mummies of Notting Hill, sipping on green juices. It is the first of many moments over the coming days where the stark contrast between our lives in the UK and that of the two young Ukrainian women in front of me causes my brain to blink. Rudenko is distractedly tapping instructions to her team in Kyiv. Despite my impatience to get them to talk about current events, they are insistent they first take me back to the Ukrainian revolution of 2013 and 2014. That revolution was our awakening, explains Rudenko above the noise of the cafe. Protests erupted in Kyiv in November 2013 after president Viktor Yanukovych suddenly announced his decision not to sign a free-trade agreement with the European Union and instead chose closer ties to Russia. He was a very corrupt president, says Shevchenko, the more openly passionate of the duo. Her friend and colleague is reserved and quietly spoken; even when she swears it is controlled, her voice never rising in anger. Both were young reporters in their early 20s, focusing mainly on lifestyle stories for the Kyiv Post. But from then on, every day for three months, the two women risked their lives reporting on the deadly clashes between the protesters, who barricaded themselves into a makeshift city within a city, and the security forces and riot police. Kyiv Independent CEO, Daryna Shevchenko: Ive had two or three severe breakdowns during this war  (Some days) you cannot even read an email. Credit:Jude Edginton/The Times Magazine/News Licensing On the first day as fighting broke out, their editor had asked for volunteers to go into the streets. Snipers were targeting reporters, just as the Russians have fired on journalists in this war. Olga and I both put our hands straight up. We wanted to; many of the men didnt  they had families to think of. We ran at it. The security police used tear gas on us that day. Its like having a ton of pepper sprayed up your nose, she adds. At this point the Post was a respected Kyiv newspaper, running investigations into corruption and owned by the steel magnate Mohammad Zahoor. Rudenko was sent to count the bodies of protesters in makeshift hospitals around the capital. The revolution finally culminated in Yanukovych being overthrown in February 2014, but only after 108 protesters died. There is CCTV footage of Yanukovych loading truckloads of valuables as he escapes to Russia, aided by Putin.

Advertisement

An anti-government protester in Kiev, 2014. We have been fighting this war of freedom for years in Ukraine, says Shevchenko. Credit:Getty Images After 2014 there was no turning back for us, Shevchenko continues. It was clear we didnt have enough independent media, and the mission of journalism is vital for democracy to be established; this is the mission we have continued to fight for. We have been fighting this war of freedom for years in Ukraine. (During the 2004 Ukrainian revolution, which erupted over allegations of electoral fraud, she was characteristically leading protests at her school.) I saw during those three months in Kyiv that people were willing to make huge sacrifices for their values and their freedoms, adds Rudenko. The energy of those protesters in that camp  how tragedy brings people together. It is that same revolutionary spirit that drove us to set up the Independent and what continues to drive us now. When Adnan fired us because we were exposing corruption it was, F you! You are not going to win. Something unfair was happening, and we had to make it right. Lots of people at the time told us, You cant do it and every comment made us more determined. It united the whole team, and that same determination unites us now. The three of us attend Junes Founders Forum gala dinner at the British Museum. The vast atrium is flooded with some of the richest investors in the world or those who represent them. Rudenko is sitting next to the model Karlie Kloss and her husband, the tech investor Josh Kushner (his brother, Jared, is married to Ivanka Trump). The couple have just returned from Ukraine. Rudenko tells me they are grateful for any aid, even if it is only keeping Ukraine foremost in our minds through visiting celebrities. Traffic to their website has dropped dramatically since March to 2.3 million unique visitors a month. President Zelensky has warned repeatedly against war fatigue. For the first six weeks after the Kyiv Independents launch last November, staff could not be paid. Money has since been raised for their salaries, protective clothing and satellite phones. Credit: Ukraine barely locked down during the COVID-19 pandemic. When I ask Rudenko about Boris Johnson, who recently resigned as British prime minister after being mired in a long series of scandals, she agrees he is a hero back in her home country. Partygate is hard for us to relate to  we didnt deal with the pandemic as you did; life felt reasonably normal. Just before the invasion she had written a column in The New York Times criticising Zelenskys apparent cosiness with the more corrupt members of his government. What does she think of him now? I think he is the right person for this job. He is doing a good job rallying support, she says. I just want to be careful as a journalist as we are here to speak truth to power; from my reporting on him before the war, I am aware of some historical aspects of his tenure. Rumour has it that both Zelensky and Johnson will address the packed Founders Forum event at Soho Farmhouse as filmed holograms. It is where we are spending the next two days. A friend puts us up in her Cotswold home. Rudenko wryly smiles as she surveys the beautiful countryside. No wonder oligarchs love coming here and buying your country houses. They are stunning. After dinner in Soho Farmhouse, where the women manage to sit at the only table with people with Russian connections  Actually they asked intelligent questions and wanted to listen to what we had to say  we return for another drink with fellow house guests, including the chairman of the BBC and the founder of Wikipedia. At midnight, Shevchenko and I share a cigarette outside in the warm night.

Advertisement
Gold mining businessman John Changjin Li has been an enigmatic figure in Sydneys trophy home market since he first made headlines in 2020 by buying Point Piper trophy home Edgewater for $95 million.

Agents who sell for the formerly Shanghai-based businessman are guarded about media coverage, and none of the significant property deals linked to him are held in his name and are instead held in the names of family or corporate interests.

An artists impression of the $10-million mansion on the drawing board for the Hopetoun Avenue site.

But that hasnt stopped the director of Kingland Gold and Kingland Mining from making some handsome capital gains on his local real estate, like the Vaucluse investment bought in 2020 for $10.9 million and sold earlier this year for $26 million or the Bayview mansion bought for $11.5 million and sold a year later for $15 million.

Li is hoping to do just as well again on his home in Vaucluse, which is being offered to buyers for $40 million-plus through Christies Shane Clinton.
Visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu said that her country intended to buy gas from Romania as soon as possible to ensure national energy security, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

"The situation requires us to act with maximum urgency and look for alternative solutions to keep the stability of the country and smoothly make it through the winter," she said in a joint press statement with her Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis.

"Moldova needs energy security solutions now! We want to buy gas from Romania, and it's important that this happens as soon as possible," Sandu stressed.

"I trust that the Moldovan-Romanian partnership will help us overcome the difficulties," she said.

The Moldovan president also said that the country is trying to reduce energy consumption, including natural gas, and is looking for solutions to replace gas with black oil, wood or coal in this winter.

For his part, Iohannis said that Romania will do everything possible to help Moldova ensure energy security.

He said that the two heads of state agreed to take decisive steps regarding the interconnection of the electricity networks of the two countries.

The two presidents also discussed "the very important role and potential of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline as an essential element in the energy security architecture of the Republic of Moldova," Iohannis added.
Tunisia's foreign ministry said on Friday it summoned an official from the U.S. embassy after Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about Tunisia's democracy, Trend reports citing Reuters.

Tunisia's Foreign Minister Othman Jerandi told U.S. acting charge d'affaires Natasha Franceschi that the statement represented an unacceptable "interference in the national internal affairs", the ministry said in a statement.

Blinken expressed concerns about Tunisia's democracy on Thursday after President Kais Saied introduced a new constitution giving himself far more powers, but the broad reaction among Western democracies was muted.

"Tunisia has experienced an alarming erosion of democratic norms over the past year and reversed many of the Tunisian people's hard-won gains since 2011," Blinken said then, referring to the 2011 revolution that introduced democracy.

The new constitution was endorsed in a referendum the president held on Monday, a year after Saied moved to shut down the elected parliament and start ruling by decree.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

A mix of clouds and sunshine and comfortably warm. Just the slight chance of a spotty afternoon shower, with the best chance from the Lehigh Valley on north. .

Tonight

Partly cloudy and another comfy night; just the slight chance of an evening shower.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced an agreement in principle with a former opioid manufacturer.

The deal would require Allergan to pay nearly $2.5 billion to state and local governments.

This comes after the company allegedly downplayed the risk of addiction while marketing opioids.

Shapiro joined California's attorney general in leading more than a dozen states in the settlement.

Allergan formerly made Norco- and Kadian-branded and generic opioids. The company sold its generics portfolio, including its opioid products, to Teva in 2016.

It's the state's second opioid settlement this week. A $4.25 billion agreement with Teva was announced Tuesday. It was contingent, in part, on Allergan reaching its own settlement.
MEA Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar on Thursday met Chairperson to Electoral Commission of Fiji Mukesh Nand and the accompanying delegation during their visit to India. The delegation was hosted by the Election Commission of India earlier on Thursday and they also met Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey at Nirvachan Sadan, Trend reports citing Deviscourse.

The delegation also visited India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management. Last week, India and Fiji held the fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Suva where both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and discussed ways to further strengthen the close ties.

The Indian side was led by Saurabh Kumar, Secretary (East) and the Fijian side was led by Yogesh Karan, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Fiji. During the FOC, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations covering political, economic, defense, cultural and consular matters and discussed ways to further strengthen the close bilateral ties between India and Fiji.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of interest and agreed to enhance their cooperation in the multilateral fora. During the visit, Secretary (East) also called on the Prime Minister of Fiji Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and senior members of the Fijian Cabinet. Both sides reaffirmed their strong commitment to further strengthen the bilateral friendship and the development partnership between India and Fiji.

It was agreed to hold the next round of consultations in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date. Back in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India's contribution to the global fight against the Covid pandemic by supply of life-saving drugs, medical supplies and vaccines to countries around the world including Fiji.

Speaking on the India-Fiji bilateral ties, the Prime Minister said that despite the existence of a vast ocean in between, the two countries are closely bonded together by culture and strong people-to-people ties. Noting that the bilateral relations have strengthened and grown over the years across all domains, PM expressed the hope that with the cooperation of the Fijian side, the relationship will become even stronger in the times to come.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his personal greetings to the Fijian Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, who celebrated his 68th birthday. According to the MEA annual report, Pacific Island Countries (PICs) are part of India's engagement with the East. Under Act East Policy, the Government of India has stepped up its efforts to engage with countries in this region.

The landmark initiative, the Forum for India-Pacific Cooperation (FIPIC), was launched under the rubric of the Act East Policy, by the Prime Minister at the first FIPIC summit that was held in Suva, Fiji in November 2014. The second edition was held in Jaipur in August 2015.
READINGTON TWP., N.J. -- Hot air balloons went up, up and away early Friday morning at the 39th annual New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning in Readington Township, Hunterdon County.

But the second planned flight that evening didn't happen, organizers say, thanks to high winds.

Instead of the some-100 hot air balloons the festival boasts, just a few were blown up Friday night for the crowd to see. They stayed on the ground.

"I thought they would fly in the sky, but it didn't," said Reya Manohar, 5, visiting from Rockaway, N.J.. "All of them fell down."

"It was nice and beautiful and we thought it was going to definitely fly," said Reya's mom, Jay Manohar. "But then it was a little disappointing...but looks like the weather is not permitting today."

Still, for many, the festival did not disappoint.

"It is actually very fun," said Emily Mizerek, 9, of Morristown.

"It's a three-day family oriented celebration of the magic of ballooning, " explained Howard Freeman, executive producer of the festival.

"We weren't expecting to see this much variety of food from like different cultures," said Karina Silva, visiting from Long Island, New York.

Kids enjoyed games and attractions, like a bungee-like ride.

"They like strap you in and then they put the cords and you literally jump and you can jump like all the way up to the top," Mizerek said.

There was also live music and vendors.

"This is our best event," Robert Williamson said. "We do this every year...and everybody has fun. We make money. People are happy."

Though while some, like little Reya, couldn't forget that the main event didn't happen -- "They did not fly," Reya Manohar said. "They did not fly and I was like, come on, why are you not flying?"

People have the rest of the weekend to catch the main event of dozens of hot air balloons flying in the sky.

Mom, Jay Manohar, says they'll be back Saturday.

"Hope for the balloons to fly," she said.

The festival goes all weekend long.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 30. Turkiye sent humanitarian aid to the country in connection with the flooding in Iran, Turkish Ministry of National Defense, Trend reports citing Turkish media.

"Due to the flood in Iran, a transport plane belonging to our Air Force took off from Ankara's Etimesgut Airport to deliver essential relief items such as tents and blankets. It is planned to send another plane," the ministry said.
Egypt's Foreign Minister and President-Designate of the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) Sameh Shoukry asserted on Tuesday the importance of providing climate finance to developing countries, including island countries, to enable them to fulfil their commitments toward the climate.
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held phone talks with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda.

Xi recalled that when Duda came to China for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics earlier this year, they had friendly exchanges and reached many important consensuses on advancing bilateral relations.

Since then, various departments of the two countries have actively worked with each other for implementation, and made positive progress in the export of Polish agricultural products to China, China-Europe freight trains and personnel exchanges, the Chinese president said.

The Chinese side cherishes its traditional friendship with Poland and regards the country as a preferred partner for cooperation in Europe, Xi noted, adding that China stands ready to maintain close communication with the Polish side, enhance political mutual trust and continue to elevate the China-Poland comprehensive strategic partnership.

Xi stressed that the two sides should strengthen policy communication, make use of such mechanisms as the China-Poland Intergovernmental Cooperation Committee and the joint economic and trade commission to enhance strategic synergy between the two sides, advance high-quality joint Belt and Road construction, deepen practical cooperation in such areas as economy, trade and connectivity, and work together to foster new growth points in green development, digital economy and other fields.

China welcomes more quality Polish products to the Chinese market, and encourages more Chinese companies to invest in Poland, he added.

The Chinese president said that the two sides should work hard for the early launch of the China-Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC) wholesale market for agricultural products, and actively cooperate in planning and organizing relevant events to mark the 10th anniversary of China-CEEC cooperation mechanism, so as to lay a solid foundation for cooperation in the next decade.

Xi also said he hopes Poland can actively support the development of the China-Europe relationship and safeguard the overall interests of that relationship.

For his part, Duda said he is glad to have attended the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics in China in February and held a good meeting with Xi, which he still remembers clearly and remains deeply impressed.

He said that despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the important consensus reached between him and the Chinese president is being implemented, adding that relevant departments on both sides maintain close communication, and cooperation in related fields is moving forward.

Poland attaches great importance to China's international status and role as well as to developing relations with China, Duda said.

The Polish side stands ready to work with the Chinese side to push for more achievements in bilateral cooperation in areas including trade and economy, logistics and inter-connectivity, and welcomes more Chinese investment in Poland, he noted.

Poland is willing to continue actively promoting CEEC-China cooperation and the development of Europe-China relations, Duda added.

The two heads of state also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday afternoon held phone talks with his Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi.

Xi pointed out that at present, facing changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, the world finds itself in a new period of turbulence and transformation, adding that the aspirations of people of all countries for development and security have become more urgent, and the call for international equity and justice has grown only stronger.

In the face of complicated international situation, he noted that China and Iran have strengthened solidarity and cooperation, enhanced their common interests and safeguarded the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

China views its relations with Iran from a strategic perspective and stands ready to work with Iran to push for new progress in the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership, he said.

Xi stressed that the two sides should continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, as well as uphold non-interference in others' internal affairs, a basic norm in international relations.

He called on the two sides to maintain close communication on the implementation of the comprehensive cooperation plan between the two countries, actively promote practical cooperation in key areas, keep up with anti-pandemic cooperation, and strengthen communication and coordination in regional and international affairs.

The Chinese side has always supported Middle East countries in solving regional security problems in unity and coordination, and supported the people in the region in exploring their development path independently, Xi said, adding that China is willing to strengthen communication and cooperation with Iran within such frameworks as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

China appreciates Iran's active support for the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and is ready to work with Iran to promote the implementation of the initiatives and push for the development of the international order towards a more just and rational direction.

Raisi noted that Iran and China jointly celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties last year, and that bilateral cooperation has seen important progress over the past 50 years.

He believed that bilateral ties will realize even higher levels of development in the future with joint efforts of both sides, the Iranian leader added.

It is a priority and key part of Iran's established foreign policy to firmly deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between Iran and China, the president said.

Both Iran and China oppose hegemonism and unilateralism, and reject interference in other countries' internal affairs, illegal unilateral sanctions and double standards, Raisi noted, adding that Iran firmly upholds the one-China policy and supports China in safeguarding its core interests.

Iran highly appreciates China's important and active role in international and regional affairs, and supports the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, he said.

His country is ready to conduct close communication and coordination with China for the purpose of safeguarding international fairness and justice, defending shared interests of developing countries, and promoting regional and world peace, security and development, Raisi added.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, July 29 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory message to Nikenike Vurobaravu on his assuming office as the president of Vanuatu.

Vanuatu is China's good friend, good partner and good brother in the Pacific island countries region, Xi said, adding that the ever deepening China-Vanuatu comprehensive strategic partnership, with fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various fields, has become an example of mutual respect, solidarity and coordination between developing countries.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Vanuatu, the Chinese president said, adding that he attaches great importance to the development of China-Vanuatu relations and stands ready to work with President Vurobaravu to open up broader prospects for the bilateral ties and bring benefits to the two countries and their people.

(Source: Xinhua)
Libyas Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli received on Tuesday the first flight operated by EgyptAir, the country's flag carrier, for the first time in eight years.
The Ramona Falls is a 37m tall waterfall on the Sandy River in the US State of Oregon. The Ramona Falls is located at an elevation of 1,090m within the Mount Hood Wilderness along the Pacific Crest Trail. Ramona Falls is within the jurisdiction of Oregon's Clackamas County, approximately 83 km from Portland and 349 km from Seattle, Washington.

Geography Of Ramona Falls

A close view of the Ramona Falls on the western side of Mount Hood, Oregon.

The Ramona Falls is 37 m tall and has several cascade walls. The Sandy River is characterized by its instability and strong currents, and hikers are encouraged to exercise caution on hikes. The area around the falls is surrounded by Douglas-Fir trees, Pinemat Manzanita leaves, and Reindeer Lichen fungus. Volcanic debris from two centuries ago is evident along the Sandy River. Oregon's Clackamas County experiences an average of 53 inches of rain per year, significantly more than the US average of 38. The climate of Clackamas County is characterized by warm summers and cool, rainy winters.

History Of Ramona Falls

The volcanic eruptions in 1780 created a mudflow. This event inspired the name of the Sandy river, as Lewis and Clark called it, "Quicksand River." The name was later changed to the "Sandy River." The Ramona Falls was apparently named by US Forest Service worker John E. Mills in 1933. He named the falls after his late wife, Ramona. A hiker in 2014 was swept off a footbridge by rising storm waters and later drowned.

Layout Of Ramona Falls

Amazingly beautiful Ramona Falls in Mount Hood Territory.

Access to Ramona Falls is most commonly obtained through the 7-mile Ramona Falls Trailhead. Hikers are then required to go through the Sandy River Trail. This journey is characterized by unmaintained bridges, naturally occurring log bridges and mossy stone rock formations. There is also a string of andesite cliffs that one can see along the creek area. Hikers are encouraged to bring proper footwear and emergency supplies and to turn back during heavy rainfall.
Weather Alert

...DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM CDT WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Areas of dense fog reducing visibility to one quarter mile or less. * WHERE...Most of southern Illinois, the Purchase area of western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri near the Mississippi River. * WHEN...Until 800 AM CDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Areas of dense fog will make for hazardous driving conditions overnight and early Wednesday morning. Be alert to rapidly changing visibilities! PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Dense Fog Advisory means visibilities will frequently be reduced to less than one quarter mile. If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you. &&
A fire erupted Tuesday at a church in Upper Egypt's governorate of Minya due to an electrical short circuit, with no causalities reported, according to the Ministry of Interior.
Bursaries created for future Glyndwr University Law students thanks to generous six-figure donation

Students applying to study Law at Wrexham Glyndwr University could benefit from a bursary which has been provided by a generous donor.

Francis Glynne-Jones has made a significant six-figure donation, with monies recently received from his deceased brother Colin to the University, in memory of his grandfather Cyril Oswald Jones, his father, Hywel Glynne-Jones, and his brother Colin Glynne-Jones, all former Presidents of the Chester and North Wales Law Society.

The donation has been made in the form of a Gift Deed and is specifically for the benefit of the Universitys Law department.

It will be put to use across a 10 year period to enable gifted Law students from a disadvantaged background to pursue their ambition by covering their course fees, thanks to the creation of the Cyril Oswald Jones Fund.

A management committee has been set up to administer the funds and the first initial meeting will be to agree the criteria to be applied for the annual bursary.

Speaking about the creation of the bursary, Francis Glynne-Jones said: I hope it will encourage many young people to come into the law profession, here in North Wales.

Law is still a new department at the University and I hope this will help with its development.

Wrexham Glyndwr University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Maria Hinfelaar welcomed the creation of the bursary and the opportunity it will provide gifted students who may not otherwise be able to realise their ambitions without its support.

She said: Were so pleased with the generosity and are really grateful to Francis Glynne-Jones and his family for supporting the University.

It is a good partnership between ourselves and the local legal profession going back generations.

This will give opportunities to students who need a bit of extra support to undertake their Law programme with us but it also rewards excellence in final-year students.

There is a nice balance between support for students coming into the University, and awards presented to students for how they performed whilst with us.

I do not think there are many universities that would be able to offer this kind of incentive for students on their Law degree so we feel so proud to be able to do so.

The University will select students who meet the requirements for admission to the Law Degree to be considered as potential recipients of the Cyril Oswald Jones Fund.

The terms of the donation will ensure:

An annual Cyril Oswald Jones lecture to be arranged by the University in consultation with the Committee.

There will be 1,000 Top student award in Year 3 of their Law Degree each year (sponsored by the Cyril Oswald Jones Fund).

An annual bursary of 3,000, for the duration of the degree programme for a Welsh domiciled student coming from a disadvantaged background within 50 miles of Wrexham who wishes to study law at the University.

The committee members will be Robert Glynne Jones, Peter Humphrey Jones, John Evans and one senior University staff member as nominated by the Vice-Chancellor.

For more information about the LLB Law course at Wrexham Glyndwr University, please visit the website.
Eight areas in Wrexham retain coveted Green Flag Award

Eight areas in Wrexham have retained their coveted Green Flag Award.

Flags are awarded for areas that have excellent visitor facilities, high environmental standards and commitment to delivering great quality green spaces.

Acton Park, Alyn Waters Country Park, Bellevue Park, Ponciau Banks Park, Ty Mawr Country Park and Wrexham Cemetery along with community award winners Maes y Pant and Plas Pentwyn will all be flying their flags for the next 12 months.

The Green Flag Award programme is delivered in Wales by environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy, with support from Welsh Government.

Independent green space experts volunteered their time to judge applicant sites against eight strict criteria, including biodiversity, cleanliness, environmental management, and community involvement.

Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Environment, said, Once again we are very pleased to share the good news about our beautiful country parks and green areas.

Its a huge credit to staff and the volunteers who spend many hours ensuring they remain in excellent condition for the thousands of visitors they receive every year.

Their work is particularly appreciated this year following several storms in February that caused considerable damage to trees and a huge check and clean up followed to ensure areas remained safe and attractive for visitors.

Ten of our country parks are also protected for future generations under the Open Green Spaces initiative operated by Fields in Trust which ensures they will remain areas the public can enjoy for generations to come.
River levels across Wales extremely low for time of year due to prolonged period of dry weather

The last four months have been the driest in almost 40 years, with concerns about water levels in Wales rivers.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) is dealing with a number of concerns due to the period of prolonged dry weather, including wildfires and fish mortality.

Last week extra water was released into the River Dee in a bid to help reduce the risk of fish mortality during the exceptionally high temperatures.

Wales has seen only 62% of its average rainfall between March and June. This, coupled with the recent heatwave, has led to extremely low river flows and to some drying up completely.

While some instances of rain over the weekend have led to the recovery of some rivers, others remain extremely low for the time of year.

With no significant rain forecast, recovered river levels are also likely to recede in the coming weeks.

Rivers with low flows and high temperatures increase levels of stress to fish populations, leading to NRWs recent call to freshwater anglers to take extra care while fishing to help safeguard declining fish numbers.

NRW officers have also been dealing with instances of wildfires, particularly a recent incident on the Coedydd Rheidiol Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Mid Wales that affected several hectares of land.

NRW and Welsh Government (WG) also attended the national drought group for England to address any cross-border concerns. Following the meeting it was clear the prolonged dry weather is affecting England and Wales differently.

Much of Wales water comes from surface water sources, whereas parts of England largely collect from groundwater.

Despite similar concerns on both sides of the border, these will develop differently and on different timescales depending on how the situation develops.

Currently the potential concerns in Wales are the dry weathers effects on the environment, agriculture, land management and water supply chains.

Natalie Hall, Sustainable Water Manager for NRW, said: Prolonged periods of dry weather can impact some of our most precious habitats and species.

This can also impact on sectors such as agriculture, put a strain on the water supply system and affect peoples wellbeing.

Our teams have been monitoring and responding to incidents whilst working with other regulators WG, water companies, navigation authorities and other organisations in order to understand any emerging concerns and actions to be taken.

The last four months have been the driest in almost 40 years, making water a precious resource.

Were urging the public to save water where possible. For advice on this visit your water companys websites or Waterwise.

Remember to report any incidents to our 24-hour hotline on 0300 065 3000.
A somber gathering of about 5,000 people marked the 10th anniversary of what has become known as the Marikana massacre, when police opened fire on striking miners, killing 34 in 2012.
The longest labor dispute to date in the health care sector of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) has been shut down by the Verdi services union after almost 12 weeks. The negotiated collective agreement does not provide any real improvements for the nursing staff in Germanys most populous state. Rather, it serves to cement the intolerable working conditions in the clinics.

As of Wednesday, the nursing staff had struck for 77 days, protesting poor wages, intolerable working conditions, staff shortages and the associated deficiencies in patient care. Well over 10,000 operations have had to be postponed at six clinics since the beginning of May.

An intubated COVID-19 patient gets treatment in an intensive care unit (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

The labor dispute enjoyed huge popular support despite minimal coverage in the media. The pressure on nursing staff intensified enormously with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic two-and-a-half years ago. It is only thanks to the dedication of nurses, doctors and other staff in the clinics that the care system has not long ago collapsed.

The situation in hospitals is again becoming critical due to the brutal mass infection policies of federal and state governments. Rising infection rates are leading to increased hospital admissions and numbers of intensive care patients. Concurrently, staffing shortages are being exacerbated by the high number of nurses who themselves have fallen ill with COVID-19. It is not uncommon for 20 to 25 percent of hospital employees to be on sick leave or in quarantine.

Verdi, the responsible union, celebrated the collective bargaining agreement as a victorious stage. Katharina Wesenick, Verdi state department head for health, social affairs, education and science, declared that the first collective agreement for the relief of hospitals had gone into force.

The employers were also visibly pleased with the agreement. Their first reaction was to announce that starting Wednesday significantly more patients could receive care at the university hospitals.

North Rhine-Westphalias Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann said he was pleased that social partners had found a solution to the wage dispute, adding that there was now a good result on the table that would lead to better working conditions and provide lasting relief.

While employers, politicians and the union are cheering the end of the strike, the employees themselves have nothing to celebrate. For them, the agreement is a slap in the face.

A previous agreement at the Charite and Vivantes hospitals in Berlin served as a model for the agreement in NRW. There, Verdi similarly choked off the strike for better working conditions after 50 days and agreed with the clinics and the coalition Senate on a collective bargaining agreement that wins no improvements for the employees and merely forces them to stay quiet.

According to the agreement, 700 additional employees are to be hired at Charite over the next three years. The original demand of 1,200 additional employees, which was already far too low, has thus been almost halved. Whether these new staff will actually be hired, however, is anyones guess.

An elaborate point system for workloads was agreed upon, which in reality does not reduce caregivers overload, rather legitimizes it. For every five shifts understaffed, there is one point that can be converted into eight hours of time off to compensate for the strain. So, if a nurse has covered an eight-hour shift for two people, he or she will not get even two of those hours compensated as time off.

However, there is to be a maximum of only five such days off per year, so no more than 40 shifts per year will be compensated for understaffing. This means that it will continue to be extremely profitable for the hospitals to work understaffed.

The agreements reached for the university hospitals in NRW are even worse for the employees. The key points of the contract are an allegedly better staffing ratio and additional relief days, or financial compensation if these days go unused.

The collective agreement is not due to come into effect until the beginning of 2023. Although clinics are expected to face an overwhelming load in the coming months, workers can expect no improvement in working conditions during this time. Another year and a half will pass before the system of relief points takes effect. There is only a small, fixed number of additional days off available during the transition.

Various models have been agreed upon allowing the various hospital areas to define the alleged relief. For example, there are binding staff-patient ratios for normal and intensive care units. If these are undercut, the employee receives a point.

Only after a staggering seven points does he or she then receive a day off. In the first year, the number of possible relief days is also capped at 11. Once this number has been reached, the employee no longer receives any compensation despite the continued stress of the unimproved situation.

In addition, the staffing ratio has not yet even been defined, and it is unlikely that it will be appropriate.

In other areas, staff shortages are more egregious. For the service areas it was agreed that there would be 10 percent more staff compared to the current staffing target. The time frame for this is not yet known but given the massive understaffing in this area in recent years, it will be no more than a drop in the bucket.

In the patient management area, there will be only three additional days off. Since no further agreements have been made in this area, it is already clear that a constant number of employees will have to do the same work in less time.

For trainees and employees in other areas there are purely cosmetic changes that do not fundamentally alter the enormous workload.

The extremely long, five-year term of the contract was important to unions, hospital management and the state government. This is intended to ensure that there will be a no-strike obligation for the next few years, thus preventing any protest.

The exact text is being formulated, to be followed by a full vote. By August 5, the affected Verdi members will be called upon to vote on whether to accept the collective agreement.

Certain voices are already calling for this model to be adopted in other German states in order to suppress resentment and anger about the catastrophic conditions there, too.

The agreement once again makes it clear that the unions are acting directly against the employees. The agreement must be rejected. The fight for real improvement can only be won if Verdis negotiating mandate is withdrawn. Independent rank-and-file committees must be organized to unite these struggles across industries and national boundaries.
On July 20, the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) published a guest article by 22 academics and soldiers. The statement can only be described as a war manifesto of the German military-academic complex.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, center, arrives for a visit of the Joint Operations Command of the German armed forces, Bundeswehr, in Schwielowsee near Berlin, Germany, Friday, March 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

The piece argues for a continuation of the murderous proxy war in Ukraine, denounces any desire for an early ceasefire and political solution as dangerous, and calls for the standard and quantity of Western arms deliveries to be increased.

The appeal underlines the aggressiveness with which German imperialism is supporting the NATO proxy war in Ukraine. The authors explicitly state that there is no room for maneuver for a ceasefire or a diplomatic solution in Ukraine. They assert that in order to avert a Russian dictated peacethat is, to defeat the Russian army in Ukrainethe firepower and counter-attack capability in particular of the Ukrainian military has to be massively strengthened. The aim of the war must be to gain time for the sanctions to take effect, and thus to limit Russias military power over the long term.

To justify this agenda, the newspaper draws on the standard propaganda of the NATO powers and turns reality upside down. The Kremlin regime systematically planned and prepared the war in Ukraine for several years and aimed at destroying Western societies, democratic political systems and international institutions, assert the authors. Russia, they continue, is striving for a years-long war of attrition in Ukraine, and wants to trigger a recession in Germany by shutting down the supply of natural gas.

If the war is ended by a hasty diplomatic solution, the authors state in truly Orwellian fashion, further serious war crimes and destruction are threatened in Ukraine.

In reality, it is the Western powers, including Germany, that are pursuing a destructive imperialist great power policy with the war in Ukraine, having systematically planned and prepared the conflict. The NATO powers encircled Russia following the dissolution of the Soviet Union and massively built up and modernised Ukraines armed forces after the pro-Western coup in 2014. They intentionally provoked the Russian invasion. Now they are using the war to weaken and ultimately subjugate the resource-rich country so that it can be exploited and controlled by the imperialist powers.

The Manifesto of the 22 articulates this unequivocally. According to the authors, the war in Ukraine represents the beginning of a new era, the consequences of which are still not understood by many. They continue: The failure of the Russian troops and the enormous losses inflicted on the Russian professional army provide Germany and its allies with opportunities for influencing further developments that must not be wasted.

The war offensive is directed not only against Russia, but also against China. The article deplores Chinas barely veiled sympathy for Russias position, which shows that we are at a point in time where the democratic states are facing an alliance of powerful authoritarian regimes that seek to eliminate the liberal, rules-based international order, which rests on collaboration in the solution of global problems.

Indeed, under the guise of freedom and democracy, the imperialist powers are preparing for a third world war against the nuclear-armed powers Russia and China. NATOs new Strategic Concept states, among other things, that it will individually and collectively supply the full spectrum of armed forces needed for deterrence and defence, including for high-intensity cross-dimension warfare against peer competitors possessing nuclear weapons.

The danger of a third world war fought with nuclear weapons does not prevent the signatories of the war manifesto in the FAZ from demanding that the decisions of the NATO summit in Madrid be swiftly implemented. Behind the madness are definite imperialist goals. Above all, the ruling class in Germany sees war as an opportunity to put its long-developed war and great power plans into action.

Specifically, the paper demands that the German Armed Forces play a leading role within the framework of the NATO alliance, and swiftly implement a military strategy for Poland and the Baltic States, as well as for the entire Baltic Sea Region. In addition, a strategy must be developed that points beyond the immediate war. Given the massive mistakes and humiliating losses on the Russian side, it would be negligent to fail to utilise the options presented by the current Russian weakness, the authors argue.

The historical implications of this programme are as clear as they are far-reaching. By marching once again into Eastern Europe and waging war in Ukraine in order to defeat Russia, the German military is reviving its war goals in the First and Second World Wars. It supports and arms the political heirs of those forces that cooperated with the Wehrmacht and the SS in the war of annihilation against the Soviet Union.

Then as now, a class of academics plays a central and repulsive role in advancing and ideologically masking the war policy of the ruling class. Among the signatories of the war appeal are German professors and chair holders at the universities of Kiel, Bradford, Bonn and Potsdam, as well as high-ranking officers and professors at the military universities in Hamburg and Munich. In addition, there are members of various geopolitical think tanks and militaristic training academies. Six signatories alone are associated with the Institute for Security Policy at the University of Kiel (ISPK), which is close to the German Navy.

Many of the authors have been ever-present in the media since the beginning of the war, put forward to spread the poison of militarism. Among the most prominent are Carlo Masala (University of Munich) and Sonke Neitzel (University of Potsdam), as well as the NATO military planner and DGAP fellow Heinrich Brau, the Austrian analyst Gustav Gressel (European Council on Foreign Relations) and the propagandist for German nuclear weapons Maximilian Terhalle (London School of Economics).

Former General Klaus Wittmann, one of the authors, recently demanded a Ukrainian counter-offensive with German tanks in the southeast of the country in the right-wing Springer press.

Since 2013, the Socialist Equality Party (SGP) and its youth organisation, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), have warned about the transformation of universities into centres for militarism and war propaganda, as occurred prior to the First and Second World Wars. At that time, the SGP and IYSSE were the only political organisations to oppose the militaristic conspiracy in the state apparatus and showed how the end of Germanys military restraint was systematically prepared by leading political, military, media and academic circles.

From the publication of the programmatic paper New Power, New Responsibility, to the issuing of a new German Armed Forces white paper and the relativisation of the crimes of the Nazis by Humboldt University Professor Jorg Baberowski (Hitler wasnt vicious), we demonstrated the role of professors and academics in the return of German militarism. Christoph Vandreier, long-time spokesman of the IYSSE in Germany and the current chairman of the SGP, explained in his book Why Are They Back? that the ruling elite in Germany must relativize and trivialize the greatest crimes of human history in order to revive the goals of two world wars.

At Berlins Humboldt University, which plays a central role in this, the IYSSE is at the forefront of the fight against the attempts of the university administration to suppress criticism of right-wing extremist and militarist positions. The positions of Baberowski and Herfried Munkleraccording to which Germany must become the disciplinarian of Europe, and the Nazi war of extermination must be seen as an understandable reaction to the violence of the Bolshevikscorrespond to the policy of the ruling class.

Under conditions of the concrete danger of nuclear war and the largest German rearmament programme since the fall of the Nazi regime, leading government politicians pay tribute to a Ukrainian ambassador who denies critical aspects of the Holocaust before a global audience. The German governments stated goal is to dominate Europe militarily and make the EU a geopolitical player under Berlins leadership.

Only a powerful international anti-war movement of the working class can halt the drive to World War Three and prevent the historical crimes of German imperialism from being eclipsed by new ones. The strikes, mass protests and social unrest that have developed all over the world since the beginning of the war in Ukraine show that the basis for such a movement is already in the making.

The war-mongering professors and generals are also aware of this. The next two years will be very difficult, they conclude in their manifesto. It is with great concern that one must state there are repeated calls for a political solution or a ceasefire. In order to counter the foreseeable social and political eruption, a concerted action by all relevant social and political forces is required.

The working class must oppose the war conspiracy and the concerted action of the ruling class with its own programme. The SGP and its sister parties in the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) will do everything in their power to arm the fight against war, militarism and social misery with a socialist and internationalist perspective. The task of building these organisations now assumes the utmost urgency.
Wije Dias (2006)

The funeral of veteran Trotskyist leader, Wije Dias, chairman of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP), the Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), will be held in Colombo today. Wije Dias died from a massive heart attack in Jayawardenapura hospital on Wednesday morning, just one month before his 81st birthday.

The body of our late comrade Wije Dias is currently lying at the Jayaratne Respect Home, 483/485, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 08 for those wishing to pay their final respects. The cortege leaves the Jayaratne Respect Home at 2.30 p.m. today (Sri Lankan time) for the nearby Borella Cemetery. The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. at the cemetery before cremation at 5 p.m. The funeral procession and the meeting will be livestreamed through the partys Facebook page.

Comrade Wijes death is a great loss for the SEP in particular, the ICFI as a whole and the working class in Sri Lanka, South Asia and internationally. He was an intransigent fighter for more than half a century for the Trotskyist principles of international socialism that embody the interests of the working class in Sri Lanka and around the world.

Wije was a founding member of the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), the predecessor of the SEP, established in June 1968 to take up the fight for Trotskyism in the wake of the Lanka Sama Samaja Partys (LSSP) betrayal in 1964 when it entered the bourgeois government of Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike.

Comrade Wije, then a member of the LSSP, was a leading member in the remarkable group of youth who opposed the betrayal and, under the ICFIs guidance, drew the necessary political lessons and laid the RCLs firm political foundations.

In the difficult circumstances following the untimely death of the RCLs founding general secretary Keerthi Balasuriya in December 1987, comrade Wije took up the responsibilities of the post. He was general secretary of the RCL, then the SEP, right up until the SEPs latest congress in May when he was elected to the new position of party chairman.

Wije Dias led the party in fighting for the political independence, unity and democratic rights of the working class throughout Colombos protracted war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), during which the entire political establishment whipped up divisive anti-Tamil chauvinism.

Wije lived to see the re-emergence of revolutionary struggles in Sri Lanka. Despite his age, Wije played a key role in charting a revolutionary socialist course for workers and rural toilers amid the current popular uprising against the Rajapakse and Wickremesinghe governments and their agenda of austerity and repression.

His loss will be felt amid this unprecedented economic, political and social crisis in Sri Lanka. However, his powerful political legacy lives on in the cadre of the SEP and political work of the ICFI, which continue his lifelong struggle for a socialist future for humanity.

The ICFIs tribute to comrade Wije concluded: Comrade Wije Dias is a monumental figure in the fight for Trotskyism in Sri Lanka. His life and legacy now enter into the history of the struggle for socialism. They will serve to inspire, but even more importantly to politically orient workers and young people in what will and must prove to be the decade of world socialist revolution.

We invite workers, youth, rural toilers and professionals to attend the funeral of comrade Wije today at the Borella Cemetery. Those who are not able to participate in person can watch the proceedings online through the SEPs Facebook page.
The resumption of schooling in Australia after the mid-year break has seen a further escalation in COVID-19 infections, with governments refusing outright to implement basic mitigation strategies, including mask mandates.

Students sitting the HSC in 2019 [Credit: ABC News]

No state or federal government, Labor or Liberal, has mandated mask wearing, including in schools. Earlier this month it emerged that the Victorian Labor government had rejected official advice that it do so, issued by its own chief health officer, Ben Cowie.

In a statement that explained nothing, Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said on July 12 that the chief health officer has provided his advice and I have accepted his advice, except that I have chosen not to extend mandates for mask wearing in some of the settings that were recommended to me. Thomas said that she made the decision after discussion with industry, i.e., big business.

A farcical situation has emerged within the states school system, following the July 18 issuing of a co-signed letter from the heads of the Department of Education, the Catholic Education sector, and Independent Schools (Victoria). This outlined that wearing masks for all school staff and students aged eight and over was an expectation, yet not a requirement, with no penalties or consequences for non-compliance.

Similarly in Queensland, Labor Premier Anastasia Palaszczuk has said she strongly encourages mask wearing in schools but would not make this a requirement due to respect for personal responsibility.

Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked on July 20 why he rejected mask mandates. He absurdly replied: One [factor] is mental health considerations the imposition of controls on peoples behaviours has an impact on peoples health. And particularly young people, were seeing a really problematic increase in incidents of severe consequences when it comes to young peoples health, but others as well.

There is no evidence whatsoever of any adverse mental health effects from being required to wear masks in schools and other indoor areas. Albaneses comments are cover for the real agenda of the entire political establishmentrefusing to enact any basic safety measures that potentially impinge on the accumulation of profit by corporate and finance capital.

Numerous epidemiologists and medical professionals have issued public statements of concern and opposition to the lifting of virtually all public health measures.

University of Melbourne Epidemiologist professor Nancy Baxter told the Age on July 11 that schools were helping drive COVID-19 transmission. I dont think its going to be better [than term 2] in fact, I think its going to be worse, she said. I think people should prepare themselves for there being closures and [teacher] shortages.

That is now happening across Australia. Accurate and up to do date data on the situation in the schools is not being publicly releasedthis is part of official efforts to downplay the disaster that has emerged. Numerous local reports have nevertheless emerged of schools having to switch back to remote and online learning due to widespread staff illness.

For example, in the last two weeks reports emerged of one working class school in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Manor Lakes P-12 College, that had 6070 of its 320 staff absent with illness. This forced the cancellation and merging of multiple senior classes.

There is a nation-wide shortage of relief teachers, resulting in sick teachers going unreplaced and their students often supervised together in large groups in halls.

In New South Wales, the state Liberal government of Premier Dominic Perrotet is reportedly preparing to fast-track university students into classrooms. The Australian reported on July 21: University students would assist teachers in classrooms just six months into an education degree, under radical reforms to plug the national shortage of school teachers.

The World Socialist Web Site spoke with several public school teachers on conditions in their workplaces.

A primary school teacher in a northern working class suburb of Melbourne said: The department notice that there was an expectation for children over 8 to wear masks was ridiculous. Many staff arent wearing masks, thinking that there isnt a requirement to do so, so kids arent wearing them either. The wearing of masks needs to be mandated! We continue to see increased transmission with increased disruptions over what we already have.

A secondary school teacher from a Victorian regional school reported: We continue to have considerable staff and students absent with the virus. In the first week back in Term 3, there have been 73 year VCE [senior student] classes cancelled. A single ES [education support] member has had to supervise in excess of 120 students, amounting to a baby-sitting exercise.

Some staff and fewer students are using masks, even though we have experienced a huge growth of the virus. Unless mandated, without masks, we will continue to see students and staff getting third and fourth doses of COVID.

Another secondary school teacher in Melbourne said: Even though the letter [recommending mask wearing] has gone home, there is no uptake from the kids.

Student illnesses are still occurring and classes are severely disrupted. The pressure to catch up on work and assessments from students being away is insane. This has been the hardest six months of teaching Ive ever had. I hate what is going on and now dread going into work.

An entirely preventable spate of serious illnesses and deaths are now emerging. On July 24, a girl died of COVID-19, just two weeks before her second birthday. The death again exposed the lie that young people are unaffected by the virus.

The tragic loss is part of the worst spate of mass COVID deaths in Australia to date. In the seven-days including 30 July, 535 coronavirus fatalities were recorded, an average of more than 76 every day, up from around 40 a month ago. Yesterdays 157 deaths were comfortably the highest reported on any day of the pandemic.

The wave of mass infection has broader implications. Several studies have found that 1020 percent of people who are infected with the virus may suffer some form of Long COVID. This includes countless children now contracting the virus in their classrooms.

Across Australia, the Australian Education Union and its state affiliates are working as the active accomplices of state and federal governments. Throughout the pandemic, the unions have insisted that teachers and school workers comply with every official edict, and take no independent measures whatsoever to protect their safety and that of their students.

The Committee for Public Education (CFPE) advances an alternative to this program, which amounts to complicity in the murder of teachers and students. It fights for the establishment of rank-and-file committees at all schools, completely independent of the unions, as the basis for a movement of teachers, education staff and parents.

Such a struggle must be based on the fight against the official let it rip coronavirus program, based on subordinating health to profit. Schools must be closed and online learning resumed, with a massive increase in funding to public education, as part of a series of scientifically-grounded measures to eliminate transmission and end the pandemic.

Contact the CFPE:

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/opposeaeusellout/

Facebook: facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter: @CFPE_Australia
The American aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group, including a guided missile destroyer and cruiser, set out from Singapore on Monday heading toward the South China Sea and Taiwan.

This deployment, clearly linked to the planned highly provocative visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, greatly heightens US military and political tensions with China, which threaten to trigger a potentially catastrophic nuclear war.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gestures towards the members as she addresses the first session of the 117th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021. [Credit: Erin Scott/Pool via AP]

It is clear from this for everyone to see who is the biggest threat to the South China Sea and the Asian regions peace and stability, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a briefing on Thursday.

Despite warnings from Beijing, including by President Xi Jinping, and public statements of reservation by the White House, Pelosi and other congressional representatives began an East Asian tour yesterday, deliberately leaving open the option of landing in Taiwan.

According to the itinerary of Pelosis Asia mission, as reported by US media outlets, it includes Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore, all seen as US allies against China, with Taiwan listed as tentative.

To fuel speculation, Pelosi has refused to answer reporters inquiries about her Taiwan plans, saying on Wednesday: I never talk about my travel. Its a danger to me. That remark literally accuses China of being prepared to attack her mission.

Regardless of White House claims that it has no jurisdiction over Pelosis decision to fly to Taiwan in a military aircraft, the US chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, declared this week that Americas armed forces were ready to intervene against any Chinese response.

We will do what is necessary to ensure a safe, safe conduct of their visit. And Ill just leave it at that, Milley told reporters at the end of the 24th Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defense Conference held in Sydney for two days this week.

With reckless disregard for the danger of provoking a military conflict, Milley added: So what that results in, well have to wait and see.

The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that Pentagon officials had said such US military engagement would include aircraft carriers, fighter jets and surveillance assets to protect Pelosi on her flights to and out of Taiwan as well as on the ground.

Whether or not the Pelosi visit to Taiwan goes ahead, such incendiary comments fuel tensions by declaring US intent to take military action against China in or around the island, which China regards as a breakaway province, and which lies just 160 kilometres (100 miles) off the mainland.

Xi has tersely opposed a visit by Pelosi, the second in line to the US presidency, to the island, which would be a further violation of the One China policy, by which the US has not recognised Taiwan as a country since 1979.

During a reported two-hour phone call with US President Joe Biden on Thursday, Chinas state news agency reported that Xi told Biden: Public opinion shall not be violated, and if you play with fire you get burned. I hope the US side can see this clearly.

The brief White House readout of the call pointedly made no mention of the escalating confrontation. It said Biden had told Xi that US policy on Taiwan had not changed, and Washington strongly opposed unilateral efforts to change the status quo or undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

In reality, successive US administrations, from Obama and Trump to Biden, have deliberately undermined the One China policy, including by sending troops, increasing arms sales and dispatching officials and delegations to Taiwan. The Biden administration has approved four large arms sales to Taiwan, and a fifth, worth $108 million, is scheduled for imminent congressional approval.

Pelosi would be the first sitting US House speaker to visit Taiwan since the far-right Republican Newt Gingrich went there in 1997. This threatened trip occurs under much more inflammatory conditions, as part of escalating moves by Washington to repudiate the One China policy.

In Sydney, in a transparent bid to blame any clash on Beijing, and thus justify a war, Milley said he had ordered a study of Chinas actions in the South China Sea and other areas of the Pacific region, which found a significant increase in aggressive actions. Asked for details, Milley said the report was classifiedthus hidden from public scrutiny. Nevertheless, he insisted that Chinas activity seems to imply that they want to bully or dominate other nations.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, senior Pentagon official Ely Ratner echoed Milleys characterisation of Chinas irresponsible behavior and said it was only a matter of time before China caused a major incident.

Those comments present a conflict with China as inevitable. They follow three public statements by Biden since taking office that the US would go to war to defend Taiwan if it were purportedly attacked by China. Bidens comments overturn the longstanding US policy of strategic ambiguity. Not committing the US to defend Taiwan under all circumstances was aimed at blocking a provocative declaration of Taiwanese independence and conflict with China.

Pelosis plans are proceeding despite warnings issued by Chinese defence officials. If the US insists on taking its own course, the Chinese military will never sit idly by, and it will definitely take strong actions to thwart any external forces interference, Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a Chinese Ministry of Defense spokesperson, said.

To send an aircraft carrier group through the narrow Taiwan Strait between the island and the mainland would itself be provocative. In 1995, President Bill Clinton sent the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier into the strait after China conducted missile tests near Taiwanese-claimed territory.

The USS Kitty Hawk appears to be the last US carrier to have transited the strait, in 2007, but other US warships have done so on a monthly basis. The USS Benfold transited the Taiwan Strait on July 19, after sailing near the disputed Spratly Islands on July 16 and the Paracel Islands on July 13.

Liu Pengyu, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the US, has underlined Beijings concerns over Pelosis trip. On the Taiwan question, we have made our stance loud and clear, Liu said. The embassy is making all our efforts to prevent the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the stability of China-US relations being damaged by the potential visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

Other Chinese figures, particularly those associated with the Global Times, a hawkish state-run outlet, have warned of military reactions. Hu Xijin, former chief editor of the Global Times, called Pelosis planned visit an invasion.

China long warned that it would forcibly reunify Taiwan with the mainland if the island declared independence, which Washingtons actions are now encouraging. Last month, Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe told US officials at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore: If anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, we will not hesitate to fight, and we will fight at all costs.

Under these conditions, both Democrats and Republicans in the US Congress, as well as the American corporate media, have urged Pelosi to travel to Taiwan. These figures include prominent ex-generals and members of Donald Trumps fascistic Republican leadership.

The Democratic chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith, declared: I dont think we should let China dictate something like this. Nancy Pelosi is the speaker of the House, shes the most powerful person in the country. If she wants to go visit Taiwan, she ought to be able to do that.

The US is recklessly provoking conflict with Beijing both because it regards China as the chief threat to its global hegemony and as a means channelling working class discontent amid a profound economic and social crisis at home against a supposed foreign enemy.

US military planners regard Taiwan as a key strategic platform for an assault on China. It is also a key economic asset, producing an estimated 92 percent of the worlds advanced semiconductor chips.

Just as Washington for years built up the Ukrainian military as a bastion against Russia with the aim of provoking the current disastrous war, the US is strengthening the Taiwanese military and seeking to goad China into military action in a bid to weaken and destabilise its rival.
Just over 70 days before Brazils October 2 election, fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro is escalating preparations for a violent seizure of power in event of a likely electoral defeat.

On Sunday, July 24, in front of a mass audience at the Maracanazinho gymnasium in Rio de Janeiro, Bolsonaro called on his supporters to fill the streets on September 7 in order to back his fabricated claims that the October elections will be rigged by the Electoral Court (TSE) in favor of the front-runner, former Workers Party president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Menacingly, Bolsonaro told the crowd to go to the streets one last time to target the Supreme Court (STF), whose members he called a few black-clad deaf people, who must understand what is the voice of the people, must understand the Executive alongside Congress.

The rally marked the official opening of the convention of his Liberal Party (PL), currently the largest party in the Brazilian House, to launch his reelection bid.

September 7 will mark 200 hundred years since Brazil declared independence from Portugal in 1822. It will feature traditional military parades across the country as well as a special reception for foreign delegations, with particularly distasteful and reactionary demonstrations of traditionalism, such as the transport from Portugal of the preserved heart of the first Brazilian emperor, Pedro I.

Bolsonaro targeted STF justices specifically because they preside over the Electoral Court and are thus ultimately responsible for the certification of election results.

Bolsonaro has for four years relentlessly attacked Brazils electronic balloting system, which he claims can be easily hacked and cannot be audited. Such claims have been repeatedly debunked by the TSE itself, as well as by other parties involved, such as Federal Police specialists and the military in the years prior to Bolsonaros rise to power. Polls have also repeatedly shown that a vast majority of Brazilians reject the presidents claims.

The convention marked the end of a hectic fortnight in Brazilian politics, which provided the clearest exposure yet of support within the military for Bolsonaros coup preparations.

On July 12, Defense Minister Gen. Paulo Sergio de Oliveira announced that the military is preparing its own eight-step parallel election certification program, chiefly incorporating Bolsonaros demand that a parallel vote count be made with paper ballots at selected voting stations in order to verify the results from the voting machines.

The Brazilian military is constitutionally empowered to participate in the organization of the elections but must do so publicly and side by side with civilian organizations such as the Bar Association (OAB). But thus far, the generals have declined to endorse the meetings called by the TSE. Instead, the Defense Ministry has claimed that its concerns over the integrity of the voting machines cannot be disclosed publicly, keeping open the possibility that they will refuse to endorse the results announced by the TSE.

Also, for the first time since the introduction of the voting machines in 1996, the Defense Ministry demanded the TSE send it special reports from the 2014 and 2018 elections, in order to verify alleged frauds in voter registrations.

The questioning of the 2014 and 2018 elections by the Defense Ministry represents a direct alignment with Bolsonaro. The president claims, without presenting a shred of evidence, that there was an attempt to rig the 2018 election in favor of the PT, preventing him from claiming victory in the first round.

Upon leaving the PTs parliamentary coalition in 2016, after 10 years as a back-bencher, Bolsonaro also started supporting the claims of the 2014 presidential runner-up, Aecio Neves from the Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB), that the election of PT president Dilma Rousseff had been rigged. Neves sought to annul Rousseffs second inauguration in 2015 by charging the PT with corrupt financing of its campaign, making its victory illegitimate. Contrary to the conspiracy theories advanced by Bolsonaro, however, Neves never claimed the voting machines had actually been manipulated.

Before the PL convention and only four days after the presentation of the unprecedented demands by the Defense Ministry, Bolsonaro summoned foreign ambassadors and delegations to the Planalto presidential offices to provide them with proof substantiating his electoral fraud fabrications. Bolsonaro repeated false claims of manipulation of the balloting that have already been debunked several times.

Finally, last Thursday, the conservative daily Estado de S. Paulo revealed that chief members of Bolsonaros cabinet, led by the chief-of-staff Ciro Nogueira, are pressuring the next TSE president, STF Justice Alexandre de Moraes, to endorse the militarys hastily organized parallel vote. The report revealed that presidential aides are threatening the Court that a single WhatsApp message from Bolsonaro could unleash violence like that seen in US President Donald Trumps January 6 Capitol putsch, effectively declaring the court a legitimate target if it refuses to bow to Bolsonaro.

In contrast to these intense and growing dangers, which have no precedent since the fall of the 1964-1985 US-backed military dictatorship, the Brazilian corporate media and the parliamentary opposition led by the PT, have deliberately downplayed the threat represented by the far-right military conspiracy.

The proof of the resilience of Brazilian democracy used by the press and the PT alike consists of a series of declarations by national bankers and foreign warmongers, such as US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who declared in the most perfunctory fashion last Tuesday in a meeting in Brasilia with Defense officials of Organization of American States member nations that military authorities should submit themselves to civil rule.

A typical reaction to Austins remarks came from the PTs senior member in the House, Deputy Paulo Pimenta, in an interview with the PT-aligned Forum website headlined Even bankers and Biden defend democracy against Bolsonaro.

Former president Lula has also repeated his praise of Brazils military, ignoring its bloody history, telling UOL on Wednesday, I think we must account for the fact that the military are more reliable than Bolsonaro, adding, He was expelled from the Army for bad behavior. So how can we think of a coup?

Contrary to the illusions peddled by Lula, the Brazilian military celebrates every year the overthrow of elected Labor Party President Joao Goulart and the installation of the 1964-1985 dictatorship. Meanwhile, the think tanks connected to it have already worked out plans for the wholesale suppression of left-wing militancy in Brazil until 2035.

For their part, the unions controlled by the parties in the PT electoral coalition, including the two largest union federations, the CUT and Forca Sindical, have decided to support two virtually identical documents in defense of democracy to be presented in two weeks.

Both are spearheaded by business associations such as the Brazilian Bank Association (Febraban) and the Sao Paulo Federation of Industries (FIESP)Letter in defense of democracy and justiceand big bankers and tycoons owning some of the largest companies in Brazil, such as the Itau Bank and the Klabin, Suzano and Votorantim industrial empiresLetter to the Brazilians in defense of a democratic state based on the rule of law (Estado Democratico de Direito).

Both documents are to be presented hours apart on the same day, August 11, at the Sao Paulo Faculty of Law (FDUSP). The wording of the current letters makes a mockery of any pretense that they represent any genuine defense of democratic forms of rule, much less of workers social and democratic rights. As revealed by Folha de S. Paulo on Thursday, the phrasing of the letter spearheaded by the Suzano, Klabin and Votorantim bosses was repeatedly redacted to exclude any mention of the word coup in order to avoid conflict with Bolsonaros backers in the Congress and business circles.

Hand-in-hand with attempts to promote illusions in these empty gestures is the suppression of any working class mobilization in resistance of Bolsonaros conspiracy. The PT has already called off its traditional September 7 Cry of the Excluded (Grito dos Excluidos) demonstrations for fear of fomenting a massive opposition to Bolsonaro. It has postponed them to September 10.

The PT-led opposition, while seeking the support of bankers and imperialist powers against Bolsonaro, promotes illusions in the bogus letters for democracy to cover up the terminal state of bourgeois democracy in Brazil and internationally. It presents the spearheads of reaction, including US imperialism and Brazils industrialists and bankers, as forces for democracy. The party also seeks to cover up its responsibility for 13 years of rule in which the likes of Bolsonaro were allowed to thrive in Congress, while his supporters in the military brass were able to blood their troops in the massacres the party oversaw in Brazils slums and in the UN peace mission in Haiti.

The claim that US imperialism, currently engaged in the opening shots of a potentially nuclear third world war against China and Russia, has any democratic role to play in Brazil is preposterous. But its political roots lie in the need to disarm the working class, which is deeply hostile to Bolsonaros austerity, murderous handling of the pandemic and authoritarian drive.

As proven by bitter historical experience, in their unbreakable commitment to capitalist rule, bourgeois democratic forces such as the PT fear the working class immeasurably more than they fear fascist reaction.

The PTs steady march to the right, presenting itself as the bulwark of capitalist stability and reliable tool of the same forces that supported Bolsonaro for four years, can only end in disaster for Brazilian workers. A true opposition to the international drive to austerity, war and dictatorship can only be mounted independently and in opposition to the whole democratic bourgeois setup, including the PT and its affiliated unions.
The WSWS continues to receive statements in defence of Dr David Berger, a respected Australian physician and dedicated zero-COVID advocate who is being threatened with deregistration by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) over his social media condemnations of the governments let it rip coronavirus policies.

Just as there is an effort to silence courageous experts like Dr Berger, those who defend them are being muzzled too.

On July 21, the Socialist Equality Party (Australia) Twitter account was locked over a video in defence of Dr Berger and free speech. While the campaign to reinstate the @SEP_Australia Twitter account was a success, with it being restored late Wednesday night, Twitter has failed to explain why it censored the SEP in the first place, and why it took so long for the measure to be overturned. This is striking, given that Twitter has now admitted the video broke no rules.

This blatant act of political censorship underscores the efforts of the ruling elite to suppress exposures of the homicidal let it rip policies, as they are causing the worst surge of the pandemic to date. Such attacks must be opposed by the broadest layers of workers, young people and professionals.

Since the publication of our first article on July 8, calling for a campaign in Dr. Bergers defence, the WSWS has published thirteen articles compiling statements of support.

Statements of support can be emailed 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.

Lynn Stein, sent this statement via email

It is very frightening to see the kind of censorship and punishment that has been brought upon Dr. Berger. I admire Dr. Berger and those like him that work to inform and protect the public.



It is Orwellian, the control these government groups have in terms of censorship and the amount of power they wield over the professionals they regulate. There are many parallels to Assange and the battles he has faced. Hope people start opening their eyes and minds and pay attention to what is really going on and why.

Maria K, sent statement via email

Today I read about AHPRAs move against Dr. Berger on the WSWS. I think that Dr. Berger has always acted very responsibly and in the sense of the health of the ill from COVID-19. The Australian Labor-government should not at all act in this way.

Graeme, public sector worker

I call on the Australia Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) to cease the malicious and unprincipled campaign of persecution against Australian physician Dr David Berger. He is being persecuted for telling the truth, he is a courageous campaigner for Zero COVID, a policy that was once the desired outcome of the Australian medical community.

Graeme

Every day there are news reports on the growth of novel COVID variants and sub-variants which can evade immunity by vaccination and infection, are more transmissible and potentially more deadly. Every day we hear reports of the crisis facing our hospitals, ambulance services and health professionals being overwhelmed by the lack of staff, facilities, and funding. This was happening before the Australian governments, state and federal, conspired to unleash the virus on the Australian population without their consent.

The anti-lockdown and anti-mask mandate protesters are an army of the most disorientated and declassed elements in society; libertarians, wellness advocates, New World Order, anti-vaccination and QAnon conspiracy theorists. The leadership of this army of the unhinged were mostly right-wing extremists, nationalists and outright fascists. Now governments have adopted almost all their demands!

Now these governments are championing mass death and are leaning on medical authorities such as AHPRA to persecute medical practitioners that refuse to ignore the medical evidence in support of the economy. Dr Bergers views on how to deal with a pandemic were mainstream medical advice two years ago, now they are being subjected to censorship. Dr Berger must not be subject to any mandatory re-education because the medical authorities have bowed before the economic and political authorities.

Dr Berger should not be censored. His views should be shared widely and be the subject of an open, uncoerced discussion in the working class, the scientific community and the medical and health communities on the best way to deal with COVID and stop the mass death and disability that it causes.

Kirsten, Carer from South Australia

As a Carer for someone with serious health issues I have witnessed the devastating impact the let it rip COVID policy of federal and state governments has had on the community.

Kirsten

I condemn the attack on Dr. David Berger who has bravely taken a principled stand against this policy. Scientifically backed up by specialists around the globe, Dr. Berger is providing a clear analysis of the ongoing dangers of COVID-19 and its emerging variants.

For this he is being used as a warning to others who may speak out against the homicidal program which has caused the deaths of millions. Doctors and Health Workers are being given a clear message that they will face the same persecution if they refuse to be gagged. A medical specialist voiced their concerns to me recently that we are first pledged to cause no harm. They said that not speaking out is causing immense harm.

The persecution of Dr. Berger cannot be seen as separate to the recent attack on the SEPs Australian Twitter account and the imprisonment of Julian Assange. Those who inform the public about the murderous program of the ruling class are singled out publicly and persecuted.

Only the working class can defend human rights in a global movement against inequality, mass illness and death, and oppose the drive to war that is being prepared at a rapid pace.

I encourage all working-class opponents of the persecution of those who exercise their right to free speech to support Dr. Berger and stand against his maltreatment.
After crossing the front line in Ukraine, Iryna Tyshenko, a 35-year-old woman from the southern region of Kherson, is recovering as she holds a small dragon toy that she made herself.
Marcia Walters is the widow of Danny Walters, who died on June 2, 2021 after suffering a seizure on the floor of Dana Inc.s auto parts plant in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. Marcia was visiting a relative at the time her husband suffered a seizure and neither the company or the UAW informed her that her husband had a seizure. Had the UAW or company informed her of what happened to her husband, she could have returned in time to save his life. Instead, he died after suffering a second seizure later that night.



Marcia has long spoken out on behalf of Dana workers, who waged a bitter fight against the UAW and USW last year, rejecting a sellout contract rammed through the UAW in a process overseen by present UAW Secretary-Treasurer Frank Stuglin. Marcia sent the following letter endorsing Will Lehman for UAW President:



* * *



Its been over a year now that my husband, Danny Walters, died after having a grand mal seizure at the Dana plant in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. He did not die at the plant, but later that night after being released from the local ER and having a second seizure in our home. It was an accidental death, as he fell between our bed and a dresser, causing his airway to be blocked. He died, according to the autopsy report, of positional asphyxiation. Ill never know for sure what happened before he was transported from the plant, but I find it appalling that no one was responsible enough in the plant that night to inform me. Production continued and my dear husband and father of three children, would never return to their plant. Workers deserve much more.

Danny and Marcia on their wedding day, 1996

By happenstance, I was not home that night to help him during the second seizure (at least thats the reason we think he ended up wedged between the bed and a dresser). As his wife of twenty-four years, I cared for him through many a seizure. Sadly, I found him dead the next morning when I arrived home. My worst nightmare became reality.



His insurance just recently denied the accidental death claim, stating that due to him having a seizure disorder, it would not be applicable. Its put us in a terrible position to keep my youngest son in college and keep our heads above water. I am thankful for the original money we received, but it quickly disappeared paying hospital bills. I continue working two jobs and plan to pick up a third soon. I say this because you need to be aware of what your plans say and do for you.



I remain burdened that no one from the plant or ER informed me that he had been taken to the hospital that night. Those of you working in these types of jobs deserve better. You are doing the labor that makes those in the corporate offices rich. You need someone to represent you and fight for real change. You deserve time off during the week. You deserve to see your family. You deserve rest and you deserve fair wages and a safe environment and the best possible benefits.



My husband had secured a job at the plant to try and bring home a better paycheck. As a family, we quickly learned that their workers rarely got time off, and were mandated to work overtime more often than not. For Danny, it became a death sentence. The money was not worth becoming a slave. He tried so hard to be the best provider he could be, but the lack of rest and feeling like a slave caused our entire family to suffer. During the time my husband worked there, he lost joy for life.

I write this to encourage you to support the campaign of Will Lehman for UAW International President. He wants to see the power back in the hands of those who do the work. I speak for my husband who has lost his voice. I speak once again to encourage you to fight for yourselves and your families. You work hard and deserve to be treated fairly and deserve to be heard. Vote for Will Lehman for UAW President!
At least 16 people have been killed in eastern Kentucky as a result of devastating flash flooding following torrential rainfall that began Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday morning. Kentuckys Democratic Governor Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency and stated that he expects the death toll to reach as high as 30. Among the confirmed victims so far are six children.

A survey flight over flood waters in eastern Kentucky [Photo by Governor Andy Beshear

Four siblings, Maddison Noble, 8, Riley Noble Jr., 6, Nevaeh Noble, 4, and Chance Noble, 2, were killed in Knott County when they were swept away by a rush of water after taking shelter with their parents in a tree.

They got on the roof and the entire underneath washed out with them and the children. They managed to get to a tree and ... held the children a few hours before a big tide came and washed them all away at the same time, their cousin Brittany Trejo told the Lexington Herald Leader. The mother and father was stranded in the tree for 8 hours before anyone got there to help.

Reacting to the scale of the devastation, Governor Beshear told the press, In a word, this event is devastating, and I do believe it will end up being one of the most significant deadly floods that we have had in Kentucky in at least a very long time. We probably have not seen the worst of it. Sadly, we believe that we will lose Kentuckians, and a lot of Kentuckians will probably lose most of what they have.

What were going to see coming out of this is massive property damage. We expect a loss of life. Hundreds will lose their homes, and this is going to be yet another event that its going to take not months but likely years for many families to rebuild and recover.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS), rain is expected to resume Sunday and carry on into Tuesday, threatening another wave of flooding and further hampering rescue and recovery efforts.

Highlighting the already dilapidated state of infrastructure throughout the Appalachian region, Beshear declared that 25,000 homes and businesses were without power as of Thursday afternoon. Many areas are also without access to clean drinking water. This is all the more damning for Kentucky, which cites flooding as its number one most frequent and costly disaster.

Over 200 displaced residents have been forced to seek shelter. However, with cases of the highly transmissible and immune-resistant BA.5 subvariant of COVID-19 exploding across the country, and states having abandoned all efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus, such shelters are more akin to potential death traps than refuges.

The Kentucky National Guard has been mobilized to assist with search and rescue operations. So far, around 20 to 30 residents have been airlifted to safety. The Tennessee and West Virginia National Guards have provided helicopters to help with rescues. An incident management team has also been dispatched from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Biden administration issued a typically trite statement, which also managed to incorrectly place the flooding in the opposite end of the state. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, Our hearts go out to the people of the South, of South-Western Kentucky, which is experiencing considerable flash flooding that has taken the lives of multiple people.

While the entire region experienced heavy rainfall, the flooding mainly occurred in a predominantly rural and impoverished area near the borders of West Virginia and Virginia. Five countiesFloyd, Breathitt, Perry, Knott and Letcherare reportedly the worst hit areas.

Dustin Jordan, a National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist in Jackson, Kentucky, reported that Knott County experienced 6.82 inches (17.3 cm) of rainfall over a two-day period, with Breathitt and Perry counties experiencing around 7 inches (17.8 cm).

The NWS also reported that the North Fork Kentucky River in Letcher County experienced record-breaking water levels. At 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, water levels were at 20.91 feet, over a six-foot increase from the previous record in 1957. In Breathitt County, the North Fork peaked at 43.47 feet by 2:00 a.m. Friday, a slight increase over the previous record of 43.1 feet.

According to US Census data, across the impacted counties the median household income in 2020 dollars ranges from $29,538 to $39,594, while the percentage of persons in poverty ranges from 22 percent to almost 30 percent, the outcome of decades of deindustrialization in the region. No doubt many residents are unable to afford flood insurance, which is separate from typical homeowners insurance, forcing them to rely on federal assistance which Kentuckys Energy and Environment Cabinet admits may be limited or unavailable after a flood occurs.

For decades scientists have been warning that human-induced climate change would create the conditions for more frequent and intensive extreme weather events. Developments over the past year have confirmed this. Just days ago, massive flooding ravaged through St. Louis, Missouri, leaving one dead and over 400 in need of rescue. Throughout June and July, a record heat wave has persisted across Europe, prompting wildfires and thousands of heat-related deaths. Last week, over 90 million people in the US from the Southern Plains into the East were under various heat advisories for dangerously high temperatures.

As with COVID-19, in order to protect the profit interests of the ruling class, capitalist governments around the world have refused to take the necessary steps to confront climate change. Nowhere is this more clearly expressed than in the center of world capitalism, the United States, which has funneled trillions of dollars to the financial oligarchy and the bloated military apparatus while simultaneously pursuing great power conflict against Russia and China, threatening nuclear annihilation.

The only social force capable of waging a struggle against climate change, war, fascism, social inequality and all the myriad crises produced by capitalism is the international working class, organized and imbued with the program and perspective of revolutionary socialism. The International Committee of the Fourth International and its Socialist Equality Parties around the world are the only organizations committed to this historic necessity.
On Friday, the Washington Post reported that text messages sent by former leaders of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the lead-up to and during the January 6 coup are missing.

Chad Wolf speaking with Christina Bobb of Right Side Broadcasting Network at the America First Policy Insitute conference in Washington D.C. on July 25, 2022. Bobb was photographed inside the Willard Intercontinental Hotel with Rudy Giuliani and others, prior to the coup. [Photo by America First Policy via @ChadFWolf (Cropped by WSWS Media)]

Citing four people briefed on the matter as well as internal emails, Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Maria Sacchetti revealed that Trumps acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and his acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli did not turn over text messages to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari as requested, apparently claiming they were missing.

Wolf and Cuccinelli both served in the Trump administration in an acting capacity beginning in November 2019. Trump preferred that the two remain in an acting status so he could ensure their loyalty while circumventing congressional oversight.

In August 2020, the Government Accountability Office found that both Wolf and Cuccinelli were ineligible to serve in their roles due to an invalid order of succession. However, this did not stop the two men from leading the department through Trumps coup.

Text messages have also been reported missing for former acting Undersecretary of Management Randolph D. Tex Alles. Prior to working at DHS beginning in July 2019, Alles was the director of the United States Secret Service from April 2017 through May 2019. It was revealed earlier this month that dozens of Secret Service agents also failed to preserve their text messages from the lead-up to and during the coup, despite the agency having been explicitly instructed to do so.

Prior to the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress, then President Donald Trump leaned on both Wolf and Cuccinelli to support his bogus claims that the election was stolen. Trump tried to enlist the DHS in a plot to seize voting machines, particularly those manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems, and re-run the election. There is little doubt that text messages were exchanged between Cuccinelli and Trump coup lawyer Rudy Giuliani about the feasibility of such a plan in December 2020.

In a statement sent to the Post, the chair of both the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Select Committee on January 6, Bennie Thompson (Democrat-Mississippi), wrote: It is extremely troubling that the issue of deleted text messages related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol is not limited to the Secret Service, but also includes Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli, who were running DHS at the time.

As acting secretary of the DHS, Wolf led the federal police occupation of Portland, Oregon, in the summer of 2020, during mass protests that swept the country following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. In July 2020, Wolf deployed US Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) police to Portland, despite protests from Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler, to harass, beat and kidnap protesters.

Wolf, like Trump and the rest of his Republican accomplices, continues to build and cultivate a far-right movement within the Republican Party focused on installing Trump as president-dictator. Wolf is the executive director of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), which hosted Trump as its headline speaker in Washington D.C. earlier this week.

In his speech to the AFPI conference, Trump outlined his envisioned police state should he come to power in 2024. He called for mass deportations, the forced removal of homeless persons to tent cities on the outskirts of urban centers, the death penalty for drug traffickers and the unilateral right of the president to fire federal employees. He also called for the National Guard to be federalized so the president could unilaterally dispatch the military to cities, such as Chicago, to crush any working class or left-wing opposition to the dictatorial plans of the financial oligarchy.

According to the Post, citing documents obtained by the Project on Government Oversight, DHS Inspector General Cuffari became aware that the text messages were missing in late February 2022, but he did not inform the House Select Committee or the House and Senate Homeland Security Committees until early July, nearly five months later.

Referring to the DHS messages, Thompson acknowledged that it appears that the DHS inspector general has known about these deleted texts for months but failed to notify Congress. If the inspector general had informed Congress, we may have been able to get better records from senior administration officials regarding one of the most tragic days in our democracys history.

CNN also reported on Friday that Cuffari became aware that the Secret Service had deleted its records in May 2021, not December 2021 as he previously indicated.

Joining Thompson in denouncing Cuffari was Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois). In a statement issued Friday, Durbin said: The destruction of evidence that could be relevant to the investigation of the deadly attack on our Capitol is an extremely serious matter. Inspector General Cuffaris failure to take immediate action upon learning that these text messages had been deleted makes clear that he should no longer be entrusted with this investigation. Thats why Im sending a letter today to Attorney General Garland asking him to step in and get to the bottom of what happened to these text messages and hold accountable those who are responsible.

There is no innocent explanation for the deletion of text messages of officials at DHS as well as agents of the Secret Service, which is an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. The same applies to Cuffaris failure to immediately inform Congress and the House January 6 Committee.

On January 16, 2021, four congressional committeesIntelligence, Homeland Security, Oversight and Reform, and Judiciarysent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray; Joseph Maher, a senior official at DHS; Steven Vanech, acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center; and John Ratcliffe, director of national intelligence, instructing them to preserve all records related to January 6.

According to Leonnig, co-author of the Post article, upon learning in February 2022 that the DHS had no records of any communications from its top leadership in the lead-up to and during the attack on the Capitol, Cuffari was more than ambivalent. Leonnig said in an interview with Lawrence ODonnell on Thursday that Cuffari did not probe more deeply, ask for more of an explanation.

That text messages from the entire leadership charged with defending the homeland from extremist terror, both foreign and domestic, have gone missing points to the scale of Trumps coup plot. These messages undoubtedly deal with security measures taken, or not taken, at the Capitol as Congress and Vice President Mike Pence were being hunted by Trumps right-wing mob, riddled with Proud Boy and Oath Keeper fascists, some of whom are admitted government informants.

These developments underscore that the attack on the Capitol was not simply, as the January 6 Select Committee asserts, the work of Donald Trump and a few right-wing lawyers, isolated from the broader Republican Party and the agencies of the state. That the Capitol was left undefended even though far-right elements and Trump himself named January 6 as the date to Stop the Steal underscores the coordination between the domestic intelligence agencies, the police and the military apparatus in Trumps coup.
The disclosure of previously suppressed government statistics showing that the citizens of Rouyn-Noranda have been poisoned for years by the mining giant Glencore has provoked a wave of popular outcry throughout the province of Quebec.

The Horne Foundery in Rouyn-Noranda [Photo by Clarius29 / CC BY-SA 4.0

The Horne Foundry in Rouyn-Noranda, a small industrial town in northern Quebec, produces copper anodes from recycled electronics heated to very high temperatures. After operating for decades under various owners, it was acquired in 2013 by Glencore, one of the worlds largest and most profitable resource companies. Operating in 35 countries, it manages around 150 facilities in mining, metallurgy and oil production.

It has long been knownbut ignored by successive provincial and federal governmentsthat the processes employed at this plant emit tons of heavy metals into the air at levels far exceeding established environmental standards, making it one of the most polluting plants in Canada. The first serious study on the toxic materials it emits was carried out in 1975 and the Rouyn-Noranda community has mobilized on numerous occasions to demand an end to these uncontrolled emissions.

The information revealed over the past few weeks has provided new evidence of the harmful, and deadly, consequences of the massive pollution generated by the Horne Foundry. It has also highlighted the role of the right-wing CAQ (Coalition Avenir Quebec) government in working closely with the companyfollowing in the footsteps of its predecessorsto secure its profits at the expense of the health and lives of the residents of Rouyn-Noranda.

Radio-Canada revealed in June that in 2019, the then national director of public health in Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda, intervened after a meeting with Glencore executives to block the publication of data comparing health indicators in Rouyn-Noranda with the rest of the province.

The substantial discrepancies recorded suggested that emissions of arsenic and other heavy metals at the Horne Foundry were responsible for the serious health problems afflicting the citys population. The chilling statisticsonly made available in May 2022 after being suppressed for more than two and a half yearsinclude the following:

A much higher number of low-birth-weight births;

A life expectancy significantly lower than the Quebec average, up to five years less in neighborhoods close to the smelter;

Fifty percent more cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);

A lung cancer rate of 140.3 cases per 100,000 population between 2013 and 2017, compared to 107.7 for the province as a whole, while smoking rates remained about the same.

Incidence of lung cancer in Rouyn-Noranda (top row) and in Quebec as a whole (bottom row). The Y-axis shows cancer rates adjusted per 100,000. This data from the Quebec Health Ministry was suppressed by Arruda in 2019 and only made public in May 2022.

This damning information was contained in an appendixremoved under Arrudas ordersto a biomonitoring study conducted by the Abitibi-Temiscamingue Public Health Directorate (DSPu) and published in 2019.

The study reported high levels of arsenic, including 3.7 times higher levels in the fingernails of children in the Notre Dame neighborhood near the smelter than in another city in the region. The DSPu wrote at the time that the population of this neighborhood is ... exposed simultaneously to multiple metals that can act together and increase their toxicity in the body.

Arruda, the official most directly responsible for suppressing the information on Rouyn-Norandas higher rates of lung cancer, would become the CAQ governments point man in its disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic a few months later.

As in Rouyn-Noranda, the CAQ government is putting profits ahead of human lives across Quebec. It has demanded that factories and most workplaces remain open, as well as schools, so that profits can continue to be extracted from the labor of the working class. It has abandoned all efforts to combat the pandemic in the name of the homicidal, anti-scientific policy of living with the virus. The result is that the province now has nearly 16,000 deaths, millions of people who have been infected at least once with COVID-19, and the health care system on the verge of collapse.

The results of the 2019 biomonitoring study are not surprising. The CAQ and its predecessors in governmentthe Parti Quebecois and the Quebec Liberal Partyhave known for decades about the abnormally high levels of arsenic and lung cancer rates in Rouyn-Noranda, not to mention the massive emissions of other heavy metals and related health issues among the towns residents.

Ruthlessly defending Glencore's gigantic profit margins, the Quebec government allowed the Horne Foundry to emit 200 ng/m of arsenic (reduced to 100 ng/m in 2021) while the standard for all of Quebec is 3 ng/m since 2011. Recent research has demonstrated the neurotoxic effects of arsenic at concentrations as low as 15 ng/m, particularly in children. As for Justin Trudeaus federal Liberal government, it has washed its hands of the whole affair, as the industry is under provincial jurisdiction.

The CAQ also allowed the Horne Foundry to develop its own action plan, i.e., to self-regulate. Not surprisingly, this action plan was adopted virtually unchanged by government officials, including Arruda. The plan, tailor-made to protect Glencores profit interests, rejected the main demands of physicians, public health experts and citizens of Rouyn-Noranda for bringing arsenic emissions down to the provincial standard and adding new sampling stations to better measure the levels of arsenic and other heavy metals in the region.

The years following the implementation of Glencores action plan have seen a significant increase in arsenic emissions. Emission rates have increased from 69 ng/m in 2020 to an average of 100 ng/m in 2021. A peak of 1170 ng/m of arsenic in the air was even recorded on January 22, 2021. According to the National Pollutant Release Inventory, the foundry released 36 tons of arsenic into the air in 2021. One has to go back to 2004 to find a year when the foundry released more pollutants, at 52 tons. Arsenic, once released, contaminates the soil.

The damning statistics finally released in May 2022, and the revelation that Arruda intervened in 2019 to suppress them, have escalated popular anger across the province.

Fifty local physicians signed an open letter asking health authorities to act immediately to bring the foundrys emissions of arsenic and other heavy metals down to the provincial standard.

Opposition from the medical profession was echoed in the prestigious BMJ, (formerly the British Medical Journal), in an article documenting the impact of the highly toxic emissions on the health of the people of Rouyn-Noranda while showing that the CAQ was fully aware of them. It also exposed the numerous pretexts advanced by Arruda to justify his suppression of vital information.

The government has responded to the public outcry by launching a new public relations operation, showing once again that it is willing to lie brazenly to defend the profits of big business.

In a visit to Rouyn-Noranda, Quebecs Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault blamed the previous governments and claimed that progress had been made under the CAQ, which is clearly refuted by recent figures on arsenic emissions.

The president and CEO of Abitibi-Temiscamingues Regional Health Center, Caroline Roy, claimed that it is only recently that we have noticed the health inequalities in Rouyn-Noranda. In fact, it was revealed as early as 1998 that life expectancy in the Notre-Dame district next to the foundry was nearly 10 years lower than the provincial average.

Dr. Luc Boileau, Arrudas successor as Quebecs national director of public health, insisted that it would be a serious mistake to link the serious health problems observed in the cityabnormally high incidence of lung cancer, significantly lower life expectancy, a greater proportion of low-birth-weight babieswith the massive emissions of arsenic and other heavy metals from the foundry.

Glencores contamination of Rouyn-Noranda is one of many examples of the subordination of social needs to capitalist profit, with devastating consequences for the environment and the lives of millions. To cite just three of the most notorious examples:

In Ontario, the Anishinabe community of Grassy Narrows was contaminated with mercury by Dryden Chemical, a pulp and paper company that dumped tons of the toxic chemical into the English-Wabigoon River between 1962 and 1970. Approximately 90 percent of the community members have physical symptoms of mercury poisoning.

In Japan, at least 75,000 people developed symptoms of methylmercury poisoning after the chemical manufacturer Chisso dumped thousands of liters of untreated water into Minamata Bay between 1951 and 1968.

In Flint, Michigan the switch to improperly treated water from the polluted Flint River in 2014 resulted in lead leaching into the citys tap water, poisoning the city of 80,000. None of the politicians responsible for the disaster have been prosecuted.
Papua New Guineas Governor-General, Sir Bob Dadae, last week intervened to prevent the failure of the countrys national election. Widely disrupted polling and violence have marred the vote in the drawn-out election. Dadae allowed an extra two weeks until August 12 to allow vote counting to be completed.

Sir Bob Dadae [Source: Wikimedia Commons]

There had been warnings that a constitutional crisis could result if the election writs were not all handed in by the due date, July 29. Dadae declared he would allow the extra time on the recommendation of Electoral Commissioner Simon Sinai.

Only 20 writs from 118 electorates had been declared by the official deadline. On Friday the Post Courier cited former Chief Justice Arnold Armet, who said there were no Constitutional provisions for any extension of writs. The newspaper noted there was no formal Gazette notice legalising the extension of the writs, which it warned would portend a troubling future.

Highlighting the extremely unstable situation, incumbent Prime Minister James Marape called a press briefing late Friday to announce the writs would now be due on August 5, with parliament returning on August 9. A Gazette notice was posted accordingly. Peter ONeill, the main opposition leader declared: I think the whole [electoral] system has collapsed, setting the stage for ongoing legal wrangling over the results.

The poll has been mired in bribery and corruption, ballot rigging and omission of names from the Common Roll. In one high-profile case, the Electoral Commission rejected the declaration of Don Polye as winner of the Kandep Open seat and charged the returning officer with breaching directives concerning the integrity of ballot boxes. Polye is leader of the opposition Triumph Heritage Empowerment Party.

In a desperate bid to stem popular distrust, Marape was forced last week to issue a statement that his Pangu Pati was not rigging the process. None of the 25 parties and 3,499 candidates, however, has any intention of addressing the social gulf that separates the political elite from the masses, a fact that is not lost on ordinary people.

The governor-generals intervention came after escalating violence erupted in the capital, Port Moresby, on July 24. Rival supporters wielding bush knives turned the streets into what the National described as a battlefield when one group chased and slashed people indiscriminately as votes were being tallied for the Moresby East electorate.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported that the rampage started with a dispute over the counting of two ballot boxes, quickly escalating into a full-blown confrontation. Supporters had been camping outside counting centres with weapons, including knives and stones, hidden in their camp sites. Some electoral officials had been escorted in by police amid scrutineer complaints about incorrect tallying of votes. Four officials were last week charged with inflating the tally.

According to the ABC, the attack and violent incidents on subsequent days fed fear and tension in the city, and forced the capital into a near lockdown. Troops with armoured vehicles were deployed to patrol the streets and the count was suspended.

While the violence in Port Moresby provoked particular alarm, it was only the latest outrage to hit the chaotic election. A major source of popular frustration is the incomplete election rolls, which have not been updated since the last election in 2017. Within days of the polls opening, angry voters in East Sepik and Hela districts in the Highlands destroyed ballot boxes and set fire to ballot papers after discovering their names were missing.

A Commonwealth Observer Group monitoring the election reported that in some areas as many as half of those eligible to vote were not on the register. By one estimate, 1 million out of a potential voting population of 6 million have been affected.

Competing candidates are accused of inciting their supporters to try to influence outcomes. Dozens of attacks have taken place with election-related deaths officially reaching 49 since May 20.

The first occurred in early May in Western Highlands, when an election officer was shot. The incident followed a delay in the publication of a list of appointed election officers. False lists were then being circulated, prompting violence between rival candidates over rumoured appointments.

Throughout June and July, most violence occurred in the Highlands. In one incident four men were killed and three critically injured when they were ambushed and shot execution-style in Nebilyer, Western Highlands. The men were allegedly moving illegal ballot boxes when they encountered a roadblock and were gunned down by vigilantes with high-powered firearms.

In another tragedy, 25 people were killed in a massacre in Enga Province on 20 July, near the site of the currently idled Porgera gold mine. A police commander told the Post Courier the slaughter appeared to be the work of a deranged mob who had carried out an hour of wanton destruction.

Soldiers who had been stationed in the area reportedly left Porgera after polling finished, when the killings then erupted. A state of emergency has since been declared, with 150 police and army personnel in the township.

Authorities denied that the killings were directly linked to the elections but were part of a tribal battle that has been raging over a land dispute, causing 70 deaths. While tribal fighting is a regular occurrence in the remote Highlands, heightened social tensions surrounding elections inevitably intensify popular anger and frustration. The 2017 poll saw more than 200 people killed in clashes.

The lack of security has prevailed despite 8,000 police and army personnel, including 140 Australian Defence Force troops, being dispatched across the country, prompting calls from some quarters for harsher crackdowns. PNG Think Tank Group spokesman Samson Komati said that a force of anything less than 20,000 is insufficient to contain any form of strategic violence.

In fact, following decades of social deprivation and growing inequality, buttressed by authoritarian military-police measures, trust in the entire parliamentary system has disintegrated. The unbridgeable gulf that separates the poverty-stricken PNG masses from the countrys corrupt and venal political establishment has seen a series of strikes and protests by nurses, doctors and students in recent years.

The tiny ruling elite reaps enormous personal wealth through services rendered to giant transnational corporations. Successive governments have conducted decades-long attacks on living standards and basic rights. Tax cuts for the wealthy and private companies have accompanied harsh labour market deregulation and cuts to the minimum wage.

PNG remains among the poorest countries in the world. Some 85 percent of people live in rural areas, many on the margins of the modern economy, eking out an existence on semi-subsistence agriculture. Most have only limited or non-existent health care, education, and other social services and infrastructure amid widespread social distress. COVID-19 has caused further devastation, with escalating unemployment, inadequate social support and a disintegrating health system.

Behind the explosive situation is the legacy of economic backwardness produced by decades of colonial rule and the continued subordination of PNGs economy to the interests of the banks and transnational corporations. Culpability lies with the former colonial power Australia which, since ceding nominal independence in 1975, has used its position to protect its business and geo-strategic interests while doing nothing to address the plight of the PNG masses.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is due to visit PNG in September, has so far remained silent on the chaos surrounding the election. Whatever the outcome, Canberras central concern is to maintain its hegemony over the country, and to push back against Chinas growing economic and diplomatic influence.
By Trend

Minister of National Defense of Turkiye Hulusi Akar had a telephone conversation with Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov, Trend reports citing Turkish media.

During the conversation, an exchange of views took place on the state of grain shipment and coordination in the shipment process. All technical issues are being resolved and the completion of the process of the first batch of shipment can be expected in the very near future.

During the conversation, the ministers also expressed satisfaction with the activities and coordination in the work of the Joint Coordination Center.
Some 15,000 Russians have died in the five-month-old invasion of Ukraine, the US and British spy chiefs said, as they assessed that President Vladimir Putin was suffering far greater losses than expected.

Richard Moore, the head of Britain's MI6, said Thursday that the 15,000 dead was "probably a conservative estimate" and marked a "very bloody nose" for Putin who expected quick victory.

"That's probably a conservative estimate. That is the same number, roughly, as they lost in 10 years in Afghanistan in the 1980s," he told the Aspen Security Forum in the US Rocky Mountains.

"And these are not middle-class kids from Saint Petersburg or Moscow," he said.

"These are poor kids from rural parts of Russia. They're from blue-collar towns in Siberia. They are disproportionately from ethnic minorities. These are his cannon fodder."

CIA Director Bill Burns, speaking a day earlier at the same conference, said that US intelligence estimated Russian losses "in the vicinity of 15,000 killed and maybe three times that wounded."

"So quite a significant set of losses. The Ukrainians have suffered as well, probably a little less than that, but significant casualties," Burns said.

Ukraine has offered a much higher figure on losses inflicted on Russia, saying earlier this month that some 36,200 Russian personnel had died.

Russia has been deeply reticent and has given an official toll only twice, the last on March 25 with a figure of 1,351 which experts believe is far too low.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Supporters of powerful Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr on Wednesday stormed parliament after penetrating the capital's high-security government Green Zone, protesting against a rival bloc's nomination for prime minister.

The protests are the latest challenge for oil-rich Iraq, which remains mired in a political and a socioeconomic crisis despite elevated global oil prices.

Protesters "stormed the parliament" after initially being stopped by police firing a barrage of tear gas, a security source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

State news agency INA said on messaging app Telegram that "protesters have entered the parliament building".

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi called on the protesters to "immediately withdraw" from the heavily fortified Green Zone, which is home to both government buildings and diplomatic missions.

He warned in a statement that security forces would see to "the protection of state institutions and foreign missions, and prevent any harm to security and order".

An AFP correspondent in the Green Zone had earlier seen protesters carrying a fellow demonstrator who had been hurt.

Political Crisis

Sadr's bloc won 73 seats in Iraq's October 2021 election, making it the largest faction in the 329-seat parliament. But since the vote, talks to form a new government have stalled.

The protesters oppose the candidacy of Mohammed al-Sudani, a former minister and ex-provincial governor, who is the pro-Iran Coordination Framework's pick for premier.

Iraq was plunged deeper into political crisis last month when the 73 lawmakers from Sadr's bloc quit en masse in an apparent bid to break a logjam over the establishment of a new government.

Sixty-four new Iraqi lawmakers were sworn in later in June, making the pro-Iran bloc the largest in parliament.

Sadr had initially supported the idea of a "majority government" which would have sent his Shiite adversaries from the Coordination Framework into opposition.

The former militia leader then surprised many by compelling his lawmakers to resign, a move seen as seeking to pressure his rivals to fast-track government formation.

Earlier this month, hundreds of thousands of Muslim worshippers loyal to Sadr attended a Friday prayer service in Baghdad, in a display of political might to revive stalled talks on government formation.

The huge turnout came despite scorching heat and the Shiite cleric not being there in person -- an indication of his status as a political heavyweight, as well as a key religious authority.

The mercurial cleric's sermon took aim at rivals from other Shiite factions, including a powerful ex-paramilitary network.

"We are at a difficult... crossroads in the formation of the government, entrusted to some we do not trust," Sadr said in the speech on July 15, read out by Sheikh Mahmud al-Jayashi.

Some factions have shown they are "not up to the task", he added.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The followers of the influential populist Shia cleric came by the thousands to storm Iraq's parliament. Just as quickly, the protesters dispersed at his command.

Mass mobilization and control is a well-worn strategy of Muqtada al-Sadr, a mercurial figure who has emerged as a powerful force in Iraq's cutthroat political scene with a nationalist, anti-Iran agenda.

Wednesday's storming of parliament came after al-Sadr's Tehran-backed political rival, former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, nominated a pro-Iran politician to be Iraq's new leader.

A look at how Iraq got to this point:

What Led To The Political Paralysis?

Nearly 10 months after national elections were held, Iraq has been unable to form a new government. That's the longest period since the 2003 US invasion that reset the political order.

The lingering impasse has immobilized the already-fragile state, with no clear path out. Iran, meanwhile, is working behind the scenes to stitch together a fragmented Shia Muslim elite, with the potential to disturb the delicate political balance with the US and usher in a new era of inter-sectarian violence.

That paralysis, driven largely by the personal vendettas of elites, has converted Iraq's political system into a high-stakes chess game with destabilizing consequences. Ordinary Iraqis have no choice but to watch.

Wednesday's protest was meant as a cautionary message to al-Sadr's adversaries that he cannot be ignored while they try to form a government without him.

What Moves Have These Powerful Players Made?

Both al-Sadr and al-Maliki are powerful in their own right.

Although al-Sadr's alliance won the most seats in October's parliamentary election, squabbling political parties failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed to pick a president, an important step before the prime minister can be selected.

After the negotiations bogged down, al-Sadr withdrew his bloc from parliament and announced he was exiting talks on forming a government.

Able to summon his followers seemingly at the flick of a finger, al-Sadr can bring the country to a standstill. Expectations of street protests swirled in the capital of Baghdad since he quit the talks.

Al-Maliki heads the Coordination Framework alliance, a group led by Shia Iran-backed parties. With their chief impediment gone, the Framework replaced al-Sadr's resigned MPs. Although the move was legal, it was also provocative, giving the Framework the majority needed in parliament.

On Monday, the alliance announced Mohammed al-Sudani, Iraq's former labor and social affairs minister, as its candidate for prime minister. He is seen by al-Sadr loyalists as a figure through whom al-Maliki can exert control.

Al-Maliki had wanted the premier post himself, but audio recordings were leaked in which he purportedly cursed and criticized al-Sadr and even his own Shia allies. That effectively sank his candidacy.

What Role Dies Religious Fervor Play?

In galvanizing his followers, al-Sadr harnessed the anger over al-Sudani's nomination as well as rising religious fervor ahead of the important Muslim holiday of Ashura.

It marks the killing of the Prophet Muhammed's grandson, Imam Hussein, and Shias typically march by the thousands to commemorate the holiday, with emotions running high in the days leading up to it.

Wednesday's protest in parliament was unique for another reason: Riot police did not intervene, and there was little violence.

Toby Dodge, an associate fellow at Chatham House, saw this as a sign that neither side wants any escalating bloodshed.

"There were three big messages: This is theater, there was no violence yesterday and that is deliberate on both sides," Dodge said. "This is a fight within the elite; it has nothing to do with the rest of society. This elite lost its legitimacy across society.''

Even if the al-Maliki and al-Sadr camps are able to sort out their differences, there's a third big player in Iraqi politics: the Kurds.

The two main Kurdish parties, the KDP and the PUK, also are deeply divided. They would first need to agree on a candidate for Iraq's presidency.

The KDP had previously allied with al-Sadr, while the PUK belongs to al-Maliki's Framework faction.

How Might The Battle Continue Outside Parliament?

Neither the al-Sadr nor the al-Maliki factions can afford to be excluded from the political process, because both have much to lose.

Both sides have civil servants entrenched in Iraq's state institutions, deployed to do their bidding when circumstances require by halting decision-making and creating bureaucratic obstructions.

By the time his eight-year tenure as prime minister ended in 2014, al-Maliki built an omnipresent deep state by installing civil servants in key institutions, including the judiciary. Meanwhile, al-Sadr planted a parallel deep state with key appointments that peaked in 2018.

Because of this. the Framework knows that even without a presence in parliament, al-Sadr will wield significant power within the state, as well as on the street, if al-Maliki's supporters choose to move forward without the cleric's agreement.

Both sides have also lost some popular support following massive protests in 2019 against the government that were put down by security forces that left 600 dead and thousands wounded.

That impact was clear in the October 2021 election. Despite winning the largest share of seats, al-Sadr's vote totals were several thousand fewer than previous balloting. Turnout was only 43%.

What Is The Iranian Role?

Despite the consequences, the Framework has signaled its readiness to move ahead with the formation of a government. Lawmaker Mohammed Sadoun, a member of the Framework, described Wednesday's protest as an attempted coup but said it wouldn't deter the alliance's efforts.

"We will not allow it. We are involved in the process of forming a government and we have sufficient numbers to elect the president and vote for the next government,'' he said.

Communication and messaging from the alliance shows it is preparing for instability.

"They don't expect the streets to be quiet, and they are preparing for that,'' said Hamdi al-Malik, an Associate Fellow with the Washington Institute.

The fairly quick nomination of al-Sudani is a testament to Iran's efforts to bring together the Shia parties in the alliance. It marked a dramatic turnaround since the election, when Iranian-backed parties lost two-thirds of their seats.

Esmail Ghaani, commander of Iran's paramilitary Quds Force, which is part of the Revolutionary Guard and and answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has made numerous trips to Baghdad in recent months.

His mission has been to help the parties stay united and agree on a premier candidate, according to officials close to the negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about the discussions.

Ghaani was in the capital during Wednesday's protests and urged faction leaders not to provoke al-Sadr, according to one of the officials.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Russia and Ukraine on Friday accused each other of shelling a prison in a separatist eastern region that reportedly killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war who were captured after the fall of Mariupol in May.

Russia said that Ukraine used U.S.-supplied HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in the attack on the prison in Olenivka, in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region. Officials from Russia and the separatist authorities in Donetsk said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded 75.

Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov described the strike as a ``bloody provocation'' aimed at discouraging Ukrainian soldiers from surrendering. He said that eight prison guards were also wounded by the shelling.

The Ukrainian military denied any rocket or artillery strikes on Olenivka, insisting that it wasn't shelling civilian areas and only strikes Russian military targets.

It accused the Russian forces of deliberately shelling the prison in Olenivka in order to accuse Ukraine of war crimes and also to cover up torture and executions there.

The statement denounced the Russian claims as part of an ``information war to accuse the Ukrainian armed forces of shelling civilian infrastructure and the population to cover up their own treacherous action.''

Neither claim could be independently verified.

Denis Pushilin, the Moscow-backed separatist leader, said the prison has 193 inmates. He didn't specify how many of them were Ukrainian POWs.

Ukrainian authorities in the Donetsk region said Russia has pressed on with the shelling of civilian targets in Ukrainian-held areas.

``The fighting in the region has been intensifying by the day, and civilians must evacuate while it's still possible,'' said Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko. ``The Russian army doesn't worry about civilian casualties. They are pummeling cities and villages in the region.''

The Ukrainian troops in Mariupol were taken prisoner after the fierce fighting for Ukraine's Azov Sea port, where they had been holed up at the giant Azovstal steel mill. Their resistance has become a symbol of Ukrainian struggle against the Russian invasion that started on Feb. 24.

The Azov Regiment and other Ukrainian units defended the steel mill for nearly three months, clinging to its underground maze of tunnels. More than 2,400 surrendered in May under relentless Russian attacks from the ground, sea and air.

Scores of Ukrainian soldiers were taken to prisons in Russian-controlled areas such as the Donetsk region, a breakaway area in eastern Ukraine which is run by Russian-backed separatist authorities. Some have returned to Ukraine as part of prisoner exchanges with Russia, but families of others have no idea whether their loved ones are alive, or if they will ever come home.

In other developments:

_ Ukrainian officials said Russian forces shelled the country's second-largest city, Kharkiv.

City mayor Ihor Terekhov said a central part of the northeastern city was hit, including a two-story building and a higher education institution. Terekhov said the strike occurred just after 4 a.m. on Friday.

``The State Emergency Service is already working _ they are sorting out the rubble, looking for people under them,'' Terekhov said in a Telegram update.

_ The Ukrainian presidential office said that at least 13 civilians were killed and another 36 were wounded in Russian shelling over the past 24 hours.

In the southern city of Mykolaiv, at least four people were killed and seven others were wounded when Russian shelling hit a bus stop.

``The Russians have changed their tactics because of the Ukrainian forces' successes in the south. ... They fire near a bus stop,'' Mykolaiv Gov. Vitaliy Kim said.

The Russian barrage also hit a facility for distribution of humanitarian assistance, where three people were wounded, officials said.

Ukrainian officials also said at least four civilians were killed and another five were wounded in the eastern town of Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, which is the focus of the Russian offensive in the Donbas. More than 30 residential buildings and a kindergarten were damaged.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The board of trustees of Egypt's National Political Dialogue (NPD) will convene for the third time on Saturday to tackle the economic and social tracks following agreement on the political track during the previous rounds of talks.

The announcement was made on Thursday evening by Diaa Rashwan, chairman of the Press Syndicate and coordinator of the NPD, during his TV programme New Egypt on ETC channel.

In two rounds of talks, the 19-member board of trustees, which comprises political, partisan, and syndicate figures from different backgrounds, agreed to concentrate debates on the political, economic and social areas, with subcommittees for each area.

In the first meeting on 5 July, the board agreed on bylaws as well as the dialogue's 25-article code of conduct and ethics.

During the second meeting on 19 July, the board agreed on the formation of three sub-committees under the political track  local councils committee, human rights and public liberties committee, and the party and electoral system and parliamentary institutions committee.

Saturday's meeting will focus on the formation of sub-committees under the economic and social tracks, Rashwan said.

Each sub-committee, he added, will later announce the agenda of its respective meetings, inviting all those with suggestions to participate.

The dialogue and debates will be held between the committee members, not the board of trustees, he explained.

He stressed that participation in the dialogue's different committees, which will be open for media coverage, is open to everyone except for those who have been involved in violence or those who reject the country's constitution.

"We admit that [the state] has not completed all that it seeks for in the political, economic and social areas, but experiments are concluded within a few months or even years," he noted.

President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for the national dialogue and reactivated the Presidential Pardon Committee on 26 April during the annual Egyptian Family Iftar banquet.

The president has urged all political forces to participate, stressing, however, that the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group would not be invited.

Rashwan added the Egyptian president promised to attend the final stages of the dialogue since he seeks to listen to all opinions and also has the authority to submit drafts to the legislative bodies as per the constitution.

All have agreed that debates will not include voting on ideas or proposals since voting would exclude one or another opinion, he stressed, adding that in the end all proposals will be considered and submitted to the president.

In the end, the dialogue will lead to some decisions - some consensed upon and others disageed on, he stressed.

Rashwan also revealed that members of what he described as "the opposition abroad" want to return home and take part in the country's political and social life.

Rashwan said forming committees for debates on political issues demonstrates that the national dialogue is "more serious" than what those who distort the process in order to cast doubt on the initiative.

No red lines have been set for the dialogue, he reaffirmed, adding that opposition figures are already participating in the dialogue.

Since the start of the dialogue, several presidential pardons led to the release of a number of prisoners and the prosecution also ordered the release of tens of pretrial detainees.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The Fort Smith Board of Directors is asking for a pause in planning on a water transmission line project and a water rate study.

The Fort Smith Board of Directors called a special meeting Wednesday to discuss a new state law that could require the board to raise water rates.

Director Lavon Morton requested a pause on planning for a project that would bring water from Lake Fort Smith to Chaffee Crossing via a water line. The directors will vote on this pause at the next board meeting.

Under Act 605, if any city has a water project that costs more than 20% of system revenues, then the city has to have a water rate study, which would determine how much the city would have to raise its water rates.

That 20% amounts to about $11 million for the city of Fort Smith. The water transmission project is a project that would require a water rate study.

Morton wants a pause on planning for the water transmission project and also implementing the water rate study.

Morton said he would like the board to more closely examine Act 605 to determine its next moves. He would also like the Arkansas Legislature to add clarifying language to the act, clearing up the city's obligations in response to the law.

It needs a lot of study," Morton said.

Morton also pointed out that the voters of Fort Smith passed a sales tax in May that partially dedicates money toward water projects associated with the consent decree.

Act 605 does not take sales tax revenue into account when it calls for a rate study. The sales tax will generate between $16 million and $20 million for consent decree projects each year.

Morton said he does not want the people of Fort Smith, particularly people living on fixed incomes, to be unfairly hit with an increase in water rates.

It would really put a lot of stress on them," Morton said.

Director Kevin Settle said that this law is designed for small cities that have not upped their water rates in decades in some cases. The Arkansas Municipal League fought this law for 10 years, he said.

Cities that generate their own electricity are exempt from Act 605, making Little Rock and North Little Rock exempt from the law, City Administrator Carl Geffken said.

Story continues

At Tuesday's special meeting several of the directors expressed shock that this act made it through the legislature.

I happen to think that this bill is one of the more shocking or interesting bills Ive observed state government all over the country, and I think our delegation locally was not necessarily the strongest advocates to have it fit us the best way it should," Director Jarred Rego said.

Alex Gladden is a University of Arkansas graduate. She previously reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Jonesboro Sun before joining the Times Record. She can be contacted at agladden@swtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Officials discuss new state law on water projects
In 1933, with the end of prohibition in sight, Exeter braced itself for the return of dry versus wet political battles. New Hampshire had been dry since 1917, when wartime restrictions were placed on alcohol. Even before the war, the state had limited access to the public by creating licensing laws, which allowed individual towns to decide whether to authorize alcohol sales. Before national prohibition in 1920, Exeter, like most New Hampshire towns, held a citizens vote every two years to decide the issue  and these elections were sometimes heated.

Everyone seemed to accept that prohibition would be repealed. The amendment had been approved by both houses of Congress and sent out to the states for ratification. But there were lingering issues that needed resolution. First was the question of beer  beer with alcohol levels of 3% were legalized before prohibition ended. A state beer commission was created by Governor Winant in May, which included Exeters James A. Tufts, Jr. Beer licenses would bring in much-needed revenue.

Six years after the repeal of prohibition, Exeter was still holding votes on whether to repeal the repeal. This advertisement ran in the Exeter News-Letter on November 4, 1938.

The Exeter News-Letter was opposed to ending prohibition. John Templeton, the editor, noted On Tuesdaybeer was legally sold to be drunk on the premises on Water Street in Exeter. It would be interesting to hear what comments a former occupant at this location, the late John G. Cutler, might make regarding the law and the alcoholic content of the beverages sold.

Its odd that Templeton brought Cutler into the conversation. John Cutler was a Black saloonkeeper in Exeter until his business burned in 1875. His uncle, Nathaniel Cutler, had sold ale in earlier decades. Perhaps John Cutler had become a temperance man after the fire. His hotel businesses in Hampton Beach tell us little about his stand on alcohol.

Historically Speaking: The bubbly world of the soda fountain

Even with the legality of beer, there were people in town concerned about the possibility of hard liquor sold in saloons. Maybe, just maybe there was still time to make a stand on the potential repeal of prohibition. The vote was due in June. To a fair-minded person, wrote Templeton, who has lived in the days before prohibition, it requires no argument to prove that life is better today than it has ever been before. It was true that Exeter had not suffered from the crime associated with prohibition. He went on, False propaganda cannot change facts. Wasted lives, crime and poverty have been the result of liquor selling in all ages and in all countries, and with all its faults we believe that the present law is better for the people of the United States than legalized liquor selling, under whatever restrictions. We hope New Hampshire, whatever the result elsewhere, will stand fast next Tuesday for its time-honored principle of prohibition.

Story continues

Historically Speaking: The Exeter Grand March

Exeter did not stand fast. The vote to repeal won 786 to 436 in the special election. The following November, townsfolk had to approve or disapprove authorizing a liquor agency storefront in town. Again, the Exeter News-Letter opposed the idea. The agency will draw from the pockets of the poor, money sorely needed for clothes and food for the family. It will encourage drunkenness and waste. There is no excuse for such an agency in Exeter, since the few who think liquor indispensable can procure it at Portsmouth. Let us keep Exeter free from this evil. This time, the vote was close. Exeter approved a state liquor store 865 to 840. Within a year, Exeter had a liquor store in the Kimball building on Water Street, managed by Reginald Stevenson with assistance from Ernest Bretschneider.

Opposition tried to halt sales again in 1938, but by then drinking had infiltrated popular culture. Every film  even cartoons  had characters knocking back drinks. Living rooms in movies invariably had a small bar. Shall beverages be sold in this city or town under permits granted by the State Liquor Commission under the provisions of Chapter 99 of the Laws of 1933, and amendments thereto? asked the ballot. 1172 voters approved keeping the liquor store. Only 616 disagreed.

Historically Speaking: Chinese families in Exeter

Years later, there were people still angry enough about this decision to prompt a letter to the editor. Dentist Adelbert Lamson fired off this criticism to the Exeter News-Letter: When I was a small boy we always liked it for we could depend on it for the truth. I like all of it but the booze ads. I know you know that alcohol is a poison. It causes more sin, trouble, divorce, sickness, insanity and crime than any other thing in the country. John Templeton, the long-time editor, had died in 1938. I am wondering what John Templeton would say if he should come back and see a booze ad in the Exeter News-Letter. His complaints went on for a full column, ending with, I hope you read all of this. You can print it in your paper if you dare to. Editor, Harry B. Thayer, Jr. noted below, I not only read all of it but I copied it.

Barbara Rimkunas is the curator of the Exeter Historical Society. Support the Exeter Historical Society by becoming a member. Join online at www.exeterhistory.org.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Historically Speaking: The battle for liquor in Exeter
Pope Francis

Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Pope Francis

Pope Francis is reflecting on his position as head of the Catholic Church.

After a six-day visit to Canada, the 85-year-old pontiff told journalists that he may one day step down from the Vatican's top job.

"It is not a catastrophe to change Pope, it is not a taboo," Francis told journalists on a flight to Rome the BBC reported.

"The door [to retiring] is open - it is a normal option, " he added, reported the BBC. "But until today I have not knocked on that door,"

"I have not felt the need to think about this possibility - that is not to say that in two days' time I might not start thinking about it."

Looking back at his strenuous trip to North America  which he described as "intense," reported the BBC  Francis provided some context to his thoughts. "I don't think I can keep traveling with the same rhythm I used to at my age and with the limitation of this knee," said Francis in references to an injury that has seen him using a wheelchair in public for the first time.

"I either need to save myself a little in order to continue serving the Church, or I need to consider the possibility of stepping aside," added the pontiff.

RELATED: Pope Francis Postpones Upcoming Trip to Africa 'at the Request of His Doctors' Due to Knee Problems

Rumors about Francis' retirement first began swirling in May, when he was photographed using his wheelchair for the first time.

The suspicions increased in June when he announced a visit to L'Aquila in central Italy for the Feast of Celestinian Forgiveness  the same location his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, visited in 2009 ahead of his 2013 resignation, reported the Catholic News Agency.

Pope francis

Massimo Valicchia/NurPhoto via Getty Pope Francis

Earlier this month, Francis spoke out denying the rumors, however.

In an interview with Reuters, the Pope said that upcoming big events on his calendar, including a visit to the city of L'Aquila are not the sign of something more significant.

Story continues

"All of these coincidences made some think that the same 'liturgy' would happen," Francis said. "But it never entered my mind. For the moment no, for the moment, no. Really!"

Francis did say, though, much like what he said in Canada, that he might resign one day if health issues prohibited him from running the church. If this does occur, it would be only the second time a modern-era Pope left the position rather than serving for life, as is tradition, after Benedict XVI resigned at age 85.

RELATED: Pope Francis Appointing First Women to Committee that Selects Bishops: 'Things Are Opening Up'

The Reuters interview was published on the day the Pope was supposed to leave for a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan but had to cancel due to doctor's orders following his knee injury.

According to the outlet, doctors said at the time that he might also have to skip the trip to Canada too, "unless he agreed to have 20 more days of therapy and rest for his right knee."

The Pope shared that he had experienced a "small fracture" in his knee and said he was "slowly getting better."

Pope Francis Visits Canada To Meet With Indigenous Communities

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

RELATED: Prince Charles 'Deeply Moved' After Meeting Indigenous Survivors of Church Schools Scandal in Canada

As for his trip to Canada, Francis' main goal was to apologize for the Catholic Church's "catastrophic" residential school system for Indigenous children in the country.

Speaking Monday at a former residential school south of Edmonton, Alberta, the 85-year-old pontiff asked the Indigenous community for "forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the Indigenous peoples," according to the Associated Press.

Over 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend Christian-based, state-run schools, starting in the 1870s and ending in 1997, CBC reported. More than 4,100 of the students are believed to have died at the facilities, which separated the kids from their families and culture.

"I am deeply sorry  sorry for the ways in which, regrettably, many Christians supported the colonizing mentality of the powers that oppressed the Indigenous peoples," Francis said in Spanish, per The Washington Post.

Francis, who arrived in Canada on Sunday, also promised a "serious investigation" into the schools, CNN reported.

Pope Francis Visits Canada To Meet With Indigenous Communities

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

"I ask forgiveness, in particular, for the ways in which many members of the Church and of religious communities cooperated, not least through their indifference, in projects of cultural destruction and forced assimilation promoted by the governments of that time, which culminated in the system of residential schools," the pope said.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday.

He later added, "What our Christian faith tells us is that this was a disastrous error, incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ," according to the Post.

Monday's speech was the first event of Francis' "penitential pilgrimage" to the country. His trip lasted six days.
Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Police identified the body of a 23-year-old man as a pilot who exited a plane mid-flight on Friday.

The incident happened during an emergency landing at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Charles Hew Crooks was found in a local resident's backyard without a parachute, reports said.

A 23-year-old North Carolina pilot was killed when he exited a small plane mid-flight during an emergency landing on Friday, according to officials and reports.

The body of the pilot, identified as Charles Hew Crooks of Raleigh, North Carolina, was recovered by authorities after the 10-person plane landed in a grassy area at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Friday, WRAL reported.

The Federal Aviation Administration told CNN that the incident occurred just before 3 p.m. Per both reports, the only two people on the plane when it departed were Crooks and his fellow co-pilot.

The surviving pilot, who was not named, was the sole person on the plane upon landing, the report said. The pilot was reportedly transported to a local hospital after sustaining minor injuries.

Officials said Crooks' body was spotted by a Fuquay-Varina resident who alerted law enforcement after they "heard something in their backyard," according to WRAL. First responders said that Crooks did not have a parachute when he was found, local outlets reported.

"During the canvass, a resident on Copain Cove approached an officer with the Fuquay-Varina Police Department and provided information regarding the possible whereabouts of the co-pilot," Fuquay-Varina Police said in a statement. "After further investigation, we were able to positively identify the co-pilot. With the assistance of City-County Bureau of Identification, we were able to identify the co-pilot's next of kin. "

It is not immediately clear if Crooks jumped or fell during the incident. Local police said that the NTSB and FAA are looking into the matter.

Read the original article on Insider
FARMINGTON  Perturbed by what he describes as excessive prices, Mayor Nate Duckett has asked the New Mexico Attorney General's Office to investigate why the cost of gasoline in the Farmington area is so much higher than it is throughout the rest of the state.

Duckett pulled no punches in relating his conversation with officials from the AG's Office, explaining that he was so irritated he felt compelled to ask, "At what point do you guys consider this price gouging?"

Jerri Mares, the communications director for the AG's Office, confirmed July 29 that Duckett and Attorney General Hector Balderas had spoken about the issue.

"They're both concerned about it, and the attorney general has directed an inquiry into it," she said.

Citing figures from GasBuddy, a Boston-based tech company that monitors gas prices at tens of thousands of stations across America, Duckett maintained that, in some cases, there is a price difference of more than $1.20 per gallon between the price of fuel in Farmington and the price in Bernalillo, which is approximately 165 miles away.

More:12 ways to save money amid rising prices due to inflation

Figures reported in the AAA New Mexico Weekend Gas Watch, a weekly survey of gas prices throughout New Mexico and the region, reflect Duckett's contention. An analysis of those numbers by The Daily Times has revealed that gas prices in Farmington have climbed higher than any other location in the state this year while failing to decline recently at the same rate as New Mexico's other population centers, leaving an unprecedented price difference.

The AAA survey released July 28 shows that Farmington drivers were paying an average of $4.79 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel on that date  6 cents cheaper than last week, but only 20 cents cheaper than the record price of $4.99 established on June 11.

By contrast, prices elsewhere in New Mexico have fallen dramatically since the middle of June. Drivers in Albuquerque were paying the least on July 28 at $3.87 a gallon, which was 92 cents a gallon less than the average in Farmington. It also was 99 cents less than Albuquerque's record high price of $4.86 a gallon set on June 10  a price reduction nearly five times greater than what Farmington drivers have seen.

Story continues

Drivers in Las Cruces were paying $4.03 a gallon on July 28, while Santa Fe drivers were paying $4.05 a gallon  both slightly less than the statewide average of $4.07. The average price fell 20 cents in Las Cruces last week, 24 cents in Santa Fe and 19 cents across New Mexico  all considerably more than the 6-cent decline in Farmington.

Prices are so high in Farmington, in fact, that if the city were a state, it would have the ninth-highest average gas price in the country, according to figures listed in the AAA survey.

Of the 10 markets cited for comparison in the AAA survey (national, New Mexico, Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Texas, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada), Farmington has seen the largest one-year increase in gas prices at $1.50, although Nevada was a close second at $1.47. The national increase was $1.12, and the New Mexico difference was 98 cents.

Farmington also has the highest average gas price of any of those 10 markets, aside from Nevada, where the price on July 28 was $5.11.

All of that has led Duckett to vent his frustration in various directions. The mayor said that in addition to speaking to the attorney general, he has reached out to officials with many of the various oil companies and gasoline retailers who service the Farmington market to get some answers.

As of July 29, Duckett said, those conversations had yielded little in the way of concrete explanations for why the price discrepancy exists. If many instances, Duckett said, company officials had not even bothered to call him back.

Duckett noted that Farmington drivers historically have paid the highest gas prices in the state, but he said the difference that has set in over the past seven weeks is excessive. He cited GasBuddy figures from July 29 that showed prices at two Bernalillo stations  a Warrior Fuel location and a Speedway station  of $3.39 a gallon. That was $1.40 a gallon less than the AAA-cited average of $4.79 in Farmington on July 28.

Nate Duckett

"It's always been higher, but now it seems like it's out of sight," Duckett said, explaining that he has a responsibility as mayor to become an advocate for local gas consumers.

Not all stations are charging that much in Farmington. A quick, informal survey of gas prices in the city on July 29 showed prices running as low as $4.65, and there were anecdotal reports of prices running much cheaper than that in Kirtland. But there also was a station in Farmington charging $4.88 a gallon, illustrating that there is little uniformity between the prices stations in the city charge these days.

In the past, AAA officials have said Farmington is served by a different supply chain than most of the rest of the state, and that factor  along with its relatively remote location and differences in marketing costs  helps account for its higher gas prices. But the average price in Durango, Colorado, just north of San Juan County, was listed as $4.39 a gallon July 29, according to AAA  40 cents cheaper than Farmington.

"How does that make any sense at all?" Duckett asked.

An examination of statewide gas prices in January 2021 by The Daily Times showed that Farmington drivers consistently had paid the highest prices of the state's four major markets since at least 2016, meaning higher prices in San Juan County are not a new development.

In comparing gas prices on the first day of each quarter of each year going back to Jan. 1, 2016  a total of 21 price points  the data revealed that Farmington had the highest average price for gas 14 times and tied for the highest price once. Las Cruces had the highest price five times and tied for the highest price another time. In all but three instances, Albuquerque had the lowest price or tied for the lowest price.

Farmington's status as the gas price leader in New Mexico has only been solidified since then. Gas prices began to rise in December 2020 when the effects of the pandemic began to wane and demand for fuel started to increase.

With only a handful of exceptions, Farmington has posted the state's highest gas prices on a weekly basis since January 2021, although the price difference compared to the state's other large markets has widened considerably since the second week in June.

Mares, the communications director for the AG's Office, said the agency has received many complaints about alleged price gouging since the COVID-19 pandemic began, although most of them have concerned other products besides gasoline, most notably hand sanitizer. She said the agency has a process for investigating those complaints, including contacting the businesses that are the subject of the complaints and allowing them to respond.

The AG's Office often tries to mediate the dispute between the complainant and the business or businesses, she said, and hopes to resolve the issue that way. But if investigators find any merit to a complaint that a legal violation has occurred, the complaint would be forwarded to the agency's consumer protection division for further action, she said.

Mares said the AG's Office encourages consumers to come forward if they feel they have been treated unfairly, noting that that is how the agency is made aware of violations of state law.

Complaints can be filed with the agency by downloading, filling out and submitting a consumer and constituent complaint form, which can be found online at nmag.gov. An electronic complaint submission form also is available on the site. Call 505-490-4060 or 1-844-255-9210 for more information.

Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: AG's Office opens inquiry after conversation between Duckett, Balderas
On July 22, warring nations Russia and Ukraine, along with Turkey and the United Nations, signed an important agreement to allow grain exports to resume from Ukraine. Moscow had blocked the shipments. Turkey announced the agreement on July 21.

Turkey remains a bulwark against Islamic extremism, and traditionally a reliable ally of the United States, both within and well beyond the North Atlantic Treaty organization (NATO). Turkish culture emphasizes warrior prowess, and here national success historically is notable.

Autocrat Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power as prime minister and now president since 2003. Over this lengthy tenure, he has curtailed democratic freedom and expanded his arbitrary authority.

Given these retrograde developments, people easily overlook Turkeys geostrategic importance. This is especially true in the United States, where the mass media generally focus on more superficial aspects of news. Despite the horrific 9/11 terrorist attacks, and domestic debate over immigration, we remain a relatively secure nation.

Yet realism requires recognizing the importance of Turkey for regional stability and our own national security. The nation continues pursuit of economic modernization. This includes expanding trade and investment, reaching significantly into Central Asia as well as Europe.

Additionally, Turkey has been able to maintain reasonably good cooperative relations at the working level within Europe and the U.S. Economic development reinforces security relationships.

Practical NATO ties are relatively strong. Turkeys military is the second largest in NATO, after the U.S. Turkey was a major combatant in the Korean War. In Afghanistan, the nation was a leader. Turkey oversees vital sea and land routes, including the Bosporus Strait, which controls access between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Turkey has proven willing to use leverage provided by geography and water. This includes but also reaches well beyond the Bosporus. Turkey controls the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, vital water sources for Iraq and Syria.

Story continues

In 1998 Kurd separatist leader Abdullah Ocalan of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), enemy of Turkey, sought sanctuary in Syria. After a four-week standoff, Syria expelled him. Ankara had threatened to turn off the water.

Turkey is also strategically pivotal, Western in practices but with a Moslem majority population. The successful revolution in the 1920s led by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk established Turkeys secular constitution. Terrorist groups have not gained support and Islamic extremism remains weak.

From the thirteenth century, to rapidly accelerating decline in the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire  which crested at the Danube in Europe  relied on military power reinforced by secular executive practices. Industrialization remained alien.

That has changed. Over the last decades of the twentieth century, the economy became a powerhouse. Economic growth and investment flourished, corruption and inflation dropped significantly, and government red tape and bottlenecks were steadily reduced.

Great credit belongs to reform Prime Minister and President Turgut Ozal, who held office from 1983 to 1993. Friendship with President George H.W. Bush facilitated basing U.S. B-52 bombers in Turkey during the Gulf War of 1990-91.

In 2015, Turkey hosted the Group of 20 industrial nations, but today is in economic trouble. This provides the United States with opportunity for renewed leadership, largely neglected in this century.

President George H.W. Bush and associates earned great credit for outstanding regional leadership. In 1990-91, the U.S.-led coalition with UN authorization drove the Iraq army from occupied Kuwait. Decisive victory was followed up by effective diplomacy.

U.S. leadership today should emphasize security ties, while resisting Erdogans domestic excesses. Bush and company provide the example.

Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War (NYU Press and Macmillan/Palgrave). Contact acyr@carthage.edu

This article originally appeared on The McDonough County Voice: Russia-Ukraine deal is being brokered by Turkey
A University of Vermont student was shot and killed and another woman was injured by a man who broke in with an AR-15 rifle and then turned the gun on himself, authorities said.

Mikal Dixon, 27, allegedly shot and killed Kayla Noonan, 22, and another 22-year-old woman before turning the short-barrel rifle on himself, according to the Burlington Police Department. The other woman survived the shooting but remains hospitalized.

Emergency dispatchers received several calls about reports of gunfire on North Winooski Avenue  about a mile northwest of campus  on July 25 at around 2:20 a.m., according to a Burlington Police Department press release. Upon arrival, officers made contact with and spoke to one of the two shooting victims, who was on the phone with emergency dispatchers but too severely injured to come to the door.

Police ultimately broke a window in order to gain access to the dwelling. Once inside the apartment, officers found both Noonan and Dixon dead from apparent gunshot wounds. An AR-15 rifle was recovered from the scene.

The other shooting victim had been shot twice and was very close to death, by the time officers gained entry to the apartment, police said. The woman, identified only as C.R., was rushed to hospital in critical condition. Her condition has since stabilized, according to officials.

Officers cleared that scene so that other first responders could work and members of the Burlington Police Department and the Burlington Fire Department saved C.R.s life, Acting Police Chief Jon Murad said at a press conference on Monday. C.R. is alive today because of the work that was done by these cops and the way that we train with our rescue partners for critical incidents like this.

Authorities believe that Dixon attempted to break down a door to the apartment in which Noonan and the second victim were staying but failed.

We believe that Mr. Dixon attempted to break down a door, Murad said. He was unable to get through that door and broke through a window instead and he possessed an AR-15 rifle at the time. He shot and killed Miss Noonan. He shot and wounded C.R. and then he shot and killed himself.

Story continues

Murad described the deadly shooting as a horrific and a horrible crime. The acting chief said it appeared Dixon had obtained the firearm legally, despite a history of low-level criminal offenses including retail theft and tresspassing.

Noonan and Dixon  who had also attended the school  had a relationship dating back a number of years, he said, but the exact nature of their relationship is unclear. Dixon also knew the second shooting victim.

This murder and attempted murder of two young women was a terrible act of violence, among the very worst the city has seen in the last decade, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger also said at the press conference.

The incident marked the eighth shooting in Burlington so far in 2022.

The lives of these three families has been forever changed by this tragedy, Weinberger added. This incident is another awful reminder that Burlington is not immune to the steep increases in gun violence the country is experiencing and that as a result of our disastrous gun laws Americans are vastly more likely to endure a terrible tragedy like this.

Noonan was a rising senior at the University of Vermont, according to a spokesperson for the university. She majored in community entrepreneurship and minored in sociology at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is from Landing, New Jersey.

Our community is reeling from the shock of this tragedy, Vice Provost for Student Affairs Erica Caloiera said in a statement sent to Oxygen.com. It will take some time for us to process and grieve this tremendous loss. And our hearts go out to the families and the loved ones of the students involved.

Caloiera also described Noonan as an immensely vibrant and strong woman with a contagious laugh and smile.

Dixon, who was from New Hampshire, grew up in the Burlington area, officials said, and attended Burlington High School. He had also been a University of Vermont student.

No further information was released by authorities regarding the apparent murder-suicide this week. The Vermont State Police and the University of Vermont Police Department are also assisting local law enforcement in the apparent murder-suicide investigation.

A spokesperson for the Burlington Police Department wasnt immediately available for comment when contacted by Oxygen.com on Friday morning.
Three people were wounded by gunfire and four guns were seized from teenagers in a rash of gun-related crime investigated by Erie police over the weekend.

Five people were taken into police custody and face criminal charges in some of the incidents, police reported on Monday.

Two of the shooting victims were suspected of being wounded by bullet fragments when shots were reportedly fired at a child's birthday party on Saturday at about 6:15 p.m. in the 200 block of West 18th Street.

Related:Erie pair wanted for shooting at state, city police in June pursuit charged in robbery

An argument had broken out at the party when a man pulled out a gun and fired a couple of rounds, Erie police Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said. A woman suffered a grazing wound to the leg and a man suffered a grazing wound to the side, Lorah said.

Officers found two shell casings in the 200 block of West 18th Street, he said.

The accused shooter, 33-year-old Marques D. Lee, was found behind some houses and was taken into custody, Lorah said. Lee was arraigned early Sunday morning on charges including three counts of aggravated assault, carrying a firearm without a license and recklessly endangering, according to Erie police and online court records.

Hunting suspects:Erie police follow video trail in hunting down suspects accused in 13-year-old's killing

A 26-year-old woman from California suffered gunshot wounds to the thigh and ankle in a shooting that was reported on Saturday at about 4:10 p.m. in the area of East 12th Street and the Bayfront Parkway.

The woman told police she was walking toward the Family Dollar store on East 12th Street when she heard a pop and was shot, Lorah said. She said she had no idea who shot her, he said.

Police checked the area but were unable to find any evidence of a shooting, according to Lorah.

At about 4:15 p.m. Saturday, officers were sent to the area of East 22nd and Wayne streets to investigate reports of shots fired. Police were told that the suspects were two juveniles on bicycles, and that one of the juveniles had fired a gun, Lorah said.

Story continues

Officers located shell casings in the 700 block of East 22nd Street and learned that the shooting was caught on video, Lorah said.

Police located and interviewed the suspects in the 2400 block of McKinley Avenue and took an 18-year-old man into custody, he said.

The 18-year-old man, whose criminal charges had not been docketed as of Monday morning, faces charges including carrying a firearm without a license, recklessly endangering, possessing an instrument of crime and tampering with evidence, according to Erie police.

Teen charged:Erie police charge teen driver with attempted homicide in shooting, pursuit

At about 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, police were called to the 800 block of West 30th Street to investigate a reported disturbance. Officers learned from a woman that there had been a domestic dispute and that a male had broken into her home after she locked him out, Lorah said.

The woman said the man attacked her and talked of having a gun that she said he placed in his car. Police later towed the car and searched it, and they found an AK-47 with a high-capacity magazine inside, Lorah said.

A 30-year-old man was taken into custody and faces charges, according to Erie police. Those charges had not been docketed as of Monday morning.

Two teenage boys, ages 15 and 17, were taken into custody and placed in the Edmund L. Thomas Adolescent Center following an Erie police investigation into a reported gun threat in the area of Hess Avenue and Atkins Street on Sunday at about 1:20 p.m.

According to Lorah, a caller reported that a teenage male had pointed a gun at the caller's residence. Police located the suspects in the 1300 block of Atkins Street and identified one of the suspects as the person who reportedly had the gun, he said.

Police were given consent to search a residence and found two 9 mm handguns, a .45-caliber handgun that was reported as stolen, and a rifle, Lorah said.

One of the teens is facing charges including possession of a firearm by a minor. The other teen is facing a receiving stolen property charge, Lorah said.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Three wounded, guns seized from teens in weekend of violence in Erie
BOSTON  A New Bedford man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to possessing fentanyl intended for distribution.

Marquise Thompson, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, according to a press release. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for Nov. 2. Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2021.

In October 2020, Thompson was arrested prior to his attempt to sell fentanyl. Following his arrest, state and federal authorities recovered more than 20 grams of fentanyl and packaging materials from an apartment that Thompson was using in New Bedford to store narcotics.

The charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl provides for a mandatory sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James Ferguson, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Gotlob of Rollins Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justices violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford man pleads guilty to fentanyl offense
MUNCIE, Ind.  A Muncie woman faces a neglect-of-a-dependent charge over a dog attack that left a toddler with "catastrophic" facial injuries.

The neglect charge filed Thursday against Jacklynn J. Swafford, 25, is a Level 1 felony carrying up to 40 years in prison,

According to a probable cause affidavit, city police on Jan. 2 were sent to a home in the 1400 block of West Ninth Street, where they found a 17-month-old girl suffering from "severe head and facial injuries from a pit bull attack."

The young victim was taken by ambulance to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, and was later transferred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. where she would undergo several surgeries.

More:Police: 5-year-old Muncie girl fatally shot by brother; parents arrested for neglect

Two witnesses told investigators Swafford asked them to give an inaccurate account of the dog attack, claiming it had taken place in a vehicle, apparently in a bid to avoid scrutiny from the Indiana Department of Child Services.

A man present during the attack said it actually took place in the West Ninth Street home, as Swafford was feeding the child chicken nuggets.

After the first attack, the man said, Swafford ran with the injured child into another room. The dog  a pit bull named Hades, according to court documents  chased them and then bit the child again in the head, he said.

That man and another witness described the canine as "extremely aggressive."

On Jan. 14, when authorities arrived to seize the dog, the man warned them the animal was "not gonna be friendly," and that they should not anticipate "flowers and sunshine."

In addition to the neglect charge filed in Delaware Circuit Court 5, Swafford is charged with two related misdemeanors  false informing and interference with the reporting of a crime.

STAY INFORMED AND SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Subscribe today using the link at the top of this page.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Muncie woman charged with neglect in 'catastrophic' dog attack
Russian, French and American leaders are crisscrossing Africa to win support for their positions on the war in Ukraine, waging what some say is the most intense competition for influence on the continent since the Cold War.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and French President Emmanuel Macron are each visiting several African countries this week. Samantha Power, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, went to Kenya and Somalia last week. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Linda Thomas-Greenfield, will go to Ghana and Uganda next week.

``It's like a new Cold War is playing out in Africa, where the rival sides are trying to gain influence,'' said William Gumede, director of Democracy Works, a foundation promoting good governance.

Lavrov, in his travels across the continent where many countries are suffering drought and hunger, has sought to portray the West as the villain, blaming it for rising food prices, while the Western leaders have accused the Kremlin of cynically using food as a weapon and waging an imperial-style war of conquest, words calculated to appeal to listeners in post-colonial Africa.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia has been working to win support in Africa for several years, reinvigorating friendships that date back a half-century, when the Soviet Union backed many African movements fighting to end colonial rule.

``Now that campaign has gone into high gear,'' Gumede said.

Moscow's influence in Africa was on display in March during the U.N. vote to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While 28 African nations voted in favor of the resolution, a significant minority of countries on the continent, 25, either voted to abstain or did not vote at all.

Russia's top diplomat this week visited Egypt, Congo, Uganda and Ethiopia, pledging friendship and charging the U.S. and European countries with driving up food prices by pursuing ``reckless'' environmental policies. He also accused them of hoarding food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

``The situation in Ukraine did additionally negatively affect food markets, but not due to the Russian special operation, rather due to the absolutely inadequate reaction of the West, which announced sanctions,'' Lavrov said in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.

Lavrov was warmly received in Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni, who for years has been a U.S. ally but has refused to criticize Russia over the invasion. Museveni even suggested at the outbreak of the war that Putin's actions might be understandable because Ukraine is in Russia's sphere of influence.

Lavrov voiced support for reform of the U.N. Security Council to give African countries permanent seats and greater influence.

Appearing with Lavrov, the Ugandan leader spoke fondly of old ties with Russia, asking how he could spurn Moscow when he has good relations with countries that participated in slavery.

Museveni, an opinion leader on the continent who has held power for three decades, is an obvious choice for Russia as someone to strengthen ties with, said Ugandan political analyst Asuman Bisiika.

``Uganda is the center of gravity in East Africa,'' Bisiika said.

Museveni, 77, has been strictly wearing a mask in public since the COVID-19 outbreak. But he did not have one on when greeting Lavrov in front of photographers, apparently wanting to show warmth to the Russian. Museveni had a mask back on in his next public appearance a day later.

Russia is also courting African public opinion through its state television network, RT, formerly known as Russia Today. RT has announced that it will open a new bureau in Johannesburg.

RT was abruptly removed from Africa's biggest pay-TV platform in Africa, Johannesburg-based Multichoice, in March after the European Union and Britain imposed sanctions against Russia. It is not clear whether establishing the new bureau will enable RT to resume broadcasts to Africa through Multichoice, which claims nearly 22 million subscribers on the continent.

``For Russia, it is the battle to be heard in Africa. It is not important for the actual war effort but for their long-term political influence,`` Anton Harber, professor of journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. ``They see it as fertile ground to cultivate their influence, and, of course, votes in the U.N. are important.``

On his tour of Africa, France's Macron accused the Kremlin of using TV channels like RT to spread propaganda in support of the war. And he charged the Kremlin with blackmailing the world by thwarting the export of grain from Ukraine.

``They are blackmailing because they are the ones who blocked cereals in Ukraine. They are the ones who regulate their cereals,'' he said in Benin. His itinerary also included Cameroon and Guinea-Bissau.

Macron appealed to Africans to side against Russia.

``I'm telling you here in Africa, a continent that has suffered from colonial imperialism: Russia is one of the last colonial, imperial powers. She decides to invade a neighboring country to defend her interests,'' he said. ``That's the reality.''

Power, the top U.S. AID official, was in East Africa to pledge aid to help the region's fight against hunger amid a devastating multi-year drought. She did not hold back in criticizing Russia.

``By blockading Ukraine's grain exports and restricting the trade of Russia's own fertilizer, Putin's actions have had the consequence of inflicting pain on the people of Kenya and on other countries throughout the world,`` Power said in Nairobi. ``He is hurting the people of Kenya in order to benefit his own situation.''

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Russian dictator Vladimir Putin

This is when you sign something similar to agreements with Turkey and the UN on the unblocking of Ukrainian ports for the export of grain with one hand, and with the other, you hit the port in Odesa with Caliber missiles, while at the same time directing your own media killers to spread misinformation that Ukrainians themselves fired at their own strategic object.

And at the same time receiving from the UN just a worthless reaction of uncertain content about the abstract condemnation of shelling. But not Russia, which carries out these attacks. To be honest, Putin knows how to push his own scenarios.

Read also: How Putin weaponized the slayer of economies

Using both - a developed network of Russian agents, which are widely incorporated into all international institutions - from the UN to the IAEA, which still has not recognized the seizure of the Zaporizhzhya NPP as an act of nuclear terrorism and a not less network of foreign politicians and officials financed by Russia.

Such as the ex-chancellor of Germany Schroder, who spends his vacation in Moscow. The capital of the country that started the modern war in Europe. And if you think that "money does not smell", it is not so. Now the money from Russia - and it is not their "wooden" rubles, but real dollars and euros - smells. With the blood of Ukrainians who are being killed by the Russians. It's just that not everyone is stopped by this fact.

What will Putin do next and what is he preparing for? Russia is preparing to legalize the occupation of captured Ukrainian territories. Sometimes it is also called annexation. The practice of raising Russian flags with the playing of the Soviet-Russian national anthem in captured Ukrainian towns, of course, does not cause a great stir.

Usually, such acts of vandalism against international law and all post-war agreements between countries take place in the presence of several local traitors - collaborators, representatives of Moscow and a dozen people of retirement age. But Putin doesn't care about the picture anymore.

Story continues

Putin wants to accomplish what he set out to do - to "join" Ukrainian territories with Russia according to a scenario similar to the Crimean one.

And after that, the Kremlin wants to announce to the West that from this moment the war takes on a new meaning. American "Himars" will fire at Russian troop concentrations, command headquarters, and warehouses with ammunition already on the territory, which in Russia is considered as a part of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, the pro-Russian lobby in the West will do its job, cutting aid to Ukraine and bringing into the public space narratives about the inadmissibility of direct confrontation between NATO countries and Russia due to the supply of weapons and shelling of objects on the territories that the Russians recognize as theirs.

The diabolical combination of the Kremlin will have its continuation. Putin and his army now need the truce - on his terms. This is when the occupation forces of Russia are not fired upon, but they are able to fire missiles at any object in Ukraine. With a correspondingly meager reaction from the UN that Putin is not formally violating anything.

Read also: Panic in the Kremlin. Why does Putin need volunteer battalions?

This "truce" will resemble the "Peace of Versailles". After the signing of which the experienced French Marshal Foch said: This is not peace. This is a truce for 20 years." But in our case there won't be any 20 years. Think logically: according to analytical centers, including British intelligence, Russia has already used 85% of its troops in hostilities in Ukraine, reports CNN.

The Russians need time to recover, regroup, mobilize (covert or overt), train the mobilized, and restore equipment. Putin is trying to negotiate with Turkish President Erdogan on the construction of a Bayraktar plant in Russia.

As you understand, the construction of the plant is not a matter of one day. Even at an accelerated pace in wartime conditions. So Putin works from a relatively distant perspective.

Of course, transferring the production of "Bayraktars" to Russia would be a large-scale betrayal. But I really hope that the president of Turkey will never go to it. And not only because he understands the threats to Ukraine. And he is aware of the threats to Turkey itself. In the form of a direct confrontation with Russia not only in the region of Karabakh but also in the Black Sea in case of Putin's advance in Ukraine and the seizure of new territories.

We can send our Turkish friends the history of the Russo-Turkish wars to remind them of the historical context. Although I think, Erdogan knows him very well.

So now Putin wants to stop the fire from the Ukrainian side, without stopping at the destruction of Ukraine. And be sure - the scenario of North and South Korea (for those naive people who think that Russia will stop at the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions) is impossible.

Putin hates Ukraine so deeply and comprehensively, his propaganda has pumped the heads of Russians so tightly that, while seizing any settlement in the Luhansk Region, he is already planning a siege of Kharkiv and bombing of the Dnipro.

And for this, he does not critically need high-precision weapons and microcircuits from Taiwan. He is ready to burn the cities with his primitive, still Soviet "Grads", which cover territories with square kilometers, but not precisely hit a specific target, like the American "Himars". The "Grad" projectile does not have a GPS-navigation system, it flies anywhere according to the ballistic trajectory - to the position of Ukrainian troops, to a school, kindergarten, hospital or simply burns crops in the field.

Read also: Russia to issue passports in occupied areas of Kharkiv Oblast

To replenish the ammunition of these "Grads" at Russian factories working in several shifts, Putin needs time. In the form of this "truce". But remember - Putin is preparing for a new war.

The conclusion will not be too original. Ukraine needs weapons and ammunition. All this is needed by the country, which, sorry to remind you, disarmed and transferred its cruise missiles to Russia, which is now shelling Ukraine with the same missiles. Together with nuclear weapons, the peaceful and naive young state also destroyed its own strategic aviation. Which could also carry ordinary weapons. The same missiles and aerial bombs that would now stop the aggressor on the front line.

Will someone ever count in money how much of Ukraine's resources it has put on the altar of world peace? It is somewhat inconvenient to remind you now, but this disarmament took place under pressure and under the support of the West. So now is the time to right this historical wrong. Yes, it is painful for the economy and expensive to send one's own resources and money to distant Ukraine. It is about a lot of money and a lot of resources. Much more than has already been sent.

But it will be even more expensive not to do it. And then with the same "Himars" to hit their own infrastructure - excellent autobahns, bridges, schools, which the Russians will use for their headquarters. To stop rusty Russian tanks already on the territory of NATO countries.

Read also: A turning point in the war of Putin's Russia against Ukraine and the civilized world

Do you think this is a fantastic scenario? And I think not. Putin hates you, our dear Western partners, as sincerely as he hates Ukrainians. At least, in Poland, which is a neighbor of Ukraine, this is understood very clearly. The Poles have already taken the course to create the most powerful land forces in Europe. And they call their country the one that is at the front.

Therefore, the best offer for all Europeans (and therefore for Americans, who will not silently watch the war in Europe) is to increase support for Ukraine. So as not to pay with blood for your own freedom. After all, Putin needs Ukraine not only as a territory. And as an industrial, energy and food base for the great march to the West. Keep this in mind when your government decides on aid to Ukraine.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Daria Sokol and Anton Topikha married at the Top of the Rock with $40 admission tickets.

The couple, who are from Ukraine, then flew to Italy for a second celebration with their families.

Sokol wore two gowns, one of which Sokol's mother packed with her when she fled Ukraine in February.

A Ukrainian couple who live in New York wed at the Top of the Rockefeller Center in May. Three hours later, they boarded a plane to Italy for a second wedding with family who fled the recent invasion.

Daria Sokol, a 29-year-old travel blogger who is known by the social-media handle @daria.newyork, told Insider that she met her partner, Anton Topikha, 34, when she moved to New York three years ago, after previously moving from Ukraine to Washington, DC. Topikha has lived in the US for more than 20 years, Sokol said, although he still has relatives in Europe.

Sokol shared a video of the ceremony with her 20,000 followers on Instagram on May 3, writing in the caption that they chose the Top of the Rock because it's the "best view in the world." She wore a long-sleeved wrap dress by the Russian designer Vesna Wedding, and the groom wore a navy suit.

Sokol said her parents weren't able to obtain US visas when she first started planning the wedding last year, so they initially wanted to have it in Italy  until they realized how much paperwork would be involved. According to the website Weddings in Tuscany, US citizens who wed in Italy must have an affidavit by the American Consulate in Italy, as well as a sworn affidavit from the Italian Consulate in the USA or an Italian court.

The couple ultimately decided to have the legal ceremony in New York, before traveling to the south of Italy that same day, Sokol said. Their second wedding ceremony and reception took place in Sorrento later that week, Sokol told Insider. They had around 34 guests.

The couple married with one witness and a photographer

Sokol said that it was important for her not to have a courthouse wedding, which she said would have been a "grim image."

Story continues

"I wanted something that's very pretty, and I love New York very much," she said. "My husband does as well, so getting married in front of all of those beautiful buildings in the city was very special."

Daria Sokol and Anton Topikha got married at the Top of the Rock with general admission tickets. @ivanshatokhin

Other than their wedding officiant, the couple had just one guest at the wedding, a close friend and photographer who is known by the Instagram handle @ivanshatokhin.

The couple, their officiant, and their witness each purchased a $40 general admission ticket for the observation deck. Sokol told Insider that they didn't have to pay extra to have the wedding there, nor did they have to notify the building in advance.

"I wouldn't imagine that you can bring a whole party there, but it was just two of us, plus a witness and photographer," she said. "We weren't in anyone's way."

Sokol says the first thing her mom packed when she fled Ukraine was her daughter's wedding dress

On June 14, Sokol shared a video on Instagram of her father walking her down the aisle at her second wedding at Villa Zagara Sorrento, a historical villa in Sorrento, Italy.

She wrote in the caption that she didn't know if her parents, who are in their sixties, would be able to attend when Russia declared war on Ukraine on February 24.

She told Insider that when her parents decided to flee Ukraine on the fifth day of the invasion, they packed one bag of essential items including Sokol's second wedding dress, a strapless A-line gown, also by Vesna Wedding. Sokol said the dress had been ordered online and delivered to her parent's home in Kharkiv before the war began.

The couple at their wedding celebration in Sorrento, Italy. Maryia Mikhayliuk

"The decision to go was made very quickly because they didn't know whether to stay or leave  people were being shot," Sokol said, noting that her mother told her they had just 30 minutes to pack.

When it came to important items, Sokol's mother thought of two dresses: Sokol's wedding dress and her own wedding gown. Sokol said that her mother exclaimed that "your wedding dress was the number one thing that we packed to take with us."

Sokol's parents are now living with her in the US. She said that while they are grateful to be safe, it has been difficult to adjust because they don't speak English. They have had to "start their lives from scratch."

"We are very happy that everything worked out and that they are safe," Sokol said. "That's the most important thing."

Read the original article on Insider
WASHINGTON  The House on Friday passed a bill that would ban assault weapons following a summer of deadly mass shootings that reignited calls for increased gun control.

Though the measure passed mostly along party lines, two Republicans and five Democrats broke with their parties on the vote, according to the official tally.

Assault weapons have been used in numerous mass shootings, including killings this year in Uvalde and Buffalo; Parkland, Florida in 2018; Las Vegas in 2017; and Newton Conn. in 2012.

There is no vote yet scheduled in the Senate on the assault weapons ban, though the measure is not expected to pass the chamber. At least 10 Republican Senators would have to join all 50 Democrats to overcome a filibuster.

Here's what we know about why the seven House members broke ranks on the vote.

Assault weapons ban: 'Americans deserve to be safe': House passes assault weapons ban that has little chance in Senate

Video: Here's how background checks work, and why sometimes they don't

Republicans voting in favor of the bill

Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Chris Jacobs of New York cast votes in favor of the ban alongside 215 of their Democratic colleagues.

Jacobs, whose western New York district includes suburban Buffalo, announced in June he would not seek reelection as he faced backlash for his support of gun control measures.

He said in a prepared statement that while he "strongly" supports the Second Amendment, he does not support "easy access to high-powered semiautomatic weapons and large capacity magazines that have time and time again resulted in mass casualty shootings." The Uvalde shooting spurred him to support an assault weapons ban, he said.

"We have a duty to provide for the safety of all Americans," Jacobs said. "These weapons do not belong in our communities. While this bill is not perfect, I believe it will save innocent lives."

Story continues

USA TODAY also requested comment from Fitzpatrick's office.

Democrats voting against the bill

The five Democrats to vote "no" on the bill alongside 208 Republicans were Reps. Henry Cuellar of Texas, Jared Golden of Maine, Vicente Gonzalez of Texas, Ron Kind of Wisconsin and Kurt Schrader of Oregon.

James Rivera, a spokesperson for Gonzalez, told USA TODAY that while Gonzalez supports other gun control measures, a ban on assault rifles doesn't solve the problem.

"There are tens of millions of assault rifles already in circulation across America, many of them are used by responsible gun owners for hunting in South Texas," Rivera said. "And a ban on some of those models will do nothing to reduce overall risks. Our focus should be on keeping guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others.

Kind said in a prepared statement that while he also supports some gun control measures, the bill was "hastily brought" to the House floor, leaving him no opportunity to study it or consult with Wisconsin law enforcement groups and his constituents. He also raised concern over the current legislation's definition of assault weapons, fearing too broad a definition might lead to a "crack down" on other guns.

USA TODAY requested comment from the other three Congress members' offices.

Contributing: Katherine Swartz, Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 7 House members broke with their party on the assault weapons ban
With the mid-term elections coming up and things looking very poorly for the Democratic Party, Republicans are poised to take major advantage of a lackluster first two years under President Joe Bidens leadership.

By retaking one or both houses of Congress at the mid-terms, Republicans would be in a great position to step back into the White House, giving the GOP control of the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Whether that happens remains to be seen and much of that possibility depends on one man: former President Donald Trump.

In a New York Times/Siena College poll, Trump was the preference of more than 50% of Republicans to be the party nominee for the 2024 race. While those numbers are down somewhat, they are still plenty high enough for the former president to become the partys nominee.

While Trumps appeal has taken some hits from his continuing insistence upon the election having been stolen and the terrible publicity from the Jan. 6 committee hearings, he is still the clearly the favorite of Republican Party voters.

Gary Cosby Jr.

The aforementioned poll indicates there really isnt a strong second choice among GOP voters at this point. Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, polled second, but he was only in the mid-20% range. Other possible candidates  such as Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley  all polled less than 10%, which would indicate little support for anyone other than Trump.

More from Gary Cosby Jr.: Will Joe Biden be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024?

Previously: Pain at the pump: Gas price roller coaster ride continues | GARY COSBY JR.

Those potential candidates will have to gauge party members' level of unhappiness with the former president before deciding whether to run. Trump isnt invincible even within the Republican Party and could be beaten for the nomination by the right candidate.

Story continues

Here is the thing with a potential Trump candidacy: Although he is clearly the favorite of conservative voters, he is carrying an awful lot of baggage from his first term in office. Ironically, if the election had been held in 2019 instead of 2020, Trump would have easily won a second term. His presidency ended up on the rocks because of several calamities that began with his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former President Donald Trump points to the crowd as he arrives to speak at a rally Friday in Prescott, Arizona.

Before the pandemic, Trump was cruising toward reelection, but his often-chaotic handling of the COVID crisis did him severe damage. Then the so-called Big Lie about the election being stolen soured Americans even more. The coup de grace was the Jan. 6 mess. All these things combined to leave the critical swing voters, without which neither party can win a presidency, reeling and in shock.

Therein lies the real issue for Republicans: Can the party reclaim enough of the swing vote to win the presidency? Traditional Republican voters will support Trump, and he probably will win the partys nomination, but can you imagine how difficult it will be for Trump to win the presidency when every Democratic Party ad will focus on those three issues that brought him down to begin with? The Democrats will wage a campaign of fear like you have never seen.

Republicans dont seem bothered by any of this and will likely vote for him again without even a second thought, but there are not enough Republicans to carry him, or any Republican candidate, into the White House without help. Swing voters are required for the party to win.

In looking at the top two choices, Trump and DeSantis, both men display similar policy ideas and have what one might term similar mannerisms. Being like Trump but without all the Trump baggage might help DeSantis overtake the former president in the polls.

There is also the issue of Trumps age. He is 76 and will be 78 by the time he could take office for another term. As we have seen with Biden, age is a very real issue. DeSantis is much younger, being only 43, and he could appeal to a younger voting demographic.

Winning over swing voters is a critical issue. With more than 80% of the countrys voters feeling the country is going the wrong way, the mid-term and 2024 election cycles are primed for a Republican domination; however, a great deal of how that turns out will depend upon who Republican voters nominate.

There is no doubt that Trump inspires the most passion among Republicans. The problem is that he inspires even more passion in the opposition, so the trait that is his greatest strength is also his greatest liability. Could DeSantis, or any of the other potential candidates do as much to inspire Republicans but without firing up Democrats even more?

There are a couple of potential dark-horse candidates Republican voters might see in the race. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin won in a pretty solidly Democratic state in 2021, and he could bring that across-the-aisle appeal to the Republican Party. Similarly, Chris Sununu, who is the Republican governor of New Hampshire, another solidly blue state, likely has the skills to reach swing voters.

There are rumors that Trump will announce his candidacy even before the mid-term elections. When he announces, any other person who thinks himself or herself a serious contender will also have to announce quickly in order not to fall too far behind.

Gary Cosby Jr. is the photo editor of The Tuscaloosa News. Readers can email him at gary.cosby@tuscaloosanews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Donald Trump is clear front-runner for Republicans | GARY COSBY JR.
Siblings James Alan Russo, Cindi Russo-Smith and Barry Russo gather at the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial in Kittery, Wednesday, July 27, 2022. The late James Russo, their father, was the model for the baby in the monument.

Wednesday was a homecoming of sorts for the late James Russo, in a town where he never resided. But he definitely left a lifelong impression in the seaside community of Kittery, Maine.

Nearly 100 years ago, a sculpture was to be created to honor the Maine soldiers and sailors who had served in the recently-concluded First World War. The design revolved around a woman holding a baby in her arms.

So, organizers launched a search for a suitable model.

Family of the late James Russo gather at the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial in Kittery, Wednesday, July 27, 2022. Russo was the model for the baby in the statue. From left are Russo's son, James Alan Russo and his wife Susan, Cindi Russo-Smith and her husband Dennis Smith, nephew Don Derosa, son Barry Russo and his wife Susan. Taking the photo is Suzanne Esposito of the town of Kittery staff.

As the story goes, Nana, dads mother, saw an advertisement for a contest, looking for a baby to model for the statue to go in the John Paul Jones Park, son Barry Russo recently recalled. As we all know, Dad won the contest because he had the best biscuits.

Biscuits refers to the butt cheeks still prominently on display decades later in the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial, facing Portsmouth, New Hampshire, across Memorial Bridge.

Barry Russo talks Wednesday, July 27, 2022, about his late father, James, and how he was the model for the baby in the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial dedicated in 1926 in Kittery.

James Nicholas Russo died in December 2012 at the age of 90. But on Wednesday, to mark his 100th birthday, his children and other family members gathered in John Paul Jones Park at the monument where he has been immortalized.

In many ways, Russos life embodies 20th-century America. Serving as a memorial model to commemorate the First World War was really just the beginning.

James Russo's life

The late James Russo was the model for the baby in the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial in Kittery.

Russo was born the son of immigrants, on June 16, 1922. His father James Don Russo arrived at Ellis Island from Sicily as a young man; his mother Cecelia F. McPhee Russo hailed from Dublin, Ireland.

Barry Russo reports that his dad built his own kayak as a teenager and would set out during high tide to dig for clams. He graduated from Milton High School in Massachusetts, and then earned an engineering degree from Northeastern University, where he was class vice president during both his junior and senior years.

'Unacceptable': Kittery residents stop plan for 900 housing units, boo developers

James enlisted in the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. But according to a 2011 newspaper article in Delawares Cape Gazette, Russo first signed up with the Navy Reserve.

Story continues

Because of his engineering background, however, he was switched to the Air Corps, the forerunner of todays United States Air Force. Russo worked in military research in Ohio during the war, helping to develop jet engines and a supersonic wind tunnel.

Suzanne Esposito of the town of Kittery staff presents town Maine pins to siblings James Alan Russo, Cindi Russo-Smith and Barry Russo as they honor their late father, James, at the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

He was asked to reenlist and accept commission as an officer, but declined. However, he used to tell his kids he was a general during his time in the service, Barry says  a general nuisance.

An obituary provided by his family describes his sense of humor, gift for storytelling, and resonating laugh as some of Russos most memorable traits. He also had a genuine and empathetic interest in other people, according to his family, which fueled his very successful career in technical sales.

We always joked that he could sell ice cubes to Eskimos, Barry recalled.

His father always had a boat of some kind, he added, from an 18-foot outboard cuddy cabin cruiser all the way up to a 40-foot Chris Craft, which we as a family would live on in the summer in various harbors in southern New England.

James Russo gets a kiss from his granddaughter.

He had a penchant for luxury automobiles as well, and typically would drive about 50,000 miles a year for business, Barry says. He eventually became president of Columbia Boiler Company.

Russos wife, Joey Ann, shared his adventurous spirit and they traveled extensively to Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean islands and throughout New England. They also lived in different parts of the country throughout their married life together.

The late James Russo was the model for the baby in the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial in Kittery, Maine, seen here Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

Joey Ann passed away in 2010.

On Wednesday, Barry and his siblings James Alan Russo and Cindi Smith joined with other family members in Kittery at the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial. The visit was originally set to take place on their dads 100th birthday last month, but had to be postponed when a couple of them tested positive for COVID.

I think if I had to describe Dad in one word it would be optimistic, Barry said prior to the visit. He always sought out and found the good in things, even when others didnt see it.

How the monument became reality in Kittery

The bronze relief memorial features a woman protectively cradling an infant over the bodies of war dead. In the background surrounding them are images of soldiers, taking part in what was commonly referred to at the time as the Great War.

The monument has remained at this location for nearly a century. And naturally, because this is Kittery, its history includes a fair share of controversy.

The late James Russo was the model for the baby in the Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial in Kittery,, seen here Wednesday, July 27, 2022.

Sculptor Bashka Paeff was 30 years old when she won a state-sponsored competition to create the memorial. In 1923, a committee of former servicemen helped her select a design.

A dedication ceremony took place in Kittery in November 1924, even though the project was not yet completed. The following year, newly elected Maine Gov. Ralph Brewster called a halt to work on the project.

Brewster accused his predecessor and political foe, former Gov. Percival Baxter, of using the memorial to glorify pacifism rather than honoring Maines role in the war. (Brewster, whose campaigns were openly supported by the Ku Klux Klan, would later become a close political ally of disgraced Sen. Joseph McCarthy. He was also portrayed as a rather slimy politician by Alan Alda in the Academy Award-winning film The Aviator.)

An interpretive marker currently located in the park (and sorely in need of replacement, but thats another story), indicates Paeff proposed changes to make the memorial more acceptable to opponents. The proposed name of the sculpture  Horrors of War  was also removed.

With its central figure of a woman holding a child, Paeffs design represented a bold change from other war memorials that often featured soldiers and guns, the panel declares.

The completed memorial was finally dedicated for good in May 1926, with about 2,000 people in attendance, including Baxter.

For all time it will teach its lessons that war is a terrible curse, that manhood, womanhood, childhood all pay its awful price, the former governor declared during the ceremony.

The bronze low-relief sculpture is framed by granite. Below the images is a line from a Rudyard Kipling poem: Lord God of Hosts be with Us Yet, Lest We Forget, Lest We Forget."

The park itself was established to mark the location of where the famous sloop of war USS Ranger was built in 1777 for the great American Revolution naval hero John Paul Jones. The park was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the mid-1920s.

Wednesday was the first time both brothers had seen the memorial, although sister Cindi had visited twice before. The weather was ideal and town employee Suzanne Esposito was on hand to welcome the family with commemorative lapel pins featuring Kittery's official seal.

"It couldn't have gone better," Barry said.

D. Allan Kerr would very much like to see the current weather-damaged historical markers at John Paul Jones Park replaced and updated.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kittery: Family honors Maine Sailors and Soldiers Memorial baby model
A memorial at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, honors the 19 children and two teachers slain in a shooting massacre May 24.

The cycle of gun violence in the United States can feel familiar:A mass shooting occurs, followed by calls for tougher gun laws. Little if anything changes and inevitably, there's another mass shooting. Rinse, repeat.

But this time, gun reform advocates say, just might be the start of something different.

This time the U.S. experienced two particularly horrifying mass shootings just 10 days apart, the racially motivated attack that killed 10 people in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, and the massacre of 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24.

In the wake of those tragedies, five states have passed a slew of gun reforms and Congress also passed its biggest gun safety package in three decades in a bipartisan vote.

"This does feel different to me," said Sean Holihan, state legislative director for the Giffords gun reform group. "Congress wasn't going to do anything. It took children being slaughtered in a school."

The House passes bipartisan gun reform.

The recent movement on gun legislation has been "extraordinary," said Tanya Schardt, senior counsel and director of state and federal policy at the Brady gun control advocacy group.

"Certainly, we've had devastating mass shooting events before," she said. "The ones that really strike me are Sandy Hook and Parkland, and there was certainly a coalescence around doing things. But I'm not sure that we have the same momentum that we have this time."

Some of those hopes were tempered after the Supreme Court overturned a New York handgun restriction, but Schardt and other advocates say they still feel more hopeful than ever.

"I think the outrage finally peaked to a point where people realize we can't do nothing here and we have to look at the guns," she said. "This just isn't normal. We can't and we shouldn't force our children to live and die this way, and we have an obligation to do more."

At the White House late last month, President Joe Biden said that people have urged the government to do something about guns for far too long.

Story continues

'For God's sake, just do something'

"How many times have you heard that?" Biden said. "Just do something; for God's sake, just do something. Well, today, we did ... At a time when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential."

The legislation enhances background checks on gun buyers 18 to 21 years old. It also adds dating partners to the list of domestic abusers who are prohibited from buying guns, eliminating the "boyfriend loophole."

The law also encourages states to develop better "red flag" laws that would deny guns to people who are deemed to be dangerous.

Red flags and firearms checks: How the Highland Park suspect slipped through the cracks

At the state level, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware and California all have passed gun reforms after the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings, though California's and New Jersey's legislation already had already been in the works.

More laws certainly would have passed in other states had their legislative sessions not already ended or been in their final days before summer break, Holihan said, adding that his group will push them to take action when they reconvene.

Among the most remarkable new legislation passed at the state level were bills openinggun manufacturers to lawsuits by those affected by gun violence. Such laws just passed in Delaware, New Jersey and California while New York was the first to pass it last year.

"Essentially, it just makes the gun industry like every other industry in the country, which means when you do something irresponsible, dangerous, negligent, and someone's harmed, you could be held civilly liable," Schardt said.

The gun industry argues that such laws will put small gun dealers out of business and lead to frivolous lawsuits.

Sales associate Elsworth Andrews arranges guns on display at Burbank Ammo & Guns in Burbank, Calif., on June 23. The Supreme Court has ruled that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, a major expansion of gun rights.

As some gun laws strengthened, others relaxed

Although gun reform advocates are feeling hopeful, some states have only loosened gun restrictions.

In Ohio, for example, a law that went into effect on June 11 allows school districts across the state to authorize teachers, principals and other staff to carry guns into classrooms this fall, after 24 hours of training. Also in Ohio and neighboring Indiana, requirements for permitless carry have been relaxed.

Also last month, the Supreme Court expanded gun rights across the nation when it struck down a New York law requiring people applying to carry a concealed gun to provide a reason why they need the weapon.

Since Buffalo and Uvalde, at least 26 people have been killed in at least seven mass shootings in the U.S. An additional 52 people were injured in the shootings, which happened in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.

Meanwhile, gun sales have been going strong in the U.S., where there are more firearms now than people. After mass shootings or when gun reforms seem likely, sales tend to rise.

In Delaware for instance, the same month the state Legislature passed six new gun laws, background checks soared. When the legislation passed in June, background checks more than doubled to more than 9,800, up from 4,300 the month before, according to the FBI.

Nationally, there have been more than 15 million background checks through the end of June. That figure is lower than the previous two record years, which were driven by the pandemic, but is higher than the years preceding the coronavirus pandemic.

Though the problem seems insurmountable at times, there's still plenty of hope, said Tom Mauser, who lost his 15-year-old son Daniel in the attack at Columbine High School in Colorado that killed 12 students and a teacher in 1999.

Tom Mauser holds up a pair of shoes belonging to his late son during a rally at the Capitol in Denver in April 2000. His son Daniel was killed in the Columbine High School shooting.

Mauser has been fighting for gun control ever since and has watched with frustration as the crisis has only escalated.

Last month Mauser spoke with Biden just after the president signed the historic gun legislation.

"I said, 'Mr. President, for 23 years, nothing's been done since Columbine,'" Mauser recalled. "Now we can see that something can be done. Let's build on it. He said, 'Yeah, we need to do more.'

"Unfortunately, it will take more tragedy but on the other hand, at least for those of us who are in the field, who are out there in the trenches, you need some hope sometimes.".

More coverage for USA TODAY subscribers

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Could gun reforms in wake of Uvalde, Buffalo mark turning point?
Rashod Hill is no longer on the list of former Minnesota Vikings players that remain unsigned.

Per his agent, Brett Tessler, the veteran offensive tackle has signed a deal with the Washington Commanders.

Hill initially went undrafted to the Jacksonville Jaguars before being signed off their practice squad by the Vikings in 2016. He managed to stick around for the last six seasons and started in 22 games.

With the ability to serve as a swing tackle, it was only a matter of time before opportunity came knocking for the experienced offensive lineman.

The Washington Commanders just signed my client Rashod Hill. 6-year vet has been with the Vikings most of his career and has been a durable swing tackle with plenty of starting experience.  Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) July 30, 2022

At the very least, Hill could provide depth for a Commanders offensive line that ranked 15th in Pro Football Focus projected 2022 rankings.

Meanwhile, the Vikings are set at the tackle position for the foreseeable future with Brian ONeill recently signing a massive extension and the team likely striking gold with 2021 first-round draft pick Christian Darrisaw.

List

53-man roster projection: Vikings go all-in at receiver

Story originally appeared on Vikings Wire
Jul. 30FORT DRUM  Earlier in July, soldiers with the 91st Military Police Battalion, 16th MP Brigade, had returned to Fort Drum following a deployment of five months to the U.S. European Command area of responsibility.

"Wherever MPs go, we tend to provide security for deployed troops, and so that was our mission," Lt. Col. Anthony Howell, 91st MP Battalion commander said in a news release.

Around 170 troops deployed from Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield to Europe to support NATO allies prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

The soldiers conducted training with soldiers from other countries, including Romania, Poland and Germany, and were assigned to Task Force 82.

"Our soldiers did their job and took a lot of pride in what they did to establish a safe location for all the other soldiers deployed with Task Force 82 to operate out of," Lt. Col. Howell said.

The 91st MP Battalion soldiers were placed on heightened alert for rapid deployment which resulted in them departing Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield on Feb. 11.

"We had a town hall before deploying so soldiers and their families could ask questions together in a closed forum," he said. "Of course, we couldn't share everything, and I understand that can be frustrating when you are about to say goodbye to your loved one, but people understand the events going on in the world and that our soldiers may be a part of that."

Soldiers could keep in contact with family members while deployed, according to Lt. Col. Howell. He said that since their return, the focus is to allow the soldiers time to be with their families and to return to a normal routine before being reintegrated back into their units.

He also said he is "proud of the units that remained here."

"Law enforcement presence at Fort Drum did not decrease at all during the deployment," he said.

He went on to call the deployment an honor.

"I think we were all honored to be chosen to deploy when the nation needed us and very proud to meet that need," he said in the release. "But at the same time, now we are all happy to be home and back in this community doing what we do best."
The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families works to reconnect dads and their children.

Organizations looking to better their communities are now fundraising until Aug. 12 as a part of the Gannett Foundations A Community Thrives crowdfunding and grant program. Over 700 organizations have applied for the $2 million initiative in hopes of implementing community-building ideas.

The nonprofit organizations have until Aug. 12 to raise money through the online platform Mightycause to reach a minimum of $3,000 or $6,000, depending on the groups operating budget, in order to qualify as a grant recipient.

Through the site, users can donate to an organization of their choice by filtering the cause type, location and category. Donors have the opportunity to help these organizations advance their safe spaces for teens with cancer, expand no-kill animal sanctuaries, improve musical training programs and more.

A Community Thrives has been an excellent way for Gannett to leverage its platforms to raise attention and funds for participating nonprofit organizations," said Sue Madden, director of the Gannett Foundation. "Over the past five years, the program has contributed more than $17 million to community building projects and local operating expenses of service organizations across the country.

The organizations will get to keep the money they raise, but top projects also will qualify for additional grants to support their change-making ideas. Top fundraisers will receive a total of $200,000 in grants and all eligible organizations will qualify for consideration of the National Project and Local Operating grants.

A Community Thrives: Gannett Foundation calls for applications in national, local crowdfunding, grant program

Massachusetts organizations you can help, including The Crayon Project in Bridgewater

Seven Massachusetts organizations are participating in the 2022 Gannett Foundations A Community Thrives crowdfunding and grant program  including The Crayon Project in Bridgewater, which provides crayons, markers and colored pencils with diverse colors of skin tones for schools and non-profit organizations.

Story continues

Using online donations to their project The Crayon Project, Bridgewater couple Beth Ann and Kevin Bligh of Bridgewater, pictured on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, are spreading inclusivity by providing multicultural art supplies to children across America and the world.

"The Crayon Projects mission is to reinforce that hatred is not inherited; it is something that is learned. Its time that we as a society reinforce with children that it doesnt matter what skin color you are; you are a human being and worthy of respect and dignity," the Crayon Project's fundraising page says.

The seven participating Massachusetts organizations are:

Rian Immigrant Center in Boston

The Crayon Project in Bridgewater

Association to Preserve Cape Cod Inc. in Dennis

Massachusetts Baptist Multicultural Ministries in Lowell

Lunenburg Skate Park Inc. in Luneburg

Let's Make Local Voice Accessible! in North Eastham

Worcester Center for Crafts Inc. in Worcester

National Project Grants

One of last years $50,000 grant recipients, Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach, was one of 16 organizations to receive a National Project Grant. The group was able to support their programs expansion by 10%, according to A Community Thrives website.

Ciudad Nueva Community Outreach seeks to renew the Rio Grande neighborhood in El Paso, Texas.

The organization seeks to advance "the renewal and development of central El Pasos Rio Grande neighborhood through the empowerment and transformation of its residents, as stated on the organizations website.

With the help of A Community Thrives program, nonprofits are able to bring community-improvement ideas to life.

In addition to funding, A Community Thrives raises the visibility of participating organizations with national and local media coverage and exposes the organizations missions to new potential donors.

This is a national program with equal opportunity for small and nascent organizations and well-established organizations alike. Building community through connections and helping communities thrive are key program drivers, Madden said.

2021 grant recipients: New Jersey urban farm project, refugee organization in Ohio among 2021 recipients in Gannett Foundation's A Community Thrives

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families guides six South Carolina-based organizations that combat social issues surrounding fatherhood.

Because of our work, fathers and children have been reconnected and family bonds strengthened so these children will no longer suffer the detrimental effects of father absence, including generational poverty and low education, and a higher likelihood of teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and early incarceration, reads the organization's site.

The South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families says it strengthens bonds.

By receiving the A Community Thrives grant, they were able to boost "the marketing and public education for their Reality Check program that educates young men on the impact of fatherhood," as stated on A Community Thrives site.

To learn about the 2022 A Community Thrives participating organizations and to make donations, visit acommunitythrives.mightycause.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gannett Foundation A Community Thrives program: How to donate
Michigan State University on Friday asked the Supreme Court to hear a case that could impact how Title IX, the federal law that bans sexual discrimination in education, is applied to college athletics programs.

The case stems from the universitys decision in October 2020 to eliminate its mens and womens swimming teams at the end of the 2020-21 season. Eleven members of the womens team filed suit in January 2021 seeking reinstatement of the women's team. They alleged that Michigan States decision would result in the university violating the laws requirement that schools provide equitable sports-participation opportunities for men and women.

At issue is how to determine whether a school has met the most commonly used benchmark of whether it is providing equitable participation opportunities: Men and women being afforded athletic opportunities in a manner that is substantially proportionate to the schools male and female enrollments.

The IM Sports West indoor pool, home to the men's and women's MSU swimming and diving teams, pictured Wednesday, March 3, 2021.

The stakes are high enough that the U.S. Justice Department joined the case on the swimmers behalf at the initial appellate level. More recently, Michigan State has hired lawyers led by former U.S. solicitor general Gregory Garre to make its case to the Supreme Court. Lawyers for the swimmers were served with Friday's filing and provided it to USA TODAY Sports.

If the Supreme Court chooses to hear the case, it would send Title IX advocates into a panic, said Barbara Osborne, a sports administration professor at the University of North Carolina who holds secondary appointment at the universitys law school.

The concern would be the case potentially becoming a platform for a broader challenge of various aspects of Title IX, the 50th anniversary of which was marked in June.

FALLING SHORT AT 50: Colleges still fail to live up to the landmark Title IX law

INJUNCTION SOUGHT: Michigan State swimmers, divers seek reinstatement

MAKING CASE: Swim and dive supporters to meet with Michigan State AD

Story continues

The Supreme Court has recessed for the summer and its decision on whether to take the case wont come until at least early October.

Michigan State's student enrollment is about 51% female, and it has more than 800 athletes.

The university has argued  and a district judge agreed  that the elimination of the swimming teams left it with percentages of mens and womens athletes that were close enough to its male and female enrollments to satisfy the law.

A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed following consideration that included written and oral arguments from the Justice Department. by a 2-1 margin, the panel sent the case back to the district court, saying that it needed to base its decision about Michigan State's compliance with the proportionality standard in a different way than the percentages.

The panel said the decision needs to be based on the numerical gap in the school's men's and women's athlete populations that was caused by the women's team's elimination and how that number compares to the size of a "viable" team.

Last week, at a district-court hearing concerning the swimmers' bid for an injunction that would reinstate the team, Michigan State provided data showing that it had a female athlete-participation gap of 40 during the 2020-21 school year, the last year in which the swimming teams existed. The data also showed that the women's swimming team had more participants that year than the men's team did.

The question of whether the athletic participation gap between male and female students must be assessed in raw numerical terms, or, instead, may be assessed as a percentage figure  goes to the heart of the manner in which Title IX is implemented at university athletic departments around the country, lawyers for Michigan State wrote in Fridays filing.

And the university's lawyers argued that under the 6th Circuit's ruling, "small numerical participation gaps -- which can pop up at any time, due to factors outside the university's control -- can trigger a Title IX violation.  That rule is wholly impractical."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan State asks Supreme Court to take Title IX swimming team case
More than 700 prisoners have been released by the prosecution office or given a presidential pardon since President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi called for the National Dialogue in April, Dialogue Coordinator Diaa Rashwan said on Friday.

The pardons will pave the way for the National Dialogue to take place in a comfortable atmosphere, Rashwan  who is also the head of the Journalists Syndicate  said during his TV programme New Egypt on ETC channel.

They would also make everyone feel that the state has a genuine desire to expand the public sphere..

Rashwans remarks came after El-Sisi issued on Friday a presidential pardon for a number of political activists who had received final jail sentences in various cases, including journalist and political activist Hisham Fouad.

Other people that were pardoned include researcher Ahmed Samir, actor Tarek El-Nahry, Qassem Ahmed, Abdel-Raouf Khattab, Tarek Seddik, and Khaled Saber.

Fouad was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of spreading false news on social media along with other convicts last November in a case referred to by media outlets as the Hope Cell Plot.

After the release of Fouad, seven members of the Journalists Syndicate remain behind bars, while imprisoned journalists who are not syndicate members are hovering around the same number, Rashwan noted.

The Journalists Syndicate welcomed in a Friday statement El-Sisis decision to pardon Fouad, which has raised the number of journalists pardoned by the president since April to five.

On 26 April, El-Sisi called for a National Dialogue between national forces and reactivated the Presidential Pardon Committee during the annual Egyptian Family Iftar Banquet.

Since then, the president has urged all political forces to participate, stressing however, that the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group would not be invited.

Since the beginning of July, the National Dialogues Board of Trustees has held two organisational meetings to pave the way for conducting the dialogue, with the third meeting scheduled for Saturday 30 July.

Rashwan has repeatedly affirmed that the goal of the dialogue is to reach common grounds among participants, including political, partisan, and syndicate forces.

The previous Board of Trustee meetings have agreed on bylaws as well as the dialogues 25-article code of conduct and ethics and the formation of sub-committees under the dialogues political track.

Furthermore, Saturdays meeting is set to focus on the formation of sub-committees under the economic and social tracks.

Members of the Board of Trustees have demanded the release of prisoners of conscience as a fundamental prerequisite to starting the dialogue.

Since April, El-Sisi has pardoned a number of high-profile political activists who had received final sentences in various cases, such as Hossam Mones and Yahia Abdel-Hady.

The names of other prominent imprisoned activists Alaa Abdel-Fattah, Ahmed Douma, and Zeyad El-Eleimy are also included in the presidential pardon lists, Member of the Presidential Pardon Committee and prominent lawyer Tarek El-Awady told the media in mid-July.

The lists also include a number of Qatari Al-Jazeera Channel crew members, Sixth of April Youth Movement members, and Hope Cell convicts, according to El-Awady.

Additionally, El-Sisi pardoned thousands of prisoners over the past few years on different national and religious occasions, including 727 inmates on the 70th anniversary of the 23 July 1952 Revolution and 1,270 prisoners on the occasion of Eid El-Adha in early July.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


In 2006, the New Mexico Legislature passed House Bill 746, limiting the use of eminent domain. But that wasn't the end of the story.

Among the provisions contained in the Fifth Amendment to the US constitution is one that states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. The concept is called Eminent Domain. According to Blacks Law Dictionary, Eminent Domain is the right of the people or government to take private property for public use.

Historically, eminent domain has been used by state, federal and local governments to acquire property from private owners without their consent as long as the property was to be used for large public projects such as highways, railroads and schools; or to rehabilitate blighted areas, as long as the owners received just compensation. That sounds simple enough, but theres much more to the story. Just ask Suzette Kelo.

Kelo, a registered nurse who purchased a little pink house in the Fort Trumbull area of New London Connecticut in 1997, was told in 2000 that the City of New London had decided to seize her property to make room for a large private development. In essence, the city was using eminent domain to take property from one private person and give it to another private person  a developer in her case. The Kelos objected and sued the city. The now-famous case was Kelo v. City of New London.

After losing at the local and appellate levels, the Kelos appealed the decision to the Connecticut Supreme Court. Following a loss there as well, the ruling was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a narrow 5-4 decision, the high court determined in 2004 that local governments may indeed seize peoples residential properties and businesses for private economic development. The ruling effectively changed the definition of public use to public good. The good being the increased taxes and jobs created by the new development.

The court also determined that individual states had the power to pass laws restricting condemnations. As a result, state legislatures across the country, including here in New Mexico, took action. The Washington Post reported in 2015 that in the 10 years following the decision, 45 states enacted eminent domain reform laws.

Story continues

Gary Sandler

In 2006, the New Mexico Legislature passed House Bill 746, limiting the use of eminent domain. Not liking the language in the bill, then-Governor Richardson vetoed it and formed a task force to study the issue. In 2007, both houses of the legislature voted to remove eminent domain from the states Metropolitan Redevelopment Code and replace it with what many have referred to as one of our nations strongest reforms against the taking of private property for private development.

Eminent domain cases are not a recent phenomenon. One of the earliest examples of eminent domain in New Mexico took place in 1945, when the federal government seized almost 90 percent of the 150,000-acre W.W. Cox Ranch. The ranchland, which had been in existence since the late 1800s, was used to create White Sands Missile Range.

Thanks to the good work of our legislature, developers can no longer use eminent domain to take our properties and use them for their private developments.

See you at closing!

Gary Sandler is a full-time Realtor and the owner of Gary Sandler Inc., Realtors in Las Cruces. He loves to answer questions and can be reached at 575-642-2292 or Gary@GarySandler.com.

Others are reading:

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Sandler: New Mexico gets it right on private property rights
Ukraine first lady's Vogue cover shoot was panned. One media expert says it was because it wasn't relatable.

Ukraine's first lady, Olena Zelenska. Saul Loeb-Pool/Getty Images

Ukraine's first lady posed for Annie Leibovitz in a series of photos published by Vogue this week.

The photos have been criticized by some people, including Republicans and conspiracy theorists.

One media expert told Insider it may be because they didn't resonate with people.

The Vogue cover shoot of Ukraine's first lady was widely panned on social media, with Republicans using it to criticize the US support for Ukraine, and conspiracy theorists to bolster their false claims.

Olena Zelenka, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appeared in a series of photos for Vogue taken by the photographer Annie Leibovitz, who traveled to Kyiv for the shoot.

The pictures, which were published in a digital article titled "Portrait of Bravery" earlier this week, will be on the cover of the magazine's October 2022 issue.

One photo showed Zelenska sitting hunched on the marble steps of Ukraine's presidential palace amid sandbags while another showed her standing before the bombed-out remains of an Antonov An-225 Mriya, once the world's heaviest aircraft.

The story sparked backlash on social media, with some people saying it was a bad attempt to glamorize Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which appears to have no end in sight five months on.

Conspiracy theorists also latched onto the photos to falsely suggest that the war in Ukraine was fake, the BBC reported.

Some Republicans in the US used them to attack President Joe Biden' for sending weapons and financial aid to Ukraine in the last few months.

"While we send Ukraine $60 billion in aid Zelenskyy is doing photo shoots for Vogue Magazine. These people think we are nothing but a bunch of suckers," Rep. Lauren Boebert tweeted.

Rep. Mayra Flores also chimed in, tweeting: "Biden: Let's continue to send billions of dollars in foreign aid to Ukraine, they need it! Reality: The Zelensky family graces us with a photo shoot to be on the cover of Vogue magazine."

Story continues

Robert E. Gutsche, a senior lecturer in digital media practice at Lancaster University, told Insider that the photoshoot was "exactly what we'd expect from Annie Leibovitz and from Vogue."

But while it might be visually pleasing for some people  Vogue readers, for example  others might not able to resonate with the "glitz and glam" of it amid the backdrop of a deadly war.

"I think it's that disconnect between the rubble, the blood, the broken economy, the people who have been dispersed ... across Europe and other parts of the world that isn't represented in these images," Gutsche said.

"It's the glitz and glam of war that really doesn't seem to fit here."

Gutsche said that while he believes the media shouldn't just portray images of casualties and blood, "there are lots of decisive moments in the photoshoot that I think are really open for a critique."

Zelenska has since defended her decision to take part in the Vogue photoshoot, telling the BBC on Thursday: "I am using every opportunity to speak about Ukraine. That was a massive opportunity because million of people read Vogue ... To be able to speak to them direct, that was my duty."

She also said the interview was short and only took a "few hours."

"There will be always someone criticizing ... I believe that it's better to do something and be criticized than do nothing," she added.

Vogue did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Heat warning extended through Sunday

More high-temperature daily records are being met or exceeded as the National Weather Services excessive heat warning has been extended one more day, through 11 p.m. Sunday.

A high temperature of 106 was reached late Wednesday afternoon at the Yakima Air Terminal, tying the daily record for Yakima set on July 27, 1998. Ellensburg (105 degrees on Wednesday) and Sunnyside (104) also were at or near record-setting levels, the National Weather Services Pendleton office reported.

Yakimas all-time high temperatures of 105 degrees on July 28, 29 and 30 also could be broken as forecasters predict late-afternoon peaks of 110, 109 and 108 in the city Thursday through Saturday.

The heat wave is not expected to ease until early next week, when the weather service expects high temperatures of 95 on Monday and 89 on Tuesday, with nighttime lows returning to the upper 50s and low 60s.
Natural gas has emerged as a weapon of war between Russia and Europe since Moscow's February 24 invasion of Ukraine. Here is how the stand-off developed:

Nord Stream 2 halted

On February 22, 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is suspending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Russia in response to Moscow's recognition of two breakaway regions in Ukraine.

The project has long been a source of tension with Berlin's allies in the United States and Europe, who worry it would increase Germany's energy dependence on Russia.

Ukraine also fears it will lose revenues from gas transit if Nord Stream 2, which would deliver Russian gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea, goes ahead.

Gas prices soar

On February 24, Russia invades Ukraine. Gas and oil prices soar on fears of possible cuts in supplies.

On March 2, the European Union cuts seven Russian banks off from the SWIFT banking transfer system.

But it spares two major lenders with strong ties to the energy sector, reflecting the dependence of several EU states on Russian gas.

US embargo

On March 8, President Joe Biden bans US imports of Russian gas and oil. The EU says it will cut its imports of Russian gas by two-thirds this year and Britain says it will phase out its Russian energy imports by the end of 2022.

Russia's riposte

On March 23, Russian President Vladimir Putin bans European gas customers from paying their bills in dollars and euros, in response to the freezing of some $300 billion in currency reserves held by Russia overseas.

He announces that Moscow will now only accept payment in rubles from "unfriendly" countries, including EU nations.

The European Commission warns EU members that by paying in rubles they would be violating international sanctions against Moscow.

Washington agrees to provide Europe with an extra 15 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas this year.

Taps turned off

On April 27, Russian giant Gazprom cuts off gas supplies to Bulgaria and Poland, in a move European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen describes as "blackmail".

She says the two EU and NATO members are now receiving gas from their EU neighbours.

On May 21, Russia cuts gas to neighbouring Finland, which has refused to pay in rubles and angered Moscow by asking to join NATO.

The Netherlands and Denmark are also cut off after refusing to pay in rubles.

No embargo

On May 30, EU leaders agree to stop most Russian oil imports by the end of the year but put off a ban on Russian gas.

Pressure on Europe

In mid-June, Gazprom drastically cuts daily gas supplies to Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline, causing prices to soar.

Claiming a technical problem, Gazprom reduces deliveries by several notches, as EU leaders prepare to give Ukraine candidate status.

On June 23, Germany moves closer to rationing gas, raising its supplies alert level to the second of three stages.

EU plan

On July 11, Gazprom begins 10 days of routine maintenance on its Nord Stream 1 pipeline, resulting in gas cuts in Europe.

A week later, the EU and Azerbaijan sign an agreement to double gas imports from the energy-rich Caspian nation to Europe.

The 27-nation bloc has also turned to oil-rich countries such as Qatar, Norway and Algeria to make up for its energy shortfall.

On July 20, the European Commission urges EU states to reduce demand for natural gas by 15 percent over the coming months to secure winter stocks.

Supplies slashed again

On July 25, Gazprom says it will further cut the supply to about 20 percent of the pipeline's capacity due to the "technical condition" of one of the turbines.

The German government says there is "no technical reason" for the move.

On July 30, Gazprom suspends gas supplies to EU and NATO member Latvia, citing violations of the conditions of purchase.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Today

Sunny, along with a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 106F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight

Mostly clear skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 84F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 103F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.
New Delhi: According to media reports citing sources with knowledge of the situation, la and Uber, two rival urban transportation companies, are in talks to merge. According to one of the reports, co-founder and CEO of Ola Bhavish Aggarwal recently met with senior Uber executives in San Francisco, California.

Both companies, though, have refuted the allegations. Read More: Ola could lay off 1,000 employees to ramp up EV plans

"Absolute rubbish, "Ola's Aggarwal added that the company is very successful and expanding well in a tweet on Friday. "Other companies are welcome to withdraw their operations from India. We won't ever merge." Read More: Swiggy announces permanent Work From Anywhere for majority of its employees

Absolute rubbish. Were very profitable and growing well. If some other companies want to exit their business from India they are welcome to! We will never merge. https://t.co/X3wC9HDrnr July 29, 2022

In a statement, Uber said, "That report is inaccurate. We are not, nor have we been, in merger talks with Ola."

Ola and Uber held talks four years ago when Masayoshi Son's Softbank, a common investor in both companies, pushed for a merger, but the deal fell through at the time. The discussions have now resumed.

Approximately 1,000 Ola staff are reportedly being let go as part of this procedure. To fill positions for its electric mobility company, it is actively hiring. The process has been ongoing in a variety of industries, including those that deal with used automobiles, mobility, hyperlocal, and fintech. According to a report, those who are expected to be laid off have been asked to voluntarily resign. Some employees' appraisals are delayed so that they submit their resignation quickly.

Uber sold its local food delivery service Uber Eats to restaurant directory Zomato in January 2022, while Ola shut down its grocery delivery service and recently made a substantial investment in its electric vehicle endeavour, Ola Electric Mobility.
Delhi Liquor Excise Rollback: In interesting secenes, queues longer than the demonetisation period were seen outside the liquor shops in Delhi. Actually, the the Delhi government is on the backfoot after a CBI probe was recommended into allegations of alleged corruption in the new excise policy. On Saturday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the new excise policy will be scrapped and the old excise policy will be implemented in the national capital from Monday. The older policy will will be valid for six months.

However, as soon as the news of ending of the new policy came out, people rushed to the liquor shops. Long queues of people were seen outside liquor shops in Delhi after the move was announced. So much so, that the shops are running out of stock. Due to this, there is a rush of customers to buy alcohol. The scenes are same almost outside most of the shops in Delhi.

The above picture is from Deoli Road in South Delhi, where you can see the long queues at the liquor shops, along with the long traffic jam on the Deoli Main Road for several hours.

Due to the same, many people were left stuck in the traffic for at at least 1 hour. Under the new policy, one bottle of liquor was being free with another bottle.

Reaction on the matter, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said on Saturday that the AAP government rolled back the new excise policy after "Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal feared that his deputy Manish Sisodia would go to jail".



The BJP leader, while addressing a media briefing, said, "The Delhi LG recommended for probe into the new excise policy, it created a havoc and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal started seeing Manish Sisodia going into the jail."

The AAP government on Friday rolled back the policy within four hours of the Delhi Lokayukta`s decision to initiate a probe into the construction additional classrooms, Tiwari claimed.

He said, "We welcome the decision... This is the victory of Delhi`s people. But we are not going to sit ideally till the corruption of Rs 600 to 700 crores in the policy is unearthed."

On Gujarat Hooch tragedy, Tiwari said, "The day Kejriwal started visiting Gujarat such tragedy occurred. We are waiting for the enquiry report and I strongly see some conspiracy behind this."

BJP MP Pravesh Verma who was also present during the briefing said, "this (AAP) government has constructed a classroom at the cost of around Rs 28 lakhs. We will show that it can be contructed in Rs 5 lakh."

On Firday, the Delhi Lokayukta to sought a report from Delhi government into the alleged scam in the construction of additional classrooms by the government.
New Delhi: An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces at Wanigam Bala area in north Kashmir`s Baramulla district on Saturday (July 30, 2022) morning. The gunfight started after a joint team of police and security forces received input about the presence of terrorists in the area.

"Encounter has started at Wanigam Bala area of Baramulla district. Police and security forces are on the job," police said.

#Encounter has started at Wanigam Bala area of #Baramulla district. Police and security forces are on the job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) July 29, 2022

The security forces cordoned off the area. Terrorists hiding there started firing drawing retaliation from the security forces. There are no reports of any casualties so far on either side, the official said.

Over the last few months, there have been a series of encounters between terrorists and security forces across Kashmir, in which many terrorists and their commanders have been eliminated.

Most of the operations have been jointly conducted by the police and the Army on the basis of specific intelligence inputs.
A Palestinian, described as a suspect by the Israeli occupation army and as mentally disabled by his family, died Saturday four days after being shot by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint.

Hussein Qawariq, 59, from the village of Awarta, was shot on Tuesday by Israeli occupation forces manning a checkpoint in Huwara, near the West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Israeli army told AFP that soldiers "spotted a suspect approaching them at a military post" and initially fired in the air after "receiving no response".

"The suspect continued approaching the soldiers who responded with fire toward him. A hit was identified," the army said.

Huwara mayor Wajih Odeh told AFP Qawariq was "mentally disabled". He "used to collect bottles and cans from the street and ask for money from businesses in the area", he said.

Qawariq's family too said he had a "mental disorder," Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. He succumbed to his wounds in the Rabin Medical Center in Israel, it added.

The occupation army said it was looking into the fatal shooting.

At least 54 Palestinians have been killed since late March, mostly in the occupied West Bank. They have included suspected militants and also non-combatants, among them Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American dual national, who was covering an Israeli raid in Jenin.

Attacks on Israeli targets have killed 19 people over the same period in attacks inside Israel. Three Israeli Arab attackers have also been killed.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Kolkata: According to sources, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has begun the process of freezing at least three bank accounts of suspended TMC leader Partha Chatterjee's associate Arpita Mukherjee, where they have found at least Rs 2 crore. Meanwhile, Zee News caught up with Arpita's driver Pranab Bhattacharya for an exclusive interview on the whole incident. Pranab was present when the ED raid took place on July 22 on Arpita's Diamond City South flat. Here are some key points from the interview:

- I started working with Arpita Mukherjee in January this year. Its been almost seven months that I have been working for her.

- I got this job after I had met Partha Chatterjee and requested him to give me a job. I was asked to leave my phone number at his office and was told that I will be connected when there is an opportunity. Sometime later, I received a call from his office, saying there was a job that's available - the job was that of driving Arpita Mukherjees car.

- There were a total of three cars that I saw at Diamond City South flat - a Honda City, a Mercedes Benz and a Mini Cooper. But I was only allowed to drive the Honda City car. However, in the last couple of months, I havent seen the Mercedes Benz and Mini Cooper, I dont know where they are.

- I would drive her to work when she would go to her office or to parlours

- She would reside in the Diamond City South flat and Partha Chatterjee would meet her often. Sometimes at the end of the day, after finishing work, Arpita would go to Behala to meet Partha Chatterjee. I would be told to drop her at Partha Chatterjees house and would go back to her apartment to park the car.

- Recently, she went to Santiniketan with her mother, sister and brother-in-law. I drove them to the house that she owned in Santiniketan. We stayed there for two days.

- Kalyan Dhar, the brother-in-law would mostly look after her work; he used to frequently visit her.

Also read: WBSSC scam: Arpita Mukherjee makes BIG confession to ED about Belgharia residence

- I dont really know much about money dealings, I never saw anything being carried in the car that I drove. Also, I used to collect the keys of the car from the home and wait in the car. I did not spend much time in her flat, so I dont know what exactly was going on there.

- I was present during the ED raid on July 22. They took away my phone and asked me to wait on the balcony. They asked me about the whereabouts of Arpita Mukherjee, what she did and whom all she met. I was let off after questioning and was told my phone will be returned to me.
Faridabad Students Suicide: A woman who had been married only a few hours was found dead with her body hanging inside the room of a protection house here, police said on Saturday. An MBA student, the woman named Gayatri got married to her college fellow Dinesh in an Arya Samaj temple on Friday. They knew each other for almost three years, they said. Soon after tying the knot, both had moved to court seeking protection.

SHO of Sector 31 police station, Virendra Khatri said that there are separate rooms for men and women in the protection house. So, Dinesh and Gayatri slept in different rooms on Friday night.

A lady cop was also deployed there who found hanging Gayatri's dead body and informed the authorities about the matter, he added. After an investigation by the police and forensic team, the body was sent to BK Hospital for postmortem.

An FIR of murder has been registered against the husband of the deceased on the complaint of the woman's father, police added.
Jaina: Under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Maharashtra ex-minister and Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Arjun Khotkar announced that he is joining the rebel faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, here on Saturday. Declaring his intentions at a crowded media conference, Khotkar said that he held detailed discussions with Shiv Sena President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on his decision.

"I have explained to them the compulsions - which all are aware - behind my decision, the harassment to my family... I am forced to make certain decisions... And they (Thackeray-Raut) have understood my predicament," said an emotional Khotkar, without naming the ED.

Also Read: 'If Gujaratis removed from Maharashtra..': Guv's remark triggers Sanjay Raut, asks CM Eknath Shinde to...

To a query, he said that when a person is facing a crisis, he will seek protection from somewhere - an indirect indictment of the central agency which is probing him and his family since the past over two years.

On the central agency probe against him, Khotkar reeled off figures of financial deals pertaining to the alleged illegal auction sale of the Jalna Cooperative Sugar Factory Ltd. by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) and claimed he was innocent.

A couple of days ago, Raut lauded Khotkar for displaying courage and admitting to the harassment by the ED which had compelled him to take the decision (to switch sides to Shinde camp).

Seven months after he was raided in November 2021, last month (June 2022), the ED attached Khotkar`s properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the FIR lodged by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police.

Among other things, the investigators claimed that the sugar mill was fraudulently sold by the MSCB to the relatives or associates of the bank`s officials and directors flouting norms.

Khotkar`s move came after he called on Shinde, another rebel ex-minister Abdul Sattar and a union minister in the past couple of days
Srinagar: An encounter broke out between terrorists and security forces at Binner area of Baramulla in North Kashmir on Saturday (July 30), the second in the last 24 hours. Earlier today a Jaish militant was killed during encounter with forces in the same Baramulla district.

A J&K police officer monitoring the operation said, "On a specific input a cordon and search operation was launched in Binner area." As the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon the forces, which was retaliated, and encounter started, the officer added.

Officials said intermittent exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces was going on.

This is the second encounter of the day in the Baramulla district. One newly recruited JeM terrorist was killed, two army men and a policeman was also injured in the encounter that erupted in village Wanigam Bala in Kreeri area of Baramulla.

Notably, this is the 76th encounter in Kashmir since January this year. The security forces have managed to kill 126 terrorists out of which 33 were Pakistani. While 16 security personnel and 19 civilians too have lost their lives.

Jammu and Kashmir with other security forces have also managed to arrest 55 active terrorists mostly hybrid terrorists and 193 terrorist supporters this year in the Valley.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir police arrested two hybrid terrorists of the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) on Saturday during an encounter in Baramulla's Sopore area. ."During the Naka checking, two suspected persons coming from Lorihama link road towards Haddipora, on observing security forces at Naka point fled from the road to the nearby orchards and were chased and apprehended by the security forces", the J&K police said in an official statement. Two pistols and two pistol magazines along with 11 live cartridges were also recovered from their possession. The arrested hybrid terrorists were identified as Tariq Ah Wani and Ishfaq Ah Wani, both residents of Old Airfield, Rangreth of Srinagar.
New Delhi: Hitting out at Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari over his remarks on Mumbai, NCP MP Supriya Sule urged President Droupadi Murmu to remove him from his post. Accusing Bhagat Singh Koshyari of creating acrimony and division among the people, Sule called him a regular offender. It's Governor's responsibility to treat everybody equally. Governor (Maha Guv Bhagat Singh Koshyari) is creating acrimony & division among the people. He has hurt people & is a regular offender. I request the President to remove the Governor, the NCP MP was quoted as saying by ANI.

Either Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde goes to Delhi every 10 days. When next time either one of them visits Delhi, they should better ask for sending the Governor (Maha Guv Bhagat Singh Koshyari) back to his native state, Sule added.

Either Devendra Fadnavis or Eknath Shinde goes to Delhi every 10 days. When next time either one of them visits Delhi, they should better ask for sending the Governor (Maha Guv Bhagat Singh Koshyari) back to his native state: NCP MP Supriya Sule pic.twitter.com/1rXhC7BrFe  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2022

A political storm was kicked up in Maharashtra with Koshyaris remarks made on Friday during an event in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Governor had said that Mumbai will not have any money left and it will cease to be the financial capital of the country if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are not there in the city. After the backlash, the governor on Saturday said his comments were misconstrued adding that he had "no intention of belittling the hard work of Marathi-speaking people".

Demanding an apology from the Maharashtra Governor over his remarks, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray accused Koshyari of "polarising Hindus living peacefully" in Mumbai and Thane. The former Maharashtra Chief Minister further said that the governor should be sent back home or to jail. "The hatred that the governor harbours in his mind against Marathi people has inadvertently come out," he stated.

Time has come to decide whether to send Koshyari back home or to jail...In the last three years, he has insulted Marathi-speaking people despite staying in Maharashtra. Now with these comments, he has brought disrespect to the governor's post," the Shiv Sena chief said.

(With agency inputs)
New Delhi: Opposition Vice Presidential nominee Margaret Alva took a potshot at her rival NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar while condemning Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyaris remarks on Mumbai which has triggered a political storm. Terming Koshyaris remarks unfortunate but not unexpected, the former Union minister said the Maharashtra Governor has received the message from Dhankhars vice presidential candidature that foolish comments get rewarded.

The comments by the Governor of Maharashtra are unfortunate, but not unexpected. The message hes received from the ex Governor of W.Bengals candidature for VP is: controversy, foolish comments & operating like an extra constitutional authority, is behaviour that gets rewarded, the veteran Congress leader wrote on Twitter.

The comments by the Governor of Maharashtra are unfortunate, but not unexpected. The message hes received from the ex Governor of W.Bengals candidature for VP is: controversy, foolish comments & operating like an extra constitutional authority, is behaviour that gets rewarded.  Margaret Alva (@alva_margaret) July 30, 2022

Jagdeep Dhankhars tenure as the Bengal Governor saw many face-offs with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, with TMC accusing him of acting as a mouthpiece of a specific political party, an apparent reference to BJP, and interfering in the functioning of the state of affairs.

Maharashtra Governor Koshyari stirred a row with his remark that Mumbai will not have any money left and it will cease to be the financial capital of the country if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are not there in the city. I tell people here that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane, you will have no money and Mumbai will not be a financial capital, Koshyari said at an event on Friday.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP MP Supriya Sule lambasted the Governor, while Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde distanced himself from the controversial statement. "We don't agree with Koshyari's view (on Mumbai). It's his personal view. He has now issued a clarification. He occupies a constitutional post and should take care that his actions are not insulting to others, Shinde was quoted as saying by PTI.

(With agency inputs)
Solan: The health department in Himachal Pradesh has detected a person with symptoms similar to monkeypox in Solan`s Baddi. The health condition of the person is improving as it has been 21 days since he first showed the symptoms. As a precautionary measure, the person has been isolated and surveillance is being done in his surrounding areas. Samples have been sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for lab testing.

Himachal government has urged people to do not get confused or scared about monkeypox, and appealed them to take necessary precautions if they experience any symptoms of the disease.

Also Read: Monkeypox cases in Tamil Nadu? State health minister debunks fake news

"Seek medical advice immediately as these symptoms can also be of any other disease, so there is a need to maintain alertness, alertness and restraint," the government has said.

Earlier, the administration went into a tizzy after a tourist who came to Himachal from Delhi showed symptoms of monkeypox. He had returned to Delhi in a bus after visiting many tourist places including Manali.
Partha Chatterjee case: Foreign tours of Arpita Mukherjee, the close aide of former state minister and multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam accused Partha Chatterjee, are currently under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials probing the case.

From Mukherjee`s passport, which is currently with the ED officials, it was found that during the last few years, she made trips to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. At the same time, the ED has also got definite clues on her multiple visits to neighbouring Nepal.

Now these foreign tours, as confirmed by ED sources, have evoked multiple questions in the minds of the probe officials. The first question is whether these overseas visits were just pleasure tips or is there any financial involvement associated with them. The second question is whether Mukherjee made these trips alone or was accompanied by anyone. The third question is why she specially chose these countries for her overseas trips. The most important question, however, is whether Chatterjee accompanied her on any of these overseas trips.

ED sources said that they have started questioning Mukherjee on these points, though whatever answers she has given so far on this count are self-contradictory.

Noting that current custody of Chatterjee and Mukherjee is till August 3, a source said: "Many of our queries are still unanswered. Although Arpita has started cooperating with us, the former minister is still in a non-cooperation mood. In all probability, we will have to make a plea for extension of their custody."

ED sources further said that so far since the time the duo were arrested, officials were mainly concentrating on questioning them only. However, in the course of interrogation, some more names have cropped up and in the second stage, these individuals will have to face the questioning. These names, according to ED sources, are mainly of those who acted as the principal collections agent in the entire scam.

"What has come forth is just a small portion of the entire scam. The coming few weeks will be extremely crucial," an ED official said.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the he inaugural session of the first All India District Legal Services Authorities meeting at 10 a.m. The Prime Minister and DLSAs deliberated on different aspects relating to the judiciary and ensuring justice for all. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana and Union Minister of Law & justice Kiren Rijiju were also present at the meeting.

According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the first-ever national-level meeting of District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) is being organised from July 30-31 at Vigyan Bhawan by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA). The meeting will deliberate on the creation of an integrated procedure in order to bring homogeneity and synchronisation across DLSAs.There are a total of 676 District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) in the country.

At the event, PM Modi spoke about the work done to face pace India's judicial infrastructure. "As important as access to the judicial system is for any society, justice delivery is equally important. The judicial infrastructure has an important contribution to this. In the last 8 yrs, work has been done at a fast pace to strengthen judicial infrastructure in India," he said as quoted by ANI.

He further said, "Under e-Courts Mission, virtual courts are being started in India. 24-hour courts have started functioning for crimes like traffic violations. Video conferencing infrastructure is also being expanded in courts."

Under e-Courts Mission, virtual courts are being started in India. 24-hour courts have started functioning for crimes like traffic violations. Video conferencing infrastructure is also being expanded in courts: PM Modi at 1st All India District Legal Service Authorities meet pic.twitter.com/ojVs8tciDo  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2022

CJI NV Ramana reiterated the importance of district judicial officers as they are the first point of contact for the majority of the population.

"District judicial officers are the first point of contact for the majority of the population. Public opinion of the judiciary is based on experience with the district judiciary. Strengthening district judiciary is the need of the hour," said CJI NV Ramana.

District judicial officers are the first point of contact for the majority of the population. Public opinion of the judiciary is based on experience with the district judiciary. Strengthening district judiciary is the need of the hour: CJI NV Ramana pic.twitter.com/O2qE0wpfJb  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2022

They are headed by a District Judge who acts as Chairman of the authority. Through DLSAs and State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs), various legal aid and awareness programmes are implemented by NALSA.The DLSAs also contribute towards reducing the burden on courts by regulating the Lok Adalats conducted by NALSA.

(With agency inputs)
Ranchi: Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi received a second bomb threat on Friday via text message. For the unversed, the airport had received a bomb threat on Thursday through a call for an unidentified person. While the Thursday threat was declared a hoax by Birsa Munda Airport Director KL Agarwal as quoted by Times Now, the Friday threat is under investigation.

"The complaint has been given to the police. Police have taken up the investigation. Yesterday also an unknown caller gave a similar threat. About yesterday's call, the cyber cell of Ranchi police is investigating the matter and tracing the caller," said airport oficial as quoted by ANI.

Jharkhand | Birsa Munda Airport, Ranchi received a bomb threat again on July 29th, via text message, with a demand of Rs 20 lakhs. The police are taking the necessary action after a complaint was given; an investigation is underway: Airport officials July 30, 2022

It is worth mentioning that Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport (BMA) was recently adjudged as the best in the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) survey along with Udaipur airport by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Similarly, in May this year, Bengalurus Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) had received a bomb threat call, which later turned out to be a hoax. Airport authorities, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel and the Dog squad as well as Bomb disposal squads swung into action creating panic among the passengers. According to police, the airport police control room received a call at about 3.45 AM resulting in a vigorous drill for the security personnel deployed there. After about three and half hours of search, the officials concluded that it was a hoax call.

(With agency inputs)
A hundred French parliamentarians, mainly from the political left, on Saturday denounced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's "policy of war" against Kurds in northern Syria.

While the rest of the world is focussed on Ukraine, as Russia's war crimes multiply there, Erdogan is "planning to launch an umpteenth bloody offensive against the Kurds in northern Syria," the parliamentarians said in a statement published by the JDD title.

The Turkish president "is taking advantage" of Turkey's pivotal status, as a NATO member on good terms with both Moscow and Kyiv, "to obtain a blank cheque from the Atlantic Alliance in order to intensify his attacks in northern Syria", according to the statement initiated by Communist senator Laurence Cohen.

"Western countries must no longer look the other way", said the elected representatives, parliamentary deputies and upper house senators mostly from leftist and ecologist parties.

They were joined by some from the rightwing Republicans (LR) and President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party.

They called on the West "to guarantee the protection of Kurdish activists and associations present on European soil".

The signatories urged France to refer the matter to the UN Security Council "to declare a no-fly zone in northern Syria and place the Syrian Kurds under international protection".

They also called for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to "be granted international recognition".

Erdogan is threatening to launch a new military offensive against Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria, where he wants to establish a buffer zone 30 kilometres (20 miles) deep.

Turkey has launched a string of offensives in Syria in the past six years, most recently in 2019 when it conducted a broad air and ground assault against Kurdish militias after former US president Donald Trump withdrew American troops.

Erdogan has urged Russia and Iran to back his efforts, saying at a three-way summit last week that "we will continue our fight against terrorist organisations".

Search Keywords:

Short link:


New Delhi: National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Saturday (July 30) warned that some people are trying to create conflict in the name of religion and ideology which is affecting the country. Some elements are trying to create an atmosphere that's vitiating the progress of India. They're creating acrimony and conflict in the name of religion and ideology, it's affecting the entire country while spilling over outside the country too, he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Speaking at an Interfaith Conference in Delhi, Doval empahised on maintaining unity in the country in order to overcome the conflict in the world. There's an atmosphere of conflict in the world, if we have to tackle that atmosphere, it's important to maintain the unity of the country together. The way India is progressing will benefit people from all religions, the NSA added.

Some elements are trying to create an atmosphere that's vitiating the progress of India. They're creating acrimony & conflict in the name of religion & ideology, it's affecting the entire country while spilling over outside the country too: NSA Ajit Doval in Delhi pic.twitter.com/5oqoS3Htnh July 30, 2022

He said that we should not be mute spectators and work on our differences on the ground. Instead of being mute spectators, we have to work on the ground on our differences along with strengthening our voices. We've to make every sect of India feel that we are a country together, we are proud of it and that every religion can be professed with freedom here, Doval said.

All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council chairman Hazrat Syed Naseruddin Chishty who was also present at the event called on banning radical organisations like PFI if there is evidence against them. "...We condemn when an incident occurs. It's time to do something. Need of hour to rein in and ban radical organisations. Be it any radical org, incl, they should be banned if there is evidence against them..," ANI quoted him as saying.

Delhi: "...We condemn when an incident occurs. It's time to do something. Need of hour to rein in & ban radical orgs. Be it any radical org, incl PFI they should be banned if there is evidence against them..," says Hazrat Syed Naseruddin Chishty in the presence of NSA Doval  ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2022

As per ANI, a unanimous decision was taken at the interfaith dialogue that targeting any "God/Godesses/ Prophets in discussions/debates by anyone should be condemned and dealt with as per law". This comes in the wake of now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma's remarks against Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate that kicked up a major controversy in the country and the Arab world.

The resolution also demanded for the ban of organisations like PFI who have been "indulging in anti-national activities and creating discord amongst our citizens".

(With agency inputs)
Chandigarh: Following repeated complaints regarding cleanliness in wards, a vexed Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra decided to take matters into his own hands! On Friday, Jouramajra visited the Guru Gobind Singh Medical hospital in the Faridkot district of the state and took stock of infrastructure and arrangements. He also inspected mattresses being used for patients and made the institute's Vice-Chancellor lie down on the same upon seeing their poor condition, reported ANI.

In a video shared by the news agency, vice-chancellor Dr Raj Bahadur was seen lying down on the hospital's dirty bed as instructed by the minister. Before that, the minister is seen taking stock of the infrastructure and after checking the poor condition of the hospital, he takes the V-C to task and can be heard telling him, "Everything is in your hands but what is this?." He then asks the hospital staff to show him the storeroom. And later, the video shows Dr Raj Bahadur lying down on the dirty bed after some people drew attention to the poor condition of the hospital's mattresses!

#WATCH | Faridkot: Punjab Health Min Chetan Singh Jouramajra visited Guru Gobind Singh Medical hospital & took stock of infrastructure & arrangements. He also inspected mattresses being used for patients & made Vice-Chancellor lie down on the same upon seeing their poor condition pic.twitter.com/KVaxJ0oS2D  ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2022

However, the Opposition has attacked Jouramajra for his "humiliating behaviour" with Dr Raj Bahadur. Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring tweeted, "Punjab Health Minister @jouramajra's humiliating behaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur is highly condemnable. Minister must apologise (sic)."

Punjab Health Minister @jouramajra 's humiliating behaviour with Dr Raj Bahadur is highly condemnable.

Minister must apologise pic.twitter.com/V4roFvVETz  Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) July 29, 2022

Congress's Pargat Singh also criticised Jouramajra and tweeted, "Cheap theatrics of Aam Aadmi Party never ceases. Today the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid Medical University, Raj Bahadur Singh was publicly humiliated by the Health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra (+2 Pass). This type of mob behaviour will only demoralise our medical staff."

Cheap theatrics of Aam Aadmi Party never ceases. Today the Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid Medical University,Raj Bahadur Singh was publicly humiliated by the Health minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra (+2 Pass).This type of mob behaviour will only demoralise our medical staff. pic.twitter.com/ZGJCbEPjhm  Pargat Singh (@PargatSOfficial) July 29, 2022

Earlier in May, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann had sacked the state's Health Minister Vijay Singla following complaints of corruption against him. "He was demanding a 1% commission from officials for contracts. Concrete evidence found against Singla," the Punjab CMO had then said.
Kolkata: Arpita Mukherjee, the close aide of Partha Chatterjee tainted in connection to the multi- crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam, has informed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that her residence at Belgharia in the northern outskirts of Kolkata had multiple duplicate keys and hence accessed by many others in her absence.

Starting from Wednesday evening till the early morning of Thursday, ED sleuths recovered cash worth Rs 27.90 crore and 6 kg of gold from this particular residence officially owned by Mukherjee.

Also Read: Arpita Mukherjee, 'Mini Bank' of Partha Chatterjee, FAILS to pay Society MAINTENANCE charges of Rs 11,000!

ED sources said that they will try to confirm Mukherjee`s confession on this count from the caretaker, security personnel and other residents in the said housing complex on whether they have noticed anyone other than her entering the flat by opening the keys.

Footage of CCTVs installed in the said housing complex will also be checkeds.

"We are not completely overruling her statements on this count since the manner in which huge cash and gold in packeted manner were hidden in different parts of the flat, it was quite difficult for her alone to accomplish this task," an ED official said.

Also Read: Crores recovered from Arpita Mukherjee's flat, but Partha Chatterjee has 'No house, No car, not EVEN...'

Meanwhile, the ED sleuths have started the process of identifying and freezing the fictitious bank accounts, which they believe were used to transfer the scam proceeds to different channels.

It is learnt that the process of freezing eight such bank accounts has already been completed and more are in the offing. Some of the bank accounts of Chatterjee`s close relatives and associates are also under the scanner.

"Now the process will start for the second- stage tracking of the money trail which is to identify the channels where the money was routed from these bank accounts," the ED official said.

Incidentally, the recovery of cash and gold from Mukherjee`s residence at Belgharia was the second phase of treasure retrieval by the ED sleuths.

Starting in the evening of July 22 which continued till the morning the next day, the ED recovered similar treasure from Mukherjee`s Diamond City residence at Tollygunge in South Kolkata in Indian and foreign currencies, gold ornaments and multiple Apple iPhones. Immediately after the first round of recovery, Chatterjee and Mukherjee were arrested by the probe agency.
RSMSSB VDO Main Result 2021: Rajasthan Subordinate Ministerial Service Selection Board (RSMSSB) has dexlared the Village Development Officer, VDO Main exam result on Friday (July 29). Candidates who appeared for the exam can check the RSMSSB VDO Mains Result at rsmssb.rajasthan.gov.in.

How to check RSMSSB VDO Mains Result 2021

Visit the official website of RSMSSB- rsmssb.rajasthan.gov.in

On the homepage, click on link that reads, Village Development Officer(Mains)2021 : List of Selected Candidates for Document Verification

A list will be displayed on the screen

Check your name in the list and keep the copy of the same for future reference.

The recruitment drive will fill up a total of 5396 vacancies of Village Development officer (VDO) out of which 4557 vacancies are for unreserved category and 839 are for reserved category. The RSMSSB VDO Mains Exam which was conducted on July 9 2022.
BHUBANESWAR: Ollywood star Babushaan Mohanty appeared before police on Saturday for questioning in connection with the cases lodged after last week's dramatic public brawl involving him, actress Prakruti Mishra and his wife over an alleged extramarital affair. Mohanty came to the Kharabela Nagar police station along with his mother -- veteran actress Aparajita Mohanty -- and actor Rabi Mishra in the afternoon, inspector Arun Swain told reporters.

The 32-year-old actor, who was summoned in connection with the cases filed by the warring sides, cooperated with the police, which asked him questions as part of the investigations, Swain said. The officer refused to divulge the details of the ongoing probe, adding that possible steps would be taken as per law after investigating all angles. Babushaan Mohanty, whose birthday falls on this day, left the police station later without answering any questions from the frenzied media.

Police had questioned Mishra at her residence on Tuesday for nearly an hour in the presence of her parents. High drama unfolded in Satya Nagar area of Bhubaneswar last Saturday as Babushaan Mohanty's wife Trupti Satapathy intercepted his SUV, which was also occupied by Mishra in the front seat. Several videos went viral on social media, showing Satapathy purportedly trying to drag Mohanty out of the car and also assaulting Mishra.

Satapathy alleged that Mohanty and Mishra were in an extramarital affair for two years and she had caught them red-handed several times. The woman gave her husband several chances earlier, adding that the same mistake, however, cannot be repeated again and again.

Satapathy's case was lodged under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting wife to cruelty) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

An FIR was lodged based on a police complaint filed by Mishra's mother under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 506 (criminal intimidation) and two others.

Babushaan Mohanty -- who has acted in several movies, such as 'Golmaal Love' and 'Love Station' -- married his childhood friend Satapathy in 2014 and they have a son. The actor is the son of star couple Uttam and Aparajita Mohanty.

In a live stream on Facebook a few days ago, Mohanty described Mishra as a 'very good friend', denying allegations that the 'Hello Arsi' actress blackmailed or harassed him. In an Instagram video, Mishra had said 'nobody can break anybody's house as it was already broken'.
Thiruvananthapuram: Young Kerala actor Sarath Chandran was found dead on Friday, according to the film industry sources.

The 37-year-old actor shot into prominence with his film "Angamaly Diaries" and his other popular films included "Koode", "Oru Mexican Aparatha", to name a few.

Actor Antony Varghese shared an image of Sarath Chandran from "Angamaly Diaries" and wrote "RIP Brother."

The details of the death are awaited.

Hailing from Kochi, Sarath Chandran previously worked in an IT firm and also worked in film as a dubbing artist.

He made his acting debut in the Malayalam film industry with the film "Aneesya".
New Delhi: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has filed a countersuit against Twitter as part of an ongoing legal dispute with the microblogging platform over his abandoned $44 billion takeover deal. However, the lawsuit is not yet accessible to the public and a partially redacted version may be available soon under court rules. It was not clear why Musk asked the court to keep details of his countersuit confidential when the Tesla and SpaceX CEO had been vocally critical of Twitter on social media and in press interviews in recent months, reports CNBC.

Recently, in a tweet to Musk, a follower wrote that under the SEC Rule 10b-5, Twitter "can be liable for omissions of or misleading material facts. Waiving due diligence does not mean you have to accept a fraudulent disclosure (understated bots)". (ALSO READ: ITR Filing for financial year 2021-22: Filing ITR with multiple Form 16? Heres how to do it)

Musk replied: "Exactly." (ALSO READ: ITR Filing for financial year 2021-22: Here's what happens if you don't file income tax returns on July 30)

The tech billionaire terminated the $44 Twitter takeover deal because he did not believe what CEO Parag Agrawal told him about the actual number of bots on the platform.

When Musk threatened to scrap the $44 billion Twitter acquisition deal, the micro-blogging platform revealed that it is suspending more than 1 million spam accounts a day.

Meanwhile, the US judge in the Twitter vs Musk legal battle has set October 17 as the beginning date of the high-profile trial.

Judge Kathaleen McCormick in the Delaware Court of Chancery has issued an official schedule, with the high-profile trial starting from October 17-21.

Twitter wanted the trial to begin on October 10, but Musk said he wants it to start a week later, stressing that the extra week of preparation time would be crucial.
Colombo: Sri Lankan police have produced before a court millions of rupees in cash found by anti-government protesters inside former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence after he fled the mansion following the mass uprising against his government three weeks ago. Hundreds of anti-government protesters on July 9 stormed the then president Rajapaksa's residence in central Colombo's high-security Fort area after breaking the barricades, as they demanded his resignation over the island nation's worst economic crisis in recent memory.

Also Read: After fleeing to Singapore, former Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka?

Amidst the unprecedented anti-government protests, Rajapaksa fled the country on July 13 to the Maldives and then to Singapore from where he emailed his resignation letter. The protesters recovered 17.85 million Sri Lankan Rupees inside his mansion which were later handed over to the police.

The Superintendent of Police in charge of the Colombo Central Crimes Investigation Division handed over the money to Fort Magistrate's Court on Friday as per its order made on Thursday, New First, an online portal, reported. Magistrate Thilina Gamage said there is reasonable suspicion as to why the officer in charge (OIC) of the Fort Police failed to produce the money for three weeks.

The Magistrate also said that said the court was not aware of any special circumstances for the money originally given to the Fort Police, to be produced via a Special Police Unit from Slave Island. Magistrate ordered the Inspector General of Police to immediately investigate the delay in producing the money, and submit a report to the court.

The Police Chief was ordered to appoint the Director of the Special Investigations Unit at the Police Headquarters for this purpose, and provide him with the necessary assistance.

Sri Lanka has seen months of mass unrest over the worst economic crisis, with the government declaring bankruptcy in mid-April by refusing to honour its international debt. The previous Rajapaksa administration is accused of bungling the economic crisis.
By Trend

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavushoglu criticized Germany for losing its neutral stance and called on Berlin to adopt an impartial stance regarding its mediator role with regards to the dispute between Turkiye and Greece. He also urged the country to take concrete steps against terrorist groups, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

Urging Germany to be wary of provocations and propaganda by Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration, the foreign minister stressed the need for a balanced stance in a joint news conference with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock in Istanbul on Friday.

"Germany had a neutral stance as a mediator regarding disputes between Turkiye, Greece and the Greek Cypriot administration but it has lost its impartiality," he said.

He continued by saying that Germany should not heed "propaganda" from the Greek side regarding its standoff with Turkiye, including on the countries' disputed maritime border.

"The Greek islands of Lesbos, Chios, Rhodes and many others are Greek territories and nobody has the right to question them," Baerbock said alongside Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Athens earlier on Friday.

"We cannot solve the problems of the Eastern Mediterranean by escalating tensions," she added.

Cavushoglu retorted: "Why are you closing your eyes to Greece's unlawful actions?"

Turkiye and Germany developed a warm friendship in the era of former Chancellor Angela Merkel.

"When Merkel was there, Germany's position was balanced," Cavushoglu said. "It could do mediation."

Germany played a central role in helping calm another spike in tensions between Ankara and Athens in 2020.

Baerbock's visit to Athens saw Greek Foreign Minister Dendias call on Germany to suspend a joint venture under which Turkiye is producing a modern new class of submarines.

Berlin has previously argued that it cannot suspend a commercial agreement signed by Germany's Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems.

"We conveyed Turkiyes concerns regarding terrorist organizations activities in Germany and expect concrete actions from them," Cavushoglu said.













Baerbock responded to Cavushoglu's criticism by saying that Germany recognizes the PKK as a terrorist group and the laws treat them as such and that attacks targeting Turkish people in the country are prosecuted.

The PKK terrorist group raised an estimated 16.7 million euros ($17.8 million) in Germany last year, and also raised more than 30 million euros in Europe in various fundraising campaigns, according to a report by the German domestic intelligence agency BfV.

Since 2013, at least 295 foreign fighters from Germany traveled to northern Syria and Iraq where they received military training from PKK terrorists and took part in armed attacks in the region, according to the report.

At least 30 of these foreign fighters died in battle zones, while nearly 150 of them returned to Germany in recent years, the report said, without giving any further details.

According to the BfV, followers of the PKK terrorist group committed more than 300 crimes last year in Germany, including violent attacks, resulting in personal injury and property damage. At least nine people were injured in these attacks.

The Turkish foreign minister also expressed concern over rising xenophobia and Islamophobia in Europe and Germany.

Germany has experienced a rise in racism and Islamophobia in recent years. Germany is home to 84 million people and hosts the second-largest Muslim population in Western Europe after France. Of the countrys nearly 5 million Muslims, at least 3 million are of Turkish descent.

The Turkish community in Europe is concerned with the rising trend of Islamophobia and Turkophobia in Western countries and has called on European states to escalate measures against hate crimes.

Turkish officials, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have frequently urged European decision-makers and politicians to take a stance against racism and other types of discrimination that have threatened the lives of millions of people living within the blocs borders.

He noted that Ankara expects European Union to lift political obstacles for membership.
Egypt managed to bring home a citizen who had disappeared in Libya for 18 months after coordinating with Libyan authorities, the Ministry of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

Related Released Egyptian sailors return home from Yemen

The previously missing citizen was working for a Libyan company when he was arrested for unknown reasons, Minister of Emigration and Expatriate Affairs Nabila Makram said.

The Libyan authorities then released the citizen after coordination with the ministry, Makram said, noting that the ministry was keen to follow up on his case on a regular basis until he returned safely to Egypt.

The ministrys efforts came in response to a request by the citizens brother, who had reported him missing, according to the statement.

The statement also urged Egyptian expats to stay safe by avoiding areas of tension, stressing the countrys keenness to support Egyptian nationals abroad and guarantee their safety.

Two million Egyptian workers used to work in Libya before steeply declining after the 2011 uprising that brought down former Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi, which left Libya in a state of turmoil.

The number of Egyptian workers in Libya is currently no more than 50,000, said Magdy El-Badawy, vice president of the Egyptian Trade Union in late 2021.

In September, Egypt and Libya launched an electronic link system allowing Egyptian workers willing to work in Libya to apply for jobs and travel to the Arab country this week.

The system seeks to allow Egyptian labourers to participate in the reconstruction of the Arab country with the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower being the only entity in charge of transferring the workers to Libya

Libyan Minister of Manpower Ali Al-Abad said in September that Libya is in need of one million Egyptian workers, especially due to the planned development projects between the two countries.

The return of Egyptian labour to Libya was part of numerous MoUs and agreements signed between Egypt and Libya in April last year during a visit by a governmental delegation comprising Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and 11 ministers to Tripoli.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Tens of thousands of Egyptians who work as home delivery couriers  known in Arabic as tayareen, or pilots  face hard working conditions and enjoy minimal social protections.

Ahram Online attempted to obtain official figures from the concerned ministries, the International Labour Organisation and the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), to determine the number of home delivery couriers operating in the country, yet the concerned authorities had no clear figures in this respect.

However, an examination of the databases of a number of home delivery applications suggests that home delivery couriers working in Egypt could exceed 500,000, which is about one-third of the country's irregular workers.

Home delivery workers usually work 12-hour shifts without health insurance or pensions and cannot rely on a stable income.

Many couriers work through registering on a database for various online home delivery platform applications without entering into a direct contractual relationship with the business owner.

These app couriers receive between 10 to 20 percent as a commission per order and rely heavily on tips, according to Sayed El-Aasmar and Mohamed El-Tayar, two couriers who spoke to Ahram Online.

They use their own motorcycles or means of transportation in their delivery work, paying for gasoline and repairs.

Many are now trying to improve their wages and living conditions, and there are initiatives to organise and integrate them into the formal economy.

Through its socio-economic development plan for the current FY2022/23, which started on 1 July, Egypts House of Representatives has urged the concerned bodies to implement a number of procedures that would protect the rights of non-organised and informal workers.

The House called for issuing a practice-of-profession licence for these workers, including them under the social protection umbrella, facilitating their inclusion in the formal economy, and providing them with training to develop their skills.

Amid challenging economic conditions brought about by the Ukraine war, 12,000 couriers working for Talabat  an online food ordering company  went on a two-day strike in April to demand higher wages.

A number of recent initiatives by the Ministry of Social Solidarity and Egyptian Trade Union Federation aim to ensure representation for this category of workers, especially since the online shopping and ecommerce market is expected to grow even larger.

According to Statista, Egypt is the second largest market for online shopping in Africa after South Africa.

Media outlets reported after the Talabaat strike that the government is considering creating a trade union to represent home delivery workers to guarantee them the rights available to other workers.

Mirvat Sabreen, the assistant to the social solidarity minister, revealed to Ahram Online that the ministry has received a proposal to cooperate with a number of online applications to promote the rights of couriers.

Sabreen also said that the ministry is set to sign a number of cooperation protocols with these applications in this regard, without providing further details.

A source at the social solidarity ministry told Ahram Online that the ministry's initiative involves putting in place a framework that governs home delivery services in Egypt, protecting workers' rights as well as holding them to a system of accountability.

The ministry is working on an initiative that will be sponsored by a number of online shopping applications that are operating in the local market," the source said.

"This initiative includes founding an association that will be affiliated with the ministry and will represent home delivery workers, engaging them in the formal economy."

The source added that the initiative also involves supplying delivery workers with helmets and other protective gear to protect them against traffic accidents.

"It also involves issuing insurance policies against accidents in collaboration with a life insurance company in Egypt. The initiative also involves collaboration with leasing companies to enable couriers to purchase their needs in instalments, the source explained.

The initiative, which will be implemented in phases, also involves providing couriers with training and awareness sessions, according to the source.

The delivery service Mrsool Egypt, which has 140,000 couriers registered in its system, is one of the online platforms engaged in this initiative and supports all its components.

Mrsools Country Manager Karim Gamal told Ahram Online that the platform aims to increase its couriers to 1 million over five years, as the home delivery market in Egypt is growing significantly.

Courtesy of elluminati website.

As an online platform that also focuses on developing home delivery applications, Mrsool is involved in the process as a focal point between the couriers and the application's users. Recently, these workers have called for social and insurance protection in the face of the risks they encounter on a daily basis. We support creating an entity to represent them, preserve their rights and govern their relationship with business owners and consumers, said Gamal.

Mrsool provides technical assistance to couriers around the clock, gives bonuses for peak and non-peak times, and it is currently working on fresh business verticals to increase sales, so couriers can increase their monthly income, according to Gamal.

We support establishing an entity to represent couriers and provide them with medical and social insurance, especially since they are not employees with signed contracts. In addition, this entity will be an important reference for companies themselves with regards to accountability, and can serve as a system that can tally the number of workers, easing the process of dealing with their needs and facilitating support from formal bodies, Gamal explained.

Ahram Online also spoke to Chairman of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) Hassan Shehata on the issue of establishing a trade union for these kinds of non-organised workers.

Shehata said that such a move would be complicated and that the ETUF is not the body concerned with taking such a measure.

According to the law governing trade unions, home delivery men can submit a request to the ETUF signed by at least 50 of them to establish an administrative committee that could grow in the future into a trade union committee, then into a trade union representing them in their dealings with business owners and governmental bodies, Shehata explained.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO), through its office in Egypt, is also working on a comprehensive project to support non-organised workers in Egypt with a focus on the home delivery market.

Mahmoud Agmean, an advocate before the Egyptian Court of Cassation and legal advisor for the ILO, told Ahram Online that this segment of workers lacks an organised legal structure within which to work.

Companies use these couriers without a clear contractual relationship. This is a great shortcoming that needs to be dealt with, especially given the fact that the home delivery market is growing rapidly, Agmean said.

Agmean explained that a similar crisis had previously faced workers who were seeking work abroad, since there was no legal framework governing the relationship between these workers and their prospective employers. However, the countrys Labour Law has since been amended with an entire chapter regulating this process.

A legal framework, together with establishing a trade union for them, will guarantee representation for home delivery workers in dealing with business owners as well as official bodies, he added.

The total number of non-organised workers in the country is between 1.5 million and 2 million, according to the latest figures published by the Ministry of Manpower and the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS).

The only available official number for organised labour is the total number of state employees, who are estimated at 6 million, according to CAPMAS.

Courtesy of Salaryexplorer website.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, the informal economy represents 30 percent of the country's GDP of EGP 9.2 trillion for the current fiscal year.

Also, the latest economic census released by CAPMAS in 2021 puts the number of businesses in the informal sector at 2 million, which employ millions of workers.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The board of trustees of the National Political Dialogue (NPD) during its meeting on Saturday agreed on which issues would be discussed from the dialogues social track and also expressed its appreciation for the recent presidential pardons for political activists.

The board issued the statement on Saturday evening following their meeting at the headquarters of the National Training Academy in Gizas Sheikh Zayed city.

The board agreed to discuss five main issues from the social track: education, health, overpopulation, family and social cohesion and the national culture and identity.

The statement added that the board established a sub-committee for each of the five main issues.

During the meeting, the board of trustees also expressed their appreciation for the latest presidential pardons that have been recently issued involving political activists.

According to Diaa Rashwan, chairman of the Press Syndicate and coordinator of the NPD, more than 700 prisoners have been pardoned since the re-activation of the Presidential Pardon Committee in April.

The board decided to re-convene on Wednesday at 12pm to identify which issues from the economic track will be discussed, the statement read.

Saturdays meeting was the third meeting for the NDPs broad of trustees after the formation of the board.

In the first meeting on 5 July, the board agreed on bylaws as well as the dialogue's 25-article code of conduct and ethics.

During the second meeting on 19 July, the board agreed on the formation of three sub-committees under the political track: the local councils committee, human rights and public liberties committee and the party and electoral system and parliamentary institutions committee.

El-Sisi called for the national dialogue and reactivated the Presidential Pardon Committee on 26 April during the annual Egyptian Family Iftar banquet.

The president has urged all political forces to participate, stressing, however, that the terrorist-designated Muslim Brotherhood group would not be invited.

In the previous statements of Rashwan, it was revealed that the Egyptian president promised to attend the final stages of the dialogue since he seeks to listen to all opinions and also has the authority to submit drafts to the legislative bodies as per the constitution.

He also added that all have agreed that debates will not include voting on ideas or proposals since voting would exclude one or another opinion, he stressed, adding that in the end all proposals will be considered and submitted to the president.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


The new US envoy for the Horn of Africa arrived in Ethiopia on Friday on a mission to advance peace efforts between the government and Tigrayan rebels.

Mike Hammer is in the country "to support efforts towards achieving a lasting peace for the benefit of all Ethiopians", the US embassy said on Twitter.

It said he would meet government officials, political parties and civil society.

Both the Ethiopian government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) who went to war in November 2020 have raised the possibility of peace talks.

But major obstacles remain.

Abiy wants the African Union, which is based in Addis Ababa, to broker any talks, a stance rejected by the rebels who instead want neighbouring Kenya to lead the mediation.

Hammer "will be having discussions with the parties to see what we can do to move forward on those talks", Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for Africa, said on Wednesday.

Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein said on Twitter on Thursday that the government was ready to talk "anytime anywhere" and that negotiations should begin "without preconditions".

Fighting has eased in northern Ethiopia since a humanitarian truce was declared at the end of March.

But more than 13 million people are in need of food aid across Tigray and the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara, with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition, according to the United Nations.

Tigray itself is lacking in food, fuel and essential services such as electricity, communications and banking, with hundreds of thousands living in dire conditions.

Earlier this week, TPLF-linked Tigrai TV quoted the rebels' leader Debretsion Gebremichael warning that basic services would have to be restored in the region before negotiations could begin.

The US State Department said in a statement Saturday announcing his visit that Hammer would "review progress on delivery of humanitarian assistance, and accountability for human rights violations and abuses".

Hammer is also due to help forge a diplomatic resolution to the regional dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a mega-project on the Blue Nile, it said.

He held talks on the dam during a visit to Egypt on Monday.

"We are actively engaged in supporting a diplomatic way forward under the African Union's auspices that arrives at an agreement that provides for the long-term needs of every citizen along the Nile."

Addis Ababa deems the project essential for the electrification and development of Africa's second most populous country, but Cairo and Khartoum fear it could threaten their access to vital Nile waters.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


A Guinean opposition coalition on Saturday said it was calling off protests for a week following deadly clashes and a plea for calm by West Africa's regional bloc.

The National Front for the Defence of the Constitution (FNDC), an alliance of political parties, trade unions and civil society organisations, also said gendarmes had arrested its coordinator Oumar Sylla.

Sylla was detained at his home overnight Friday to Saturday and "taken to an unknown destination", Abdoulaye Keita, a lawyer for the FNDC, told AFP.

The FNDC in a statement said it spoke on Friday with the chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Guinea-Bissau's leader Umaro Sissoco Embalo, and agreed to his request to suspend protests for a week.

The truce's only goal is to "give the ECOWAS mediation a chance to find a favourable way out of the crisis in Guinea", the statement added.

The West African state has seen violent clashes between the security forces and demonstrators protesting against the military junta's plans for a three-year transition to civilian rule.

The authorities said one person died in the capital Conakry on Friday, but the FNDC put the total at four. Another death was reported in Conakry on Thursday.

Fresh protests had been scheduled for August 4 to denounce the "unilateral management of the transition" by the junta, which has banned all political demonstrations until the next election campaign.

A military-dominated government headed by Colonel Mamady Doumbouya has led Guinea since September 2021, when a putsch toppled former president Alpha Conde.

Conde's former ruling Rally for the Guinean People (RPG) said in a statement that its headquarters were "surrounded" by police on Saturday "preventing any access by the militants".

ECOWAS has rejected the junta's proposal to restore civilian rule within three years, arguing that the transition process should be quicker.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Thousands of followers of an influential Shia cleric breached Iraq's parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts lead by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counter-protests, raising the specter of civil strife.

Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas and sound bombs to try to repel the demonstrators and caused several injuries. Once inside, the protesters declared an open-ended sit-in and claimed they would not disperse until their demands are answered.

As the numbers inside the parliament swelled, the police backed off. An expected parliament session did not take place Saturday and there were no lawmakers in the hall. By late afternoon, the Ministry of Health said that about 125 people had been injured in the violence, 100 protesters and 25 members of the security forces.

Earlier in the day and heeding the calls of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the demonstrators used ropes to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Iraq's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies.

Al-Sadr has resorted to using his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals, after his party was not able to form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in the federal elections held last October.

With neither side willing to concede, and al-Sadr intent on derailing the government formation efforts lead by his rivals, Iraq's limbo and political paralysis has ushered in a new era of instability in the beleaguered country.

Al-Sadr has used his followers as leverage against his rivals and has ordered them to occupy parliament on previous occasions, in 2016, his followers did the same during the administration of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.

Now, with Iraq in the tenth month since the last elections, the political vacuum is shaping up to be the longest since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had reset the country's political order.

Later Saturday, al-Sadr's rivals in the Coordination Framework, an alliance of Shiite parties backed by Iran, called on its supporters to conduct ``peaceful'' counter-protests to defend the state, a statement from the group said. The call raises fears of possible large-scale street battles and bloodshed, unseen since 2007.

``Civil peace is a red line and all Iraqis must be prepared to defend it in all possible, peaceful, means,'' the alliance said.

The United Nations expressed its concern of further instability and called on Iraqi leaders to de-escalate. ``The ongoing escalation is deeply concerning. Voices of reason and wisdom are critical to prevent further violence. All actors are encouraged to de-escalate in the interest of all Iraqis,`` the U.N. said.

Meanwhile, al-Sadr supporters, many had come not just from Baghdad but other provinces as well in order to stage the sit-in, continued to throng the parliament building, occupying the parliament floor and raising the Iraqi flag and portraits of al-Sadr. They chanted against the intrusion of foreign states, a veiled reference to Iran.

It was the second time in the span of four days that the cleric has ordered his followers to take their cause inside the Green Zone. Protesters stormed the parliament building in a similar fashion on Wednesday but left shortly after getting inside, at al-Sadr's command.

Wednesday's show of force came after al-Sadr's rivals made a step forward in their government formation efforts by naming Mohammed al-Sudani as their nominee for the premiership.

On Saturday, Iraq's caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi directed security forces to protect demonstrators and asked them to keep their protest peaceful, according to a statement. Inside the parliament building, the defenses of the security forces grew less intense and many were seen sitting and conversing with demonstrators.

Some protesters began moving from the parliament toward the Judicial Council building.

``We came today to remove the corrupt political class and prevent them from holding a parliament session, and to prevent the Framework from forming a government,'' said Raad Thabet, 41. ``We responded to al-Sadr's call.''

Al-Sadr's party exited government formation talks in June, giving his rivals in the Coordination Framework alliance the majority they needed to move forward with the process.

Many protesters wore black to mark the days leading to Ashura, which commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohamed and one of Shiite Islam's most important figures. Al-Sadr's messaging to his followers has used the important day in Shiite Islam to kindle protests.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Russia launched nighttime attacks on several cities in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said Saturday as they and officials in Moscow blamed each other for the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in a separatist-controlled area of the country's east.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have a duty to react after shelling of a prison complex in Donetsk province killed the POWS.

``It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war,'' Zelenskyy said in a video address late Friday. ``There should be a clear legal recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.''

Both sides alleged the attack on the prison was premeditated and intended to silence the Ukrainian prisoners and to destroy evidence, including of possible atrocities.

Russia claimed Ukraine's military used U.S.-supplied precision rocket launchers to target the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic.

Separatist authorities and Russian officials said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded another 75.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has organized civilian evacuations in the war and worked to monitor the treatment of POWS held by Russia and Ukraine, said it has requested access to the prison ``to determine the health and condition of all the people present on-site at the time of the attack.''

``Our priority right now is making sure that the wounded receive life-saving treatment and that the bodies of those who lost their lives are dealt with in a dignified manner,'' the Red Cross said in a statement.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian rockets hit a school building in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, overnight, and another attack occurred about an hour later, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Saturday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The bus station in the city of Sloviansk also was hit, according to Mayor Vadim Lyakh. Sloviansk is near the front line of fighting as Russian and separatist forces try to take full control of the Donetsk region, one of two eastern provinces that Russia has recognized as sovereign states.

In southern Ukraine, one person was killed and six injured in shelling that hit a residential area in Mykolaiv, a significant port city, the region's administration said Saturday on Facebook.

Friday's attack on the prison reportedly killed Ukrainian soldiers who were captured in May after the fall of Mariupol, another port city where troops famously held out against a monthslong Russian siege.

Moscow opened a probe into the attack, sending a team to the site from Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's main criminal investigation agency. The state RIA Novosti agency reported that fragments of U.S.-supplied precision High Mobility Artillery Rocket System rockets were found at the site.

The Ukrainian military denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka, and it accused the Russians of shelling the prison to cover up the alleged torture and execution of Ukrainians there.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said the competing claims and limited information prevented assigning responsibility for the attack but that the ``available visual evidence appears to support the Ukrainian claim more than the Russian.''

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Russia launched nighttime attacks on several Ukrainian cities, Ukrainian officials said Saturday as they and Moscow blamed each other for the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in a separatist-controlled area of the country's east. The International Red Cross asked to visit the prison to make sure the wounded had proper treatment.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross have a duty to react after shelling of a prison complex in Donetsk province killed the POWs.

``It was a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war,'' Zelenskyy said in a video address late Friday. ``There should be a clear legal recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.''

Separatist authorities and Russian officials said the attack killed 53 Ukrainian POWs and wounded another 75. Russia's Defense Ministry on Saturday issued a list naming 48 Ukrainian fighters, their ages ranging from 20 to 62, who died in the attack; it was not clear if the ministry had revised its fatality count.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, which has organized civilian evacuations in the war and worked to monitor the treatment of POWS held by Russia and Ukraine, said it has requested access to the prison ``to determine the health and condition of all the people present on-site at the time of the attack.''

``Our priority right now is making sure that the wounded receive lifesaving treatment and that the bodies of those who lost their lives are dealt with in a dignified manner,'' the Red Cross said.

Both sides alleged the attack on the prison was premeditated and intended to silence the Ukrainian prisoners and to destroy evidence, including of possible atrocities.

Russia claimed Ukraine's military used U.S.-supplied precision rocket launchers to target the prison in Olenivka, a settlement controlled by the Moscow-backed Donetsk People's Republic.

The Ukrainian military, however, denied making any rocket or artillery strikes in Olenivka. It accused the Russians of shelling the prison to cover up the alleged torture and execution of Ukrainians there.

Elsewhere in eastern Ukraine, Russian rockets hit a school in Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, overnight, and another attack occurred an hour later, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said Saturday. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The bus station in the city of Sloviansk also was hit, according to Mayor Vadim Lyakh. Sloviansk is near the front line of fighting as Russian and separatist forces try to take full control of the Donetsk region, one of two eastern provinces that Russia has recognized as sovereign states.

In southern Ukraine, one person was killed and six injured in shelling that hit a residential area in Mykolaiv, a significant port city, the region's administration said Saturday on Facebook.

Friday's attack on the prison reportedly killed Ukrainian soldiers captured in May after the fall of Mariupol, a Black Sea port city where troops and the Azov Regiment of the national guard famously held out against a monthslong Russian siege.

On Saturday, an association of Azov fighters' relatives dressed in black held a demonstration outside Kyiv's St. Sophia Cathedral and issued a statement calling for Russia to be designated a terrorist state for violating the Geneva Convention's rules for the treatment of war prisoners.

A woman wearing dark glasses who gave only her first name, Iryna, was waiting for news of her 23 year-old-son.

``I don`t know how is he, where is he, if he is alive or no. I don`t know. It`s a horror, only horror. For a mother, it`s the biggest loss if her child has gone,'' she said.

Moscow has opened a probe into the attack on POW prison, sending a team to the site from Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's main criminal investigation agency.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, said the competing claims and limited information prevented assigning full responsibility for the attack but the ``available visual evidence appears to support the Ukrainian claim more than the Russian.''

On the energy front, Russia's state-owned natural gas corporation said Saturday it has halted shipments to Latvia because of contract violations. Gas giant Gazprom said the shipments were stopped because Latvia broke ``terms for extraction of gas.'' It did not elaborate.

The statement likely referred to a refusal to meet Russia's demand for gas payments in rubles rather than other currencies. Gazprom has previously suspended gas shipments to other EU countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria, because they would not pay in rubles.

EU nations have been scrambling to secure other energy sources, fearing that Russia will cut off more gas supplies as winter approaches.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk on Saturday warned that the parts of Donetsk region that remain under Ukrainian control will face severe heating problems this winter because of the extensive destruction of gas mains in the war. She called for a mandatory evacuation of residents of the region before the cold weather sets in.

Search Keywords:

Short link:


Actor Im Si-wan has described feeling "excited" about his first villain role in his latest film "Emergency Declaration."

He was speaking at a press event earlier this week for the aviation disaster film, which hits theaters next week.

"When I choose a project, I consider how reasonable my character's actions are. But this one seemed to be totally irrational. I thought that would allow me to portray the character more freely. I was excited about it, rather than worried," Im said.

Im plays a terrorist who spreads a deadly virus on a flight from Seoul to Honolulu for no particular reason.

Director Han Jae-rim said he based Im's character on a gunman who went on a shooting rampage in Las Vegas, opening fire on a music festival crowd from his 32nd-floor hotel room nearby, killing some 60 people. His motive has never been officially determined.

In addition to Im, the movie's star-studded cast includes Song Kang-ho, Lee Byung-hun, Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Nam-gil, Kim So-jin and Park Hae-joon.

The film is set for release on Aug. 3.
By Trend

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken about Russias position on the situation around Ukraine, the global food security and prisoner swap, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday after their telephone conversation, Trend reports citing TASS.

"The two top diplomats discussed the current situation in Ukraine," it said.

The two top diplomats also discussed the situation in the sphere of global food security.

"Antony Blinken was informed about the details of the package agreement, signed on July 22 in Istanbul, regarding transportation of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports and on promotion of export of Russian food and fertilizers," the ministry said. "The minister drew special attention to the fact that the global [food] situation is complicated by the US sanctions and that the US has not yet fulfilled its promise to grant the relevant exemptions for Russian food exports. He stressed that the use of this problem by the collective West in its geopolitical interests is inadmissible."

The sides also discussed bilateral problems. "The two top diplomats exchanged views on the problems of bilateral relations, which badly need normalization," the ministry said.

"Concerning possible exchange of prisoners with the United States, the Russian side strongly recommended the sides return to professional dialogue in the regime of quiet diplomacy, without speculations and fakes," the ministry said.

The conversation was initiated by the American side.
By Miya Tanaka, KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2022 - 10:22 | All, Japan

The United States and Japan on Friday vowed to defend an open, rules-based international economic order amid challenges posed by China and Russia, while pursuing joint development of next-generation semiconductors through a research hub Japan has decided to launch.

The announcements were made as the two countries' foreign and economy ministers met for their inaugural "two-plus-two" talks, as addressing economic vulnerabilities has become more vital for their national security with China increasing its clout in the Indo-Pacific and Russia's war against Ukraine sparking food and energy supply concerns.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, the two close security allies said they need to make their economies "more competitive and resilient," committing to "countering threats to economic security and to the rules-based international economic order."

They also came up with an action plan focusing on efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience, counter economic coercion and opaque lending practices, and secure critical technologies and infrastructure.

"In an era in which foreign security policy and economic policy are inseparable, we have been able to open a new page in the Japan-U.S. alliance," Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda told reporters after attending the talks, which were co-hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington.

Japan and the United States have long held "two-plus-two" talks involving the countries' foreign and defense chiefs to discuss security issues, but the leaders of the two countries agreed in January this year to establish an economic version of the dialogue.

While the joint statement did not explicitly name China, the U.S. side indicated that efforts to beef up economic security are driven by the assertiveness of the Asian powerhouse and its use of economic leverage to pressure other countries into concessions.

"We addressed the People's Republic of China and how its coercive economic practices go against an open, inclusive rules-based international economic order," Blinken told a joint press conference with Raimondo, Hagiuda and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Touching on a bill the U.S. Congress passed on Thursday that would invest $52 billion in domestic semiconductor production, Raimondo said the funding will strengthen partnerships with allies like Japan in the sector, and "make us less dependent on our adversaries for such a critical piece of technology."

The four ministers agreed to advance efforts to foster supply chain resilience in strategic sectors, including, in particular, semiconductors, batteries and critical minerals.

The semiconductor supply chain has come under increasing scrutiny as the coronavirus pandemic has triggered a global shortage of the essential components used in everything from smartphones and laptops to cars as well as national defense systems.

The United States is also mindful that the world's semiconductor manufacturing capacity is concentrated in East Asia, with Taiwan accounting for 20 percent of the global total in 2019, followed by South Korea, Japan, China and the United States, according to a June 2021 report by the White House.

To accelerate the joint development of next-generation semiconductors, expected to be used for artificial intelligence and other purposes, Japan announced the launch of a new research and development organization that will bring together Japanese expertise.

"It will be made open to overseas businesses and research institutes, inclusive of Japan, the United States, and likeminded countries in the region," Hagiuda said, adding he hopes to make it into "a hub for international joint research."

In the action plan, Japan and the United States also said they will continue joint efforts to enhance export controls on critical and emerging technologies, including surveillance systems, to prevent misuse by malicious actors.

There is growing concern that the use of surveillance tools and other technologies by authoritarian governments is leading to serious human rights abuses, such as censorship of political opposition, tracking of dissidents, intimidation of minority communities and the undermining of free expression.

Reiterating their condemnation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Japan and the United States said they will work together to mitigate the impact of the war on energy and food markets.

They agreed to strengthen investment in the energy sector and ensure energy resources in the near term, including liquefied natural gas, in response to the current crisis, and pledged to work together to create more resilient nuclear supply chains.

"The United States and Japan stand for open, sustainable, and inclusive economic growth that delivers prosperity, upholds democratic values, reduces economic disparities, and protects human rights in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," the joint statement said.

The vision will also be promoted through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, a U.S.-led economic engagement initiative joined by more than a dozen countries including Japan, it added.

The four ministers agreed that they should meet under the "two-plus-two" format periodically, and to gather again next year.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2022 - 18:40 | All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi are planning to hold in-person talks on Thursday on the sidelines of a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings in Cambodia, government sources said Saturday.

The top Japanese diplomat is expected to air concerns over repeated intrusions by Chinese coast guard ships into Japanese waters around the Tokyo-controlled, Beijing-claimed Senkaku Islands, as well as China's intensifying military activities near Japanese waters.

The uninhabited islets in the East China Sea are called Diaoyu by China.

It will be the first face-to-face dialogue of foreign ministers of Japan and China since November 2020 amid heightening tensions between the two countries ahead of the 50th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral ties on Sept. 29.

Hayashi is expected to denounce Russia's invasion of Ukraine and call on China to take responsible action, according to the sources. China has close ties with and has refrained from condemning Moscow.

He also plans to stress the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and the necessity of international cooperation toward the denuclearization of North Korea, they said.

During his visit to Cambodia, Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin are slated to hold one-on-one talks. He is also considering holding a three-way meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

Related coverage:

ASEAN denounces execution of Myanmar democracy leaders

Chinese warship chases Russian frigate near Japan-controlled Senkakus

Japan conveys concern to China over gas development in contested sea
KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2022 - 21:33 | All, Japan

A diving shop in the southern Japan prefecture of Okinawa apologized after a photograph online that showed its customers posing on the shipwreck of a U.S. warship from World War II sparked a protest from a member of an organization comprised of family members and friends of former crew, it became known Saturday.

The customers who dived off the coast of Okinawa had been seen posing on the remains of the Emmons, a destroyer sunk in a Japanese kamikaze attack during the war. The move was seen as discourteous and incited disapproval from the member of the group residing in Okinawa.

The image has since been deleted, while the shop promised to prevent similar incidents.

The picture showed three people, including young women, sitting side by side on the ship's cannon, striking poses such as spreading their arms, and was uploaded to the shop's social media website in late June.

The male member of the USS Emmons Association, which commemorates the warship and honors the memory of 60 shipmates who perished in the sinking, objected to the photograph, noting in a statement on June 27 that the act was disrespectful.

The shop should instruct its customers on the importance of commemorating those who lost their lives for their country, he added.

"We shared (the photo) in the hopes that it would show the appeal of the diving spot," a representative of the diving shop said. "We did not expect any protests."

Besides apologizing, the shop has since instructed divers to avoid causing any damage to the vessel.
KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2022 - 23:05 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

Japan is considering altering COVID-19 measures, including a potential change in the collection of infection numbers, in a bid to lessen the burden on hospitals as they strain under a resurgence of the coronavirus across the country, government sources said Saturday.

Medical facilities and public health centers currently cooperate to report the total COVID-19 cases to the government, but the change may limit reporting of cases from designated establishments, they said.

With the prevalent Omicron variant having less risk of causing severe illness compared with previous strains, some government officials have questioned the need to relay every case.

The government is expected to start formal discussions after the seventh wave of the pandemic dies down.

Under Japan's infection laws, COVID-19 is classified under a category that authorizes the widest range of countermeasures including requests for the patients to stay at home. But the category of the illness may be changed to that for seasonal flu if its severity lessens.

While the government has designated hospitals to accept COVID-19 patients in a bid to prevent within hospital transmission, it may also allow general medical institutions to do so in order to reduce the strain on the designated hospitals.

The talks come as Japan logged 222,307 new infections Saturday, surpassing 200,000 for the fourth straight day. Occupancy rates for designated hospital beds stood at 54.1 percent in Tokyo.

Related coverage:

Japan PM says restrictions unnecessary despite record COVID-19 cases

Japan's daily COVID-19 cases top 230,000, record for 2nd straight day

Japan tops global new COVID cases in week to July 24: WHO
KYODO NEWS - Jul 30, 2022 - 12:38 | All, Japan

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday he will work "tenaciously" to build a broader global consensus to oppose attempts to change the status quo by force in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, warning that the "logic of brute force" is gaining traction in the Indo-Pacific.

"Russia's aggression needs to go down in history as a clear failure, otherwise it is inevitable that other countries will follow Russia and attempt to change the status quo by force," Hayashi said at a think tank event during his first visit to the U.S. capital since assuming the foreign minister's portfolio in November.

Hayashi met with his U.S. counterpart Antony Blinken the same day and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in connection with Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing views as a renegade province awaiting reunification with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Related coverage:

U.S., Japan vow to defend int'l economic order, eye chip development

The two also agreed to work further with allies and partners to block bids to change the status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific, Hayashi told reporters after the meeting.

During the event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Hayashi said the world appears to be divided into two camps -- the Group of Seven nations, including Japan and the United States, as well as like-minded countries on one side, and Russia and others that take a similar position on the other.

But he added there are many countries "in between," citing the 35 countries that abstained in March from voting on a U.N. General Assembly resolution deploring Russia's onslaught against Ukraine that started a month earlier. India, which has long-standing military ties with Russia, was one of the countries.

"We must never accept unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force, no matter where in the world. We must work to make the international circle of this consensus larger and more resilient," he said.

"Therefore, we will continue to tenaciously reach out to those middle-ground countries while also being mindful of their individual situations," he said.

In the Indo-Pacific, he said the "logic of brute force is gaining more traction over the rule of law, and the strategic balance in the region is becoming increasingly challenging" for Japan and the United States.

He cited concern about ongoing unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East and South China seas, where Beijing has been stepping up territorial claims including over the Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands.

Touching on China's nuclear buildup and North Korea's nuclear ambitions, Hayashi also called for a strengthening of the "credibility" of the U.S. "extended deterrence" commitment to Japan that includes nuclear and conventional defense capabilities.

Nuclear deterrence has drawn renewed focus in the wake of Russia's nuclear saber-rattling amid the invasion of Ukraine.

Hayashi said he agreed with Blinken during their bilateral talks to continue close communication to ensure such credibility.

Hayashi traveled to the United States for a ministerial-level economic meeting involving Blinken and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as well as Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda.
An international conference on Afghanistan is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 26, 2022. Uzbekistan hosted an international conference here on Tuesday to garner support for the economic and social revival of Afghanistan. In a message to the conference themed "Afghanistan: security and economic development," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the Afghan government "to demonstrate strong will" to take decisive measures to counter terrorism, and break ties with all international terrorist organizations. (Xinhua/Cai Guodong)

TASHKENT, July 26 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan hosted an international conference here on Tuesday to garner support for the economic and social revival of Afghanistan.

In a message to the conference themed "Afghanistan: security and economic development," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the Afghan government "to demonstrate strong will" to take decisive measures to counter terrorism, and break ties with all international terrorist organizations.

"This will help strengthen confidence in the interim government, open up real prospects for the sustainable development of Afghanistan in an atmosphere of friendship, good neighborliness and mutually beneficial cooperation with its immediate environment and the international community," Mirziyoyev said.

Dozens of delegations of governments and international organizations from Europe, Middle East, Asia and other regions took part in the conference.

The head of the Afghan delegation, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said in a press briefing that the majority of the delegations were in a supportive mood, which showed a positive development in relations with his country.

"Another positive point was that the participants understood the message related to the real situation in Afghanistan, which will hopefully lay the ground for political and economic engagement," he said.

Uzbekistan also presented projects in energy, railway development and education sectors to help neighboring Afghanistan to build its social-economic infrastructure. 

An international conference on Afghanistan is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 26, 2022. Uzbekistan hosted an international conference here on Tuesday to garner support for the economic and social revival of Afghanistan. In a message to the conference themed "Afghanistan: security and economic development," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the Afghan government "to demonstrate strong will" to take decisive measures to counter terrorism, and break ties with all international terrorist organizations. (Uzbek Foreign Ministry/Handout via Xinhua)

An international conference on Afghanistan is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 26, 2022. Uzbekistan hosted an international conference here on Tuesday to garner support for the economic and social revival of Afghanistan. In a message to the conference themed "Afghanistan: security and economic development," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the Afghan government "to demonstrate strong will" to take decisive measures to counter terrorism, and break ties with all international terrorist organizations. (Xinhua/Cai Guodong)

An international conference on Afghanistan is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 26, 2022. Uzbekistan hosted an international conference here on Tuesday to garner support for the economic and social revival of Afghanistan. In a message to the conference themed "Afghanistan: security and economic development," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the Afghan government "to demonstrate strong will" to take decisive measures to counter terrorism, and break ties with all international terrorist organizations. (Xinhua/Cai Guodong)

An international conference on Afghanistan is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 26, 2022. Uzbekistan hosted an international conference here on Tuesday to garner support for the economic and social revival of Afghanistan. In a message to the conference themed "Afghanistan: security and economic development," Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev called on the Afghan government "to demonstrate strong will" to take decisive measures to counter terrorism, and break ties with all international terrorist organizations. (Xinhua/Cai Guodong)
ISLAMABAD, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held talks with Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, and stressed the need for enhanced cooperation to promote economic integration and regional connectivity, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

During their talks on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to regional connectivity and infrastructure projects, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

He reiterated solidarity and support for the Afghan people following the destruction caused by the recent earthquake in Afghanistan, adding that Pakistan remained firmly committed to a peaceful, stable, prosperous and connected Afghanistan.

The foreign minister highlighted the various steps taken by Pakistan to support bilateral engagements with Afghanistan and facilitate international humanitarian assistance, according to the statement.

Muttaqi thanked Pakistan for dispatching humanitarian assistance and for hosting Afghan refugees for the last four decades, the ministry said. 
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 28, 2022. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Xinhua)

TASHKENT, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that China is willing to further enhance and strengthen the China-Kazakhstan cooperation with the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road as the main task.

Wang made the remarks when he met with Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Wang said that in February this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a fruitful meeting, and agreed to work together to create another 30 years of golden period of China-Kazakhstan relations, which has charted the course for the long-term development of bilateral ties.

The two sides need to turn the important consensus reached between the two heads of state into tangible results, and continuously enrich China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership and promote healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, said Wang.

China stands ready to step up negotiations on economic and trade cooperation plans between the two governments, as well as on a new investment protection agreement and a productivity and investment cooperation plan between the two sides, and give priority to the implementation of more livelihood projects in Kazakhstan, he added.

Tleuberdi spoke highly of the development of the permanent comprehensive strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and China, saying that the important meeting between the two heads of state in February this year was positive, practical and fruitful.

Kazakhstan stands ready to work with China to faithfully implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and usher in a new golden 30 years of bilateral relations, Tleuberdi said, adding that Kazakhstan has introduced a 14-day visa-free regime for Chinese citizens and looks forward to further facilitating people-to-people exchanges and deepening sub-national exchanges and cooperation.

Tleuberdi thanked China for its support to Kazakhstan in hosting the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

Wang said China supports Kazakhstan in playing the role of CICA chairmanship, raising the level of CICA cooperation and making greater contributions to regional security and development.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordination within the framework of the SCO, support Uzbekistan in fulfilling its SCO chairmanship and hosting the SCO Samarkand Summit.

The two sides called for joint efforts to maintain the stability of the Eurasian production and supply chain and the smooth operation of China-Europe freight trains, and play a constructive role in effectively addressing global food and energy security challenges.

The two sides spoke highly of the role and prospects of the meeting mechanism between China and five Central Asian countries, and will implement the consensus reached by the heads of state at the virtual summit of China + Central Asia, focusing on such priority areas as transportation, economy and trade, investment and industrial agriculture, energy, customs, and people-to-people exchanges, so as to promote mutually beneficial cooperation to a new level. 
MEHTARLAM, Afghanistan, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Security forces have killed at least three Islamic State (IS) militants in Afghanistan's eastern Laghman province, a local official said on Friday.

Afghan security forces ambushed a group of IS militants in Kunda Gul area of the province's Alingar district late Thursday, Salahuddin Zahid, a spokesperson for the provincial governor, told Xinhua. Among the killed was Commander Firuz, the IS group's designated governor for Laghman province, he said.

Last week, three hardliners affiliated with the IS group, also known as Daesh in Afghanistan, were killed and 40 pieces of weapons were seized in the country's northern Samangan province. 
KATHMANDU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government has banned the production, import, sale and storage of plastic artificial flower bunches, which are growing popular during festivals and other occasions in the country.

In a notice issued in Nepal Gazette on Thursday, the Ministry of Forest and Environment stated that the ban was imposed as part of the efforts to control plastic pollution.

"The main reason behind the ban is to control plastic-based pollution," Megh Nath Kafle, spokesman of the ministry, told Xinhua. "Another reason is to promote the production and use of natural flowers, which would also support the domestic economy."

By encouraging the use of natural bunches, the government is aiming at preserving the culture and tradition of using natural flowers on various occasions, particularly during festivals, he said.

Nepal imported plastic and plastic products worth 72.34 billion Nepali rupees (568 million U.S. dollars) in the 2021-22 fiscal year that ended in mid-July, according to the Department of Customs.

In early 2022, the government banned the production, import, sale and use of plastic bags thinner than 40 millimeters, but the rule has hardly been enforced.

"We will strengthen our monitoring to enforce the rule starting from Aug. 17," said Kafle.

In Nepal, plastic accounted for 16 percent of urban waste, which means 2.7 tons of daily plastic garbage production, according to an article released in 2018 by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. 
The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps reported a crash between Kimm, Rambrouch, and Rombach on Friday evening.

Two cars collided on the RN23 at around 7.30pm, leaving six people injured. Paramedics from Ettelbruck and Luxembourg City treated people at the scene, assisted by Rambrouch fire fighters and ambulances from Rombach, the Nordstad, Redange and Mamer.

Shortly after 9pm, another incident took place on Rue de Beggen in the capital, after a motorbike collided with a car. One person was injured in the crash.
JAKARTA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia on Friday commenced the fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose program particularly for healthcare workers amid concerns over new Omicron sub-variants.

In a statement published on the country's Health Ministry website on Thursday, the ministry's spokesperson Widyawati said that the program targeted 1.9 million healthcare workers.

"There has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia recently and healthcare workers are a group which has a high risk of being exposed to COVID-19," she said.

Widyawati added that the ministry has instructed all heads of health agencies across the country to carry out the program starting on Friday following recommendations from the country's Technical Advisory Group on Immunization.

On Thursday, the ministry reported 6,353 new infections and 17 more deaths. 
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis (R, rear) welcomes Moldovan President Maia Sandu (L, rear) at Cotroceni presidential palace in Bucharest, Romania, July 29, 2022. Visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Friday that her country intended to buy gas from Romania as soon as possible to ensure national energy security. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

BUCHAREST, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Friday that her country intended to buy gas from Romania as soon as possible to ensure national energy security.

"The situation requires us to act with maximum urgency and look for alternative solutions to keep the stability of the country and smoothly make it through the winter," she said in a joint press statement with her Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis.

"Moldova needs energy security solutions now! We want to buy gas from Romania, and it's important that this happens as soon as possible," Sandu stressed, adding that Moldova is the country most affected by the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.

"I trust that the Moldovan-Romanian partnership will help us overcome the difficulties," she said.

The Moldovan president also said that the country is trying to reduce energy consumption, including natural gas, and is looking for solutions to replace gas with black oil, wood or coal in this winter.

For his part, Iohannis said that Romania will do everything possible to help Moldova ensure energy security.

He said that the two heads of state agreed to take decisive steps regarding the interconnection of the electricity networks of the two countries.

The two presidents also discussed "the very important role and potential of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline as an essential element in the energy security architecture of the Republic of Moldova," Iohannis added.

The 150-km pipeline was completed in late 2021 to ensure the energy diversification of Moldova, a country completely dependent on Russian energy. It interconnects the networks of gas from the two countries and provides Moldova access to the European energy market. However, local media reported that the gas pipeline has not been effectively utilized since its completion. 

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis (R) and Moldovan President Maia Sandu attend a joint press conference in Bucharest, Romania, July 29, 2022. Visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Friday that her country intended to buy gas from Romania as soon as possible to ensure national energy security. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis speaks at a joint press conference in Bucharest, Romania, July 29, 2022. Visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Friday that her country intended to buy gas from Romania as soon as possible to ensure national energy security. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

Moldovan President Maia Sandu speaks at a joint press conference in Bucharest, Romania, July 29, 2022. Visiting Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Friday that her country intended to buy gas from Romania as soon as possible to ensure national energy security. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)
Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attends and addresses the opening ceremony of China National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)





BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attended and addressed the opening ceremony.

Noting the importance of shouldering the country's cultural mission and promoting mutual learning between civilizations, Wang highlighted the functions of the national archives in collections, exhibitions, research and communication, and their importance in carrying on China's fine traditional culture and presenting its national image.

The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. 

A visitor looks at exhibits at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors look at exhibits at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors look at exhibits at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li He)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li He)

A visitor looks at exhibits at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li He)

Visitors look at exhibits at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li He)

Photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows part of the collections at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors listen to music at the pop music publications area of the Guangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Visitors look at exhibits at the headquarters of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Beijing, capital of China, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

Visitors look at exhibits at the Xi'an branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the Xi'an branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Visitors take photo of exhibits at the Hangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the Xi'an branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the Hangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

An ancient book is exhibited at the Hangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, July 30, 2022. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Jiang Han)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the Guangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the Xi'an branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Aerial photo taken on July 30, 2022 shows a view of the Guangzhou branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province. China National Archives of Publications and Culture, which are headquartered in Beijing, opened on Saturday in the country's capital. The project has three branches in the cities of Xi'an, Hangzhou and Guangzhou, and opening activities were also held in these locations on the same day. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a central conference on the united front work in Beijing, capital of China. The conference was held from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has stressed promoting the unity and hard work of Chinese people at home and abroad to pool strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a central conference on the united front work held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a central conference on the united front work in Beijing, capital of China. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the conference, which was held from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)
BUENOS AIRES, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Argentine President Alberto Fernandez said Friday that the reorganization of his cabinet is a response to the economic challenges facing the South American country.

"I have summoned Sergio Massa to join the government team. His vision, capacity and experience will allow us to continue working and improving the roadmap we set out," the president posted on Twitter.

On Thursday, Fernandez unified the three ministries of Economy, Productive Development, and Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries into a single portfolio with Massa, current president of the Chamber of Deputies, at the helm.

"What we have experienced as a country and as a society in the last few months, and particularly in the last few weeks, forces us to have better coordination, calling for a joint effort of the productive forces," he added.

As part of the measures, Fernandez appointed Silvina Batakis, who was Minister of Economy since July 4, the new president of the state-owned Bank of the Argentine Nation, while Daniel Scioli, who was in charge of the Productive Development Ministry, will return to the Argentine Embassy in Brazil.

Since the beginning of July, the country has been facing a devaluation of its currency against the U.S. dollar, which was quoted on Friday at 138.29 Argentine pesos in the official market and 303 Argentine pesos in the black market. 
RABAT, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan King Mohammed VI has granted a pardon to 1,769 prisoners on the occasion of Throne Day, the official news agency MAP reported Saturday.

The 1,769 people, some in prison and others on bail, were pardoned to mark the 23rd anniversary of the king's ascension to the throne on Saturday, MAP reported.

King Mohammed VI will deliver a speech to the nation on Saturday evening, while all activities, festivities and ceremonies will be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MAP said. 
BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- With the 95th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaching, the Political Bureau of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held on Thursday afternoon the 41st group study session on further implementing the strategy of strengthening the military by training competent personnel in the new era.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the study session and delivered a speech. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission (CMC), he extended festival greetings to all members of the PLA, the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel of the PLA, and members of the militia and the reserve forces.

Xi stressed that we should implement the strategy of strengthening the military by training competent personnel in the new era. By raising the capacity and competence of military personnel and comprehensively transforming personnel structure and layout as well as personnel development and management, we will cultivate a new type of high-caliber and professional military personnel that boast both moral integrity and professional competence. All these efforts are of great significance to realizing the Party's goal of strengthening the military in the new era and building it into world-class armed forces. The guiding principles of the Central Talent Work Conference should be carried out, and so should be those of the talent work conference of the CMC. Xi stressed that competent personnel will play a greater role in guiding and supporting the development of the military as we thoroughly implement our strategy.

Shen Zhihua, chief of the Institute for Military Political Work under the Academy of Military Sciences, gave a lecture on how to further implement the strategy of strengthening the military by training competent personnel in the new era and put forward his opinions and proposals.

In his remarks, Xi stressed that a pool of competent personnel is key to the building of strong armed forces. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the CPC Central Committee and the CMC have prioritized the training of competent personnel in a bid to build a strong military in the new era. Great efforts have been made to reassert the political principle of the Party exercising leadership over personnel, to clarify that the cultivation of military personnel must be combat-oriented, to optimize the layout for the development of military personnel, to deepen reform in human resources policies and systems, and to promote openness and integration in talent work. Historic achievements have thus been made in cultivating military personnel.

Xi noted that the world has entered a new period of volatility and transformation, and instability and uncertainty are increasing in China's national security landscape. In the next five years, the central task for developing our military is to realize its centenary goal. Efforts should be made to comprehensively strengthen military personnel by increasing their awareness of potential dangers, sense of responsibility and willingness to forge ahead.

To ensure the personnel we trained are competent enough to serve the cause of building strong armed forces, it is imperative that we grasp the occupational characteristics of the military service and the laws governing the development of military personnel, and make personnel work more targeted and effective, stressed Xi. We must lay emphasis on political integrity when cultivating, evaluating and appointing personnel, so that the Party's absolute leadership over the military is implemented in the whole process of personnel work, said Xi. He emphasized that the armed forces must always be led by reliable people who are loyal to the Party. Noting that the starting point and ultimate goal of personnel work is to build armed forces that are able to fight and win, Xi called for efforts to enhance the supply of personnel with strong combat readiness in close step with developments in the forms of war.

The armed forces should redouble efforts to study modern science and technology, especially military-related high technology, so that they better understand and apply science and technology to make innovations in this regard, and enhance their caliber by improving scientific and technological competence, said Xi.

Xi noted that further efforts should be made to address prominent issues constraining the armed forces' personnel work, calling for coordinated endeavors to promote reform and innovation in identifying, pooling, cultivating and appointing competent personnel. We should continue to take the approach to cultivating talent by ourselves, expand the channels of talent cultivation and explore new ways in this regard. We should also carry forward the military education policy for the new era, implement the strategy to prioritize the development of military education institutions and advance the reform of those institutions, said Xi.

It is imperative that we cultivate and identify competent personnel in major missions and the frontline. Efforts are needed to make innovations in managing military human resources, make systematic plans for career paths of various personnel, ensure targeted distribution and allocation of them, and promote routine and orderly exchanges. In better serving competent personnel, comprehensive measures should be taken to provide them with sound evaluation, incentives and support, Xi said.

Xi also urged efforts to develop systems for military personnel with comparative strengths, improve supporting policies and ensure smooth transfer between old and new policies.

Xi stressed that strong support from the entire Party and all sectors throughout the country is essential to military personnel work. We should promote military-civilian communication and coordination, strive to meet military demand, and coordinate civilian plans, policies and work with those of the military, so as to deeply integrate our military's personnel work into our country's efforts to develop a quality workforce.

Xi said that both the central Party and government departments, and local Party committees and governments at all levels should raise their awareness of national defense, care as always about military personnel work, and offer support in terms of policy-making and resource-sharing. Military personnel's concerns and difficulties, such as employment of their spouses, kindergarten and school enrollment of their children, implementation of preferential treatment policies, and support for demobilized military personnel, should also be properly addressed. Xi called for concerted efforts to promote military personnel work and further contribute to the cause of strengthening the armed forces. 
Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema (C) addresses the commissioning ceremony of the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project in Kafue, Lusaka Province, Zambia, on July 29, 2022. Zambia on Friday commissioned a project financed by China aimed at improving water supply and sanitation in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. The 150 million U.S. dollars phase-one Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) and constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) would ensure that about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital have access to clean and safe water as well as proper sanitation. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)

KAFUE, Zambia, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Friday commissioned a project financed by China aimed at improving water supply and sanitation in Lusaka, the Zambian capital.

The 150 million U.S. dollars phase-one Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) and constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) would ensure that about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital have access to clean and safe water as well as proper sanitation.

It involved the construction of an intake structure, treatment plant, booster station and transmission lines to deliver a total of 50,000 cubic meters of water per day.

The commissioning ceremony was attended by President Hakainde Hichilema and Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Du Xiaohui, as well as officials from the Chinese firm.

The Chinese Ambassador commended the Chinese firm and other stakeholders for successfully completing the project which will go a long way in improving access to safe and clean drinking water for residents of the Zambian capital, saying the project was meant to solve the problem that the original water supply system faced of not meeting the demand for water in the capital.

According to him, the water supply capacity of the project will provide people in the capital with sufficient, healthy and clean water, and it has also contributed to the creation of local employment and enhanced capacity building.

He said nearly 1,000 local people were employed and trained at the peak of the construction of the project.

Hichilema praised China for financing the construction of the water plant, saying it symbolizes China's sincerity in pursuit of the greater good and shared interest in improving the quality of life of people.

The Zambian president also urged water utility companies in the country to find more innovative ways of efficiently and effectively using water in order to avoid wastage in view of the challenges brought by climate change.

"For example, once the water has been used in our households, we should find ways to harness it again for other uses such as agriculture purposes," he said.

Hichilema, who is also the Global Cholera Control Champion, said he takes seriously the levels of water and sanitation resources as this poses a threat and enables the outbreak of waterborne diseases. He pledged that his government would continue investing in the water sector in order to ensure equitable access to clean and safe drinking people for all as proper sanitation.

Eric Ding, the general manager of the CCECC Zambia, thanked the Zambian government and the local people for their support during the construction period.

He, however, said more financing will be required to undertake the second phase of the project to increase the water supply to the Zambian capital due to the increased population which requires more water. 

Photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows the interior of the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project in Kafue, Lusaka Province, Zambia. Zambia on Friday commissioned a project financed by China aimed at improving water supply and sanitation in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. The 150 million U.S. dollars phase-one Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) and constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) would ensure that about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital have access to clean and safe water as well as proper sanitation. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)

Photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows a building of the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project in Kafue, Lusaka Province, Zambia. Zambia on Friday commissioned a project financed by China aimed at improving water supply and sanitation in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. The 150 million U.S. dollars phase-one Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) and constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) would ensure that about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital have access to clean and safe water as well as proper sanitation. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)

Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema (3rd R) tours the Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project in Kafue, Lusaka Province, Zambia, on July 29, 2022. Zambia on Friday commissioned a project financed by China aimed at improving water supply and sanitation in Lusaka, the Zambian capital. The 150 million U.S. dollars phase-one Kafue Bulk Water Supply Project financed by the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank) and constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) would ensure that about 500,000 people in the Zambian capital have access to clean and safe water as well as proper sanitation. (Xinhua/Martin Mbangweta)
Undated photo shows a snared banteng at the Monk's Community Forestry in Oddar Meanchey province, Cambodia. (World Wildlife Fund/Handout via Xinhua)

"Illegal hunting from the past to the present, coupled with the large number of snares set in the natural forest, fueled by the illegal wildlife trade, constitute some of the main factors threatening Cambodia's wildlife," Ministry of Environment's secretary of state and spokesman Neth Pheaktra said.

MONDULKIRI, Cambodia, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Officials and conservationists said here on Friday that snares have been posing a great menace to wildlife survival in Cambodia, urging greater participation from local people to eradicate snaring and poaching in protected areas.

Ministry of Environment's secretary of state and spokesman Neth Pheaktra said the dire situation of biodiversity decline is not unique to Cambodia, but the global wildlife population, both terrestrial and aquatic, has fallen sharply by an average of 68 percent over the last 50 years.

Photo released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Feb. 11, 2021 shows River Terns flying over the Mekong River in Kratie province, Cambodia. (WWF/Handout via Xinhua)

"Illegal hunting from the past to the present, coupled with the large number of snares set in the natural forest, fueled by the illegal wildlife trade, constitute some of the main factors threatening Cambodia's wildlife," he said at the Zero-Snaring Campaign event.

"Snares are indiscriminate killers and pose a great menace to wildlife survival," he added.

Pheaktra said it's now the time for all to work together to take urgent and innovative conservation measures to help prevent these major threats, especially the snaring.

He added that as conservation has improved, habitats, water sources and forages have been protected, with some wildlife species increasing steadily, some remaining stable and some others dramatically declining, especially the ground-dwelling ungulate species.

Hog deer are captured by a camera trap in the Prek Prasob Wildlife Sanctuary in Kratie, Cambodia in January 2022. (MoE/WWF/Handout via Xinhua)

"Effective law enforcement and economic development must go hand in hand in order to eradicate the snaring crisis," the spokesman said.

Seng Teak, World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Cambodia country director, said concerted actions and strict law enforcement are urgently needed to stop the demand for bush meat and to shut down all forms of wildlife markets.

"One important way to tackle the root causes of wildlife hunting and trafficking is to ensure that people living in and outside protected areas are closely engaged in wildlife conservation, nature-based solutions and sustainable economic development," he said.

The Zero-Snaring Campaign, launched in March 2022 and slated to end in October 2022, covers Stung Treng, Preah Vihear, Kratie, Mondulkiri, Kampong Thom, and Ratanakiri provinces.

"One of the major threats facing wildlife populations in protected areas is indiscriminate hunting, primarily through the use of wire snares," said Nhem Sothun, Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary project manager for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)-Cambodia.

Photo released by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on Oct. 26, 2020 shows Eld's deer in the Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in eastern Cambodia. (Eleanor Briggs/WCS/Handout via Xinhua)

According to the Ministry of Environment, some 61,611 snares had been removed from 72 protected areas and biodiversity corridors across the Southeast Asian country in 2021.

Bou Vorsak, chief executive officer of NatureLife Cambodia, said that from January to June 2022, at least 500 snares were confiscated and removed by rangers and communities from the Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary, which straddles Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri provinces in the northeast.

"This demonstrates that snares are still the main threat to our wildlife," he said. "We strongly urge the relevant government authorities to crack down on the illegal wild meat trade in markets and restaurants. Together we protect our wildlife!"
VALLETTA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Malta's public sector has been certified first in Europe in terms of egovernment services, the Maltese government has announced.

In a statement issued by the principal permanent secretary within the prime minister's office on Friday, it transpired that Malta obtained the first place in the "eGovernment Benchmark Reports 2022" released by the European Commission.

The report analyses online government services of 35 European countries.

Malta obtained an average score of 96 percent, followed by Estonia (90 percent) and Luxembourg (87 percent).

The Maltese public sector, consisting of government ministries and departments, ranked first after coming first in all the criteria of this exercise, the statement said. Malta's score was 28 percent higher than the average.

The head of the Maltese Public Service, Tony Sultana, said this result certifies the high level of the public services rendered in Malta.

He added that such a result would not have been possible without the dedication of the public officers, and the investments made and still to be made so that the Public Service remains at the forefront, with the best digital tools and talent at hand.

The European Union (EU) undertakes the benchmark annually to determine how effectively the public administrations offer their services using modern digital tools and channels. The exercise evaluates the provision and delivery of egovernment services in 35 countries across Europe. These are the 27 EU member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. 
The Grand Duchy has once again obtained the highest possible credit rating from another global agency - just two weeks after being granted a Triple A rating by Fitch.

Minister of Finance Yuriko Backes said: "This further confirmation of our 'AAA' rating is reassuring news in the current highly uncertain macroeconomic environment. This rating testifies to the soundness of the government's responsible fiscal policy and the measures taken to strengthen the resilience of our economy. As we face significant challenges in the months to come, I am confident that the draft State Budget for the year 2023 will reflect a fair balance between maintaining a sound budgetary trajectory and targeted measures in for those who need it most."

According to DBRS Morningstar, Luxembourg's rating is testament to its solid public finances, competitive economy and stable political institutions, despite the difficulties of the last two years.

However, the Grand Duchy's short-term outlook for the economy has suffered due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as well as the accompanying energy price hikes, which saw growth forecasts revised downwards for 2022 and 2023.

Despite these circumstances, the agency said Luxembourg could withstand further shocks, due to its robust economy and resilient financial centre.

Credit rating agency S&P published a similar report on 29 July 2022, drawing similar conclusions to DBRS Morningstar.
China's Qinghai has generated nearly 9.98 billion kWh of electricity using clean energy during a 35-day "green power" campaign, equivalent to saving over 4.53 million tonnes of raw coal or slashing 8.16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.







Produced by Xinhua Global Service
DAR ES SALAAM, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian authorities said Friday plans are underway to collar elephants to enable game rangers to track stray elephants that raid farm crops and residential areas.

"The collaring of elephants will enable game rangers to respond in real-time before the animals raid residential areas and wreak havoc on farm crops," said Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Mary Masanja.

Masanja announced the collaring of the elephants when she visited Goha, Kwalukonge and Kweisewa villages, all in Tanga region's Korogwe district, which have been victims of elephant raids.

The deputy minister said since the collaring of elephants is an expensive undertaking, it will only be done in hotspot areas where elephant raids occur regularly.

The collars include Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) tracking devices that are placed around an elephant's neck to monitor their movements and behavior as well as to assist with conservation actions.

On July 19, Tanzania's Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Pindi Chana said 19 centers will be built across the country for controlling straying wild animals that damage farm crops.

She said game rangers will be deployed to the centers to respond to raids by the wild animals on residential areas and farm crops.

In May, Chana said the wild animals, including elephants, lions and hippos, were reported to invade villages in at least the country's 53 districts out of 134 districts. 
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 29, 2022. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Xinhua)

TASHKENT, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) here on Friday.

During the meeting, Wang said that the world today is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation, profound changes unseen in a century are resonating with the most serious pandemic in 100 years, and international and regional hotspot issues keep cropping up.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has grasped the pulse of historical development and echoed the voices of people from all over the world. He proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, contributing Chinese wisdom and public goods to solving the problems of the times, which has received positive responses from the international community, including the SCO member states, Wang said.

Faced with the arduous task of development and stability, we must uphold the Shanghai Spirit, work together and help each other to build a closer SCO community with a shared future, the Chinese top diplomat said, who also put forward a five-point proposal.

Wang stressed that China will take the hosting of the SCO prime ministers' meeting in November this year as an opportunity to promote the coordinated and efficient development of the regional economy.

China has always regarded the SCO as a priority in its diplomacy, and will use its own development to help the development of countries in the region, and inject more positive energy into the security of all countries and the well-being of the people, he said.

The foreign ministers who participated in the meeting fully affirmed the important role played by the SCO in consolidating the strategic mutual trust among member states, promoting regional development and prosperity, and deepening people-to-people bonds. They believed that solidarity and coordination should be further strengthened, and multilateralism should be activated, so as to adapt to the rapidly changing international situation.

They agreed to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, improve the level of regional connectivity, and believed that the SCO will play a greater role in promoting the stability of international production and supply chains.

They also pledged to make good use of the rich cultural resources of countries in the region and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation. They discussed the establishment of the SCO Development Bank and agreed to advance the SCO membership expansion process in an orderly manner.

All parties spoke highly of the work of Uzbekistan which holds the SCO's rotating presidency, and supported the SCO Secretariat and regional anti-terrorist agencies to strengthen their own construction and provide stronger guarantees for the organization's cooperation in various fields.

The meeting made comprehensive preparations for the SCO summit in the city of Samarkand to be held this autumn, and also adopted draft documents that will be submitted to the summit for deliberation.

During his stay in Uzbekistan, Wang also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, and participated in Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's collective meeting. 

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 29, 2022. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Xinhua)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 29, 2022. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Xinhua)
TBILISI, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A Georgian border police helicopter crashed Friday in a ravine of northern Georgia, killing eight onboard, according to the Georgian Interior Minister.

Vakhtang Gomelauri, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, said Friday that all eight people onboard had died in the crash.

"Unfortunately, 8 people died. One person who was paragliding had been injured and a foreign tourist had died," Gomelauri told local media.

Later, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili declared July 30 a day of mourning across the country due to the tragedy that had occurred.

Earlier Friday, a Georgian border police helicopter on a rescue operation in the winter resort town of Gudauri in the north of the country lost control and crashed in a ravine, according to the Georgian Interior Ministry.

The ministry said in a statement on its website that totally eight persons including four crew members, two rescuers and two medical staff were on board when the accident happened.

They were on a mission to rescue some paragliders in the ravine, said the statement. 
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 29, 2022. (China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Handout via Xinhua)

TASHKENT, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi here on Friday denounced the disinformation campaign by some countries clamoring "forced labor" in Xinjiang.

While attending the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Wang noted that some countries have recently manipulated Xinjiang-related issues and fabricated false information about the so-called "forced labor."

Wang pointed out that such attempts, under the pretext of human rights, are in fact intended to undermine the prosperity and stability of Xinjiang and contain China's development and revitalization.

Wang stressed that the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang will never allow this, and all Chinese people will never agree to it.

The SCO countries have suffered deeply due to external interferences, he said, urging them to learn from historical experience and stand against any attempt to interfere in other countries' internal affairs, instigate color revolutions or subvert legitimate governments.

Wang stressed that the SCO countries should firmly support each other in pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions and in taking major measures to maintain social stability, as well as work together to create a sound environment for the development and revitalization of regional countries. 
Customers are seen at the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, California, the United States, July 29, 2022. Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California has dropped plans to reinstitute a COVID-19 mask mandate amid falling number of cases and hospitalizations. Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from Friday. (Xinhua)

LOS ANGELES, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California has dropped plans to reinstitute a COVID-19 mask mandate amid falling number of cases and hospitalizations.

Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from Friday.

But with new cases and hospitalizations falling and the region set to move back into the "medium" community level of virus spread, officials said that they would hold off on taking action.

"We're on a decline right now," Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. "We're glad to see this. It would be welcome relief if this current surge has peaked."

Based on available data, there is no need for a mandatory masking measure in the immediate future, she said.

"It's reasonable to assume that the recent decline we have seen in cases will lead to continued decreases in hospital admissions over the next couple of weeks," Ferrer said.

"Although there's no way to predict the future, the case and hospital admission status suggests that there's less transmission," she added. 

Customers are seen at the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, California, the United States, July 29, 2022. Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California has dropped plans to reinstitute a COVID-19 mask mandate amid falling number of cases and hospitalizations. Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from Friday. (Xinhua)

Customers are seen at the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, California, the United States, July 29, 2022. Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California has dropped plans to reinstitute a COVID-19 mask mandate amid falling number of cases and hospitalizations. Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from Friday. (Xinhua)

Customers are seen at the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, California, the United States, July 29, 2022. Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California has dropped plans to reinstitute a COVID-19 mask mandate amid falling number of cases and hospitalizations. Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from Friday. (Xinhua)

Customers are seen at the Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, California, the United States, July 29, 2022. Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California has dropped plans to reinstitute a COVID-19 mask mandate amid falling number of cases and hospitalizations. Health officials in the county, which has a population of 10 million people, had planned to make masks indoors mandatory from Friday. (Xinhua)
Rosemary DiCarlo, UN under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, speaks during the UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York, July 29, 2022. DiCarlo said on Friday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ending, despite an "encouraging" grain deal. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Rosemary DiCarlo, UN under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said on Friday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ending, despite an "encouraging" grain deal.

Ambassadors were briefed by the UN political affairs chief, who pointed to the recent agreement on the safe resumption of grain exports via the Black Sea as a bright light in the conflict, though acknowledging the dim prospects for peace.

"The grain agreement is a sign that dialogue between the parties is possible in the search to ease human suffering," said DiCarlo.

She added that the United Nations is making every effort to support implementation of the deal, which was signed last week in Turkiye.

The conflict's impact globally is "glaringly clear," said DiCarlo, noting that the consequences will only become more pronounced the longer fighting lasts, particularly with the onset of winter.

"Despite the encouraging developments on grain and fertilizers, we remain deeply concerned about the lack of prospects for a shift towards a meaningful resumption of diplomatic efforts to end the war," she told the Security Council.

"Escalatory rhetoric from any side, including about expanding the conflict geographically or denying Ukraine's statehood, is not consistent with the constructive spirit demonstrated in Istanbul," she said. 

Photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows the UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York. Rosemary DiCarlo, UN under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, said on Friday that the Russia-Ukraine conflict shows no signs of ending, despite an "encouraging" grain deal. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
ALGIERS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Jian has hailed China and Algeria as "truly comprehensive strategic partners" underpinned by mutual trust and support.

The Chinese envoy made the remarks at a reception held on Thursday evening at the Chinese embassy in Algiers to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

"China and Algeria are truly comprehensive strategic partners; they enjoy solid political mutual trust and have always supported each other firmly on issues of fundamental interests and major concerns," Li said.

Both countries share convergent views on international and regional issues, and work together to safeguard the common interests of developing countries, maintain global peace and stability, and promote international justice," he said.

Algiers and Beijing are "committed to continuing to deepen their economic and trade cooperation, and pursuing the high-quality construction of the Belt and Road Initiative," he noted.

The Chinese envoy also applauded the "key relationship" between the militaries of China and Algeria, which work hand in hand to deal with various threats and challenges, and safeguard their common interests.

He added that "the frequent exchanges between the two militaries at all levels and the deepening of military-industrial cooperation continue to give new impetus for bilateral ties."

Hu Xijun, the military attache of the Chinese embassy in Algiers, reviewed the achievements the Chinese military has made under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China.

He said that the Chinese military has the determination, confidence and capability to prevail over all threats and challenges, and make new and greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Hu hailed the fruitful results of the pragmatic cooperation between the two militaries of China and Algeria, noting that Algeria participated in the second China-Africa Peace and Security Forum and a Chinese team will attend the International Military game in Algeria.

"The all-round cooperation will continuously strengthen the bilateral military relationship and push it to a new level," Hu said.

The ceremony was also attended by Algerian government and military officials, in addition to ambassadors and military attaches from other countries. 
An ARJ21 passenger aircraft, the 2,000th aircraft leased by the Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone (DFTP), parks at the Tianjin Binhai International Airport in north China's Tianjin, July 29, 2022. DFTP launched the aviation leasing business in 2009. It now has developed into the world's second-largest aviation leasing hub, after Ireland, in terms of the overall asset volume. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

TIANJIN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A newly-leased plane was delivered on Friday in Dongjiang Free Trade Port Zone (DFTP) in the northern Chinese municipality of Tianjin, marking the 2,000th aircraft on lease since aviation leasing business began in the zone in 2009.

Aircraft leasing is increasingly becoming the preferred option in the global civil aviation industry.

In China, out of 4,054 registered passenger planes by the end of 2021, 62 percent were leased, up from 35 percent in 2010, statistics showed.

"Leasing allows airlines to reduce cost and expand route layout and have more flexibility with capital and liquidity," said Yang Liu, head of the zone's administrative committee. "This also helps to promote the development of the civil aviation industry."

While the global aviation industry experienced a sharp drop in business after the outbreak of the pandemic, DFTP still logged a rise in the aircraft financial leasing sector, with over 170 new planes leased in 2021.

By 2021, 15 Chinese-funded aircraft lessors were among the world's top 50, up from just one in 2009.

The maturing of leasing companies have also contributed to the growth of China's civil aviation industry. The 2,000th leased aircraft is an ARJ21 passenger aircraft developed by the state-owned plane-maker Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC).

"So far a total of 68 ARJ21 aircraft have been delivered, of which 80 percent are on lease," said Huang Zuhuan, director of the strategy and management innovation department & aircraft finance department of COMAC.

"With more and more Chinese leasing companies joining the market, the voice and bargaining power of these companies have been getting stronger, which has also helped reduce the cost of aircraft procurement," said Li Peng, deputy CEO of ICBC Aviation Leasing.

"The annual rental rates that airlines pay for the same type of aircraft have been falling, from 10 percent in 2010 to about 7 percent so far," Li added.

ICBC Aviation Leasing now has business with more than 80 airlines in 38 countries and regions. "Emerging markets, especially countries and regions along the Belt and Road, are the focus of our business development," noted Li. 
French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and his wife Brigitte Macron (L) welcome President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (C) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, July 18, 2022. (Photo by Rit Heize/Xinhua)

Analysts say behind these moves is a shared quest for development and security by regional countries, as they seek to take back into their own hands the strategic autonomy long overshadowed by the U.S. influence.

by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng

TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Days after U.S. President Joe Biden wrapped up his first Middle East tour aimed at rallying support, a host of regional developments has taken place in the region, demonstrating regional countries' eager pursuit of strategic autonomy and their weariness of U.S. interference.

Following Biden's visit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Iran together with Russian President Vladimir Putin; President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan chose Paris, instead of Washington, as the destination of his first overseas state visit, while Tehran and Riyadh have agreed to hold their public reconciliation talks.

Analysts say behind these moves is a shared quest for development and security by regional countries, as they seek to take back into their own hands the strategic autonomy long overshadowed by the U.S. influence.





RELUCTANCE TO TAKE SIDES

As the Ukraine crisis keeps escalating, most Middle Eastern countries have declined to join the "anti-Russian camp" led by the United States, highlighting the split between them. For instance, the UAE in February abstained from voting in favor of a U.S.-backed resolution to condemn Russia at the United Nations Security Council.

On the energy issue, the United States and Britain have been urging oil-rich countries in the Middle East to increase petroleum production in order to lower oil prices and ease their energy crisis, thereby creating policy space to further pressure Russia.

However, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have not shown much interest in cooperating with the United States on oil matters as such a move undermines their national interests. Riyadh has repeatedly said the kingdom's oil production will not be increased until an agreement is reached with its partners in OPEC+ during their next meeting in August.

Middle Eastern countries have shown "more and more confidence in the face of world powers," wrote Fan Hongda, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University in China, adding that traditional energy powers in the Middle East "are rapidly recovering" and letting their voices be heard on the international stage.





WIND OF RECONCILIATION

Biden's first Middle East tour meant to rally support to counter what he called "Iranian threats," but the actual achievement is at best watered-down. Though Washington has been pumping up Iran's threat, Iraq said recently it will host a "public" meeting between Iran and Saudi Arabia at the level of foreign ministers as part of successive reconciliation talks mediated by Baghdad.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi (C), Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pose for a photo ahead of a trilateral meeting on the situation in Syria, in Tehran, Iran, on July 19, 2022. (Iranian Presidential Website/Handout via Xinhua)

Such a possible thaw in Iran-Saudi Arabia relations is part of a wider reconciliation drive in the region as countries such as Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt have also been adjusting their foreign policies and patching up their relations after years of antagonism.

For long, the United States has been trying to consolidate its regional influence through provoking bloc confrontation, and taken advantage of strained ties among regional countries to interfere, but this has been widely recognized by Middle Eastern countries as being against the interests of the region, politicians and analysts say.

"Dialogue is the best policy to address the existing tensions," Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said recently, adding that "the region has enough crises, and we do not need more tensions."

In parallel to reducing tensions, development grows "increasingly important" on the national agenda of Middle Eastern countries, and regional countries have been strengthening cooperation with each other to achieve development, Fan said.





"AWAKENING MIDDLE EAST"

Biden, speaking at a summit with Arab leaders as part of his recent trip, said that the United States "will not walk away" from the Middle East and leave a so-called "vacuum" to be filled by other major countries.

U.S. President Joe Biden participates in a working session with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud at the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, July 15, 2022. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via Xinhua)

Yet, such a remark by Biden mirrors "serious problems with the current perception of the Middle East in the United States," and "the constantly awakening Middle Eastern countries are consciously getting rid of or reducing the influence of world powers on the region," Fan said.

The Middle East is being reshaped, and this process features greater role by countries within the region, said Fan.

Meanwhile, the Middle East's oil-rich economies, to gain autonomy, have tried to diversify their economies and reduce their reliance on hydrocarbons in recent years, so as to enhance their ability to withstand risks.

"Foreign powers have a deep economic, political and military footprint in the region. An economically independent Middle East can challenge the established patterns of external hegemony and undermine the prolonged legacy of divide and rule," Adeel Malik, an economy researcher at the University of Oxford, wrote. 
POST Luxembourg has announced new prices will come into effect from 1 September, with standard letters rising from 0.80 to one euro.

The price increases will affect both domestic and international post. Standard letters sent to Luxembourg addresses will now cost 20 cents more, while international letters have increased by 35 cents.

 Post

This marks the first price increase for POST Luxembourg since 1 May 2019. In a statement published on Friday, the service said the increases were due to rising labour costs, as well as infrastructure and transport.

Domestic post for standard letters will now cost 1 euro, while letters to Europe will rise to 1.40 and post to the rest of the world will cost 1.75. Postage for parcels will also be subjected to price increases.

The new tariffs have been approved by the Luxembourg Institute of Regulation (ILR).

The average Luxembourg household used just 6 stamps in 2021.
MOSCOW, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the situation in Ukraine during a phone conversation on Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov outlined Russia's principled approaches in light of the ongoing special military operation, stressing that its goals and objectives will be achieved, the statement said.

They also discussed global food security and problems of bilateral relations, the statement said. 
*Exceptional heatwaves have been sweeping across much of the Northern Hemisphere for several weeks, where blazing weather has paralyzed infrastructure, harmed food production and threatened energy security.



*As a "wake-up call" for green cooperation in safeguarding the climate, food and energy security, the extreme weather events highlight the need for global joint efforts to cut emissions and shift to more renewable energies.

*Sam Fankhauser, professor of climate economics and policy at the University of Oxford, said that record-breaking energy bills were replaced in the headlines by record-breaking heat, which was a stark reminder of the risks of climate change and the urgent need to decrease global carbon emissions.

by Xinhua writer Zhang Yisheng

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Exceptional heatwaves have been sweeping across much of the Northern Hemisphere for several weeks, where blazing weather has paralyzed infrastructure, harmed food production and threatened energy security.

Experts warn that the occurrence of extreme heatwaves simultaneously worldwide is no coincidence. Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense, Chao Qingchen, director and researcher of China's National Climate Center, told Xinhua.

As a "wake-up call" for green cooperation in safeguarding the climate, food and energy security, the extreme weather events highlight the need for global joint efforts to cut emissions and shift to more renewable energies.





HEATWAVES

Record-breaking temperatures have caused drought and wildfires in Europe.

In Britain, temperatures breached 40 degrees Celsius on July 19, the first time in history. Local authorities have warned of travel disruptions and suggested people work from home in the coming days.

France has been experiencing a sweltering summer, and firefighters across the country have raised concerns over the growing possibility of wildfires.

A person is seen covering the head with a blouse near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, on June 16, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Western France has been subjected to unprecedented temperatures, French daily Le Monde reported on July 19. The third most intense heatwave was observed in France since 1947, and "there is still no end in sight," it said.

Italy is bracing for a record hot July, with a red alert warning for extreme heat issued in 16 cities last week. Several parts of Italy have seen wildfires, including a massive one in the central region of Tuscany, which has burned more than 850 hectares of land and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate.

Local authorities said the country's national firefighting corps intervened in 32,921 wildfires from June 15 to July 21, 4,040 more than in the same period last year.

Heatwaves have also scorched parts of China. On Thursday, the country's national observatory continued to issue an orange alert for high temperatures. In parts of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Xinjiang, temperatures may exceed 40 degrees Celsius, said China's National Meteorological Center.

People walk on the street amid high temperature in Minhang District of east China's Shanghai, July 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Ying)

Tens of millions of people across the United States have been living under various heat advisories and warnings last week in more than two dozen states, from parts of the American West to New England. The extreme heat was most intense in the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley.

Heatwaves are occurring more often than they used to in major cities across the country, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo taken on July 21, 2022 shows a sun-scorched cornfield in Allen, Texas, the United States. (Photo by Xin Jin/Xinhua)

The agency said that prolonged exposure to excessive heat could damage crops, injure or kill livestock, and increase the risk of wildfires, adding that prolonged periods of extreme heat can lead to power outages as heavy demands for air conditioning strain the power grid.





CLIMATE WARNING

The record-shredding temperatures would have been "virtually impossible" in Britain in an "undisrupted climate," said Stephen Belcher, chief scientist at the Met Office, Britain's national weather service.

"But climate change driven by greenhouse gases have made these temperatures possible, and we're actually seeing that possibility now," Belcher said, adding that if the world keeps emitting greenhouse gases at current levels, such heatwaves are likely to occur in Britain every three years.

The temperatures have been a couple of degrees warmer than during previous heatwaves, Matt Lanza, a meteorologist with Space City Weather, told the Houston Chronicle, adding "that is very consistent with what is expected in climate change."

"Human-caused climate change is intensifying heatwaves, droughts and flooding events," said Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading.

A man sits in Greenwich Park on a hot summer day in London, Britain, July 18, 2022. (Photo by Tim Ireland/Xinhua)

The global heatwaves should be a warning for the future, The Washington Post wrote in an editorial, underlining that "a greater rise in temperature would be even more calamitous, with unthinkable consequences for global hunger, disease, migration, productivity and standards of living."

Sizzling temperatures have impacted agricultural production, creating a knock-on effect on food prices.

For example, Italy's agricultural association Coldiretti has warned that the drought has threatened 30-40 percent of the national seasonal harvest. Milk production will decline in the following weeks due to overheated livestock.

The extreme heat has pushed Europe's power system to "the limit," testing energy policies typically geared toward meeting demand in winter, Bloomberg reported, adding that "the hot weather is exacerbating Europe's worst energy crisis in decades."

The heat engulfing Japan brought about the shortest rainy season in the Tokyo area since records became available in 1951. For the first time in seven years, the Japanese government requested that businesses and households conserve electricity for three months to avoid a power crunch as temperatures hit record highs.

Photo taken on July 2, 2022 shows an energy-saving notice and electric fans at a supermarket in Tokyo, Japan. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaoyu)





CALL FOR GREEN ACTIONS

In response to the challenges posed by heatwaves, several U.S. cities appointed chief heat officers in 2021, while the city of Los Angeles announced the appointment of Marta Segura as its first-ever chief heat officer in early June this year.

"If we don't modernize our infrastructure and create climate-adapted cities and revise our building codes, it's going to get worse, and it's going to get more uninhabitable," Segura said in an interview with National Public Radio on July 23.

Efforts will be made to create cool surfaces and cool roofs to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings and infrastructure and "reduce what's called the urban heat island," said Segura.

A woman pours water on her head during a heatwave in Athens, Greece, on June 22, 2022. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

China attaches great importance to adapting to climate change, said Chao, mentioning the national climate change adaptation strategy 2035, which has detailed measures to boost China's climate change monitoring and risk prevention capabilities.

Chao said that various sectors and industries have issued action plans on adapting to climate change to empower the country to build a climate-resilient society by 2035.

From "melted" airport runways to "exhausted" front-line staff, the likely economic impacts of the extreme heat "are staggering," said Cameron Hepburn, director of the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford.

"Some people say the cost of transitioning from fossil fuels will be too high, but the opposite is true -- the true cost of inaction on climate change is both economically and socially untenable," Hepburn said. "We know that investing in green energy like wind and solar leads to more jobs, cheaper energy costs and limits the risks of impacts like extreme weather."

Sam Fankhauser, professor of climate economics and policy at the University of Oxford, said that record-breaking energy bills were replaced in the headlines by record-breaking heat, which was a stark reminder of the risks of climate change and the urgent need to decrease global carbon emissions.

"We cannot solve one problem by aggravating the other," Fankhauser said. "Any new fossil fuel investment should be seen as 'borrowing emissions from the future' -- and increasing the risks of extreme weather like we are seeing today."

"We must seize this opportunity to further invest in clean energy, greenhouse gas removal and reforming energy sector policy and fiscal strategy," Fankhauser said.

"These extreme weather events are a big wake-up call for leaders, whether in business or in government, to really act in increasing the emission reductions that should be undertaken already," Angela Consuelo Ibay, climate change and energy program head at World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines, told Xinhua. (Video reporters: Zhao Xiaona, Guo Shuang, Larry Neild; video editors: Liu Xiaorui, Liu Ruoshi, Yin Le) 
Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr head toward the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

BAGHDAD, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr started on Saturday an open sit-in inside the Iraqi parliament building in central Baghdad, while his political opponents called on their supporters to prepare for a counter-protest.

"The people choose the open sit-in in the parliament," Ibrahim al-Jaberi, head of al-Sadr's office, wrote on his Facebook page.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of al-Sadr's followers broke into the Green Zone, which houses the main government headquarters, residencies of some top political leaders and some foreign embassies, and entered the Iraqi parliament building for the second time in three days.



A protester raises the Iraqi flag during protests by followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

A statement by the Iraqi Health Ministry said up to 100 people and 25 security personnel were wounded when security forces tried to prevent the demonstrators from entering the Green Zone.

Videos aired by TV channels and circulated on social media showed dozens of demonstrators inside the parliament building waving Iraqi flags and hailing their leader Moqtada al-Sadr.

In a statement, Iraqi President Barham Salih urged everyone to keep calm and resort to dialogue to ensure the country's security and stability and consolidate its civil and social peace.

In a televised speech, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called on everyone "to be calm, patient, and rational, and not to be drawn into confrontation."

"We must all cooperate to stop those who accelerate this sedition, and everyone must know that the fire of sedition will burn everyone, so the political blocs must resort to negotiation for the sake of Iraq and the Iraqis," he said.

Later in the day, dozens of al-Sadr's followers continued to enter the Green Zone to participate in the public sit-in inside the parliament building.

Followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr remove concrete barriers to enter the heavily fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

Meanwhile, a statement issued by al-Sadr's opponents in the Coordination Framework, an umbrella group of Shiite parliamentary parties, called on "the people who believe in the law and constitutional legitimacy to demonstrate peacefully in defense of the state, its legitimacy, and its institutions."

For his part, Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi announced in a statement the suspension of the parliament sessions "until further notice," calling on all leaders and political blocs to gather for an urgent national meeting.

In the evening, another statement by the Coordination Framework said that it was decided to postpone the date of the counter-demonstrations until further notice and to give time for dialogue and positive political solutions after some CF leaders, tribal, and religious leaders tried to ease the tension.

A man was injured during protests by followers of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Baghdad, Iraq, on July 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)

On Wednesday, hundreds of al-Sadr followers broke into the parliament building after the Coordination Framework, an umbrella group of Shiite parliamentary parties, nominated Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Monday for the post of prime minister.

The Coordination Framework became the largest alliance in the Iraqi parliament after al-Sadr ordered his followers in the Sadrist Movement, the biggest winner in the elections held on Oct. 10, 2021 with 73 seats, to withdraw from the parliament.

During the past months, the continued disputes among the Shiite parties have hampered the formation of a new Iraqi government, as the parliament has been unable to elect a new president by a two-thirds majority of the 329-seat parliament under the constitution.

The president, if elected, will appoint the prime minister nominated by the largest alliance in the parliament, the Coordination Framework, to form a new government that would rule the country for the coming four years. 
Photo taken on July 22, 2022 shows an electrical vehicle imported by Green Tech Africa and a charging station at its showroom in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)

ADDIS ABABA, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A striking phrase written in Amharic, Ethiopia's working language, is visible on each side of cars displayed inside a showroom located on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The phrase reads "An Electric Vehicle" -- a rare sight in a country where electric mobility is in its infancy.

The showroom, which exclusively displays a wide range of electric vehicles for potential Ethiopian buyers, belongs to Green Tech Africa, an East African-based renewable energy company that works in partnership with major Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers as part of its aspirations to promote electric mobility in Ethiopia and beyond across the African continent.

As the Ethiopian government recently engaged in an ambitious effort to fast-track the transition into electric mobility in the face of the global fuel uncertainties, the company has recently partnered with the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport in a series of events that envisaged creating public awareness of e-mobility.

One such initiative is a one-month-long free electric vehicle transportation campaign for Addis Ababa residents.

The phenomenon has caught the attention of many on the streets of Addis Ababa, most of whom are experiencing their first-ever battery electric vehicle excursion.

Kidem Tesfaye, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Green Tech Africa, said that a growing number of Ethiopians are lately interested in electric cars.

The Ethiopian government, preoccupied with the mammoth cost of fuel that was further exacerbated by the current global fuel price hikes, is recently promoting electric vehicles as a viable solution.

The East African country spends an estimated annual average of 4 billion U.S. dollars for the purchase of fuel, according to government figures. For comparison, Ethiopia's overall export revenue during the Ethiopian 2021/2022 fiscal year that ended earlier this month was 4.12 billion U.S. dollars.

Experts argued that Ethiopia, which spends a major part of its forex earnings on fossil fuels, should tap into the global climate change agenda as its priority to reduce emissions.

"As a water tower of Northeast Africa, Ethiopia is potentially endowed with plenty of hydroelectric potential. Hence, it makes sense that we look to electric cars as a future machine of mobility," Costantinos Bt. Costantinos, professor of public policy at the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"Carmakers are looking at alternative fuel sources, with the aim to reduce harmful exhaust emissions while still delivering the kind of all-round performance and range capabilities," Costantinos said, as he advised Ethiopia to follow suit.

The Ethiopian government, as part of its 10-Years Perspective Development Plan that runs from 2021 to 2030, plans to import 4,800 electric buses and 148,000 electric automobiles.

Tesfaye argued that cognizant of the current global shift toward electric vehicles, the East African country should aspire even higher.

Many argue that Ethiopia's transportation system has been a key source of carbon dioxide emissions with the influx of cheap used cars that are imported into the country, where brand new cars are a rare sight and electric vehicles are nearly unheard of until very recently.

Tesfaye emphasized that Green Tech Africa, working in collaboration with its Chinese partners, envisaged changing the situation by introducing Chinese-made electric vehicles that are convenient to the local demand.

The company currently is importing the cars from Chinese car manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Corporation and has plans to establish a car assembly factory in the near future toward realizing its ultimate goal of becoming the manufacturing hub of electrical vehicles in Africa.

"Within the next ten years, we see Green Tech Africa (becoming) the manufacturing hub of electrical vehicles and having at least 60 percent of the electric vehicle components manufactured locally," Tesfaye said. 

An electrical vehicle imported by Green Tech Africa is charged at its showroom in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)

Kidem Tesfaye, chief executive officer of Green Tech Africa, shows how to operate a charging station at a company showroom in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)

Photo taken on July 22, 2022 shows electrical vehicles imported by Green Tech Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)

An electrical vehicle imported by Green Tech Africa is charged at its showroom in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on July 22, 2022. (Photo by Michael Tewelde/Xinhua)
MOGADISHU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Somali National Army (SNA) and forces from the southwestern region on Saturday killed three al-Shabab terrorists in a joint offensive in the region, a local official said.

A military official who led the security operation near Tosweyne village in Bardale district told the Somali News Agency that several militants who have been terrorizing the locals escaped with serious injuries.

"The terrorists have harassed and displaced several people in the villages. This operation was meant to flush them out of Bardale district," Aidarus Abdullahi Sheikh, a commander who led the operation, told the news agency.

The latest operation came a day after two people including a state minister were killed and several others wounded in a blast in Baidoa, in southwestern Somalia. South-West State Minister of Justice Hassan Ibrahim Hassan (Lugbur) and his son were killed by an explosive device near his home after leaving the mosque in Baidoa Friday.

Al-Shabab still controls some parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere. Allied forces have intensified military operations in territory formerly controlled by the extremist group. Al-Shabab was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011. 
DAR ES SALAAM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Environmental authorities in Tanzania said on Saturday preparations are underway for the launch of a countrywide cleanliness campaign to be known as "my dustbin".

Selemani Jafo, the Minister of State in the Vice-President's Office responsible for Union and Environment, said the campaign will involve placing dustbins in urban centers in all districts and regions across the east African nation.

"The objective of the 'my dustbin' campaign is to keep our urban centers clean. We don't want to see rubbish in our urban centers, including food waste, plastic bottles and banana peels," said the official.

He also directed district and regional authorities to make sure that markets at their places remained clean instead of turning them into dumping grounds.

Jafo said experience showed that most of the markets in urban centers were an eyesore with heaps of unattended garbage. 
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto speaks during a press event in Budapest, Hungary, on July 29, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

BUDAPEST, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker NIO is building its first overseas plant in Hungary, vice president of NIO Europe Zhang Hui and Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto informed here on Friday at a press event.

The new 10,000 m2 plant will be located in Biatorbagy, some 20 km west of Budapest. NIO said its entire European network would be supplied from the battery-swap stations built in its new Hungarian plant, which is expected to be operational in September.

NIO's famous battery swap-stations do not recharge a discharged battery, but replace it with a fully charged one, thus reducing the time needed to charge an electric vehicle to that of simply fueling up a petrol car.

In the long-term, the plant will be expanded into a service and R&D (research and development) center, providing after-sales services, business training and technical research and development related to the battery-swap stations.

Szijjarto said that the Hungarian government supported the investment by 1.7 billion forints (4.29 million U.S. dollars).

"The electric automotive revolution is the most decisive process of the world economy, and its current pace is dictated from the East, so there is a serious competition for such related investments," Szijjarto said.

He also said that the Hungarian economy was basically based on the automotive industry, as the sector accounts for nearly a third of the small Central European country's manufacturing output.

"That is why it is a key issue to attract as many investments as possible that are linked to the electric transition," Szijjarto underlined.

The chief of Hungarian diplomacy also said that the current Hungary-China relations were stable, predictable and based on mutual respect, and recalled that a total of 20 large Chinese enterprises have invested in Hungary in the last three years.

Zhang said that besides the strong support and enthusiasm of the Hungarian government, NIO chose to build its factory in Hungary because of a skilled workforce, especially in the area of research and development, an open mind to new technologies, flexibility in business, and great infrastructure.

In an interview with Xinhua, Zhang said that the decision to build a plant in Hungary is of great significance to NIO's globalization strategy. NIO's goal is to become the company with the highest user satisfaction in the world, and the construction and operation of the Hungarian factory will help NIO improve its market layout in Europe, improve service efficiency, and bring European users a better car experience.

According to Zhang, following its entry in the Norwegian market in 2021, NIO's products and full-system services will be officially launched in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark this year. The new Hungarian plant will assist NIO in the construction of battery-swap stations and preparation for providing battery-swap services for users in these countries. (1 U.S. dollar = 395.42 Hungarian forints) 

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (L, rear) speaks during a press event in Budapest, Hungary, on July 29, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto (R) shakes hands with Vice President of NIO Europe Zhang Hui during a press event in Budapest, Hungary, on July 29, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

Vice President of NIO Europe Zhang Hui (L, rear) speaks during a press event in Budapest, Hungary, on July 29, 2022. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)
ISLAMABAD: The foreign minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, spoke with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting foreign minister of the interim government of Afghanistan, and emphasised the importance of increased cooperation to advance economic integration and regional connectivity, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

In a conversation with Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Tashkent during the SCO Foreign Ministers meeting, he stressed the possibility of ending the four-decade struggle and establishing long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan and the surrounding area.

The Foreign Minister emphasised Pakistan's numerous efforts to facilitate international humanitarian aid and boost bilateral relations with Afghanistan.

He also emphasised the necessity of greater collaboration to advance regional connectivity and economic integration. He underlined Pakistan's support for regional infrastructure and connectivity initiatives like TAPI, CASA 1000, and TAP.

Amir Khan Muttaqi, Afghanistan's acting foreign minister, praised the foreign minister for distributing aid and for providing shelter to Afghan refugees for the past forty years.

During their discussions on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, Zardari underlined Pakistan's commitment to regional connectivity and infrastructure projects, the Ministry noted in a statement on Friday.

Following the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Afghanistan, he reaffirmed Pakistan's solidarity and support for the Afghan people and added that Pakistan remained steadfastly dedicated to a peaceful, stable, prosperous, and linked Afghanistan, as per reports from Xinhua news.

According to the statement, the Foreign Minister emphasised the various measures Pakistan has done to support bilateral relations with Afghanistan and facilitate outside humanitarian aid.

Muttaqi praised Pakistan for providing humanitarian aid and for sheltering Afghan refugees for the previous forty years.

Taliban's crackdown on Afghan women is intensifying

Taliban gets a vow of economic aid from Russia, Uzbekistan

Afghan, Pakistan to form visa-facilitating commission
Dhaka: Atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh are not taking the name of stopping. Where a Hindu girl was molested by a man and then killed. The accused then posted the girl's picture on Facebook and declared that she was dead. The deceased girl has been identified as Anuradha Sen, a child belonging to the Hindu minority community at Nalitabari Upazila in Sherpur, Bangladesh.

Muslims kidnapped 15 year old Anuradha Sen in Bangladesh. Later a photo of her was shared on her own Facebook a/c & it was written that no need to find her, she is dead.



Same thing happened in India in case of Nishank Rathode. World in silence is observing Hindi Genocide. pic.twitter.com/eacEOFGI3M  Radharamn Das   (@RadharamnDas) July 29, 2022

According to the report, the Hindu girl who was first kidnapped, then after her murder, the accused had uploaded her picture on her Facebook account. In the caption of the post, the accused wrote, "There is no need to find her. She is dead.'' In this case, a man named Bari Mehdi is being suspected as he had earlier threatened Anuradha's brother over the phone. According to reports, the victim had appeared for the 10th board exam from Bankura High School this year. It is said in the case that the who had kidnapped the victim, had earlier pretended to call the girl from her school to provide government funds for her further studies.

The incident is reported to have taken place on Sunday, July 25, when the accused called Anuradha's mother and asked her to send the girl to school to collect the money. The caller said that financial assistance is being provided by the government to certain students and Anuradha is one of them. However, the girl's family later came to know that the man had trapped the girl by lying and calling her to school and had molested her. When the victim's father went to the school and searched for her, there was no trace of the deceased. He then lodged a complaint at the Nalitabari police station.

Meanwhile, the girl's brother said that he had received a call from a man named Bari Mehdi a few days ago. The man had spoken about Anuradha. He had said that he had met the girl on Facebook and claimed that he had an affair with Anuradha. Bari Mehdi told Anuradha's brother over the phone, "I met your sister on Facebook. Then we got very close. Your sister talked a lot to my mother. Now I hear that your sister is in a relationship with someone else. That is not correct.''

The brother also told the police that the call he had received that day and the call to his mother who had asked her to send Anuradha to school were both from the same number. Reports suggest that the accused killed the girl on suspicion of having an affair with someone else. At present, Bangladesh police are investigating the case and no arrests have been made till the time of writing the news.

Fraud Case: ED attaches assets of ex-Odisha MLA, media Co

Angry wife took this scary step after a quarrel with her husband

After Karnataka, now this BJP leader killed by Miscreants
DHAKA: A collision between a railway and a tourist microbus at a level crossing in Mirsharai Upazila in Chattogram district resulted in at least 11 deaths and six injuries among people aged 11 to 24, Police said.

As per to eyewitness statement, some of the victims reportedly removed the barricade to cross the railroad tracks because the gateman had left it unattended to perform Friday's "jummah namaz."The Chattogram Railway Police's Superintendent of Police, Hasan Chowdhury, said: "Whether the gateman was there or not at the time of the accident is yet unknown. We are looking into the situation." The disaster is being looked into by two committees that were constituted by Bangladesh Railway authority.

The five-member committee is led by Divisional Transport Officer of Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone, Ansar Ali, while a four-member panel was formed with Additional Chief Engineer Arman Hossain at the helm.

Nazim Uddin, the head of the Chattogram Railway Police said, there were two temporary gatemen at the level crossing. Saddam Hussain, one of them, was working when the incident occurred, thus the police have taken him into custody to question.

Jahangir Alam, General Manager of Bangladesh Railway's Eastern Zone, visited the scene of the accident and stated: "I spoke with the gateman and he claimed that he was present at the time of the accident." The railway authorities said that Saddam, the gateman, had lowered the barricade at the level crossing but that the microbus breached it.

On Friday at around 1:30 pm, a Chattogram-bound "Mahanagar Provati" train from Dhaka struck a tourist microbus at Khoiyachhora level crossing, on the outskirts of Chittagong, and dragged it for nearly one mile near Bara Takia station, killing 11.Six persons are undergoing treatment and are in a critical condition, as per reports.

Afghan, Pakistan FMs meet on boosting economic integration

White House to host meeting of abortion rights activists

Palestine calls for UN membership to protect 2-state solution
The 3D platform is available for everyone.

Effective policies should ideally be based on concrete data. One place where policy makers can find that data, for instance, is geoportail.lu. The platform, which previously only provided two-dimensional maps, now also offers three-dimensional maps and remains available not just to ministries and local administrations but also to private individuals.

In order to create a 3D model of Luxembourg, the country was meticulously measured from above. In total, 82 billion reference points were recorded and every single one of them was clearly defined as a tree, building, or street.

Jeff Konnen from Geoportail.lu explains that a lot of data had to be collected to produce the 3D model, including an aerial photograph of the terrain, which Geoportail takes every year in summer, the height of the ground, the facades and shapes of all buildings, and even every single tree in the Grand Duchy.

On geoportail.lu, users can find a wide variety of subject areas, such as water, agriculture, or energy. A new subject area is titled Our Nature Park. According to Eva Rabold from the organisation, knowing where the country's nature reserves are is important for the work of the biological station.

In the future, the Our Nature Park will use Geoportail.lu during negotiations of management contracts. Rabold explains that farmers can use the nature park's tab on geoportail.lu to find all the data that they need, thus reducing excessively long wait periods for both sides.

Minister for Spatial Planning Claude Turmes stresses that Geoportail.lu is a platform that is meant to make life easier. In the context of increasingly frequent heatwaves, for instance, Turmes points out that municipalities can use the data available on Geoportail.lu to determine where they can plant new trees.

On average, about 5,000 people use Geoportail.lu every day.

Audio in Luxembourgish:
Putin is preparing for a new war 30 July, 10:56 AM Exclusive Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Photo:Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)

Now Putin needs a truce. On his, Putin's terms.

This is when you sign something similar to agreements with Turkey and the UN on the unblocking of Ukrainian ports for the export of grain with one hand, and with the other, you hit the port in Odesa with Caliber missiles, while at the same time directing your own media killers to spread misinformation that Ukrainians themselves fired at their own strategic object.

 

And at the same time receiving from the UN just a worthless reaction of uncertain content about the abstract condemnation of shelling. But not Russia, which carries out these attacks. To be honest, Putin knows how to push his own scenarios.

Read also: Diane Francis How Putin weaponized the slayer of economies

Using both - a developed network of Russian agents, which are widely incorporated into all international institutions - from the UN to the IAEA, which still has not recognized the seizure of the Zaporizhzhya NPP as an act of nuclear terrorism and a not less network of foreign politicians and officials financed by Russia.

Such as the ex-chancellor of Germany Schroder, who spends his vacation in Moscow. The capital of the country that started the modern war in Europe. And if you think that "money does not smell", it is not so. Now the money from Russia - and it is not their "wooden" rubles, but real dollars and euros - smells. With the blood of Ukrainians who are being killed by the Russians. It's just that not everyone is stopped by this fact.

What will Putin do next and what is he preparing for? Russia is preparing to legalize the occupation of captured Ukrainian territories. Sometimes it is also called annexation. The practice of raising Russian flags with the playing of the Soviet-Russian national anthem in captured Ukrainian towns, of course, does not cause a great stir.

Usually, such acts of vandalism against international law and all post-war agreements between countries take place in the presence of several local traitors - collaborators, representatives of Moscow and a dozen people of retirement age. But Putin doesn't care about the picture anymore.

Putin wants to accomplish what he set out to do - to "join" Ukrainian territories with Russia according to a scenario similar to the Crimean one.

And after that, the Kremlin wants to announce to the West that from this moment the war takes on a new meaning. American "Himars" will fire at Russian troop concentrations, command headquarters, and warehouses with ammunition already on the territory, which in Russia is considered as a part of the Russian Federation.

At the same time, the pro-Russian lobby in the West will do its job, cutting aid to Ukraine and bringing into the public space narratives about the inadmissibility of direct confrontation between NATO countries and Russia due to the supply of weapons and shelling of objects on the territories that the Russians recognize as theirs.

The diabolical combination of the Kremlin will have its continuation. Putin and his army now need the truce - on his terms. This is when the occupation forces of Russia are not fired upon, but they are able to fire missiles at any object in Ukraine. With a correspondingly meager reaction from the UN that Putin is not formally violating anything.

This "truce" will resemble the "Peace of Versailles". After the signing of which the experienced French Marshal Foch said: This is not peace. This is a truce for 20 years." But in our case there won't be any 20 years. Think logically: according to analytical centers, including British intelligence, Russia has already used 85% of its troops in hostilities in Ukraine, reports CNN.

The Russians need time to recover, regroup, mobilize (covert or overt), train the mobilized, and restore equipment. Putin is trying to negotiate with Turkish President Erdogan on the construction of a Bayraktar plant in Russia.

As you understand, the construction of the plant is not a matter of one day. Even at an accelerated pace in wartime conditions. So Putin works from a relatively distant perspective.

Of course, transferring the production of "Bayraktars" to Russia would be a large-scale betrayal. But I really hope that the president of Turkey will never go to it. And not only because he understands the threats to Ukraine. And he is aware of the threats to Turkey itself. In the form of a direct confrontation with Russia not only in the region of Karabakh but also in the Black Sea in case of Putin's advance in Ukraine and the seizure of new territories.

We can send our Turkish friends the history of the Russo-Turkish wars to remind them of the historical context. Although I think, Erdogan knows him very well.

So now Putin wants to stop the fire from the Ukrainian side, without stopping at the destruction of Ukraine. And be sure - the scenario of North and South Korea (for those naive people who think that Russia will stop at the borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions) is impossible.

Putin hates Ukraine so deeply and comprehensively, his propaganda has pumped the heads of Russians so tightly that, while seizing any settlement in the Luhansk Region, he is already planning a siege of Kharkiv and bombing of the Dnipro.

And for this, he does not critically need high-precision weapons and microcircuits from Taiwan. He is ready to burn the cities with his primitive, still Soviet "Grads", which cover territories with square kilometers, but not precisely hit a specific target, like the American "Himars". The "Grad" projectile does not have a GPS-navigation system, it flies anywhere according to the ballistic trajectory - to the position of Ukrainian troops, to a school, kindergarten, hospital or simply burns crops in the field.

To replenish the ammunition of these "Grads" at Russian factories working in several shifts, Putin needs time. In the form of this "truce". But remember - Putin is preparing for a new war.

The conclusion will not be too original. Ukraine needs weapons and ammunition. All this is needed by the country, which, sorry to remind you, disarmed and transferred its cruise missiles to Russia, which is now shelling Ukraine with the same missiles. Together with nuclear weapons, the peaceful and naive young state also destroyed its own strategic aviation. Which could also carry ordinary weapons. The same missiles and aerial bombs that would now stop the aggressor on the front line.

Will someone ever count in money how much of Ukraine's resources it has put on the altar of world peace? It is somewhat inconvenient to remind you now, but this disarmament took place under pressure and under the support of the West. So now is the time to right this historical wrong. Yes, it is painful for the economy and expensive to send one's own resources and money to distant Ukraine. It is about a lot of money and a lot of resources. Much more than has already been sent.

But it will be even more expensive not to do it. And then with the same "Himars" to hit their own infrastructure - excellent autobahns, bridges, schools, which the Russians will use for their headquarters. To stop rusty Russian tanks already on the territory of NATO countries.

Do you think this is a fantastic scenario? And I think not. Putin hates you, our dear Western partners, as sincerely as he hates Ukrainians. At least, in Poland, which is a neighbor of Ukraine, this is understood very clearly. The Poles have already taken the course to create the most powerful land forces in Europe. And they call their country the one that is at the front.

Therefore, the best offer for all Europeans (and therefore for Americans, who will not silently watch the war in Europe) is to increase support for Ukraine. So as not to pay with blood for your own freedom. After all, Putin needs Ukraine not only as a territory. And as an industrial, energy and food base for the great march to the West. Keep this in mind when your government decides on aid to Ukraine.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
File: A cauliflower farmer

Domestic and foreign tourists have long been drawn to the breathtaking views of the grasslands of Chitwan, which are home to a wide variety of wildlife, the verdant hills of Dhading, where farmers are constantly engaged in agricultural activities, or the pristine Trishuli flowing from Nuwakot, known for its exhilarating rafting excursions.

But, they are less appealing than they once used to be. The increasing population is one of the major causes of it. Moreover, climate change is affecting agriculture and crop production in the region. Although crops like rice ad maize are affected less, climate change has significantly impacted the production of vegetables. It has been found that due to their high sensitivity to unstable and uncertain environmental conditions vegetable production has been affected.

Unprepared farmers

Farmers say their yield is nominal if they do not use pesticides, due to climate change impact. Photo: Aryan Dhimal

We are unprepared for the calamities brought by climate change that cause enormous losses in production each year and trap vegetable growers in a cycle of poverty. As we have to face problems such as drought, heavy rainfall, floods, forest fires, etc, production is hampered.

The vegetable demand of the Kathmandu valley is mostly fulfilled by the production from Nuwakot, Dhading and Chitwan. However, farmers of these areas are not able to meet the demand.

Our production is facing issues due to climate change, mainly on summer crops. Nevertheless, in different parts of the world, farmers practise various techniques to combat unproductivity due to climate change, such as the use of organic manure, mulching, modifying planting dates and picking the right species of crops.

Similar strategies can be implemented to lessen the impact of climate change and produce more vegetables here. However, the question is  are we prepared? Could poor farmers afford those tools?

Climate change might not be the only reason for the reduction of vegetable production every year. But, if we cope with the effect of climate change efficiently, we can easily increase production, which will benefit poor farmers financially and help the national economy as well.

Vulnerabilities

File

In 2015, the earthquake disturbed the water channel under the ground. This led to difficulties for farmers to find enough water supply for the vegetables.

Then, some studies show that climate change has also disturbed the hydrologic cycle on earth. This has resulted in the redistribution of water supplies in time and place affecting their runoff, soil humidity, and evaporation right away.

As a consequence, all the economic sectors are threatened and the agriculture sector is the most vulnerable sector.

Moreover, farmers have implemented various steps to get out of the adverse effect such as crop adjustments, changes in cropping patterns, conservation of local landraces, and alternative techniques to decrease water stress.

Therefore, it has become imperative to develop local adaptation techniques to deal with climatic changes, as doing so will greatly lessen the effects of climate change and variability on the agricultural economy.

Nepal is extremely vulnerable to climate change, and it has already begun to feel its effects in a number of ways including those that influence agricultural production and food security in the nation. Still, the rise in vegetable producers numbers suggests that they have recognised a chance to boost their revenues.

In the statistics

File: Kalimati fruit and vegetable market

Vegetable farming engages more than 3.2 million families in Nepal, and it generates 9.7 per cent of the nations GDP. Small produce makes up the majority of this sector.

However, one of the main impacts of climate change is drought, which has a direct impact on the output and way of life of the farmers throughout summer.

In Nepal, the severity of the effects of climate change on agriculture is considered to be high. Farmers are therefore adjusting to various tactics, such as the use of irrigation canals, crop variety, mulching, changing the timing of planting, and organic mulching, as practices for coping with drought.

These days, referring to the Department of Customs, it is trending on social media among Nepali youth that the country is importing fresh vegetables worth Rs 22.51 billion from July to December last year, which is Rs 3.29 billion more than that of the same period the previous year. Among the most common imported vegetables were tomatoes, onions, garlic, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, green peas, squash, and asparagus.

What about ongoing rainfall?

Because erstwhile rain-shadow zones such as Manang and Mustang are receiving more rainfall, it can also affect apple farming there. This photo was taken in Chame of Manang, in November 2018 Photo: Shashwat Pant/File

Rainy days have already begun. After the drought, last season, are we ready for the torrential downpour that is currently affecting these areas?

Vegetable growers need to adapt to calamities due to heavy rainfall, yet there are technologies well disseminated among them in the regions, which could be prepared to avoid imports of vegetables.

Farmers can now apply a range of effective adaptation techniques, including greenhouse methods, vegetable variety selection, mulching techniques, and planting timing adaptations against intense downpours.

It could help a lot to reduce losses due to flooding and soil erosion along with excessive rain among vegetable growers in the regions. If such technologies could be provided timely, we could save a huge amount of money on importing vegetables from other countries so that we could save our foreign currency reserve, which is quite important given the current state of our national economy.

In a nutshell

Surya Prasad Ghimire at the farm growing organic vegetables in Lubhu. Photo: Chandra Bahadur Ale

One of the most effective ways to combat climate change and its direct and indirect effects on vegetable yield is through farmers adaptation measures.

In order to combat the negative effects of climate change, such as the drought that has affected farmers of summer vegetables in central Nepal, we must understand the varied techniques employed by farmers.

Giving training on the consequences of climate change and vegetable cultivation would benefit the farmers decision to use or adopt adaptation measures. Additionally, extension service providers ought to concentrate on specific adaption techniques based on topographic and agro-climatic zones.

Therefore, using knowledge of climate changes impact on vegetable growing, the government, stakeholders, and extension agencies must develop innovations for capacity-building within the extension system, which could benefit our economy in the long run.
Tribhuvan University central office. Photo: Shankar Giri

In October last year, an assistant professor of Tribhuvan University, the oldest of Nepali universities, Prem Chalaune was assaulted with an iron rod by students associated with the Nepal Students Union, the student wing of Nepali Congress in broad daylight.

He was critically injured. His right leg was fractured and he sustained deep cuts on his head and left leg. Reportedly, those attackers did not face any action from the concerned bodies as they had political power behind them.

Similarly, the exam hall of Kathmandu-based Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus witnessed something unusual. Chaos descended on the atmosphere when one student attacked a teacher for not allowing him to cheat.

The teacher got seriously injured. He had to have seven stitches on his head. It was learned later that the student who attacked the teacher was associated with the All Nepal National Student Union (ANNFSU), the student wing of the CPN-UML.

Chalaune and Pudasaini are just representational figures as Nepali universities are fraught with politicisation. Many other teachers like them have faced violence from the students. Now, the question is how is it justifiable? And, what does it take to free Nepali universities of such politically motivated criminal activities?

Dirty politics

Students protest outside the Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan

Politics involving students and teachers in Nepali universities has become a reason to worry. Now and again, the teachers and students are found to be involved in disrupting studies and creating violence inside colleges and universities. In other words, student politics has become another name for vandalism and violence.

Teachers, except for a handful, are divided along party lines. Party-linked teacher unions are formed in almost all Nepali universities. Teachers actively take part in gatherings of political parties without taking formal leave. If anyone tries to raise questions of accountability, they dismiss the question using their union force.

The major duty of all the teacher associations should be to put forward the ethical needs and demands of teachers, i.e. to civilise and disperse the rays of knowledge and wisdom and to establish colleges as research centres.

For this very purpose, their extensive academic engagement is inevitable. However, the present scenario of Nepali universities shows teachers being carriers of the party flags; they have no interest in creating wisdom. Therefore, their reluctant approach towards knowledge is deteriorating the right to education of students ultimately.

Flaws in the legal regime

The student-teacher politics-based problem in Nepali universities has some legitimate legal ground. Section 16 (1) of the Tribhuvan University Act, 1992, provisions for the prime minister to be ex-officio chancellor of the university.

Similarly, section 18 (2) mentions that the vice-chancellor shall be appointed by the chancellor on the recommendation of the committee comprising of the pro-chancellor (chair) and chancellor. And, section 19 (1) provisions that the rector shall be appointed by the chancellor on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor.

Section 20 (1) of the very act provisions the registrar shall be appointed by the chancellor on the recommendation of the vice-chancellor.

Similarly, the Kathmandu University Act, 1991; Purwanchal University Act, 1994; Pokhara University Act, 1996, and other concerned acts of other Nepali universities also have similar provisions.

These legal provisions clearly show the interference of politics in academic institutions. Since the PM is there as the chancellor and also holds a key role in appointing others, s/he appoints as per his/her political interest, which is a root for politics in Nepali universities.

This is why, when the government changes, people in all higher positions of universities change, which sometimes leads to conflict and violence among the political party cadres. Although the National Education Policy, 2019, has prohibited teachers from doing party politics, it has recognised the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers, the umbrella body of all the teachers associations. This has eased teachers involvement in party politics.

Ways forward

Nepali universities are politically polluted. The unions (of both students and teachers) are doing everything except what they are supposed to do. There is no way other than prohibiting them to do those activities.

The leaders of those unions have been the active cadres of the political parties. Historically, when the unions were formed, they might have been relevant and needed to establish the democratic value in the nation. However, at present, there is no need for unions. They should have worked for students welfare and betterment, but they have been found to prioritise the individual ambitions of particular leaders.

Student politics will be necessary only when student unions stop prioritising the individual ambitions of particular leaders and the organisational mission of certain political parties over the reforms in universities and colleges.

But, unfortunately, the situation does not give any sign of this. Seeing the legal provisions in the appointment of different positions in Nepali universities, it is evident that those provisions need to be changed.

In 2012, Indias Bombay High Court stated that education should be kept away from party politics. Alongside the decision, the court also suspended a teacher for being associated with a political party.

Can we expect such a statement and action from Nepals court?
Cover Story

The broadband industry is perhaps an industry that saw the maximum push with the arrival of covid. As lockdowns ensued, companies were forced to adopt a work from home model, leading every employee to require better internet connectivity at all times. Homes that previously did not find the need for full-time WiFi connections were now getting these systems installed to conduct business. Needless to say, Covid was one of the leading drivers bringing broadband connections throughout Rural and Urban India. As our advancement into the digital era progresses, broadband and WiFi have become the soul of our world. People constantly require high-quality connectivity. With this increase in demand for services, the need for enough supply and proper infrastructure has also increased. Airtech...
Hungry for a public disgrace of a gross political figure with a dash of someone thoroughly owning a bully? (Duh, of course, you are.) Let us call forth Olivia Julianna, the 19-year-old Gen-Z for Change political strategist, who, after being publicly shamed by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz on Twitter has raised $1 million for abortion funds in 72 hours.

Juliannas fundraising campaign began following Gaetzs speech during a Jul. 23 Student Action Summit in Florida.

More from SheKnows

Why is it that the women with the least likelihood of getting pregnant are the ones most worried about having abortions? he said. Nobody wants to impregnate you if you look like a thumb, he told the crowd of young conservatives, without even a touch of self-awareness. Im thinking, March? You look like youve got ankles weaker than the legal reasoning behind Roe v. Wade.

When Julianna saw his comments, the activist fired back. Its come to my attention that Matt Gaetz  alleged pedophile has said that its always the odious.. 52 350 pound women that nobody wants to impregnate who rally for abortion.

Click here to read the full article.

She continued: Im actually 511. 64 in heels. I wear them so the small men like you are reminded of your place

Following Gaetzs fat-phobic comments, Julianna kicked off a campaign to raise money for abortion rights, urging her followers to contribute. Within 24 hours, she raised $50K, quipping in a tweet: Well @mattgaetz, I have to hand it to you. I didnt think you cared about us abortion rights activists, but your spotlight on me has helped raise $50K for abortion funds in the last 24 hours! So I made you a special thank you card.

In the tongue-in-cheek card, Julianna notes with sarcastic perfection: Dear Matt, Although your intentions were hateful, your public shaming of my appearance has done nothing but benefit me  Your hateful comments towards me will quite literally pay for abortion services. Lol. Get rekt.

Story continues

By Thursday evening the funds reached $1 million, a triumph Julianna met with an announcement on Twitter.

A sitting Republican congressmen, @mattgaetz, decided that body shaming a teenager was okay. So to spite him I raised $1 million in donations to abortion funds in under 72 hours. Abortion is healthcare. Period. #ThanksMattGaetz  Olivia Julianna  (@0liviajulianna) July 28, 2022

A sitting Republican congressmen, @mattgaetz, decided that body shaming a teenager was okay, Julianna tweeted. So to spite him I raised $1 million in donations to abortion funds in under 72 hours. Abortion is healthcare. Period. #ThanksMattGaetz.

And its not just donations Julianna has gained. On Jul. 25, she tweeted she has also seen a significant increase in followers  20K across all platforms to be exact.

Let this serve as a lesson to all the Republican politicians out thereif its a battle of wit against me, youre going to lose.

In an interview with Teen Vogue, Julianna said she saw Gaetzs initial comments as an opportunity, a move that is inspiring to say the least.

Matt had put a spotlight on me; he had given me a chance to rebut publicly and I think what he was expecting was for me to fall into an outrage cycle and he wanted me to be like, This is horrendous, youre evil, you should be canceled, she said in the interview. He wants people to label him as a monster and free-speech absolutist and I dont think he expected for me to respond in the way that I did  to fundraise for abortions. And he also didnt expect me to bring up his criminal investigation. What a weirdo to talk about another teenager.

Gaetz is currently under investigation for allegations that he had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old and paid for her to travel with him. The congressman has denied the allegations, and has not been charged.

Gaetz has not addressed anything since his initial tweet which seems like the obvious choice for a bully met head-on by someone with such undeniable fire like Olivia Julianna.

Before you go, read up on some of these brave celebs who have shared their abortions stories:

celebrity abortion stories

Launch Gallery: 29 Celebrities Whove Expressed Their Emotions About Roe v. Wade Being Overturned

Best of SheKnows

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter.

For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Boeing has faced production issues with the 787 for more than two years. Peter Cziborra / REUTERS

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday approved Boeings inspection and modification plan to resume deliveries of 787 Dreamliners, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

The FAA approved Boeings proposal that requires specific inspections to verify the condition of the airplane meets requirements and that all work has been completed, a move that should allow Boeing to resume deliveries in August after it halted them in May 2021, the sources said.

On July 17, Boeing told reporters it was very close to restarting 787 deliveries.

The FAA referred questions about the approval to Boeing. We dont comment on ongoing certifications, the agency said.

Boeing did not confirm the approval Friday but said it will continue to work transparently with the FAA and our customers towards resuming 787 deliveries.

Boeing has faced production issues with the 787 for more than two years. In September 2020, the FAA said it was investigating manufacturing flaws in some 787 jetliners.

In the aftermath of two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, the FAA pledged to more closely scrutinize Boeing and delegate fewer responsibilities to Boeing for aircraft certification.

Boeing suspended deliveries of the 787 after the FAA raised concerns about its proposed inspection method. The FAA had previously issued two airworthiness directives to address production issues for in-service airplanes and identified a new issue in July 2021.

Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said this week on an investor call that it had 120 of the 787s in inventory and was making progress completing the necessary rework to prepare them for delivery. Boeing is producing at very low rates and well continue to do so until deliveries resume, gradually returning to 5 airplanes per month over time.

The planemaker had only resumed deliveries in March 2021 after a five-month hiatus before halting them again. Fridays approval came after lengthy discussions with the FAA.

Story continues

The regulator had said it wanted Boeing to ensure it has a robust plan for the re-work that it must perform on a large volume of new 787s in storage and that Boeings delivery processes are stable.

The FAA said in February it would retain the authority to issue airworthiness certificates until it is confident Boeings quality control and manufacturing processes consistently produce 787s that meet FAA design standards.

The agencys then-administrator, Steve Dickson, told Reuters in February the FAA needed from Boeing a systemic fix to their production processes.

A plane built for American Airlines is likely to be the first 787 airplane delivered by Boeing since May 2021, sources said. That could come as soon as next month. American Airlines said last week on an earnings call it expects to receive nine 787s this year, including two in early August.

Boeing in January disclosed a $3.5 billion charge due to 787 delivery delays and customer concessions, and another $1 billion in abnormal production costs stemming from production flaws and related repairs and inspections.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler; Editing by William Mallard)

Copyright (2022) Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions

This article was written by David Shepardson from Reuters and was legally licensed through the Industry Dive Content Marketplace. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.

Subscribe to Skift newsletters for essential news about the business of travel.
China's severe crackdown on private tutoring one year ago this month, which came on suddenly with an unexpected policy change, has forced many businesses to shut down and driven private classes underground, according to industry insiders and parents.

Last summer, Alice Wang booked four classes for her 10-year-old daughter in mathematics, Chinese literature, cello and ballet. This year, she has only kept the last two because of the policy shift that largely outlawed off-campus tutoring of school curricula.

Despite the cutback in classes, demand for additional training remains strong from parents who worry about their kids falling behind.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

Wang said she has seen her daughter's academic performance regress since the new regulation. Her daughter is no longer among the top 10 students in her math class, for example, once a consistent achievement for the student, who starts fifth grade next semester. In two years, she will compete to be admitted to a good middle school.

"She is having a sense of disparity and crisis," Wang said.

When Wang decided to have her daughter attend private classes during the summer vacation, she found a teacher through a recommendation from other parents. The teacher hosts classes at her home "secretly", according to Wang.

"As far as I know, her well-performing classmates are all taking private classes," Wang said of her daughter. "There is a so-called genius boy in the class, who in fact is going to finish middle school physics this summer."

China's policy, which was intended to free students from excessive classes, "actually increased our financial burden", said Wang, who used to spend less than 200 yuan (US$30) for a two-hour class with 10 students. The "secret" one-on-one session costs more than double.

Story continues

"Things are getting a bit distorted now," Wang said.

The Chinese government's ban of for-profit tutoring on school subjects such as math and English was announced at the end of last July, dealing a blow to the country's thriving private tutoring industry and wiping out billions of dollars in related stocks. As some of these firms are listed in the US, Beijing's abrupt crackdown on education has further dampened investor confidence in Chinese stocks.

The rationale for Beijing is that China has to reduce the burdens placed on students, who are often forced to take additional classes and training by their parents to stand out in an extremely competitive society.

But without changes to a state exam system that decides using scores alone whether students qualify for a good school or university, demand for additional help to improve performance remains high.

"There is still demand for off-campus tutoring because school admissions are based on exam scores. It is natural that private teaching has gone underground," said Xiong Bingqi, director of 21st Century Education Research Institute. "What is needed isn't the comeback of tutoring, but the reform to the current evaluation system."

William Li runs an education consultancy in Chengdu that helps families make decisions on schools and majors and provides tutoring. Li said the biggest problem facing the industry is "talent drain", as teachers are willing to go solo to teach private underground classes. "One can make 800 yuan from one 'secret' course, while an institutional class pays some 300 yuan," he said.

An adult and a girl seen in front of a Xueersi outlet, a private educational services provider owned by TAL Education Group, in Beijing on July 26, 2021. Photo: Reuters alt=An adult and a girl seen in front of a Xueersi outlet, a private educational services provider owned by TAL Education Group, in Beijing on July 26, 2021. Photo: Reuters>

By the end of February, the number of companies providing offline tutoring services had plummeted 92 per cent to 9,728, from about 124,000 before the crackdown in July 2021, according to the Ministry of Education.

In northwestern Beijing's Zhongguancun, an area known for its tech companies and also dubbed the "tutoring hub of the universe", none of the educational companies at the Yinwang Centre currently teach school subjects, a building receptionist said. Before the ban, a dozen taught such courses, and at least five were well-known chains, the person said.

After the ban, the hit to the industry was strong and immediate. Companies scrambled to make ends meet.

In one example of success, New Oriental Education and Technology Group, which has closed about 1,500 centres, became a rising star in the live-streaming e-commerce business.

The company's English teacher Dong Yuhui is now a live-streaming host who promotes a range of goods for sale through his online show. Products range from books and cooking pans to steaks, shrimp and other everyday groceries.

His show Oriental Zhenxuan, which also features other teachers, is now followed by more than 23 million users of ByteDance's short video platform Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Rivals are also eyeing a similar pivot. Last week, TAL Education, another big tutoring player, announced a live-streaming contest that will select a "team of superb hosts".

Another new direction for tutoring firms is hardware. NetEase-owned Youdao Inc launched a series of products including a dictionary pen that scans and translates text, a portable printer and a smart dictionary.

Yuanfudao, a unicorn backed by Tencent Holdings, developed a smart assignment gadget with an E Ink display. Baidu-backed Zuoyebang, a start-up valued at US$11 billion in 2020, makes smartwatches and noise-cancelling headphones.

ByteDance was one of the earliest to move into educational gadgets with its signature smart lamp, which enabled parents to make video calls to their children working on school assignments at home.

Tutoring firm Puxin Ltd, which delisted from New York Stock Exchange in May, has a closed branch at Yinwang Centre in northwestern Beijing's Zhongguancun area. Photo: SCMP / Coco Feng alt=Tutoring firm Puxin Ltd, which delisted from New York Stock Exchange in May, has a closed branch at Yinwang Centre in northwestern Beijing's Zhongguancun area. Photo: SCMP / Coco Feng>

However, ByteDance now seems to be struggling in this segment. Louis Yang Luyu, former head of the team behind the lamp, recently quit the company. His successor, Yang Kang, has since transferred to ByteDance's strategy department, according to Chinese media LatePost, which said that the company has no plans to launch new educational hardware.

Puxin Education, which delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in May, said earlier this year that it was weighing whether to run its own chain of restaurants.

Xiong, from 21st Century Education Research Institute, said that no matter what direction the companies are exploring, there should be a "positive and supportive" regulatory environment, as long as it is legitimate.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

Summer is here, and for many of us that means one thing: holiday time! Whether it's an all-inclusive trip to Greece, a luxury vacay to the Maldives or a cosy staycation in Corwall, us Brits certainly make the most of our summer holidays  and that includes Kate Middleton too, who has been on her own fair share of vacations (and working trips) as a royal.

In fact, the Duchess of Cambridge has been on a whopping 31 royal tours, including countries across the globe from Australia to Jamaica, Singapore and Sweden. And it's not just during summertime that Kate gets to jet off, as her duties see her globe-trotting all year round. The lucky thing!

With that in mind  and as we're in need of some holiday inspiration  we took a deep-dive into all the places Kate has travelled as a royal. So, buckle up and prepare for take off...

Australia

Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images





When? 2014

With who? Prince William and Prince George

The highlight: When Kate made friends with a very cute koala at Sydney's Taronga Zoo.



Canada

Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images

When? 2016*

With who? Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte

The highlight: When the royal couple went fishing with a local fisherman and Kate caught herself a giant crab!

*She and William also visited the country in 2011, just months after getting married.



Germany

Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images





When? 2017

With who? Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte

The highlight: Kate going head-to-head with William in a river race  with the Duchess reportedly telling her rowing team: "No pressure, but I do want to beat my husband."

Ireland

Photo credit: Pool/Samir Hussein - Getty Images

When? 2020

With who? Prince William

The highlight: Kate got down with the locals for a bout of sports, trying her hand at hurling and Gaelic football.

Jamaica

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

When? 2022



With who? Prince William

The highlight: When she and William met the Jamaican bobsleigh team, and almost had a go themselves.

Norway

Photo credit: Rune Hellestad - Corbis - Getty Images

When? 2018

With who? Prince William

The highlight: A pregnant Kate  just weeks away from giving birth to Prince Louis  roasted sausages in the snow with local nursery children.



Singapore

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images





When? 2012

Story continues

With who? Prince William

The highlight: The Duke and Duchess enjoyed a banquet at the grand official residence of the President of Singapore.

Solomon Islands

Photo credit: Samir Hussein - Getty Images

When? 2012

With who? Prince William

The highlight: Kate travelled in a traditional canoe to Tuvanipupu Island as part of her and William's tour of Asia to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.



Tuvalu

Photo credit: Pool - Getty Images





When? 2012

With who? Prince William



The highlight: Kate donned a traditional outfit and danced with the locals at a Vaiaku Falekaupule ceremony.

And everywhere else

To save you scrolling for hours through photos of Kate's been-there-done-that list ('cause that's certainly one way to make yourself jealous), here's everywhere else she's been whilst touring as a royal:

Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Belgium

Belize

Bhutan

Denmark

France

India

Malaysia

New Zealand

Pakistan

Poland

Sweden

The Bahamas

United States

We can't wait to see where she travels next...

You Might Also Like
Facebook

The young men who were accompanying a 22-year-old British national when he was killed in a horrific private helicopter accident on a Greek island on Monday are livid about the story being spun by Greek authorities.

Jack Fenton died when he was struck by the rotor tail of one of two private helicopters the group had rented to return to the airport from Mykonos. They were supposed to fly home to London on Tuesday on a private jet rented by the father of one of his friends.

Authorities in Greece insist the group had been escorted inside the terminal and that the young man had his phone to his ear and did not hear warnings not to go near the spinning blade, which they say he was approaching at a rapid pace.

Student, 22, Dismembered by Helicopter Blade on Luxury Vacation

Jack Stanton-Gleaves, who was in the same helicopter as Fenton, told the Daily Mail the Greeks version of events was not true, and that no one gave them any instructions about what to do once they exited the private helicopter.

There were no instructions given when exiting the helicopter and no one escorted us into the lounge. All they did was open the doors for us, he said. We disembarked by ourselves and no one stopped Jack from going to the back of the helicopter.

He said reports that his dead friend was on his phone are categorically false. He wasnt on his phone and why he turned to the back of the helicopter I dont know, he said.

Fentons sister, Daisy, said her brother would have never done anything risky. This was Jacks first ever helicopter ride, she told the Daily Mail. So you can imagine how cautious and wary, if anything, he was. She also said he was not the type to flout rules. All the rest, of him running back on the tarmac and violating protocols, is rubbish.

She conceded that no one may ever know why he was returning to the helicopter, but said it was not to take a selfie. No one knows exactly what led him back. Perhaps he forgot something. But the line that he went back to take a selfie is rubbish. Its a lie.

Story continues

Greek authorities have opened an investigation into the accident.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 29, 2022) - Getchell Gold Corp. (CSE: GTCH) (OTCQB: GGLDF) ("Getchell" or the "Company") is issuing this press release to comment on the recent trading activity of its common shares.

The Company is not aware of any material, undisclosed information related to the Company that would account for the recent decrease in the market price and level of trading volume of its stock.

About Getchell Gold Corp.

The Company is a Nevada focused gold and copper exploration company trading on the CSE: GTCH and OTCQB: GGLDF. Getchell Gold is primarily directing its efforts on its most advanced stage asset, Fondaway Canyon, a past gold producer with a significant in-the-ground historic resource estimate and on the Star project, a past high-grade copper, gold, and silver small-scale producer. Complementing Getchell's asset portfolio is Dixie Comstock, a past gold producer with a historic resource and one earlier stage exploration project, Hot Springs Peak (Au). Getchell has the option to acquire 100% of the Fondaway Canyon and Dixie Comstock properties, Churchill County, Nevada.

For further information please visit the Company's website at www.getchellgold.com or contact the Company by e-mail at info@getchellgold.com or by phone at +1 647 249-4798.

Mr. William Wagener, Chairman & CEO

Getchell Gold Corp.

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/132411
Luxembourg has pledged to support Mongolia with about 10 million over the next five years.

Luxembourg will continue to support Mongolia in the area of healthcare. Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Franz Fayot was in Mongolia from Tuesday to Saturday and signed two agreements.

The first announcement concerned 5 million over the next five years. This money will mainly be used to expand telemedicine and cardiovascular services.

At the signing ceremony, Minister Fayot, Manuel Tonnar, Director of Cooperation, and Dr Jean Beissel, former Director of the National Institute of Cardiac Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, were awarded the order "Altangadas" for their outstanding contributions to the Mongolian health sector. This is the Mongolian state's highest honour for foreign citizens.

The trip also included a meeting with Khalid Sharifi, head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Mongolia, where the minister signed another agreement, which provides UNFPA with 5 million over five years to promote the elimination of maternal and perinatal mortality.

The visit took place in the context of the celebration of the 20th anniversary of bilateral development cooperation relations between Luxembourg and Mongolia.
A galaxy of stars paid fulsome tribute to filmmaker John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator) and stuntman Vic Armstrong (the Indiana Jones, James Bond and Star Wars franchises) as they were both awarded Moving Target awards on Friday for their outstanding contributions to the action genre at the inaugural London Action Festival.

The awards were presented at Londons Royal London Geographical Society and icons from the action genre attended, including Corin Hardy (Gangs of London), composer David Arnold (Casino Royale) Robert Davi (Die Hard) and Edgar Wright (Last Night in Soho).

More from Variety

Prominent film personalities who have worked with McTiernan and Armstrong conveyed their appreciation via video messages. Harrison Ford praised Armstrong, saying: Weve been doing this Vic for like 50 years! Youve had the good sense to turn it into a directing job cos this running, jumping and falling down thing is a game for the young guys. The audiences loved the work youve guided in the Indiana Jones films. People dont really understand what goes into an action film and its a very complicated, technical issues these days. Its been a great pleasure to work with you, sir.

James Bond producer, Barbara Broccoli, said: You certainly had an auspicious start to the Bond films, propelling down that rope in Blofelds volcano in 1967 in You Only Live Twice. Youve collaborated with us on so many Bond films and Im very grateful to you.

Fellow Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, said: Vic, you shared our philosophy when it came to stunts, and that was you did as much as you could for real. You were a one stop shop  you secured the locations, you designed the stunts, you ensured they were shot with style and pace, you were a true collaborator with the director. Sequences like the motorcycle chase in Thailand on Tomorrow Never Dies, the boat chase on the Thames that opened up The World is Not Enough and the car chase on ice, that was something, for Die Another Day. They were some of the most iconic Bond moments.

Story continues

Pierce Brosnan added: We have some many great moments you and I in saving the world in the great realm of James Bond movies. Ones that I will cherish in my heart forever and being in your company. Brosnan said of McTiernan:  Nomads was our first film together. You took off like a rocket, an exquisite director, great alchemy you bring to the screen.

Kudos for McTiernan continued from Alec Baldwin, who said: In his one acting lesson he gave me when we were shooting The Hunt for Red October, that still rings in my ears today, as I was fiddling with everything was Cant you just stand there and do nothing? And you know what John, you were right. Now when I do a movie and directors says come through the door or make an espresso or something, I say No. I think Ill just stand here and do nothing. It was a great honour to work with the great John McTiernan  when they give you the award, just stand there.

Jan de Bont, DoP on Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October, said: With these movies you were able to reinvent, re-energize and re-activate American action movies as they should be. Your incredible perseverance meant you would do anything to make you vision come across. You are the absolute perfect choice for this award as your movies finally got film-goers excited again about action movies.

Michael Tadross Sr., producer on Die Hard with a Vengeance and The Thomas Crown Affair, said: You cant BS him  hes an unbullshittable director. John McTiernan is a genius, hes brilliant, one of the nicest human beings Ive ever known in my life and hes a friend. Congratulations McT.

Festival co-director Julian Alcantara said: Its been a stunning couple of days, with two more to go, crowned with John McTiernan winning one of our inaugural, and specially designed, Moving Target awards. Die Hard and Predator are two of the most iconic, universally loved and adrenaline fuelled films ever to be made and set the bar for future movies in the genre. Stuntman and action director Vic Armstrongs award is indicative to what he has brought to the movie business over the years. Being the stunt double for the likes of Harrison Ford in ten movies including the Indiana Jones and Star Wars series, and stunt coordinator on practically everything, it is more than well deserved.

The festival continues this weekend with a host of panels, screenings and Q&As, including Corin Hardy showcasing footage from season two of Gangs of London; McTiernan conducting a Q&A after a 35th anniversary screening of Predator; director Simon West on Con Air after a 25th anniversary screening; MARV screening exclusive footage from School Fight; and Proof Inc. demonstrating a masterclass in special effects from Jurassic World Dominion; and several other events at Picturehouse Central.

Best of Variety

Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
A day after Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), Kenyas monetary authority, said that Chipper Cash and Flutterwave were not licensed to operate in the East African country, the regulator has directed all financial institutions to cease doing business with the two fintechs.

The CBKs bank supervision deputy director, Matu Mugo, in a letter, directed all regulated banks, microfinance and mortgage finance institutions to stop their partnerships with the two startups with immediate effect -- dealing a blow to Flutterwave and Chipper Cash, some of Africas highest valued startups.

The letter to the bank CEOs followed remarks by CBKs governor, Patrick Njoroge, that the two startups are not licensed remittance or payment service providers in Kenya  one of the biggest fintech hubs in Africa.

It has come to the attention of the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) that Flutterwave Payments Technology Limited and Chipper Technologies Kenya (Chipper) have been engaging in money remittance and payments services without licensing and authorization by CBKYou are therefore directed to immediately cease and desist from dealing with Flutterwave and Chipper, said Mugo in the letter.

Flutterwave, which is also facing money laundering allegations in Kenya, in a statement said it has been operating in the country through partnerships with regulated banks and telecoms, as it waits for a payments service provider license it applied for in 2019.

Flutterwave, which recently raised $250 million at a $3 billion valuation, facilitates cross-border payments transactions of small to large businesses in Africa via one API. Some of its international clients include Booking.com, Flywire and Uber. In a February interview with TechCrunch, the African payments giant, with an infrastructure reach across 34 countries on the continent, said it was processing 200 million transactions worth more than $16 billion.

Chipper Cash is also a cross-border payments company with operations in Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda and South Africa.
Goldman Sachs analyst Neil Mehta, in a recent note, takes a deeper look at energy companies and sees that the falling consumer and investor sentiment, paired with economic growth concerns around the world, has enhanced the near-term risk factors. At the same time, Mehta believes that the longer-term view for energy stocks is positive.

We maintain a long-term constructive/bullish posture given strong cash flow, discounted valuation, the growing strategic value of US gas/oil, and improving returns on and of capital. We believe the key focus this quarter will be on (1) production execution; (2) ability to manage costs despite higher inflation; (3) capital returns outlook; and (4) managing commodity risks through hedging, Mehta opined.

Against this backdrop, its no wonder that Mehta sees current conditions offering an opportunity to buy into energy stocks for the long haul. The analyst is especially bullish on two names, and he's not alone. According to TipRanks platform, both tickers carry a Strong Buy consensus rating from the analyst community. Lets take a closer look.

Ovintiv (OVV)

First up, Ovintiv, is a hydrocarbon exploration and production firm operating in the Unita basin of Utah, the Bakken fields of North Dakota, and Permian basin of Texas. The company also has energy claims in Oklahomas Anadarko region, and in the Montney formation in the Canadian Rockies. Ovintiv boats a market cap near $13 billion, and its stock has outperformed the broader markets so far this year; where the S&P is down 13%, OVV shares are up 53%.

This strong performance has been driven by production. Ovintiv has been extracting some 500,000 barrels of equivalent per day. In the first quarter, this production generated a non-GAAP cash flow of $1.04 billion, of which some $592 million was listed as free cash flow (FCF). That last is important to investors, as it supports the companys dividend payout. Ovintivs last dividend payment came to 25 cents per common share, and yielded 2.1%. Ovintiv plans to double its cash return to shareholders.

Story continues

To fund the planned doubling, the company will be selling off parts of its Unita and Bakken assets for total proceeds of $250 million, and will use the windfall to move its planned cash return increase up to October 1 of this year. At that time, the company will start returning 50% of free cash flow to investors. In Q3, most of that return is expected to be in the form of share buybacks.

In his comments on OVV, Mehta takes note of the capital returns, and goes on to say, We now see a 1-yr forward capital returns yield of ~15%. We believe the companys improving balance sheet, differentiated return of capital to shareholders and largely de-risked production/capex guidance following 1Q earnings revisions offer potential for shares to re-rate higher.

For investors, the analyst sees several points of interest, and sets them out clearly: (1) updates to near and long-term net debt targets; (2) FCF generation and the companys ability to sustain its capital returns framework; (3) ability to meet its production guidance due to higher Canadian royalty payments; and (4) future hedging strategy as the balance sheet improves.

In Mehtas view, all this adds up to a Buy rating, and a price target of $63, which implies a one-year upside of 23%. (To watch Mehtas track record, click here)

Sometimes, a companys advantages are so clear that Wall Street cant help but agree  and thats the case here. Of 11 recent analyst reviews, all are to Buy, making the Strong Buy consensus rating unanimous. Shares in OVV are trading for $51.09 and the $68.55 average price target indicates potential for 34% appreciation in the coming year. (See Ovintiv stock forecast on TipRanks)

Diamondback Energy (FANG)

For the second stock on Goldman Sachs' list, well look at Diamondback Energy, a peer of Ovintiv with ~$22 billion market cap and extensive activities in the Texas Permian basin. Diamondback generated 375,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day last year, and in the first quarter of this year that number rose to 381,400 barrels.

Diamondback has seen its earnings increase steadily since early 2020, and has posted six consecutive quarters of EPS gains. In 1Q22, the most recent reported, the company reported $5.20 in diluted EPS, based on an adjusted net income of $929 million and up 126% from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues for the quarter came to $2.4 billion, a year-over-year gain of 103%.

The strong revenue and earnings gains were complemented by a free cash flow of $974 million, almost triple the 1Q21 value. Diamondback returned 57% of that FCF to investors during the quarter, a total of $555 million, through a combination of dividends and share buybacks. The companys current dividend payment includes a common share base payment of 70 cents and a variable payment of $2.35; the base alone gives a yield of 2.3%, with the variable dividend added in, that yield reaches 4.3%.

Going forward, Diamondback announced on June 21 that it will increase the base dividend to 75 cents, and that the company policy will be to increase the capital return commitment from 50% to 75% of the free cash flow. These changes will take effect in Q3 of this year.

For analyst Mehta, these cash return changes are the first of several important points investors should consider when looking at FANG. Listing those points, Mehta writes, The focus on the quarter for investors will likely revolve around (1) the future outlook/form of capital returns after increasing its commitment to returning at least 75% of FCF to shareholders vs. 50% previously; (2) ability to offset cost inflation pressures and meet production objectives during the quarter; and (3) M&A outlook following its bolt-on transaction in the Delaware Basin and after announcing plans to acquire the remaining interest in RTLR.

Everything that FANG has going for it prompted Mehta to rate the stock a Buy. His $160 price target implies 25% upside from current levels. (To watch Mehtas track record, click here)

Turning to the rest of the street, almost all of the analysts agree with Mehta. 16 Buys and 1 Hold signify a Strong Buy consensus rating. The shares are trading for $128.02 and their $180.18 average price target implies a 12-month gain of ~41% for the stock. (See FANG stock forecast on TipRanks)

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

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
The Grammy-winning team behind an unofficial Bridgerton musical is being sued by Netflix in Washington, DC US District Court for infringement.

Songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear were the minds behind the popular adaptation of the hit television series. They staged a live concert of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical Album Live in Concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC earlier this week, selling out the venue.

More from Deadline

Netflix originally hailed the concept when it debuted as a free online homage. But when that expanded into a profitable business, things became sticky.

Defendants Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear and their companies (Barlow & Bear) have taken valuable intellectual property from the Netflix original series Bridgerton to build an international brand for themselves, the lawsuit stated. Bridgerton reflects the creative work and hard- earned success of hundreds of artists and Netflix employees. Netflix owns the exclusive right to create Bridgerton songs, musicals, or any other derivative works based on Bridgerton. Barlow & Bear cannot take that rightmade valuable by others hard workfor themselves, without permission. Yet that is exactly what they have done.

Netflix claims it made repeated objection to the stage show, which sold tickets ranging up to $149 each. VIP packages were even more expensive.

The live show featured more than a dozen songs that allegedly copied verbatim dialogue, character traits and expression, and other elements from Bridgerton the series.

Throughout the performance, Barlow & Bear misrepresented to the audience that they were using Netflixs BRIDGERTON trademark with Permission, the lawsuit further states.

Story continues

The lawsuit also notes that in addition to the Grammy-winning album, the pair plans to tour, with a date in Londons Royal Albert Hall upcoming. There are also allegedly plans for a line of merchandise, the suit claims.

Netflix has its own Bridgerton Experience, a six-city event in direct competition. Netflix owns the exclusive right to create Bridgerton songs, musicals, or any other derivative works based on Bridgerton.

Barlow & Bear have not commented on the lawsuit as yet. Their version of the musical was developed on social media in real time, with lead vocals by Barlow and orchestration, production and additional vocals by Bear. The record hit No. 1 on iTunes US pop charts, streaming more than 45 million times. It won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album.

Netflix, Shonda Rhimes, and the Bridgerton novel series author Julia Quinn also issued statements.

Netflix Statement:

Netflix supports fan-generated content, but Barlow & Bear have taken this many steps further, seeking to create multiple revenue streams for themselves without formal permission to utilize the Bridgerton IP. Weve tried hard to work with Barlow & Bear, and they have refused to cooperate. The creators, cast, writers and crew have poured their hearts and souls into Bridgerton, and were taking action to protect their rights.  a Netflix spokesperson

Shonda Rhimes Statement:

There is so much joy in seeing audiences fall in love with Bridgerton and watching the creative ways they express their fandom. What started as a fun celebration by Barlow & Bear on social media has turned into the blatant taking of intellectual property solely for Barlow & Bears financial benefit. This property was created by Julia Quinn and brought to life on screen through the hard work of countless individuals. Just as Barlow & Bear would not allow others to appropriate their IP for profit, Netflix cannot stand by and allow Barlow & Bear to do the same with Bridgerton. -Shonda Rhimes

Julia Quinn Statement:

Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear are wildly talented, and I was flattered and delighted when they began composing Bridgerton songs and sharing with other fans on TikTok. There is a difference, however, between composing on TikTok and recording and performing for commercial gain. I would hope that Barlow & Bear, who share my position as independent creative professionals, understand the need to protect other professionals intellectual property, including the characters and stories I created in the Bridgerton novels over twenty years ago. -Julia Quinn

The legal papers can be found here.

Absolutely blown away by the Bridgerton musical playing out on TikTok



Standing ovation for @abigailbarloww & @nick_t_daly pic.twitter.com/hoHsDtNyAE  Netflix (@netflix) January 13, 2021

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The Uniper logo is seen in front of the utility's firm headquarters in Duesseldorf

BERLIN (Reuters) - Ratings agency S&P affirmed Uniper's long-term credit rating at BBB- with a negative outlook on Friday, fulfilling one of the conditions for Germany's 15 billion-euro ($15.32 billion) bailout package of the gas importer.

The package, among the biggest in German corporate history, still needs approval from the European Commission and the backing of Uniper shareholders.

It carries certain conditions, including that Uniper withdraw a lawsuit against the Netherlands over its coal phase-out as well as a commitment by the Duesseldorf-based group to suspend dividend payments for the duration of its stabilisation period.

The support of Germany's federal government contributed to S&P's decision to affirm the rating, it said in a statement.

The outlook negative rating indicates a potential downgrade is less imminent or likely than was the case under Uniper's previous rating of "CreditWatch negative."

"This outlook reflects prevailing uncertainty surrounding gas flows and the fact that details of the stabilisation package are still to be approved," S&P said.

($1 = 0.9792 euro)

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee in Berlin; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Ukraine Latest: US to Send $550 Million in Arms in New Package

(Bloomberg) --

Most Read from Bloomberg

Ukraine demanded access to the remains of dozens of POWs killed in an attack on a correctional facility in occupied Donetsk, as international condemnation grew of what Kyiv has called a Russian war crime. Moscow says Ukraines military struck the facility with US-provided weapons. The Red Cross said it hasnt been granted access to the prison.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on residents of the Donbas region to evacuate to protect themselves from Russian attacks. Ukraine said its close to restarting grain shipments from two Black Sea ports, although the exact timing remains unclear and subject to a safe-passage guarantee.

S&P Global Ratings cut Ukraines credit grade on Friday after the war-ravaged nation asked foreign creditors for permission to delay payments on its external debt.

(See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.)

Key Developments

Ukraine Downgraded by S&P as Default Becomes Virtual Certainty

Germany May Extend Life of Nuclear Plant to Ease Power Squeeze

Meet the Russian Architect of Putins Economic Counterattack

US Prisoner Swap Bid Discussed by Lavrov and Blinken in a Call

Ukraine Sees Grain Export Starting Soon as Zelenskiy Visits Port

Russian Charged With Using US Groups to Sow Political Mayhem

On the Ground

With the invasion now well into its sixth month, Russia continues to launch air and missile strikes against military and civilian targets, according to Ukraines military office. Strikes were reported in the Kharkiv area, with at least one person killed, and in the Bakhmut and Zaporizhzhia regions. Bakhmut is now a major Kremlin target in its eastern offensive. In the south, Moscows troops are focusing on holding occupied positions and preventing a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive. The death toll from Russian shelling of a bus station in Mykolaiv on Friday has risen to seven, with 14 injured, city authorities said.

Story continues

(All times CET)

Zelenskiy Calls for Donbas Evacuation (9:30 p.m.)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on residents of Ukraines Donbas region to evacuate, saying in his nightly video address on Saturday that many are refusing to leave.

Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said the government is enforcing evacuations amid intensified shelling and fears that itll be hard to survive the winter.

Unfortunately, the enemy is destroying everything that would help to heat people in winter again and again, she said in a television interview. At least 200,000 to 220,000 civilians live in areas of the Donetsk region under Kyivs control, she said.

Access to Olenivka Not Granted, Ukraines Red Cross Says (5:30 p.m.)

Access to the Olenivka penal facility in occupied Donetsk hasnt been granted, the Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross said, adding that it stands ready to support the return and transfer of mortal remains of some 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war killed there in an attack on Thursday night.

Granting ICRC access to POWs is an obligation of parties to conflict under the Geneva Conventions, ICRC Ukraine said in a Twitter thread.

Ukraine Demands Details of POWs Killed in Attack (3:51 p.m.)

Ukraines Coordination Centre on Handling Prisoner of War Issues demanded that Moscow provide a list of POWs killed and wounded in Thursday nights explosion in Olenivka, Donetsk. The center also seeks to retrieve the bodies of those killed, and has urged the Red Cross and the United Nations to immediately start an investigation.

Russia hasnt responded to the request. Moscow has said the deadly attack on the correctional facility was conducted by Kyiv with US-supplied weapons. Russias defense ministry earlier published a list of what it said were POWs from Ukraines Azov battalion killed in Olenivka.

Frances foreign ministry joined the US and the EU in condemning the attack, which killed an estimated 50 POWs, as well as recent reports of the torture of Ukrainian prisoners. The International Committee of the Red Cross said it has requested access to the prison.

Gazprom Halts Gas Supplies to Latvia (10:24 a.m.)

The Russian gas producer Gazprom PJSC halted supplies to Latvia, saying the Baltic nation had violated the conditions of its purchases. Flows were cut off on Saturday, Gazprom said in a statement on Telegram, without providing details.

Deutsche Bank Chief Sees Germany Prepared for Gas Crisis (9:59 a.m.)

Germanys economy is more than capable of withstanding the impact of Russia cutting gas supplies, said the CEO of the countrys leading bank.

While a complete halt in Russian gas deliveries would trigger a recession, Europes biggest economy can cope with the fallout no matter how bad it gets, Deutsche Bank AGs Christian Sewing, said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung newspaper.

Deutsche Bank Chief Sees Germany as Well Prepared for Gas Crisis

Ukraine Says Ten Ships Ready to Sail (8:19 a.m.)

Seventeen cargo ships are loaded with grain at the Black Sea ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk, with as many as ten ready to depart under the deal for safe transit between Ukraine, Turkey, Russia and the UN, according to Ukraines Infrastructure Ministry.

Vessels that had been loaded with grain already in winter are ready to depart as soon as the UN and Turkey agree on a green corridor toward Bosporus, the ministry said in a statement on Saturday, citing minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday declared Ukraine fully ready to start shipping during a visit to the Chornomorsk Sea Trade Port. The Turkish-flagged vessel Polarnet was shown loading grain.

Moscows Forces in Kherson Brace for Counteroffensive (7:30 a.m.)

The possibility of a Ukrainian counteroffensive into occupied Kherson may be disrupting attempts by Moscow to prepare for a referendum on annexation and to force civilians there to register for Russian passports, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

The Ukrainian Resistance Center reported that occupation authorities from the United Russia party left Kherson City as Friday, the US-based think tank said.

More broadly, occupation officials are promoting an organization called We Are Together with Russia throughout occupied Ukrainian areas, likely to present the appearance of a grassroots call for the Russian annexation, the think tank said.

Zelenskiy Calls Bombing of Ukrainian POWs Russian War Crime (3 a.m.)

Ukraines president called the bombing of a recently-opened correctional facility in occupied Olenivka, Donetsk, holding Ukrainian prisoners of war a deliberate Russian war crime, a deliberate mass murder of Ukrainian prisoners of war, in his nightly address to the nation, and repeated a call for Russia to be designated a state sponsor of terrorism.

The circumstances of the attack, in which Russias Defense Ministry said 50 Ukrainian prisoners were killed and 73 wounded, remain in dispute. Moscow said Ukraine hit the facility with US-supplied weapons. Kyiv said Russian forces conducted the attack to cover up war crimes, disrupt the supply of Western weapons, and discredit Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian diplomats brought the information about the Russian attack on Olenivka to the highest international level, Zelenskiy said.

Lavrov, Blinken Discuss Possible Prisoner Swap (1:05 a.m.)

Blinken said he spoke on Friday with Lavrov about the proposed exchange that could result in the release of Brittney Griner, a WNBA player, and Whelan, a former Marine.

I pressed the Kremlin to accept the substantial proposal that we put forth, Blinken told reporters in Washington in disclosing their call.

Blinken declined to characterize Lavrovs response. Although Biden administration officials have refused to confirm what theyre offering, a person familiar with the proposal say the US is seeking to trade the two Americans for imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, whose release Moscow has long sought.

S&P Downgrades Ukraine Over Payment Delay Request (12:40 a.m.)

Ukraine had its credit grade cut by S&P Global Ratings after the war-ravaged nation asked foreign creditors for permission to delay payments on its external debt after Russias invasion.

The country was downgraded to CC from CCC+ on Friday by S&P, which kept a negative outlook given the high probability that officials move forward with plans to restructure its foreign debt.

The rating could be cut again by S&P to selective default if the government in Kyiv gets bondholders to agree to a two-year payment freeze and changes to coupons on its so-called GDP warrants by the middle of next month.

US Export Controls Devastating for Russia, Raimondo Says (7:47 p.m.)

We have reason to believe that with each passing week and month, the export controls have an even more devastating effect, especially because the sanctions were coordinated with allies, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters in Washington.

She said Russias ability to continue the war continues to dwindle as its stockpile of spares depletes.

Appearing alongside Raimondo, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said hes seen no willingness by Russia to engage on ending the war and that President Vladimir Putin is trying to grab as much territory as he can.

US Readying Another Arms Package, Spokesman Says (6:41 p.m.)

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US will announce additional military aid to Ukraine very soon.

Kirby, in a briefing with reporters, declined to specify what would be included in additional presidential drawdown authority. You can expect to see things in line with the kinds of security assistance youve seen in the past, he said.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke Friday with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksii Reznikov. Austin said the pair discussed the situation on the ground, as well as our ongoing security assistance efforts.

Ukraine Sees Grain Vessels Leaving Soon (3 p.m.)

Ukraine said its close to restarting grain shipments, although the timing will depend on go-ahead from the United Nations,

Our side is fully ready, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in the Odesa region, where he watched grain being loaded onto a Turkish ship at Chornomorsk.

Tass reported that three vessels could leave the port as soon as Friday or Saturday, once a safe corridor was assured. It cited people in Turkey it didnt identify.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Officials with the Virginia Department of Health have stepped in to correct financial practices by the Rappahannock Area Health District after discovering the local office hadnt paid hundreds of thousands of dollars of invoices, according to the RAHD director.

Dr. Olugbenga Obasanjo said this week that health district officials discovered the unpaid invoices as they closed the books on the fiscal year, which ended June 30. After the health district paid the outstanding debt, Obasanjo said there was nothing left of federal money that had been assigned to the RAHD two years earlier. It was designated to pay contractors hired to perform various COVID-19 related duties, from investigating outbreaks to holding vaccine clinics.

Because all the money was gone, Obasanjo said the health district notified 71 contractors on July 11 that their jobs would end in two weeks. The state later supplied some other funding which allowed RAHD to hire back 19 positions.

Some of the financial practices that became problematic were put in place by RAHD leadership in March 2020, when the pandemic first began. That was 13 months before Obasanjo took over as director, but he said several times that the only finger pointing he would do would be at himself.

Im not going to second-guess how they made the decisions they made, given the rush of what was going on at the time, Obasanjo said. Im going to take responsibility. Since Ive been here, we could have and should have made some of these corrections.

Federal funds, such as COVID-19 money from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for use in paying contractors, are given to the Virginia Department of Health which then passes the money down to the 35 health districts in the state, said Dr. Parham Jaberi, chief deputy commissioner of VDHs Community Health Services.

We expect the districts to manage (the funds), said Jaberi, whos responsible for centralized planning, oversight and management of programs and operations in the health districts.

Contractors arent hired individually by the state but are provided through agencies which are then paid by the local health districts, Jaberi said. His office heard about problems with the RAHD from an agency that hadnt been paid.

State officials on the business side of the house worked with RAHD to track down and correct the problem when they realized the local health district was operating in the red, Jaberi said. However, catching up on all the bills meant there wasnt any money left to continue the contractsand some of those involved said theyd been told the contracts could last through spring or summer 2023.

However, contractors and VDH officials said both parties recognize their arrangement can be broken at any time, by employer or employee.

Thats the nature of the business, Jaberi said, adding the contractors serve at the will of the agency. While no rules or laws were broken ... we know it would have been better to give them a longer notice.

Obasanjo said problems stemmed from two key issues: the health district was using credit cards to pay agencies that provided contractors, and the fees from each transaction werent reflected on the district ledgers. Credit card fees typically amount to about 3% of the amount billed, but they built up over time, he said.

In addition, Obasanjo said because the health districts finance office is so small, the task of tracking bills from the contractor fund was assigned to someone who had other primary duties.

Jaberi said the central office took corrective actions to make sure that didnt happen again. Emails will be generated from invoices and sent both to the health districts business office and the district director.

Obasanjo also said RAHD wont be using credit cards to pay bills in the future, although Jaberi said the payment form is an option for health districts.

No one did anything wrong or misused funds, it was the fact (invoices) were not paid on time, Jaberi said. Misuse is when money is used for wrong purpose. Nobody did that, the funds were used for the right purposes, the funds were used to meet the mission of the agency. What wasnt done as well as it could have been was the tracking of expenses, I would say.

Jaberi also said the need for contractors has diminished as the virus has waned and restrictions have been reduced. Better tracking of how much money remained would have allowed RAHD to give the contractors more notice, and for the contractors to possibly phase out some of their programs in the community, he said. But it wouldnt have changed the ultimate outcome.

Angela Tillery, Jaberis assistant, said the central office is asking that all districts take a look at their staff and start to scale back ... as COVID is starting to wind down. There will be contracts ending in every district.

While Obasanjo said he preferred to focus on the solution rather than blame, he did say that in any organization, stability definitely helpsand theres been a lot of turnover in senior management in the last two years at the RAHD.

When the pandemic began, the RAHD director at the time left and later found a position in the Richmond office. A former director was brought out of retirement to lead the agencyand did so for several months until he was ready to retire again. For a while, a director who also supervised a health district in the Charlottesville area oversaw activities at the RAHD.

Then, in April 2021, Obasanjo became the RAHDs fourth director in 13 months.

He maintains the revolving door is not unique to the Fredericksburg area, but that across the nation, between 300 and 500 public health directors have retired, been fired or resigned since the pandemic began. Obasanjo himself is part of that group.

In July 2020, he resigned as a health district director in Georgia without providing any public reason for his departure. He hasnt routinely spoken with The Free LanceStar during his tenure in Fredericksburg, choosing instead to send written comments through a spokesperson. Likewise at public meetings, hes often introduced himself, then turned the discussion over to a staff member.

He said this week that having a singular spotlight on who he is and what he does is not his thing.

I think what we do is a big deal, but I dont think Im a big deal, he said. Getting into the paper is making the person a big deal.
ISTANBUL (AP)  Turkeys foreign minister urged Germany on Friday to be an honest broker and not always side with Athens in disputes between Turkey and Greece.

Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made the comments during a tense news conference with his visiting German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, where the two volleyed grievances back and forth, including over Turkeys plans for a new military incursion into Syria and its human rights issues.

Germany has acted as an honest mediator in the past. It had a balanced attitude, but lately, we see that this balance is unfortunately being lost, Cavusoglu said, accusing Berlin of falling for Greek propaganda.

Baerbock met with Cavusoglu in Istanbul after holding talks with officials in Greece, where she criticized Turkey for disputing the sovereignty of Greek islands near its coastline. She also urged Greece to make sure it stamps out any illegal pushbacks of migrants at the border.

NATO neighbors Turkey and Greece have been at odds for decades over sea boundaries, related drilling rights and the war-divided island of Cyprus, disputes that have brought them to the brink of war on several occasions.

Yes, many questions of international law are complicated, but some are also very simple. Greek islands  Lesbos, Chios, Rhodes and many, many others  are Greek territory, and no one has the right to raise questions over that, Baerbock told reporters after holding talks in Athens with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias.

Turkish officials says the sovereignty of eastern Greek islands can be disputed if it keeps a military presence there in violation of its treaty commitments. Athens disputes that view and has accused Turkey of carrying out frequent military overflights at its islands in the eastern Aegean Sea.

In both Greece and Turkey, Baerbock suggested that the NATO members should concentrate their efforts on supporting Ukraine, and singled out Russian President Vladimir Putin for his countrys aggression.

For me, it is clear that we must solve conflicts between NATO partners in dialogue. Disputes in the ranks of the alliance are exactly what the Russian president wants, she said in Athens. That includes respecting each others sovereignty.

Cavusoglu said Turkey wanted Germany to adopt the same balanced and trusted attitude displayed by former Chancellor Angela Merkel who had mediated between Ankara and Athens in the past.

As the two ministers exchanged grievances, Baerbock spoke out against Turkish plans to launch a new military offensive in northern Syria to push back Syrian Kurdish fighters that Ankara considers to be a threat to its security.

The suffering of Syrians would once again worsen with a renewed military confrontation," she said, adding that the incursion could help the Islamic State group gain a foothold in Syria.

Cavusoglu responded: When our allies tell us they understand Turkeys (security) concerns, we dont want it to be through words only. We expect them to support Turkeys legitimate fight (against terrorism)."

The German minister was also critical of a Turkish court ruling that convicted philanthropist Osman Kavala to life in prison, despite rulings by European Court of Human Rights that had called for his release. Cavusoglu said he "would have had more respect for Baerbocks opinion if she had also criticized Greece, whom he accused of failing to respect ECHR rulings regarding Muslim minorities in Greece.

Baerbock, who visited a refugee camp near Athens on Thursday, said EU countries needed to do more ensure that the right to apply for asylum was upheld at the blocs external borders. Human rights groups say Greece is not properly processing many migrants and asylum-seekers trying to reach the EU, including illegally pushing back some trying to cross the border.

We must uphold the values on which the European Union was built, she said. We ... must do more to ensure that people are safe and that there are no human rights violations at the border, and for me this includes illegal pushbacks. We are not there yet.

The German minister was scheduled to meet with refugees in the Turkish capital Ankara, on Saturday. Turkey hosts 3.7 million Syrians who have sought refuge from the war.

___ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writers Derek Gatopoulos in Athens and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration.
CIMARRON, N.M.  Weeping Water students climbed into winning altitudes this month during a two-week trek through the mountains of northern New Mexico.

Members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 220 of Weeping Water and Troop 221 of Beatrice traveled to Philmont Scout Camp near Cimarron, N.M., for a series of outdoor activities July 10-23. They climbed one of the highest peaks in New Mexico, hiked through many wilderness areas and learned about skills such as blacksmithing, archery and horseback riding.

Weeping Water Scoutmaster Charlie Cover said it was an adventure of a lifetime for members of the team. Cover, Troop 220 Assistant Scoutmaster John Fox and Troop 221 Assistant Scoutmaster Chris Lindell led a group of students that included Fischer Rhodes, Matt Cover, Jake Cover, Nolan Stroy, Talon Gilfert, Blake Lavington, Hunter Sheehan, Will Fox and Jon Lindell.

Philmont isnt a typical scout camp, Cover said. We cooked all our own trail food that was provided and had to take safety to a new level. We dont have to worry about hanging bear bags, rattlesnakes, large predators and purifying water for drinking and eating at most camps we go to. We also dont really worry about elevation sickness occurring.

Philmont Scout Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world that is affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America. The facility hires more than 1,100 summer staff members each year. They support backcountry and conservation programs, the Philmont Training Center, medical services, administrative positions, retail operations and food services.

The Philmont property encompasses 140,177 acres of New Mexico wilderness. It is one of four High Adventure Camps associated with the Boy Scouts and is home to the National Scout Museum. It is nestled in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains and includes more than 30 hiking trails.

Troop members left July 10 for New Mexico and spent their first day arranging their gear and learning about the area. They then began unpacking their outdoor experiences on day two. Philmont supervisors drove the scouts on a bus to their starting point in the mountains. They had to carry all of their supplies, food and gear on their backs until they finished ten days later.

Gilfert said scouts had to be prepared for all types of learning opportunities at Philmont. Each day the crew would get up, pack their gear and hike to the next camping spot on the 57-mile trail, where they would then take part in a different type of educational program. Weather was a constant factor, as storms arrived in the area during most afternoons of their adventure.

There are two different weather settings at Philmont, Gilfert said. Hot and dry, and cold and wet.

The Philmont trail featured many activities at each of the overnight stopping points. Scouts learned about blacksmithing and building railroads at Metcalf Station Camp, and they created new hiking trails up the side of a canyon wall as part of a conservation project at Ponil Campgrounds. They also enjoyed a chuckwagon chili dinner, learned about the fur trade industry and took part in horseback riding, archery, shotgun shooting and black powder shooting at other camps.

Cover said one of the highlights was a climb to the summit of Baldy Mountain. It is the highest mountain on Philmont Scout Ranch and is the eighth-tallest in New Mexico at 12,441 feet. Scouts began at an elevation of 10,200 feet and completed an eight-hour round trip to the peak and back.

Fox said the experience of moving to the top of Baldy Mountain was something he would remember for a long time. He said it gave him additional self-confidence and was something he was proud of achieving.

Climbing Baldy changed my life, Fox said.

Cover said he was proud of the scouts for staying focused throughout their journey. The higher elevation made hiking more difficult than locations in the Midwest, and they had the additional weight of their backpacks and gear to contend with.

Most scouts agreed that it was extremely hard, but well worth the trek, Cover said. It is easy to get down with the long work, but the crew took it all in stride. Taking each leg one step at a time allowed crews to keep pushing in the good times and bad.

Cover said that enthusiasm rose even more when the scouts realized they were near their destination. They covered the final few miles with smiles on their faces before finding their ride back to basecamp.

We got ready faster and hiked faster than we had all week that last day getting down to our pick-up point, Cover said. Everyone was looking forward to a warm shower, pizza in town and a good nights sleep before arriving home.

Cover said all of the scouts felt they had gained a great deal from their trip. Not only did many visit the Rocky Mountains for the first time, but they were able to climb into winning altitudes from physical, mental and emotional standpoints as well.

The trip for some might not be a once-in-a-lifetime thing, but for many it will, Cover said. The shared experiences and bond that formed will always be there for these scouts and scout leaders."
Photo taken on Nov. 23, 2021 shows the White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

President Joe Biden had ordered federal aid to supplement Kentucky and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides, according to the White House.

WASHINGTON, July 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden declared on Friday that "a major disaster exists" in Kentucky amid the deadly flooding in the state.

Biden had ordered federal aid to supplement Kentucky and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides, according to the White House.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear tweeted on Friday morning that the federal funding "is critical for our recovery efforts and Kentuckians impacted by the historic flooding."

Death toll from the heavy rain-caused flooding hitting Eastern Kentucky rose to at least 16, Beshear confirmed Friday.

Beshear said he expected the number to more than double, and "it's going to include some children." There are also a number of people unaccounted for, local media quoted Beshear as saying.

Flooding also hit parts of West Virginia and Virginia. Poweroutage.us reported more than 33,000 customers remained without electricity Friday in eastern Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia, with the bulk of the outages in Kentucky.

Beshear has declared a state of emergency for all of Kentucky and called in the National Guard to assist in the hardest-hit parts. Kentucky has also opened three state parks for those who lost their homes to take shelter. West Virginia Governor Jim Justice declared a state of emergency for six counties. 
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group has endorsed a $10.54 billion comprehensive Food Security Response Program (FSRP) package that will support member countries in addressing the ongoing food crisis.

It will also scale up the group's continued efforts to contribute to strengthening its members' resilience to food security shocks in the future, said a Wam news agency report.

The package was approved during an extraordinary joint meeting of the IsDB Board of Executive Directors, the Board of Directors of the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), and the Board of Directors of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC), it said.

As part of the IsDB Group comprehensive package, the IsDB will contribute up to $5.7 billion in total financing to member countries, comprising new approvals worth $4 billion and fast-tracking of disbursements for existing projects worth $1.7 billion.

In addition, as part of its "One Group-One Goal" approach, the programme involves significant and direct contributions by IsDB Group entities as follows: (i) International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) : $4.5 billion in trade financing; (ii) Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector ( ICD): $269 million in private sector development operations; (iii) ISFD: $75 million in loans, grants, and capital resources; and (iv) ICIEC: $500 million in political and credit insurance coverage.

To complement the financial package of the IsDB Group, the Islamic Development Bank Institute (IsDBi) will provide critical data, analytics, and evidence-based support for effective and impactful decision-making.

To jump-start the programme, the financing package is expected to provide immediate financing of up to $3.2 billion (over the coming 18-month period) for short-term interventions by providing (i) emergency food and agricultural supply and (ii) social protection and livelihood support to the most vulnerable populations.

The primary focus of the programme and the bulk of the financing envelope of the remaining $7.3 billion, which will span over the next three years, will be on developing innovative medium- and long-term interventions to address structural weaknesses and root causes of food insecurity in the member states. These include low productivity, rural poverty, climate change, and weak resilience of regional and national agricultural and food systems through six (6) key initiatives: (i) building agricultural resilience to climate change; (ii) food and input value-chains; (iii) smallholders' productivity and market access; (iv) rural livelihood support; (v) livestock and fisheries development; and (vi) building resilient food supply systems.

The total IsDB Group's financing support for agriculture and food security currently stands at $20.6 billion, comprising 1,538 operations.
The U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling was expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies.

Some Republican-led states banned or severely limited abortion immediately after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, while other restrictions will take effect later.

In anticipation of the decision, several states led by Democrats took steps to protect abortion access. The decision also set up the potential for legal fights between the states over whether providers and those who help women obtain abortions can be sued or prosecuted.

Here is an overview of the impact the ruling has had so far in every state and the status of their laws.

ALABAMA

Political control: Alabamas Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican governor want to ban or restrict access to abortions.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Hours after the Dobbs ruling, a judge lifted an order that had blocked a 2019 law with one of the nations most stringent abortion bans from being enforced.

Whats in effect: The ban is now in effect. It makes it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape or incest. There is an exception in cases where the womans health is at serious risk. The penalty is up to 99 years in prison.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Some Republican lawmakers have said they would like to see the state replace the 2019 ban with a slightly less stringent bill that would allow exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Proponents said the 2019 ban was deliberately strict in the hopes of sparking a court challenge to Roe.

ALASKA

Political control: Republicans hold a majority of seats in the Legislature, but the House has a bipartisan coalition majority composed largely of Democrats. Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who believes life begins at conception, is seeking reelection. His main challengers  independent former Gov. Bill Walker, and Democrat Les Gara  have said they would protect abortion rights if elected.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The Legislature ended its regular session before the decision came out, and there has been no push for a special session.

Whats in effect: The state Supreme Court has interpreted the right to privacy in the state constitution as encompassing abortion rights.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Voters in the fall will be asked if they want to hold a constitutional convention, a question that comes up every 10 years. Many conservatives who want to overhaul how judges are selected and do away with the interpretation that the constitutions right to privacy clause allows for abortion rights see an opportunity in pushing for a convention.

ARIZONA

Political control: The GOP controls both chambers of the state Legislature. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey must leave office in January because of term limits.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Legal uncertainty about two different abortion laws prompted clinics to stop providing the procedure. Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich has asked a judge to lift a decades-old order that blocks enforcement of an abortion ban passed before Arizona was a state. But a new law scheduled to take effect Sept. 24 would be less stringent, banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Also after the Dobbs ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court began allowing the state to enforce a 2021 ban on abortions done solely because the fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down syndrome. But a federal judge in Phoenix in July blocked enforcement of another part of that so-called personhood law that grants legal rights to fertilized eggs or fetuses. Abortion rights supporters said that could have been used to charge providers with assault, child abuse or other crimes for otherwise-legal abortions.

Whats in effect: The law before Dobbs barred abortions after about 22 weeks.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: More court battles are expected over whether the earlier, more complete ban is in effect and whether Arizonas less stringent law can take effect in September.

ARKANSAS

Political control: The Legislature and governors office are controlled by Republicans. Gov. Asa Hutchinson is term-limited and will leave office in January. Republican nominee Sarah Sanders, press secretary to former President Donald Trump, is widely favored to succeed him in the November election.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger ban on most abortions adopted in 2019 went into effect.

Whats in effect: Abortions are banned with the exception of when the procedure is needed to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Hutchinson favors exceptions in the case of pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but he does not expect to ask lawmakers to consider it at a special legislative session.

CALIFORNIA

Political control: Democrats who support access to abortion control all statewide elected offices and have large majorities in the Legislature.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The day of the Dobbs ruling, Gov. Gavin Newsome signed a bill intended to protect patients or providers from being sued in states that have abortion bans. He has also launched a commitment with Oregon and Washington to defend access to abortion.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in California until viability, generally considered to be around 24 weeks.

Clinics offering abortion? Yes.

Whats next: Lawmakers plan to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would explicitly guarantee the right to an abortion and contraceptives.

COLORADO

Political Control: Colorados Democratic-controlled Legislature adopted and its Democratic governor signed into law a fundamental right to abortions in April.

Whats happened since Dobbs: After the legislature introduced the bill codifying abortion rights, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order saying Coloradans will not participate in out-of-state abortion-related investigations.

Whats in effect: Colorados Reproductive Health Equity Act declares fundamental rights to abortions at any stage of pregnancy. The law also prohibits local governments from denying, restricting, or depriving individuals of an abortion. State law still prohibits public funding for abortions and requires that minors inform their parents.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Republican lawmakers in Colorado have spoken about legislative challenges to the new state law. Colorado clinics are gearing up for an expected wave of out-of-state abortion seekers as surrounding states pass abortion bans.

CONNECTICUT

Political control: Democrats who control the Connecticut General Assembly support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A law protecting abortion providers from other states bans took effect July 1. It created a legal cause of action for providers and others sued in another state, enabling them to recover certain legal costs. It also limits the governors discretion to extradite someone accused of performing an abortion, as well as participation by Connecticut courts and agencies in those lawsuits.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in Connecticut until viability, generally considered to be around 24 weeks. A law adopted in 2022 allows advanced practice registered nurses, nurse-midwives or physician assistants to perform aspiration abortions in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Theres been discussion of amending the state constitution to enshrine the right to abortion, which could take many years.

DELAWARE

Political control: Democrats control the governors office and the General Assembly and have taken several steps to ensure access to abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The state already had a 2017 law to codify the right to abortion and a 2022 law allowing physician assistants and advanced practiced registered nurses to prescribe abortion-inducing medications. After the ruling, the state adopted another law allowing physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners and nurse midwives to perform abortions before viability that includes legal protections for providers and patients.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal until viability.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: With protections in place, no major abortion policy changes are expected.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Political control: The local government in the nations capital is controlled by Democrats, with a Democratic mayor and the D.C. Council split between Democrats and nominal independent politicians, who are all, invariably, Democrats.

Whats happened since Dobbs: No policy changes have come about since the ruling.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would declare Washington, D.C., a sanctuary city for those coming from states where abortion is banned. But because Congress has oversight power over D.C. laws, a future ban or restrictions remain possible depending on control of Congress.

FLORIDA

Political control: Republicans control the House and Senate and governors office, with GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis pledging to expand pro-life protections after the Dobbs decision.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Floridas new 15-week abortion ban law went into effect July 1. The law is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit from abortion providers in Florida but remains in effect.

Whats in effect: The Florida law prohibits abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant womans life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow exceptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking. Violators could face up to five years in prison. Physicians and other medical professionals could lose their licenses and face administrative fines of $10,000 for each violation.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The lawsuit against Floridas 15 week ban is ongoing and is expected to eventually reach the state Supreme Court. Republicans believe the conservative-controlled court will uphold the law.

GEORGIA

Political control: Georgia has a GOP-controlled General Assembly and a Republican governor who support abortion restrictions, but all are up for election this November.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A federal appeals court allowed the states 2019 abortion law to be enforced in a July 20 ruling after three years of being on hold.

Whats in effect: The law bans abortion when fetal cardiac activity can be detected and also declares a fetus a person for purposes including income tax deductions and child support. There are exceptions in cases of rape  if a police report is filed  and incest. There are exceptions if a womans life or health would be threatened.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Some Republican lawmakers and candidates want Georgia to go further and ban abortion entirely, but Gov. Brian Kemp is unlikely to call a special session before Novembers general election. Lawmakers are likely to consider further action when they return for their annual session in January. A major factor is whether Kemp is reelected or unseated by Democrat Stacey Abrams in Novembers election.

HAWAII

Political control: Hawaiis governor is a Democrat and Democrats control more than 90% of the seats in the state House and Senate.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The law hasnt changed.

Whats in effect: Hawaii legalized abortion in 1970, three years before Roe v. Wade. The state allows abortion until a fetus would be viable outside the womb. After that, its legal if a patients life or health is in danger.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democratic lawmakers are considering how they might protect Hawaii medical workers from prosecution or civil litigation from other states for treating residents who arent full-time Hawaii residents such as military dependents or college students. Policymakers are paying attention to how the state may increase access to abortion on more rural islands where there is a doctor shortage, for example by boosting training for some nurses who under a new law passed last year are allowed to perform first-trimester abortions.

IDAHO

Political control: Republicans hold supermajorities in the House and Senate and oppose access to abortion, as does the states Republican governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The ruling triggered a ban on all abortions except in cases of reported rape or incest or to protect the mothers life. It is to take effect Aug. 25. President Joe Biden's administration has sued over the measure, arguing that it conflicts with a federal law requiring doctors to provide pregnant women with medically necessary treatment.

Whats in effect: Current law allows abortions up to viability, around 24 weeks, with exceptions to protect the womans life or in case of nonviable fetuses.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The Idaho Supreme Court is expected to rule in August on whether to lift an injunction that blocked enforcement of a law that could subject medical providers who perform abortions to lawsuits and criminal charges.

ILLINOIS

Political control: Illinois is overwhelmingly Democratic with laws providing greater access to abortion than most states. Democrats hold veto-proof supermajorities in the House and Senate, and the Democratic first-term governor seeking reelection this year, J.B. Pritzker, has promoted peaceful protests to protect the right to an abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: No major policy changes. Pritzker has called for a special legislative session to expand abortion rights.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in Illinois to the point of viability, and later to protect the patients life or health.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: A possible expansion of abortion access rights.

INDIANA

Political control: Indiana has a Republican-dominated Legislature and a GOP governor who favors restricting abortion access.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Both chambers of the Legislature passed separate bills to ban abortions with exceptions for rape, incest and to protect a woman's life. The votes came after splits among Republican lawmakers over the rape and incest exceptions.

Whats in effect: Abortion in Indiana is still legal up to about 20 weeks, with tighter restrictions after 13 weeks. Federal judges have lifted several previous injunctions  including abortions based on disability, gender, and race. Indiana doctors must also report abortions they perform on patients under 16 and procedures with complications.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes

Whats next: The House bill passed Aug. 5 was headed to a concurrence vote in the Senate. If approved as is, Indiana lawmakers would be the first in the nation to pass new legislation restricting access to abortion since the Supreme Court's June ruling.

IOWA

Political control: Iowa has a Republican governor and Republicans have large majorities in both legislative chambers.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Kim Reynolds has asked state courts to reverse earlier decisions following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling and an Iowa Supreme Court decision that found the state constitution doesnt guarantee the right to an abortion. Among the cases is a law she signed but was blocked by a district court that would have banned abortion after fetal cardiac activity can be detected.

Whats in effect: A 24-hour waiting period before an abortion.

Clinics offering abortions?: Yes.

Whats next: Reynolds says she will wait for the courts to act on her request to reverse previous rulings before proposing additional restrictions.

KANSAS

Political control: Kansas has a Legislature controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions but a Democratic governor who supports access and is up for reelection this year.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Kansas voters on Aug. 2 rejected a proposed amendment to the state constitution that would have given lawmakers the authority to restrict or ban abortion.

Whats in effect: Kansas allows abortion until the 22nd week of pregnancy. After that, abortion is allowed only to save a patients life or to prevent a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. Stricter laws are on hold after a 2019 state Supreme Court ruling that the states constitution grants a fundamental right to abortion.

Clinics offering abortion? Yes.

Whats next: The constitutional amendment vote was the first of its kind in the U.S. since the Dobbs ruling, and it's likely to have activists on both sides across the country recalibrating their strategies.

KENTUCKY:

Political control: Republicans have super majorities in the Kentucky House and Senate, and the GOP passed a trigger law in 2019 that imposed a near-total abortion ban. Kentuckys Democratic governor opposes the ban and notes that it doesnt provide exceptions for rape or incest.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Kentuckys only two abortion clinics halted the procedure, but a Louisville judge halted enforcement of the states trigger law a few days later.

Whats in effect: On July 22, the Louisville judge issued an injunction blocking the states near-total abortion ban while the abortion clinics challenge its constitutionality.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Kentuckians are set to vote in November on a constitutional amendment that would ensure there are no state constitutional protections for abortion.

LOUISIANA

Political control: Louisianas Legislature is controlled by Republicans who passed a trigger law to ban most abortions. Its Democratic governor, who is Catholic, also opposes abortions, though he supports exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Immediately after the ruling, Louisianas three abortion clinics halted abortion procedures as the trigger law went into effect. However, since then, the ban has taken effect and been blocked multiple times in the form of rulings and temporary restraining orders.

Whats in effect: On July 21, a state district judge issued a preliminary injunction that allows clinics to continue providing abortions while a lawsuit filed by a north Louisiana abortion clinic and others continues. Eight days later, the ban was reinstated after a judge ruled that enforcement could resume while the legal fight continues.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: A judges order gives attorneys until Aug. 20 to develop plans for a trial on whether the law should be permanently blocked. The state could appeal his order. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has said he expects the case to wind up at the state Supreme Court. In Louisiana, where the Legislature has long been dominated by abortion opponents, there is little question that an abortion ban will eventually be in effect.

MAINE

Political control: Both chambers of the Maine Legislature, which has adjourned, are controlled by Democrats and the state has a Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Janet Mills has signed an executive order that bars state agencies from cooperating with other states abortion investigations and says extradition attempts in those cases would be denied.

Whats in effect: A 1993 law signed by a Republican governor affirms the right to abortion before the fetus is viable. Abortion is allowed after viability if the health or life of the patient is at risk, or if the pregnancy is no longer viable. Nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other medical professionals may perform abortions.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: No major changes are expected unless Republican former Gov. Paul LePage unseats Mills in her reelection bid and Republicans take control of both chambers of the Legislature.

MARYLAND

Political control: Marylands General Assembly is controlled by Democrats who expanded abortion access this year by ending a restriction that only physicians can provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost. The legislature overrode Republican Gov. Larry Hogans veto of the bill in April.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Nothing changed immediately.

Whats in effect: State law prohibits restrictions to abortion prior to viability. The state approved legislation in 1991 to protect abortion rights if the U.S. Supreme Court ever restricted access; voters approved that right in 1992. Some nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants already have received training on medication abortion.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Hogan, who will leave office due to term limits in January, has said he will not advance state funds to train non-physicians to provide abortions before its required next year.

MASSACHUSETTS

Political control: Democrats control the Massachusetts Legislature and support access to abortion, as does the states Republican governor, although they differ on specific policies.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Charlie Baker signed an executive order on June 24 barring state agencies from assisting another states investigation into people or businesses for receiving or delivering reproductive health services that are legal in Massachusetts. The state also wont cooperate with extradition requests from other states pursuing criminal charges. Just over a month later, Baker signed into law a measure intended to protect access to abortion and expand access to emergency contraceptives.

Whats in effect: Recent changes to Massachusetts law allows abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases where the child would not survive after birth, and lowers from 18 to 16 the age at which women can seek an abortion without consent from a parent or guardian.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: In liberal Massachusetts, restrictions are unlikely to be adopted.

MICHIGAN

Political control: Both chambers of Michigans Legislature are controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict abortion access. The Democratic governor, who is up for reelection this year, supports access.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion remains legal in Michigan after a state judge issued a preliminary injunction in May blocking immediate enforcement of a 1931 law banning nearly all abortions. Michigans Legislature has appealed the decision. Abortion rights activists have taken steps to bring a constitutional amendment before voters on the November ballot. The amendment would affirm the right to make pregnancy-related decisions without interference, including about abortion and reproductive services such as birth control.

Whats in effect: The May temporary injunction, which stems from a Planned Parenthood lawsuit, blocked the 1931 law from going into effect and has kept abortion legal for now. The Michigan Court of Appeals suddenly changed course and said county prosecutors werent covered by the injunction and could enforce the ban. But another judge stepped in and said prosecutors  for now  must not follow the prohibition.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The state's election bureau and board of canvassers still need to verify and validate that the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot initiative submitted at least 425,000 valid signatures before the constitutional amendment officially makes the ballot. The issue is also expected to shape legislative and statewide elections this fall; the Democratic governor and attorney general have made abortion rights a centerpiece of their reelection campaigns.

MINNESOTA

Political control: Anti-abortion Republicans control the Senate and Democrats hold the House, but the majorities are slim. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz is stressing his support for abortion rights as he seeks another term.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Minnesota abortion clinics are starting to see a surge of out-of-state patients. On July 11, a state judge further eased access to abortion by striking down as unconstitutional several restrictions such as a 24-hour waiting period and parental notification.

Whats in effect: A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling from 1995 says the state constitution protects abortion rights. Minnesota allows abortions up to the point of viability, typically 24 weeks. However, some legal experts have questioned whether that cutoff would stand up in court.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democrats are making abortion rights a major issue as they seek to hold the governors office and House and take control of the Senate. Some Republican candidates are notably trying to downplay the issue.

MISSISSIPPI

Political control: Mississippis Republican-controlled Legislature and Republican governor have pushed for years to ban or restrict access to abortions. A 2018 Mississippi law to ban abortions after 15 weeks was the basis of the case that the U.S. Supreme Court used to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Mississippis only abortion clinic, Jackson Womens Health Organization, did its final abortions July 6 and has permanently closed. The clinic owner said she is selling the building and the clinics lawyers have withdrawn a lawsuit challenging a trigger law that bans most abortions.

Whats in effect: The trigger law passed in 2007 is in effect. It allows abortions only if a patient's life is in danger or if a pregnancy was caused by a rape that was reported to law enforcement.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn says he will oppose any effort to allow abortion for pregnancies caused by incest because he believes life begins at conception.

MISSOURI

Political control: Both GOP Gov. Mike Parson and the Republican-led General Assembly support laws against abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A 2019 trigger ban on most abortions went into effect.

Whats in effect: The ban makes abortions illegal except in cases of medical emergency. Performing illegal abortions is punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: The city of St. Louis proposed a $1 million fund to help residents travel to neighboring Illinois for abortions, but Missouri Attorney General Schmitt has sued to block it.

MONTANA

Political control: The Republicans who control the Montana Legislature and Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte want to limit access to abortion.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The Montana Republican Party updated its party platform to say it opposes all elective abortions. The party rejected a proposal to include an exception for rape or incest.

Whats in effect: Montana law used to say abortion is legal up until viability, or about 24 weeks of pregnancy. The state Legislature passed a bill in 2021 to reduce that to 20 weeks, arguing that is when the fetus can feel pain. That law, along with one that requires chemical abortions to be done with in-person medical supervision, are being challenged in court. A state judge temporarily blocked enforcement in October 2021 while the challenges move through the courts. The state has asked the Montana Supreme Court to vacate that injunction and overturn a 1999 Montana Supreme Court opinion that found the states constitutional right to privacy guarantees a womans access to abortion care.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The Montana Supreme Court will issue a decision on the preliminary injunction. The Montana Legislature also passed a referendum to ask voters this November whether they support a state law to require abortion providers to give lifesaving treatment to a fetus that is born alive after a botched abortion. Opponents argue federal law already offers those protections.

NEBRASKA

Political control: Nebraska has a Republican governor who favors a full abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest. The officially nonpartisan one-chamber Legislature is dominated by lawmakers who identify as Republicans.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Nebraska law has not changed.

Whats in effect: Abortion remains legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in Nebraska. Those seeking an abortion must receive counseling and wait 24 hours before getting an abortion. People under 19 must have parental consent to undergo an abortion.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Gov. Pete Ricketts remains noncommittal about calling a special session to address abortion, despite many Republican lawmakers pushing to outlaw the procedure. Abortion opponents dont appear to have the 33-vote supermajority needed to overcome a filibuster waged by abortion-rights supporters.

NEVADA

Political control: Nevadas governor and state attorney general are Democrats who are up for reelection this year. Democrats control the state Senate and Assembly.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion has become a campaign issue in top state and federal races, and Gov. Steve Sisolak has signed an executive order to protect access to abortion for residents and those from other states.

Whats in effect: Nevada voters enshrined the right to abortion in state law in 1990. A pregnancy can be terminated during the first 24 weeks, and after that to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person. It would take a statewide vote to change or repeal the law. Most Republican candidates for statewide posts say they oppose abortion.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Anti-abortion advocates are not expected to try to repeal Nevadas abortion law. They have said theyll seek laws requiring waiting periods, mandatory counseling or parental consent.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Political control: New Hampshire has a Republican governor and the GOP controls the 424-member Legislature. All legislative seats are up for election in November.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Legislative Democrats have urged Gov. Chris Sununu, who calls himself pro-choice to call a special session to codify abortion rights in state law. Sununu and Republican legislative leaders say theres no need.

Whats in effect: Under a law that went into effect this year, abortion is allowed until 24 weeks of pregnancy, later for the health or life of the patient or if the fetus has been diagnosed with abnormalities incompatible with life.

Clinics offering abortion? Yes.

Whats next: Republican lawmakers are divided over whether the state should further restrict abortions.

NEW JERSEY

Political control: Democrats control both houses of the state Legislature. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy started his second consecutive term this year.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A week after the Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, Murphy signed into law two bills aimed at protecting the right to abortion for out-of-state residents and barring extradition to states that have prohibited the procedure. The governor also signed a state budget that includes $45 million to expand family planning and abortion services and security upgrades for clinics. Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin and U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger of New Jersey on July 20 announced a partnership to share intelligence about threats to clinics and patients.

Clinics offering abortions: Yes.

Whats next: The states Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness is preparing to distribute money from the $5 million Reproductive Health Security Grant program.

NEW MEXICO

Political control: The Democrats who control the New Mexico Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor. Several conservative Democratic state senators who voted against the repeal of the abortion ban in 2019 were ousted from office in 2020 by more socially progressive primary challengers.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Soon after the ruling, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order protecting abortion access. The order seeks to block New Mexico providers from being punished in other states for providing abortions to residents of other states.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in New Mexico, even in the third trimester.

Clinics offering abortions: Yes.

Whats next: The owner of the Jackson Womens Health Organization at the center of the Dobbs decision plans to open a clinic in the city of Las Cruces, near Texas. Conservative counties are considering anti-abortion resolutions that say clinics are not welcomed. Abortion has taken center stage in the gubernatorial campaign.

NEW YORK

Political control: The Democrats who control the New York Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $25 million to expand access to abortion services and $10 million in grants to provide security at clinics. Less that two weeks before Dobbs, she signed other measures intended to protect abortion access.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy, and after that to preserve the patients life or health or if the fetus isnt viable.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Some abortion rights advocates are pushing lawmakers to begin the process of passing a constitutional amendment to protect access to abortion.

NORTH CAROLINA

Political control: Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the states General Assembly. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper supports abortion rights, but his veto power could be nullified if Republicans win more seats in November.

Whats happened since Dobbs: On the day of the ruling, Republican legislative leaders asked Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein, an abortion rights supporter, to demand a federal court lift an injunction on a 1973 state law that banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Stein declined. Cooper has signed an executive order that shields out-of-state abortion patients from extradition and prohibits state agencies from assisting other states prosecutions of those who travel to North Carolina for the procedure.

Whats in effect: A 2019 federal court ruling, affirmed last year by the 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, extended the right to an abortion in North Carolina until fetal viability, which typically falls between 24 and 28 weeks of pregnancy. An abortion can be still be performed after viability in certain medical emergencies.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Republican General Assembly leaders have signaled that Steins inaction on the 20-week abortion ban injunction might lead them to petition the court on their own. A federal judge could also consider reinstating the ban without lawmaker involvement. The Republican party will likely intensify its efforts in this years elections to gain the five additional seats it needs for a veto-proof supermajority. Cooper and other Democrats already are making abortion rights a key campaign issue. Abortion politics also are expected to figure in two state Supreme Court elections in November. Republicans would gain a majority on the court if they win at least one.

NORTH DAKOTA

Political control: North Dakota has a legislature dominated by Republicans who want to ban abortion, and the GOP governor had wanted Roe v. Wade wiped off the books in favor of states rights.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The ruling triggered a 2007 law to ban most abortions, but a judge blocked enforcement on July 27, the day before it was to kick in.

Whats in effect: Under current law, abortions are legal in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and after that in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the patient.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The states only clinic, the Red River Womens Clinic in Fargo, is fighting implementation of the ban and plans to move to Moorhead, Minnesota, if abortion is outlawed. The order putting enforcement on hold gave the clinic a reprieve.

OHIO

Political control: Both legislative chambers are controlled by Republicans. Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, an abortion opponent, is seeking reelection.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A ban on abortions after the first detectable fetal cardiac activity has taken effect. Clinics dropped a federal lawsuit challenging the law and have filed a challenge under the Ohio Constitution. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost is fighting them.

Whats in effect: A law prohibiting most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected except when the patients life is threatened or their health is at significant risk.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Republican lawmakers will move for a total abortion ban after the November election. Some support recently introduced legislation declaring personhood begins at conception. Statehouse plans may change if the Ohio Supreme Court allows the clinics state constitutional challenge to proceed.

OKLAHOMA

Political control: Republicans in Oklahoma have a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and a Republican governor up for reelection this year who has vowed to sign every pro-life legislation that came across my desk.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion services were halted in the state in May after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed law blocking all abortions with few exceptions. The ruling also triggered another law outlawing abortion.

Whats in effect: Abortions are allowed only to protect the life of the patient in a law thats enforced through civil lawsuits rather than criminal charges.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Abortion providers have shifted to helping patients get abortions in other states.

OREGON

Political control: The Democrats who control the Oregon Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Kate Brown has said she will protect abortion access for all.

Whats in effect: Oregon does not have any major abortion restrictions and it is legal at all stages of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democratic lawmakers have formed a group to make recommendations to expand access to all forms of reproductive care.

PENNSYLVANIA

Political control: Republicans who control the Pennsylvania Legislature are hostile to abortion rights, but the states Democratic governor is a strong supporter and has vetoed three GOP-penned bills in five years. The race for governor this year could tilt that balance.

Whats happened since Dobbs: No changes in the law or major court battles.

Whats in effect: Pennsylvania allows abortions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: In November, voters will decide on a new governor between the states Democratic attorney general, Josh Shapiro, who supports abortion rights, and Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who supports banning abortion with no exceptions. The Legislature is expected to remain in Republican hands. The state Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers aiming to overturn a 1982 law that bans the use of state dollars for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. Republican lawmakers are advancing a proposal to amend the state constitution to declare there is no constitutional right to an abortion or to public funding for an abortion. The proposal could go before voters as early as May 2023.

RHODE ISLAND

Political control: Democrats who control Rhode Islands General Assembly support access to abortion, as does the Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Daniel McKee signed an executive order prohibiting state agencies from cooperating with other states investigations into people who travel to Rhode Island for abortions or health care providers that perform them.

Whats in effect: A 2019 law enshrined abortion protections in the state. The law says Rhode Island cannot restrict abortion prior to fetal viability or after if it is necessary to protect the health or life of the patient.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Legislative leaders have said they would address abortion insurance coverage for state employees and people in the Medicaid program in 2023.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Political control: Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, but they are a few seats short of a two-thirds majority. Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is up for reelection and Democratic opponent Joe Cunningham has said his veto of any stricter abortion bill would likely stick.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The states 2021 ban on abortion once cardiac activity is detected  typically around six weeks after fertilization  was allowed to go into effect. A Republican-dominated special House committee is working on a bill to ban all abortions unless the life of the mother is at risk.

Whats in effect: Whats in effect: South Carolina bans abortion after an ultrasound detects cardiac activity. There are exceptions for pregnancies cause by rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Lawmakers are planning special sessions to consider stricter abortion laws.

SOUTH DAKOTA:

Political control: Republicans hold supermajorities in both legislative chambers. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is up for reelection this year and is an ardent opponent of abortion rights.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger law took effect banning abortion in South Dakota except to save the life of a pregnant woman. Some conservatives had wanted to do more, including trying to stop organizations or companies from paying for women to travel out of state for an abortion, but Noem  who had initially been eager to call a special session  announced in July that any action could wait until the regular session in 2023. Meanwhile, abortion rights supporters are considering a possible campaign for a ballot initiative aimed at overturning the state abortion ban or making it less restrictive.

Whats in effect: Abortion is illegal in South Dakota except to save the life of the mother.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: Possible legislative action in 2023 aimed at making it more difficult for South Dakota residents to obtain abortion care elsewhere. Abortion rights supporters may to take the issue directly to voters to undo the ban.

TENNESSEE

Political control: Tennessee has a Republican governor who is consistently vocal about his opposition to abortion. The GOP holds a supermajority in the General Assembly and has steadily chipped away at abortion access. Voters approved an amendment in 2014 declaring that the state constitution does not protect or secure the right to abortion or require it to be funded.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A court allowed enforcement of a law, adopted in 2020, that bans abortions after fetal cardiac activity is detected.

Whats in effect: The so-called heartbeat ban has exceptions only to prevent death or major health risks.

Clinics offering abortions? Most are not.

Whats next: An even more stringent ban triggered by the Dobbs ruling is to take effect in late August.

TEXAS

Political control: The GOP has commanding majorities in the Texas Legislature and has controlled every statewide office for nearly 30 years. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is up for reelection in November and is favored to win a third term.

Whats happened since Dobbs: The fall of Roe put in motion a trigger law to ban virtually all abortions starting in August. In the meantime, there has been litigation over whether a 1925 state abortion ban can be enforced.

Whats in effect: A 2021 law bans abortions once fetal cardiac activity can be detected, normally around six weeks.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: There are legal questions to be settled about which ban is in effect, but nearly all abortions are expected to be illegal soon in the nations second most populous state. Some Republican lawmakers are also looking for ways to punish companies that help Texas-based employees get abortions elsewhere, although its not clear how much support that would have in the 2023 legislative session.

UTAH

Political control: Utah is deeply conservative and the Legislature is controlled by a Republican supermajority.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger law banning nearly all abortions was put into effect and then paused by a court amid a legal challenge. Meanwhile, a court allowed a 2021 ban on abortions after 18 weeks to be enforced.

Whats in effect: Abortions after 18 weeks are banned except in cases of rape and incest if those crimes are reported to law enforcement, and if there's a serious risk to the life or health of the mother, as well as confirmed lethal birth defects.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: A court will decide whether the near-total ban is allowed under Utahs state constitution.

VERMONT

Political control: Democrats control both the House and Senate of the Vermont Legislature. Republican Gov. Phil Scott is a firm supporter of abortion rights.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Vermont has doubled down on its commitment to abortion rights. In 2019, the Vermont Legislature passed a law guaranteeing abortion rights in anticipation of the possible overturning of Roe. At the same time, the state began the process of amending the state constitution to protect abortion rights. The proposal must be passed by two consecutively elected legislatures, a process that was completed in February 2022. The final step in the process is a statewide referendum, scheduled for November.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: The vote on the Reproductive Liberty Amendment will be held Nov. 8.

WASHINGTON

Political control: The Democrats who control the Washington Legislature support access to abortion, as does the states Democratic governor.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Gov. Jay Inslee issued a directive barring the Washington State Patrol from cooperating with other states investigations related to abortions.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in Washington until viability, and after in cases where the patents health or life is threatened.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

Whats next: Democratic officials say theyll keep looking for ways to preserve access to abortion services for people within the state and who travel from places with restrictions.

WEST VIRGINIA

Political control: West Virginias Legislature is controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions. Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, opposes abortion access and has signed two anti-abortion laws since taking office in 2017.

What's happened since Dobbs: The state's only abortion clinic initially closed out of concern that the staff could be prosecuted under an abortion law that dates to the 1800s. But the Womens Health Center of West Virginia, in Charleston, announced it would challenge the law and resumed offering abortions. The state's House of Delegates on July 27 passed a sweeping abortion ban that the Senate amended two days later. The House rejected those amendments and sent the bill to a conference committee. Both chambers adjourned but could be called back in August.

Whats in effect: Abortion is legal in the first 20 weeks of gestation, longer in cases where the patient's life or health is at risk. Other restrictions include a 24-hour waiting period, required counseling to discourage abortion, parental permission for minors; a ban on the use of telemedicine to administer a medication abortion; and prohibition of abortions on the grounds that the child will be born with a disability.

Clinics offering abortions? Yes.

What's next: Whether the old nearly total ban can be enforced is playing out in courts. At the same time, lawmakers are forging ahead with consideration of a new nearly total ban.

WISCONSIN

Political control: Wisconsins Legislature is controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions, but the Democratic governor supports access and is up for reelection this year.

Whats happened since Dobbs: Abortion clinics have stopped performing the procedure in Wisconsin under an 1849 law that banned abortions except to save a mothers life. Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, has filed a lawsuit in state court challenging the ban. He argues that a 1985 state law prohibiting abortion after a fetus can survive outside the womb trumps the older law. While that lawsuit is pending, anti-abortion groups have said they will work with the Republican-controlled Legislature next year to update or replace the 1849 law.

Whats in effect: Possibly the 1849 ban on all abortions except to save a womans life.

Clinics offering abortions? No.

Whats next: The attorney generals lawsuit against the 1849 law is pending in Dane County.

WYOMING

Political control: Wyoming has one of the most Republican Legislatures in the U.S. and a Republican governor who in March approved a trigger law banning nearly all abortions.

Whats happened since Dobbs: A trigger ban on nearly all abortions took effect on July 27, only to have enforcement blocked by a court the same day.

Whats in effect: With enforcement of the new law blocked, Wyoming allows abortions until a fetus would survive outside its mothers body, around 23 weeks. The new law banning abortion only provides exceptions in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mothers life or health, not including psychological conditions.

Clinics offering abortions: No.

Whats next: Legal arguments will continue on the challenge to the more stringent ban brought by four women and two nonprofits who argue it violates the state constitution. The plaintiffs include organizers of a womens health and abortion clinic that was damaged in a May 2022 arson attack.

Associated Press reporters from across the U.S. contributed.

For APs full coverage of the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, go to https://apnews.com/hub/abortion
Schuyler Fire and Rescue is among select volunteer fire departments in Nebraska to receive emergency drinking water.

The water comes from Anheuser-Busch and the Fremont-based Eagle Distributing of Nebraska, which is providing more than 25,000 cans of drinking water to departments as they continue to protect communities and prepare for upcoming wildfire relief efforts.

Schuyler is among nine departments to receive the emergency drinking water.

Volunteers comprise 67% of firefighters in the United States and are local communities first line of defense in a range of emergencies. At the same time, they often operate with limited resources and staffing.

Clean drinking water is essential to ensure these local heroes can be at their peak performance when protecting communities.

Eagle Distributing of Nebraska is proud to support all first responders, but especially volunteers, said Bruce Nelsen, chief executive officer of Eagle Distributing, in a prepared statement. They are the unsung heroes in our communities who donate their time to help keep us all safe, and through our partnerships with Anheuser-Busch and the National Volunteer Fire Council, we are honored to show our appreciation for their sacrifices with a donation of emergency drinking water.

The donation of emergency drinking water came from Anheuser-Buschs brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado, which periodically pauses beer production to can clean and safe drinking water to be delivered to communities in times of need.

Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of providing emergency drinking water and supplies for disaster relief efforts in partnership with the American Red Cross, dating back to 1906.

Since the start of its emergency drinking water program in 1988, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 90 million cans of clean drinking water to U.S. communities affected by natural disasters and other crises.

Through a partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), the national association representing Americas volunteer fire departments, Anheuser-Busch also donates emergency drinking water each year to provide critical hydration to volunteer firefighters.

Since its launch in 2019, the program has donated more than 4.8 million cans of water to volunteer fire departments across the county to help firefighters stay hydrated when protecting their communities.

Eagle Distributing of Nebraska, Inc., founded in 2001, is a Fremont, Nebraska-based, family-owned company, with operations in Fremont, Norfolk, Grand Island, and Fairbury. The company delivers beer, wine, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages to more than 1,800 customers across Nebraskas largest beverage distribution territory of more than 62,000 square miles in the central, south-central, and the northeastern parts of the state.

The company became the first wholesale beverage distributor to win the Anheuser-Busch Ambassador of Excellence Program in 2010, then won again in 2011 and 2012.

Founded more than 160 years ago, Anheuser-Busch owns and operates more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and has more than 19,000 colleagues across the United States.
A Northeast Community College student is one of five people to receive scholarships from a Midwest trucking company.

Truck Center Companies has presented Dru Mueller of Hooper with a $10,000 scholarship, $5,000 for tools, a laptop computer, communication adaptor, and diagnostic software to continue his education in the Diesel Technology program at Northeast. The presentation was made at Truck Center Companies Norfolk location.

The scholarship provides opportunities to students who graduate from accredited community and technical college programs in diesel or collision repair technology. Students selected for the scholarship must commit to work for one of Truck Centers Freightliner dealerships for two years after graduation. They must maintain high academic standing and must be accepted into an accredited diesel technology program.

Mueller is an incoming sophomore and has maintained a grade point average of above 3.4, possesses a good work ethic and takes pride in being a diesel technician. In addition to his obtaining his education at Northeast, he is currently employed part time at Truck Center Norfolk.

The Diesel Technology Truck program at Northeast Community College instructs students on the basic knowledge and skills needed to service and repair diesel and gas-powered equipment. In addition to classroom study, students receive over 1,000 hours of lab training. The college also offers diesel technology with a tractor concentration.

Truck Center Companies is a family-owned business and is one of the largest Freightliner dealers in the Midwest. Founded in 1975, the Omaha-based dealership is located in 18 cities throughout Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota.
School shootings. Bullying. Addiction. Suicide.

These are just a few of the enemies threatening students every day. Youth are under attack, and need champions who are willing and eager to fight for them.

It truly does take an army to mold our youth, said Mary Trehearn, this years recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Award for Courage and Excellence in Education.

This award is given annually to Nebraska teachers as a memorial for Christa McAuliffe, the educator and astronaut who lost her life along with six other crew members in the Challenger space shuttle explosion on Jan. 28, 1986.

I count myself blessed to be one among many in the strongest, bravest army known to humanity, Trehearn said. The army that molds the future, otherwise known as educators.

Trehearn said she fights to defend her students against those who do not believe in them, against those who make them feel they cannot achieve. She also combats the negative self-talk in their own minds, against any barrier between them and what she knows they can become.

I tell my students I will go to the wall for them, and ultimately they come to know that its true, she said.

One of the fiercest battles educators have been engaged in for the past three years is the war on COVID.

Trehearn, who began her career as an English teacher at Fremont High in 1991, is eager to share her award with every teacher who has persevered in helping students succeed during this pandemic.

Jason Guel was in Trehearns ninth grade Honors English class during the pandemic. During the online period, Guel had a chance to observe how each of his educators responded to and dealt with online students.

Dr. Trehearn stood out to me for her accessibility, Guel said. If I needed help with an assignment or simply did not understand the instruction, she would never fail to respond with patient, helpful answers. She inspired me to push forward. And she has instilled in me the drive to never give up.

Myron Sikora, principal of Fremont High School, nominated Trehearn for the Christa McAuliffe Award.

We are fortunate to have Mary working in the Fremont Public Schools, he said. Parents have requested that Mary teach their children, because they know the type of instruction, caring spirit, and high expectations their children will experience.

Both of Mary Robinsons children were able to maximize their potential as a result of Trehearns effective communication and genuine care.

Shes all about building a safe community at Fremont Senior High School, Robinson said. My son and daughter both took an English class with her and consistently commented on how helpful she was as a teacher.

Robinsons daughter built an even closer relationship with Trehearn while they worked together to manage the T.U.F. (Teens United in Faith) Club.

They performed service projects, did fundraisers, and worked on spreading love throughout the school, Robinson said. Dr. Trehearns positivity, vigor, and support never fail to lift up my kids.

Former student Taylor Sorensen has fond memories of being in Trehearns freshman English class during the fall semester of 2016 along with the School-to-Career class in her senior year.

I remember walking into her room for the first time and seeing the walls absolutely adorned in decorations and crafts that she had made, Sorensen said. It made the room so bright and inviting.

Sorensen recalled turning to Trehearn many times for advice and a strong shoulder to lean on.

She would be ready to listen and never once prioritized anything over that relationship with me or her other students, Sorensen said.

The support Sorensen received from Trehearn throughout her years of high school and beyond is what inspired her to choose psychology as her college major.

I was eager to support others the same way as she had always done, Sorensen said. She brought so much to the classroom. She changed my life for the better.

Brenda Schiermeyer, chair of Fremont High Schools World Language Department, has worked with Trehearn for almost two decades and considers her a true asset to FHS.

She is a passionate advocate for student growth, Schiermeyer said. Her encouraging teaching style allows students to recognize their own potential.

Schiermeyer also commends Trehearn for offering a safe place to learn.

She takes the time to make connections and build relationships with each student, allowing her to understand each students personal story and background, Schiermeyer said.

Trehearn is only too aware of the chaos some kids have to live in. As a writing assignment, she has her students describe a hardship they have overcome.

As a result of the Hardship Makes Us Stronger writing activity, Trehearns students frequently tell her they now realize they can overcome anything and nothing can hold them back.

Throughout the years Trehearn has worked with various organizations to increase awareness of such issues as drug abuse and youth suicide.

In 2013, in collaboration with Dodge County Judge Ken Vampola, two Fremont police officers, guidance counselor Erica Woods-Schmidt, then-FHS Principal Chuck Story, and parent Mary Glowacki, Trehearn coordinated a Drug Awareness Program for FHS.

From 2012 to 2014, Trehearn participated in the Befriend Mentoring Program as a family mentor through Oasis Counseling International.

For the past nine years, she has been a member of Christian Education Association International.
No criminal charges are expected to be filed after 1,000 birds were consumed by flames and another 1,500 injured when a truck hauling them into the Lincoln Premium Poultry site near Fremont caught fire.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has asked Dodge County Attorney Sara Sopinski and law enforcement to investigate and file applicable criminal charges against those responsible for the 2,500 chickens being burned alive or injured.

Nebraska Statute 54-903 states that a person who recklessly abandons or cruelly neglects a livestock animal, resulting in its serious injury or death, faces a Class IV felony charge.

My understanding of what happened didnt involve any cruel neglect, but more of a mechanical failure in the vehicle, Sopinski said. It doesnt appear on the surface, at least to me, that there were any cruel intentions in the circumstance.

Sopinski said her office doesnt conduct investigations and that the PETA letter was forward to the Fremont Police Department to determine if an investigation was warranted.

She also pointed out how the fire began.

Theres nothing indicating somebody was trying to start the vehicle on fire, so I think its safe to say the vehicle starting on fire was an accident, she said, adding, I imagine the fire put the individual driving it at substantial risk, too.

Fremont Police Chief Jeff Elliott said the department doesnt plan to conduct an investigation, unless there is some indication that the event was criminal.

Currently, there is no indication the event was criminal, he said.

A report from the USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) states that shortly before 4 a.m. June 17, a truck transporting live birds from a farm some 60 miles northwest of Fremont caught fire as it drove onto LPP premises at 1325 E. Cloverly Road.

FSIS reported that discussion with company management indicated breaks on the rear wheels of the truck probably overheated and ignited the flames which caused the rear tires to explode, producing a loud sound with huge flames.

LPP management said employees attempts to put out the blaze with fire extinguishers failed. Within 15 minutes after the fire started, Fremont Police and firefighters arrived at the scene.

Fremont firefighters had the blaze completely contained by 4:45 a.m.

The FSIS report states each truck carries about 6,000 live birds with each module/crate holding about 500 birds.

It said the last two modules (1,000 birds) at the rear of the truck were completely burnt.

An estimated 1,500 birds from four modules in the front were injured, with many of the live birds loose in the establishments parking lot.

Approximately 3,500 birds were unharmed.

While 1,000 chickens died in the flames, the LPP decided to euthanize the remaining 5,000 birds that had been on the trailer.

The report stated that a Supervisory Public Health Veterinarian (SPHV) observed the humane euthanasia of birds from about 5 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

Birds roaming around the parking lot were euthanized by cervical dislocation, while those in the modules by a high dose of carbon dioxide treatment.

In a press release, PETA said a whistleblower believes the driver carelessly left the trucks emergency brake on, igniting the fire.

PETA also said LPP workers broke the necks of birds that managed to escape and gassed others over a period of time, which the nonprofit organization said took almost four hours.

Collin Henstock, assistant manager of investigations at PETA in Norfolk, Virginia, said the USDA report carries no criminal or civil penalties.

So were pursuing charges under state law, because federal officials havent prosecuted any of the slaughter houses they inspect for acts such as this since at least 2007, Henstock said.

PETA Vice President Daniel Paden drew attention to the FSIS report.

This report shows that 1,000 birds, each one an individual capable of feeling pain and fear, died in terror and agony in the flames that engulfed a truck at this facility and that the necks of those who survived were cruelly snapped or else the animals were gassed to death, Paden said.

Paden recommended that those concerned about matter make a different food choice.

PETA urges anyone who still eats chickens to spare a thought for the suffering of these gentle birds and go vegan, Paden said.

Henstock also advocated this option.

Even the best run slaughter houses still violently kill massive numbers of animals and the best way to spare animals from suffering in this industry is to stop eating them, he said.

Henstock said barring the driver being convicted of a serious offense related to these birds deaths, the incident is unlikely to affect his or her commercial drivers license, typically issued by the drivers home state.

LPP is a Nebraska company, established in 2016 for Costco, in collaboration with the wholesale, American multinational corporation.

PETA stated in the news release that it has asked Costco management what steps the company plans to take to prevent similar incidents.

The FSIS report states that management has the opportunity to develop preventative measures regarding maintenance of equipment and machinery and/or contingency measures to follow if a similar incident occurs in the future.

FSIS recognizes the establishment reacted responsibly to this event and that this incident created undesirable equipment and production loss and something the establishment obviously wants to avoid in the future as this fire led to about 6,000 chickens dying by means other than by slaughter, the report states.

LLP has declined to comment at this time.
Pakistans army says one soldier and at least six armed militants have been killed in an overnight operation in the countrys volatile southwestern Balochistan Province.

The operation was launched after the authorities received information that a group of insurgents were riding motorcycles from the Kech district to the neighboring Panjgur district, the military said in a statement on July 30.

Security forces cordoned off the area to apprehend the militants. However, once surrounded, the militants opened fire on the soldiers and the ensuing exchange with the military resulted in the death of six insurgents and one soldier. Another soldier was wounded in the clash in Kech's Husnab area, the military said.

Security forces also seized arms and ammunition, and a search and clearance operation was ongoing on July 30.

Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, has been the scene of a low-level insurgency by the Balochistan Liberation Army and other separatist groups demanding independence from the central government in Islamabad since 2004.

Based on reporting by AP and Dawn.com
An arraignment date has been set for Demar Rayel Ravenell, who is accused of killing a Colorado Springs taxi driver earlier this year.

After hearing from six witnesses during a preliminary hearing over two days, 4th Judicial District Judge Jill Brady sided with the prosecution, allowing it to continue with its charges against Ravenell, 22, in the January death of Brian MacDonald, 42.

"In the video the court can observe that ... as Brian MacDonald dropped his hand to the center console, Demar Ravenell shot him, and killed him," the prosecution said to the court Friday.

Ravenell is facing seven charges including first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and weapon possession by a previous offender. If Ravenell is convicted of the first-degree murder charge, he will be given a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

Judge Brady allowed the prosecution to continue its case on all seven charges filed against Ravenell.

In the first half of the preliminary hearing, which was held July 8, the prosecution detailed how Ravenell allegedly killed MacDonald.

According to Colorado Springs police detective Jason Gasper, camera footage from the interior of the taxi in the early morning hours of Jan. 21, 2022, captured Ravenell attempting to shoot MacDonald from the back seat, without him noticing initially due to the gun not discharging. Gasper said that a few minutes later Ravenell could be seen robbing MacDonald, and then shooting him in the back of the head, killing him.

The video footage was not played in court, but the prosecution showed a screenshot of the incident during which a man in the back seat of the taxi can be seen pointing a handgun at MacDonald's head, which Gasper testified was "less than a second" before the suspect discharged his weapon.

The witnesses who testified in the first hearing also spent time describing Ravenell's relationship with his girlfriend, whom he was on the way to see the evening of MacDonald's death. Ravenell had told the woman his name was David, and officers testified that the woman had no idea of his true identity until it was revealed to her by detectives a few days after the incident.

During the second day of the preliminary hearing Friday, the prosecution shed light on how law enforcement came to suspect Ravenell of the crime, and how they eventually apprehended him.

Colorado Springs police detective Marcus Lehmkuhl testified that he went to the motel where MacDonald allegedly picked up Ravenell, and that while downloading security footage from the morning of the incident the manager of the motel disclosed to the detective that the man in the footage was her son, Leroy Ravenell.

Lehmkuhl noted that the woman who manages the motel is Demar Ravenell's grandmother.

Demar Ravenell was a person of interest to Colorado Springs police because he was wanted in connection with a Sept. 27, 2021, homicide in St. Stephen, South Carolina, and police had been informed that he was in Colorado Springs.

After showing Demar Ravenell's girlfriend a picture of him provided by the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office in South Carolina, she admitted that was the man she had been seeing who called himself David. Lehmkuhl added that the woman did not recognize photos of Leroy Ravenell.

Lehmkuhl testified that Demar Ravenell's grandmother later admitted that it was him in the security camera footage, telling the detective that she said it was Leroy Ravenell initially because she was "worried about getting in trouble" as she was aware of her grandson's arrest warrant in South Carolina.

Lead detective on the case Nicole Black additionally said during her testimony that various items of interest were found in the car of the woman dating Ravenell. A pair of black Adidas slides that match those worn by the suspect in the taxi camera footage were found in the back seat alongside a fanny pack that matched one MacDonald carried with him in the car when working, and was reportedly taken from the scene after his death.

Black testified that both items had human blood on them when found.

Ravenell attempted to flea the area, but was apprehended by law enforcement in Pueblo on Feb. 7, 2022. Detective Black testified that Ravenell had bought a bus ticket to South Carolina that was scheduled to leave less than 24 hours after he was arrested.

Following the ruling from judge Brady, the defense attorney for Ravenell requested for an arraignment date to be set, where Ravenell could enter a plea.

The arraignment date was set for Tuesday, Sept. 6.
SAS, a leader in analytics, will adopt Moro Hubs cutting-edge cloud services to fortify its AI-based solutions to businesses in Dubai and accelerate their digital transformation journey.

For this SAS has signed a partnership with Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital Dewa, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (PJSC).

As part of the new partnership, SAS will utilise Moro Hubs multiple cloud services on a single platform to increase the agility, scalability and security of its data management solutions.

Managing high volumes

Coupling the SASs AI based industry solutions with Moro Hubs multiple cloud services will help customers easily provision their IT infrastructure for storage and manage high volumes of data in a streamlined manner, while being cost efficient.

The partnership was signed by Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Digital Dewa and Tayfun Topkoc, General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Central Asia at SAS on the side lines of the Innovate on Tour Executive Experience 2022 by SAS.

Sustainable future

Constructing a sustainable future has become a priority for businesses in Dubai, technology is one of the key drivers presenting an opportunity to envision and achieve a vision.

In line with this, SAS is committed to use its analytics and AI driven technology solutions to help businesses pivot towards supporting the development of a sustainable and greener economy of the Emirate.

As an industry leader in Analytics and AI, SAS efforts focus on leading the roadmap to enable and connect businesses with new opportunities, overcome operational challenges and become future-proof as the economy undergoes transformation.

Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Digital Dewa said: This partnership with SAS is part of our commitment to support the digital transformation of businesses in the region by providing them the best technology has to offer. In these times, when businesses are concerned about their continuity and relevance in the market, it is imperative that we use our expertise to deliver innovative solutions that can transform challenges into opportunities. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate the cycle of innovation to offer unmatched AI based industry solutions to businesses in the region.

Commenting on the new partnership, Tayfun Topkoc, General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, and Central Asia at SAS, said: We are delighted to announce our partnership with Moro Hub, given its unique offering in secure, resilient, and highly available multiple cloud services. This is the next step in our cloud-first strategy. As a customer-centric company, this partnership comes in light of our pursuit of leveraging our expertise and enhanced AI-driven data management solutions for the benefit of our customers in Dubai, which closely aligns with the UAE National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 which centres on furthering the trajectory of business growth and ensuring customer happiness.-- TradeArabia News Service
A Denver judge convicted a juvenile of burglary despite insufficient evidence of that crime, the state's Court of Appeals concluded last month.

Under Colorado law, the felony offense of burglary requires a person to commit unlawful entry. A three-judge appellate panel believed the prosecution had not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that a juvenile defendant, identified as J.S-C., used deception or other means to gain unlawful entry into the victim's home-based business.

In doing so, the court drew a distinction between burglary and the misdemeanor crime of theft.

"Suppose, for example, that a person enters a clothing store with intent to steal a shirt," wrote Judge Timothy J. Schutz in the panel's June 16 opinion. "If the person thereafter steals the shirt, the person could effectively be tried for the crime of theft. But the fact that the person entered the store with the intent to commit a theft does not necessarily render the theft a burglary."

The criminal case involved an online fashion accessory business the victim's daughter operated out of a high-rise condominium in Denver. The victim occasionally would help her daughter by taking merchandise down to customers or allowing them to view products in the condo's entryway.

The victim's daughter informed her mother that two people, one of whom was a repeat customer, would come by on Oct. 10, 2019. The mother should let the buyer, allegedly known as "Froylan," into the condo.

J.S-C. and a companion knocked on the condo door and the victim allowed them inside. The two began to look at the merchandise, at one point asking the victim if there were any sunglasses available. When the victim turned her back, the couple grabbed cash and merchandise and ran. The victim gave chase, and a bystander caught J.S-C. in the lobby. Authorities never located or identified her companion.

J.S-C. stood trial for burglary. There was little information about the interaction between the victim and J.S-C. and her companion, and no testimony about who "Froylan" was. Although the prosecution alleged J.S-C. used a ruse to gain unlawful entry to the condo, the defense claimed the evidence pointed to J.S-C. being invited.

Then-Juvenile Court Judge Donna J. Schmalberger decided J.S-C. had committed burglary, ruling the defendant had entered under false pretenses because the victim let in J.S-C. and her companion "thinking they were someone other than (who) they were." Schmalberger sentenced J.S-C. to one year in juvenile detention.

The Court of Appeals panel reviewing J.S-C.'s case honed in on whether the evidence supported Schmalberger's finding that J.S-C. had committed unlawful entry  the key element of burglary under dispute.

"My client was invited in to view merchandise and she went in to view merchandise," public defender Mark Evans said. He added there was no evidence J.S-C. gained access to the condo through deception.

"If Im expecting Bob to show up at my door and I hear a knock on the door, and I open the door and I let this person in and it happens to be Jim, thats not Jims fault. Jim didnt do anything deceptive there," Evans said during oral arguments.

The government insisted it was fair to infer that J.S-C. pretended to be a customer to gain illicit access to the condo. Assistant Attorney General Danny Rheiner pointed out the condo was in a 30-floor high-rise, was not open to the public, and customers could only gain access by representing they were patronizing the home-based business.

Judge Craig R. Welling responded it was plausible J.S-C. had legitimately set up the appointment to see the merchandise, but knew the condo presented a "soft target" having been a prior customer. Therefore, although she would have had the intent to rob, she would not have entered unlawfully.

"Do we agree that if I go into a store intending to rob it and not pay for anything that I have not unlawfully entered?" he asked. "I have certainly entered with ill intent. But it is not an unlawful entry that can give rise to a burglary charge, is it?"

Rheiner responded that stealing from stores like Target or Walmart would not have amounted to burglary.

"You don't need to pretend to be someone else to get into a Target or a Walmart," he said.

"What evidence do we have that she was pretending to be somebody else?" Schutz quizzed.

Rheiner said it was a reasonable inference J.S-C. was being deceptive, even if there was no direct evidence. Judge Jerry N. Jones indicated he was skeptical of that line of thinking.

"Most shoplifters, Im gonna guess here, enter a place of business intending to shoplift," he said. "But it sounds like from your argument, thats a ruse. Theyre not really a customer. Theyre gonna steal something. So youre saying every shoplifting is a burglary."

The panel ultimately sided with J.-S.C. in finding the victim allowed her to enter the condo for the purpose of patronizing her daughter's accessory business, and, therefore, no unlawful entry occurred. Even if J.S-C. employed a ruse, Schutz wrote in the panel's opinion, there was too little information to prove deception beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Court of Appeals concluded the prohibition against double jeopardy precluded prosecutors from retrying J.S-C., and the only question was whether to direct the juvenile court to enter a conviction for theft instead of burglary. The panel decided theft was not a lesser offense of burglary, so J.S-C.'s conviction would be overturned outright and the case dismissed.
A combination of less accountability and more knowledge has led to a rise in car theft in Colorado Springs over the past few years, according to Sgt. Michael Inazu of the city's police department's motor vehicle theft division.

"I think it's become a significantly bigger problem in Colorado Springs," Inazu said.

And the numbers back up that claim.

According to data provided by analysts with the Colorado Springs Police Department, the city has seen a 15% increase in car thefts over the past three years.

"It's a been a problem nationwide, and this trend is late coming to Colorado Springs, to be honest," Inazu said.

The trend can be seen across the state of Colorado.

According to the data provided by Colorado Springs police, during the same three-year period, there has been a statewide increase in car thefts of 30%, and the Denver Metro area has seen an increase of 35%.

This coincides with data acquired by The Denver Gazette, which showed that motor vehicle thefts jumped from 377.2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to 636.6 in 2021, according to an estimate of 2021 statistics by the Department of Public Safety.

The pandemic created a perfect storm of circumstances that made a ripe incubator for car thefts, said Lisa Pasko, the chair of the University of Denvers sociology and criminology department. Working from home and staying inside meant people were leaving their cars unattended for longer periods of time than usual. Supply chain issues likely increased the value of hard-to-get car parts on the black market.

We know that crime increases if you have incapable guardianship, suitable victims and motivated offenders. During the pandemic, we had all three really amplified, Pasko said.

She added that increased housing insecurity brought on by the pandemic likely drove more people to steal cars in order to live in them. The economic downturn led to a rise in first-time homelessness.

Inazu said there were a variety of factors that lend themselves to the increase in motor vehicle theft across the state, but the passing of Colorado House Bill 1263 played the biggest role in his mind.

HB 1263, passed and signed into law in 2019, made possession of less than 4 grams of fentanyl a misdemeanor crime, which Inazu said has led to a direct spike in motor vehicle theft in the state.

"The vast, vast majority of people who steal cars are drug addicts," Inazu said. "The overwhelming majority of car theft that takes place in Colorado Springs is by drug addicts."

Inazu explained that drug addicts steal cars because they're often homeless, and need a place to live and cars double as shelter and a mode of transportation. Additionally, Inazu said cars that are stolen are often sold to support the drug habits of those who steal them.

"That (the bill passage) means that all these people who are arrested for drug possession either dont get arrested at all or get a ticket," Inazu said. "These offenders who might be arrested for drugs are still out and about and need to support their habit.

Additionally, Inazu alleges that the lenient giving of personal recognizance bonds to people who steal vehicles by the court system allows for repeat offenders to be back on the streets quickly.

"PR bonds are a common practice for property theft, and auto theft is considered property theft," Inazu said. "We will arrest an offender multiple times for stealing cars. We ask for an increased bond, and then that bond can get reduced to a PR bond after spending a weekend in jail."

PR bonds allow arrestees to get out of jail without having to post any money, as long as they appear for all court dates in the future.

One specific car thief in Colorado Springs who Inazu points to as an example is Levi Ortivez-Martinez.

"If you went into court records for Mr. Martinez, youll see how many times hes been released and stolen cars again," Inazu said.

Court records show that Ortivez-Martinez has been convicted of stealing, or attempting to steal, a motor vehicle six times since 2020.

For his most recent conviction in March 2022, Martinez pleaded guilty to misdemeanor motor vehicle trespassing, and the District Attorney's Office gave him three years of probation and no jail time as part of a plea agreement.

In addition to struggling to keep criminals off the streets, Inazu believes that car thieves are getting more knowledgeable with how to steal cars, and which kind to steal.

"Kias and Hyundais are extremely easy to steal right now. Almost like old-school hot wiring," Inazu said. "Anyone can go on YouTube and find tons of videos teaching how to steal these cars."

As a result, Inazu said that four of the top types of stolen cars in Colorado Springs this year are Kias and Hyundais.

While Inazu believes his team with Colorado Springs police does a good job, he also admitted that finding stolen cars can be a difficult task.

"A car stolen in Colorado Springs may end up in a completely different city," Inazu explained.

According to data acquired by The Denver Gazette, CSPD has a clearance rate of 14.1% in auto-theft crimes from 2010 to 2020, which is still nearly 5% better than the clearance rate of 10.9% in Denver and 9.7% in Aurora.

Data provided to The Gazette by Colorado Springs police claim that approximately 80% of the roughly 3,000 cars stolen in Colorado Springs are recovered each year. But Inazu cautioned that it's not 80% of the cars stolen in the city but rather approximately 80% of 3,000 cars recovered each year, with many being reported stolen from across Colorado.

The CSPD motor vehicle theft division attempts to take prolific car thieves off the street, but with the already small division down 40% from being fully staffed, even that has been difficult.

"That's just the nature of policing in general," Inazu said. "But were doing a pretty good job with the resources we have."
Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a former associate dean of curriculum at the University of Pennsylvanias Perelman School of Medicine, is chair of Do No Harm, where Benita Cotton-Orr is a senior fellow.
The underprivileged and marginalized ragpicker community has rarely been depicted in art forms in India.

Aatika S | TwoCircles.net

Support TwoCircles



NEW DELHI  The work of progressive art is to annihilate every form of inequality. It has to produce a societal meaning with ethical representation. The ragpicker community has rarely been depicted in art forms. In the Indian context, we look at two such instances.

As a modernist artist associated with the Bombay Progressive Artists Group; K.H. Ara (1914  1985), hailing from Andhra Pradesh, made remarkable paintings. The artist hailed from a working-class background and was employed as a chauffeur in Bombay for the most part of his life. His work is well known for displaying the subjectivity of the female nude sans any sensuality. Most of his other sketches are illustrative representations from his own life. For instance, his paintings often depicted his small art studio cramped up with his small size paintings. He used watercolors that were cheaply available in most of his work. Unlike the other famed artists of the group like S.H. Raza and M.F. Husain, Ara never garnered fame or aesthetic appreciation. The career trajectory of Ara is a telltale case of the treatment meted out to most Dalit artists, even in progressive spaces. However, a lesser-known fact about Aras career is his choice of depicting marginalised subjects. As one of his finest artworks, Ragpicker as Artist is an agential painting. Its a rare depiction of a ragpicker in contemplation made by a Dalit depicting another Dalit.

Although ragpickers, rag picking and also the ragpicker community has been discussed amply in academia as well as journalism. There remains very few ethical representations of them. The Ragpicker as artist shows a ragpicker in a colourful detail with accessories of his work as appendix to his body. The person has an upraised hand to shield his eyes and is looking into the distance. The work has been interpreted to be a depiction of the artist himself. The painting has no patronising imposed gaze of preprogrammed pity.

Another contemporary digital artwork exhibited in the India Art Fair, 2022 visualises and auralises the experience of the waste picker community living at the Bhalswa garbage landfill,one of the largest in Delhi. Here every artist is a ragpicker. The Julaha community hailing from Bengal are traditional artists with a communitarian lineage of weaving. The storytelling project, Suno was helmed by Kanchan, Sukriti Thukral, Depanshu and Mayank. The recordings speak about life, loss, health and so on. Suno has no visuals. The workers are rendered faceless and homogenous. This disembodiment by the digital speaks volumes about why ethical representation matters. The community has lost their ancestral weaving livelihood. They remain double marginalised due to the recent ban on the use of single plastic. The collection and segregation of the plastic pollution provides the community with their daily bread and butter. The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, along with the Environmental Protection Act now impose a punishment of five-year imprisonment and a fine of upto 1 lakh, or both upon a violation of the ban. It is single use plastic that is most likely to be collected by ragpickers as it is light and flexible. Usually there is no incentive in picking it up hence it is not recycled as well.

Aatika S is a fellow with TCN-SEED fellowship program.
Elk Creek Marina on Blue Mesa Reservoir sits empty early in June. For the second season in a row, the government has ordered the marina to be closed due potential pulls from the reservoir to that would help maintain water levels at Lake Powell.
The Mason City Chamber of Commerce has been named Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Chamber of the Year is the most prestigious and competitive award presented annually by ACCE. It recognizes the leadership role chambers have had in their communities, according to a press release. Those honored with the Chamber of the Year designation have demonstrated organizational strength and made an impact on key community priorities, such as workforce attraction, infrastructure, economic prosperity, and quality of life.

ACCE is based in Alexandria, Virginia, and represents more than 9,000 professionals who work for more than 1,600 chambers of commerce around the world.

Robin Anderson, Mason City Chamber president/CEO, explained that every year chambers from around the globe complete a benchmarking survey to make sure your financial controls are good, you are serving your members and you have good mission alignment.

Based on those surveys the best chambers are invited to apply for Chamber of the Year. Anderson said Mason City was invited to apply last year and was actually one of three finalists.

Those invited to apply for the competition must submit an extensive written application addressing all aspects of organizational operation and programmatic work. Applications are scored by peer chamber executives to determine finalists.

It was a lot of work, and we were like, Do we even want to do this again, Anderson said. "Then we were invited to apply again (this year) and we were a finalist again.

Part of the application focused on current or ongoing projects. Anderson said Mason City chose to highlight two projects. The historic Egloff house, located on East State Street was the first.

We saved a building that was going to be demolished and moved it to a blighted neighborhood, she explained. Then they worked on transforming the neighborhood. The house is now used for housing for professional interns, medical residents, student teachers and others who need a furnished, short-term place to live.

For the second project, we focused on this whole Building Community initiative , Anderson said. This included the painting of murals on buildings and general beautification. She explained this was part of the Chamber's diversity-equity inclusion initiative. These were the two big projects of all the projects we do that we highlighted, she said.

Earlier this week Anderson and Cargill Plant Manager and Chamber board member Jessica Reith interviewed before a panel of experienced chamber professionals. The interview accounted for two-thirds of the final score, according to a press release.

Our company understands the impact a strong chamber has on the economic prosperity of a region. As someone who has worked in other communities, I can attest to the value the Mason City Chamber provides to its members, Reith said.

To ensure the fairest competition, applicants are grouped into four categories based on annual revenue, membership, population, and other factors. In the final round, the Mason City Chamber competed against leadership from the North Tampa, Florida, and Zionsville, Indiana, chambers.

Staff from the Mason City Chamber accepted the award during the awards show at ACCEs annual convention in Indianapolis. To Anderson, the award represents the pinnacle of achievement.

Were humbled and honored by this recognition. Its been a big year for us. First, we were awarded Five-Star Accreditation by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and now weve been recognized by ACCE as the Chamber of the Year, Anderson said. Were certainly well-positioned to continue our work for the businesses of North Iowa. Im so proud of our volunteers and our staff,

Chambers of commerce have never been more essential to regional prosperity, said ACCE President and CEO Sheree Anne Kelly in a statement. This achievement reflects how hard chambers work to ensure the vibrancy of their communities and organizational success. Congratulations on the Mason City Chambers outstanding leadership, commitment to its community, and service as a role model for the chamber profession.

Anderson, who will be retiring at the end of this year, said, "I feel we are leaving off in a good place."
Gods Pit Crew  a Danville-based disaster relief organization  is calling on the local community for donations as the group responds to yet another destructive flood.

The group is specifically asking for toilet paper, paper towels, water and washcloths to fill its signature Blessing Buckets it sends to places in despair.

After rallying to the aid of people in southwestern Virginia following punishing floods, Gods Pit Crew is now mobilizing efforts to help with the deadly deluge of rain in eastern Kentucky.

As of Friday, the local organization had sent three tractor-trailer loads of supplies to Whitesburg, Kentucky, a news release stated. Gods Pit Crew is working to assess the situation there. As the waters recede, leaders will make a decision to send a team that way to help.

We are so grateful for the support of our community helping us respond to numerous recent natural disasters, said Gods Pit Crew President Randy Johnson.

Residents who would like to make a donation of small/standard rolls of toilet paper, paper towels (no mega or triple rolls), new washcloths, bottled water, deodorant, and canned and non-perishable food may bring the supplies to the Parkland entrance of the warehouse located on 132 Parkland Drive in Danville starting Monday.

Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday. To sponsor Blessing Buckets for $35 each, visit godspitcrew.org/blessingbuckets.

You are Gods Pit Crew, Johnson said of the help from the community. Thank you from all of us at Gods Pit Crew as we work to provide hope, healing and restoration to those impacted by these recent, devastating floods.

On Friday, the groups response team was wrapping up two weeks of work helping victims in southwestern Virginia, a news release stated. In August, Gods Pit Crew plans to rebuild three homes in Kentucky and Tennessee following tornadoes there.
RALEIGH  A day after Connor Harney received anonymous text messages asking him to retract his signature from a petition to qualify Green Party candidates for the November ballot in North Carolina, he said unidentified canvassers brought their attempts to interfere with democracy to his doorstep.

A woman claiming to represent the state Board of Elections appeared at his home in Fuquay-Varina in late June, a checklist of street addresses in hand, and repeated the request, he said.

When Harney  a 31-year-old historian at UNCG  refused and questioned the womans affiliation, she left with a warning: If Green Party candidates gain ballot access, they could take away votes from Democrats and hand the GOP victories in tight races, namely the Senate race between Democrat Cheri Beasley and Trump-backed Republican Rep. Ted Budd.

I told her, What youre doing now makes Democrats look very desperate, said Harney, a registered independent. But, more importantly, it goes against the democratic process because youre actively trying to ensure another party doesnt make it onto the ballot.

A dispute over the Green Partys stalled effort to field a Senate candidate has exposed the Democratic Partys bareknuckle efforts to prevent the progressive group from siphoning away crucial votes come November.

The state Board of Elections Democratic majority rejected the Green Party petition in a 3-2 vote on June 30, citing petition sheets with nearly identical handwriting, incomplete personal information, duplicate names and deceased signatories.

The Green Party then sued as the board investigates the validity of its signatures, alleging Democratic interference in the petitioning process and asking the court to reverse the boards decision.

Harney is one of more than a dozen signers mentioned in the lawsuit who reported receiving intimidating messages, calls or home visits.

These signers said some canvassers declined to identify themselves or falsely claimed to represent the Green Party or the elections board. Others said they were sent by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee  the driving force working to elect Beasley and other Democratic Senate candidates nationwide.

With the Senate in a 50-50 deadlock, North Carolina is one of the few states where Democrats have strong potential to pick up a seat, said Western Carolina University political science professor Chris Cooper. Despite the stakes, he found the Democrats tactics jaw dropping.

This is not politics as usual, Cooper said. We expect political parties to want to win  thats not the problem. It crosses the line when they appear to be resorting to intimidation and, in a few cases, lies.

The Democrats acknowledge asking signers to remove their names, but claim they were merely trying to make sure potential supporters werent being tricked.

We reached out to voters to ensure they had not been deceived, DSCC spokesperson Amanda Sherman said.

Sherman said the DSCC is funneling $30 million into North Carolina and eight other Senate battleground states through its Defend the Majority campaign, the largest investment in field organizing the committee has ever made this early in the campaign cycle.

Though Democrats had little success dissuading progressive voters from backing the Green Party ballot bid, their lawyers, including Elias Law Group, general counsel for the DSCC, lobbied the board to scrutinize irregularities among the signatures.

With its petition rejected, the Green Party missed the July 1 deadline to nominate its candidates for the November ballot. Now the partys choice for Senate, Matthew Hoh, could appear only by court order or legislative action from the General Assembly, which concluded its work session on July 1, elections board spokesperson Patrick Gannon said.

The board will present the findings of its fraud investigation on Monday, one week before the Green Party lawsuit gets its first hearing on Aug. 8.

Hohs campaign manager Rose Ruby said their uphill battle to reach the ballot illuminates the many barriers third-party candidates face nationwide. But she embraces Hohs role as a disruptor of the status quo and says Democrats have only themselves to blame if the Greens spoil their election.

The spoiler label is an antidemocratic characterization of what it means to have a healthy democracy, Ruby said. If Democrats dont want to fear that theres a split in their vote, then its their job to earn those votes and to put out the kind of policies that the Green Party is getting out.
More pregnant women are arriving in emergency departments seeking care in recent years.

That trend was revealed in a recent review of data from between 2016 and 2020 showing that 10% of emergency department visits among women of reproductive age were pregnancy-related.

Thats more than twice the proportion of women estimated to be pregnant at any given time in North Carolina.

Anna Waller, a research professor in UNCs Department of Emergency Medicine, has been involved with North Carolinas emergency department public health surveillance system since its inception as a pilot project in 1999. Its since evolved into NC DETECT, a statewide database showing and tracking real-time data for nearly every hospital in the state.

Each year, hundreds of clinicians and researchers pore over the information in the database to study trends in care. Its been used to examine emergency department visits related to everything from firearm injury to elderly falls to motor vehicle crashes.

For the first time, the data is now being used to examine pregnancy-related visits to emergency departments.

That is an area that no one had ever dug into before, said Waller, principal investigator for NC DETECT.

Until UNC researchers decided to leverage the millions of visits collected each year to better understand emergency department use during pregnancy. Previous research has shown pregnant women use emergency departments at high rates. Even with that knowledge, UNC researchers were surprised by the large number of visits in North Carolina.

It was higher than we expected, said Liz Mueller, a UNC-Chapel Hill medical student involved with the research.

The question the researchers have is why is this happening. Theyre wondering if its an issue with too few clinics, too little insurance or something else thats not yet clear. But its a concern, given North Carolinas higher than average infant and maternal mortality rates.

The findings

To find this utilization rate, Mueller and Rachel Urrutia, an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UNC-CH, first narrowed the data over the five-year period to look specifically at emergency department visits among females of reproductive age  those between 15 and 44 years old. They also isolated pregnancy-related visits by diagnosis codes that indicated the patient was either pregnant or recently pregnant.

After applying for access to the NC DETECT database, which belongs to the state Division of Public Health, the UNC researchers received access last July.

The data is de-identified but remains a wealth of information as all emergency departments in North Carolina  except for those managed by the military, such as Womack Army Medical Center on Ft. Bragg and the hospital on Cherokee lands in western North Carolina  are required to submit data to the state for public health surveillance.

They found that during that five-year period, there were more than 5.5 million emergency department visits for women of reproductive age in North Carolina. The proportion of pregnancy-related visits ticked up each year, starting at 8.6% in 2016 and growing to 10.8% in 2020.

Mueller further analyzed demographic trends in pregnancy-related emergency department usage.

Medicaid-covered visits had 2.4 times the chance of being pregnancy-related than non-Medicaid visits. Additionally, emergency department visits for Hispanic women also had 1.5 times the odds of being pregnancy-related compared to non-Hispanic women.

Disparities in visits by ethnicity and insurance payer were not surprising given known disparities in access to high-quality prenatal care, Mueller said.

Urrutia said the gold standard for prenatal care is 14 appointments with an obstetrician or a midwife starting in the first trimester of pregnancy. But Urrutia realizes a significant number of people dont get adequate prenatal care, which she said could be contributing to the high volume of pregnancy-related emergency department visits.

In 2020, about 1 in 13 infants were born to a woman receiving late or no prenatal care in North Carolina, according to March of Dimes. Based on the latest data available from 2020, North Carolina has the eighth highest infant mortality rate among all states in the U.S. at 6.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. Black infants are 2.5 times more likely to die than white infants.

Additionally, the United States has the worst maternal mortality rate among developed nations and North Carolinas maternal mortality is higher than the national average at 21.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019. There is a significant racial disparity as Black mothers are 2.9 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than white mothers, according to 2019 data from Americas Health Rankings.

Prenatal care promotes healthy pregnancies and birth outcomes. Regular checkups help expectant mothers avoid or treat pregnancy complications such as infections and gestational diabetes. The visits also provide the opportunity for expectant mothers to talk with health professionals about their questions and concerns.

Barriers to obtaining regular prenatal care include not having health insurance coverage or transportation and negative perceptions  even fear  of health care providers, Urrutia said. Black and Hispanic women are at a higher risk of starting prenatal care later than white women.

Scratching the surface

Right now, the findings, which Mueller presented at an American College of Preventive Medicine conference in June, only scratch the surface of what the data can tell them. They have deeper analysis underway.

They are examining what portion of pregnancy-related emergency department visits are turning into hospital admissions.

Thatll be interesting to see because well have a better idea of whether patients were just using the ED because they had nothing else or because they actually really needed that care, Urrutia said.

The results could indicate gaps in prenatal care that could be putting mother and baby at risk. Non-urgent emergency department usage may represent care that would be better provided by an obstetric provider in an outpatient clinic or office.

The data can also be localized to monitor trends in specific regions in counties. Urrutia said a spike in pregnancy-related visits in one or two specific emergency departments could be investigated to see if a prenatal clinic closed in the area or if another cause is contributing to the rise.

The researchers are also exploring the most common reasons patients use emergency departments, something that could help explain why so many pregnant people are headed to the ER. That information could help policymakers and health systems in North Carolina prioritize interventions that are most likely to promote maternal health such as greater education.

We dont have that analysis yet, but I think that would help make more of a clear picture of what is the state of pregnancy-related care in emergency rooms in North Carolina? Mueller said.

Waller said shes happy to see that the emergency department visit data is being used to uncover and address problems in care delivery.

Theres no point in doing all this work to build a data system that no ones using, she said. We want to see the data used and used well, and this study is a very good example of that.

In last years budget, the General Assembly passed a provision extending postpartum Medicaid from 60 days after birth to 12 months  a change that came into place this April. However, this research may indicate a need for greater prenatal care access.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has implemented a new protocol when making a call on water rights for instream flow  the protocol finalized about a year after Gov. Greg Gianforte ordered the agency to decline making a call on two rivers citing concerns on the process.

Water rights in Montana and across the West are prioritized by establishment date, meaning the earliest rights receive higher priority than more recent ones. If water runs low, a senior right holder may make a call on junior rights, meaning juniors must stop diverting or mitigate water usage to allow the senior right its allotment.

Rights are tied to beneficial uses, such as irrigation or mining. Instream flow to keep water in the stream or river for fish or recreation is also a legal beneficial use following work from the state and conservation groups.

A number of state agencies hold rights for instream flow, with FWPs instream flow rights geared toward conserving water for fish. Water left in streams, even at small scales, can benefit fish habitat and connectivity, or in cold-water tributaries, provide refuge from rising water temperatures. Importantly, instream flow may not register as an uptick in flows on downstream gauges, but may slow the decline of flows or have localized benefits such as keeping riffles wet to allow fish passage throughout a stream.

FWP obtained instream flow rights through a variety of processes, such as filing under the 1973 Montana Water Use Act and so-called Murphy Rights, named for the sponsor of a 1969 law Rep. James E. Murphy.

In terms of priority date, FWPs water rights from the 1970s and 1980s tend to be junior to many rights in a basin, with some senior rights for irrigation or mining dating back to the turn of the last century. But FWPs rights are senior to sometimes dozens of other rights for uses ranging from agriculture to municipal water. Historically the agency has made call on some junior rights amid low-flows, typically not making call on rights for drinking water or others determined to have minimal or no impact.

On Friday, FWP made its first two calls of 2022 on the Smith and Shields rivers, according to Director Hank Worsech.

Summer 2021

Last summer amid widespread drought and dwindling streamflows, FWP considered making call on a number of streams and rivers, doing so on the Blackfoot which also has an active drought plan and water user group.

The agency also recommended making call on its 1970 Murphy Right for the Smith and a separate 1978 right for the Shields. Such calls were not uncommon in the past, with the state making call on the Smith 11 times and the Shields six times in the last 20 years. The request was denied by Gianforte, who wrote in a memo that FWP had not shown the call would produce measurable benefits and lacked a clear process for analyzing a call.

Based on the analysis provided by FWP and subsequent discussion, it is apparent that a call would provide questionable, if any, measurable benefit to the resources in question. As such, I am directing FWP to forgo a call for water on the Smith and Shields Rivers, Gianforte wrote last year.

Instead, the governor directed the agency to develop a formal process and also called for FWP to engage local water users to promote drought mitigation and planning.

The decision drew confusion and disagreement with conservation groups but also a wait-and-see approach to FWPs new protocol.

New protocol

Released this week and posted to FWPs website, the new protocol used Friday officially captures a number of processes that were used historically to make a call, such as monitoring flows and considering which junior rights would be called. The document includes broad approaches to analysis as well as basin-specific decision-making parameters.

Bill Schenk, lands program manager with FWP, was tasked with developing the protocol. He believes the document meets the directive with a sound methodology that takes into consideration the practical effect of a call.

A considerable portion of the protocol analyzes when and where FWP will consider a call. The agency will not, for example, make calls on junior rights for domestic water supplies or rights predicted to have nominal impacts on flows, such as livestock drinking from a stream. And it will not make a call should FWP determine other entities or plans will have a bigger impact in responding to and mitigating low flows.

In some basins, organized watershed groups have developed localized drought plans which mandate reductions in allocation to keep water in streams and rivers. In others, a court-appointed water commissioner already adjusts water allocations based on priority dates. In both cases, FWPs protocol says it will not make a call or will only make a call under limited circumstances.

Schenk notes that not all watershed groups are the same and while a basin may have a group, it may not have a written drought plan in place. Still, he agreed when asked that one result from protocol could be more incentive for groups to form and take up drought planning.

The idea is not to defer to local watershed groups just because they are there, but if a local watershed group has taken the (drought) issue on, and has some demonstrated leadership or is moving in that direction, trying to provide local solutions, then yes I think there is a preference to defer to that leadership on a local basis, and thus it incentivizes that to some degree, he said.

One issue raised when FWP declined to make calls last summer was the potential for an abandonment claim. Under water law, if a senior water right does not use any or a portion of their allocation for a certain period, a junior user could file a claim of abandonment, which could cancel the senior right. While such claims are relatively rare, Schenk believes the agency would be insulated from such a claim if it does not make a call in waters where it holds a right. He believes that when water is in the stream it qualifies as FWP exercising its instream flow right, and that the water law does allow discretion on which junior users to call.

In order to make a call, the protocol states FWP field staff will need to make a formal recommendation and reasoning to the FWP director. If approved, letters will be sent to junior users subject to call and notice of the call will be posted on FWPs Water Management page on the agencys website.

Gianforte approves of the new process, his office said, writing in an email that, The governor appreciates FWP improving its water right call process to add transparency and predictability for Montanans.

Reaction

FWP has worked on the protocol used for the first time Friday over the last year in an internal process that stretched through the, until recently, cool and wet summer, although drought has persisted in much of the state.

Groups such as Montana Trout Unlimited have been eager to see the new protocol, and Clayton Elliott, conservation and government affairs director with the organization, said he was glad to see the protocol released and sees some positive elements.

The protocol has ample amounts of discretion for local biologists who deal with complex circumstances and this has some discretion built in which is a positive thing for an on the ground decision, he said. No reach within a stream is the same and no stream can be compared apples to apples.

Elliott said Trout Unlimited had earlier concerns about some elements of the governors directive such as language speaking to measurable flow benefits. The new protocol seems to have addressed those concerns, acknowledging that calls may have significant benefits to fisheries that dont show up on gauges miles downstream, he said.

Elliott cautioned that while some watershed groups have effectively enacted drought plans, often FWPs instream flow rights play an important role.

Its important to know how those rights operate in conjunction with those plans, he said. I think it also calls all of us to task to be at the table with irrigators and other water users to help build these plans.

Krista Lee Evans, a water rights consultant with the Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators, saw positives in the protocol as well.

I think having a formal written policy is important because it helps provide clarity for other water users, she said.  FWP Murphy Rights are relatively junior across the board, but they do serve a valuable purpose, but how and when and where and what types of evaluations will be done, thats whats really important about the protocol.

Evans also saw recognition of the role of water commissioners as a good piece of the protocol to have spelled out. And she believes having a formal process allows for better analyzing its effectiveness.

When asked about incentivizing watershed groups to pursue local plans, Evans also pointed out the array of groups, but also said local irrigators such as in the Gallatin often have informal agreements to keep the river wet. Having some of those plans in writing could be beneficial, she said, and FWPs deference to local plans offers a big carrot to get that work done.

Last summer and as recently as this spring, a group of 22 retired biologists, including some from FWP, sent letters to the governor and FWP expressing concern over last years decision.

Bruce Farling, former long-time director for Montana Trout Unlimited, was among the group talking about the decision and reviewed the new protocol this week. While the protocol is good on some issues, he points out that it requires more red tape to make a call. He also has broader concerns, believing it diminishes the value of instream flows compared to other uses of water.

Theyve created a double standard here, Farling said. Its the same water law, but FWP has to jump through other hoops that other water right holders, industry, doesnt have to go through.

Farling also says he is troubled by what he believes is an emphasis on reasons not to make calls rather than emphasizing making calls for the benefit of fish, which is the expressed legal purpose of FWPs water rights.

Both Farling and Elliott also raised issues about the process that has led to the new protocol. Farling said the biologists letters did not receive a response and information has been minimal.

We have two fundamental issues: nothing in this document tells us what was so broken that we needed this long, multi-month process, and just the secrecy to produce this thing, Farling said. The secrecy led to distrust and it was totally unnecessary.

Its a pretty decent collection of processes, most of which were already existing, but we do have some concerns about what the big secret is here, Elliot said.

FWP spokesperson Greg Lemon defended FWPs process.

To me, its clarified and explained an internal process, so its not that were trying to avoid public input, we were trying to meet the request at hand and develop a transparent process, he said. We didnt see it as something we needed to go through this expansive public process  we have the water rights, we have instream flow rights, and the public is expecting us to have a process in place.

Both Lemon and Schenk said that although there was no public process tied to drafting the protocol, the document is designed to be adaptable and the agency would welcome comments, such as information on basins.
Three grizzly bears were euthanized by Montana wildlife managers in early July after repeatedly getting into garbage around the Flathead region.

A pair of cubs whose mother was among the three is being sent to a sanctuary in Pennsylvania.

All three grizzlies were killed after capture by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks on July 10. An adult female with cubs was captured near Lupfer Meadows north of Whitefish. A pair of male grizzlies between 2.5 and 3.5 years old were captured in the Blankenship area north of Columbia Falls. FWP announced the actions on Friday afternoon.

Dillon Tabish, a spokesperson for FWP Region 1, said on Friday that he knew of seven total grizzlies, including those three, that had been euthanized in the area so far this year. All were food-conditioned, he said. He can't assess how this season ranks compared with others until the fall, he said, but he noted that bear managers across western Montana have been particularly busy this year.

The adult female had been captured and relocated to Glacier National Park in 2020 after raiding garbage and chicken coops around Columbia Falls, the agency said. The bear continued to raid homes after relocation, including breaking into sheds and garages in search of food.

"FWP consulted with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and determined it was necessary to euthanize the adult female because of severe food conditioning, which occurs when an animal loses its natural foraging behavior and continues to seek unnatural food sources, creating a public safety risk," the agency stated.

The bear's two cubs were initially transported to FWP's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Helena and are slated to move permanently to Rivendale Wildlife Sanctuary outside Pittsburgh. The accredited facility just completed a new grizzly enclosure, Tabish said, and "the stars aligned" that FWP was able to find the facility after a nationwide search and it was able to take the cubs. Otherwise, he said, FWP would have killed the cubs.

The pair of bears captured north of Columbia Falls had followed a similar trajectory: They too had previously been captured after conflicts but continued to raid coops and garbage. After consultation, both bears were euthanized on July 11.

FWP encouraged people to secure or remove bear attractants around homes, and noted that "bear-resistant containers and a properly constructed electrified fence are proven effective at deterring bears."

Previously, on June 23, grizzly managers captured and euthanized a 3-year-old female grizzly near Silver Butte, south of Libby, after it repeatedly raided a chicken coop there. That bear was first captured after raiding coops near Whitefish in 2021 and relocated to Puzzle Creek near Marias Pass.

On May 27, bear managers euthanized an aging grizzly captured the day before because it was habituated to humans along the North Fork of the Flathead River near Glacier National Park. The bear, estimated to be about 22 years old, was in poor health.

Also in late May, bear managers in Missoula captured and euthanized a young female grizzly that lost one of its front paws in what FWP bear manager Jamie Jonkel called a "high-impact injury."
Birding at Helenas Regulating Reservoir, our guide asked us to close our eyes. By sound, he identified more birds than we saw. We heard doves soft coo-oo followed by two or three louder coos. The loud, excited series of 3-6 klee! notes came from the kestrel hawk zooming by.

Friend, this column focuses on vigilantly listening, not to birds, but to words we read/hear, especially Gods. Were not eavesdropping, but almost!

Our culture stimulates our visual addiction. But, here we communicate with words. What a gift.

Words, words, and Gods Word

Still, some words are mere verbiage  yadah, yadah, yadah. And worse  in my next column, Ill consider abusive words used in lying and slander.

But, here we marvel! God created heaven and earth by speaking words! And, he reveals himself by words! Jesus is called the Word made flesh! Marvelous/momentous!

Other idols, god-impersonators, like the sun, moon, and stars  reveal themselves as they are, primarily as images. Idolatry compounds the Greek words, eidolon, "image" or "figure", and latreia, "worship." Like those addicted to the image they present on social media, we can worship what we see. Image attempts to dictate.

Still other ideological impersonal god-imposters  like Freudianism, communism and scientism use words to unwrap their systems. But, hollow systems produce hollow people.

We need more

Invisible God leaves his fingerprints in the nearly unfathomable design of nature. And Invisible God dictates/charms through words, revealing his character, his plan, his person.

Words give us the meaning of persons. When we are apart, words can bring us together. Language is the narrow bridge across the abyss between soul and human soul. So it is between us and the Soul of the universe. At Sinai, Infinity spoke and the world trembled. (Jonathan Sacks, Celebration and Ceremony 285)

Before the world trembled, Moses trembled. God spoke with him One-on-one.

Over 600 years later, again on Mt. Sinai, God also spoke One-on-one with Elijah. Behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but he LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper (ESV, a sound, a thin silence; lit. a still, small voice). (I Kings 19:11,12) This is the sound beneath the sound. (Sacks, Numbers, 50)

God reveals himself not in wind, earthquake or fire, but in sound/word to Moses and Elijah.

Still, who will bow down his ear to hear the sound beneath the sound  eavesdropping on God?

The fruit of a listening tradition

A young maiden matured among some who were attentive  attending weekly synagogue, hearing Scripture. Mary learned to hearken to words.

Most unexpectedly, great angel Gabriel came to despised Nazareth to speak to alert maid Mary. Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you! But she was greatly troubled at the saying (logos).

Logos is the expression of a thought, reasoning. Jesus is the Logos of God  no one truly expressed/expresses God like Jesus.

Back to Gabriel, Gabriel declared that Mary, a virgin, would give birth to Messiah. Mary replied, Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (rhema  a spoken word). (Lk 1:26-38) The Latin is: Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. The verbum (word) that she would be mother of Messiah was for Mary fiat. Glory!

Jesus

Mary and Joseph, both attentive to the Scripture, raised One who depended upon and relished Gods word even more.

At the beginning of Jesus ministry, after a 40-day fast, Satan tempted him to make stones into bread. Jesus: It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that comes from the mouth of God. (Mt. 4:4)

Nourished by Gods word, Jesus, with his unrivaled voice penetrated unseen dimensions, dismantling disease, bringing healing to those who were pleading for mercy  the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. (Mt 4:24)

With his imposing/arresting voice, Jesus rebuked a terrifying storm: Silence! Be still! The wind ceased, there was a great calm. (Mk. 5:39)

Still, those spiritually-hard-of-hearing would not follow Jesus. Starkly, Jesus informs his disciples: No one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father. After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, Do you want to go away as well? Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words (rhema) of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God. (John 6:65-69)

Fast forward to the cross. Usually, the crucified shrieked or fainted. Crucified Jesus spoke seven vital words. Hear crucified Jesus first extraordinary word from the cross: Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:24) With words, Jesus prayed and loved when no one else could or would.

Never has anyone spoken like this man! (Jn. 7:46)

Jesus/us

Friend, how do you explain the origin of language? Like the One who created you in his image, you speak. Extraordinary!

Lets speak truly. We must give account on the day of judgment for every careless word (we) have spoken. (Mt. 12:36)

Bowing down our ears, lets hear God primarily through Christ and the Scriptures. Listen! God is speaking. So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word (rhema) of Christ. (Rom. 10:17)

Christian, you have been born again through the living and abiding word (logos) of God. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word (rhema) of the Lord remains forever. And this word (rhema) is the good news that was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:23-25)

Note 1: The Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture. (Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 1, Section 10 [1643-1648]):

Note 2: It isnt that the Bible is true. Its that the Bible is the precondition for the manifestation of truth. Which makes it way more true than just true. Its a whole different kind of true. (Jordan Peterson, 1962-, podcast)

Note 3: Readers, this is column #100 for me! Some of you regular readers say you are part of a whole congregation. One said: We are friends who havent met yet. Readers and IR, thank you for persevering. The good news has been peached to you.
DECATUR  A new minister is set to lead the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Decatur to a greater social justice effort.

The Rev. Charley Earp will present his first service on Sunday, Aug. 7, at 10:15 a.m. in the Fellowship building, 3773 N. MacArthur Road.

Earp, 59, is a Texas native who has served Unitarian Universalist congregations in Chicago and Quincy. He received his ministerial degree from Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago.

He said Wyatt Earp, the fabled Old West lawman, is a distant, distant cousin from a separate branch of the family. The new Decatur minister has been married nearly 40 years and has a grown son and daughter and one granddaughter.

He was raised in a religiously conservative home, but a stirring of social reform initiatives inspired him to first join the Mennonite faith, then the Quakers. The 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Florida made him seek more from a religious community.

I wanted a progressive church that was more racially diverse, Earp said. He was living in Evanston at the time and found the Peoples Church of Chicago would meet his needs. Earp described the Peoples Church as largely Christian, but he drew out a distinction with what he termed orthodox Christian views.

Im an unorthodox Universalist Christian, he said. Jesus is the essence of love and radicalism.

He ties that viewpoint with one of the seven principles that drive Unitarian Universalism.

I want to work for justice, equity and compassion on a global level, he said. I aim to capture a progressive world view that is adjacent to my own world view.

There are a lot of wounded people in our community. On Sundays, we want to center our best of intentions, then use whats in our hearts to be a really good community.
SULLIVAN  Following a razor-thin election and the early resignation of the sitting county clerk, Moultrie County this week conducted a discovery recount in the county clerk Republican primary race.

Candidate Lisa Ozier, who trailed opponent Linda S. Qualls in the June 28 primary election by just four votes, requested the discovery recount, Chief Deputy Clerk and acting Moultrie County Clerk Pam Wittkowski confirmed on Friday.

The recount was conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday by two Republican and two Democratic election judges from the county.

With a sample size of four precincts and looking at both paper and tabulator ballots, the purpose of a discovery recount is generally for a campaign to discover if they have grounds to ask the courts for a full election recount, Wittkowski said.

READ GEORGIA ENGLAND'S RESGINATION LETTER

Qualls campaign will have two weeks from the completion of the discovery recount on Wednesday to file a request for a complete recount.

Any further steps or changes would have to be made by the Sept. 1 deadline established by the State Board of Elections to be reflected on the November general election ballot.

Poll results showed a tight race between Republicans Ozier and Qualls, who currently serves as deputy clerk in the County Clerks office. According to the County Clerk offices poll results, Qualls came out on top with 1,393 votes to Oziers 1,389 votes.

Wittkowski was hesitant when asked if the recount had revealed any ballot discrepancies but said she expects Ozier to ask for a full recount.

From what they (Oziers campaign) were looking at, the portion they were looking at, they think that there may have been something, Wittkowski said, adding that she believes the original vote count checks out.

Neither Oziers nor Qualls campaigns could be immediately reached for comment before the Herald & Review went to press on Friday evening.

The former Moultrie County Clerk, Georgia England, resigned during the July 14 county board meeting ahead of the conclusion of her term in November. She had previously made the decision not to run for re-election in the November general election.

In her resignation letter  a copy of which was obtained by the Herald & Review  England cites what she called a toxic environment at the Moultrie County Courthouse as her primary reason for resigning early.

Moultrie County could be so much better than what it has become, but unfortunately, too many people are choosing to emphasize political parties over the best person for the position, England writes in the letter. The Moultrie County Courthouse has become a toxic environment. Quality people are leaving because of under-qualified elected officials and appointed department heads who care more for themselves or their party than they do the citizens of this county.

Partisan politics has no place in local elected offices, the letter continued. It is bad enough we have to watch our great country continue to be pulled apart by radical factions from both parties. We should not have to suffer the same fate in our county.

England was appointed as county clerk in June 2001 and served over 20 years in the role. She was one of the last remaining Democratic elected officials in Moultrie County.

The county board has, by law, 60 days from the date of resignation to appoint an interim county clerk, Moultrie County State's Attorney Tracy Weaver previously told the Herald & Review.

Any appointment would have to happen in open session at a county board meeting, she said. Whoever may be appointed as interim County Clerk would serve until the expiration of Englands term at the end of November.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High 101F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. Low around 75F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
The Bristol Virginia Sheriffs Office is seeking funding to reinstitute a program intended to help locate people with special needs and those who are prone to go missing.

Sheriff Tyrone Foster and Lieutenant Ronnie Leonard, head of the program, are on a mission to restart the offices Project Lifesaver operation after it was put on the backburner recently due to a lack of manpower and funding. The program provides monitoring devices that aid in locating missing persons, particularly those with conditions like Alzheimers, dementia or other cognitive issues.

Its a great resource I think for the citizens of the City of Bristol Virginia and our community by helping people who have some issues, Foster said.

According to Leonard, the office is seeking funding for two more receivers and about 10 additional transmitters, which would cost more than $5,000 in all. The funding is being sought so the program can remain free for the public, Leonard said.

Prior to the program being shelved, Leonard said that between eight and 12 city residents were regular participants in the program. In general, a band emitting a silent radio frequency is latched onto a users wrist or ankle that can then be used to locate them if they go missing or get lost. The technology, Leonard said, works well.

Theyre great, Leonard said. Ive used them quite frequently here in the city. Its a godsend, especially to the kids that have a tendency to wander.

Project Lifesaver is said to save lives, prevent injuries, reduce search times and also save money and resources in search efforts. Project Lifesaver is a national nonprofit that has hundreds of participating agencies around the country, Leonard said, which means users who travel can still be located, if needed.

Nationwide, the average after we get notified and get to the scene, its right around 30 minutes, and they are back home, Leonard said.

Leonard thinks demand for the service will increase once the community sees what the program is and how it can better protect loved ones.
Recently, Congressman Bob Good embarrassed his constituents again. This time, the nay-saying Republican was one of only 18 members of the 435-member U.S. House to vote against endorsing Finland and Sweden for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO.

Virginia Republican Reps. Morgan Griffith and Ben Cline joined Good to give the state a solid presence in the crackpot caucus that broke ranks with 176 Republicans who voted for Finland and Sweden to join the alliance. The crackpot caucus includes such notorious wackos as Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Matt Gaetz of Florida, and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina. No other state contributed as many no votes against Finland and Sweden as the Old Dominion.

Most experts see expanding NATO as greater protection against the nation-building forays of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who now slaughters Ukrainian civilians without provocation.

Not Good, who is supposed to represent Virginias 5th District, which includes Charlottesville and Albemarle County. In a statement, the man elected to serve the interests of 750,000 Virginians offered a breathtaking, if slightly confusing, screed against Democratic President Joe Biden to defend his thumbs down for the Scandinavian countries.

Vladimir Putin is a tyrant who has unjustifiably invaded Ukraine and is ruthlessly destroying the country, Good wrote. This was a no-confidence vote in the Biden Administrations failed foreign policy, including the lack of a coherent strategy for the $56 billion of our tax dollars being spent in Ukraine. It is a no-confidence vote in a Biden Administration which bowed to the radical left to undermine our energy independence and to instead empower Putin. We should also have no confidence in President Biden to convince our NATO allies to do what is necessary to keep Putin in check, including ensuring they contribute their promised 2% share of funding. We should be focused on keeping Americans safer, and with President Biden in the White House, adding two countries to NATO is only likely to escalate tensions with Russia and increase the chances President Biden will eventually be deploying American troops.

Good seems to be arguing that the U.S. needs to placate Putin. He seems to be arguing that we must make ourselves more dependent  not less  on the kinds of petrochemicals that Russia produces and sells to fund its economy and increase its political clout. How this translates into energy independence for America is anybodys guess.

It is also not clear what Good would do to keep Putin in check. Thats the beauty of a just-say-no strategy, which Good has applied to everything, including bills providing tens of millions of dollars in economic aid to businesses in his district, as well as money to build roads and schools. He stands on his ideological soapbox braying at Biden, while accepting the money the president provided with the COVID relief bill he voted against and the infrastructure bill he voted against.

Goods hero Donald Trump wanted to pull out of NATO. Trump stood for a kind of isolationism that ceded the U.S. position as leader of the free world. Isolationism eventually threatens everyone, including those hiding behind national boundaries and even oceans. Hitlers rise proved that.

In the current situation, Finland and Sweden in NATO will make Goods constituents more secure, not less. No NATO member countries want to deploy troops. NATO members, including the United States, now supply weapons and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The rule is to do everything possible to contain a military crisis without committing forces to the conflict. But the reality of geopolitics makes it inevitable that some crises eventually exhaust diplomacy and demand sacrifice.

When that happens, it is the collective action of free countries committed to each other that defeats despotism. Hitlers demise proved that.

If Bob Good does not grasp this after two years in Congress, if he still proclaims his patriotism while relying on others to assume all the risks, he is not just a freeloader.

He is a hypocrite.
Clint Walker Community Content Coordinator Follow Clint Walker Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

My brilliant idea to take a spin through the archives for yet another look at some of the various unincorporated towns in our area went sideways on me right out of the gate when trying to look up anything about Newby, located just to the southeast of town, about midway down the Lerna Road.

How so? Do you have any idea just how common a last name that is in this area? Enough to force me to narrow my search by throwing in quantifiers like Lerna Road, which only lead me to find a small column from the April 4, 1923, Journal that appears to be a person-by-person run down of pretty much everything everyone in the Lerna area did that week, including, sure enough, Mrs. Zora Sowers and Mrs. Gertrude Williams of Newby were business callers in Lerna on Sunday.

Ill bet they were thrilled to find this information about their day on the same page as (ahem) Bowels so bad he took a quart of mineral water a day, taken from an advertisement for Milks Emulsion, apparently bottled out of Terre Haute, in containers that are worth three times as much as my old Elton John cassette.

My back-up plan, Magnet, a few miles south of the west side of Mattoon, was foiled by a similar problem. Because goodness if we didnt publish a lot about magnets in the Journal. As in a charming School Page item from April 8, 1961, by Humboldt School student Joyce Hance who talks about them with the same elementary school joy that I used to reserve for praying mantises. Good to know that magnets only work on Canadian nickels. Thanks Joyce.

A front page article called Townships Look for More Bucks from June 18, 1983, just to the right of our old cartoon friend Mat Toon and one of his clever bon mots, did indeed give me a clue via a blurb that Mattoon was planning to contribute to toward replacement of a bridge over the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad tracks south of Magnet Hill.

I guess refers to that little bridge just to the west of the McDonalds that I used to cross on my alternate country routes to make it to Lake Land in time for my evening Introduction to Logic class. Apparently that hill played absolute havoc with local railroad plans. Magnet Hill is to Go screamed the March 29, 1906, Journal, announcing a plan to actually fill in the hill, if such a thing was possible. Consult your local dad or granddad for more exact information about the trains.

There was some excitement in Magnet beyond that blasted hill, as reported in Trio Admits Possession of Hot Car, from January 21, 1932, a story that began with a complaint about suspicious looking men who were hanging about all day, and blossomed, after they apparently bought a gallon of gas for their stalled car off a local farmer, into an honest to goodness posse of local police, highway patrolman and a deputy sheriff being formed to arrest them. The culprits? Three men from Chicago tooling around downstate in a hot car boosted from, hows about this, Humboldt Boulevard.

The three paragraphs after that, devoted to the driver telling the entire story of how he ended up helping two parolees get away from the city, is a classic example of my belief that were all two bad decisions away from starting a perfectly normal days as a productive member of society and then by the end of it youre running from cops in some cornfield.

Speaking of corn, we come at last to Dorans, which feels like a format break of sorts, as Dorans is somewhat more of a known geographical commodity. Growing up, everyone had a friend who knew someone else whose buddy was from, you know, up in Dorans. I always knew it as the halfway point on those endless early morning bus routes between Humboldt and Mattoon where I could no longer avoid the certainty that another dreadful day of junior high was minutes away.

Dorans has an elevator. Of course you know that. What I know about farming is all pretty much gleaned from playing Farming Simulator, a video game that thankfully just lets you respawn your implements at the dealership when you accidently dump them in the creek, but I do remember hanging out in the office of the elevator that was once in my family and I was awful impressed by their refrigerated floor chest for soda, with bottle opener, and with their pool table.

Now I dont know if the Dorans elevator has any of those amenities, but according to a full feature on the community from the October 18, 1934, Journal, it was electrically operated. At least I think its the same elevator, as the article says there were two elevators in Dorans at the time, one of which was steam powered.

And if you needed a soda, I guess there was always Ozee and Sons grocery store and garage, described as carrying a line of staple groceries and that does a rather good business. The archives failed me when it came to finding out what exactly ever happened to that grocery store. I just assumed its not there anymore. Weve all lost our favorite little grocery stores, after all: Adams Groceries for me; and for you, Icenogles and perhaps that little County Market on the east side of Charleston.

Surely you know someone from Dorans who has the answer. And if you dont, maybe you could do me a solid and take a spin up there for research purposes. If you do, let me give you some advice. Make sure your tanks full.
CHARLESTON  A Mattoon man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty in Coles County Circuit Court to criminal predatory sexual assault with a victim under the age of 13.

Brandon P. Doty, 33, was arrested March 15 after a boy reported to police he had been sexually assaulted by Doty when he was between 10 and 11-years-old.

According to court documents, the boy told police Doty held him down and raped him and told him that he would do the same to his mother and brother if he told anyone.

Doty pled guilty to a charge of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in 2018 and received the minimum term of three years in prison. He was given the sentence based on several factors, including a sex offender evaluation that showed he was at a low risk to re-offend.

The charge he pled guilty to Thursday carried with it a possible prison sentence of up to 60 years.

Aside from prison time, Doty must also pay a $5,000 fine and once again register as a sex offender upon his release.
MATTOON  Lake Land College President Josh Bullock received the Illinois Community College Trustees Association's 2022 Advocacy Award during the association's June 10 awards banquet in Chicago.

The ICCTA Executive Committee created this special award in 2006 to honor individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in advocating for the needs of students and the Illinois community college system.

Throughout the past year, Bullock served in dual leadership roles as president of Lake Land College and as chair of the Illinois Council of Community College Presidents.

As higher education slowly returned to post-COVID operations, Bullock coordinated with the Illinois Community College Board to communicate safe-campus protocols and return-to-campus guidance. He also called attention to emerging education issues through his monthly guest columns on apprenticeships, the future of work, student financial insecurity, and Illinois Community College Month.

He helped set the agenda for system-wide discussions on federal stimulus funding and expanded MAP grants for short-term certificates and community college baccalaureate degrees. He also reached out to ICCTA and his university colleagues to stop legislative attempts to diminish local control.

Bullock has also been the driving force behind the creation of the Illinois Community College Marketing Collaborative, which has brought college PR directors together to develop a statewide branding initiative. This new marketing campaign will debut this fall using the social media hashtag #4everystudent4everycommunity.

Josh has kept us informed, networked with allies and adversaries, and constantly reminded of why we are part of a unified community college movement, said ICCTA Past President Jon Looney in presenting the Advocacy Award. We look forward to continuing our work together in the future.
An owner of a Thomasville kennel and another man have been charged with attacking a WGHP/Fox 8 photojournalist Thursday afternoon, possibly breaking his jaw. The photojournalist was working on a story about the kennel being fined $1,400 on allegations of mistreating dogs.

Davidson County Sheriff Richie Simmons said Friday that Zachary Ryan Everhart, 35, and Marshall Lee Everhart, 57, were both charged with assault inflicting serious injury, larceny, common law robbery, second-degree kidnapping and two counts of injury to personal property.

Simmons said Zachary Everhart is one of the owners for Pretty Paws Country Club, which specializes in boarding, grooming and doggie daycare. Simmons said he believes Zachary Everhart and Marshall Everhart are related but did not know how.

Simmons said the assault is alleged to have happened at 12:15 p.m. Thursday. According to arrest warrants for Marshall Everhart, the photojournalist was Derrick Deon Reid. Reids LinkedIn page says he has worked for WGHP/Fox 8 since 2018.

Jim Himes, vice president and general manager for WGHP/Fox 8, declined to comment, citing the active investigation. He cited federal medical privacy laws in declining to comment about Reids condition.

According to WGHP/Fox 8 coverage, Reid was shooting video for a story about Pretty Paws Country Club, at 156 Cecil St. Arrest warrants allege that Marshall Everhart assaulted Reid, leaving him with broken or loosened teeth and possibly a broken jaw.

Marshall Everhart is accused of trying to take Reids video camera and causing more than $200 in damage to the equipment. He is also accused of holding Reid against his will and damaging Reids car to the tune of more than $200, arrest warrants said.

Arrest warrants for Zachary Everhart were not immediately available Friday.

Simmons said Marshall Everhart was arrested at the scene. Zachary Everhart left but later turned himself in at the Guilford County Sheriffs Office. He was taken to a Guilford County magistrate and was released on a $10,000 bond, Simmons said.

Marshall Everhart was released on a $200,000 bond. Marshall Everhart has a court date for Aug. 29, and Zachary Everhart has a court date for Sept. 26.

In April, the Animal Welfare Section of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services fined the kennel $1,400 for violations of the state Animal Welfare Act.

According to state documents, officials with the Animal Welfare Section received complaints about Pretty Paws and sent two employees in March to conduct a surprise inspection. They found 12 dogs housed together in an outdoor play area where the only water container was overturned, leaving the dogs without water. No one was supervising the dogs at the time.

Inspectors also found 19 dogs in another outdoor play area with one person supervising the animals. The water bowl was empty and the dogs were without water, according to state documents.

Several water receptacles on the property were damaged, officials said. Additionally, two dogs, Roxy and Stella, had to be separated for fighting. The dogs were not supposed to be housed together because they were considered incompatible. Roxy had serious injuries but was not taken to a veterinarian, according to state officials.

Another dog, named Bentley, became ill in early March and showed signs of decreasing mentation and other neurological signs. When the dogs owner picked Bentley up, he took the dog to a veterinarian. Bentley tested positive for THC, authorities said.

The kennel was previously cited for violations during inspections in 2020.
The State Board of Elections has been dismissed from a federal lawsuit over the enforcement of a state law at the center of a battle between Forsyth County District Attorney Jim ONeill and N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein.

Steins campaign had sued members of the State Board of Elections and Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. ONeill filed a complaint in September 2020 with the State Board of Election and requested a criminal investigation under a never-used 1931 state law that prohibits people from publishing or circulating false and derogatory information that could hurt a candidates chances at election. ONeill claimed that Stein had defamed him in a campaign ad that suggested ONeill mishandled untested rape kits in Forsyth County.

Stein contends that the state law is unconstitutional and poses a danger to political free speech.

On Friday, Pressly M. Millen, an attorney for Steins campaign, filed a notice of voluntary dismissal for members of the State Board of Elections, including chairman Damon Circosta. The dismissal was based on what an attorney for the State Board of Elections said at a hearing in U.S. District Court last week.

Thomas Segars, the attorney, said that the State Board of Elections had completed its investigation and that the investigation is closed. He said that the State Board of Elections does not intend to take any further action.

U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles issued an order Monday after a hearing that blocks enforcement of the state law. That means Freemans office cannot pursue any prosecution of Stein or anyone associated with his campaign until at least next week.

Joseph Zeszotarski, an attorney for Freeman, said in court Monday that Wake County prosecutors were planning to go to a grand jury Monday afternoon to obtain what is called a presentment. A presentment is not an indictment. In the case of a presentment, a grand jury has three options  it can determine the investigation is over and do nothing else; ask for further investigation; or ask prosecutors to come back at a later date to seek an indictment.

Raleigh news station WBTV and Axios reported that Eagles decision came down 30 minutes before Wake County prosecutors were scheduled to go to the grand jury.

WBTV obtained a 2019 memo in which an attorney for the State Board of Elections discounted the state law in another case, saying that the law might be unconstitutional.

Freeman has said she recused herself from the case because of her professional relationships with both Stein and ONeill. She said she handed the case to David Saacks, a senior prosecutor in her office.

The campaign ad in question came about during a heated battle for the Attorney Generals seat between ONeill, a Republican who is currently seeking re-election as Forsyth district attorney, and Stein, the Democratic incumbent. The two fought over how each had handled a backlog of untested rape kits. In the lawsuit, Stein alleged that ONeill made false statements about Steins record. To hit back at ONeill, Steins campaign had Ralston Lapp Guinn Media Group, a plaintiff in the suit, produce an ad.

That ad featured a woman only referred to as Juliette, who says she is a sexual-assault survivor. She says in the ad that she was upset to learn that ONeill had 1,500 untested rape kits on a shelf leaving rapists out on the street. ONeill has said the ad is a lie and that he has no control over submitting rape kits to the State Crime Labs.

Stein stands by the accuracy of the campaign ad and said that the ad was fact-checked.

The next hearing on the lawsuit is Aug. 4 in U.S. District Court in Greensboro.

He cited a 1931 law that prohibits people from publishing or circulating false and derogatory information that could hurt a candidates chances at election. The State Board of Elections referred the case to Freemans office for possible prosecution.
Forsyth County remained in the high level for COVID-19 for the fourth consecutive week, according to the latest federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention update released Thursday.

Over the past nine weekly CDC reports, Forsyth has been listed in the high-level category seven times.

Meanwhile, Alamance, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph and Rockingham were lowered from high to medium levels.

The CDC recommends that people who live in counties in the high category wear masks in indoor public spaces, as well as on public transportation regardless of vaccination status.

Also remaining in the high level in the 14-county Triad and Northwest N.C. are Davie, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin.

Alleghany and Watauga are two of just three N.C. counties listed in the low level.

There are 61 high-level counties in the state, up from 51 in the previous CDC report

The CDCs COVID-19 community level is determined by looking at hospital beds being used, hospital admissions and the total number of new COVID-19 cases in an area.

The CDC listed Forsyth with 308 new cases per 100,000 population, compared with 240, 236 and 238 in the three previous reports.

Forsyth health director Joshua Swift said Thursday the county was at a 28% positive test rate last week  the highest level since the tail end of the omicron wave in late January.

The rate of new COVID-related hospital admissions per 100,000 was at 16.2, compared with 11.9, 12.8 and 11.5 in the three previous reports.

Also, 4.4% of staffed inpatient beds are being used by COVID-19 patients, compared with 4%, 3.7% and 2.7% in the three previous reports.

Swift said there are currently 39 county residents in a local hospital with a COVID-19 infection. Thats up from 22 residents three weeks ago.

Both Swift and Dr. Christopher Ohl, an infectious diseases expert with Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, have said Forsyths current status in the high community level category may be influenced by outside  rather than inside  county factors since it is a health-care system hub for northwest N.C

Forsyth update

The weekly new COVID-19 case count in Forsyth climbed to a five-month high of 1,171 last week, according to Wednesdays update from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The case count for the week that ended July 23 jumped 31.7% from a revised 889 in the previous report.

Of the 1,171 new reported cases, DHHS said 179, or 15.3% were people who have been re-infected with either the omicron subvariant BA.5 or BA.4.

The last time the Forsyth weekly case count was higher was 1,188 for the week that ended Feb. 12.

By comparison, in April the number of weekly cases in Forsyth had fallen below 200.

Forsyth has had 104,902 cases for the pandemic since the onset in mid-March 2020.

The overall pandemic total for deaths in Forsyth increased by one to 851.

The weekly DHHS dashboard totals are subject to revision. When newly listed cases and deaths are added retroactively to statewide and county totals, they are attributed to the week in which the positive case is determined.

Local public health officials have stressed that the DHHS weekly case totals include only laboratory-confirmed cases, and dont include most people who determine they are positive with an at-home test.

People are not required to report their positive tests to county health departments.

However, Swift said the department has seen an increase of people who test positive from an at-home kit that choose to verify the result through a test administered by the department.

Winter forecast

On Thursday, Ohl encouraged local residents to recognize the BA.5 surge and go ahead and get the latest booster shot for which they are eligible.

I see a potential nasty late fall and winter for us because BA.4 and BA.5 will still be around, Ohl said. Those people who gotten their booster likely will get it.

For those who have been previously immunized or have gotten COVID, hopefully it will be a minor case.

For those who are at high risk or immunocompromised (without a booster), its going to be awfully dangerous for them  just like it is for the flu season.

Ohl cautioned that another omicron subvariant could enter the local community COVID-19 mix by winter.

If that were to happen, Ohl said, it could really throw us for a loop.

Novavax update

Swift said the county health department has ordered doses of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine for adults.

DHHS has said the Novavax vaccine will be made available in the coming weeks to county health departments, pharmacies, providers and hospitals. Swift said he expects the departments Novavax shipment to arrive soon.

Like the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, Novavax will be offered for free.

The vaccine is being geared primarily toward unvaccinated North Carolinians, as well as serving as a fourth COVID-19 vaccine option with CDC approval last week.

However, it remains to be seen how attractive the Novavax vaccine will be for the 33% of North Carolinians who have not gotten at least one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine.

According to The Associated Press, the Novavax vaccine provides a more familiar type of protein-based vaccine technology that has been used for more than 30 years in shots that help prevent diseases, such as shingles, hepatitis B and the flu.

The Novavax vaccine is given in a two-dose primary series, with a second dose administered three to eight weeks after the first. Ohl projects the regimen will be expanded to a third dose eventually.

Typical vaccine reactions were mild, including arm pain and fatigue.

Federal health regulators have warned about the possibility of a rare risk of heart inflammation that also has been seen with the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, mostly in teen boys or young men.

(Noravax) works just as well as the (Pfizer and Moderna) vaccine, probably just as good and its safe, Ohl said.

For people who have been holding out, not comfortable with (the other vaccine options), this is your vaccine.
OMAHA  Rita Kucirek kneels on the floor in her Omaha basement, flipping through an old photo album. Between photos of her teenage self posing with family members and laughing with friends, familiar faces appear.

Theres Rita meeting Ozzy Osbourne. Rita hugging Tommy Lee. Rita chatting with Steven Tyler. Rita flashing a grin with Bret Michaels. She pulls out scrapbooks, filled with concert ticket stubs and backstage passes from the 1980s. The walls around her are filled with framed set lists, guitar picks and the faces of the biggest rock stars of the 20th century.

Kucirek points at a signed photo of Pamela Des Barres, the famous rock groupie.

She urges women to write and to be writers, and I love that about her, Kucirek said. To tell their stories, whatever it is.

Ritas story is this: Shes a well-known longtime waitress at Omahas Gorats Steakhouse  the waitress who usually serves the old-school steakhouses most famous customer, Warren Buffett. Shes a mom. Shes a published author of a wild memoir under her pen name, Rita Rae Roxx, a book that details running away to Los Angeles, partying with KISS and riding on the back of David Lee Roths motorcycle.

This 57-year-olds den of memories holds the tales of a young girl from Omaha who loved rock and roll, then spent decades as one of Americas most dedicated rock groupies.

She hates the word groupie.

Its kind of dismissing me, its kind of just like, shes just a groupie, so I dont like it, she said. To me, Im a professional guest. Because, look  Ive hung out with everybody, Ive gone out with a lot of people. I still get to people.

Born in 1965, the Omaha girl loved American Bandstand, the Jackson 5 and Cher. She was grounded often, and listening to records in her bedroom became her favorite pastime. On a hot August night in 1980, Kucirek and friends went to see Alice Cooper at Civic Auditorium. Billy Squier, then an up-and-coming musician, opened the show. As he left the stage, Kucirek leaned over the railing and asked to meet him. Security guards invited her and her friends backstage, and eventually, Squier brought Kucirek to his tour bus.

She had just turned 15.

Kucirek began high school that year at Omaha Central. During class, she watched out the windows as bands pulled into Civic Auditorium for sound check. After the school bell rang, Kucirek hung around the stagehands and security guards, forming friendships that became her ticket to backstage access.

She started to attend concerts across the Midwest, driving to see her favorite bands. Kucirek made her way backstage with Foreigner, Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Poison and many others, often bribing crew members with drugs or receiving a spot on the guest list from a musician. Kucirek fell in love with Roth of Van Halen, sold one of her earrings to Tyler for $100, and was asked by Jon Bon Jovi to sew clothes for his upcoming tour.

I felt like a sex symbol, Kucirek said. I didnt have any goals or really a life plan at that time, because I thought I was going to be married to a rock star. But now I realize its a very toxic, abusive environment for at least some people.

In 1987, Kucirek moved to Los Angeles and immersed herself in Sunset Boulevards music scene. She heard bands like Guns N Roses and Warrant before their mainstream breaks. She partied with Sylvester Stallone and Rick James. She dated Princes half-brother Duane Nelson and Eddie Murphys brother Charlie Murphy  she has a framed love poem to prove it.

Kucirek says she once confronted Suge Knight about a poor tip, getting an extra $40 out of the infamous Death Row Records co-founder.

Kucirek also started doing stand-up comedy about her time as a cocktail waitress, attending open mics at The Comedy Store and Hollywood Improv.

There was glitz in Kucireks Hollywood lifestyle, but darkness, too. By the 1990s, she was using cocaine regularly. In 2002, she made her way back to Omaha.

I just felt like I needed to get back to who I was and do some healing, she said.

She quit drinking, cut back her smoking and started roller skating and biking all over the city. Kucirek became a mother and raised two children.

In 2005, she got a waitressing job at Gorats. Shes been there since, building a group of loyal customers  Ritas own restaurant groupies, if you will.

In 2011, one of those regulars passed away, leaving Kucirek $2,000 in his will. That $2,000 allowed Kucirek to buy a MacBook and write her story.

People have been telling me to write a book about all my rock n roll stories and meeting all the rock stars all these years, Kucirek said. I figured that was my sign to do it.

Kucirek wrote in the pre-dawn hours, before her kids awoke.

Published in 2012, Once Upon a Rock Star: Backstage Passes in the Heavy Metal Eighties-Big Hair, Bad Boys (and One Bad Girl) told the story of her wild young years in Omaha, featuring photos and scanned tickets of concerts and rock stars.

When it came out, fans of featured bands started reaching out to Kucirek over social media. Some are in awe at her time spent with their idols. Others get mad at her unfavorable characterizations, like the Motley Crue fan angered by her story about an unconsented groping from Nikki Sixx.

First of all, Nikki Sixx is a public figure, Kucirek responded. Second of all, this is my story about my life, and he happened to be in it. Third of all, its not like he wrote Girls, Girls, Girls sitting in church on a Sunday morning.

While working at Gorats, Kucirek sold a copy of her book to Buffetts security guard. The following week, Buffett came to lunch three days in a row at Gorats, each time asking for the rock n roll waitress. Now, Kucirek is Buffetts server whenever he dines at Gorats.

Her ts are crossed, her is are dotted when she waits on customers, said Lisa Caveye, Gorats hostess for the past 58 years. Mr. Buffett included.

Kucireks love of live music remains. She still sees her old favorite bands when they tour, though rising ticket prices and meet-and-greet passes bug her. Shes added Post Malone and Machine Gun Kelly to her list of new artists she rocks out to.

This summer, Kucirek went to a Motley Crue concert in Kansas City. Drummer Tommy Lee came onstage, and asked women in the crowd to lift up their shirts, which was then broadcast on the stadium Jumbotron.

The woman once known as Rockin Rita no longer finds that cute.

Its so weird how the double standards are. It just really ruined the concert for me, she said. Listen  who am I to speak now, you know, for all the stuff that I did. But come on, man! This is a different time.

On nights when theres no concert, you can find Kucirek whirling through Gorats. She drops drinks off at one table and steaks at the next. She teases the line cooks and lugs a cardboard cutout of Buffett for out-of-town guests. One table gets her talking about a recent concert, and Kucirek whips out a copy of her book  the book has appeared as if from nowhere  for them to gawk over.

Rita has dreams beyond the steakhouse.

Shed like to have a movie or TV series adapted from her book. Shed like to attend more shows like her very first  Aerosmith in 1979  and feel what she felt then.

Its the adrenaline, because when youre in front of a concert, theyre taking you into their world, Kucirek said. I just absorb it all, so its  entering another realm of consciousness.

The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraskas first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.
A Lincoln man was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison Thursday for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of methamphetamine mixture and 50 grams of pure methamphetamine.

Andrew Spiehs, 42, was arrested in 2019 after information provided to law enforcement indicated he was involved in the distribution of 150 grams of pure meth and 1.5 kilograms of meth mixture in Lincoln over the course of more than two years.

Spiehs was released from federal custody on conditions in June 2019. He absconded and was a fugitive until he was found in Wyoming and arrested again in 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

That, combined with possession of a firearm during the time he was involved in the drug conspiracy, led his sentence to be enhanced.

Spiehs will serve 17 years, with five additional years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The International Committee of the Red Cross asked for access to a prison where dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed in a rocket attack. But the agency said Saturday that its request has not been granted so far. Russian and Ukrainian officials have blamed each other for the deaths of the POWs on Friday in a separatist-controlled area in eastern Ukraine. Both sides alleged the attack was intended to cover up atrocities. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it mass murder. Russia on Saturday released the names of 48 Ukrainian POWs who died in the attack. Relatives of Ukrainian POWs held a protest in Kyiv and called for Russia to be declared a terrorist state.
An advocacy group has dropped its 3-year-old lawsuit challenging Nebraska's use of private contractors to oversee Omaha-area child welfare cases.

Nebraska Appleseed asked last week for the case to be dismissed, saying it was no longer needed following the repeal of a state law allowing private management of child welfare cases in Douglas and Sarpy counties and the early termination of Nebraska's contract with a Kansas-based nonprofit.

LB1173, which included the repeal provisions, passed the Legislature in April and took effect July 21. The measure closed the door on the state's troubled 12-year experiment in child welfare privatization.

State officials had already decided to end the case management contract with Saint Francis Ministries of Wichita, Kansas. The early termination was announced in December and all remaining cases had been transitioned over to state workers by June 30.

Laura Virgl, the plaintiff in the lawsuit, said she was grateful for the Legislature's action to stop pursuing privatized oversight of the care of abused and neglected children.

I brought this case to challenge the unwillingness of the state and Legislature to recognize that this was not working," she said. "Children and families were being subjected to an unjustified experiment and unequal treatment merely based on where they lived."

The lawsuit claimed that allowing privatization in Douglas and Sarpy counties violated a clause in the state constitution barring special legislation by allowing the state to manage child welfare cases in Nebraska's 91 other counties, but not in Douglas and Sarpy.

Nebraska originally attempted 12 years ago to privatize child welfare case management statewide. But the effort failed, with four of the five original contractors losing or dropping their contracts within two years.

Rather than disrupt the lone remaining contract, the Legislature passed a law in 2012 allowing privatization to continue in the Omaha area as a "pilot project." At the time, the state was contracting with the Nebraska Families Collaborative, later known as PromiseShip.

Appleseed and Virgl filed the lawsuit in 2019, after the state had gone through a competitive bidding process and announced plans to switch contractors to Saint Francis. The lawsuit argued that the change would cause disruptions in services and the rationale for allowing the pilot project would no longer apply if a new contractor was hired.

In December, a consultant hired to study Nebraskas history with case management privatization concluded that the system increased instability and disruptions in care. By its nature, privatization involves time-limited contracts that can be lost during the next bidding process.

The consultant and a legislative investigative committee both concluded that Nebraska should go back to having state workers oversee child welfare cases.

Saint Francis got the state contract after bidding 40% less than PromiseShip. Saint Francis signed a five-year, $197 million contract in July 2019. But the Kansas entity's tenure was troubled from the start.

In January 2021, HHS was forced to sign a new, emergency contract to keep the agency operating. The 25-month, $147.3 million contract erased the original 40% cost difference. Even at the higher payment levels, Saint Francis never met caseload standards set by Nebraska law and continually fell short on other contract requirements.
Lawyers responding to the Nebraska State Bar Association evaluation poll gave passing grades to 95% of the state's judges and recommended all but one be retained.

Association President William J. Mueller said the Judicial Performance Evaluation, which is done every two years, provides an important way for practicing attorneys to give feedback to the judiciary.

"These numbers continue to be impressive and consistent with prior evaluations," he said.

This year, lawyers gave 72 of the judges a 90% or higher retention approval rating, 44 judges an 80% to 89% rating and eight judges ratings of 70% to 79%.

Six judges had 60% or lower retention ratings, including Douglas County Court Judge Darryl Lowe, who had the lowest rating of county court judges at 57.6%, and Lancaster County District Judge Lori Maret, who had the lowest rating among the state's district court judges at 46.2%.

She was the only judge to have a retention rating below 50%.

Roughly 18% of active State Bar Association members who live in Nebraska, Council Bluffs and Sioux City, Iowa, and Yankton, South Dakota, completed the survey.

The state association first used the Judicial Performance Evaluation in 1984.

In the 3rd Judicial District, which is Lancaster County, lawyers gave the following retention approval ratings for district judges: Kevin McManaman (91.8%), Andrew Jacobsen (91.2%), Robert Otte (89.2%), Susan Strong (88.9%), Ryan Post (88.3%), Jodi Nelson (87.8%), Darla Ideus (76.7%) and Maret (46.2%).

Lawyers gave the following retention approval ratings for Lancaster County Court judges: Timothy Phillips (91%), Laurie Yardley (89.9%), Matthew Acton (89.7%), Holly Parsley (87.7%), Rodney Reuter (87.7%), Thomas Zimmerman (82.2%) and Joseph Dalton (80.3%).

Five of Lancaster County's judges will be up for retention votes on the ballot in November. They are County Court judges Acton, Dalton, Phillips and Yardley and District Court Judge Nelson. So, too, will be Nebraska Supreme Court Chief Justice Michael Heavican.
The University of Nebraska State Museum-Morrill Hall recently partnered with Lincoln Literacy to provide 168 free museum passes as part of a summer membership drive.

For every membership purchased or renewed, Morrill Hall donated two free passes to Lincoln Literacy. Museum members and visitors also had the option to purchase additional passes for donation.

Lincoln Literacy is doing great work providing education and learning opportunities for members of our Lincoln community, said Susan Weller, director of the NU State Museum. We were excited to have them as our summer Community Access Partner and to provide our museum as a resource for their families continued learning.

Lincoln Literacys mission is to strengthen the community by teaching the English language and a variety of literacy skills to people of all cultures.

Lincoln Literacys families are curious to discover more about our natural world and the heritage of diverse cultures, said Donna Stadig, senior associate director for the organization. Visiting Morrill Hall will be a wonderful opportunity for them to expand their knowledge of natural science. We appreciate the support of the University of Nebraska State Museum to help us help others thrive.

Lincoln Literacy is the seventh local organization to receive passes as part of the NU State Museums membership program. To date, more than 1,000 passes have been shared via the Community Access Program. The museum plans to support other Lincoln-based community organizations with future membership drives. Members of the public may nominate organizations for consideration by emailing unsmmembership@unl.edu.
Vi See and Jenny Cardwell are longtime friends who spent their careers in the nonprofit arena. They wanted to help Ukrainian refuges and started donating to Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine (OSHU).

Keeping up with the activities of OSHU, they learned more about the needs and struggles of the people of Ukraine and wondered if they could do more. They learned what was being done through Rotary and by Rotarians and found the answer  they would volunteer.

See and Cardwell volunteered at the Best Western Hotel Felix in Warsaw, Poland through OSHU to support 155 Ukrainian refugees staying at the hotel.

Their volunteer duties were primarily to staff the supply room and provide medications to women and children. The Ukrainians were experiencing a high level of stress and anxiety, which led to headaches, stomachaches, and cold and flu symptoms. In addition, they were responsible for shopping for medicines and supplies to make healthy snacks each day.

The supply room was also filled with donated clothing, toys and books, as well as personal care items such as diapers, wipes, dental care items and detergent.

Thanks to the support of Lincoln South Rotary Club members, family and friends, See and Cardwell brought throat lozenges, childrens books written in English and Russian, Hot Wheels cars, baby dolls, personal notes with bracelets and nail polish and supplies for women and teens, crayons and coloring books, and much more.

They used cash donations to purchase supplies as well as additional toys and games. There was a heat wave while they were in Warsaw, so some cash was used to purchase shorts, tops and sundresses.

When things were quiet in the supply room, See and Cardwell would play with the children and talk with the mothers with help from Google translate. They also shared meals with children and their families. They enjoyed meeting volunteers from Lincoln and throughout the world.

Although a common language is not shared, so much can be learned and felt during a shared game of Jenga or a shared meal," noted See. Friendships are bound over smiles and tears.

While in Warsaw, See and Cardwell met via Zoom with the Warsaw Wilanow Rotary Club. That Club has supported Operation Safe Harbor Ukraine and provided meals through the World Central Kitchen.

This was the experience of a lifetime, and I am so glad that I was able to go with Vi and meet such incredible, courageous women and men and their children, said Cardwell. Even though language was difficult, a hug is universal! My hope is that this unprovoked war ends soon, and the Ukrainian government and people can rebuild their beautiful country and live in peace.

It is hard to fully measure the impact of the kindness and generosity of Rotarians such as See and Cardwell and the OSHU organization. Though there is stress and anxiety among the refugees, for a while, tears are replaced by smiles, snacks help fill a hungry stomach and personal needs are met.

There are Rotary Clubs in Ukraine, but due to current circumstances, they need the help of Rotary around the world. Lincoln South Rotary Club thanks See and Cardwell for sharing their time and treasures to provide some support.

For information about Lincoln South Rotary Club, connect through www.lincolnsouthrotary.org. From www.rotary.org, No challenge is too big for Rotary. For more than 110 years, weve bridged cultures and connected continents to champion peace, fight illiteracy and poverty, promote clean water and sanitation, and fight disease.
SOMERS  There were two questions posed by Bakari Sellers to the attendees of the P2F Conference on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion held Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

How far have we come? And where do we go from here?

Sellers was the keynote speaker for the conference that brought together organizations and businesses from the area to discuss practical and intentional applications of diversity, equity and inclusion principles.

In asking the questions, Sellers made clear the ensuing discussion was not just for communities of color but for everyone.

Sellers described it as the journey were on together  for a more perfect union.

There is a duty everyone has, he said, to leave the country better than you found it.

History

Sellers covered a lot of history in his short speech:

He spoke of Harry and Eliza Briggs, the black parents who sued their South Carolina school superintendent in 1949 in order to allow black children to ride the school bus so they would not have to walk long distances to school.

He spoke of George Elmore, whose lawsuit resulted in the ability of black people to vote in the Democratic primary in South Carolina, but who lost everything in the struggle and died a broken man.

He spoke of Mamie Till, who lost her 14-year-old son Emmitt Till to white violence, but sparked a generation of activism.

These events were not a long time ago, Sellers said. If Emmitt Till had lived, he would be younger than Nancy Pelosi and a year older than President Joe Biden.

Communities of color are still struggling, he continued, and pointed to the lack of access to affordable housing, clean water and barriers to the ballot box in many cities.

Kids still go to school where the heating and cooling does not work, the infrastructure is dilapidated, and they are literally punished for the zip code they were born into, Sellers said.

Weve made a lot of progress, Sellers told those in attendance, but we still have yet a ways to go.

Sellers

Sellers is the son of civil rights activist Cleveland Sellers, who survived the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre in which South Carolina state troopers opened fire on students, injuring 28 and killing three. The state troopers were acquitted of using excessive use-of-force, but Cleveland Sellers was convicted of rioting and served a year in prison at hard labor. He was later pardoned.

The younger Sellers would follow in his fathers footsteps but in endeavors not available to the previous generation. He became the youngest black official in the countrys history when he was elected in 2006 to the South Carolina House of Representatives at just 22 years old.

He now works as an attorney and is a New York Times best-selling author and CNN political commentator.

What next

As for what is next, Sellers said, That question is damn hard and it gives me anxiety. Its something I think about every day.

He noted it was a question discussed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the book titled, Where Do We Go From Here?

Sellers explained King did not ask open-ended questions or give choices. For King, there was either freedom or bondage, justice or injustice, chaos or community.

For Sellers, the answer to where we go from here lies in the ability to love your neighbors  even when they dont love you.

Sellers said that was an action item, but also a hard one, especially for members of the black community.

Thats the challenge, he said. Thats the burden. Thats very, very difficult.

Sellers admitted it was aspirational for him.

I dont want anyone here to think Ive achieved this, but He aint done with me yet, Sellers said.

The second thing he advised was learning to dream with your eyes open.

I fundamentally believe theres nothing irredeemable about this country, Sellers said, We just have to reimagine what she looks like.

He explained that meant reimagining systems of oppression that are bearing down on so many, deconstruct those and reimagine those so theyre equitable for all.

P2F

The conference where Sellers made his remarks was organized by Payne & Frazier Consultants, located in downtown Racine.

Kimberly Payne and Dr. Arletta Frazier formed the company five years ago. They specialize in community engagement, offer training in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and work with vulnerable populations, which includes the Right Direction mentoring program through Racine Unified School District that assists at-risk youth.

Payne told the attendees of the conference, I have a simple desire to do good work that matters in our community.

The P2F Conference for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Understanding Our Past and Present  Building our Future was designed to provide professionals and community members with practical DEI information.

Payne explained people might attend DEI conferences but are challenged to implement what they learned once they returned to their offices.

She said the information provided at the conference was designed to be useful and usable. The conference was also an opportunity for people to discuss changing demographics and cultural identity development.

Payne added they sought to challenge participants to explore and examine their own biases, their own cultures, and explore how they engage with others as a result of that.

Dr. Arletta Frazier said the second day of the conference would include topics of DEI by design; that is, what DEI should look like for the individuals organization and the intentional actions that could be undertaken to apply the principles discussed at the conference.

She said the conference was an opportunity to really design what DEI means to them and how it was going to look moving forward.

Additionally, the attendees would develop an understanding that diversity is actually a broad term.

We always want to put diversity as black and white, due to the climate that were living in right now, especially since George Floyd, so we want to always put a color to it, Frazier said. But diversity is broad and much larger than that.

The conference also sought to educate people on the necessity of creating environments that are equitable for all; that is, removing barriers that hinder people from being successful.

Frazier explained it is not enough to hire people from diverse backgrounds. Organizations must also ensure their diverse populations are successful in those positions, that their voices are respected and brought to the table.

The keyword, she continued, was intentional. Having a professional environment where diverse populations thrive does not happen by chance; instead, it happens when those in charge take deliberate actions  intentional actions  to ensure a thriving workforce.
RACINE  The Racine County District Attorneys Office has dismissed the case against a teen accused of being behind the wheel during a deadly drive-by shooting.

Micah Lminggio, 15, was initially charged with first-degree intentional homicide with use of a dangerous weapon as party to a crime for the March 13 shooting death of Eugene J.R. Henderson, who was 14 years old.

Charges could still be refiled against the 15-year-old.

Lminggio appeared in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday for what was scheduled to be a status conference.

Instead, Antoinette Rich, assistant DA, announced at that time the state would not be able to proceed with the case, and the charges were being dismissed.

DA Patricia Hanson said in an email to The Journal Times the investigation into the shooting of Henderson was ongoing and had led to additional suspects.

We are going to pursue those leads and then make a determination as to whether or not Mr. Lminggio would be charged, she said.

The defendant remains in custody at the Racine County Juvenile Detention Center on other charges.

Emonjae James Kinney, 16, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, with use of a deadly weapon, as party to a crime. Kinney faces allegations he was the person who was doing the shooting that night that killed Henderson.

Criminal complaint

The Racine Police Department was dispatched 10:25 p.m. to the 1800 block of Mead Street where they found Henderson in the front passenger seat of a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the head.

He later died of his injuries.

A passenger who had been in the car told investigators the vehicle was stopped on Mead Street when another vehicle pulled up on the drivers side. A person in that vehicle began shooting.

According to the criminal complaint, surveillance video in the area led investigators to the suspect vehicle. An iPhone that was left in the vehicle showed it was in the area at the time of the shooting.

Additionally, camera video allegedly shows Kinney brandishing a black and tan Glock handgun
UPDATE, 7:30 p.m.:

Harry Wait said he received an absentee ballot addressed to Cory Mason in the mail Friday afternoon.

He said in a text to a reporter "We are going to return Cory's ballot to City Hall with a film crew."

Original story begins below:

In the latest episode of a tumultuous 72 hours in Racine County's political sphere, the state Department of Justice confirmed late Friday that it is investigating apparent intentional election fraud carried out by one man in Racine County.

A conservative activist typically focused on government transparency, Harry Wait, who lives in the Town of Dover, has publicly admitted to multiple journalists and elected officials that he used MyVote.Wi.gov early Wednesday morning to illegally request the absentee ballots of two prominent elected officials, Racine Mayor Cory Mason and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, to prove he could without needing to provide voter ID.

A video of him requesting the ballots was uploaded to Rumble.com, a video sharing website favored by conservatives.

"(The) DOJ is aware of reports of ballots being requested in Racine County for registered voters without their permission," Gillian Drummond, DOJ director of communications, said in an email. "DOJ has been in contact with (Racine County) DA (Patricia) Hanson and will be investigating this matter. As this is an ongoing matter, DOJ will not be providing further comment at this time."

Thursday, Hanson told The Journal Times she was referring the situation to the Racine County Sheriff's Office for investigation.

Requesting absentee ballots under another person's name is a felony in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Wait said he knew it was a felony to request Vos' and Mason's ballots, but did it anyway to prove it was possible.

Wait said he requested the ballots of about 10 friends in addition to the ballots of Mason and Vos. "I could have ordered hundreds of them, a thousand of them," he said Thursday. "There's no limit."

Will Wait be charged?

In a Facebook post Friday afternoon, the RCSO said it "is pleased" that the state Attorney General's Office "responded to our request and has ordered the Division of Criminal Investigation to investigate the matters surrounding individuals being able to obtain other peoples ballots through MyVote Wisconsin."

The Sheriff's Office has faced criticism from Democratic officials for being made aware of what Wait did Wednesday morning but not moving to arrest him, instead first publicly criticizing and calling for immediate change within the MyVote system.

"He should be charged, like  yesterday" and "Charge him!" state Sen. Kelda Roys, D-Madison, said in a pair of tweets Thursday.

The Racine County Sheriff's Office, in Friday's Facebook post, said that "any statements alleging the Sheriffs Office would not investigate this issue or take appropriate enforcement actions were wrong."

Wait told members of the press that, after he informed officials of his illegal ballot requests via email at 3:13 a.m. Wednesday, he received a phone call from Sheriff Christopher Schmaling. Wait said he asked Schmaling if he would be arrested, Schmaling replied "Hell no."

Wait had sent a follow-up email to officials after 10 a.m. Wednesday that, according to the RCSO, said "I am at the Racine County Fair in the expo building manning the HOT (Honest, Open, Transparent) Government booth should you wish to follow up to further discuss these findings or arrest me."

Wait is president of the HOT Government organization, a watchdog group known for its zany antics including a 2019 plan to burn an effigy in protest of the City of Racine's government and for hanging a mannequin wearing a "Corrupt Officials" t-shirt from the rafters of its meetings.

In Friday's Facebook post, the RCSO confirmed that Schmaling did say "Hell no" to Wait in relation to whether the activist would be arrested, but that didn't tell the whole story.

"Criminal arrests, where police physically place a citizen in handcuffs, are made after thorough investigations and the formulation of probable cause. Criminal arrests are not based upon late-night emails and requests to be arrested," the post said.

Friday's RCSO Facebook post continued: "Sheriff Schmaling understands Waits passion and commitment to honest, open, and transparent government, especially as it pertains to elections; however, he never gave Wait permission or consent for Waits actions. Sheriff Schmaling does not condone any violation of the law."

The ongoing controversy around MyVote kicked off Wednesday afternoon when the Racine County Sheriff's Office made a Facebook post alleging "vulnerabilities" in MyVote as it is possible to request absentee ballots on behalf of other people without their knowledge and without presenting voter ID, and having their ballot sent to an address of the requestor's choosing. The RCSO made its Facebook post Wednesday after receiving complaints from Wait and a Burlington woman, Adrianne Melby, who said she had a friend of hers request her absentee ballot via MyVote and have it delivered to the friend's house  the ballot was delivered to Melby's friend's home, Melby said.

The RCSO, Wait and Melby allege this leaves elections in the state open to widespread fraud.

WEC disagrees. Officials say the requirements to request a ballot online match the requirements needed to request an absentee ballot by mail and are in compliance with state law.

"There are many checks in the system at both the state and the local level to prevent and detect such activity," WED Administrator Meagan Wolfe said Thursday during an emergency meeting.

Among those checks are that, should Vos and Mason try to cast a ballot in the ongoing primary election, the WEC system would have flagged that they requested absentee ballots and the fraud would be found out before the fraudulent ballots were counted.

To request an absentee ballot in Wisconsin, those who have voted by mail previously do not need to present a voter ID again because their ID is already on file with WEC. If someone had only ever voted in person previously, then they would need to provide an electronic copy of their voter ID in order to request a mail-in ballot.

After Wait's actions came to light, Wolfe said the commission is searching its data for instances of numerous ballots being mailed to a single address to identify potential fraud; although multiple ballots being cast from a single address is not necessarily fraudulent, considering multiple voters often live in the same residence or building.

Hit or miss

Friday's RCSO Facebook post said the Sheriff's Office was "pleased" with the Wisconsin Elections Commission for having an emergency meeting Thursday night after the controversy sparked Wednesday, but also criticized WEC for not saying there is a "vulnerability" in the MyVote system as Wait and the Sheriff's Office have both alleged. The post said that WEC's position  which states "there is no indication of any vulnerability with the MyVote application"  is "flawed."

The RCSO's Facebook post Friday concluded with a call to action: "The Sheriffs Office encourages citizens to contact their representatives and state what requirements they want in Wisconsins voting laws. The current law is that once a persons photo identification is on file, no form of photo identification need be shown when voting absentee by mail. Furthermore, the request to send an absentee ballot to a different address can be made via fax, email, MyVote Wisconsin, or scribbled on a piece of paper and placed in the mail. If you desire a system that is more secure, please contact your state Senator and Representative."

Schmaling, a Republican who supported Donald Trump, said in a statement: "At the end of the day, whether your preferred candidate wins or losses (sic), we all deserve to know that the law was followed  that the election was fair and secure."

Mitchell Schmidt of Lee Newspapers contributed to this report.
Members of the United Auto Workers union on Thursday rescinded an increase in strike pay that had been approved earlier in their annual convention.

The Detroit Free Press reported that after some delegates raised concerns about the potential cost of the $500 a week strike pay, it was dropped. But a previous increase in strike pay that union officials made earlier this year remains in place. So striking workers will still receive $400 a week, up from the previous $275.

Another change that will allow strike pay to begin on the first day of a walkout instead of the eighth was allowed to stand.

Messages seeking further comment were left with UAW representatives.

More than 1,000 CNH Industrial (formerly Case Corporation) workers who have been on strike at plants in Racine and Burlington, Iowa, since early May will likely be affected by the changes.

Local 180, the Mount Pleasant-based union chapter representing Racine area workers, has continually been collecting donations to support strikers.

That is just one of the latest in a string of strikes since the pandemic began. The largest one was a monthlong strike by 10,000 Deere & Co. workers in the UAW last year that led to a new contract that included 10% raises. Other unions have also gone on strike to demand better wages and benefits, including about 2,500 machinists union members who plan to go on strike next week at three Boeing plants in Missouri and Illinois and a two-month-long strike last year by 1,400 workers at Kelloggs cereal plants in four states.

More than 100,000 railroad workers also came close to going on strike this month before President Joe Biden intervened by appointing a board of arbitrators to help settle the dispute.

Workers nationwide have been emboldened to ask for more because of the ongoing worker shortages and because workers didnt always feel appreciated while working long hours during the pandemic.
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.

Vote

View Results
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of rebound following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter that Biden has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well. O'Connor said there is no reason to reinitiate treatment at this time.

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Biden will reenter isolation for at least five days. He will isolate at the White House until he tests negative. The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.

Just as when Biden first tested positive, the White House sought to show he was still working. The president sent out a picture of himself masked and tieless on Twitter, which showed him signing a declaration that added individual assistance for flood survivors in Kentucky.

The president followed up by tweeting out a 12-second video of him on a White House balcony with his dog, Commander.

I'm feeling fine, everything is good, said Biden, a pair of aviator sunglasses in his hand. But Commander and I got a little work to do.

The president also took time on Saturday to have a FaceTime conversation with people camping outside the U.S. Capitol who are seeking health benefits for military veterans exposed to toxic substances from burn pits during their service, according to White House chief of staff Ron Klain. A bill to provide expanded benefits failed to clear the Senate on Wednesday. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough brought the group pizza and the phone connection to talk with the president.

Feel better, a member of the group told Biden in a video of the call posted to Twitter.

Word of Bidens positive test came  he had been negative Friday morning  just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where first lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive. Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.

Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid after he first tested positive on July 21. He tested negative for the virus on this past Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters on Monday that data "suggests that between 5 and 8 percent of people have rebound after Paxlovid treatment.

Acknowledging the potential for so-called rebound COVID positivity observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid, the President increased his tested cadence, to protect people around him and to assure early detection of any return of viral replication, O'Connor wrote in his letter.

O'Connor cited negative tests for Biden from Tuesday evening, Wednesday morning, Thursday morning and Friday morning, before Saturday morning's positive result by antigen testing. This in fact represents rebound' positivity," he wrote.

According to the CDC, those with rebound COVID should isolate for at least five days, ending that if a fever has resolved itself for 24 hours without medication and symptoms have improved. The patient should wear a mask for a total of 10 days after rebound symptoms started. Some people continue to test positive after day 10 but are considerably less likely to shed infectious virus.

Both the Food and Drug Administration and Pfizer point out that 1% to 2% of people in Pfizers original study on Paxlovid saw their virus levels rebound after 10 days. The rate was about the same among people taking the drug or dummy pills, so it is unclear at this point that this is related to drug treatment, according to the FDA.

While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines. But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs on the White House complex.

Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.

Regulators are still studying the prevalence and virulence of rebound cases, but the CDC in May warned doctors that it has been reported to occur within two days to eight days after initially testing negative for the virus.

Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease, the agency said at the time.

When Biden was initially released from isolation on Wednesday, OConnor said the president would increase his testing cadence to catch any potential rebound of the virus.
Dave Frey and his contemporary Christian band, Sidewalk Prophets, performed Friday at OneFest, Chippewa Falls Christian music festival. Frey said his job is more than just singing  its showing people that theyre interconnected through community.

I think community is such an important part of what we do, he said. We call our fans the great big family because we wouldnt have made it through the pandemic without them. They really are more like family than they are fans. Were super grateful for that.

Frey and the Sidewalk Prophets put on a robus, high-energy show at OneFest this year, delighting longtime fans and newcomers alike.

But this isnt your typical church music. Its Christian rock.

We want to rock for Jesus, Frey said.

The band started back in 2001 at college.

My buddy Ben and I, hes our manager now, we just were recording songs in our dorm room as college folk do, Frey said.

It was just the two friends making music for a while. The other three members of the band came later.

After graduating from college, Frey decided to move to Nashville back in 2007.

I did it on a hope and a prayer, Frey said. I put an ad on Craigslist for a band. It was just Ben and I. Ben plays guitar, I sing. We needed everything else. And lo and behold our bass player of 15 years answered that Craigslist ad. Now our guitarist has been with us for eight years. We got a keyboard player thats been with us for a year and our drummer is pretty new. Hes about two or three months in.

Frey said there were some lean years for the band. There were times if they doubted if they could survive, especially during COVID-19. But they got creative and ended up performing more than 70 virtual shows during the pandemic lockdown.

Over the years, they performed at a lot of church camps and coffee shops before making it to the festival circuit.

There were lots of performances to people who care more about their latte than they do listening to what you have to say, Frey said. But even through those shows there was always something good. Something meaningful.

Frey said that he wants to surprise people with their sound.

Listeners may be shocked by how rock-n-roll we get. We like to jam. But were still a band that wants to creatively inspire joy, Frey said. We truly believe that joy is something that Gods trying to give us every single day and hopefully you feel that when you come to our concerts. We want you to feel a part of something bigger than yourself.

Sidewalk Prophets just released a new album. Theyll be back in the region performing in Plymouth, Minnesota, the third week of August.
Reider Olsen was born in Norway and immigrated to Merrill, Wisconsin in 1922. In 1928, he moved to Chippewa Falls and built this monoplane called the Olsen Scout. He used a Szekely 30 h.p. engine. The logo on the fuselage reads Chippewa Aircraft Corporation.

Each Saturday, the Chippewa Area History Center showcases a piece of local history in the Herald. The Area History Center at 123 Allen Street, Chippewa Falls has multiple rooms of displays about Chippewa County history and genealogy.

Visit www.ChippewaAreaHistoryCenter.org to learn more about the future Chippewa Area History Center and how you can help support local history preservation and education.
We, the concerned faithful of the LaCrosse Diocese, have recently been informed of the current $40 million Capital Campaign for the Bishop's Annual Appeal, Inspired by the Spirit. This notice, signed and mailed to Bishop Callahan, informs him of our refusal to donate for the following reasons:

1) The recent appointment of Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill. According to The Pillar report, a mobile device correlated to Msgr. Burrill emitted app data signals from Grindr on a near-daily basis during parts of 2018-2020 (July 20, 2021).

2) Promotion of vaccinations tainted by abortion (HEK293) and failure to provide religious exemptions. The use of aborted babies for medical treatments was demonstrated to the Wisconsin Bishops (September 2021) with a box of 293 baby models and the article Did I Love You Enough?(July 2021)

3) The USCCBs' financial support of abortion and immoral teachings/practices, through their funding of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD). (Lepanto Institute, Catholic Bishops Fund Pro-Abortion Doulas for Third Consecutive Year, Despite 2020 Warning May 2, 2022)

4) Failure to support Bishop Cordileone's decision to refuse Holy Communion to pro-abort House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

5) Promotion on the Diocese' website of Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich from Luxembourg, who stated Church teaching related to homosexuality is false...(National Catholic Register, February 9, 2022)

6) Fundraising methods used by the Diocese for the Capital Campaign, Inspired by the Spirit. (Inspired by the Spirit Campaign Policies and Guidelines currently on www.diolc.org)

7) Canceled priests nationwide.(www.ariseletusbegoing.com, Priests talking politics? Cancelled! July 26, 2022)

Pamelann Schulte

Chippewa Falls
On a sunshine-filled Saturday, Myrick Park provided the perfect canvas for the 64th annual Art Fair on the Green, the largest art fair in the Coulee Region.

Over 70 artists displayed their work in booths lining the paths of the park, selling everything from pottery to jewelry. The 2022 fair featured eight new artists and also hosted five local food vendors.

The fair is organized every year by the La Crosse branch of the American Association of University Women to raise scholarship funds for local students.

The event was free to the community. Carol Robertson, the Art Fair chair, said that by not charging admission, the AAUW hoped to generate more foot traffic and focus towards the groups scholarship fund.

Up until the pandemic, we had always charged admission. Weve been questioned over the years, but it was another way to raise money for scholarships, and thats why we did it, Robertson said. This year, were doing a big push to help people to understand that were asking for donations, instead of admission.

Several artists contributed their work to a scholarship raffle, where patrons could buy tickets for a chance to win the art pieces with all proceeds going towards the AAUWs scholarship fund. AAUW members also accepted donations at the entrances of the fair and the parks shelter.

Robertson said that the art fair is the AAUWs signature event each year and requires a team effort from the entire organization.

It really takes the village to put it all together, Robertson said. Were finding that we need to recruit even more volunteers. Normally, almost all of our 85 members participate in some way in the art fair.

Last year, the AAUW awarded $29,000 in scholarships and grants, almost half of which came from proceeds from the 2021 Art Fair on the Green. The organization, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in September, partners with local schools and foundations and also sponsored two La Crosse Tribune Extra Effort scholarships this spring.

Were really about advocacy for education, reproductive rights, gender equality, diversity, inclusion and a lot of grants and research at the national level for various topics, Robertson said.

In the 64-year history of the art fair, the La Crosse AAUW has raised nearly $600,000 in scholarship funds.
DECATUR, Ga. (AP)  The parents of a Georgia woman who died after she fell from a moving patrol car following her arrest fought back tears Friday as they demanded answers in their daughter's death.

Brianna Grier, 28, suffered significant injuries July 15 and died July 21 at an Atlanta hospital. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said this week that the deputies who put Grier in the back of a patrol car to take her to the Hancock County Sheriff's Office failed to close the rear passenger-side door before driving away.

What were trying to do, were trying to get answers of what really happened. Thats all we want to know. We aint trying to start no problem, a tearful Marvin Grier, Brianna's father, said during a news conference, his voice catching several times. He was joined by Brianna's mother and sister, Mary and Lottie Grier.

Grier was arrested after Hancock County sheriffs deputies were called to a home in Sparta, the GBI has said. The deputies put Grier in the back of a patrol car, but she was not wearing a seatbelt, her hands were cuffed in front of her and the rear passenger-side door was never closed, according to GBI investigators.

The GBI has not said why deputies were called to the home or why Grier was arrested. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing her family, said Grier was taken into custody after a mental health crisis.

Yet again we have another African American citizen killed in just an unbelievable way while in the custody of the police, Crump said at the Friday news conference in downtown Decatur, a suburb of Atlanta.

He addressed Grier's parents: "We wont let them sweep your baby daughters death under the rug.

Crump said his team will investigate what failures caused Grier to fall out of the car while it was moving and suffer a fatal brain injury that led to her being in a coma until she died six days later.

Gerald Griggs, president of the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, called on state and county officials for answers.

To the Hancock County sheriff, its time to be transparent. Its time to be accountable. To the GBI, its time for yall to meet with this family. To the governor, its time for you to recognize, again, that Georgia has a police accountability problem, he said.

GBI agents have met with the Grier family multiple times since July 15 and have also had several conversations with them to provide updates on the investigation, spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in an email Friday. The agency plans to release body camera footage after agents review it with the family, she said.

Brumback reported from Atlanta.
State Treasurer Sarah Godlewski is ending her U.S. Senate bid and endorsing Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes to cap off a stunning week that saw each of Barnes main Democratic U.S. Senate competitors end their campaigns and rally behind him.

Barnes is all but certain to face off against Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson in November. None of Barnes several remaining Democratic competitors have polled above 1% in the Marquette Law School Poll.

After Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson dropped out Monday and Milwaukee Bucks executive-on-leave Alex Lasry dropped out Wednesday, Godlewski said she would remain in the race, where she campaigned on making child and senior care affordable, protecting abortion rights, making prescription drugs affordable and ensuring paid family leave.

But its clear that if we want to finally send Ron Johnson packing, we must all get behind Mandela Barnes and fight together, Godlewski said in a statement Friday.

Showing their lack of respect for voters and the democratic process, the power brokers of the Democrat party have now cleared the field for their most radical left candidate, Johnson said on Twitter in his first direct reference to Barnes since the campaign began. Socialist policies have produced this mess, & a radical left Senator from Wisconsin is not the solution.

To that, Barnes responded, I wont be lectured about respecting voters by a pro-insurrectionist Senator.

Godlewski said she would remain on the campaign trail to support Barnes and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

Barnes said he was honored to accept Godlewskis endorsement.

Throughout this campaign, Sarah has been a leader in the fight to protect abortion access and a tireless advocate for working people and rural communities across Wisconsin, Barnes said in a statement. I will proudly stand with her in those fights as we take on Ron Johnson in the fall.

After it became clear in May that the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, Godlewski was the first U.S. Senate candidate nationwide to run an ad on protecting abortion rights. Her campaign saw a fundraising surge as Godlewski used her status as the only top female competitor in Wisconsins U.S. Senate race to gather support.

But Godlewski, who put around $4 million of her money into the race, suddenly stopped airing ads for almost all of June and July. And in Junes Marquette Law School Poll, Godlewski received 9% of support from likely Democratic primary voters, well behind Barnes 25%.

Asked on Friday why she had gone off the air for much of June and July, Godlewski said, Look, if theres something that we know, its about  you got to have a strategy and everybody has different strategies about what, how to best win. And so for us, it was kind of thinking through that.

In what appeared to be a last-minute push to gather momentum, Godlewski made a seven-figure ad buy in which where she grilled her competitors at a debate in July for not campaigning on abortion rights earlier.

But what path she had left to overcome her double-digit deficit in the polls became all but obstructed after Lasry and Nelson dropped out and endorsed Barnes this week.
Scientists in Belgium are investigating a farmer's claim that different kinds of music affect the behavior of his pigs.

Piet Paesmans first noticed the reaction when his son started singing a song in the familys animal shelter. The farmer said the sows, or adult female pigs, seemed excited by the sound and started shaking their little tails.

"I thought this was too good to pass up, we should try that with the other pigs too," Paesmans told Reuters from his farm.

Paesmans has since created a list of songs to play at different times of the day. He uses energetic music when he wants the pigs to be active and lullabies at the end of the day. Lullabies are quiet, slow songs.

"Jolly dance songs are the biggest hits," Paesmans said. He said that the pigs even appear to dance to the music.

He does not play rock and roll music for the pigs. Rock music is too strong, they don't like it," the farmer observed.

The farmer described his observations to a team of researchers. The team then secured 75,000 euros of financing to investigate the claims.

Sander Palmans is the research project organizer. He said not much is known about pigs' reaction to music. But he said that Paesmans' experience fits with existing knowledge about the effects of sounds on animals.

"There is without a doubt an effect of specific noises on animals, he said. So it's really possible that music can have the same effect," Palmans added that music could help ease boredom, which has been linked to tension in animals.

The findings could be useful for the farming industry. Meat quality is affected by stress in animals, Paesmans said.

"A top athlete needs to be completely fit physically, but also mentally. And that's just the same for pigs...It's really important for the quality of the meat."

The results of the research are expected by the end of the year.

Im Caty Weaver.

Reuters news agency reported this story. Caty Weaver adapted it for VOA Learning English.

____________________________________________________

Words in This Story

jolly adj. full of fun or joy

excited adj. very enthusiastic and eager

doubt n. a reason for disbelief

specific adj. relating to or being an example of a certain kind of thing

boredom n. the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest

athlete n. a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina

_________________________________________________

Do you have an animal who seems to like music? We want to hear from you.

We have a new comment system. Here is how it works:

Write your comment in the box.

Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google.

Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free.

Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.
They are trying to prevent erosion that threatens parts of West Africas Atlantic coast.

In West Africa, the coast is home to more than half of the economic activity. And about one third of the population lives along the coast. In some areas, half-covered trees and flooded buildings show what erosion has done.

Angele Diatta is head of the women's group in the village of Diogue Diola. She said, The ocean was so far away that we used to hear it without seeing it. Now, high tides sometimes move through homes in the village.

Many rivers feed into the ocean along the West African coast. The United Nations says this makes it among the areas most affected by rising sea levels, increasing saltwater, and flooding.

On Diogue Island, a method of driving groups of wooden sticks into the wet sand is helping to protect some areas on the island. The project's organizers say these areas have expanded by around 30 meters since 2019.

Gilbert Bassene is a primary school teacher who has been helping build the defenses against the sea. He described the process of expansion. "Whenever we gain ground, we can extend the structure, add more sticks, as they say little by little the bird makes its nest."

These barriers are based on a model created in Canada. A study by scientists at the University of Quebec said the method protects coasts without causing the loss of sediment in other places. The coconut fronds trap sand on the beach, preventing it from washing away.

"With the little that we have, we can achieve extraordinary work," Bassene said on the coast, where children had gathered to watch him work.

A 2020 study published in the Journal of Coastal Conservation found that efforts like those by the people of Diogue are not enough. Coasts in West Africa are still shrinking.

Some people on Diogue do not believe they can beat this problem. The village chief, Cherif Diatta, said: "It's not easy to admit, but one day the village will have to move."

Im Mario Ritter, Jr.

Ngouda Dione reported this story for Reuters. Matthew Caputo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

___________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

frond n. a large, long leaf

erosion  n. the slow destruction of something by natural forces

tide  n. the regular upward and downward movement of the level of the ocean that is caused by the pull of the Sun and the Moon on the Earth

achieve v. to get or reach (something) by working hard

Is erosion a problem where you live? We want to hear from you. ___________________________________________________________________

We have a new comment system. Here is how it works:

Write your comment in the box.

Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google.

Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free.
Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T. rex, has long been one of the most famous dinosaurs. Now, researchers are debating whether the giant meat-eating tyrannosaurus should be considered as one species or three different species.

Since 1905, T. rex has been recognized as the single species of the genus Tyrannosaurus. A genus is a larger grouping of related organisms than a species.

But three researchers, led by independent paleontologist Gregory Paul of Baltimore, Maryland, argued in March 2022 that three T. rex species should be recognized.

In addition to the species T. rex, meaning "tyrant lizard king," they proposed two additional species: T. imperator, meaning "tyrant lizard emperor," and T. regina, meaning "tyrant lizard queen."

The researchers said their study was based on differences in the thickness of the thighbones and the shape of the lower front teeth. They based their claims on over thirty Tyrannosaurus specimens.

Other paleontologists disagreed

In July, another group of paleontologists argued that the March study did not offer enough evidence to show that there were three Tyrannosaurus species. They suggested the previous study did not use correct mathematical methods or measurements.

University of Edinburgh paleontologist Steve Brusatte was a co-leader of the new study published in Evolutionary Biology in July.

"The evidence needs to be convincing, and to suddenly divide such an ... animal like T. rex, which has been known for over a hundred years, into different species requires a high burden of proof. It is true that there is variation in the size and shape of T. rex bones, but in our new study we show that this variation is minimal," Brusatte said.

Tyrannosaurus was part of a group called theropods that included all the meat-eating dinosaurs. It had a large head and powerful bite strength. It walked on two strong legs and had small arms with just two fingers.

The new study looked at differences in thighbone thickness in four other meat-eating dinosaurs and 112 species of living birds. They found that the Tyrannosaurus differences were normal or usual.

"It is normal for any species to be variable in size and shape. Just look at the range of height and waistlines and toothy grins in people today, all of whom are members of a single species," Brusatte said.

Agree to disagree

Gregory Paul, however, criticized the new study as "not a proper scientific study." Proper is a term that means correct.

He added that there is something about T. rex that causes people to become concerned or worried to a degree not seen with other ancient organisms.

"Had our paper been about the species of, say, the also gigantic Argentinian theropod Giganotosaurus there very likely would not have been so much fuss and bother," Paul added.

"We are open-minded that there may be multiple species of Tyrannosaurus," Brusatte noted. "We just need more and better fossils. The number of fossils in their dataset is so small that it's hard to find any consistent way to divide Tyrannosaurus into multiple species based on clear, easy-to-define, consistent differences."

Tyrannosaurus lived in western North America during the Cretaceous Period  a time near the end of the dinosaur age. Perhaps the largest-known Tyrannosaurus is one named Sue at the Field Museum in Chicago. Sues skeleton is 12.3 meters long.

Im John Russell.

Will Dunham reported on this story for Reuters. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_______________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

species  n. biology : a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus

paleontologist  n. the science that deals with the fossils of animals and plants that lived very long ago especially in the time of dinosaurs

specimen -- n. something (such as an animal or plant) collected as an example of a particular kind of thing

burden  n. someone or something that is very difficult to accept, do, or deal with

variation  n. something that is similar to something else but different in some way

fuss  n. activity or excitement that is unusual and that often is not wanted or necessary

bother  n. trouble or difficulty

fossil  n. something (such as a leaf, skeleton, or footprint) that is from a plant or animal which lived in ancient times and that you can see in some rocks
There are several steps to getting a student visa to study in the United States. Recently, VOA Learning English spoke to Megan Mankerian-Stem about how to improve your chances of completing the process successfully.

Mankerian-Stem is the Director of International Enrollment at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

She has worked at the Midwestern university for six years and advised international students for more than 10 years. She has many stories about her students having success in the U.S.

But, she also knows about the difficulties international students face even before getting to their first college class. In the last two years, some of the usual problems have increased because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, many U.S. embassies around the world are way behind in holding visa interviews. In Abuja, Nigeria, it will take 150 days for a student visa interview.

Three kinds of student visa

Mankerian-Stem said students often wait too long to apply for the F-1 student visa. The F-1 visa is one of three visas that permits students to come to the U.S. The others are J and M visas, but those are not for students coming for a long-term university study program. Visas with the letter M are for job training, and visas with the letter J are for short-term academic exchange programs.

Mankerian-Stem said she recently spoke with a student from South Korea who wanted to come to Creighton. The student, however, had not yet scheduled a visa interview in Seoul.

The waiting time right now for an interview there, she said, is over four weeks. Creightons school year starts in less than one month.

So I had to say there's just no way that we could get you here in time for you to be able to be successful in your classes.

Do not delay

Mankerian-Stem said students need to start the visa process early. You cannot afford to delay or procrastinate in any way, she said. She also advised students to work with the Education USA office in their home country and attend events where they can learn about the college and visa application process.

Most students thinking about coming to school in the U.S. today will probably not be able to start school until 2023.

Mankerian-Stem also said there are times when a student who has been accepted to study in the U.S. and who gets a visa interview is rejected by the U.S. Department of State.

Avoid rejection

Here are some of the most common reasons students are rejected:

They have not taken an English test such as TOEFL, IELTS or the Duolingo English Test; they come from a country with a high number of fraudulent applications; they say that they have family members living in the U.S.; they say they want to work in the U.S. when their studies are over.

Students from countries such as Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal and Nigeria, she said, can be at risk for rejection. That is because others before them used false information in their applications.

Mankerian-Stem said the visas are in place so that students can come to the U.S. for a school program and then return home immediately. If a visa officer thinks a student may try to stay longer than permitted, the student can be rejected.

That can be a problem for students who want to get involved in the U.S. government program called Optional Practical Training, or OPT. OPT permits students to stay in the U.S. and work in their field of study for at least one year and possibly three after they get their degree.

Practice, practice, practice

Mankerian-Stem said she wants her students to have good answers ready during their interviews. She offers students the chance to practice and to speak with other international students who can advise them.

That way theyre not surprised by these types of questions and theyre able to be honest, but also be very clear about what their intentions are.

Still work to be done

Mankerian-Stem said officers like herself are working to tell the U.S. State Department why students should not be rejected. For example, she noted that some schools may drop the students English test requirement if the student has taken most of their classes in English or taken other tests that show their English skill.

There are so many different other ways a student can prove their English language to us, she said.

She also noted that international student advisers are telling student visa application reviewers that programs, such as OPT, are important. Students should be able to speak openly about their interest in OPT during visa interviews without fear of rejection.

She said she and others are speaking with Education USA about making that point to others in the State Department.

It is worth noting that countries with large numbers of students accepted into U.S. study programs will often have special F-1 days. For example, the Financial Express newspaper of Bangladesh recently reported that the U.S. embassy sometimes holds a super Friday. On such days, embassy workers try to help hundreds of students in need of visas in order to start their studies. The most recent was on July 29.

Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell wrote this story for VOA Learning English.

Quiz - Useful Tips and Advice for Those Applying for Student Visas Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

____________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

enroll  v. to officially join a group or organization such as a school or university

interview n. a meeting in which some gives information about themselves

apply v. to formally ask in writing to be admitted to a school, or to get a job or a loan

schedule v. to plan an activity or event for a certain time

procrastinate  v. to be slow or late about doing something that you should do

fraudulent  adj. done to trick someone for the purpose of getting something valuable

practice  v. to do something again and again to get better at it

intention  n. an aim or purpose for doing something

____________________________________________________________________

We want to hear from you.

We have a new comment system. Here is how it works:

Write your comment in the box.

Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google.

Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free.

Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.
I was raised in the Methodist Church, where a favorite hymn was We gather together to ask the Lords blessing.
LEXINGTON  Todd Booth and Tom Downey were honored with plaques for their continued support of the Run for the Wall event.

This was Platte Valley Autos fifth year and Downey Drillings third of donating a vehicle.

The two pickups were used to pull trailers full of drinks and food for the more than 500 riders on the central route of Run for the Wall, Pastor Rex Adams with the Calvary Assembly of God Church said.

If it wasnt for these trucks many of the riders would not stay hydrated and would have run into significant health issues, Adams noted during a past event, The donations made a difference in the lives of the veterans from all across the United States and several other countries that came to honor the POWs and MIAs.

These are local businesses but their generosity went farther than just Central Nebraska, said Adams, Generous businesses like these in Lexington make it a great place to live.

The people from Nebraska that took part included, Lexington: Roger Klooz (hydration) Rex Adams (chaplain); Elwood: Nathan Masten (hydration team lead); Eustis: Vernon and Janet Hueftle; Loomis: Don Masten (medical team); Holdrege: Don Freitag (platoon leader); Thedford: Ron Masten (chaplain) and Chadron: Mike Copper (hydration).

Run for the Wall was started in 1989 by two Vietnam War veterans who travelled across the United States by motorcycle bringing the Prisoner of War and Missing in Action issue to the forefront by speaking to the media. Emphasis was made on government accountability about the POW/MIA issue that still lingered since the end of the Vietnam War. This year was the 30th Run for the Wall ride. It has expanded since then to commemorate veterans of all wars and to provide a time of healing and support for veterans and their families.

Run for the Wall is now a non-profit organization whose philosophy states, We strive to maintain a safe and supportive and private atmosphere in which all participants can reflect and heal on their journey to the Vietnam Memorial in hope that they can return home to a new beginning.

Each year in May, hundreds of people take their motorcycles to Ontario, Calif., to begin the Run for the Wall that will end in Washington D.C. at the Vietnam Memorial. Originally there was one central route but now three routes are taken. All pass through the southern United States.

The riders stop by local Veterans Administration Medical Centers, Veterans Memorials, Veterans Outreach Facilities, VFW Posts, American Legions Posts, Community Centers as well as schools.
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP)  Pope Francis began a fraught visit to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses by missionaries at residential schools, a key step in the Catholic Churchs efforts to reconcile with Native communities and help them heal from generations of trauma.

Francis flew from Rome to Edmonton, Alberta, where his welcoming party included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mary May Simon, an Inuk who is Canadas first Indigenous governor general. Francis had no official events scheduled Sunday, giving him time to rest before his meeting Monday with survivors near the site of a former residential school in Maskwacis, where he is expected to deliver an apology.

Aboard the papal plane, Francis told reporters this was a penitential voyage and he urged prayers in particular for elderly people and grandparents.

Indigenous groups are seeking more than just words, though, as they press for access to church archives to learn the fate of children who never returned home from the schools. They also want justice for the abusers, financial reparations and the return of Indigenous artifacts held by the Vatican Museums.

This apology validates our experiences and creates an opportunity for the church to repair relationships with Indigenous peoples across the world, said Grand Chief George Arcand Jr., of the Confederacy of Treaty Six. But he stressed: It doesnt end here  there is a lot to be done. It is a beginning.

Get the rest of the story here:
News  Vietnam

China's 'Silicon Valley' tightens rules over Covid flare-up
Chaldean Patriarch Sako Confirms His Intention to Resign

Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans and head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, speaks during the inauguration of a Chaldean Catholic pastoral centre in Iraq's northern multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk on January 2, 2019. ( AFP) Baghdad -- The intention announced by Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako to present his resignation to the Pope from the patriarchal office at the age of 75 continues to be discussed.

This intention had been expressed by the Iraqi Cardinal in the course of a television interview by Jordanian priest Nabil Haddad and broadcast by Nour Sat TV. Over the past few weeks, the Patriarch's words have aroused controversy and comments on social networks, prompting the Patriarch to draw up a clarification note, released in recent days by the official media of the Chaldean Patriarchate. The note clarifies that Patriarch Sako had also mentioned in the past his intention to resign from the patriarchal office when he reaches the threshold of 75 years of age.

According to the canonical provisions in force, all Catholic Bishops are required to present their own letter of resignation to the Pope when they reach the age of 75. This rule does not apply to the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches, for whom there is no 'retirement' age. "But it is a pity" reads the clarification note issued by the Chaldean Patriarchate "that among the Orientals, both in the institutions and in the political parties and in the Churches, an appropriate 'culture of retiring' is not widespread in due course". The role of Patriarch - the patriarchal text points out - "is a role of service that does not depend on the individual person who holds it, however charismatic he is".

The statement underlines that Patriarch Sako "has served the Church with responsibility and conscience in difficult circumstances" and "does not expect thanks and praise for the service he has rendered". Louis Sako was born in Zakho, Iraq, on July 4, 1948, and therefore has recently turned 74. He received his priestly ordination on June 1, 1974. On September 27, 2003 he was elected Chaldean Archieparch of Kirkuk. On January 31, 2013 he was elected Patriarch by the Synod of the Chaldean Church, which gathered in Rome, and took the name of Louis Raphael. On February 1, Pope Benedict XVI granted him the ecclesiastica communio. On June 28, 2018 he was created Cardinal by Pope Francis.
EDITORIAL: Hot Spells: In some instances, the combination of heat and medications  including those that reduce blood pressure  can result in fainting or other issues
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  President Joe Biden has nominated the former board chairman of the nations largest public utility to rejoin the panel.

Huntsville, Alabama attorney Joe Ritch is Bidens pick to return to the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Ritch left the federal utility's board in 2017 after a Republican-controlled Senate failed the previous year to confirm former President Barack Obamas reappointment of Ritch and two others. Obama nominated Ritch to the board in 2012. The Senate confirmed him in 2013 and the board voted to make him chairman in 2014.

The nine-member board currently has four vacancies, not counting two sitting members who are still serving after their terms expired in May. The seats come with five-year terms, but when a board member's term expires, that person can keep serving until end of the current congressional session, typically in December, or until their successors take office, whatever comes first.

Ritch would fill a vacant seat with a term expiring in May 2025.

Board member Beth Harwell's run for U.S. House this election cycle could add more uncertainty if she wins.

Ritch now joins five other Biden board picks awaiting Senate confirmation. Three of them were nominated in April 2021.

The other two  Lyon County, Kentucky Judge Executive Adam Wade White and Bill Renick, a former Ashland, Mississippi mayor and state lawmaker  were nominated in June.

Once confirmed, the nominees would give Biden a majority that could reshape the federal utility, which now features only board members appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Environmental advocates have urged the new Democrat-appointed board members, once installed, to move more quickly in transitioning to 100% carbon-free electricity, citing the Biden administrations goal of a carbon-pollution-free energy sector by 2035.

TVA has set a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. The utility has its own aspirational goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

TVA provides electricity for 153 local power companies serving 10 million people in Tennessee and parts of six surrounding states, in addition to large industrial customers and federal operations.
PHILADELPHIA (AP)  A Baltimore family is suing a Sesame Street-themed amusement park for $25 million over claims of racial discrimination, alleging multiple costumed characters ignored a 5-year-old Black girl during a meet-and-greet event last month.

The lawsuit comes in the wake of a video, shared widely on social media, showing two other Black girls apparently being snubbed by a costumed employee during a parade at the park in Langhorne, outside Philadelphia. Sesame Place apologized in a statement and promised more training for its employees after the video went viral earlier this month.

The suit, which seeks class action status, was filed in a federal court in Philadelphia against SeaWorld Parks, the owner of the Sesame Place, for pervasive and appalling race discrimination.

The lawsuit alleges four employees dressed as Sesame Street characters ignored Quinton Burns, his daughter Kennedi Burns and other Black guests during the meet-and-greet on June 18. The lawsuit says SeaWorld's performers readily engaged with numerous similarly situated white customers.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Millions of letters and packages sent to U.S. troops had accumulated in warehouses in Europe by the time Allied troops were pushing toward the heart of Hitlers Germany near the end of World War II. This wasnt junk mail  it was the main link between home and the front in a time long before video chats, texting or even routine long-distance phone calls.

The job of clearing out the massive backlog in a military that was still segregated by race fell upon the largest all-Black, all-female group to serve in the war, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion. On Tuesday, the oldest living member of the unit was honored for her service nearly eight decades after the war ended.

Romay Davis, 102, was recognized at an event at Montgomery City Hall that followed President Joe Biden's decision in March to sign a bill authorizing the Congressional Gold Medal for the unit, nicknamed the Six Triple Eight.

Presented with the medal citation and a wartime uniform to replace hers, which was stolen out of a car soon after she returned stateside, Davis received a standing ovation; some in the crowd applauded with tears in their eyes.

I never thought anything like this would happen to me, she said.

Davis, in an interview at her home Monday, said the unit was due the recognition, and she's glad to participate on behalf of other members who've already passed away.

I think it's an exciting event, and it's something for families to remember, Davis said. It isn't mine, just mine. No. It's everybody's.

The medals themselves won't be ready for months, but leaders decided to go ahead with events for Davis and five other surviving members of the 6888th given their advanced age.

Following her five brothers, Davis enlisted in the Army in 1943. After the war the Virginia native married, had a 30-year career in the fashion industry in New York and retired to Alabama. She earned a martial arts black belt while in her late 70s and rejoined the workforce to work at a grocery store in Montgomery for more than two decades until she was 101.

While smaller groups of African American nurses served in Africa, Australia and England, none matched the size or might of the 6888th, according to a unit history compiled by the Pentagon.

Davis' unit was part of the Women's Army Corps created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943. With racial separation the practice of the time, the corps added African American units the following year at the urging of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune, according to the unit history.

More than 800 Black women formed the 6888th, which began sailing for England in February 1945. Once there, they were confronted not only by mountains of undelivered mail but by racism and sexism. They were denied entry into an American Red Cross club and hotels, according to the history, and a senior officer was threatened with being being replaced by a white first lieutenant when some unit members missed an inspection.

Over my dead body, Sir, replied the unit commander, Maj. Charity Adams. She wasn't replaced.

Working under the motto of No Mail, Low Morale, the women served 24/7 in shifts and developed a new tracking system that processed about 65,000 items each shift, allowing them to clear a six-month backlog of mail in just three months.

We all had to be broken in, so to speak, to do what had to be done, said Davis, who mainly worked as a motor pool driver. The mail situation was in such horrid shape they didnt think the girls could do it. But they proved a point.

A month after the end of the war in Europe, in June 1945, the group sailed to France to begin working on additional piles of mail there. Receiving better treatment from the liberated French than they would have under racist Jim Crow regimes at home, members were feted during a victory parade in Rouen and invited into private homes for dinner, said Davis.

I didn't find any Europeans against us. They were glad to have us, she said.

The 6888th previously was honored with a monument that was dedicated in 2018 at Buffalo Soldier Military Park at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. But immediately after the war, members returned home to a U.S. society that was still years away from the start of the modern civil rights movement with the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas helped shepherd the bill to present the Congressional Gold Medal to the members of the unit.

Though the odds were set against them, the women of the Six Triple Eight processed millions of letters and packages during their deployment in Europe, helping connect WWII soldiers with their loved ones back home, like my father and mother, Moran said in a statement earlier this year.

Reeves is a member of AP's Race and Ethnicity Team.
As police looked for a second suspect, a Madison man was charged Friday with first-degree sexual assault after a woman told police she was accosted on State Street early Sunday, then was assaulted as she was driven around in a vehicle before she escaped from it on Madisons Near East Side.

A criminal complaint filed Friday states that Ivan I. Smart, 22, was identified as one of two men who took the 22-year-old woman from the State Street area, then held her in the back seat of a vehicle while Smart sexually assaulted her with his hands.

Police are still trying to determine the identity of the second man.

In addition to sexual assault, Smart was charged with false imprisonment as a party to a crime. The sexual assault charge carries up to 60 years of combined prison and extended supervision, while the false imprisonment charge carries up to six years.

Smart appeared in court Friday, where Court Commissioner Brian Asmus set his bail at $15,000. Smart, through attorney Diana Van Rybroek, denied the allegations against him.

According to the complaint:

The woman told police she had been drinking at Whiskey Jacks on State Street and was very intoxicated. She left at 2:30 a.m. and thought about walking home but decided it would be safer to call an Uber for a ride. She told police she was waiting for her ride under an awning at Koi Sushi, in the 500 block of State Street, when two men approached and began speaking to her in what was described as an inappropriately sexual manner.

The woman said both men groped her. She said because she was so intoxicated, she doesnt remember what she said but told police she was terrified. She said she vaguely remembers walking with the two and ending up in the back of an SUV.

The woman said the man who appeared to be the older of the two was driving while the younger man was in the back seat with her.

Using security video from the State Street area, police later identified the younger-appearing man as Smart, who is frequently seen in the State Street area and often wears clothing of the kind seen in the security video. The woman also later chose Smarts photo from a lineup.

The woman said the younger man pinned her in the back seat against a door and repeatedly groped her. His actions caused injuries, she told police.

When she asked to be let out of the vehicle, she told police, the men said no, so she began to fight and hit the man in the back seat with her.

As she continued to fight back, she told police, the driver seemed to be starting to freak out and pulled the vehicle over. She said she jumped out, and the vehicle took off.

The woman went to a nearby home, on North Baldwin Street near East Washington Avenue, where a woman was sitting on a porch. There she got help uniting with friends who had been at another bar.

On Thursday, Madison police released a photo of a second man being sought for the incident.
Blood drawn from Candace Higar shortly after her 2018 traffic arrest in Baraboo came up positive for methamphetamine: 98 nanograms per milliliter, well above the 10 ng/mL at which the substance is considered detectable by the lab that ran the blood test.

Higar and her attorney, Andrew Martinez, never disputed that Higar was driving with that level of meth in her system. What could not be proven, they argued, was that the meth was illegal, and a Sauk County jury ultimately found Higar not guilty of third-offense driving with a controlled substance in her system.

Officials with the UW-Madison-based Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and the Department of Justices crime lab  which do the vast majority of toxicology tests used in state prosecutions  acknowledge that they dont have the equipment needed to distinguish between two isomers, or forms, of methamphetamine.

The first, known as dextro-methamphetamine, or d-meth, is commonly abused and illegal under state and federal law. The second, known as levo-methamphetimine, or l-meth, is found in at least one brand of over-the-counter nasal inhalers, and its legality varies depending on the situation, according to DOJ.

Use and possession of pharmaceutical preparations of l-methamphetamine is legal under state and federal law, DOJ spokesperson Gillian Drummond said in a statement. Operating a motor vehicle with a detectible amount of methamphetamine, irrespective of its source, is a violation of Wisconsin law.

Crime lab officials say that, in practice, legal meth is rare and appears in such low levels in over-the-counter drugs that it would be virtually impossible to take enough of it over a short enough period for it to show up in blood tests.

Its not an issue, particularly when youre talking about toxicology, said Amy Miles, forensic toxicology section director with the State Laboratory of Hygiene, which conducted the test on Higars blood.

At the same time, theres little research addressing the question of how much l-meth one has to take before it shows up in toxicology tests, and a handful of criminal defense attorneys have seen some success in the courtroom by introducing the labs inability to distinguish between the two forms of meth.

They say taxpayer-funded labs have a duty to let the courts and the public know that the two forms cant be distinguished once theyre in someones blood.

The idea that the government that is prosecuting people to attempt to put them in a cage ... doing that without full, honest, complete disclosure, said Mike Cohen, president of the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. That is something that should be concerning to the citizen.

Miles said it was unfortunate that some defense attorneys feel the lab has not been fair or forthcoming.

Test cases

Before Higars case, there was the case of Lavern Schiffman, who in September 2017 was arrested and eventually charged with fourth-offense operating a vehicle  in this case a UTV  with drugs in his system in rural Grant County.

A sample of Schiffmans blood was sent to the State Laboratory of Hygiene, which found it was positive for meth at the level of 130 ng/mL, according to his attorney, Jeremiah Meyer-ODay. While he was not found with any drugs, he did have a Vicks nasal inhaler in his overalls pocket.

Meyer-ODay said he only became aware of the inhalers possible connection to his case when he picked one up at a store, looked at its ingredients and noticed it contained l-meth. A bit of research later and Meyer-ODay had a credible defense: If his client wasnt found with d-meth, and the state cant definitively say the meth in his blood was d-meth, how can it prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Schiffman is guilty of driving with illegal drugs in his system?

Nearly two years later, a Grant County judge granted the district attorneys motion to drop the charge.

Meanwhile, in Dane County, the attorney for a man charged in a 2020 vehicular homicide case is taking a similar approach to get at least some of the charges against his client dismissed.

Walter L. Johnson is charged with three felonies and a misdemeanor in the death of Kyla Robinson, 15, the only passenger in his car when he lost control on South Stoughton Road in Madison on Sept. 4, 2020.

The case has drawn attention not just because of the girls death but because she was the sister of Tony Robinson, who was shot and killed by a Madison police officer in 2015 in a case that still has local activists seeking to get the officer, who was cleared of any wrongdoing, fired and prosecuted.

In a July 7 motion, attorney David Bolles argued the court should dismiss two charges accusing Johnson of killing or injuring a person while driving with a controlled substance in his system because the State Lab of Hygienes test of Johnsons blood did not distinguish between l- and d-meth and because it has since destroyed the sample, making it impossible to test it again in an attempt to confirm which type of meth it was.

Bolles declined to comment for this story. A judge is expected to rule on the motion in the fall. Even if the two charges are dismissed, Johnson would still face felony charges of first-degree reckless homicide and driving with a suspended license in a crash that resulted in a persons death.

Little research

Miles points to a 2008 study involving 12 subjects that found l-meth could not be detected in the blood of subjects who took up to four times the recommend dosage, as well as a 1985 World Health Organization report that found little evidence people were taking inhalers with l-meth in them to get high.

But as an expert witness from Miles lab acknowledged during a hearing in Higars case in January, the 2008 study did not specifically seek to answer the question of what level of l-meth consumption would show up in a blood screening.

There are no publications that demonstrate it is possible to ingest enough l-methamphetamine at which point it would be detectable in blood, Miles said, but she knew of no other studies that seek to address that question.

In a 2006 study, researchers found that intravenously administered l-meth can produce a high, but not one as strong as one produced by d-meth, and subjects had to take about twice as much l-meth as d-meth to achieve that high.

Testing limitations

Cohen said hes known about the labs meth-testing limitations for several years, and that some more seasoned criminal defense attorneys do as well. Thats not the case with some prosecutors.

Sauk County District Attorney Michael Albrecht said his office wasnt aware of the testing limitation until the Higar case, and that the strategy used in that case has become increasingly en vogue among defense attorneys.

The inability of the lab to distinguish between these two substances is a problem for prosecutions of drugged driving generally, he said. Any detectable amount of methamphetamine is illegal to have in your blood while driving. But if we dont have a lab test that says it is d-meth, then we have to point to other indicators that suggest methamphetamine was used.

Such indicators can include a finding the drug on a suspect or the suspect admitting to meth use, he said.

Anthony Pozorski, who handled the Schiffman case for Grant County, similarly said that prior to that case he didnt know the labs lacked the ability to distinguish between the two types of meth.

I have not been made aware that this issue will affect our ability to hold offenders accountable, Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne said. Meth has not historically been the main type of controlled substance this community has struggled with.

Missing technology

Distinguishing between l- and d-meth would require putting blood samples through whats known as a chiral analysis, and would require equipment neither the DOJ crime lab nor State Lab or Hygiene currently has.

Miles estimated the cost of that equipment starts at about $400,000, not including the consumables, supplies, service contracts and other resources for the instruments and corresponding testing.

She said there are few, if any, forensic toxicology labs in the United States that conduct chiral analysis to distinguish between meth isomers, although the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors declined an opportunity to confirm that.

Every crime laboratory has different capabilities, policies, and procedures, and works in different criminal justice jurisdictions, the organization said in a statement. Crime laboratories use the most robust scientific methods that balance with their state and local laws.

Even if Miles is right, Cohen said, its no excuse.

Because someone does it wrong, its OK for you to do it wrong? he said.

Bad faith

Meyer-ODay said if Wisconsin labs arent willing to buy the equipment and do the tests, they at least need to preserve samples so that the defense can have them analyzed at labs that do conduct chiral analysis.

In 2021, the state hygiene lab received 21,658 blood samples for testing, 10,739 of which were tested for drugs. Of that number, 1,422 came up positive for meth, Miles said. In addition to tests for intoxicated-driving cases, the lab also tests samples sent in by county medical examiners.

That same year, of 4,078 sample cases handled by the state crime lab, 146 were positive for meth, Drummond said.

Meyer-ODay said the labs reluctance to affirmatively reveal their meth-testing limitations suggests the lab technicians courts often rely on for expert testimony are partisan actors working for the prosecution.

Theyve known about this for a long time and in completely bad faith withheld it from everyone, he said.
The Madison Police Department is looking for help in finding Quianna Krenin, 16, who ran away a week ago.

Krenin was last seen on July 22 at an apartment along the 400 block of Algoma Street on Madison's East Side.

Krenin is five-foot-seven, weighs 125 pounds and has long black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black shirt with the Los Angeles Lakers logo. She also may be wearing rectangle-shaped glasses, police said.

Police added Krenin could be in the Milwaukee area.

Anyone with information on Krenin should call their local police department.
In his latest TV ad, Republican attorney general candidate Adam Jarchow boasts that he helped overturn stay-at-home orders issued at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, his role was fairly limited.

While Jarchow has worked on other lawsuits challenging pandemic restrictions, in the stay-at-home order case he merely filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of sportfishing groups and other businesses.

In the six-figure ad buy that is now airing on radio and television, Jarchow says he fought back against liberal politicians that shut down our state, prosecuted small businesses and let radicals terrorize our streets.

Jarchow, a former state representative from Balsam Lake, is running against Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney and conservative lawyer Karen Mueller in the Aug. 9 Republican primary.

Jarchow represented small businesses for free in the Supreme Court case that overturned Evers illegal orders, says one television ad, accompanied by a chyron reading: Adam Jarchow overturned Evers illegal order.

The ad includes a graphic of Gov. Tony Evers and President Joe Biden clinking glasses of champagne in a shuttered restaurant.

In fact, the Wisconsin Legislature filed the lawsuit against Andrea Palm, then-head of the state Department of Health Services, who issued the stay-at-home order. Jarchows law firm filed a friend of the court brief in the case alongside 35 other interested groups. An amicus brief allows a third party not directly involved in a case to offer extra input to the court.

According to court records, Jarchows brief was on behalf of the Wisconsin Lakeshore Business Association, sportfishing guides and individual anglers.

The state Supreme Court struck down the order with a 4-3 decision in May 2020. After the ruling, officials in Dane and Milwaukee counties announced they would follow state guidance on COVID-19, effectively creating a regional approach to fighting the pandemic.

Jarchow has worked on other anti-pandemic restriction lawsuits beyond the stay-at-home order case.

The candidate helped the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, an influential conservative legal group, find plaintiffs in a case challenging mask mandates, his campaign said.

In another lawsuit on capacity restrictions, Jarchow helped select the legal venue for Pro-Life Wisconsins challenge to the rule.

Jarchows positioning as a crusader against pandemic restrictions has been a frequent talking point of his on the campaign trail.

He has used it to contrast himself with his main opponent, Toney, who brought charges against 10 Fond du Lac residents for violating the original stay-at-home order. Toneys office eventually dismissed the charges.

Jarchow is by far the best-funded candidate in the race, which has helped him finance advertisements. Since the start of this year, hes raised $542,000. Toney has raised $102,000 over the same period.

To distinguish himself from Jarchow, Toney has played up his experience as a prosecutor. Jarchow is a business owner and has worked as a private practice attorney for two decades.

Should he win in November, Jarchow would become the first elected attorney general since John W. Reynolds Jr. in 1958 who did not first serve as a district attorney, assistant district attorney or U.S. attorney.

The winner of the Aug. 9 primary will run against first-term incumbent Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul in November.
The head of Dane Countys Department of Human Services has resigned, saying she was driven to the decision in part by the County Boards favoritism for organized labor over management.

In an email sent to supervisors on Thursday, Shawn Tessman said the board routinely shows inherent mistrust and disrespect for county managers.

Her resignation comes amid strained relations between union leaders and county administration over addressing workplace environment complaints. Despite the opposition of county officials and management, the board voted in June to hire a retired judge to investigate accusations of racism, retaliation and mistreatment of animals against management at the Vilas Zoo.

It is obvious to me that (employee group) opinions are taken and revered as fact and treated as such without the benefit of hearing from management or considering that the (employee group) opinion represents only one version of the truth, Tessman wrote in her email.

I believe you all have more intellectual sophistication than that, she said.

Last week, the board voted against reclassifying two social worker positions as case managers in the Department of Human Services. The department requested the change so that they could better attract a more diverse pool of candidates.

Supervisors denied the proposal because they said it would create a pay disparity between positions that are effectively doing the same work.

The dissonance between being entrusted with day-to-day administration of $250 million in programming resources while also not being respected enough to be asked for an opinion on the departments attempts to diversify our staff is nothing short of stupefying, Tessman said.

In a separate email announcing her resignation to human services staff, Tessman did not mention her relationship with the board, but cited the jobs strain on her physical and mental health and her work-life balance.

Tessman first became human services director in 2019.

A spokesperson for County Executive Joe Parisi did not respond to a request for comment on Tessmans resignation.

Miles responds

Board Chair Patrick Miles said he was surprised by Tessmans feelings toward the board. For Miles, better communication could be a start to improving the relationship between county managers and the board. Often, department heads make decisions without first sharing information to county committees, Miles noted.

My expectation from our department heads is to respect the oversight that our standing committees, the County Board has over our budget priorities, Miles said.

A lot of these conflicts can be prevented the earlier the committees and supervisors are informed about some of these larger decisions and seeking input, the chair said.

New option

To counter the influence of organized labor, county managers are currently being surveyed on whether they want to form their own employee group.

I think in the last budget go-around the employee groups were very strong, said Dan Lowndes, the countys risk manager who serves as president of its managerial advisory council.

So well see if this is a possible solution to have a unified voice, he said.

Still, Tessmans email to the board points to the growing difficulties in how the county is handling conflict among labor, managers, top officials and the board over workplace issues.

Im not sure where or why things went off the rails in terms of the inherent mistrust and disrespect that now get routinely displayed, but I cannot emphasize enough how corrosive and caustic and demoralizing it is to the people who are leading county services, Tessman wrote.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Gov. Tony Evers endorsed Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes in the U.S. Senate race on Friday after state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski exited the field earlier that day.

Godlewski, who was the last remaining Democratic U.S. Senate candidate besides Barnes who polled above 1% in the Marquette Law School Poll, said on Friday that the best way to take on U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson would be to get behind Mandela Barnes and fight together.

Hours after Godlewskis announcement, Baldwin endorsed Barnes, saying he has shown an unprecedented ability to unite Wisconsinites.

In giving his endorsement to Barnes, Evers said Baldwin needs a partner in Washington, D.C.

With an all but certain chance to win the Aug. 9 primary, Barnes would take on Johnson Nov. 8.

After Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson dropped out Monday and Milwaukee Bucks executive-on-leave Alex Lasry dropped out Wednesday, Godlewski said she would remain in the race, where she campaigned on making child and senior care affordable, protecting abortion rights, making prescription drugs affordable and ensuring paid family leave.

But on Friday, Godlewski said the decision to drop out was something she reflected on in the last 24 hours.

Godlewski said she would remain on the campaign trail to support Barnes and Evers.

Showing their lack of respect for voters and the democratic process, the power brokers of the Democrat party have now cleared the field for their most radical left candidate, Johnson said on Twitter. Socialist policies have produced this mess, & a radical left Senator from Wisconsin is not the solution.

To that, Barnes responded, I wont be lectured about respecting voters by a pro-insurrectionist Senator.

Barnes said he was honored to accept Godlewskis endorsement.

Throughout this campaign, Sarah has been a leader in the fight to protect abortion access and a tireless advocate for working people and rural communities across Wisconsin, Barnes said in a statement. I will proudly stand with her in those fights as we take on Ron Johnson in the fall.

Still, other Democratic U.S. Senate candidates remain in the race, though they havent registered above 1% support among likely primary voters in public polling, nor have they raised as much as the candidates who dropped out this week. Those candidates include Millennial Action Project founder Steven Olikara, attorney Peter Peckarsky, Kou Lee and Darrell Williams.

Undecided voters and former supporters of other campaigns are breaking for our campaign, Olikara said in a statement. Anyone who has been on the campaign trail knows that we are surging.

Voters are angry at other campaigns who drop out before the votes are counted, Olikara continued. But voters will decide who wins, not the political establishment.

After it became clear in May that the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade, Godlewski was the first U.S. Senate candidate nationwide to run an ad on protecting abortion rights. Her campaign saw a fundraising surge as Godlewski used her status as the only top female competitor in Wisconsins U.S. Senate race to gather support.

But Godlewski, who put around $4 million of her money into the race, suddenly stopped airing ads for almost all of June and July. And in Junes Marquette Law School Poll, Godlewski received 9% of support from likely Democratic primary voters, well behind Barnes 25%.

Asked on Friday why she didnt run ads in most of June and July, Godlewski said, Look, if theres something that we know, its about  you got to have a strategy and everybody has different strategies about what, how to best win. And so for us, it was kind of thinking through that.

In what appeared to be a last-minute push to gather momentum, Godlewski made a seven-figure ad buy in late July in which she grilled the top Democratic U.S. Senate candidates during a debate for not campaigning on abortion rights sooner.

But whatever path she may have had to overcome her double-digit deficit in the polls vanished after Lasry and Nelson dropped out and endorsed Barnes this week.
The state Department of Justice will investigate claims by at least two Wisconsin residents who admitted to fraudulently ordering absentee ballots for others in an effort to show that such fraud is possible.

Details into the investigation were not made available Friday. But Gillian Drummond, spokesperson for Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, said DOJ has been in contact with Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson and will be investigating the matter.

The probe pertains to actions announced Thursday by Harry Wait, president of the conservative group Honest Open Transparent Government, who admitted to ordering 10 ballots online for people including Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Democratic Racine Mayor Cory Mason, and asked that they be delivered to his home.

On Friday night, Wait said he received Masons absentee ballot in the mail Friday afternoon and told a reporter, We are going to return Corys ballot to City Hall with a film crew.

Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling  who initially did not indicate plans to investigate the alleged crimes, which took place in his county, but instead demanded that the state Elections Commission suspend portions of its website  also confirmed the investigation in a Friday statement.

Any statements alleging the Sheriffs Office would not investigate this issue or take appropriate enforcement actions were wrong, Schmaling said. After all, it was the Sheriffs Office that brought this problem to the attention of the public, and we called for a statewide investigation because this issue has statewide implications.

Two members of the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission, both Democratic appointees, said Thursday they want to see felony charges brought against Wait, who said he requested the absentee ballots to show vulnerabilities in the states election system.

Im astonished and outraged that he thinks this is something cute, when what hes doing is committing crimes and bragging about it in an attempt to undermine our voting system, Commissioner Ann Jacobs said. Sometimes when people confess fully in the newspaper, we dont need to go into a lengthy analysis over it.

Vos, R-Rochester, described Waits actions as sad, adding that, If election integrity means anything, it means we all have to follow the law  Republicans and Democrats alike.

People decided intentionally to break the law and commit fraud, and thats the only reason were here  period, Commissioner Mark Thomsen said Thursday. And what happens when people commit crimes, they should be referred and prosecuted. That would end it. That would end this game plan. As soon as a few people go to prison for falsely using peoples names, thats going to stop.

Matter tabled

At an emergency meeting late Thursday, the commission chose not to immediately pursue criminal referrals against Wait, as Jacobs and Thomsen requested, but agreed to consider doing so in a future meeting. The commission also voted unanimously to notify about 4,000 voters who have recently requested an absentee ballot and have a separate mailing address on file and may be victims of a fraudulent absentee ballot request, and agreed to notify local clerks of the incident.

Requesting an absentee ballot for another individual without their knowledge or consent is a crime, and while Wait apparently did so to show what he said were vulnerabilities in the states election system, there is no evidence that the practice was widespread in the 2020 election. Actually casting someone elses ballot would also be flagged by election officials using the states voter database if that person had already voted or votes later.

I could have ordered hundreds of them, a thousand of them, Wait said Thursday. Theres no limit.

Its unclear if any of the ballots Wait requested were mailed to his home. None of the ballots had arrived as of Friday, Wait said.

Explainer: How the absentee ballot request process works in Wisconsin Ballots requested through MyVote.wi.gov are not mailed out by the state, but by municipal clerks.

He also said he had a friend in Michigan try to request his (Waits) ballot via MyVote, but the irregularity was noticed by the local clerk, who then contacted Wait, and no ballot was sent.

Waits co-conspirator, Adrianne Melby, of Burlington, told The Journal Times that, at her request, a friend successfully had Melbys ballot sent to the friends address.

MyVote allows people to request an absentee ballot online as long as they have the voters name, birthdate and qualifying photo ID; the ID is not required if the voter has previously uploaded it to the site or been deemed indefinitely confined.

Video posted

Wait posted a video to the online video platform Rumble.com showing him requesting absentee ballots for Vos and Mason. On the video, Wait inputs the elected officials names and birthdates into MyVote, asks to have the ballots mailed to his home address rather than the address on file, and clicks the indefinitely confined option. A prompt on the screen indicates that he successfully submitted an absentee ballot request.

I stand ready to be charged for exposing these voting vulnerabilities when I ordered Masons and Vos absentee ballot online, all without providing a photo ID or identifying myself, Wait wrote in the video caption.

Wait turned himself in to the Racine County Sheriffs Office on Thursday. Schmaling, a Republican who has accused state officials of violating election laws, instead used the cases to attack the Wisconsin Elections Commission and demanded the agency suspend portions of its website.

Schmaling last year called for five members of the commission to be charged with crimes for waiving the states special voting deputy requirement. The commission voted in March 2020 to tell clerks they need not send poll workers into nursing homes to assist with absentee voting after many were turned away due to the pandemic.

Wolfes stance

The Elections Commissions nonpartisan administrator, Meagan Wolfe, said Thursday there are no vulnerabilities with the MyVote system, which can be used to request an absentee ballot by using the registered voters birthdate and name. Voters need to have a valid voter ID on file in order to request a ballot.

Just like a nefarious individual could misuse the personal information or identity of someone to commit something like a financial fraud, someone could also unlawfully use an individuals personal information to commit election fraud, Wolfe said. However, there are many checks in the system at both the state and the local level to prevent and detect such activity.

The Elections Commission, which administers MyVote Wisconsin, said in a statement Thursday that people who intentionally misuse the MyVote application can be subject to severe criminal and civil penalties. It is illegal to provide false information or use another persons information to unlawfully request the ballot of someone else.

A recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin. An Associated Press review found that only 24 people out of nearly 3.3 million who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud in Wisconsin.

Journal Times reporter Adam Rogan contributed to this report.
Germanys environment minister says the mass die-off of fish in the Oder River is an ecological catastrophe and it's not clear yet how long it will take the river to recover. Steffi Lemke spoke Sunday at a news conference alongside her Polish counterpart, Anna Moskwa. Moskwa said the cause of the mass die-off of fish has not yet been determined. The meeting took place in Szczecin, a Polish city on the Oder River. Both ministers said they were focused now on doing what they can do limit the damage. Ten tons of dead fish were removed last week from the Oder, which runs along the border between Poland and Germany before flowing into the Baltic Sea.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced Friday that the state finished the fiscal year with a $1.4 billion surplus.

Little said Idahoans can expect more tax cuts and additional investments, without giving many details other than education investments will continue to top the list of his legislative and budget priorities moving forward.

Last year, the Idaho Legislature cut personal and corporate income taxes and issued tax rebates, totaling $600 million.

Most of that money went to the wealthiest. Granted, thats because they paid more in income taxes. Still, its not the best way to return tax money to those who need it most.

So here are three better ways we can use that $1.4 billion surplus:

Eliminate the grocery tax. Idahos grocery tax credit is not nearly big enough, and Idaho legislators passed a paltry increase in the credit that is too little, too late, literally. Its still not enough to offset a typical grocery bill and wont take effect until next year.

The argument for not eliminating it is that it would take too much of a bite out of the budget. Its peak hypocrisy coming from a body that wants to constrain city and county budgets, while at the same time is unwilling to cut a tax because it says it will constrain its budget.

Pay off school construction debt. Idaho school districts are carrying hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in debt issued to build new schools. All of that debt is on property tax bills.

Using some of the surplus to pay school debt addresses a couple of issues at the same time.

Increased residential property values have meant increased residential property taxes, one of the top concerns among many Idahoans. Paying off a chunk of the debt would immediately reduce property taxes.

Some may not realize how big of a chunk school building construction debt is on their property tax bill. About one-quarter of the property tax bill in Eagle goes to the West Ada School District, much of which goes to paying off the bonds used to build all the new schools in that booming district. (Another gentle reminder that Idaho doesnt allow impact fees to be used for school districts).

Second, because its still not certain that Idahos budget surplus isnt being propped up still by federal coronavirus relief money, its wise not to use all of the surplus money for ongoing expenses, but instead on one-time expenses. Paying off some school construction bonds checks that box.

Little already understands the importance of paying off debt. He did it last year by using surplus money to pay off state building debt. That reduces the principal and saves on interest payments for years to come. We should do the same for school buildings.

Increase public education funding. This also offers property tax relief because dozens of Idaho school districts are operating on more than $200 million in supplemental levies, which are paid for by property taxes. If the state can increase public education funding to a level that can wean some of these districts off supplemental levies, property tax payers benefit. Thats not to mention the benefits of having a stronger public education system.

When Little shares his ideas for investments and tax relief, I hope he takes these ideas into consideration. If not, then its up to Idaho legislators to provide truly meaningful tax relief.
July 30, 2022 09:17

Spain reported its first monkeypox-related death on Friday, in what is thought to be Europe's first death from the disease and only the second outside of Africa in the current outbreak, Reuters reported.

In its latest report, the Spanish Health Ministry said 4,298 cases had been confirmed in the country. Of the 3,750 patients it had information on, it said 120 had been hospitalizedaccounting for 3.2%and one had died, without providing further details.

A spokesperson for the Health Ministry declined to give further details on the deceased person.

Brazil reported earlier on Friday the first monkeypox-related death outside the African continent in the current wave of the disease.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report from July 22, only five deaths had been reported worldwide, all in the African region.

The WHO last Saturday declared the rapidly spreading outbreak a global health emergencyits highest level of alert.

Follow NEWS.am Medicine on Facebook and Twitter
Delegations from Mali and Cote dIvoire were received Thursday morning in Lome by the Togolese presidency in order to find a quick solution to the detention of 49 Ivorian soldiers in Mali.

Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe, who is mediating between Abidjan and Bamako, received the two delegations separately at the presidential palace in Lome, the sources said, without giving further details.

No official statement was issued by the Togolese presidency on this meeting.

Cote dIvoire is demanding the release of its 49 soldiers who it says were arrested unjustly on 10 July at Bamako airport and accused by the Malian authorities of being mercenaries seeking to destabilize the country.

According to Abidjan, the presence of its soldiers, in the framework of logistical support operations for the UN mission in Mali, was well known to the Malian authorities.

Ten days ago, the Malian junta called for Togos mediation in this diplomatic imbroglio. Since May, the Togolese president has been the mediator between Mali, regional actors and the international community as a whole, while the junta was under pressure to restore constitutional order.

Mali, a landlocked country in the heart of the Sahel, has seen two military coups in August 2020 and May 2021. It has recently adopted a transition timetable that should see civilians return to power in March 2024.
Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday he wanted to continue to build its action in the region with the organization of West African states to fight terrorism in the service of legitimate sovereign states, during the last stage of his African tour in Guinea-Bissau.

France will continue to build its action in the region in the service of legitimate sovereign states and this regional organization, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), because we consider that our role is to help the region succeed in this battle against terrorism, said the French president at a press briefing with his Guinea-Bissau counterpart, Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who has just taken over the presidency of the organization.

We have always respected the position of this extremely important regional organization and I have always considered that our role was to support the decisions it takes and to be consistent with them, Mr Macron said.

Referring to the situation in Mali, which is facing a serious security crisis and the scene of two military coups in 2020 and 2021, he said that the responsibility of ECOWAS is to work so that the Malian people can () express their popular sovereignty and build the framework of stability to fight effectively against terrorist groups.

Since it is clear that the choices made by the Malian junta today and its de facto complicity with the Wagner militia are particularly ineffective in the fight against terrorism, this is no longer their objective and this is what led to our choice to leave Malian soil, he added.

Relations between the ruling junta in Bamako and Paris, a former colonial power, have deteriorated sharply in recent months, particularly since the arrival in Mali of paramilitaries from the private Russian security group Wagner, pushing the two countries to the brink of breaking up after nine years of uninterrupted French presence to fight jihadists.

The President of Guinea Bissau also announced the creation of an anti-putsch force of ECOWAS, without giving further details, a decision welcomed by the French head of state.

Mr Embalo himself escaped a coup attempt on 1 February that left 11 people dead. ECOWAS deployed a force to the territory at the end of June to support the stabilization of the small Portuguese-speaking West African state.
The Moroccan government has denounced the baseless allegations published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) in its latest report, affirming Morocco will continue consolidating the rule of law and defending human rights & freedoms.

In a statement to media on Thursday, the Government Spokesman Mustapha Baitas said the biased allegations reported by HRW will not discourage Morocco from continuing to advance the rule of law & institutions and defend rights and freedoms.

The HRW report, which undermines the symbols of the Kingdom, is just a compilation of allegations that this organization usually brings up against Morocco, said the Spokesman, who also holds the portfolio of minister for Relations with the Parliament.

The smear campaign waged against Morocco has reached its apex, to the point of making unrealistic accusations against the Kingdom, underlined the minister, noting that this document contains serious accusations seeking only to trigger a row between Morocco and its partners.

The Moroccan Association of Media and Editors (AMME) also denounced the harassment of Morocco by HRW, which remains faithful to its approach of partiality, in contradiction with the principles of neutrality, objectivity and credibility in the drafting of thematic reports on international human rights.

By doing so, this organization has failed in its mission and revealed its true suspicious political identity, the Association added in a statement.

As part of its mission to monitor the situation of Moroccan journalists and contribute to the serious public, legal and constitutional debate on the freedom of opinion and expression and other fundamental rights related to it, the AMME has taken note of the report published by HRW which goes against the ethical approaches in drafting reports on human rights, with a play on words that hides other irresponsible aims unrelated to the topics in this report.

The Association denounced the fact that the report is flooded with gratuitous accusations without any evidence and with attacks on Moroccan national institutions, noting that the document deliberately denigrated, with rancor, all the achievements made by Morocco in recent years.

While expressing its astonishment at the timing of the publication of the report, which coincides with the celebration by the Moroccan people of the Throne Day, the AMME records with great regret that the Human Rights Watchremains faithful to its baised approach, in contradiction with the principles of neutrality, objectivity and credibility in the drafting of thematic reports on international human rights, written in modern languages, which we consider as a kind of misinformation and deception of international public opinion.

It also expressed its regret at misleading the international community into believing that Morocco is still living under the era of the years of lead with which the Kingdom broke, under the leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, with unparalleled boldness and courage, by putting in place practical, legal and constitutional mechanisms for equity and reconciliation.
Nigerian opposition senators have pushed for the countrys President Muhammadu Buhari to face impeachment, 10-months before the end of his second term in office, over the countrys spreading security and economic problems.

Nigerians will go to the polls in February 2023 to elect a new president in a hotly contested vote where security and the state of economy will be the main issues. While senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) tried to introduce a motion giving Buhari six-weeks to improve the countrys security or face impeachment, the parliament is controlled by the ruling APC and any move to impeach Buhari would require support from two-thirds of the 109 senators.

Nigeria is struggling with security problems across its vast territory, including armed robberies by criminal gangs, an Islamic insurgency in the northeast and a spate of mass school abductions in the northwest. Earlier this week, schools in the capital, Abuja, were ordered to close to avoid them becoming soft targets for terror as insecurity spreads, highlighting the countrys security challenges. The governments information minister Lai Mohammed denounced the impeachment move, describing it as propaganda. We are working round the clock  to make sure the situation is brought under control, Mohammed said.

On the economic front, Nigeria, typically Africas largest oil exporter, has lately struggled to benefit from surging crude prices due to pipeline theft and years of underinvestment that have limited oil exports. The governments accountant general announced Tuesday (26 July) that Nigerias Excess Crude Account (ECA) has plunged to $376,655.09 at the end of June, from $35.37m in May, amid limited crude exports, biting fuel subsidies, piling debt and a struggling economy. While no reasons for the steep drop were given, fuel subsidies have sapped state coffers including the ECA rainy day fund, as also Nigerias debt servicing costs outpaced public revenue in the first four months of this year.
Just as the Clark Fork River carves through downtown Missoula, the Neckar River winds its way through Neckargemund, Germany, almost 5,000 miles away.

Topography is one of the many similarities the sister cities share, despite their geographic separation.

Udo Fluck, director of Arts Missoula GLOBAL, wants to raise awareness of those similarities and the benefits they can bring to the residents of each locale.

When you look closely, theres a lot of connections, Fluck said.

Missoula and Neckargemund have shared a sister-city relationship since 1993. The German city of 14,000 people was first mentioned in official documents in 988 A.D.

Fluck visited Neckargemund in June to attend an international performance by the University of Montana Chamber Chorale. The concert, held in a historic church, was a divine experience for the German-born Fluck.

The architecture of the old church was replicated throughout the tiny, narrow streets of Neckargemund, a medieval German city consisting of ancient wooden structures.

Its a beautiful city, said Fluck.

Missoula is also celebrating its 40th anniversary as a sister city of Palmerston North, New Zealand, this year.

Fluck has seen numerous benefits from that sister-city relationship in the realms of culture, government and business.

Cities can learn from each other, said Fluck.

Palmerston North, for example, introduced Fluck to the use of opossum fur in products like gloves. The hollow material uses air inside the fur as a lightweight insulator. Fluck believes outdoor enthusiasts in Missoula could benefit from adopting this innovation from their sister city.

Youre dealing with the same things no matter where you are these days, said Fluck, listing shared issues in housing, transportation, sustainability and homelessness as common ground between the sister cities.

But to fully realize the benefits of the sister-city partnership, Fluck said more community members in each city need to be cognizant of the program.

When people get involved with their sister cities, Fluck said, it just tickles your soul.

Arts Missoula GLOBAL provides easy ways to get involved in the program through various cultural immersion activities.

Fluck said Germanfest in September is a great way for Missoulians to get better connected to Neckargemund.

The free event takes place this year from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 4 in Caras Park with authentic German food and Bayern beer from Missoulas oldest microbrewery. Traditional-style steins will be available for purchase. Germanfest also features an educational component.

Its just cool to share culture, traditions, customs and some really good food, Fluck said.

Additional cultural opportunities in the area include New Zealand Days in the fall and the free World View Film Series at the Roxy Theater every second Monday from September to May.

Fluck said these local activities provide an international experience right in the heart of Missoula.

Even though were tucked away in the Rocky Mountains, said Fluck, "because of these kind of connections, sister-city connections and intercultural programs, activities, festivities, celebrations, you name it, the place actually is not so tucked away anymore."
NorthWestern Energy has appointed Brian Bird as successor to CEO Bob Rowe, a transition already more than a year in process.

The utilitys board of directors appointed Bird on Wednesday, though the succession process dates back to February 2021 when the board appointed Bird as chief operating officer and president. Rowe had been president prior to that point.

Rowe, the companys CEO of 14 years will cease being chief executive at years end, when he also leaves the NorthWestern board. Rowe, 66, is at retirement age. The transition isnt related to company performance or financial health the company told investors. Bird will join NorthWesterns board of directors Jan. 1, as well.

NorthWestern is Montanas largest monopoly utility with roughly 379,000 electric meters in service and 200,000 natural gas meters.

The board made no decision on Birds future compensation. In 2021, Rowes total compensation was $3.44 million, an amount roughly 28 times the median compensation of NorthWestern employees, according to corporate filings.

Birds total compensation in 2021 was $1.8 million. He first joined NorthWestern in 2003 as chief financial officer. Bird is 59 years old.

Bob Rowe is passionate about NorthWestern Energys culture, built on collaborative interaction, mentorship and fellowship, said NorthWestern Energy Chairman of the Board Dana Dykhouse in a press release. Our outstanding employee group, demonstrating a commitment to safety, commitment to our customers, commitment to our environment, and commitment to our communities is a testament to Bobs relentless focus on promoting and supporting that culture. Bobs vision of this companys role in a rapidly changing energy future has successfully achieved the balance critical to our successes today, tomorrow and for years into the future. Brian is a respected industry financial leader with an excellent understanding of NorthWestern Energys operations. He has been instrumental in guiding the company to todays solid financial footing.

Rowes tenure at NorthWestern covered a significant period of transition for the company, particularly in Montana where the year before Rowes hire, state lawmakers set the terms for how utilities acquire and bill customers for power plants. What followed was a seven-year period in which NorthWestern customers were placed on debt schedules for the legacy power plants of the former Montana Power Co., namely Colstrip Power Plant and MPCs legacy hydroelectric dams, often at prices above market value. The company also built Spion Kop, Montanas first utility-owned wind farm, and constructed Dave Gates Generating Station, a 150-megawatt, gas-fired power plant outside Anaconda.

NorthWestern singled out 875 megawatts of generation, mostly wind, gas, or water-driven plants in South Dakota and Montana that were built or acquired under Rowes tenure. Not included in the press release was coal-fired generation purchased during that time. It put its clean energy investments at $1 billion. NorthWestern plans to retire four coal-fired power plants in the early 2040s.

Rowe is former member of the Montana Public Service Commission, serving from 1993 through 2004. He was chairman of the commission his final two years.
A Billings man killed Wednesday in a four-vehicle pileup on Interstate 90 has been identified.

Uwe Rolf Krahe, 59, died of blunt force trauma in the wreck, Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner told the Gazette on Friday. His sedan was totaled when an allegedly intoxicated driver collided with several vehicles near a construction zone.

Four vehicles were traveling in the left lane near mile marker 448 on Wednesday afternoon, according to a statement from MHP, where the interstate narrows for construction. Leading the vehicles was a semi-truck, followed by a sedan driven by Krahe and an SUV. All three were traveling slowly, MHP stated, when a 51-year-old man from Billings in a pickup truck allegedly came from behind at a higher rate of speed and crashed into the SUV and sedan.

The impact caused the SUV and sedan to spin out of control, according to the highway patrol, and the pickup truck stopped when it struck the semi-trucks trailer. Although a passerby tried to give first aid to Krahe, he was pronounced dead at the scene by first responders. MHP reported he was wearing a seat belt at the time of the wreck.

The SUV was driven by a 44-year-old Billings woman who was traveling with a 14-year-old boy, both of whom were wearing seatbelts. The semi-truck was driven by a 28-year-old woman from Crow Agency. None suffered any serious injuries from the wreck.

The driver of the pickup truck was taken to a Billings hospital. The MHP trooper assigned to investigate the crash could not be reached for details on the severity of his injuries.

Alcohol, drugs and speeding are suspected to be factors in the crash, which is still under investigation, according to MHP.

Wednesdays wreck occurred less than two weeks after a dust cloud caused blackout conditions on I-90 outside of Hardin, with six people killed in the ensuing pileup, including two children. More than 85 people have died on Montanas roads so far this year, according to MHP data, a decrease in fatalities when compared to this same time last year and in 2020. Alcohol is suspected to be a factor in about a third of all fatal wrecks in Montana so far in 2022, according to preliminary data.
A judges ruling Friday upheld a decision by the Butte-Silver Bow Zoning Board blocking a giant, controversial solar project that would have sprawled across part of south Butte.

Lawyers representing the $250 million solar undertaking had argued that the board was unduly influenced by strong public opposition to the proposal and by the projects potential impact to neighbors.

In an appeal to state District Court, they said the board had neglected 18 other criteria, as well as public support for the project from Montana Technological University and others, and had failed to provide adequate written explanation for its denial.

But in a 12-page order issued Friday afternoon, District Judge Luke Berger upheld the Zoning Boards 5-0 ruling in July 2021. It denied a special use permit for a proposal to install 700,000 solar panels on land south and west of Buttes southern industrial park to help power a cryptocurrency-mining operation.

Even though the board focused on public comment as a key reason for rejecting the special use permit, the judge said, it did not mean other factors were not considered.

The size and scope of this project is not disputed and despite positive attributes, negative attributes are present in the record, Berger wrote in his ruling. The board, he said, was not required to create a tally.

The Board heard significant comment and received detailed reports pertaining to the entirety of the criterion they were to consider, the ruling said. Failing to address them specifically does not convince the Court they did not consider the information.

Rather the Court concludes they were considered but were not dispositive to the boards decision.

The judge also rejected claims the boards decision was fatally flawed because its members did not give detailed, written reasons for it. He said that was a procedural matter and not grounds for overturning the decision.

A special use permit would have allowed FX Solutions to build the project. FX Solutions would have leased the land from the Gozden-McDermott Cattle Co. and sold the solar arrays power to Atlas Power, a cryptocurrency-mining facility.

Rick Tabishs FX Solutions built the Atlas Power data center in south Butte. It is owned by Kevin Washington, son of billionaire industrialist Dennis Washington.

Such facilities use immense amounts of energy and Washington has said he would use power from the Basin Creek Solar Project for Atlas Power and buy the solar project once completed. Any extra electricity could be put on the grid and sold.

Washington has described plans to expand Atlas Power and the Butte Local Development Corp. and others backed the solar project, citing potential economic benefits it could generate.

But opponents decried possible impacts to viewsheds, property values and wildlife and the potential for noise pollution, along with other concerns.

In denying the project, Zoning Board members cited the pure size of the array, saying it would undeniably change the landscape of those who live in the Little Basin Creek area. They said the publics strong opposition carried weight but said other factors were considered.

They also said they supported green energy and could get on board with a smaller version of the proposal in an area less intrusive to peoples way of life.

Neither attorneys Peter Lacny nor Joseph Casillas, who represented the petitioners during the hearing before Judge Berger, could be reached Friday afternoon for comment about the ruling.

Attempts to reach project opponents Bonnie Yeo and John and Sandi Roesti were also unsuccessful.

In May 2021, Sandi Roesti told The Montana Standard about her opposition.

If that goes in were going to see a sea of black, she said. As for solar panels, we have them on our motorhome. Were all for that, but not 1,600 acres.
Two local musicians are working together to bring biweekly open mic nights to downtown Morganton.

Community Open Mic started Tuesday, July 5, and runs biweekly at the Morganton Amphitheater on the Historic Courthouse Square in downtown Morganton. Hosted by local performers Michael Wilson Knowles and Myra Hardin McDaniel, each open mic event runs from 6-9 p.m. The biweekly events will take place through Tuesday, Oct. 25.

There is no audition required and performers of all ages and skill levels are invited to participate. In addition to musicians, poets, comedians and dancers are also invited to share their talents with the audience. The next Open Mic Project event will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 2.

Theres a couple of things behind this, Knowles said. This is what I do for a living, and this is how I got my start  playing songs terribly on an open mic stage 50 years ago.

Knowles wanted to offer young and emerging performers in Burke County the same opportunity to grow in their craft.

There is so much musical talent and so much great songwriting around here, he said. Its happening with young people, and it doesnt get the attention it deserves.

Knowles said the Courthouse Square is the perfect venue for a project like this.

Its a really nice stage in a really nice environment, very family friendly and easy to get to, he said.

Knowles said McDaniel first came up with the idea to use the square.

I got in touch with Abby Nelson at Main Street Morganton, he said. She was excited by the idea, we scheduled the open mics, took care of the necessary paperwork, and we were ready to host the first show.

Knowles hopes more groups will begin taking advantage of the stage on the new Courthouse Square in the future.

They make this space available to people in the community, he said. The more people who know that, the better because it is a fabulous, fabulous facility.

Knowles also hopes to inspire performers, especially young and emerging artists by giving them the opportunity to perform on a PA system with a full backline. He said he believes the best way to become a good performer is to just start performing and being able to do it on a quality system with a good sound engineer is a confidence booster.

This is my gigging rig, he said. It feels like a professional set up when youre getting up there for the first time  Weve got really good quality equipment and it sounds good.

Knowles said the idea behind the event is not just to enjoy a good evening of music, but also to encourage unity and community togetherness.

Im very much into promoting nonviolent means of people working through things and solving community problems, he said. One of the things Id really like to see happen with this is that we bring people together from different backgrounds.

Knowles said he is excited about the diversity he has already seen at the first two events.

Weve had a couple of comedians and there was a poet, he said. Weve had a Wiccan who was doing his own songs, which were great, and then we had a couple of young girls singing Christian hymns. I want to include everything  this is sort of like the old variety show idea.

According to Knowles, the last Community Open Mic event on July 19 featured 10 performers and a good crowd. He hopes additional publicity will help those numbers continue to increase.

Knowles has been performing in bands and as a solo artist in California and then in western North Carolina since the early 1980s. On his website, he describes his music  a blend of rock, blues, soul and funk  as Joe Cocker meets Muddy Waters at a Steely Dan show.

McDaniel is a Burke County native who was a vocalist for several different Christian bands while living in Panama City, Florida. She and Knowles met at an open mic night after she moved back to Burke County. The two struck up a personal relationship and began singing and playing music together. The pair will make their professional musical debut as Mike and Myra in August at Happy Valley Filling Station in Lenoir.

The next Community Open Mic event will take place at the Historic Courthouse Square in downtown Morganton on Tuesday, Aug. 2, from 6-9 p.m. For more information, visit the event Facebook page @openmicma.
Fast action Friday night kept a wildfire from reaching the west shore of Flathead Lake, but conditions remain tense through the hot weekend.

About 7,000 acres of grassland and forest burned by Saturday afternoon in the Elmo 2 fire, which started about 6:30 p.m. Friday. It appeared to have combined with a much smaller Eagle Mountain fire as they burned through forest between Lake Mary Ronan and the Hog Heaven Range of hills northwest of Big Arm Bay.

Within two hours of ignition, the fires had expanded to about 2,000 acres, forcing evacuations in the Elmo vicinity and threatening homes from Dayton to Big Arm. Its cause remains under investigation.

Smokejumpers, aerial tankers and fire departments from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Rollins, Hot Springs, Polson, Ronan, Finley Point/Yellow Bay and Mission all sent 130 personnel to the fire Friday night.

The Red Cross chapter in Polson arranged a pancake breakfast for evacuated families and travelers at the Linderman School parking lot, which was opened for campers to relocate. A Polson Chamber of Commerce notice stated no donations were needed as of Saturday morning, but that could change depending on fire progression.

The CSKT Council also opened space for evacuees to park trailers at the Salish Kootenai Gym in Pablo.

Highway 28 remains closed for 10 miles around Elmo. Traffic on Highway 93 around the west shore of Flathead Lake was intermittent and affected by poor visibility from smoke.

Evacuation orders were lifted on Saturday for all areas except around Black Lake, just west of Dayton.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks evacuated and closed state parks at Lake Mary Ronan and Big Arm Friday night.

An extensive power outage around the northwest shore of Flathead Lake complicated communications for many Friday evening. Power appeared to be restored for most residents by Saturday, except between Lakeside and Elmo.

Winds Friday evening appeared to push the front of the blaze from its origin, about 8 miles west of Lakeside, eastward toward Flathead's west shore. Satellite imagery from the National Weather Service showed it creating its own pyrocumulus cloud around 7 p.m. Friday.

Southwest winds were blowing at 5 to 7 mph in the fire area Friday night, and were expected to continue through Saturday. NWS forecasts for Sunday included potential wind gusts of 20 mph or more that afternoon.

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation placed the Elmo 2 fire's starting point about 5 miles north of Lake Mary Ronan.

However, photographs on social media showed smoke columns approaching the grasslands between the Hog Heaven Range of hills and Highway 28 northwest of Elmo. By Friday night, flames could be seen cresting Hog Heaven's ridgeline northwest of Polson.
While South Africa has been preoccupied with rolling electricity blackouts, security of liquid fuels supply has been overlooked even though  by my calculations  by value of sales it is 60% larger than electricity sales.

The one liquid fuels related story that attracted attention in the local media was the temporary closure of an inland oil refinery due to delays in crude oil supplies.

The refinery is owned by Natref, a joint venture between the chemical and energy company Sasol  the majority shareholder  and Total Energies.

No details have been given about the closure. But it is a rare occurrence and probably a consequence of disruptions to global logistics and oil supplies caused by Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Natref is the last surviving oil refinery in South Africa. Three others were closed in the past two years.

These refinery closures and the possible permanent closure of the Natref refinery are shots fired in the long running contestation between the oil refiners and the government, which has been trying to introduce cleaner fuels specifications.

And, in parallel, policies requiring oil companies to keep some stocks to act as a buffer against occasional supply interruptions.

Both policies are in line with international trends.

The attempt to move to cleaner fuel specifications began in 2006 and is aimed at assisting the domestic auto manufacturing industry, which produces mainly for European markets, where engines need to match Europes cleaner fuels.

The oil industrys response to the governments cleaner fuels initiatives has been robust.

Initially, it sought to blackmail the government by threatening closure unless the government gave it the capital to upgrade its refineries, without any consequent ownership rights.

The industry euphemistically termed this a cost recovery mechanism. The government eventually backed down from its deadlines. But it did not succumb to the demands for cash gifts.

In the latest round, the two Durban refineries made good on their threats. Engen (Petronas) in 2020, following an explosion and fire, and Sapref (Shell and BP) after its temporary closure during the insurrection in July 2021.

Natref appears to be playing a waiting game on the governments latest deadline, which has been shifted from 2023 to 2027.

If the government holds the line Natref may also close, with possible knock-on effects for Sasols coal-to-liquids plant in Secunda, whose production is partially integrated with Natrefs.

The closures of South Africas small, old and inefficient refineries are economically painful in the short term. But they also offer the prospect of better outcomes  economic, environmental and security of supply  if government acts sensibly, particularly in relation to electric vehicles.

Auto manufacturing

The government has pursued an import substitution industrialisation approach to the liquid fuels industry since the 1930s and has used various regulatory instruments to protect the oil refiners.

But the need to move to cleaner fuels to support local auto manufacture has proved to be a tipping point.

The difficulty for the auto manufacturers is that it does not make commercial sense to manufacture two engines for each vehicle  one for South Africas dirty fuels and another for Europes cleaner fuels.

The domestic auto industry has, like refining, long been protected by the government. It occupies a key position at the heart of South Africas manufacturing industry and its interests appear to have been chosen over those of the oil refining industry.

The refinery closures hold implications for the future of auto manufacturing and transport in the country.

In the short term, fuel imports are meeting demand. But the auto manufacturers face a new threat to their European markets  electric vehicles.

Some local auto manufacturers have appealed to the government to include electric vehicles within its support and subsidy programmes.

At present the import of electric vehicles is actively discriminated against. But the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition is dragging its heels.

There is a good prima facie case for South Africa to switch to electric vehicles.

Imported US dollar denominated petroleum could be substituted by mainly rand denominated solar and wind-based power generation.

The productivity gains from more efficient electric vehicles and the impetus to South Africas emerging battery manufacturing industry are part of the case. This could also be seen as the ultimate version of the governments long-running import substitution industrialisation.

The closure of the oil refineries has actually made it easier for the government to switch its attention to electric vehicles, which would also assist in meeting its international emissions targets. It also means that the adjustments envisaged in the just energy transition have, in effect, already happened in the refining industry.

Security of supply?

Returning to the question of security of supply for internal combustion engines, there are also advantages for the government in so far as strategic stocks are concerned.

Since there are fewer oil refineries, less crude oil stocks are required. This may be a good thing given the troubles associated with them.

Firstly, there is the economic argument that strategic stocks sterilise large quantities of cash. In turn, this has a high opportunity cost in South Africa with its many other pressing social needs.

The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy told Parliament in 2022 that the strategic oil stocks were valued at R1,750,764,252.

Secondly, there are governance issues. In 2015 the Strategic Fuel Fund illegally sold 10.3 million barrels (the entire stock) at bargain basement prices to oil traders. In 2020 the High Court returned the stocks to the fuel fund.

The closure of oil refineries has inadvertently provided a windfall for fuel users  it has allowed government to sell off some of the stocks and use the proceeds to subsidise fuel prices during an oil price spike.

These subsidies are to be partially funded by the sale of strategic oil stocks to the value of R6 billion. By my estimates this represents approximately half of the strategic stocks, which leaves a bit more than the surviving refineries need.

A much better solution would be to hold strategic stocks of refined products in the inland market, which is approximately 60% of the South African market.

Although discussed in government at least 20 years ago, this option has not been pursued.

Does the closure of the refineries affect South Africas security of supply? Not much.

The country has merely swapped reliance on crude oil imports for refined product imports. Rather than international supply risks, the bigger risks seem to be domestic.

So what is the governments policy on the security of supply?

The 1998 White Paper on Energy Policy said that the government would maintain three months of oil supplies. But there has never been a budget allocation to allow the country to reach this level.

In 2012 government gazetted a draft plan proposing that its holdings be reduced to 60 days, supplemented by the industry holding 14 days of refined products.

The draft has never progressed to a final policy, probably due to financial constraints and the industrys unwillingness to foot a part of the bill.

There has been no shortage of ideas and policy proposals on strategic stocks in democratic South Africa. The shortage is of cash to fund the ideas.

Given South Africas increasingly constrained finances, there seems to be little prospect of security of supply being resolved soon. Security of supply may only be improved when South Africa switches to electric vehicles.

Rod Crompton, Adjunct professor African Energy Leadership Centre Wits Business School, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
While South African Android and iOS users have similar tastes regarding the top paid mobile games, there is a significant difference between the two platforms regarding the top free mobile games.

According to Sensor Towers Top Mobile Games Worldwide report, the global mobile games market generated 4.6 billion downloads across Apples App Store and Google Play from June 2022.

The report shows that Subway Surfers was the most downloaded game worldwide.

Similarly, Subway Surfers is also the top free game on the Apple App Store in South Africa, while it is the fourth most popular application on Google Play Store, with over a billion downloads.

Despite the title being released on 24 May 2012, the report shows a 63.5% increase in downloads from June 2021 to June 2022.

The second most popular free game on iOS devices is Candy Crush Saga, which ranks 7th on Android.

Like Subway Surfers, Candy Crush Saga has remained hugely popular since its 12 April 2012 release, and has over a billion downloads from the Google Play Store.

On Android, the top free mobile game is Craft School: Monster Class, with Pull the Pin coming in second.

The former is an adventure game featuring over 100 mini-games released on 24 July. It already has over a million downloads.

Similar to the mobile game advertisements you get bombarded with every day, Pull the Pin involves players solving puzzles by pulling pins from objects to direct fluids inside a container.

When it comes to the most popular paid mobile games, Minecraft takes the top spot on iOS and Android.

In second place, Incredibox lets players compose their own music by dragging and dropping icons onto avatars to make them sing, creating a looping track.

Other paid titles in the top 10 on both platforms include Geometry Dash, Bloons TD 6, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

The tables below list the most popular free and paid mobile games for iOS and Android. It should be noted that the Apple App Store does not show an applications number of downloads.
Health officials in Napa County are investigating an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease after nine confirmed cases were reported this month, county officials announced Friday.

In addition to the nine confirmed cases, county officials have also identified two suspected cases and one "probable" case. All individuals have been hospitalized but there haven't been any deaths, according to the county.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register.

The cases were reported to Napa County Public Health between July 11 and Wednesday in the cities of Napa and Calistoga. County health officials said it is normal for the county to get one or two reports of the ailment per year, and though these numbers are higher than that, the risk to residents and visitors remains low.

Legionnaires' disease is a type of pneumonia caused by a bacterium called Legionella. It is not spread person-to-person, but is transmitted by breathing in small droplets of water containing the bacteria. The water can come from air conditioners in large buildings (not in home units, which do not use water as a coolant), hot tubs, cooling misters, decorative fountains, and plumbing systems, county officials said.

The microbe can also be ingested through accidental aspiration of tap water into the lungs, which is a greater risk for people who have trouble swallowing.

Napa County reports first probable monkeypox case in a local resident Napa County announced the first probable monkeypox virus case in a local resident Tuesday morning.

People most at risk for Legionnaires' disease are over 50, may smoke cigarettes, have weakened immune systems, or have chronic health conditions. The disease is treatable with antibiotics, according to the county.

Napa County is currently investigating possible sources of exposure to the bacteria.

It can take up to two weeks for symptoms of Legionnaires' disease to develop, which include pneumonia-like respiratory symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches and headaches.

 Bay City News Service
About 25 Napa residents gathered in downtown Napa Friday afternoon to protest the four-day conservative Catholic conference thats currently running at Napas Meritage Resort and Spa.

The annual conference, produced by the Irvine-based Napa Institute for the past 12 years, generally features prominent conservative speakers. The keynote speaker this year, for instance, is former President Donald Trumps one-time attorney general William Barr, whos scheduled to speak Saturday night at a session titled Strangers in a Strange Land: How do Catholics Live as Resident Aliens and Faithful Citizens at the Same Time.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register.

Other sessions scheduled to run during the conference have titles such as Staying awake in a woke church, Redeeming Carthage: The Prolife Horizon After Dobbs, and A Promise to Americas Parents: Restoring Truth, Transparency, and Trust in Our Public Schools. The session about public schools is being organized by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as a hate group because it has supported the recriminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ adults in the U.S. and criminalization abroad, among several other reasons.

The Napa Institute was co-founded by Tim Busch, who is also founder of the Pacific Hospitality Group that runs the Meritage and Vista Collina resorts and founded Trinitas Cellars. In his 2021 conference welcome address, Busch criticized racial justice activists, according to the National Catholic Reporter, saying the Napa Institute is critical when "religious liberty is attacked, right to life is attacked, transgender ideology is forced upon our children and Black Lives Matter is promoting racism, critical race theory, and destroying the nuclear family.

Several of the protesters said they hadnt heard of the Napa Institute until recently, but they wanted the institute to know they know about them now, and dont support them holding the conference in Napa. In particular, the protesters spoke out against anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, abortion bans and religious intolerance.

We just wanted them to know we know, and its not OK, said Michelle Sims.

In an effort organized by Stop Napa Hate, the protesters met up at about 1:45 p.m. outside of Jeffries General on Second Street, and marched through the downtown Napa area for roughly an hour and a half. They intermittently chanted  Church and state, separate, Go home Bill Barr, Womens rights are human rights"  and carried a plethora of signs adorned with language targeted at the Napa Institute. Those driving across downtown Napas streets periodically honked in support.

One sign, in rainbow lettering, read: LGBTQ people arent the threat; your hate and prejudice are. Another sign proclaimed Napa is inclusive; another said, in blue and red, Science & equality over hate & conspiracies.

Protesters also wore buttons and shirts indicating that they support Planned Parenthood and Black Lives Matter, and urging people to vote.

Vicki Albright said Napa shouldnt be in the name of the Napa Institute, considering how the institutes views clash with what she believes Napa represents.

Theyre not welcome, Albright said. They do not represent Napa.

Another protest against the conference, organized by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), is planned for early Saturday at the Meritage. Demonstrators will reportedly demand that the Catholic Church take action to curb sexual abuse within the church.

What you missed this week in notable Napa Valley crimes and court cases Crime and Courts Police: Two arrested in American Canyon after theft from Napa outlet mall Two Vallejo residents were arrested Wednesday afternoon after a reported theft from the Napa Premium Outlets, police reported.
A man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend was executed in the southern US state of Alabama on Thursday, despite objections from the victim's family, AFP reported

Joe Nathan James, 49, was sentenced to death in 1996 for the 1994 murder of 26-year-old Faith Hall.

James's time of death was 9:27pm (0127 GMT Friday) according to the Alabama Attorney General's office. He was scheduled to be executed via lethal injection.

James had petitioned the US Supreme Court to stay his execution "pursuant to the wishes of the surviving members of the family of the victim."

His lawyer said in an appeal to the Court: "The victims and their families are paramount in our justice system, and deserve to be heard on the matter of the ultimate punishment of offenders."

Hall's daughters, who were six and three years old when their mother was murdered, had said they wanted James's life to be spared.

James was convicted of fatally shooting Hall after she broke off their short relationship.
3 men who strangled Yerevan woman, 47, to death are arrested

Book of condolences opened at all Armenia diplomatic missions abroad

Bomb threat made at Gyumri international airport, railway station

Russian embassy upset by reports about Russia organizations participation in Yerevan market tragedy

Armenia ex-deputy PM Avinyan visits Yerevan market blast site

Yerevan market explosion: We have one missing person, Armenia official says

Armenia Prosecutor Generals Office: No one is charged in Yerevan market blast case

World oil prices going up

Day of mourning declared in Armenia, Artsakh today and tomorrow

Kazakhstan embassy offers condolences over Yerevan market explosion

People laying flowers nearby Yerevan market blast site

Newspaper: One person is charged in Yerevan market explosion case

Newspaper: Armenia ruling party plans to make state institutions employees become party members

Yerevan explosion: 2 people still being searched for

Yerevan market explosion: 2 people still considered missing as of midnight (PHOTOS)

Turkey launches airstrike on Aleppo countryside, 3 Syria soldiers dead

Is Western unity over Ukraine about to crack?

Which countries could survive nuclear war?

Surmalu re-inspection scheduled for November

In Lebanon, man who held hostages in bank released without charges

TerraPower of Bill Gates raises $750 million for projects in nuclear energy and medicine

China's 'Galaxy Fold clone' sold out in five minutes and became a bestseller

Germany plans to postpone closure of its last three nuclear power plants

Expert estimates environmental consequences of Yerevan explosion and gives advices

Switzerland signs agreement with Uzbekistan to return $131 million seized from Gulnara Karimova

Artsakh also declares mourning

Norway can no longer supply Germany with more gas

UN Secretary General to meet with Presidents of Ukraine and Turkey in Lviv

Ministry of Emergency Situations: There were about 4 tons of flammable substances in Surmalu

Russian Security Council says Kyiv threatens global nuclear security

Content of toxic substances in air after explosion in Yerevan has increased sharply

Scholz says Sweden and Finland's NATO accession process goes according to plan

Macron and Zelenskiy discuss situation over Zaporozhye nuclear power plant

Expert: Biden is not preparing Americans for what is to come

Armenian Prosecutor General's Office: Representatives of management and employees of Surmalu will be interrogated

Mourning declared in Armenia

Latvia will not extend residence permits previously issued to Russian citizens

NEWS.am BREAKING on Yerevan market explosion: 16 people killed

First Lady of US contracts COVID-19

Aghvan Hovsepyan undergoes surgery

Investigative Committee: More than 20 people questioned in case of Surmalu explosion in Yerevan

Head of Armenian HM visits victims of explosion on territory of Surmalu in Yerevan

Deputy PM of Singapore: US and China may slide into conflict

Director of Surmalu shopping center is in heavy psychological state and does not comment

Identity of another victim of Surmalu shopping center in Yerevan established

Two Armenian startups advance to EWC Global Finals (PHOTOS)

Patriarch Kirill expresses condolences in connection with Surmalu shopping mall explosion

Russia announces supply of second S-400 regiment to Turkey

Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia

Republican Party of Armenia calls for naming leader of united opposition

Yerevan market explosion death toll is 16 as of 3:30pm, Armenia emergency ministry says

Putin calls Pelosi's trip to Taiwan gamble

Russia embassy: Russian citizen considered missing in Yerevan market blast is alive and well

Gazprom: European gas price will exceed $4,000 per thousand cubic meters in winter

Yerevan subway operations resume

Yerevan market explosion: 6 people still considered missing

Former head of NSC: Bomb alerts have never been so systematic and periodic before

Armenia truckers temporarily block Goris-Sisian motorway

Georgia PM: Our thoughts and prayers are with families of those killed in Yerevan

Yerevan market blast: 14 of 16 casualties identified, official says

Georgia President: I stand with the people of Armenia

Bloomberg: Jump in gas prices sent European electricity prices to a new record

Armenia official: Pointless to say that Surmalu market was deliberately blown up

Japan embassy expresses condolences over Yerevan market explosion

No bombs found at 4 Yerevan subway stations, international airport

Armenia, Russia defense ministers hold talks

Shoigu says there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Bomb threat at Yerevan international airport

Putin: Russia will ensure its national interests, protection of allies

US lifts F-35 flight ban

Armenian Red Cross Society: 140 people asked for psychological service, 110 othersfor first aid, in 3 days

14 of Yerevan market blast casualties are identified

Trump says after leaving Afghanistan, US left Taliban weapons worth $ 85 billion

India blocks Azerbaijan's participation in upcoming BRICS summit as a guest

Baku is concerned about safety of its diplomatic mission in London

Yerevan explosion: 13 of 16 dead are identified, emergency ministry spokesperson says

Iran responds to EU nuclear deal proposals

Yerevan market explosion: 17 people considered missing, Armenia official says

Yerevan explosion: 7 injured continue to receive hospital treatment

Day of mourning to be declared in Armenia
Elon Musk countersued Twitter on Friday, intensifying the conflict between the Tesla CEO and the social networking company he agreed to buy, but the lawsuit is not yet available to the public, CNBC reported.

It wasnt clear why Musk asked the court to keep details of his countersuit confidential when the billionaire, who is also the CEO of SpaceX, had been vocally critical of Twitter on social media and in press interviews in recent months.

On April 25, Twitter and Musk announced Musk would buy the social networking company and take it private for about $44 billion. Shortly after Musk struck the $44 billion deal, a market downturn led to a decline in tech stocks including both Tesla and Twitter.

Soon after they signed the deal, Musk accused Twitter of lying about the number of spam and bot accounts on its platform, and denying him access to information about their handling of these accounts. Musk formally said he wanted to terminate the deal earlier this month, and Twitter sued him in the Delaware Court of Chancery to force him to go through with the deal.

Musks legal team filed a confidential countersuit in a Delaware court on Friday, which means a copy was not available to the public immediately, but a version of it could be made public in the near future with sensitive details redacted.

The judge ruling on the case, Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick, on Thursday night issued an order that set a schedule including for a five-day trial to start on October 17.
YEREVAN.  Zhoghovurd newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: The RA Ministry of Defense proposes to establish administrative liability if a military uniform is worn by persons who are not in military service.

Zhoghovurd daily learned that an addendum will be made to the Administrative Offenses Code, according to which a fine in the amount of 100 thousand [approx. US$245] drams will be imposed if a military uniform prescribed for servicemen is worn by a person who is not in military service and does not have the right to wear a military uniform. By the way, if the same act is committed again or every subsequent time after applying an administrative penalty within one year, it causes the imposing of a fine in the amount of 200 thousand drams [approx. US$490].

So, the law may be passed, but who or who others should oversee it?
The attitude of the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan towards Armenians has been manifested for decades in the criminal behavior of hatred, physical and psychological violence, intentional deprivation of life, and there are no grounds to even assume that Azerbaijan can change this strategy in the foreseeable future. Artak Beglaryan, Minister of State of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), wrote in this on Telegramand commenting on the recent Azerbaijani shooting at Taghavard and Karmir Shuka villages of Artsakh.

Beglaryan emphasized that the bullets fired at the houses of civilians in the aforesaid villages and other violations of the ceasefire in recent days are another proof of this. According to him, no matter how much the Azerbaijani authorities play peace and politeness, they still openly continue the policy of Armenophobia and aggression in order to expel Armenians from Artsakh and debase Armenian statehood and all Armenians.

"As long as the authorities and the people of Azerbaijan are not ready for a real and worthy dialogue and peace for all parties, the [Karabakh] conflict cannot be settled and there cannot be long-term stability in the region. The recognition and defense of the right to self-determination by the people of Artsakh has no alternative, as we are the masters of our destiny in our homeland, and it is the only way to prevent the new genocide in the world," the Minister of State of Artsakh added.
The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill to ban assault-style weapons, ABC News reported.

The last-minute vote was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Friday morning just hours before the chamber was set to break for a month-long recess.

The legislation passed 217 to 213. Two Republican lawmakersReps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Chris Jacobs of New Yorkalso voted in support of the bill.

Pelosi said the ban is "a crucial step in our ongoing fight against the deadly epidemic of gun violence."

US President Joe Biden released a statement on the House passing the Assault Weapons ban, calling on the Senate to act quickly.

"The majority of the American people agree with this common sense action. The should Senate move quickly to get this bill to my desk, and I will not stop fighting until it does," Biden said, in particular, in the statement.
Congressional Republicans are preparing to introduce legislation creating a "lend-lease" military aid program for Taiwan to ward off increased belligerence from China, Fox News reported.

The bill, which is the brainchild of House GOP Rep. Michelle Steel and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, is modeled after an early 1940s program that allowed the U.S. government to bolster European Allies without having to directly enter World War II itself.

The bill would authorize the president to lend or lease weapons and military equipment to the Taiwan. In exchange, the country's government is required to repay the cost of "restoring or replacing" the borrowed weapons over a 12-year time frame.

The bill does stipulate that the White House can opt to renegotiate the repayment sum if it deems the money would take away from the national security of both Taiwan and the U.S.

The bill is already garnering bipartisan support within Congress.
The Azerbaijanis on Friday violated the ceasefire in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh, reports the Ministry of Defense (MOD) of Russia.

"During the day, one violation of the ceasefire regime was recorded in the Taghavard [village] region. The armed forces of Azerbaijan opened firefrom firearmsin the direction of the positions of the armed forces of Nagorno-Karabakh. There are no victims," the aforesaid statement added.

Also, it noted that this incident was resolved under the leadership of the Russian peacekeeping contingent in Nagorno-Karabakh and in cooperation with the representatives of the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides.

Let us add that there were reports circulating on social media that the Armenian side had a casualty as a result of the aforementioned Azerbaijani shootings, but the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Defense Army had dismissed these reports.
Pope Francis has said the time may soon come when he needs to consider stepping downand would do so if he felt his health meant that he could not serve in the way he should, BBC reported.

He made the comments at the end of a trip to Canadawhere he apologized to indigenous peoplewhich involved extensive travel and long days.

The 85-year-old pontiff stressed that for the moment he intends to continue in his dutiesand will be guided by God as to when he will step down, if he steps down at all.

"It is not a catastrophe to change Pope, it is not a taboo," he told journalists from a wheelchair on the plane from Canada's Arctic territory to Rome. "The door [to retiring] is openit is a normal option. But until today I have not knocked on that door. I have not felt the need to think about this possibilitythat is not to say that in two days' time I might not start thinking about it."

Over recent months Pope Francis has suffered ongoing knee trouble that has impacted his mobility. He spent much of his visit to Canada in a wheelchair.

But he has previously dismissed speculation about more serious, life-threatening illnesses.
The Armenian authorities shift all responsibility for the outcome of the war to the military in order to justify the main political guilty and responsible, Tigran Abrahamyan, an opposition member of the Armenian Parliament, told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to him, the authorities have prepared a political and propaganda plan involving periodic arrests, detentions, so-called disclosure of treason cases, and so on.

Although many of them are later released without charge.

Even if serious losses as a result of the war in different periods do not become the subject of active political discourse, this energy in society will someday spill out, the deputy noted.

As reported earlier, the arrest of a high-ranking officer, who during the 44-day war held the position of commander in the Artsakh Defense Army. According to the Investigative Committee, on September 27 he showed inaction, as a result of which the villages of Talysh and Matagis of the Martakert region came under the control of the enemy.
A Swedish citizen was detained in Iran on charges of espionage, said Ministry of Intelligence of Iran.

The secret services of the Ministry of Intelligence identified and arrested a Swedish citizen on charges of espionage, IRNA reports.

A citizen of Sweden, included in the list of suspects of the anti-spy unit of the Ministry of Intelligence in his previous repeated trips to Iran, due to suspicious behavior and communication always from the moment he entered the country, all his movements, communications, trips to different cities of the country which are completely behind outside tourist destinations until leaving the Islamic Republic of Iran was under the strict supervision of the Ministry of Intelligence, the statement said.
Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch expects the country to take any European Union punitive action against China if it invades Taiwan, she told the Neue Zuercher Zeitung newspaper.

When asked whether Switzerland would accept EU sanctions against China in this case, Ineichen-Fleisch said: "I strongly believe that we would adopt such sanctions."

"However, sanctions in the case of China would be far more drastic (than sanctions against Russia) because the economic relations are much more important. Therefore, there would probably be greater discussions in the EU and the United States as well as in Switzerland than there were in Russia. But I hope it will never come to that."

Ineichen-Fleisch also defended Switzerland's position on the adoption of EU sanctions on Russian individuals and companies.

As of this month, Switzerland has frozen 6.7 billion Swiss francs ($7.04 billion) in Russian financial assets and 15 properties, a figure that Ineichen-Fleisch said is unlikely to change much.
The US Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian parliament unanimously support a resolution calling on the State Department to recognize Russia as a sponsor of terrorism, but US Secretary of State Antony Blinken himself is not so sure, the New York Times reported.

For several weeks, Mr. Blinken has been pushing to officially declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, which is currently assigned to North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Iran. However, despite his emotional charm, Blinken resists a transition that would force him to impose sanctions on US allies doing business with Russia and possibly destroy the remnants of diplomacy between Washington and Moscow.

The publication notes that on Thursday Blinken said that any choice should be based primarily on existing legislative definitions, but suggested that the lawmakers' call is moot, since Russia is already under many sanctions.

However, as the New York Times highlights, while the Senate decision was merely a call to action without any sanctioned pressure, a group of Democrats in the House of Representatives on Thursday introduced an entirely new measure that, if passed by Congress and signed into law, would bypass State Department and add Russia to the list of sponsors of terrorism in the United States.
The U.S. Navy has commissioned its newest amphibious assault ship USS Fort Lauderdale.

USS Fort Lauderdale is the first Navy ship to be honored by the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The nearly 25,000 ton Fort Lauderdale is 684 feet long. Four diesel engines will allow the ship to reach speeds in excess of 22 knots, and it will be based at the Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia.

USS Fort Lauderdale is the 12th ship of the San Antonio class, designed to support the disembarkation, transportation, and shore delivery of elements of 650 Marines via amphibious assault ships or hovercraft. The capabilities of the ship are expanded by a hangar on the flight deck, which can serve MV-22 Osprey rotary-wing aircraft.

The San Antonio-class ships can support a variety of amphibious, special operations, or expeditionary combat missions, operating alone or as part of an amphibious readiness group, expeditionary strike group, or joint task force.
"I take the opportunity to extend my felicitations to you on your recent election as the 8th President of Sri Lanka by the Parliament of Sri Lanka," President Murmu, who was also elected as the head of state a week ago, said.

"I wish you all success as you assume the responsibilities and challenges of your high office at a critical juncture for Sri Lanka.

"As a close neighbour, India has been committed to assist the people of Sri Lanka in overcoming the challenges posed by the economic crisis, guided by our 'Neighbourhood First'," she said.

"It is my hope that long standing bilateral partnership, between our two countries, based on the shared heritage and deep people to people ties will further strengthen," Murmu added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too congratulated Wickremesinghe and stated that India would continue to be supportive of the quest of the people of the island nation for stability and economic recovery, through established democratic means.

Facing an unprecedented economic crisis, Sri Lanka from January received almost $4 billion financial assistance from India to provide food, fuel, medicine and other basic essentials.

--IANS sfl/sks/vd

( 228 Words)

2022-07-29-23:18:04 (IANS)
Water samples from Ghaziabad's Kaushambi failed in the quality test with the amount of chloride detected twice and TDS (total dissolved solids) four times above permissible levels. The samples collected from Kaushambi's Kamadgiri, Vindhyachal and Sumeru towers were sent for testing to the National Test House here and a lab in Delhi by the Kaushambi Apartment Resident Welfare Association (KARWA). All the three samples failed in the quality test. "The matter has been brought to our notice. In this regard, a meeting, to be chaired by the District Magistrate, of water, pollution and other concerned departments will be held within the next three days to decide the future course of action," Nodal officer of the Ground Water Department, Hari Om told IANS. "The problem has been prevailing since long time. The inquiry was conducted by Vinay Kumar Mittal, president of KARWA," Rekha Bakshi, secretary of Vindhyachal Building Association told IANS. "During Chhat Puja, when the Ganga canal remains shut for cleaning purpose, we become dependent on ground water To my knowledge several cancer patients have died. Although I cannot say clearly it is because of water, but water is also one of the reasons." "Despite using RO filters, we get water having high level of TDS. We got the underground water from two-three towers tested and very serious results emerged out of it," she added. According to the KARWA president, Kaushambi has witnessed a jump in number of patients with cancer, kidney and liver ailments in the last few years. "This is a bitter truth. We have informed all the concerned departments and officers to look into the matter," he added. Reacting to the development, Municipal Commissioner Mahendra Singh Tanwar, "We do not recognise private investigation I have asked officials of the ground water department to conduct an investigation." "The quality of water from boring done by us is our responsibility. But if it is done privately, then it is not our responsibility. Which boring water they got tested is not clear to us yet," he asserted. --IANS msk/shs ( 349 Words) 2022-07-29-22:50:03 (IANS)
The IMA said that the shocking incident wherein Vice Chancellor Raj Bahadur was made to lie on a patient's "dirty" bed sheet was absolutely uncalled for.

"Indian Medical Association strongly condemns the derogatory action by the Punjab Health Minister who humiliated Raj Bahadur, Vice Chancellor of Baba Farid University of Health Sciences on July 29. It is not only humiliation for the Vice Chancellor Raj Bahadur, but the entire medical fraternity across India has been insulted," the IMA said in a statement.

There have been similar incidences causing humiliation and harassment to the medical community by many politicians, the IMA said, adding that it causes anguish amongst the doctors.

"Raj Bahadur, learned academician and well-respected doctor, has done great work for the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences. He has been instrumental in uplifting the status of the university at very high level," the IMA statement said.

It also appealed to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to immediately intervene and take necessary action against the minister immediately.

--IANS avr/sks

( 219 Words)

2022-07-30-20:18:03 (IANS)
Eight people, who were found to have links with Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) and Bangladesh-based Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in Assam, were sent to 9-day police custody by the Barpeta Court on Friday. "The eight arrested persons having links with AQIS/ABT were produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate court in Barpeta, Assam today. The court has sent them to 9-day Police custody," said Amitava Sinha, SP of Barpeta. In a major crackdown in the northeastern state of Assam, 11 persons were detained on Thursday for their alleged links with global terror outfits including Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS) and Bangladesh-based Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). One of the persons detained was also a Madrassa teacher in the state. According to the police, the 11 persons, who were detained yesterday from Assam's Morigaon, Barpeta, Guwahati and Goalpara districts, are "connected to Islamic fundamentalism" having links with AQIS and ABT. Further action will be taken as per the law. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while coming down heavily on the "Jihadi modules" in the state, said that a lot of information is expected from these arrests. "From yesterday till today, we have caught two Jihadi modules in Barpeta and Morigaon districts of Assam and arrested all the people involved with Jihadi modules. This coordinated action along with the national police agencies, was a coordinated effort and we will get a lot more information from these arrests," Sarma had said. According to the Assam Police, Mustafa alias Mufti Mustafa, who is an accused in the case, is a resident of Saharia Gaon in the Morigaon district, and an active member of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) which is linked to Al Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS). "Assam Police has detained 11 persons from Morigaon, Barpeta, Guwahati and Goalpara districts. They are connected to Islamic fundamentalism having linkages with global terror outfits viz. AQIS and ABT. Further action is being taken per law," GP Singh, Special DGP L&O, Border, Director V&AC & Chief Anti-Rhino Poaching Task Force, Assam, told ANI. As per police information, accused Mustafa alias Mufti Mustafa, a resident of Saharia Gaon in Morigaon district is an important financial conduit of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) module in India. Mustafa was an active member of ABT. The ABT is linked to Al Qaeda in Indian Sub-continent (AQIS).Mustafa runs a madrassa by the name of Jamiul Huda Madrassa at Sahariagaon. According to police, the activities of the madrassa were being funded through the proceeds of unlawful activities.The Jamiul Huda Madrassa has been sealed by the police. "It is suspected of being a harbour or safe house of the detained persons," added the police.Along with Mustafa, police arrested Afsaruddin Bhuyan (39) from Morigaon. The police arrested Abbas Ali (22), a resident of Goalpara. According to police, he provided logistics and shelter to one of the absconding members namely Mehbubur Rehman. Mehbubur Rehman alias Mehbub is also a member of Ansarullah Bangla Team. He was wanted in the Jogighopa PS case. He was arrested by the Bongaigaon police team on July 26."We got info about a man named Mustafa who runs a madrassa in Moriabari associated with anti-national activities. He's linked with financing of the Ansarullah Bangla Team related to Al-Qaeda in the sub-continent. Case registered under various sections of UAPA," said Aparna N, SP, Morigaon. The other people arrested are Jubair Khan (25), Rafiqul Islam (27), Dewan Hamidul Islam (20), Moinul Haque (42), Kajibur Hussain (37), Muzibaur Rahman (50), Shahanur Aslam and Sahjahan Ali (34). Eight persons have been arrested by Barpeta Police for links with AQIS and ABT.A case (no 763/22) has been registered at Barpeta police station under Section 120(b)/121/121(A) IPC read with Section 17/18/18(B)/19/20 UA(P) Act, 1967. The police have seized numerous electronic devices and incriminating documents from detained persons.Further investigation and operations are being carried out to unearth the linkages and network. "It's an outcome of a long surveillance operation of Assam police and central agencies," the Special DGP GP Singh told Thursday. (ANI)
Five decomposed bodies of Assam workers, who were among the 19 missing from a road construction site in Arunachal Pradesh's border Kurung Kumey district 25 days ago, were located in a dense forest, officials said on Friday. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams found the five mutilated bodies in the thick forest between Huri and Tapa in the last two days while another worker was drowned in Furak river and three other remained missing, Kurung Kumey Deputy Commissioner Bengia Nighee told IANS over phone. He said that the bodies were found in different locations of the forest. The five decomposed bodies could not, however, be brought back. With these five bodies, the number of deaths in the incident rose to six, the Deputy Commissioner said. Earlier this week and last week, ten workers were rescued in a very sick condition and they are now recuperating in different hospitals, Nighee said. He said that the Indian Air Force's chopper operation could not be carried out properly due to bad weather conditions in the mountainous areas. Nighee, who personally supervised the rescue operation, said that after fleeing from their project site camp at Huri on July 5, the 19 workers had entered a dense forest infested with poisonous snakes and wild animals. Subsequently, the workers split themselves into different groups and moved in different directions. He said that a 25-member team of the SDRF, accompanied by the police and local volunteers, had been conducting the search operations for the missing persons in the Damin circle. The 19 workers, all residents of Assam, had been engaged by a contractor to work for a road construction project undertaken by the Border Road Organisation (BRO). The villagers reportedly informed the police that the workers left their work site after the contractor refused to grant them leave for the celebration of Eid al-Adha. The workers had taken a shortcut jungle route to return to their homes in Kokrajhar and Dhubri in Assam. --IANS sc/vd ( 344 Words) 2022-07-29-20:22:02 (IANS)
A team of Special Task Force (STF) has seized Leopard skin along other incriminating materials from an alleged wildlife criminal, in the Kalahandi district of Bhubneshwar. According to the Bhubneshawr police, an STF team of police conducted a raid with the help of Bhawanipatna Forest Officials of Kalahandi district on Thursday, near Satpur Chhak which falls in between the Rayagada SH under Bhawanipatna Wildlife North Range PS. Narla in Kalahandi after receiving secret information about the possession of Wildlife products by some wildlife criminals. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), STF, JN Pankaj asserted, "In the raid by the special team of Police, an alleged wildlife criminal Kailash Majhi was apprehended, the team also recovered one Leopard skin and some other incriminating materials from Majhi's possession, as per the information the alleged criminal is a resident of Gunupur Ghantamal PS. Narla in Kalahandi". "So far, the alleged criminal has not been able to present any authority in support of the possession of such Leopard Skin. He has handed over all the illegal materials to the Bhawanipatna Forest Officials under Bhawanipatna North Forest Division for necessary legal action," he added. (ANI)
Senior Congress MLA Santosh Singh Saluja on Friday demanded the state government to reopen Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath temple at Puri in Odisha. Speaking at Zero Hour in the Odisha assembly, Saluja said the devotees of Lord Jagannath wanted to know whether the jewellery and other valuables of the deity is in safe custody or not. He urged the Speaker to ask the state government to open the Ratna Bhandar and make necessary renovation of the treasury. Saluja also demanded for inventory of valuables inside the Ratna Bhandar and make it public. Further, the Congress legislator requested Speaker B.K. Arukha to direct the state government to table the report of the Justice Raghubir Dash Commission, which was constituted to probe the incident relating to the missing of the keys of Ratna Bhandar of the temple. "The BJD government has set up 24 Commissions of inquiry on various issues at the cost of crores of rupees during the last 21 years of its rule. However, it is a matter of regret that eight Commissions have not submitted their reports yet. The government, on the other hand, kept on extending their tenure," he said. Speaking to media persons outside the house, Saluja said even Puri king Dibyasingha Deb has expressed concern over the physical condition of Ratna Bhandar. The king has also demanded to make public the valuables kept inside the treasury, he added Earlier, the former law minister Pratap Jena had informed the house that the Ratna Bhandar was opened in 1978. At that time, it had more than 12,831 'bhari' of gold and 22,153 'bhari' silver (one bhari equals 11.66 grams). The storehouse had 12,831 grams of gold ornaments with expensive stones and other valuables of the metal. Similarly, 22,153 grams of silver with expensive stones, silver utensils and other valuables were found. However, 14 gold and silver items could not be weighed during the inventory making process for different reasons. During the process, the value of the items was not assessed, the minister had. --IANS bbm/pgh ( 350 Words) 2022-07-29-20:30:02 (IANS)
"The 51 Squadron based out of Srinagar airport is being number plated on September 30... Thereafter, every year one squadron will be fitted with a number plate," sources said.

The 51 Squadron is famous for thwarting Pakistan's air strike on India on February 27, 2019 and shooting down an F-16 by an aircraft flown by Wing Commander (now Group Captain) Abhinandan Varthaman.

Sources said this is the only instance when a MiG-21 aircraft shot down an F-16 in an air-to-air combat.

IAF is replacing MiG-21 fighter jets with more capable aircraft like Su-30 and indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA).

In the last 20 months, 6 MiG-21 aircraft have crashed in accidents in which five pilots have lost their lives. On Thursday evening, a MiG-21 Type 69 Trainer aircraft crashed in Barmer, Rajasthan killing both the pilots.

The MiG-21 was supposed to be discontinued long back, but the delay in induction of the LCA Tejas aircraft has forced the IAF to continue flying these aircraft.

As per officials, the IAF conducts extensive checks of these aircraft before flight and all safety aspects are taken care of before the pilot takes off.

Officials said that the number plated squadron would be reactivated soon with more capable aircraft in the near future.

--IANS anilsingh/shs

( 260 Words)

2022-07-29-20:50:04 (IANS)
A Special CBI court on Friday convicted former Coal Secretary H.C. Gupta and Joint Secretary K.S. Kropha, Grace Industries Ltd, Nagpur, and its Director Mukesh Gupta in a case related to the allocation of Lohara East Coal block in Maharashtra. "The evidence on record as encapsulated above shows that there was criminal conspiracy amongst Grace Industries Ltd, Mukesh Gupta, H.C. Gupta and K.S. Kropha for procuring recommendation of allocation of Lohara East Coal Block in favour of Grace Industries," special judge Arun Bhardwaj said in the order. "There were no ripples in spite of coming to know that Grace Industries Ltd had made false representations regarding kiln infrastructure and production capacity," the order said. "In the opinion of this court, the circumstantial evidence noted above is sufficient to return a finding that there was a criminal conspiracy amongst these four accused persons for securing recommendation of Screening Committee in favour of Grace Industries Ltd and for allocation of Lohara East Coal Block in favour of M/s GIL," it added. The coal block, located in an area of 3.5 sq km and was having estimated geological reserves of approximately 57 million tons, was jointly allocated to Grace Industries along with Murli Industries Ltd. As per the CBI statement, during the investigation, it was revealed that Grace Industries had secured an allocation of 16.14 million tons of coal reserves in the Lohara East coal block on the basis of false information about net worth, capacity, equipments and status of procurement and installation of plant. It was found that the said private company, in its application, claimed its net worth as Rs 120 crore whereas its own net worth was Rs 3.3 crore and falsified its existing capacity as 1,20,000 TPA against actual project capacity of 30,000 TPA. The company claimed 2 kilns in production and 3 kilns under installation whereas as on September 7, 2006, it had only one kiln in operation. After allocation of coal block, Mukesh Gupta sold the entire equity/share of his company to another person at a profit of about Rs 20 crore. It was found that 51 private Companies had applied for the said coal block, however, criteria for inter se priority was not followed to determine the most suitable company. The company had also submitted an incomplete application, which as per the guidelines of the Coal Ministry, was liable to be rejected. However, officials concerned of the Ministry did not ensure scrutiny of applications. Moreover, the application of the company was also not sent to the Steel Ministry, the administrative ministry concerned, for its assessment. It was also found that the company was recommended for allocation of coal block without the recommendations of the Ministries of Steel and Power and the Maharashtra government. Moreover, excess coal was allotted to the company despite a written complaint made by the other allottee company. After a thorough investigation, a charge sheet was filed on October 28, 2014, and the charges were framed on June 7, 2016 against six accused. The trial court found the four accused guilty, and acquitted two. Arguments on the sentence will be heard on August 4. --IANS jw/sks ( 541 Words) 2022-07-29-22:30:04 (IANS)
In compliance with the orders given by the Director, Urban Local Bodies (ULB) Department, Haryana, all meat shops and slaughterhouses in the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) and Municipal Corporation Manesar (MCM) area will remain closed from August 24 to September 1 for nine days during the Jain festival of Paryushan Parv. "The orders have been received from ULB Department in this regard. As per the orders received, all meat sale shops and slaughterhouses in MCG and the MCM area will remain closed from August 24 to September 1. In these nine days, the festival of Jain community, Paryushan Parv, will be celebrated," Deputy Municipal Commissioner Vijaypal Yadav said. We have directed all the meat sellers located in the corporation area to keep their shops closed during these nine days i.e. from August 24 to September 1. The corporation teams will monitor the area during these days and action will be taken against those who do not follow the orders," he added. --IANS str/khz/ ( 179 Words) 2022-07-29-23:28:03 (IANS)
In the wake of the ongoing row over the "Rashtrapatni" remarks, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that he had demanded a chance to respond to the complaints filed against him in Parliament. "Yesterday I was not given a chance to respond to the complaints filed against me, in the parliament. I have demanded a chance to respond in the parliament, today," said Chowdhury while speaking to ANI on Friday. Chowdhury further added that even though he is the centre of the controversy, the Bharatiya Janata Party is attacking Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi. "The way Sonia Gandhi was targeted in the parliament yesterday.. the government must issue an apology. I am at the centre of this controversy. But the BJP is attacking Sonia Gandhi," said Chowdhury. BJP has left everything and started attacking Sonia Gandhi," he further added. Chowdhury's "Rashtrapatni" remark about President Droupadi Murmu led to a political storm with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha facing disruptions. In the Lok Sabha, Union minister Smriti Irani hit out at Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for referring to President Murmu as "Rashtrapatni" and sought an apology. She also attacked Sonia Gandhi over Chowdhury's remarks alleging that the Congress leader "sanctioned the humiliation" of President Murmu. In Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman demanded an apology from Sonia Gandhi. Three more opposition members were suspended from Rajya Sabha on Thursday for "unruly behaviour". Smriti Irani alleged that Congress workers and leaders "continue to demean the Office of the President of India" "Sonia Gandhi, you sanctioned the humiliation of Droupadi Murmu. Sonia ji sanctioned the humiliation of a woman in the highest constitutional post. Sonia ji sanctioned the humiliation of a poor woman who ascends to the highest Office in this country. You sanctioned the insult of every Indian citizen. You through your male Congress workers and leaders continue to demean the Office of the President of India. Apologies to the nation. Sonia Gandhi apologise to the tribal, poor and woman of the country," she said. BJP women MPs have filed a complaint with the Lok Sabha Speaker against Sonia Gandhi. Sitharaman later told ANI that some BJP MPs in Lok Sabha "felt threatened when Sonia Gandhi came up to our senior leader Rama Devi to find out what was happening during which, one of our members approached there and she (Sonia Gandhi) said 'you don't talk to me', putting the member down in the House". "So instead of remorse, from the highest leader of the Congress party, we find greater and greater aggression," Sitharaman said. The Union minister said that "in every way, Congress party has been attempting to undermine a tribal, self-made, successful leader. We, from the BJP demand the Congress party apologise to the nation". However, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary told the media that he had mistakenly used the term "rashtrapatni" and alleged that the ruling party was deliberately trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. (ANI)
With only two days left for the current excise policy to expire, the Delhi government has decided to go back to the old regime of retail liquor sales for six months.

The Excise Policy 2021-22, which was extended twice after March 31 for two months each, will expire on July 31.

However, the draft policy has yet to be sent to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for approval.

The strained ties between the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi worsened last week when Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22, holding Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, in-charge of the excise department, accountable.

Right after this move, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at the Centre, saying the Lieutenant Governor was making "false allegations" and leaders of the AAP were "not afraid of jail".

The Lt Governor's move follows a report submitted by Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar on the matter. The report, which officials said was submitted on July 8, accuses Sisodia of providing undue benefits to liquor vend licencees in lieu of "kickbacks" and "commissions" and the money being used in the recent Punjab elections.

On July 25, the Delhi Congress staged a protest outside Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's residence here, demanding his resignation over alleged violation of rules and procedural lapses in the city government's excise policy. Congress leaders and workers gathered in Patparganj, holding banners and raised slogans against Sisodia and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar alleged that Sisodia, the minister in-charge of the Delhi government's excise department, is directly responsible for "corrupt deals" with liquor contractors. (ANI)
The seized drugs will be destroyed at the GJ Multiclave, a private plant in the Thenmelpakkam village of the Chengalpattu district.

The NCB team will destroy various types of drugs including White Color Crystalline Powder, and Brownish-Green color dry leaves which were seized at different places at different times around Chennai.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a day-long visit to Chandigarh on Saturday where he is scheduled to inaugurate a conference on drug trafficking and national security. During the conference, drugs will be burnt and disposed of by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) teams in Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati, and Kolkata, under the minister's watch.

Earlier more than Over 40,000 kgs of illicit drugs and narcotic substances were destroyed in over 13 centers all over India to mark Drug Destruction Day on June 8. The event took place in the virtual presence of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The finance minister appreciated the commitment of law enforcement agencies to prevent even the smallest amount of drug smuggling in the country.(ANI)
Nadda on Saturday arrived at Patna airport on Saturday.

He is scheduled to attend a two-day meeting of the Joint National Working Committee. This will be the first time that this meeting of the BJP is being held in Bihar.

Even though Assembly elections in Bihar are 3 years away, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in alliance with the Janata Dal-United in the state, has already started the preparations. The BJP is holding the 'Prawas Programme' as a part of which the party officials are staying in various Assembly constituencies in Bihar on July 28 and 29 to take feedback from the people.

Earlier, state BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal and co-in charge for Bihar Harish Dwivedi said at a joint press conference that Nadda will be setting the tone on the inaugural day on July 30, while Home Minister Amit Shah will wrap up the function a day later, i.e., on July 31.

More than 400 officials and workers from various fronts will attend the meeting.

On July 31, Nadda will inaugurate BJP district offices in 16 districts from Patna BJP state office and lay the foundation stone for construction of buildings in 7 districts.

The closing session will be held at Gyan Bhawan from 4 pm on Sunday. It will be attended by Home Minister Amit Shah who will reach Patna at 1.30 p.m. Shah will participate in the closing ceremony along with Nadda. (ANI)
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has triggered a row claiming that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from Maharashtra then Mumbai will no longer remain the financial capital of the country. During a speech at an event held to name a chowk after the late Shantidevi Champalalji Kothari in Mumbai's in Andheri on Friday, Koshyari said, "Sometimes I tell people in Maharashtra that if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are removed from here, then you will be left with no money. You call Mumbai the financial capital, but if these people of both these states are not here, then it won't be called financial capital." The statement, however, triggered a political storm with many claiming that the sentiments of Marathi people were hury and their contribution ignored. Many political leaders took to Twitter to oppose the governor's statement. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Koshyari's speech was an insult to the people of Maharashtra. He urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to condemn the statement. "The Marathi man gets insulted as soon as a BJP-sponsored chief minister is in power. CM Shinde, at least condemn the Governor. This is an insult to Marathi hard-working people," Raut said in a tweet on Saturday. In another tweet, Raut said, "Chief Minister Shinde, are you listening? That your Maharashtra is different. If you have self-respect, then seek the resignation of the governor." Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, meanwhile, demanded an apology from the governor. "This is an insult to the hard work of the people of Maharashtra and Marathi Manoos who have toiled day in and day out to make the state the leading state of the country. The Governor should apologize immediately, failing which, we will demand to replace him," she tweeted. Congress leaders also condemned the statement. "His name is 'Koshiyari', but as a governor, there is not a bit of 'hoshiyari' (smartness) in what he says and does. He is sitting on the chair only because he faithfully obeys the command of 'we two'," Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh tweeted. Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the insult of the Marathi people by the governor of Maharashtra is terrible. He said, "It is terrible that the Governor of a state defames the people of the same state. During his reign, the level of the institution of the Governor and the political tradition of Maharashtra has not only deteriorated, but Maharashtra has also been continuously disrespected." Bhagat Singh Koshyari in his speech praised the Marwari Gujarati community and said that wherever they go, they contribute to the development of the place by creating hospitals, schools, etc. (ANI)
The controversy over Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's 'Rashtrapatni' remark refused to abate as BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav on Saturday demanded that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the whole country while Chowdhury should seek forgiveness by touching President Droupadi Murmu's feet. "The surprising thing is that despite Congress President Sonia Gandhi being a woman, she is protecting Chowdhury rather than take action over the way the statement was made. Sonia Gandhi should apologise to the whole country and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury should apologise by touching the feet of President Murmu," Yadav said while speaking to ANI. The Rajya Sabha member said Chowdhury had uttered the word 'Rashtrapatni' not once but thrice. "Adhir Ranjan's statement is a derogatory remark against women. No other abuse can be worse than this. People around the country are criticising him for this act and making different comments about him, which I do not even want to make public," Yadav added. Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday issued a written apology to President Murmu over his 'Rashtrapatni' remark which caused a political furore across the country. In a letter addressed to the President, the Congress leader expressed his 'regret for having mistakenly used the word to describe the position.' "I assure you it was a slip of tongue. I apologise and request you to accept the same," Chowdhury wrote in the letter. The BJP insisted the comment by Chowdhury was not a slip of the tongue as being claimed by the Congress leader. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju told ANI that it was not a slip of the tongue. "If you watch the clip, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury clearly (referred to President Murmu as) Rashtrapatni twice, then he called her Rashtrapati. Such matters should not be taken lightly," Rijiju said On Thursday BJP MPs including Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman protested in Parliament against Chowdhury over the remark and demanded an apology from the Congress party. (ANI)
Emphasising that the energy sector will play a huge role in accelerating India's progress over the next 25 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged states and union territories to clear pending power dues as soon as possible. Addressing the 'Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya - Power @2047' programme, the Prime Minister said, "Eight years ago, we took the initiative to transform every part of the country's power sector. To improve the power system, work was done simultaneously in four different directions - generation, transmission, distribution and connection." "In the last 8 years, about 1 lakh 70 thousand MW power generation capacity has been added in the country. 'One Nation One Power Grid' has become the power of the country today. About 1 lakh 70 thousand circuit kilometer transmission lines have been laid to connect the entire country," said the prime minister. "We had resolved to create 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the completion of 75 years of independence. Today, we have come close to this goal. So far, about 170 GW capacity has been installed from non-fossil sources," said PM Modi "Today, India is in the top 4-5 countries of the world in terms of installed solar capacity. Many of the world's largest solar power plants are in India today. Energy and power sectors will play a huge role in accelerating India's progress in the next 25 years. About 1.70 lakh MW of electricity generation capacity added in the country in the last 8 years," he said. Highlighting these developments, the prime minister requested "states whose dues are pending, to clear them as soon as possible." Notably, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1, 2016, to distribute 50 million LPG connections to women of Below Poverty Line families. In May 2016, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG), introduced the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' (PMUY) as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuel such as LPG available to rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc. Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment. The target under the scheme was to release 8 crore LPG connections to the deprived households by March 2020. On September 7, 2019, the Prime Minister handed over the 8th crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The release of 8 crore LPG connections under the scheme has also helped in increasing the LPG coverage from 62 per cent on May 1, 2016 to 99.8 per cent as on April 1, 2021. Under the Union Budget for FY 21-22, provision for release of an additional 1 crore LPG connections under the PMUY scheme has been made. In this phase, a special facility has been given to migrant families. (ANI)
Congress has hit out at Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's controversial remarks about Mumbai owing its financial capital status due to the hard work of Gujaratis and Rajasthanis. "His name is 'Koshiyari', but as a governor, there is not a bit of 'hoshiyari' (smartness) in what he says and does. He is sitting on the chair only because he faithfully obeys the command of 'we two'," Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh tweeted apparently referring to the Maharashtra Cabinet comprising chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. Controversy was stoked by Koshyari's remarks at an event yesterday in which the Governor had said that Mumbai wouldn't have been the financial capital if not for Gujaratis and Rajasthanis. "If Gujaratis and Rajasthanis are removed from Maharashtra, especially Mumbai and Thane, no money would be left here," he said "Mumbai would not be able to remain the financial capital of the country," the Governor said. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) state President and former Maharashtra Cabinet minister condemned Koshyari's remarks and said that Mumbai was standing on the hard work of Marathi workers. In a tweet, the former water resources minister of Maharashtra said that certain dignitaries seemed to be trying hard to please their bosses in Delhi. "The Governor is insulting the Marathi people of Maharashtra by staying in a five-star system. Is this statement acceptable to BJP in Maharashtra? Why is the governor repeatedly insulting the Marathi people and the glorious history of Maharashtra?" asked Jayant Patil. "People who love other states should go there happily," Patil said. "Mumbai has money not because of people from other states, Mumbai is standing on the hard work of Marathi workers of this state," he added. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole also condemned the governor's remark and called for his immediate removal. "We condemn the remarks made by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. He should apologise to the public. He should be removed from his position with immediate effect," Patole said. Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the insult of the Marathi people by the governor of Maharashtra is terrible. He said, "It is terrible that the Governor of a state defames the people of the same state. During his reign, the level of the institution of the Governor and the political tradition of Maharashtra has not only deteriorated, but Maharashtra has also been continuously disrespected." Koshyari in his speech praised the Marwari Gujarati community and said that wherever they go, they contribute to the development of the place by creating hospitals, schools, etc. Earlier on Thursday, the NCP's state chief Jayant Patil took a dig at the delayed allotment of portfolios by the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra and said only a "two-man cabinet" was functional and problems of people due to the flood-like situation and other issues were being ignored. Patil also suggested that differences between the alliance partners - BJP and Shiv Sena's Shinde faction - could be the reason for the delay in portfolio allotments. The NCP leader's comments come at a time when the BJP and the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena have come together to form the government in Maharashtra. While key portfolios are yet to be distributed, Shinde has taken over as the chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has assumed office as deputy chief minister. Patil termed the state of affairs a 'sad' one and said just 'a two-man cabinet' was in place. "The oath ceremony was on June 30. It has been nearly a month but still, cabinet expansion has not taken place, only CM and deputy CM are functioning as the whole state cabinet. It's still a two-man cabinet of the Maharashtra Government," the NCP leader said. (ANI)
The former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and said that he has insulted the Marathis and their pride and that he is trying to divide the society on the basis of community. Uddhav Thackeray said, "I do not want to insult someone sitting on the post of Governor. I respect the chair but Bhagat Singh Koshyari insulted Marathis and there is anger among the people. Governor is trying to divide the society on the basis of religion, he is crossing every limit". "The Governor is the messenger of the President, he takes the words of the President throughout the country. But if he does the same mistakes, then who will take action against him? He has insulted the Marathis and their pride," Uddhav added. Shiv Sena Chief's comment came as a reaction to the Maharashtra Governor Koshyari when he had created a controversy by stating that, if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from Maharashtra, then Mumbai will no longer remain the financial capital of the country. During a speech at an event held to name a chowk after the late Shantideva Champalalji Kothari in Mumbai's Andheri on Friday, Koshyari said, "Sometimes I tell people in Maharashtra that if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are removed from here, then you will be left with no money. You call Mumbai the financial capital, but if these people of both these states are not here, then it won't be called financial capital." The statement, however, triggered a political storm with many claiming that the sentiments of the Marathi people were hurried and their contribution ignored. Many political leaders took to Twitter to oppose the governor's statement.Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Koshyari's speech was an insult to the people of Maharashtra. He urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to condemn the statement. "The Marathi man gets insulted as soon as a BJP-sponsored Chief Minister is in power. CM Shinde should, at least, condemn the Governor. This is an insult to Marathi hard-working people," Raut said in a tweet on Saturday. In another tweet, Raut said, "Chief Minister Shinde, are you listening? That your Maharashtra is different. If you have self-respect, then seek the resignation of the governor." (ANI)
The Supreme Court has stayed an order of the Allahabad High Court where it had vacated the interim protection from arrest granted to international shooter Vartika Singh who had filed a complaint against Union minister Smriti Irani and others for allegedly demanding bribe to appoint her as a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW). A bench of Justices BR Gavai and PS Narasimha issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and sought its response. It also restored the April 29 order where the High Court had stayed the operation of proceeding in the case registered against her in Amethi, Uttar Pradesh. "Issue notice. By way of ad interim order, the impugned order of the High Court stays. Meaning thereby, that the order dated April 29, 2022, shall stand restored until further orders," the bench stated in its order passed on Friday. The High Court on May 11, 2022, had "mechanically" vacated the interim protection granted to Singh from arrest, said advocate Divyesh Pratap Singh, appearing for Singh. Singh has approached the top court challenging the May 11 order of the High Court. She has also sought to stay on the operation of the proceeding in connection with the FIR registered inMusafirkhana, District Amethi. As per the case, Singh was asked to pay a bribe for confirming her appointment as a member of the NCW. The plea said she was approached by one Dr. Rajneesh Singh who claimed to be an associate of the personal secretary of Irani, and that person had assured Singh of her appointment as a member in NCW, New Delhi. Dr. Rajneesh Singh had also sent some unsigned letters on the WhatsApp number of Singh relating to her appointment as a member of NCW, said the plea. The plea stated that Singh, being aggrieved by the illegal gratification sought, had filed complaints and also made a Twitter post regarding the same. "It is on this basis as many as three FIRs were lodged against the petitioner for maligning the name and reputation of the Cabinet Minister as well as other government functionaries," it added. Two FIRs were filed against Singh in Amethi and one in Delhi. (ANI)
Kerala Muslim Jamaat held a protest rally against the appointment of Sriram Venkitaraman, accused in the case of killing a journalist KM Bashir, as Alappuzha District Collector. Venkitaraman assumed the office on July 26. Demonstrators have asked the state government to revoke the appointment. The protest was conducted under the leadership of the Kerala Muslim Jamaat which is led by the Kanthapuram wing. The organization held protest rallies at district centres at 10.30 am. The march was organized in front of the secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and to collectorates in other districts of Kerala. Other forums and organizations of the state have also expressed solidarity with the protest. The Indian Cultural Forum (ICF) will hold protest rallies at 65 centres in different states tonight. Earlier on Monday, Congress also staged a dharna in front of the District Collectorate to protest the appointment of Venkitaraman as DM of Alappuzha. Venkitaraman, currently serving as Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, is accused of his role in the killing of journalist K.M Basheer in 2019. In the same case, Venkitaraman has been charge-sheeted for alcohol-impaired driving and trying to distort the evidence. The IAS officer, Venkitaraman, was returning from a party and was accompanied by a friend when the deadly accident of K.M. Bashir had taken place. The police had registered a case under Section 279 (for reckless driving) and 304 (for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. 35-year-old K.M Basheer was bureau chief of Siraj Daily which is published by AP Samastha fraction whose mother organization is Kerala Muslim Jamaat. Organisation State secretary Majeed Kakkad had started the march. March happened in the state secretariat and all district collectorates of Kerala. (ANI)
Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday cancelled an order transferring Varanasi District Magistrate (DM) Kaushal Raj Sharma that it had issued earlier and announced that the officer would continue work in the same position. On Friday, Sharma was appointed the Commissioner of Prayagraj as per an official order. The order stated that IAS offcer S Rajalingam would be the new Varanasi DM. However, on Saturday the Yogi government cancelled its earlier order and announced that Sharma will be retained as the District Magistrate of Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government had earlier transferred 12 IAS officers including District Magistrates of Unnao, Varanasi, Kushinagar, and Prayagraj among others. The transfer list issued by the government stated that Azamgarh Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant was to be transferred to Prayagraj while Commissioner and Director (Industry and Handloom) Manish Chauhan to Divisional Commissioner Azamgarh. Others included development officers being transferred to other departments. All the transfers were instructed to come into force from July 31. It is to be noted that this was not the first time when the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered mass transfers of officials in the state. Earlier in the month of June, 11 IAS officers were transferred by the government. Sharma is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has been posted as the DM of Varanasi for a long time. Sharma is known to be among the most skilled officers of the UP cadre. During the Covid-19 pandemic, his management of the pandemic received accolades. Under Kaushal's supervision, around 1,900 people were sent back to their native state Bihar by buses during the nationwide lockdown. (ANI)
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President, K. Sudhakaran, on Saturday, slammed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, saying that the AKG Centre attack was orchestrated to vandalise Congress offices in the state. Sudhakaran targeted LDF Convenor, E. P. Jayarajan, as it has been one month since AKG Centre was attacked with a bomb at midnight and yet, the probe has reached nowhere. He said, "The Investigation has been transferred to the Crime Branch now. They are continuously changing the officers and agencies and yet, haven't reached a conclusion yet. They want the accused to be a Congressman, which isn't happening as we aren't involved in this." "It was the LDF Convenor E. P. Jayarajan who alleged that Congress was behind the attack, right after the incident. Congress committee offices were vandalised and he called for a statewide riot against Congress itself. We will take legal action for the loss and demand compensation," K. Sudhakaran told the media at the KPCC office in Trivandrum. Sudhakaran further asked, why is the CM intolerant of democratic protests. He alleged, "Pinarayi is the most corrupt Chief Minister, the state has ever seen and probe in Gold and Dollar case is still going on. We are protesting in a democratic way, but Pinarayi Vijayan's police is arresting Congress activists statewide in the name of preventive detention". "If Pinarayi Vijayan is visiting someplace, he uses around 40 cars for escort and security, as he is afraid of the people and democratic way of protest. His government is questioning the liberty of a citizen," he further added. A bomb was hurled at the AKG Centre, Kerala CPI(M) headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, on June 30. The incident was caught on CCTV camera, where a bike-borne man was seen hurling a bomb at CPI (M) headquarters in the city. The man, who came from the Kunnukuzhy side of the road, fled after throwing the bomb. The police suspected the possibility of a team behind the attack. (ANI)
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said youth should focus on their duties towards the nation and have knowledge of the Constitution. Addressing teachers and students at the Annual function of Ramjas College, New Delhi today, Birla said, "youth need to understand the thoughts and philosophies of our great personalities. The responsibility of fulfilling the dreams for which they fought rests on the youth." Referring to the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Lok Sabha Speaker mentioned that India has scaled new heights of progress in these 75 years. "Today it is the responsibility of the youth to take our country forward on the path of progress. How we can bring change in our democratic country so that every citizen can be a stakeholder of progress? This responsibility is also of the youth," Birla underlined. Speaking further on the responsibility of the youth towards the country, Birla observed that in a democracy, our duty does not end with casting a vote. After the formation of the government, it is the responsibility of the youth to participate in every decision and policies of the government. When a draft is brought before a legislature, the youth should study and analyse the draft and offer their suggestions. This will make legislations meaningful and robust, added Birla. Emphasizing on innovation, Birla said that innovation should take place in all walks of life, and not just in start-ups. While making ourselves self-reliant, we should provide employment to others. Therefore, the youth of India should constantly experiment and innovate. Speaking on character building in education, Birla said that thousands of years ago, when students used to go to Gurukul, they were not only given education, but their character was also built. "Today the world is moving forward towards material prosperity. But India is a country which has a rich spiritual and cultural heritage. It is our culture and civilisation, on the basis of which the youth of India is displaying their talent in many fields in the world, today. They are leading big companies of the world because of their foundational education in India," he said. He also said that as more than 65 per cent population of India are youth, the path of progress of the country will also have to be decided by them. Governments can only make policies, and bring schemes, but the important responsibility of implementing them and accelerating the development of the country lies with the youth. With their energy, hard work and ideas, youth will decide what India will be like after 25 years, Birla said. He also added that in today's digital world there is a need that the youth, women and other people of the country should become digitally literate; everyone should have knowledge of technology so that maximum employment opportunities can be created. The Lok Sabha Speaker said that for the last more than 20 years, the participation of women, youth and underprivileged sections of society is increasing continuously in our Parliament and Legislative Assemblies and as such their representation is also increasing. The participation of citizens in the electoral process is also increasing, he said. He urged the youth to watch the proceedings of Parliament regularly to see how public representatives raise their problems in the House; how national-international subjects are discussed in the House and how agreements and dissent are expressed in democratic institutions. Birla also urged that every youth should know about the Constitution. In this context, he said that soon the Parliament Library would be made available online for all. Speaking on the duty of youth towards the country, Birla said that we should not only be conscious about our rights, but we also have some duties towards our country, which are necessary to be discharged. The youth have to put more emphasis on their duties because that is the guarantee of our rights. (ANI)
Organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI) and any other such fronts, who have been indulging in anti-national activities and creating discord amongst our citizens must be banned and action initiated against them as per law, an interfaith dialogue organized by All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC) said at its resolution here on Saturday. The resolution was adopted in the presence of National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The resolution said that targeting any God/Godesses/ Prophets in discussions or debates by anyone should be condemned and dealt with as per law. Hazrat Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman of All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, said in his remarks that radical organisations should be checked. He also demanded a ban on PFI. "...We condemn when an incident occurs. It's time to do something. Need of hour to rein in and ban radical organisations. Be it any radical organisations, including PFI they should be banned if there is evidence against them," Chishty said. The AISSC resolution proposed to create a new body, inclusive of all faiths, to spread the message of peace and harmony and to fight against the radical forces. The resolution recommended that any person or organisation found guilty with evidence of spreading hatred among the communities through any means must be acted upon as per the provisions of law. In his remarks, Ajit Doval said there some elements are trying to create an environment which is hindering India's progress. "Some elements are trying to create an atmosphere that's vitiating the progress of India. They're creating acrimony and conflict in the name of religion and ideology, it's affecting the entire country while spilling over outside the country too," Doval said. "Instead of being mute spectators, we have to work on the ground on our differences along with strengthening our voices. We've to make every sect of India feel that we are a country together, we are proud of it and that every religion can be professed with freedom here," he added. The aim of the dialogue was to have a rigorous discussion among the representatives of different faiths - Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jain - about the growing religious intolerance in India. The AISSC said in its release that the nation is going through tough times because of certain anti-social elements and groups who are trying to distort the image of India as a shining example of unity in diversity. "India has been the land of various religions and faiths since ages. We share the history of peaceful coexistence. All religions teach fundamentally to love our countrymen without any discrimination. Islam and Sufism have also endorsed this very idea in India since the 12th century. There is no space for hate and agitation against any religion in India," the resolution said. "Organisations like PFI and any other such fronts, who have been indulging in anti-national activities, pursuing a divisive agenda and creating discord amongst our citizens must be banned and action initiated against them as per law of the land. At the same time, we strongly recommend that any person or organisation found guilty with evidence of spreading hatred among the communities through any means must be acted upon as per the provisions of law," it noted. The resolution said it has been observed that social media platforms are being used for promoting hatred against religions and its followers. "We request the government to take serious note and initiate appropriate measures to curb the menace," it said. The resolution said Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism, Budhism and all other religions teach to respect for all human beings, to aspire for common good of humanity. "In these challenging times, it is the duty of all religious and community leaders to be role models for the present and future generations. All religions and communities need to prosper and co-exist in harmony for our country to realise its potential," it said. "We propose to create a new body, inclusive of all faiths, to spread the message of peace, harmony and fight against the radical forces. We seek support of everyone in furtherance of our mission," it added. All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council said they have decided to organise various events on regular basis at State and District levels, to spread the message of social and cultural harmony and brotherhood in India. AISSC is an Islamic, social, voluntary and cultural organization dedicated to the service of humanity and spreading the teachings of Prophet Hazrat Mohammed. "We want to give the message that all religious leaders have a responsibility to guide their community and especially the youth to aspire for being responsible citizens of India. We will start an awareness program, motivate our youth to cherish and follow the ideals of our constitution. Duty to the nation is the most sacred duty for everyone. We strongly profess the concept of 'HubbulWatani'", the resolution said. Kerala High Court had observed in May in an order dismissing the plea seeking a CBI probe into the murder of a RSS worker that Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) are extremist organisations indulging in serious acts of violence. (ANI)
He said this while inaugurating "Gram Sansad" program in Bihar's Patna. Addressing the Bihar Gram Sansad Chapter-II program in Patna Nadda said, "Over 2.63 lakh panchayat profiles have been uploaded on the portal. And a whopping Rs 5.9 thousand crores has been allocated to the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan." He further said, "In order to revamp our Panchayats, a single interface has been created. All the development agendas meant specifically for panchayats have been consolidated on a single portal. So that our Rural Development Minister can monitor progress on a computer screen sitting in one place." During the program, the BJP leader said the "Gram Swaraj" was the idea of Mahatma Gandhi. "The idea of Gram Swaraj was laid by Mahatma Gandhi. The leaders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and BJP have done the work to give it a shape by implementing it on the ideological background," Nadda said. Hitting at the Opposition, BJP National President said the Congress has failed in recognising the vision of Gram Swaraj. "Congress sometimes talked about cooperative farming, sometimes they talked about collective farming. But their thinking about recognizing the conscience of the farmer, village, and poor was left behind. And they failed to realize the vision of Gram Swaraj," Nadda said during the program. The BJP leader further lauded the work done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted the development works. "Prime Minister Modi has done the work of constructing 11 crore toilets across the country. Under the Ujjwala scheme, gas connections have been given to women. Here 10,000 km long roads have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. Today a network of roads is being laid all over the country," he said. Earlier in the day, Nadda held a roadshow in Patna. He is scheduled to attend a two-day meeting of the Joint National Working Committee. This will be the first time that this meeting of the BJP is being held in Bihar. On July 31, Nadda will inaugurate BJP district offices in 16 districts from Patna BJP state office and lay the foundation stone for the construction of buildings in 7 districts. The closing session will be held at Gyan Bhawan from 4 pm on Sunday. It will be attended by Home Minister Amit Shah who will reach Patna at 1.30 p.m. Shah will participate in the closing ceremony along with Nadda. (ANI)
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Saturday said that some elements were creating acrimony and conflict in the name of religion and ideology and noted that there was a need to work on the ground and "strengthen our voices". He was speaking at an interfaith harmony meeting organised by the All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC) in Delhi. "Some elements are trying to create an atmosphere that's vitiating the progress of India. They're creating acrimony and conflict in the name of religion and ideology, it's affecting the entire country while spilling over outside the country too," Doval said. "Instead of being mute spectators, we have to work on the ground on our differences along with strengthening our voices. We have to make every sect of India feel that we are a country together, we are proud of it & that every religion can be professed with freedom here," he added. The National Security Advisor emphasised the need to maintain unity together and said every citizen will benefit from the country's progress. "There's an atmosphere of conflict in the world, if we have to tackle that atmosphere, it's important to maintain the unity of the country together. The way India is progressing will benefit people from all religions," he said. The resolution adopted at the meeting said organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI) and any other such fronts, who have been indulging in anti-national activities and creating discord amongst our citizens must be banned and action initiated against them as per law. The resolution said that targeting any God/Godesses/ Prophets in discussions or debates by anyone should be condemned and dealt with as per law. Hazrat Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman of All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, said in his remarks that radical organisations should be checked. He also demanded a ban on PFI. "...We condemn when an incident occurs. It's time to do something. Need of hour to rein in and ban radical organisations. Be it any radical organisations, including PFI they should be banned if there is evidence against them," Chishty said. The AISSC resolution proposed to create a new body, inclusive of all faiths, to spread the message of peace and harmony and to fight against the radical forces. The resolution recommended that any person or organisation found guilty with evidence of spreading hatred among the communities through any means must be acted upon as per the provisions of law. The aim of the dialogue was to have a rigorous discussion among the representatives of different faiths - Hindu, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jain - about the growing religious intolerance in India. The AISSC said in its release that the nation is going through tough times because of certain anti-social elements and groups who are trying to distort the image of India as a shining example of unity in diversity. "India has been the land of various religions and faiths since ages. We share the history of peaceful coexistence. All religions teach fundamentally to love our countrymen without any discrimination. Islam and Sufism have also endorsed this very idea in India since the 12th century. There is no space for hate and agitation against any religion in India," the resolution said. "Organisations like PFI and any other such fronts, who have been indulging in anti-national activities, pursuing a divisive agenda and creating discord amongst our citizens must be banned and action initiated against them as per law of the land. At the same time, we strongly recommend that any person or organisation found guilty with evidence of spreading hatred among the communities through any means must be acted upon as per the provisions of law," it noted. The resolution said it has been observed that social media platforms are being used for promoting hatred against religions and its followers. "We request the government to take serious note and initiate appropriate measures to curb the menace," it said. The resolution said Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism and all other religions teach to respect for all human beings, to aspire for the common good of humanity. "In these challenging times, it is the duty of all religious and community leaders to be role models for the present and future generations. All religions and communities need to prosper and co-exist in harmony for our country to realise its potential," it said. Kerala High Court had observed in May in an order dismissing the plea seeking a CBI probe into the murder of an RSS worker that the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) are extremist organisations indulging in serious acts of violence. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday applauded President Droupadi Murmu for her achievement to become the 15th President of India despite coming from a background that lacked basic facilities. "Droupadi Murmu recently became the President of India. She comes from such a background, that when she was born, there was neither a proper supply of electricity nor there were any good schools. Despite that, she worked hard towards the service of the people," Home Minister Amit Shah said addressing school students at the inauguration of a school at Mauli Jagran in Chandigarh. President Murmu, who hails from the tribal community, took oath as the 15th President of India on Monday (July 25). On July 22, former Jharkhand Governor Murmu registered a historic win over her rival Yashwant Sinha in the Presidential election, becoming the first woman tribal candidate and the second woman in the country to occupy the highest office in the country. NDA presidential candidate Murmu was officially declared as the 15th President of the country after the conclusion of the counting of votes on July 21. Murmu received 2,824 votes with a value of 6,76,803 while her opponent Yashwant Sinha secured 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177. A total of 4,809 MPs and MLAs cast their votes in the polling that took place on July 18. Secretary General of Rajya Sabha and the Returning Officer for Presidential Election 2022, PC Mody handed over the certificate to President-elect Droupadi Murmu at her residence in Delhi.Soon after the completion of the third round of counting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda met Murmu at her residence in the national capital and extended greetings on her victory. He said that the Constitution of India gives this opportunity to everyone to become the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, or even a great scientist like APJ Abdul Kumar. "You all are fortunate that you will be taught under the influence of National Education Policy, 2020. It has been formulated very carefully with intent for overall development and grooming of a student's mind," the Home Minister said. The Union government on July 29, 2020, announced the new National Education Policy which said that the quality of the education system can be improved through the development of a National Curriculum Framework (NCF) Quoting some Sanskrit phrases, he said that one can achieve anything if he/she is hard-working enough and is dedicated to working continuously towards the goal. "The society always remembers great peoples-- the ones who work for others selflessly," he added. "Hard work can make you successful, but to become Great, you need to do hard work, not for the self but for others," he said. Adding further, he said that nothing can stop the country from becoming the greatest in the world once all of us decide to live for the country. He reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi's har Ghar Tiranga campaign on the occasion of the 75th Independence Day of India and said, "Unfurling the national flag on the occasion will show our determination to devote the rest of our lives to the country." (ANI)
Ranchi Police on Saturday arrested four youths and apprehended one juvenile for allegedly raping and killing a 15-year-old girl in Lapung area of rural Ranchi. According to Naushad Alam, Superintendant of Police, (rural) Ranchi, the incident was reported on July 23. The juvenile is the prime accused in the case. The victim and prime accused were friends, but she started talking to some other boy which irked the accused and he planned to kill her. The official said the victim had gone for paddy cultivation with her sister. In the evening her sister went home but she left behind to complete the cultivation. When she did not return till late at night, the family informed the police. The police team launched the search in that area. Calls were made on the victim's mobile number which traced her deep into the jungle where she was found with her head smashed. During the investigation, police reached out to the prime accused. Upon sustained interrogation, he confessed to his crimes. The juvenile revealed that he and his adult associates raped and killed the victim by smashing her skull. Police have recovered the brick/stone used to smash her and the undergarments of the accused. Other evidence has also been collected. All samples have been sent to the forensic science lab. The accused persons other than the minor have been identified as Roshan Horo, Sukhram Horo, Rahul Horo and Pawan Horo. FIR was registered under sections 302, 376(3) of IPC and section 4/6 POCSO Act at Lapung police station. (ANI)
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called upon schools to forge a strong moral character in children and inculcate the national values of oneness, harmony and universal brotherhood from a young age. Speaking at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Hyderabad Public School here, Naidu said "Founding fathers envisioned an India that does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or even place of birth. Such inclusive and pluralistic values are what makes India a special nation among the comity of nations. Take a pledge to practice and protect these values against all odds." Complimenting the school on the milestone, he urged making 'excellence' the watchword in educational institutions. He advised schools to "take full advantage of the National Education Policy 2020" and foster an all-around growth and development of students - in intellectual, moral and creative terms. Touching on the issue of the use of mother tongue in schools, Naidu expressed concern that some schools "look down upon the student's mother tongue and encourage them to speak and learn exclusively in English." He pointed out that "learning and freely communicating in one's mother tongue not only improves the educational outcomes but more importantly, boosts self-esteem and gives a sense of cultural belonging to the students." Referring to National Education Policy's recommendations, the Vice President wanted a shift in the medium of instruction at the primary level to mother languages and to gradually extend this to higher levels too. "The importance of mother tongue in shaping our childrens personality and moulding their character cannot be overstated," he stressed. Calling punctuality and discipline as very important attributes for success, he exhorted the students to aim high and work hard to progress in life. Crediting 'discipline, dedication, commitment and hard work' for his reaching the second highest constitutional position in the country, Naidu stressed that "hard work has no substitute." The Vice President called for encouraging children to take up Indian art and culture from a young age. He said that India has a great tradition of music and dance, which not only form part of intangible cultural heritage but also act as a great stress reliever. (ANI)
The Supreme Court has issued notice to the wife and father-in-law of Jharkhand's Dalit man who married an upper-caste woman and has been facing a case of abducting his wife. A bench of Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Pardiwala has agreed to implead the wife and father-in-law of the man as parties in the matter and issued notice to them. In April, Supreme Court granted protection from arrest to the same husband in cases filed against him allegedly on behalf of his wife. "Issue notice to the newly added respondents, returnable on August 22, 2022," the court said adding that the interim order dated April 11, 2022, to continue till the next date of hearing. Meanwhile, Jharkhand Police has filed its reply urging the Court to dismiss the petition filed by the man. The Police have accused the man of abducting a woman and forcing her to marry him. The petitioner was represented by advocates Utkarsh Singh, Shivam Rajput, and Sureshan P. The apex court was hearing the petition challenging the judgment of the High Court of Jharkhand dated March 22, which dismissed the man's plea against non-bailable warrants and proceedings under section 82 Crpc against him in connection with a case under Section 366 (abducting, woman to compel her marriage) of Indian Penal Code and others. The Jharkhand High Court had directed him to appear in the concerned court after state Police opposed his plea and submitted that he is evading arrest. The petitioner has claimed that he had been the victim of caste prejudices and social-administrative discrimination. "The case elucidates that the society is yet not ready to accept a Dalit son-in-law and will go to any extent to abuse the process of law to thwart an inter-caste marriage," the petition read. "The boy belongs to a lower community while the woman is from an upper caste and they have registered their marriage before the Magistrate in Dehradun, Uttrakhand on August 10, 2021," the petition read. According to the lawyer for petitioner Utkarsh Singh, this is a classic case and embodiment of the atrocities borne by inter-caste couples and people who support them in defying social norms by performing an inter-caste marriage and the petitioner is one of many everyday victims of the same as well as non-compliance of the judgment of Shakti Vahini vs Union of India. The petitioner's lawyer said that after the solemnization of their marriage, the petitioner was living with his legally wedded wife in Himachal Pradesh but at the midnight of August 12-13, six individuals broke into their house in Police uniforms and assaulted them. After the assault, the petitioner was left unconscious and the wife of the petitioner was forcibly taken away at midnight, the petitioner's lawyer said. According to the petition, the wife of the petitioner was taken away in the presence of Himachal and UP Police officials. The man filed a complaint about the incident before Himachal Pradesh police and later moved to the High Court of Himachal Pradesh with his Habeas Corpus plea to produce his wife. Later the Himachal Pradesh Court was apprised that a case under charges dealing with abduction has been lodged against the man, his father and others in Jharkhand. On November 23, 2021, a local court in Jharkhand issued a non-bailable warrant against the man. The man then moved his anticipatory bail in a District Court in Jharkhand which was dismissed. He later challenged the same in Jharkhand High Court but his anticipatory bail plea was also rejected. The petitioner submitted that the Jharkhand High Court had dismissed the petition without considering the prima facie abuse of the law by the in-laws of the petitioner and ignoring the fact that the petitioner has committed no offence, he is falsely implicated in this case with mala fide intentions of destroying any attempt to pursue his inter-caste marriage. "The petitioner is grossly aggrieved due to the arbitrary and unconstitutional actions of the respondent and in-laws of the petitioner who has grossly misused the entire system to their advantage depriving him the right to equal protection of laws, life and personal," the man said in his plea filed before Supreme Court. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched the Renovated Distribution Area Scheme in Uttarakhand via video conferencing. The scheme was launched at the concluding ceremony of the 'Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya - Power @2047' programme in the virtual presence of State Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the Chief Sevak Sadan at his residence. On the occasion, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone and inauguration of various green energy projects of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the National Rooftop Solar Portal. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi leadership, the country's prestige has increased all over the world in the last eight years," CM Dhami said adding that many new works have also been started in various sections of the country. "New work culture has arrived in the country. During the Corona period, when the economy of the entire world was disturbed, India successfully prepared two indigenous Covid vaccines," the state CM added. He further said, "India also gave more than 200 million vaccines to other countries, while 200 crore vaccines for Coronavirus infection have been administered in India. The booster dose campaign is also going on at a brisk pace." Dhami also said that there were many schemes run by the Power Ministry under the leadership of PM Modi. Stating that a number of projects have already been approved in Uttarakhand, CM Dhami disclosed that the government is moving ahead on the path of the basic concepts which were introduced during the state formation, including the one of energy and tourism. "Everyone's participation is necessary to make Uttarkhand a leading state in the country by 2025. Recently there was a power crisis in the state, the government had completed the electricity supply of the people by purchasing expensive electricity," he added. Several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of various states also participated in the said programme. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that the energy sector will play a huge role in accelerating India's progress over the next 25 years, and urged states and union territories to clear their pending power dues as soon as possible. The prime minister wondered that if the common man could pay his electricity dues regularly, why was it that some states failed in paying theirs? Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Prime Minister Modi on May 1, 2016, to distribute 50 million LPG connections to women of Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. In May 2016, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG), introduced the 'Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana' (PMUY) as a flagship scheme with an objective to make clean cooking fuels such as LPG available to rural and deprived households which were otherwise using traditional cooking fuels such as firewood, coal, cow-dung cakes etc. Usage of traditional cooking fuels had detrimental impacts on the health of rural women as well as on the environment. The target under the scheme was to release 8 crore LPG connections to the deprived households by March 2020. On September 7, 2019, the Prime Minister handed over the 8th crore LPG connection in Aurangabad, Maharashtra. The release of 8 crores LPG connections under the scheme has also helped in increasing the LPG coverage from 62 per cent on May 1, 2016 to 99.8 per cent as on April 1, 2021. Under the Union Budget for FY 21-22, provision for the release of an additional 1 crore LPG connections under the PMUY scheme has been made. In this phase, a special facility has been given to migrant families. (ANI)
The apprehended legislators include Irfan Ansari, MLA from Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap, MLA from Khijri and Naman Bixal, MLA from Kolebira. The huge cash was recovered from their cars in Howarah on Saturday evening.

"We have nabbed 3 MLAs of Congress from Jharkhand namely Irfan Ansari, MLA from Jamtara, Rajesh Kachhap, MLA from Khijri and Naman Bixal, MLA from Kolebira with huge amounts of cash. We would only be able to count it once counting machines come," said Swati Bhangalia, Superintendent of Police, Howrah.

Following the incident, Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attacked the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-Congress government in Jharkhand and said since the formation of the government in the state corruption is rampant.

"Ever since their government came to power, corruption is on a rise. Earlier too, large amounts of cash were caught in Jharkhand at officers' homes. They use the public's hard-earned money for other purposes. Police caught them and it came to light," Aditya Sahu, Jharkhand BJP state general secretary told ANI.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress alleged a conspiracy by the BJP to destabilise the state government.

"It is in BJP's nature to try and destabilize any government which is not theirs. The same has been done against Chief Minister Hemant Soren's government. The only reason they were given money (by BJP) is to make the government fall," Bandhu Tirkey, Jharkhand Congress working President told ANI. (ANI)
Nearly 57,000 Vietnamese work abroad in first 7 months

As many as 56,863 Vietnamese were sent to work abroad in the first seven months of this year, fulfilling 63.2 percent of the years target.



According to statistics of the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the figure includes 21,238 women.





The Vietnamese labourers who work in Japan



Japan and South Korea continued to be the biggest recipients of Vietnamese workers during the period.



So far this year, the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs has carried out measures to boost the use of Vietnamese labour abroad. Vietnam and Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on supporting Vietnamese citizens to participate in the Australian Agriculture Visa Programme. Meanwhile, Vietnam and Thailand are drafting an agreement on labour recruitment.



The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs recently sought government approval for providing loans with security deposits for people who work in South Korea.



Vietnam has set a goal to send 90,000 people to work abroad this year.


A Range Forest Officer in Gujarat's Veraval has been arrested on charges of criminal intimidation and rape of a married woman, officials said on Sunday. The victim, in her complaint, said she had approached RFO Haresh Galchar to seek bail for one of her relatives arrested under forest laws. The accused then forced her to sleep with him in exchange for her relative's bail. Since then, he has been repeatedly assaulting her in his office and quarters by threatening to kill her husband and son. He also threatened to kill her husband, she said. Upon the victim's complaint, the police lodged a case at Veraval City Police Station against Galchar and two others who abetted him. Veraval Deputy Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Jaat told IANS that the complaint was lodged on July 28, but the accused was in contact with the victim since 2019, and are investigating if their relation was consensual. The key accused in the case was nabbed during night patrolling of Veraval by Sub Inspector R.H. Maru and his team. However, the officials are still searching for the absconding duo of Danish Panja, a driver of the Forest Department, and Raju Galchar, a 108 ambulance driver, who are accused of abetting Haresh Galchar. --IANS asmita/sks ( 221 Words) 2022-07-30-19:16:03 (IANS)
Researchers have developed and validated a new assessment instrument called the Extremist Archetypes Scale to assist distinguish between numerous psychological traits that are present in those who engage in violent extremism. The findings of the study by Milan Obaidi and Sara Skaar of the University of Oslo, Norway, and colleagues the tool and validation results were published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. People who join violent extremist groups may differ widely in their motivations, knowledge, personalities, and other factors. However, research into violent extremism has often neglected this variation, limiting the scope and usefulness of such research. To help address this issue, Obaidi and colleagues built on earlier research to develop a new scale that captures heterogeneity among extremists. Their new Extremist Archetypes Scale includes five dimensions of extremist archetypes: "adventurer," "fellow traveller," "leader," "drifter" and "misfit." An "adventurer," for instance, may be drawn to extremism out of excitement and the prospect of being a hero, while a "drifter" may seek group belonging. The researchers chose to treat archetypes as dimensions in order to allow for instances in which an extremist does not fall perfectly within a single archetype and to be able to capture a person's transition into an extremist archetype. Next, the researchers conducted several analyses to help validate the Extremist Archetypes Scale. They tested associations between people's scores on the scale and their scores on several well-established scales that evaluate personality traits, sociopolitical attitudes, ideologies, prejudice, and ethnic identification. In addition, they validated the scale's applicability across diverse instances related to gender, political orientation, age, and ethnicity. The validation analyses supported the predictive validity of the scale -- including across political orientation and ethnicity -- as well as the idea that the archetypes consistently reflect the different personality and behavioural profiles. For instance, the "adventurer" archetype was associated with personality traits of extraversion and violent behavioural intentions, and the "misfit" was associated with narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy. The researchers suggest that the application of their scale in future research could help inform counter-extremism efforts. They also note that they focused on group-based extremism, but future research could examine archetypes of extremists who act alone.The authors add: "The current research developed the Extremist Archetypes Scale, which measures different archetype dimensions that reflect different motivations for joining extremist groups and obtaining different roles within them." (ANI)
Supreme Court judge Justice U.U. Lalit on Saturday said that the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) is going to establish a legal aid system in all districts for the poor, on lines of the public prosecutors' office. Justice Lalit, Executive Chairperson of the NALSA, was addressing the first All India District Legal Services Authorities Meet. He said that 350 districts have been selected in the entire nation, including 112 aspirational districts, which, according to the government, are to be given top priority. The District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) office will function as a nodal office, having an interface with the needy undertrial, and defence counsel would be provided to the poor accused who cannot afford private lawyers, he added. Referring to the 42-day Pan-India Awareness and Outreach Programme, Justice Lalit said in this programme, NALSA, through the State Legal Services Authorities (SLSAs) and DLSAs, reached out to nearly all villages across the nation. Another Supreme Court judge, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while addressing the meet, said justice should not be limited to the socio-economically privileged sections and state actors should secure a just and egalitarian social order. He emphasised on the use of technology, which could reduce the digital divide by widening the reach. Justice Chandrachud said: "19.2 million cases were heard on video conferencing by the high courts and district courts as of April 30. The National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) has data of 17 crore decided and pending cases." Against the existence of graded inequality in the nation, he said justice ought not to be limited to the socio-economically privileged sections of our society and state actors should ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any section of the society due to social and economic disabilities. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, who also addressed the meet, said NALSA has launched a campaign to identify undertrial prisoners who are eligible for release and recommend their cases to review committees. The campaign was launched on July 16, where DLSAs have been mandated to hold weekly meetings of undertrial review committees to discuss progress. He added they will also review additional cases and to discuss further action, which includes filing of bails in high courts and the apex court, if required. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana also addressed the meet and spoke on various issues associated with justice and emphasised on the release of undertrials incarcerated in jails and waiting for legal aid. --IANS ss/sks/vd ( 428 Words) 2022-07-30-19:50:02 (IANS)
Five youths were arrested for entering a wild boar enclosure and uploading a video with wild boar on social media at Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Visakhapatnam, according to the police on Saturday. The youth entered the enclosure and uploaded the video on July 3 on social media. Vizag zoo officials identified the video and registered a police complaint on July 12. Arilova Police arrested five accused in the case. All the arrested accused were identified to be residents of Marikavalasa and all are in between the age group of 19 and 21 years. The case was booked under Wildlife Protection Act against the unidentified individuals under section 38-J for teasing animals in the zoo. "We received a complaint of an Instagram video from Vizag Zoo authorities on July 12. We immediately registered a case and requested Instagram authorities to give full details of the uploader. They denied giving the details and deleted the video. Then we started our own investigation and finally caught them after 15 days of hard investigation in two districts," said Arilova Inspector Emanual Raju. Meanwhile, Zoo curator Nandani Salaria said a group of boys entered the paddock area of wild boar and shot the video within a few minutes and posted it on social media. "A group of young boys have been found to have entered the paddock area of the Wild boar enclosure. The incident has apparently happened over a span of a few minutes and the animal keeper of this enclosure would have been probably either inside the night house cleaning or cutting feed," he said. "The youth recorded the video and uploaded it on social media for likes and shares. Later given a written complaint to the police on July 12, police arrested the youth on July 29. We are monitoring the zoo premises with 54 CCTV Cameras," the curator added. (ANI)
Foreign tours of Arpita Mukherjee, the close aide of former state minister and multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment scam accused Partha Chatterjee, are currently under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials probing the case. From Mukherjee's passport, which is currently with the ED officials, it was found that during the last few years, she made trips to Bangladesh, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. At the same time, the ED has also got definite clues on her multiple visits to neighbouring Nepal. Now these foreign tours, as confirmed by ED sources, have evoked multiple questions in the minds of the probe officials. The first question is whether these overseas visits were just pleasure tips or is there any financial involvement associated with them. The second question is whether Mukherjee made these trips alone or was accompanied by anyone. The third question is why she specially chose these countries for her overseas trips. The most important question, however, is whether Chatterjee accompanied her on any of these overseas trips. ED sources said that they have started questioning Mukherjee on these points, though whatever answers she has given so far on this count are self-contradictory. Noting that current custody of Chatterjee and Mukherjee is till August 3, a source said: "Many of our queries are still unanswered. Although Arpita has started cooperating with us, the former minister is still in a non-cooperation mood. In all probability, we will have to make a plea for extension of their custody." ED sources further said that so far since the time the duo were arrested, officials were mainly concentrating on questioning them only. However, in the course of interrogation, some more names have cropped up and in the second stage, these individuals will have to face the questioning. These names, according to ED sources, are mainly of those who acted as the principal collections agent in the entire scam. "What has come forth is just a small portion of the entire scam. The coming few weeks will be extremely crucial," an ED official said. --IANS src/sks/vd ( 358 Words) 2022-07-30-21:16:02 (IANS)
Opposition's Vice Presidential candidate Margaret Alva on Saturday, while hitting out at Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari for his controversial remarks about Mumbai owing its financial capital status due to the hard work of Gujaratis and Rajasthanis, also took a dig at her electoral opponent and NDA's candidate Jagdeep Dhankhar. While terming Koshyari's remark "unfortunate", Alva said that it was "not unexpected". Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari triggered a row, claiming that if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis were removed from Maharashtra then Mumbai will no longer remain the financial capital of the country. Slamming Koshyari and Dhankhar, Alva tweeted, "The comments by the Governor of Maharashtra are unfortunate, but not unexpected. The message he's received from the ex-Governor of W Bengal's candidature for VP is: controversy, foolish comments and operating like an extra-constitutional authority, is behaviour that gets rewarded." Meanwhile, Eknath Shinde who was sworn in as Maharashtra Chief Minister last month by Governor Koshyari, distanced himself from the row and said that he does not agree with the remarks. During a speech at an event held to name a chowk after the late Shantidevi Champalalji Kothari in Mumbai's in Andheri on Friday, Koshyari said, "Sometimes I tell people in Maharashtra that if Gujarati and Rajasthani people are removed from here, then you will be left with no money. You call Mumbai the financial capital, but if these people of both these states are not here, then it won't be called financial capital." Congress Chief Nana Patole has condemned Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's statement, demanding an apology from him. "We condemn the remarks made by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. He should apologise to the public. He should be removed from his position with immediate effect," said Nana Patole on Saturday. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Koshyari's speech was an insult to the people of Maharashtra. He urged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to condemn the statement. "The Marathi man gets insulted as soon as a BJP-sponsored Chief Minister is in power. CM Shinde should, at least, condemn the Governor. This is an insult to Marathi hard-working people," Raut said in a tweet on Saturday. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed Koshyari and said that he has insulted the Marathis and their pride and that he is trying to divide the society on the basis of community. Uddhav Thackeray said, "I do not want to insult someone sitting on the post of Governor. I respect the chair but Bhagat Singh Koshyari insulted Marathis and there is anger among the people. Governor is trying to divide the society on the basis of religion, he is crossing every limit". (ANI)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Cambodia, the Philippines, and other South African countries in the coming week, the State Department said on Friday. The Secretary will be on travel from August 2nd through August 12th. According to the official statement, on August 3, Blinken will visit Phnom Penh in Cambodia to participate in three separate ministerial hosted by Cambodia as ASEAN chair this year. Blinken will hold discussions with leaders of the ASEAN countries in Phnom Penh to elevate their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. "At May's US-ASEAN Summit here in Washington, D.C., we agreed to elevate our relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Secretary will discuss that matter with our ASEAN friends in Phnom Penh, which will lead up to the November U.S.-ASEAN Summit and East Asia Summit," the statment read. In Cambodia, Blinken will participate in three separate ministerial including US-ASEAN Ministerial, the East Asia Summit foreign ministers meeting, and ASEAN Regional Forum, or ARF. He will hold a discussion on the US-ASEAN partnership, Indo-pacific, global challenges such as Climate Change, human rights and specific political and security concerns. The Secretary will also discuss Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and hold discussions on issues related to food and energy security, which obviously have been negatively impacted by Russia's war. Blinken will hold bilateral meetings with Cambodian leaders, where he will stress his strong support for ASEAN and for the success of Cambodia's chairmanship this year. "He will also underscore the U.S. desire to have a productive and positive relationship with Cambodia, highlighting strong bilateral cooperation on issues such as DPRK sanctions enforcement, law enforcement coordination, and condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine." the official statement said. During his visit to the Philippines, Blinken will meet the newly elected President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and the new Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo. From August 7 to 12, the US Secretary will travel to South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. He will lead the US delegation to the US-South Africa Strategic Dialogue in South Africa. Blinken will meet Rwanda President Paul Kagame and senior government officials as well as members of civil society in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (ANI)
"Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation [of] Huntsville, Alabama is being awarded a ... contract with a maximum amount of USD 3,286,745,005," the Defense Department said in a press release on Friday.

The Defense Department said in the release that Northrop Grumman will design, develop, test and field the next Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Weapon System (GWS) program.

"The GWS contract covers the systems engineering, design, development, integration, testing, and fielding of GWS software and hardware meeting warfighter needs, new requirements and evolving threats with greater reliability, availability, maintainability and testability than the current system," the release said. (ANI/Sputnik)
In a sign of the Taliban's warming up to India, the Kabul regime on Friday rolled out the red carpet for a batch of Afghan Military cadets who returned to Kabul after completing their training in India. Around two dozen of Afghan Military cadets, who returned to Kabul, had passed the Indian Military Academy (IMA) in Dehradun on June 11. "The MoD, Afghanistan, encouraged by our humanitarian aid and placement of our technical team in Indian Embassy, Kabul, had requested EoI Kabul through an official letter on 25.06.22 requesting direct communication with the Afghan cadets trained in IMA/ NDA, India. Govt agencies including MEA facilitated talks between MoD Afghanistan and Afghan cadets and they finally returned after assurances of safety and employment from the Afghan Minister of Defence on 28.07.22," Taliban led Defence Ministry said in a statement on the return of Afghan cadets. It is pertinent to mention that all 25 cadets of the Afghan military academy were sent to India before the Taliban came to power, against whom they were taught to fight. The warm welcome of India-trained Afghan cadets by the Taliban government reflects Kabul's growing closeness to New Delhi. Sources reveal that the Taliban-led Afghan government is keen to use the skills of these cadets to maintain security in the country. Ever since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan last year, the Afghan National Army has ceased to exist, erasing hopes of any such training possibilities for Afghan cadets in future. However, with the kind of welcome the cadets received while reaching Kabul, the hopes are raised high for new Afghan cadets coming to India for training. After the regime change in the country, no new cadets came to IMA for training. Earlier in February, amid reports of detention and execution of Afghan security personnel by the Taliban, the Indian defence ministry had facilitated a prolonged stay for close to 80 Afghan cadets from various Indian military training institutions. India also provided them with a 12-month English course under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme. That also came after the Afghan cadets refused to return to their country. Some sought asylum in India, the US and other western nations. (ANI)
A set of compelling evidence has once again emerged that backs the claims that Wuhan's Huanan seafood and wildlife market was at the centre of the Covid-19 outbreak that has so far claimed over 6 million lives. Two peer-reviewed studies, published in the journal 'Science' take different approaches but come to the same result that the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan was most likely the epicentre for the coronavirus. The first study shows that the earliest known cases were clustered around the Wuhan market. "While early COVID-19 cases occurred across Wuhan, the majority clustered in central Wuhan near the west bank of the Yangtze River, with a high density of cases near to, and surrounding, the Huanan market," the study cited in the journal Science as seen on their website says. The study is tilted "The Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic." "All eight COVID-19 cases detected prior to 20 December were from the western side of the market, where mammal species were also sold. Unlike SARS-CoV-2 positive environmental samples, we found that COVID-19 cases were more diffuse throughout the building," the study in journal Science adds. The other study uses genetic information to track the timing of the COVID outbreak and suggests there were two variants introduced into humans in November or early December 2019. The peer-reviewed study published in the the journal Science titled "The molecular epidemiology of multiple zoonotic origins of SARS-CoV-2" and cited by CNN takes a molecular approach and seems to determine when the first coronavirus infections crossed from animals to humans. According to the study, the first animal-to-human transmission probably happened around November 18, 2019, and it came from lineage B. The researchers further found the lineage B type only in people who had a direct connection to the Huanan market. "These findings indicate that it is unlikely that SARS-CoV-2 circulated widely in humans prior to November 2019 and define the narrow window between when SARS-CoV-2 first jumped into humans and when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported. As with other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 emergence likely resulted from multiple zoonotic events," the study said. Despite taking different routes, both studies arrive at the evidence that Sars-Cov-2 was present in live mammals that were sold at the Huanan market in late 2019.According to two studies, the virus was transmitted to people who were working or shopping there in two separate "spillover events", where a human contracted the virus from an animal. These two peer-reviewed studies come a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended that scientists continue to research all possible origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, including a lab leak. Kristian Andersen, a professor in the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at Scripps Research, said the studies don't definitively disprove the lab leak theory but are extremely persuasive. "I was quite convinced of the lab leak myself, until we dove into this very carefully and looked at it much closer," Andersen was quoted as saying by CNN. "Based on data and analysis I've done over the last decade on many other viruses, I've convinced myself that actually the data points to this particular market." (ANI)
Besides India, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele Sison will travel to Bangladesh and Kuwait from August 2-10. During her visit, Sison will hold consultations on a range of US multilateral priorities.

She will also address issues concerning humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding.

"Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Michele J. Sison will travel to India, Bangladesh, and Kuwait August 2-10 for consultations on a range of U.S. multilateral priorities, including combating food insecurity, advancing global health, addressing human rights and humanitarian needs, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, and support for Rohingya refugees," the US State Department said in a statement.

Sison's meetings with senior government officials will focus on opportunities to deepen its cooperation at the United Nations, and U.S. support for the candidacy of Doreen Bogdan-Martin to become the next Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union.

"In meetings with civil society leaders, the Assistant Secretary will exchange ideas on how the United States and other countries can collaborate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals," the State Department added.

This upcoming visit of Sison comes days after USAID chief Samantha Power's two-day India visit.

She held several meetings with the political leadership in India. The USAID Administrator also held a town hall meeting with the US Embassy and USAID staff where she reflected on 75 years of the US-India diplomatic partnership.

During her visit, she met USAID's local Indian staff and thanked them for their commitment to advancing locally-led development in India, and recognized their resilience amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Friday held a conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Jaishnkar said he had a useful talk on the sidelines with Sergey Lavrov. "Departing Tashkent after a productive SCO FMs gathering. Bilateral meetings with Uzbek, Tajik, Kyrgyz and Kazakh counterparts advanced the India-Central Asia Summit process. Conversation on the sidelines with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia was also useful," Jaishankar tweeted. Jaishankar visited Tashkent on July 28-29 to take part in the meeting of the SCO meeting. Apart from India, the Foreign Ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan also participated. "The meeting discussed the preparations for the forthcoming SCO Summit of Heads of State scheduled to be held in Samarkand on September 15-16 and witnessed a dialogue on international and regional issues," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers with counterparts from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and with the Secretary General of the SCO. On Friday, the Russian embassy in India said that Lavrov met Jaishankar and discussed regional and international problems. According to the embassy, they discussed topical issues of bilateral relations. "On July 28, on the sidelines of the meeting of SCO Council of Foreign Ministers in Tashkent, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov met with Indian External Affairs Minister @DrSJaishankar. They discussed topical issues of bilateral relations as well as regional & international problems," the Russian embassy in India said on Friday. This brief conversation between the two ministers comes as Moscow has underlined that the positive dynamics of trade between the two countries will continue despite the West's sanctions against Moscow. In an interview with Sputnik News India, Russia's envoy Denis Alipov this month said there were certain difficulties with trade after the start of the Ukraine conflict but added that both countries have successfully overcome most of these barriers. Alipov said sanctions will certainly throw up challenges but the cooperation will continue based on common interests. "Unfortunately, in the first months after the launch of the special military operation in Ukraine there were certain difficulties with supplying Russian goods to India and vice versa. However, today we have successfully overcome most of these barriers. We are confident that Indian exports to Russia (including science-intensive ones) will gain momentum in the near future," he said. (ANI)
"In response to New Zealand government sanctions that apply to an increasing number of Russian citizens ... an additional 32 New Zealanders have been added to the national stop-list," the ministry said in a statement.

The new names include heads of municipalities, law enforcement agencies and journalists that "create a Russophobic agenda" in New Zealand, the ministry said.

"The designated individuals are prohibited entry to Russia on an indefinite basis," the statement read.

The list is not conclusive and may be expanded in the future, the ministry said. (ANI/Sputnik)
Hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators, mostly supporters of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr, on Saturday, stormed the heavily fortified parliament building in Baghdad for the second time to protest against the nomination for Prime Minister by rival Iran-backed parties. Demonstrators waved Iraqi flags and portraits of al-Sadr, chanted, and sat down in the legislative chamber, with no lawmakers present.Thousands of protesters also gathered outside the parliament building, with security forces' use of tear gas, water cannons and sound grenades failing to disperse them. Protesters also disassembled large concrete barriers surrounding the heavily-fortified area. The unrest comes just days after hundreds of protestprs on Wednesday burst into heavily fortified Green Zone in the centre of the Iraqi capital, dancing, singing, posing for selfies and eventually peacefully dispersing, reported Sputnik. The Wednesday protests began after competing political factions failed to agree on the formation of a new government. Hundreds of protesters had descended on Iraq's parliament building on Saturday, putting on a repeat performance of Wednesday's unrest. The protesters were opposing the candidacy of Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for the post of Prime Minister, as they believe him to be too close to Iran. al-Sudani is a former minister and ex-provincial governor and is nominated for the prime minister's post on behalf of the Coordination Framework. Visuals from the site showed protestors singing and dancing and one person was seen lying on the desk of the speaker of the Iraqi parliament. No lawmakers were present and only security forces were inside the building as protestors barged in, reported Al Jazeera. However, after a few hours of Wednesday protest, al-Sadr had issued a statement on Twitter telling them their message had been received, and "to return safely" to their homes, signalling there would be no further escalation of the sit-in, Al Jazeera reported. Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi also called on the protesters to "immediately withdraw" from the closely-guarded Green Zone, which is home to government buildings and diplomatic missions. In a statement, he warned that security forces would see to "the protection of state institutions and foreign missions, and prevent any harm to security and order". Shortly after, protesters began making their way out of the parliament building with security forces supervising.Earlier, the police used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, but still, many breached the gates to the area, according to Al Jazeera. The demonstrators walked down the Green Zone's main thoroughfare, with dozens gathering outside the doors to the parliament building. The demonstrators, outside the two entrances to the Green Zone, started chanting "Al-Sudani, out!"This incident and al-Sadr's subsequent show of control over his followers, carried an implicit warning to the Framework Party of a potential escalation if the government is formed with al-Sudani at the helm. Al-Sudani was selected by State of Law leader and former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Before al-Sudani can face parliament to be seated officially as prime minister-designate, parties must first select a president. Notably, Al-Sadr's bloc won 73 seats in Iraq's October 2021 election, making it the largest faction in the 329-seat parliament but, ever since the vote, talks to form a new government have stalled, and Al-Sadr stepped down from the political process. A deadlock persists over the establishment of a new government. In 2016 too al-Sadr's supporters stormed the parliament in a similar fashion. They staged a sit-in and issued demands for political reform after then-Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi sought to replace party-affiliated ministers with technocrats in an anti-corruption drive.Mass protests erupted in 2019 amid public anger over corruption and unemployment and this current protest pose a challenge for the oil-rich country. (ANI)
A Srinagar based-journalist while busting the Pakistani narrative on Kashmir has urged the Kashmiri diaspora in London to stem Islamabad's propaganda which is fraught with denigrating the image of the valley in the international arena, media reports said. At a London gathering, the Kashmiri activist Bashir Assad told that Pakistan is fuelling terrorism in Kashmir. "The Pakistani propaganda is spreading the idea of the Islamic Caliphate to radicalise the youths in the Valley. They are using the outdated UN resolutions and plebiscite calls to muster support from the global audience. It is high time to stem the false narratives on Valley." Bashir Assad, an author engaged in peace-building initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir, exposed Pakistan by noting the real stories are far from the Pakistani narrative, reported Asian Lite News. Notably, Bashir Assad is the author of three famous books on Kashmir - K File: The Conspiracy of Silence and Kashmir - The War of Narratives - An Insider's Perspective and Kashmir beyond Article 370. The event was organised by South Central Asia Academic Forum (SCAAF UK) in London to discuss Bashir's new book "Kashmir - The War of Narratives - An Insider's Perspective." Vinod Tikoo, founder member of the Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre in London and Bismah Mir, the editor of The Kashmir Central also addressed the gathering. Highlighting the use of militants by Pakistan as a weapon to terrorise women and children in the valley, Bismah Mir, "They (Pakistan) are forcing youngsters to join the militant by threatening their mothers and sisters." "The stereotypical Kashmir narrative runs on a grinding machine of disinformation, half-truths, and concocted accounts unrelentingly flowing from Pakistan," said Srinagar-based Journalist Assad. "This is an obfuscation of truth. Through the cruel, merciless arms of terrorism, atrocities, and pain have been inflicted upon the Kashmiris. Hair-raising terrorist atrocities over more than 30 years tell the story of how Pakistan has ripped apart the life and happiness of Kashmiris." Assad said that the diaspora must come forward and rupture the Pakistani misinformation campaign of Pakistan. He added that there is a large number of Mirpuri immigrants (who are originally from Pakistan Occupied Kashmir) in countries like the UK. These immigrants make the Pakistani version dominant in the media and political circle. Because of this reason, he continued saying that some leaders are creating vote banks and setting personal agendas by using Kashmir cards, as per the media portal. "Everybody wrote about Kashmir," said Assad. "There will be oceans of content about Kashmir. Most of them are confining to certain narratives. My concern in is about the society and the society has been destroyed by these narratives. The eco-system created by these narratives." (ANI)
At least 323 security personnel were killed and over 700 injured in these attacks, The Express Tribune reported citing details presented by the Interior Ministry in the Pakistani Senate.

The north-western state of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) reported the highest number of attacks on the security forces with 247 such incidents.

Balochistan witnessed the second highest 171 attacks. Sindh province reported 12 attacks while Punjab witnessed the least number of attacks. Meanwhile, three such incidents took place in Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

There's a high threat of terrorism and sectarian violence throughout the country, according to a report.

The main terrorist threat comes from the Tehrik-e Taleban Pakistan (TTP), an umbrella organisation of groups primarily based in the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), according to a UK government assessment.

"Daesh is also active. While both groups' activities are primarily directed against the Pakistani state, they have in the past stated an intent to launch attacks on western interests. TTP and Daesh conduct attacks throughout Pakistan," the UK Counter Terrorism Policing department said.

Attacks in Pakistan are often indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreigners. Previous methods of attack include hurling of grenades, shootings, bombings and also suicide bombing.

According to the UK government, densely populated and unsecured areas, such as markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, hiking trails, airports, public transport, infrastructure projects, schools and educational institutions are the potential focal points for attacks.

Pakistani government personnel and institutions, and the security forces, including police, are also prime targets for attacks, especially given the ongoing Pakistan military action in the areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province formerly referred to as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). (ANI)
In a reversal of its earlier ban on the import of luxury items, Pakistan's federal cabinet on Saturday approved a decision by an economic committee to unban the imports, media reports said. It is worthy to note that the Pakistani government earlier scurried to ban the import of luxury items due to an alarmingly high trade deficit. After the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) reached a decision to lift the ban on the import of luxury items, the federal government approved the same, reported ARY News. According to details, the ban on the import of luxury items such as cigarettes, chocolate and juices such as cosmetics, tissue papers, pet food, fish, footwear, fruits and dry fruits has been lifted. Pakistan's Commerce Minister on May 20 notified a ban on the import of 38 non-essential luxury items under an "emergency economic plan". Estimation is also building that goods like furniture, ice creams, jams and jellies, leather jackets, shampoo, sunglasses, ketchup, arms and ammunition, pasta, musical instruments, frozen meat, door and window frames, decoration articles, travel bags, suitcases, crockery and corn flakes can also be imported after lifting of the ban. At the time of banning the import of luxury items, the country's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said that the decision was aimed at saving the country its precious foreign exchange. He has also lambasted former Prime Minister Imran Khan's party PTI's "bad governance" which pushed the country into an economic mess. In a tweet, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, "My decision to ban the import of luxury items will save the country precious foreign exchange. We will practice austerity & financially stronger people must lead in this effort so that the less privileged among us do not have to bear this burden inflicted on them by the PTI govt." Meanwhile, Pakistan is currently battling with its fast-exhausting foreign currency reserves and widening fiscal and current account deficits, along with a rupee that has lost almost 20 per cent of its value in just 7 months since January 2022. State Bank of Pakistan's reserves has fallen to as low as USD 9.32 billion, hardly enough to pay for 45 days of imports. The red line for SBP foreign currency reserves is USD 7.5 Billion to avoid "default". Pakistan's political instability threatens to derail efforts to regain the confidence of key lenders. The country's currency endured its worst week in more than two decades, reflecting investors' worries that the country risks following Sri Lanka to become the next emerging economy to default on foreign repayments. (ANI)
The recent protest in Henan by people who were denied access to their accounts exposed China's "biggest bank scam". Hundreds of disgruntled bank customers in China have been protesting for the last two months as their accounts were frozen by four rural banks in the central province of Henan and one in Anhui, reported Financial Post. Chinese bank scams pose threat to public confidence in the financial system. The bank scam is not an isolated or alone event or the first time in China. Bank scams are happening in China. Despite strict regulations, the country has 4,000 small and medium-sized lenders that collectively control about USD 14 trillion in assets. However, confidence in these banks has waved since 2019, when the government seized a lender for the first time since 1998 and imposed losses on some creditors. An official probe into the current case found that Henan Xincaifu Group Investment Holding Co, a private investment firm with stakes in the five exposed banks, colluded with bank employees to take deposits and marketed financial products via online platforms, before transferring the money by fabricating lending agreements, reported Financial Post. Although the police had taken some suspects into custody and seized and frozen funds and assets involved in the case, widespread discount among the people still prevails. The Chinese authorities are already grappling with shaken confidence of people in its financial system, such occurrences are only aggravating the prevailing lack of confidence. The Chinese government of late has seen public protests more frequently due to COVID-19 restrictions and people's protests due to loss of confidence in the financial system since April 2022 could only aggravate the situation. As people protested against the recent bank scams, the Chinese government deployed people's liberation Army tanks on Henan streets which according to many observers was a grim reminder of the Tiananmen Square protests 33 years ago when the student protesters were brutally attacked, reported Financial Post. The bank scams do not anger well for the Chinese financial system as well. It has a variety of weaknesses. The breakneck speed with which shadow banking has grown in China has its own disturbing aspects. Shadow banking in the country refers to underground financial activity that takes place outside the traditional banking regulations and systems. China has one of the largest shadow banking industries with approximately 40 per cent of the country's outstanding loans tied up in shadow banking activities. Economic analysts warn that shadow banking potentially poses a serious systemic risk in the long and short run, reported Financial Post. The Chinese shadow banks have provided easy funding to the property market and real estate which has not only led to the building of more and more apartments which do not find sufficient buyers but has also pushed up housing prices due to excessive speculation. Higher prices prevent clearance of housing inventory and bad loans build up. Investment in using constitutes more than 70 per cent of asset holding in Chinese households. In case houses are not delivered timely or people fail to repay loans, there is certainly a systemic risk. In fact, shadow banking is held responsible for creating the real estate bubble in China which has led to an unsustainable surge in credit activity. The fear of missing out has stocked the investors' expectations and many people are now buying property for investment or speculative purposes, which Guo Shuqing, Chairman of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission termed as "very dangerous." By 2020, the household debt in China had reached 150 per cent of its disposable income. According to a Goldman Sachs report, while the total value of houses and developers' inventory had reached USD 52 trillion in 2019, the amount actually invested in Chinese housing stood at also 1.4 trillion in June 2020. All of these reflect the portends of a financial crisis in the financial system of China and things may worsen if China fails to contain banking scams happening more frequently in recent times. (ANI)
The global image of China, which had been good or at least neutral in many areas of the world for the last two decades, has deteriorated dramatically in the last four years among the countries including the United States, Japan, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Several reports say that between the 1990s and the late 2010s, China had favourable relations with several countries but, at present, Beijing has its worst public image in decades in several areas of the world. Despite increased foreign aid through the Belt and Road Initiative, billions of spending on state television, radio, and other mass communication, and a variety of efforts to expand cultural diplomacy, visitor programmes for foreigners, and scholarships for students to attend university in China. According to a Pew Research Center survey of the public in seventeen different nations, including the United States, "unfavourable opinions of China are... at or near historic highs. The vast majority of industrialised economies polled had largely unfavourable opinions of China." There are several causes for China's deteriorating worldwide image. They include weak diplomacy, increased use of economic coercion, failed soft power attempts, and expanding links to Russia. Recently, China's new diplomatic stance, along with the increasing use of state economic pressure against nations and foreign and domestic Chinese companies, undoubtedly contributes to escalating unfavourable attitudes. Before the Xi era began in 2012-13, there were some hints of China's rising belligerence, but blatantly confrontational diplomacy has flowered under his leadership. At an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting in Hanoi in 2010, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi unleashed a tirade against Southeast Asian leaders, foreshadowing Beijing's new attitude. As Xi has consolidated power at home, eliminating potential opponents and ending consensus authoritarianism for what is now essentially one-man rule, he has demonstrated through speeches and actions that he wants China to reclaim its position as a dominant regional and global power and to promote its model to the rest of the world, the media report stated. He openly expressed nationalist beliefs and, unlike other presidents since Mao, advocated for a Chinese model of development. With Xi leading the way, Chinese diplomacy has shifted dramatically toward the types of statements made by Yang in 2010, under Xi, some of the most venomous diplomats have risen quickly through the foreign ministry, demonstrating to other Chinese diplomats that acting in this manner is a path to promotion. Following Xi's lead, other ministries and diplomats began frequently expressing prickly, nationalist, bombastic words against foreign powers, instilled in China's increasingly nationalistic internal politics. Throughout, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukrainian war, China's more brazen diplomats have vocally assaulted neighbouring countries and promoted misinformation regarding the origins of coronavirus. They have also promoted Russian misinformation regarding the Ukraine war in recent months, while local Chinese media channels portray Russia as the true victim. This is a further step in the employment of disinformation by Chinese diplomats, in which Beijing helps to magnify the lies of another big authoritarian country, with whom it has developed a strong relationship. China's involvement in propagating Russian disinformation online is crucial: many Russian publications are prohibited or blacklisted by governments and tech companies, but China's are not. Simultaneously, China has grown more open about using economic pressure against nations who criticise its international and internal policies. Beijing has used coercion against dozens of states and multinational corporations that have taken critical positions on issues that Beijing regards as critical, such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang, or that have criticised Xi's leadership or have demanded investigations into the origins of COVID-19 or have pushed China to abandon its disastrous zero-COVID policy. China's trajectory is moving towards only one destination - doom. (ANI)
Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey, who is on a visit to Bhutan, paid tribute to the third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuk, at National Memorial Chhorten on Saturday. The Army Chief also interacted with Lieutenant general Batoo Tshering, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of the Royal Bhutan Army. [{52ae68fa-dc00-43ae-951f-bc7f74dcc3a1:intradmin/FY6jzr6aQAUxoLf.jpg}] In a Tweet, Indian Army wrote, "Gen Manoj Pande Chief of Army Staff paid tribute to the third King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuk at National Memorial Chhorten and interacted with Lt Gen Batoo Tshering, COO, Royal Bhutan Army." The visit is to enhance the unique and time-tested bilateral relationship, characterised by utmost trust, goodwill and mutual understanding. "General Manoj Pande #COAS proceeded on a visit to #Bhutan. The visit will further cement the historical bilateral ties and #DefenceCooperation between #India and #Bhutan," the Indian Army had posted earlier on their Twitter account. "The Army Chief will also engage in extensive discussions with his counterpart in the Royal Bhutan Army to exchange views on taking forward the strong cultural and professional bonds between both the Armies.," an official statement had read. According to the statement, the Army Chief will conclude his visit by paying homage at the Druk Wangyal Khang Zhang Chortens at Dochula, which were established in honour of the fallen heroes of the Royal Bhutan Army who made the supreme sacrifice in operations against insurgents. India and Bhutan share a unique and time-tested bilateral relationship, characterised by utmost trust, goodwill and mutual understanding. Compared to other bilateral ties in India's neighbourhood, the relationship with Bhutan is relatively trouble-free and cordial. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were formally established in 1968 with the appointment of a resident representative of India in the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu. The India House (Embassy of India in Bhutan) was inaugurated on May 14, 1968, and Resident Representatives were exchanged in 1971. Ambassadorial level relations began with the upgrading of residents to embassies in 1978. The basis for bilateral relations between India and Bhutan is formed by the Indo-Bhutan Treaty of 1949, which provides for, among others, "perpetual peace and friendship, free trade and commerce and equal justice to each other's citizens." This relationship becomes even more important because four Indian states, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and West Bengal - share a 699-kilometre-long boundary with Bhutan. India is important to Bhutan in multiple ways. It is Bhutan's largest trading partner - both as a source and a market for its goods. As a landlocked country, most of Bhutan's third-country exports also transit through Indian ports. Similarly, Bhutan is also important to India. Bhutan was one of the first nations to recognize the independence of India in 1947. India considers Nepal and Bhutan as important frontiers in its Himalayan foreign policy of mutual trust and cooperation. (ANI)
Protesters in Gilgit-Baltistan were present outside Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid Khan's house and u take notice of the incident and he ordered that the test be postponed. And said that the question paper had already been leaked and there was no check on candidates who were carrying smartphones during the exam.

Dawn reported that soon after the test began, at a girls' college in Gilgit's Chinar Bagh area, hundreds of candidates started gathering outside the examination hall as a protest against mismanagement during the process, saying that the question paper had already been leaked and there was no check on candidates carrying smartphones during the exam.

"It seems the test was just a formality. There were no arrangements," Dawn quoting a candidate named Raza Khan reported.

"There was even no option of writing the candidate's name on the answer sheet," the candidate said further.

They tore up the questions papers and chanted slogans against the government and health officials, Dawn newspaper reported.

As per the publication, around 12,000 candidates applied for the positions. (ANI)
Protesting against the killing of a man and the injuring of another person in an encounter, scores of people vandalised a police station in Multan city of Pakistan's Punjab province, local media reported. As per police, the officers were on a routine checking when they signalled a car to pull over in the Choti Jhok Alpa police area but the riders sped away. The police chased the car and opened fire, leaving riders Faheem and Azam injured while two other riders fled, Dawn reported. Pakistan police have been accused of launching fake encounters and targeted killings in the country over the past several months. Locals in the North Waziristan tribal district have staged a sit-in blocking the main highway connecting Miramshah with other areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to protest against the targeted killings and lawlessness in the area. The sit-in took place on Wednesday. The protest movement has been started under the direction of the Uthmanzai tribe's elders, the main tribe from which the Dawar and Ahmadzai Wazir tribes of North Waziristan descend, Dawn reported. They have been demanding of the government to take action against the target killers and maintain peace in the district. Earlier, on Tuesday, the tribal council (Jigra) of Uthmanzai elders had met where it was decided that a protest movement would be launched and continued till acceptance of their demands. The jirga had also decided to start a complete boycott of the official functions, and that the local people would neither visit offices nor meet the officials. A 30-member jirga comprising elders of all branches of the Uthmanzai tribe was constituted to discuss the situation with the local officials, reported Dawn. Meanwhile, the protesters blocked the Miramshah-Bannu Road while placing boulders on it. On the other hand, the workers of different political parties and local residents continued a sit-in in the Eidek area near Mirali town. (ANI)
Hitting out at the country's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent yesterday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that was on an "internship" and that no one knows him. During a press conference in Islamabad on Saturday, the PTI leader also said that his Bilawal's Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov refused to meet him, The News International reported. While the former human rights minister Shireen Mazari in a Tweet that FM Bilawal's meeting with all foreign ministers at the SCO except those from India and Russia. "Bilawal meets all SCO foreign ministers except Indian FM - which was proper given Modi's fascism in IIOJK - & Russian FM. Why would he not meet Lavrov except out of fear of US! Shameful how subservience before US prevents Imported govt's FM from even mtg Russian FM bilaterally!" she tweeted. According to a press release issued by Pakistan's Foreign Office on July 29, FM Bilawal held important, in-depth interactions with his counterparts from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. However, there is no mention of his meeting with his Russian counterpart. Earlier, he also met with the Acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi, The News International reported. Meanwhile, no bilateral meeting with Russia during the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent on Friday, have raised an eyebrow over the Shahbaz Sharif-led Pakistan government as Islamabad relations with Moscow have been discussed several times during Imran Khan's regime. Pakistan's relationship with Russia was more often talked about at the time when former Prime Minister Imran khan was removed from power in April. Khan has maintained that he was removed from power through a US conspiracy since he wanted to pursue an independent foreign policy, particularly one that deepens ties with Russia. In May, Pakistan had said that it is open to importing oil and food products from Russia amid the ongoing backlash against the country for actions in Ukraine. Russia had launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, the day when former Imran Khan decided to visit Moscow to push for the construction of a long-delayed, multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline to be built in collaboration with Russian companies. (ANI)
The protesting tribesmen had staged a sit-in camp on Friday outside the press club building in Miranshah to protest against the rising incidents of target killings in North Waziristan, reported The News International.

The protest movement has been started under the direction of the Uthmanzai tribe's elders, the main tribe from which the Dawar and Ahmadzai Wazir tribes of North Waziristan descend, Dawn reported.

The protesters had also blocked the Bannu-Miranshah Road and Miranshah-Ghulam Khan road to press the government for acceptance of their demands.

The protesters said the roads would remain blocked until the government took steps to check target killings, reported The News International.

They asked the government to restore law and order to North Waziristan and bring an end to the incidents of target killings.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the tribal council (Jigra) of Uthmanzai elders had met where it was decided that a protest movement would be launched and continued till acceptance of their demands.

The jirga had also decided to start a complete boycott of the official functions, and that the local people would neither visit offices nor meet the officials.

A 30-member jirga comprising elders of all branches of the Uthmanzai tribe was constituted to discuss the situation with the local officials, reported Dawn.

Notably, there have been several cases of such killings in North Waziristan over the past months.

Earlier, the workers of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and other political parties also been protesting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's North Waziristan against the killing of its local leaders and lawlessness in the district.

They continued a sit-in protest against lawlessness in Eidek village and demanded early arrest of the killers of JUI-F leaders Qari Samiuddin, Hafiz Nauman and others, Dawn newspaper reported.

This comes after a few unidentified gunmen on Monday killed a councillor-elect Malik Murtaza, who was also from Eidak village. He was elected councillor during the second phase of the local body elections. (ANI)
China's telecommunication titan Huawei Technologies has seen the toughest times in its international business in the last few years after the company's alleged involvement with the Chinese government sparked protests in many countries due to security threats. Huawei's controversial involvement with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and security agencies sparked protests, especially in those countries which are either capable of independently upgrading their telecommunication infrastructure, or are close allies of the former, the European Times reported. Canada has become the latest country to designate Huawei as a national security concern. Ottawa has accused the company of installing backdoors in its products and services that provide the company unauthorised access to its user data. It is pertinent to mention here that in 2018, Canadian authorities arrested Huawei's high-profile top executive, Meng Wanzhou who was accused of allegedly misleading banks about the company's business dealings in Iran flouting the US sanctions. The United States spearheaded the debate on security threats relating to Huawei's alleged involvement with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2019, the European Times reported. It was one of the first countries to ban Huawei's 5G trials in the US telecommunications equipment handling and telecom business. The US has alleged that the Chinese tech giant is actively involved in stealing American intellectual property and technology specifications. The US Department of Justice (DoJ), in 2019 alleged that Huawei was stealing trade secrets from Bellevue, the Washington-based T-Mobile company. In the same case, the DoJ released a list of crimes against the company's officials including money laundering, conspiracy, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, etc. Consequently, in May 2019, the US banned its companies from using telecom equipment manufactured by Huawei. It also added Huawei to the blacklist of companies that were restricted from doing business with American businesses, the European Times reported. Australia, in 2018 became one of the first to put a complete ban on Huawei's 5G equipment rollout along with its engagements with ZTE, another Chinese telecom giant, immediately followed by Japan in 2018 when it also banned both Huawei and ZTE from its domestic telecom equipment manufacturing industry. In 2020, India followed suit by deciding to keep Huawei and ZTE out of its 5G rollout. Prior to it in 2018, the UK government also banned Huawei from rolling out its 5G equipment. In addition, it ruled out that Huawei equipment within the 4G infrastructure shall also be pulled out of the country by 2020. Out of the group of the 'Five Eyes' alliance, New Zealand 2018 itself, had banned Huawei from the country's first 5G network, following the move of Australia. In South East Asia, in 2019 Malaysia announced that its security standards will dictate the engagement of Huawei with its domestic companies from time to time, signifying concerns with Huawei's equipment., the European Times reported. In the Middle East too, countries which are using Huawei equipment are under the US radar, and Washington has repeatedly flagged its concerns with its Gulf allies over security risks associated with the company. With Huawei's predominance in developing and facilitating 5G networks, China stands to gain access to any and all information it wishes to acquire from any network or nation of its choosing. Huawei has a long history of providing flimsy security for its consumer nations, with a common theme of security breaches, data funnelling to unauthorized locations and backdoor entries into software and equipment. The tech giant has faced a fair amount of heat over incidents involving information breaches, data leaks, compromised software, backdoor entries, and the funnelling of data to unknown locations. Due to this, not just the governments, but other companies too are rethinking their ties with Huawei due to concerns over data piracy and cyber security. Apple has alleged that Huawei stole its trade secrets for business purposes. Cisco has repeatedly cited its 2003 case when it accused Huawei of stealing its source code to build Huawei's network routers, the European Times reported. In 2019, Nokia also decided to replace Huawei from its core infrastructure and partnered with other companies like Intel and Marvel technologies. In January 2019, a non-corporate entity, the University of Oxford, announced that it will not accept any donations or research grants for research projects from Huawei at the University. The European market is the largest market for Huawei's telecom and mobile phone sales but the company's challenges in the market are mounting as, after the debate on national security concerns, several countries have conducted deeper scrutiny and halted the company's business in the European 5G market, the European Times reported. Private telecom companies in the European countries are opting for other companies to help build their 5G network instead of Huawei. France and Germany have clarified that their telecom operators will not be able to renew their licenses with Huawei after their expiry in 2028. Since 2018, China's Big-tech companies, mainly Huawei, have faced the heat of the US-China tech war. While other companies in China have received a setback from their own government in recent years, Huawei continues to enjoy China's state patronage owing to its strategic advantages and associations with China's Belt and Road initiative. The extent to which the US concerns over Huawei have affected China's technology expansion plans is not yet known but it is safe to say that it has surely affected the business of the company's international business and its global standing. (ANI)
GUATEMALA CITY (AP)  One man was wounded Saturday after gunmen opened fire on soldiers at a checkpoint providing area security for a visit by Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei to a town near the Mexican border.

Ruben Tellez, a spokesman for the Guatemalan army, said soldiers were working a highway checkpoint intended to act as perimeter security for the presidential visit to La Laguna, a town in Huehuetenango province.

Tellez said a car approached the checkpoint and its occupants then opened fire on soldiers, who returned fire.

One man, possibly a Mexican, was shot in the legs during the incident and was taken for medical treatment.

It does not appear that Giammattei was ever in danger, was the target of the attack or was anywhere near the shooting.

The area is frequented by human traffickers and drug smugglers, many of whom work for Mexican gangs.

Personnel of the Guatemalan army halted a vehicle that approached their location, Tellez said. But the occupants of the vehicle, upon seeing the presence of the military personnel, started firing, to which the soldiers responded, leaving one person wounded while the rest of the occupants of the vehicle escaped in the direction of Mexico.
The Daily Beast

Tennessee Department of CorrectionA woman who shared a kiss with a prisoner during a visitation in Tennessee has been charged with murder after the inmate died shortly after their exchange.Rachel Dollard was taken into custody over the weekend by special agents from the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) and the Dickson County Sheriffs Department, the TDOC confirmed in a statement on Tuesday. She is accused of smuggling drugs into the Turney Center Industrial Complex.Dollard is facing ch
Police in the Houston area are investigating after a young boy was found dead inside a washing machine in his garage on Thursday.

In a press conference captured by local NBC affiliate KPRC, Lt. Robert Minchew of the Harris County Sheriffs Office Homicide Unit said the parents reported the boy missing at around 5:20 a.m. on Thursday.

Minchew said the parents told investigators that Troy Khoeler, 7, had been missing since 4 a.m. Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman told KPRC the boy was found inside the top-load washing machine located inside the garage around 7:20 a.m.

He said after the boy's body was found, they called deputies with the Harris County Sheriffs Office.

Minchew said the parents were both "separated and detained" as part of the investigation and that the boy had been a foster child who the parents had "possibly adopted in 2019."

He added that it wasn't clear if the boy got into the machine on his own and that he "could not comment" on the possibility of foul play. So far, no arrests have been made.

Thursday night, the Spring Independent School District commented on Troy's death to KPRC.

Spring ISD is deeply saddened about the tragic passing of our student, Troy Khoeler," the district said in a release. "His death represents a great loss for our district, and we are providing ongoing counseling and grief services for students and staff members impacted by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."
MILAN  The Agnelli familys holding Exor is switching its public listing from the Milan Bourse to the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.

The company, which is currently listed on Euronext in Milan, plans to move to Amsterdam to align with it legal structure.

More from WWD

Exor controls a wide range of firms ranging from carmaker Ferrari to fashion brand Shang Xia, which belongs to Hermes International. It also owns The Economist and Gedi Gruppo Editoriale, parent of the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

It has been a Dutch registered entity since 2016, although it maintains operations in Italy, including the Ferrari brands fashion division.

The Amsterdam listing is currently waiting to be approved by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets. It should come into effect in mid-August when Exors ordinary shares will be transferred.

In the interim period leading to the delisting from Milan, shares will be listed on both exchanges.

Exor has grown into a giant holding company, reporting revenues of 136 billion euros in 2021 and posting a profit of 1.7 billion euros. Its net asset value stood at 31 billion euros as of Dec. 31, 2021.

On Friday the holding company also said it plans to continue its buyback program announced in March. A second instalment of up to 250 million euros will take place on Euronext Amsterdam and Euronext Milan.

Last year, the Exor-owned Fiat Chrysler Automobiles group and the French automotive group PSA completed their merger, combining into a company called Stellantis.

Stellantis comprises brands ranging from Fiat and Alfa Romeo to Chrysler, Jeep, Peugeot, Citroen and Maserati. The merger was masterminded by chairman and chief executive officer John Elkann, who has been leading the family holding company for 16 years.

Story continues

Lately, the company has been investing more in luxury. In 2020 it channeled around 80 million euros into Shang Xia, while last year it acquired a 24 percent interest in the Christian Louboutin brand.

It also set up a partnership with The World-Wide Investment Company Ltd., which belongs to the Hong Kong Pao family. They set up a new company called Nuo SpA to invest in consumer goods excellence by supporting the global development of medium-sized Italian companies.

Although rumors have been swirling around Exors, or Ferraris, possible interest in the Giorgio Armani group, both parties waved away the speculation.

Last year an Exor spokesman told WWD that the holding invests in single companies, not in sectors, and in exceptional businesses and founders with shared values, and where it can add value and build great companies. It is the quality of the company, its team and culture and its attractive prospects that are the key drivers of the decision to invest.
Sometimes I think as a society, weve been trained to look at our collective problems through a pinhole-sized aperture.

I look at the cost of health care, relative to our poor outcomes  among 11 high-income countries, the U.S. health care system ranks last in terms of performance, even though we spend the most  and know that there must be a better way to keep our country healthy.

Advertisement

I look at the $1.7 trillion in student loan debt and believe there must be a way to return to the status quo of my time in college, when four years of tuition at the University of Illinois cost less than $10,000.

I look at the fact that the Child Tax Credit, which was enacted during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and lifted millions of children out of poverty, has now been scuttled because of debates about efficiency and who deserves the help, and wonder why its so hard to do the right thing for people who need a leg up.

Advertisement

Elizabeth Popp Berman, a professor of organizational studies at the University of Michigan, is the author of the new book, Thinking like an Economist: How Efficiency Replaced Equality in U.S. Public Policy. (Princeton University Press)

Thanks to Elizabeth Popp Berman, a professor of organizational studies at the University of Michigan, and author of the new book, Thinking like an Economist: How Efficiency Replaced Equality in U.S. Public Policy, I better understand why these things are so difficult. Berman argues that our most powerful institutions have been steeped in what she calls the economic style of reasoning, and this lens has closed off a broader discussion of how to think about these societal challenges.

The economic style of reasoning is not just utilizing the tools of a particular discipline to examine a problem, but is instead an entire worldview that is fundamentally rooted in valuing efficiency above all. Those who embrace the economic style believe that efficiency is a neutral trait, a measuring stick no different from a ruler, but Berman argues that efficiency is itself a value, and often a value that is at odds with the actual wishes of the citizenry.

For example, many believe everyone has a fundamental right to health care, a moral claim that does not invoke efficiency. However, when the economic style is applied to managing a system of health care, the moral claim is shunted aside in favor of competition and markets. Those who embrace the economic style have an unshakable faith that these mechanisms create the best outcomes for the most people.

But this is obviously not true. As the economic style grew in influence from the 1960s, perhaps peaking in the 1990s and remaining dominant today, we have seen ever-increasing inequality in the United States.

The economic style is bipartisan in the sense that both Republicans and centrist Democrats embrace it wholeheartedly, though we also see it often abandoned by Republicans (and some Democrats) when it comes to things like defense spending, where markets and efficiency dont seem to come into play.

Or tax cuts for the wealthy, which will forever be in the Republican playbook.

Some voices that would like to consider issues of equity and morality as we examine policy around things like inequality, antitrust issues, and the environment, are starting to make some noise, but the economic style still dominates. West Virginias Joe Manchin, a centrist Democrat just flushed the last chance for legislation that would retain some kind of child tax credit over concerns about cost. Classic economic style thinking.

Berman makes no specific policy recommendations, but the import of her book is clear to me.

Advertisement

Its OK to believe theres value beyond markets and competition, and while efficiency can be a useful goal in many cases, sometimes we should embrace deeper values around fairness, and dare I say it, right and wrong.

John Warner is the author of Why They Cant Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities.

Twitter @biblioracle

Book recommendations from the Biblioracle

John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books youve read

1. The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler

Advertisement

2. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler

3. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

4. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

5. Blood Harvest by Dashiell Hammett

 Mark V., Chicago

Mark indicates that these are all rereads that he returns to time and again. Im going to take a shot at giving him a contemporary writer working in the same hard-boiled detective vein that he might not be aware of, Charlie Huston, with the first book in his Henry Thompson series, Caught Stealing.

Advertisement

1. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell

2. Lost and Wanted by Nell Freudenberger

3. Writers & Lovers by Lily King

4. Circe by Madeline Miller

5. It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover

 Lisa P., Glenview

Advertisement

I just finished reading Alison Espachs Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance and thought it was terrific, the kind of book that makes you not want to start another book for a couple of days so you can just savor the experience. I think it will strike home for Lisa.

1. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

2. The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

3. How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America by Kiese Laymon

4. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

5. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Advertisement

 Mandy T., New York City

This is a bit of a tough one, with a fair range of subjects and genres. I need a good story that gives Mandy something to sink her teeth into that maybe also has a unique storytelling voice that draws you in. Im going with The Sellout by Paul Beatty.

Get a reading from the Biblioracle

Send a list of the last five books youve read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com.
Hundreds of Air Force and Navy planes are being grounded due to a faulty part in their ejection seats, a major safety concern if a pilot needs to eject from the aircraft suddenly.

The issues first became public Tuesday, when the Navy grounded an undisclosed number of F/A-18 Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, as well as T-45 Goshawk and F-5 Tiger II training aircraft.

The service made the decision to ground the planes "after being notified of [a] potential defect by the vendor," it said. The manufacturer is Martin-Baker, a company in the United Kingdom that specializes in ejection gear for foreign and U.S. aircraft.

Read Next: At Least 9 Helicopters Damaged, Blown Over in Norfolk Storm

Martin-Baker flagged its cartridge-actuated devices -- explosive components used to launch an ejection seat out of the cockpit -- as the issue. Certain lots of those devices dont work properly and need to be replaced, according to the company.

But the problem is hitting the Air Force as well.

On Friday, Air Combat Command (ACC) confirmed in a statement to Military.com that it is standing down its fleet of F-35A Lightning II jets due to the Martin-Baker defect. On July 19, it began a 90-day inspection of all the components in its aircraft.

"Out of an abundance of caution, ACC units will execute a stand-down on July 29 to expedite the inspection process," a statement from the Air Force said. "Based on data gathered from those inspections, ACC will make a determination to resume operations."

Two days earlier, the 19th Air Force's Air Education and Training Command was made aware of the ejection seat issue on its T-38 Talon and T-6 Texan II training planes. Martin-Baker also manufactures the ejection devices for those aircraft.

The Air Force identified a total of 279 T-38 and T-6 planes that are affected and ordered a stand-down for those aircraft, meaning they wont fly until the ejection seats are cleared.

Story continues

"Out of an abundance of caution, 19th Air Force directed that T-38 and T-6 operations be terminated on July 27 while our maintenance and logistics teams further investigated the issue," a statement from Air Education and Training Command said. "Working with the manufacturer, AFMC [Air Force Materiel Command] was able to isolate the specific lot numbers of product that require inspection and further identify which aircraft may be affected."

Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, commander of the 19th Air Force, said the stand-down is necessary to protect the safety of the students and instructors.

"Our actions today were taken out of an abundance of caution in order to ensure the safety of our pilots and aircrew," Wills said. "We will not return aircraft affected by this issue to the flying schedule until we're confident their escape systems are fully functional."

Congress has paid close attention to ejection seat problems after the 2020 death of 1st Lt. David Schmitz, an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot with the 77th Fighter Squadron out of Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. Investigations after his death found that an ejection seat malfunction was partly to blame.

JV Venable, a former Air Force pilot with 25 years of experience and a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, said faulty ejection seat cartridges are just the latest example of long-standing issues related to the military's aging equipment and lack of maintenance preparation.

"This is just one of the many readiness issues that is facing the military right now," Venable said in an interview. "You're starting to see the impact of that with these ejection seats."

Emma Sutcliffe, a spokeswoman for Martin-Baker, told Military.com that the company has not yet issued a statement about the parts issue.

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Ukraine Official Says Country Doesn't Want Old American A-10s
An Oath Keeper from Idaho in Bozeman, Montana. William Campbell/Corbis via Getty Images

An alleged Oath Keeper was charged with sedition following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Police discovered Thomas Caldwell had a 'death list' that included the name of a Georgia election official.

Caldwell's lawyer argued the list was part of a "doodle pad" that should be excluded from evidence.

While searching alleged Oath Keeper Thomas Caldwell's home following the attack on the US Capitol just three days prior, police found a "death list" that included the name of a Georgia election official and their family member.

But in court documents viewed by Insider, Caldwell's lawyer, David Fischer, argued the list is a "doodle pad."

"From the search, law enforcement recovered a document that included the words "DEATH LIST" hand-written across the top with the name of a Georgia election official, a purported family member of that official, and the county and state associated with that official all hand-written underneath," read the government's motion regarding trial evidence.

The document also included hand-written notes relevant to the defendants' preparations in advance of January 6, according to the government motion.

"This document is not a 'list' but, rather, a doodle pad. The words 'death list' are written in all caps, whereas the balance of writing on the doodle pad is written in upper and lower case letters," read the defense's motion to exclude the note pad evidence.

"Moreover, the words 'death list' are separated from the names of the election workers by scribbled writing, and were clearly written with a different pen. There are no other names on the 'list,' because it is not a list. Importantly, the names written on the doodle pad were not, as the Government claims, election 'officials' but, rather, temporary election workers."

Fischer added that because the evidence would "highly prejudicial" to the defendant, there is "no need" for it to be introduced to a jury.

Caldwell is one of nine alleged Oath Keepers charged with seditious conspiracy following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He is also charged with obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property, and unlawful entry on restricted buildings or grounds.

Story continues

In its case against Caldwell, the government argues the Navy veteran  who once worked as a section chief for the FBI  holds a leadership role in the far-right anti-government militia called the Oath Keepers and was known to members as "Commander Tom."

On January 6, Caldwell reportedly started a Facebook Live video taken from inside the Capitol building. According to charging documents, He also sent multiple Facebook messages to others reading, "We are surging forward. Doors breached" and "inside." He described the experience as "storming the castle."

Caldwell has denied being a member of the Oath Keepers, as well as all charges against him.

David Fischer, attorney for Caldwell, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Patriot Ledger file photo of the Long Island Bridge.

To the editor:

This past Monday Quincy Mayor Tom Koch yet again lost a case before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

This time it was over his doggedly fighting the City of Boston's legal rights to rebuild its Long Island Bridge on its dime.

Even though Koch does not have viable demurs, he is continuing this fight on behalf of Squantum NIMBYs.

A key Koch beef is over traffic.

Court ruling: Quincy says latest court ruling 'not a green light' to rebuild Long Island Bridge

Ferry service: Long Island ferry service just got a vote of confidence. Here's where things stand.

So what that Long Island traffic flow before the old bridge was condemned and then demolished is grandfathered.

Even more galling is his hypocrisy. Koch accommodated FedEx opening a distribution facility in half of the Boston Scientific warehouse adjacent to Marina Bay as well as ran over impacted residents.

He has also facilitated thousands of new multiple-unit residential units with thousands more planned.

Koch has also been advised by U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins that Quincy is under investigation for possible civil rights violations under the Americans with Disabilities Act over his hindering of Boston's plans to rebuild its bridge.

U.S. Attorney investigation: Are Quincy's efforts to stop the Long Island Bridge rebuild a civil rights violation?

Most importantly, Quincy taxpayers need to understand that at some point Koch's nonsense runs the risk of a lawsuit filed by Boston to recover costs incurred by his vexatious nonsense.

Basta!

BILL ZAMZOW

Quincy

How to submit a letter to the editor to The Patriot Ledger

Please note, our newsroom is currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Letters mailed to the newsroom may not be received and reviewed in a timely manner. Therefore we are asking readers to submit their letter to the editor through email at editpage@patriotledger.com.

Letters should be 200 words or less. To give everyone a chance to be heard, we allow one letter per writer every 30 days. Please include your name, town and daytime phone number for verification only.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: MA Supreme Court rules against Quincy in Long Island Bridge battle
Tracey Jiles (center) works on sight words with her students in their first grade classroom at Freedom Elementary School in Buckeye on April 13, 2022.

On July 5, Gov. Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1159, which changes standards for teacher preparation in Arizona.

The intention of the bill, according to the governors office, is to give public schools greater options in recruiting teachers, principals and other educational leaders in order to address Arizonas ongoing teacher shortage.

Supporters accept that. Critics worry that the bill will lower the standards for teachers.

As the superintendent of Arizonas largest school district and as the dean of Arizonas largest college of education, we know the scope and impact of the teacher shortage that SB 1159 seeks to address. We are all-in on developing more pathways for people to become teachers  as long as we remain committed to helping them succeed in meeting the needs of Arizona learners.

The catch is that we cant solve the core problem merely by increasing the number of people we can legally hire as teachers.

Teacher shortage is fueled by deeper problems

We are unwilling to lower standards in order to increase headcount. We need to confront the realities of the jobs we are asking teachers to perform and understand why too few people want to enter or stay in the profession.

For six consecutive years, a survey conducted by the Arizona School Personnel Administrators Association has reported not only that Arizona has a teacher shortage but also that the shortage is driven by resignations and attrition.

In a recent national survey by the EdWeek Research Center and Merrimack College, 54% of teachers said they were likely to leave the profession within the next two years. In the same survey, less than half the respondents agreed that the general public respects them and views them as professionals.

Compare that to 77% who felt respected in 2011.

Whether SB 1159 actually helps strengthen education in Arizona depends on whether we can address the immediate teacher shortage while also addressing the systemic problems that underlie that shortage.

Story continues

We think we can. We have been working together to do just that.

Arizona must address these education realities

We are committed to developing new pathways for people to become teachers. We are committed to high-quality preparation for all teachers, no matter how they choose to enter the profession. And we are committed to making teaching a profession that people want to enter and stay in.

To deliver on these commitments, it is necessary to acknowledge and address two realities.

First, we need to understand why not enough people want to teach and why too many people leave teaching too early. Spoiler alert: Its not just the pay.

Second, throwing new teachers and teacher candidates (people enrolled in teacher-prep programs who are not yet certified while they complete internships, apprenticeships or other forms of on-the-job learning) into the deep end to sink or swim (as critics of SB 1159 allege the legislation encourages) is no way to treat aspiring professionals or the students they serve.

The good news is that we can address these two realities at the same time. In fact, it makes no sense to address one without addressing the other.

This is a recipe for burnout and attrition

Both realities are rooted in the default model of how schools function. The one-teacher-one-classroom model asks teachers to be all things to all people at all times. It asks teachers to manage classrooms of 30 or more students; to be role models and social workers; to be data analysts, trauma interventionists and a host of other roles.

Its an unreasonable expectation that rests on the faulty assumption that all learners require the same thing from teachers and, therefore, any teacher can adequately serve every learner.

The model underserves both learners and educators. It alienates teachers and fails to extend the rewards of adult collaboration and problem-solving that professionals in other fields enjoy.

In short, it is a recipe for burnout and attrition.

If were serious about retaining teachers, we need to make the job more attractive and meaningful. That means changing it.

Don't leave any teacher alone to sink or swim

Through the Next Education Workforce initiative, Mesa Public Schools and Arizona State Universitys Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College are working together to:

provide all students with deeper and personalized learning by building teams of educators with distributed expertise; and empower educators by developing new ways to enter, specialize and advance in the profession.

Today, Mesa Public Schools and Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College are collaborating to build Next Education Workforce models in more than 20 of the districts schools, elementary through high school. Other districts in Arizona and across the country are also developing or considering Next Education Workforce models.

Next Education Workforce models look different depending on the learning needs of students. The common thread is that we are working to surround groups of students with teams of educators who collectively can meet the needs of all learners.

In some instances, teacher candidates  usually people enrolled in bachelors or masters degree programs that lead to teacher certification  are deployed in teams with certified teachers.

They are not alone. They are not left to sink or swim. They are surrounded by and teamed with successful professionals from whom they learn from on the job while serving students.

New teachers will need significant support

And heres where we get back to some of the initial concerns about SB 1159. Some press reports misinterpreted the bill as allowing schools to hire people without bachelors degrees as teachers of record responsible for direct instruction, progress evaluations and the assignment of grades.

In fact, while the bill allows schools to hire educators still seeking bachelors degrees, it appears not to allow schools to hire those individuals as teachers of record. In other words, both educationally and legally, those new hires are going to require significant levels of professional supervision and support.

As advocates of Next Education Workforce models, we dont think even seasoned certified teachers should spend most of their days soloing in front of 30 students. So we certainly dont think thats an acceptable way for new teachers and teacher candidates to master their craft.

No matter how people enter teacher-preparation programs, we know they will need professional support to become effective teachers.

SB 1159 is neither a cure nor a curse

We dont know yet what SB 1159 will mean in practice. School superintendents will need guidance from the attorney general and the State Board of Education on how, exactly, to translate the bills intentions into action. From where we sit, SB 1159 is neither a cure nor a curse.

We can and should make it easier for people to enter the profession. We can and should increase the support teachers at all levels of experience receive in order to be effective. We can and should change school models so that they deliver better learning outcomes for students and offer meaningful advancement pathways for teachers.

If we content ourselves with filling the teacher supply pipeline without fixing it, SB 1159 will not turn out to be consequential legislation.

But if it inspires us to address both the immediate labor shortage and the systemic problems that cause it, the law may turn out to have been a meaningful step on the way to improving education in Arizona.

Dr. Carole G. Basile is the Dean of Arizona State Universitys Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Dr. Andi Fourlis is the Superintendent at Mesa Public Schools.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona has a teacher shortage. But we need great teachers
For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Arthur J. Gallagher (NYSE:AJG). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Arthur J. Gallagher

How Fast Is Arthur J. Gallagher Growing?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Over the last three years, Arthur J. Gallagher has grown EPS by 10% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Arthur J. Gallagher shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 18% to 20%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Arthur J. Gallagher's forecast profits?

Are Arthur J. Gallagher Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Arthur J. Gallagher has a market capitalisation of US$38b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$419m. This suggests that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

Story continues

Is Arthur J. Gallagher Worth Keeping An Eye On?

One important encouraging feature of Arthur J. Gallagher is that it is growing profits. If that's not enough on its own, there is also the rather notable levels of insider ownership. These two factors are a huge highlight for the company which should be a strong contender your watchlists. Still, you should learn about the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Arthur J. Gallagher.

Although Arthur J. Gallagher certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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



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

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attends her weekly news conference at the US Capitol on February 23, 2022 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images

A propagandist for the Chinese government warned that the plane carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could be attacked.

Pelosi's aides have not yet confirmed if the Speaker's Asia tour will include a visit to Taiwan.

Military experts have warned that a visit to Taiwan could heighten the risk of a regional crisis.

A leading propagandist for the Chinese government warned that China's military could attack the plane carrying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if it's escorted by US fighter planes on a much-speculated stopover in Taiwan in her upcoming visit to Asia.

Pelosi departed on Friday for a tour that could include a controversial stop in Taiwan, the self-governed island democracy at the heart of rising tensions between Beijing and Washington.

In a now-banned tweet, Hu Xijin, a commentator with the Chinese-state-owned Global Times, wrote, "If US fighter jets escort Pelosi's plane into Taiwan, it is [an] invasion. The [People's Liberation Army] has the right to forcibly dispel Pelosi's plane and the US fighter jets, including firing warning shots and making tactical movement of obstruction."

"If ineffective, then shoot them down," Hu added, per the New York Post.

The Guardian dubbed Hu "China's troll king" and its "most famous propagandist" in a 2021 profile. Hu was formerly the editor-in-chief and party secretary of the Global Times, where "he helped establish a chest-thumping new tone for China on the world stage," said The Guardian.

Pelosi's aides have not yet confirmed if the Speaker's trip will include a visit to Taiwan.

Responding to the growing anger in China at the possibility of Pelosi setting foot in Taiwan, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, "There's no reason for it to come to that, to come to blows, to come to increased physical tension. There's no reason for that because there's been no change in American policy with respect to One China," AP reports.

Tensions between China and Taiwan have been high for decades, with China considering the island its territory. In contrast, Taiwan, an island democracy of 23 million that broke away from Communist China in 1947, sees itself as an independent state.

Story continues

The possibility of a visit to the island by Pelosi has triggered heated rhetoric and warnings from Beijing. Reports indicate the Pentagon is planning to call upon US warplanes and ships to provide additional security near Taiwan if a visit goes ahead.

Top military experts on China have warned that a visit to Taiwan by Pelosi could heighten the risk of an "accident" that could spark a military crisis in the region.

"There's a risk of an accident, not a risk of an imminent Chinese attack on Taiwan," Bonnie Glaser, a leading China expert and director of the Asia program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told Insider.

Should she visit the island, approximately 100 miles from China's southeast coast, Pelosi would become the highest-ranking US lawmaker in over two decades to visit Taiwan.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Armed with garbage bags, gloves and trash pickers, more than 100 volunteers gathered in the North End on Saturday morning to beautify and reinvigorate their neighborhood at the Barbour Street Community Cleanup.

With the sounds of music and the smell of grilled hamburgers and hotdogs in the air, volunteers picked up trash and removed weeds across the entirety of Barbour Street, which runs from Tower Avenue to Capen Street.

Oftentimes people drive through the North End of Hartford and they consider it a space where people dont care. Thats not the truth. There are a lot of disparities that exist within our community. Theres challenges. Theres a lot of reasons why our community looks the way that it looks, but the people that live here love their community. And thats what today is about, Melinda Johnson said.

Johnson is the wife of Urban Hope Refuge Church pastor Rev. AJ Johnson, who also serves as vice chair of the Hartford Board of Education. Rev. Johnson said that he wants to see people value the North Hartford community just as much as the suburban neighborhoods that urban residents flock to. He said communitywide cleanups are a start to that mindset.

I think it just starts with small acts of kindness like this that let people know that we can do more, we can be more and we can love more, Johnson said. This is one of the oldest African American neighborhoods in the state, and its a place that has been economically disinvested. ... Theres shootings. Theres violence. Theres all these things that will discourage people.

And what we wanted to say today is we want to fight back with the spirit of love. And we know that when your space is clean, and you see people active and engaged, that sends a message that its cared for. Its loved.

The cleanup was a collaborative effort drawing a multigenerational group of volunteers from the Urban Hope Refuge Church, Blue Hill Civic Association, Hartford Alumni Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Hartford Communities That Care, Hartford Renaissance District, Love Your Block Hartford, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and the Phi Delta Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.

Story continues

All these organizations show up constantly, Johnson said. We just wanted to pull them together and create a superhero team of people.

Kelvin Lovejoy is the lead community organizer for the Blue Hills Civic Association, which contributed a large number of youth volunteers at Saturdays cleanup.

For young people today, it is extremely important for them to understand the tenants of civic engagement, the importance of civic engagement and why it is a must, Lovejoy said. It is necessary that you get involved in the positive development of your community. And so this is beyond schooling. This is what we call community education. And so we understand that children get reading, writing and arithmetic in school, but in community education, its all about raising the EQ, the emotional quotient.

High school students Arlyse Hurn, Charisma Ceasar, Amani Bowman, Taiga Williams-Bey and Shyan Irving joined the cleanup with the Blue Hills Civic Association. They said that the cleanup made them feel like they were making a positive difference and let them know that they arent forgotten.

This is home, the teens said. It lets us know that people still got love in their hearts for us.

Alison Cross can be reached at across@courant.com.
For decades, Hillsdale College and Grove City College mirrored each other.

Fiercely independent, neither takes any federal dollars, including government-backed student loans, in order to be exempt from most federal rules.

Located in bucolic settings  Hillsdale in agricultural southern mid-Michigan and Grove City in the hills of western Pennsylvania  one feels smarter simply by stepping on the carefully groomed campuses with spectacular academic buildings, chapels and residence halls. Both have reputations as bastions of conservatism.

Hillsdale College's Central Hall is pictured behind the backdrop of the campus' Civil War Memorial.

But the last two years have started to push the two apart, at least in the minds of their core markets.

Hillsdale, to the delight of conservatives and the consternation of liberals, has continued to burnish its conservative credentials. It has worked closely on education matters with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

"The college's belief in genuine classical education and its deep admiration for the principles of the American Founding, as espoused in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, has made it a target for those who oppose such challenges to the status quo of what is now taught in most American institutions of higher education," Hillsdale spokeswoman Emily Davis told the Free Press, adding that Hillsdale wants all students, not just those in Michigan, to have a quality education. "Hillsdale College has been dedicated to pursuing truth and defending liberty since 1844 and has no plans of retreating from that noble effort."

And while Hillsdale alumni, students and faculty have been supportive of the college, alumni, students and faculty at Grove City have been engaged in all-out-war over whether it is woke.

The two schools represent the newest battle in Christian higher education, one that isn't centered on theological issues such as creationism or who is God, but rather on whether Donald Trump won the last election or whether Black people are still targeted by systematic racism in America. It's about politics brought to campus, witnessed by students who arrive as self-styled culture warriors, armed with smartphones and social media.

Story continues

This conflict of ideas is setting up a litmus test with real consequences: Want to survive and perhaps even flourish as a small religious liberal arts school? Don't invite someone to speak on campus who can be characterized as being woke. Have your soaring chapel be dedicated with a speech from Clarence Thomas. Be a training ground for the next Ben Shapiro.

"The clearer a faith-based institution is on where they stand on issues, the more families are happy with them," said Jim Hunter, chief executive officer of Emerge Education, a Pennsylvania-based college enrollment consulting firm. He has studied and co-authored an academic paper on the topic.

A flag on a light pole on Grove City College's campus touts one of its key characteristics.

The statistics show a clear result: Moving off  or being perceived as moving off  from sufficiently conservative viewpoints is a major gamble with poor odds of success. The inverse is also true  the more conservative a religious-based college is, the better its odds are of not just surviving, but flourishing.

More: Why some small conservative Christian colleges see growth where other schools see declines

The growth comes in the crossing of two narratives. One: conservatives convinced in the depths of their hearts they arent welcome in higher ed and thus highly attuned to any slight  real or perceived  that their so-called safe institution is no longer a place where their views can be heard and even flourish. Two: a realization by college leaders that times are tough and they have got to keep people happy.

"Its a major reality," said Grove City President Paul McNulty, a former George W. Bush appointee in the U.S. Attorney General's Office. "Its a continuous reality. You have to always be thinking, 'how will this impact our ability to attract students?' "

Former Deputy U.S. Attorney General Paul McNulty is the current Grove City president.

The upheaval in religious education is rivaling the great debates over higher education from the 1920s that led to the foundation of many superconservative schools, like what is now Bob Jones University, where some were upset over what they saw as a progressive-led move away from traditional belief systems to a more inclusive, modern approach to the world.

Different than previous Christian higher education disputes?

In 1994, I got word the president of the small Christian liberal arts college I was attending wanted to see me. The school, then known as Grand Rapids Baptist College, was going to announce it would be changing its name to Cornerstone College. As the editor of the school paper, I was going to be writing the story on the change and needed the information.

The name change was an acknowledgment by the school's board and administration that the student body was, while still Christian, not simply from the Baptist denomination. It was also part of other shifts, including the loosening of various rules, that left the college, while still more conservative than most places, a wee bit more progressive than before. The changes drew protests from some alumni and donors, worried about the direction of the school, particularly that it was moving away from its traditional set of beliefs.

It's not uncommon for there to be disputes about the direction in which a college is headed. Those debates date to the early 1900s, when a push was made to have colleges and universities focus more on scientific methods and less on their faith-based foundations. Then, in the 1920s, conservatives fought back and founded a variety of very conservative schools.

Now it's 2022. The most recent battle is on and experts believe this iteration is different than previous ones.

Andrea Turpin, associate professor of history, Baylor University

"This is not a split over classic theological beliefs," said Andrea Turpin, an associate professor of history at Baylor University and the author of a book on gender, religion and the changing of the American university in the early 1900s. "Nothing about the creeds is at stake at Grove City. They aren't debating questions like: Who is Jesus?"

The debates are about political issues, often wrapped in Bible verses and interpretations. In many cases, colleges aren't changing their political views, just becoming more vocal about them.

The schools are mirroring their donors. Those leaders who stay are the ones who can show growth and showing growth means listening to the donors and families who keep revenue coming in.

And at higher-priced colleges, which often opt out of federal grants and loans for students and the oversight that comes with them, parents have clear expectations.

"If they are willing to pay a premium, they want to get what they are paying for," Hunter said. "The lack of distinct values in the marketplace is a challenge in enrollment."

Shifting to a more conservative outlook can bring problems, too. Just ask my alma mater, the now-named Cornerstone University. In October 2021, Gerson Moreno-Riano was set to be formally inaugurated as the school's president. But one day before the ceremony, faculty issued a vote of no confidence in him, saying he had allegedly opposed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and created a culture of fear by firing staff and professors with little or no warning.

Moreno-Riano came to Cornerstone from Regent University, founded by conservative evangelical leader Pat Robertson. One year before the no-confidence vote, Moreno-Riano wrote about the "woke" movement in higher education, calling out schools where classrooms "are the breeding grounds of intolerance where the other, any other, who does not pledge absolute, blind allegiance to the emerging revolutionary ethos is demonized, canceled or destroyed."

This spring, Moreno-Riano told me he felt like the school had moved past those conversations. He said he's trying to grow Cornerstone and doing so by showcasing how Christian higher education should work.

"The question is what does Christian mean today?" he said. "Is it subject to whatever the present culture is? Christian is meant to be the Gospel of Christ. At every institution (Christian or not) there's moral formation going on. Every (college) has an anchor point. We are a Christian school. That means we are to touch a deeper part of a person."

The campus of Hillsdale College is located in southern mid-Michigan.

The number of applicants to Cornerstone has been slightly ticking up in the last couple of years. While not the perfect measure of a school's popularity (a student can apply to several schools), it does show interest level in the school. Through the start of June, applications for the 2023 school year were at 2,088 and school officials expected that to top the 2,117 received by summer's end the year before. Both those numbers are up from the 2,061 applicants for the 2020-21 school year.

"What makes a small college successful isnt being conservative per se; its being distinctive," Turpin said. "If the dominant universities and liberal arts colleges in the U.S. shifted over time to become conservative, I would predict it would be the more liberal small colleges that would thrive more, because theyd be offering more of an alternative that would give parents a reason to send their children there instead of somewhere else.

"So the challenge for small Christian colleges that dont want to contribute to the countrys hyper-political polarization is a vision and marketing one: They have to articulate, implement and publicize what it is that they offer that is genuinely distinctive from what is on offer at a secular college but is not just being more politically conservative."

Does a woke label drive away potential students?

Kelly McLaughlin's oldest daughter originally enrolled at Duquesne University, a Catholic school in Pittsburgh. But that didn't last long.

Upset about what they saw as a drift away from core beliefs, the McLaughlins decided she should transfer, and she ended up at Grove City. A second daughter would enroll a few years later and is still enrolled at Grove City.

McLaughlin had a clear goal for her daughters' college education: continue the training the devout Catholic family had pursued their daughters' entire lives.

"We didnt want to undermine everything weve done their entire lives," she said. "Whats the point if at the end you were going to throw up your hands" and send them somewhere that doesn't reinforce the lessons previously taught?"

They believed they found it at Grove City, which isn't a Catholic school. "They (Grove City) were actually conservative and more welcoming to the Catholic faith than the Catholic colleges," she said.

A student walks across Grove City College's campus in early spring 2022

Then reports started coming out about an October 2020 chapel service at Grove City led by Jemar Tisby, who had written a best-selling book, "The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Churchs Complicity in Racism," in 2019.

McNulty said he read the book before the chapel service, and while not agreeing with everything in it, was "very convicted of history of the church ... my heart was broken."

In the 21-minute chapel address, Tisby speaks from Esther 4:12-14, a Bible passage where Mordecai tells Queen Esther she must speak out against planned attacks on the Jewish people. He also heavily drew on Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech and letter from the Birmingham Jail to call on those in attendance to engage in racial justice work.

"We are living in the modern civil rights movement," Tisby said. "Freedom, justice, democracy, especially for Black people and other people of color, are in imminent danger."

He then challenged Grove City students to take action.

"What will it take to convince you that now is the time? How many more deaths? How many more videos? How many more marches? How many more protests? And then the question is, what will you do in such a time as this?" he asked, going on to tell those in attendance to fill your minds with an awareness of racial justice so that five, 10, 20 years from now, you dont have to say, I never knew.' 

Conversations about the chapel service were mostly muted and all in private for more than a year, until they burst into public with a petition from parents called "Save GCC from CRT."

Citing Tisby's talk and another in the 2021-22 school year, among other items, the petition was explicit in what it thought was going on: "From what weve observed, a destructive and profoundly unbiblical worldview seems to be asserting itself at GCC, threatening the academic and spiritual foundations that make the school distinctly Christian.

"That worldview is Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory and woke theology are divisive enemies of Christian unity. They pit Christians against one another based on skin color."

Critical race theory is a broad concept and the subject of long-standing academic research. It generally holds that U.S. justice, economic, cultural and other systems inherently help white people and discriminate against people who are Black or otherwise frequently marginalized. Conservatives believe it is a way to camouflage attacks on white students, making them feel their belief systems and lives are racist.

McLaughlin was among the parents upset.

"Discussing it is fine, but promoting it is much different," she said. "That this was going on in chapel ... to me that was stunning."

McNulty said the college was simply helping its students encounter various beliefs.

"We are not in the business of deconstructing peoples worldviews," he told the Free Press in late March. "Were not into the politics and flavor of the day that would reject traditional values."

The issue exploded on social media and in conservative media outlets and podcasts. Parents expressed strenuous concerns, so much so that Grove City's board launched an investigation into whether the school was going woke and moving away from its mission.

The report found, among other items, that the college should be more careful about whom it invites to speak in chapel. It said Tisby should have been a guest lecturer speaking in a class or in a lecture hall.

And the board committee tried to paint Grove City back into the conservative camp.

"To the petitioners and outside observers who may have wondered if Grove City College is going 'woke,' the answer is emphatically no," they wrote in the report. "By any standard, GCC remains one of the most conservative colleges in the country."

The private worry among college administrators was that being labeled as woke would dry up enrollment and donations, which is a bigger deal for schools like Grove City.

The school is one of a few colleges, including Hillsdale, that eschew federal grants and loans for its students, which exempts it from federal rules and reporting.

Since its founding, Grove City hasn't accepted direct federal funds, which would hamper its ability to be independent. But it did for a time allow students to use federal loans. In the mid-'70s, the federal government required the school to certify it was meeting Title IX, a federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded higher education. The college sued and said it shouldn't have to, since it was free of direct federal funds. That led to a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision and prompted Grove City to pull its students out of the federal college loan pipeline.

The lack of any federal dollars means the school is highly reliant on tuition dollars and donations for revenue. Any significant dip could cause major issues.

In 2019-20, the college had 1,697 applications for enrollment. In 2020-21, applications dropped to 1,624. Then it rebounded slightly, climbing to 2,170 applications for the coming 2022-23 school year.

But that growth in applications pales in comparison to other conservative schools to which Grove City students also apply, a Free Press review shows.

The controversy at Grove City arrived just as the market seemed to be tilting in its direction, thanks to decades of belief  heightened in the Trump era  that higher education is largely biased against conservative students.

The campus of Hillsdale College is located in southern mid-Michigan.

A previous Free Press review of 34 four-year colleges that are charter members of a new conservative association of Christian colleges  to which both Grove City and Hillsdale belong  shows total enrollment at those schools up nearly 8% when comparing fall 2020 enrollment with fall 2010 enrollment.

More: Michigan colleges feeling pinch, compete over shrinking pool of prospective students

A longer-running and bigger association of Christian colleges  with a generally broader canvas of Christian beliefs and practices  is also seeing growth, but less dramatically. Total enrollment is up about 3% over that same decade.

The growth at both camps of Christian colleges far outpaces the overall trend in the private nonprofit school sector. According to that Free Press review of federal data, total enrollment at 950 nonprofit four-year colleges across the country, specifically those with fewer than 5,000 students, fell by about 10% from 2010 to 2020.

"Parents have expectations" of what they want from Grove City, McNulty said. "They tell us, 'Its you or Hillsdale.' (They say,) 'We want to go to places like that because we can be confident they wont be teaching contrary traditional values.' "

Firmly conservative and skyrocketing growth

The most liberal of liberals and the most conservative of conservatives could agree on this: Hillsdale College is conservative with a capital C.

David Whalen, the former provost and current associate vice president for curriculum and professor of English at Hillsdale College

Take the reaction to news media reports of Hillsdale President Larry Arnn's comments attacking teachers, education, diversity administrators and others at a private event with Tennessee's Republican governor. Hillsdale is helping to set up a chain of charter schools in the state. Liberals attacked the comments, raising alarm about what they say is the rise of uber-conservative forces. Conservatives defended Arnn, saying he was simply speaking the truth. Hillsdale has also become heavily involved in Florida politics, partnering with GOP leaders there in a major push to change what is taught  and how.

Founded in 1844, Hillsdale has a long history of traditional conservative values. One of its earliest presidents was among the founders of the Republican Party in nearby Jackson. In the 1980s, after the Grove City College court case, Hillsdale completely withdrew from accepting any federal funds. After controversy and scandal in the late 1990s, the college has rebounded.

"In an age when most institutions change as rapidly as the highly volatile spirit of the moment, we remain true to our founding principles and mission. People recognize the difference," said David Whalen, the former provost and current associate vice president for curriculum and a professor of English. "Students and families want college, not pseudo-education."

The number of students applying for admission to Hillsdale has skyrocketed in recent years. In 2019, 2,328 students applied for admission. In 2022, more than 3,400 have applied for admission to the school. That's a nearly 50% increase.

Those students know exactly what they are going to get when they go to Hillsdale, and there's a growing market for it.

"Hillsdale keeps its values the same because they are embedded in the mission  a treasured mission that is not ours to alter or ignore," Whalen said. "Hillsdale College faculty, students, and staff are here in service of the mission, not to bend it on a whim nor according to the idol of the day.

"I know we have students who applied or transferred here because they are worried about other colleges and universities  they became disillusioned about institutions that simply go through the motions."

Hillsdale's growth isn't an isolated case among conservative schools.

The campus of Hillsdale College is located in southern mid-Michigan.

Consider Cedarville University, a Baptist-affiliated school near Dayton, Ohio. After a several years of enrollment decline, it started increasing enrollment in the 2010-11 school year. A new president arrived in 2014 and Cedarville embraced its traditional conservative beliefs, helping drive enrollment growth since that 2010-11 school year.

In 2019, the university got 3,869 applications from prospective students for its freshman class. As of June 22, the university had 5,403 applications for the 2022-23 school year. That's 40% growth.

Parents have always been interested in what their students will be exposed to at college, said Scott Van Loo, Cedarville's vice president for enrollment management. Van Loo, who served in various student life and admissions roles at Cedarville from 2000 to 2009 and returned in 2016, said the questions for college staff have changed.

"The questions are more intentional," he said. "What can I expect will happen in the classroom?' They want to make sure the Bible is taught. They aren't asking, 'Do you have a Christian worldview,' they are asking, 'Do you have a biblical worldview?' "

Cedarville's growth, Van Loo said, is attributable, in part, to being able to answer yes to those questions.

Culture warriors or college students?

In the fall of 2021, a Grove City College chapel service featured chaplain Donald Opitz, who used a talk by Bryan Stevenson, a nationally known lawyer and social justice activist, to talk about mercy.

After the chapel service, a freshman there reached out to someone in the group of parents who filed the petition calling for change at Grove City to say he was troubled by the chapel service and wanted to know how he could stop the spread of critical race theory on campus. About a month after that chapel service, the parents published their petition, which included several examples of what the group said was evidence of CRT spreading at the college, most of which was reported by students to their parents.

That kicked off the debate over whether Grove City was "woke" and teaching CRT. It also showcased the polarization that is no longer just between Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, but between conservative and conservative and liberal and liberal.

"I worry that our polarization is extended to the point where I dont know how we come out if it," McNulty said. "It seems to be much different than in the past.

"Students come in seeing themselves as culture warriors. They see everything through that lens."

David Jesse was a 2020-21 Spencer Education Reporting Fellow at Columbia University and the 2018 Education Writer Association's best education reporter. Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Being labeled as 'woke' can cost Christian colleges students, money
HBO

On Dec. 4, 2021, after an investigation conducted by an outside law firm, CNN terminated its star host Chris Cuomo.

The news came after it was revealed that in May of that year, Cuomo had been acting as an unofficial adviser to his brother, Governor Andrew Cuomo, concerning the multiple allegations of sexual harassment against him (in clear violation of journalism ethics). Cuomo apologized for this breach of conduct and promised it would never happen again, and CNN let him keep his cushy gig.

Four months later, in September, Cuomos ex-boss Shelley Ross accused him of sexual harassment in an eye-opening New York Times op-ed (Cuomo copped to it but maintained the incident was not sexual in nature). In late November, the New York attorney general released evidence that CNNs Cuomo had pressured his sources for dirt on his brothers accusers, was in regular contact with Gov. Cuomos top aide Melissa DeRosa, and helped his brother craft public statements about the allegations. CNN subsequently suspended him. Around this time, another sexual harassment allegation against Cuomo surfaced. CNN fired him, prompting Cuomo to file for $125 million in damages against the network. Hes set to host a new show on NewsNation, which is apparently a thing.

That all brings us to Friday night, and Cuomos sit-down interview with Real Times Bill Maher.

After some terribly lame monologue jokes about COVID mortality and monkeypox, Maher invited Cuomo onto the Real Time stage and started things off by asking if he was happy, before lobbing even more softball questions at his guest, wondering whether he felt good now that CNNs ratings are down in his absence.

I want good things for people there. I dont like how it ended. I had a great team I didnt get to say goodbye to. I just want to move on, Cuomo remarked.

Maher proceeded to ask such probing questions as, How is your brother doing?, leading Cuomo to discuss how his brother is struggling and has dealt with a lot.

Story continues

Did you ever think that his downfall would be women? I never pictured him as that guy, Maher queried, prompting a dodge from Cuomo.

John Oliver Returns to Brutally Roast Josh Hawley Over Jan. 6 Fleeing Video

Then, the HBO host got into the CNN guys own fall from grace.

Maher said, I dont know if you were advising [Governor Cuomo] during this scandal, and then expressed shock when Cuomo admitted he was, even though this is all a matter of very public record.

He further attempted to brand CNN as hypocritical for the firing, since CNN said it violated journalistic standardsbut they made a conscious decision to move toward opinion rather than delivering the straight newswhich is some serious mental gymnastics, equating op-ed journalism with Cuomo violating journalism ethics by using his media sources to not only advise his scandalized brother but investigate his accusers, in addition to underrepresenting the extent of his involvement when it first came to light.

Bill Mahers HBO Special #Adulting Is Where Comedy Goes to Die

Maher made a better argument when he brought up why Fox News Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham were allowed to keep their jobs while advising Trump all the time and Cuomo wasnt. (The short answer: Fox News threw journalism ethics out the window a long time ago when it comes to their morning and primetime hosts.)

Isnt that the same thing? asked Maher.

Cuomo wouldnt play ball, responding, Do you want me to fire them?

Maher neglected to ask about the circumstances surrounding Cuomos firing from CNN, the $125 million in damages hes seeking from the network, the sexual-harassment allegations against him, or anything that may have rubbed his guestand friendthe wrong way.

Unsurprising, really, from a guy who loves few things more than defending prominent men accused of despicable things.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
In all fairness, that is tough to inject all that into "Godspell," which really sits more easily in its original period than in this updated version (a revised standard version, you might say) created for the Broadway revival a couple of seasons ago. I can't say the new orchestrations feel like much of an improvement, but then I think the old ones sublime in their simplicity. To his credit, Raftery does not stage an overly frenetic show  a real temptation where there are so many loosely theatricalized parables that the director and actors must find non-copycat ways to stage, and Raftery does not overuse all the updated pop culture references, which was smart. But he struggles with one of the central challenges of the show, which revolves along the lines of: Who are these people? What are they all doing? And why should we care about their rapidly changing emotions and loyalties?
Nigerian Embassy to Italy

Italys far-right coalition is distancing itself from the vile racism that led to the murder of a disabled Black man with his own crutch in northern Italy on Friday. Alika Ogorchukwu, a Nigerian peddler, was beaten to death as onlookers recorded the horrific incident in the center of Civitanova, not far from where a white supremacist went on a shooting rampage hunting Black immigrants in 2018.

The alleged perpetrator, Filippo Claudio Giuseppe Ferlazzo, 32, says Ogorchukwu touched his girlfriends arm as he tried to sell them trinkets near the train station. Ferlazzo, whose political affiliation is not known, then chased Ogorchukwu, 39, down the street until he fell. According to multiple videos of the scene, Ferlazzo then beat Ogorchukwufirst with the victims crutch and then with his bare handsuntil he died.

Inside Steve Bannons Alt-Right Circus: A Trip to Rome to Rally Like-Minded Thinkers

Several people called police during the four-minute beating, but no one tried to pull Ferlazzo off Ogorchukwu. When police arrived, they arrested Felazzo and called an ambulance for Ogorchukwuwho was, by then, dead.

The incident comes at a time when Italy is gearing up for snap elections after the government of Mario Draghi fell in what is by now usual chaos. Italys center and far-right groups have formed a seemingly winning coalition, led by Giorgia Meloni whose far-right Brothers of Italy party boasts many of the same symbols as Italys long-dead Fascist party. Meloni, who is a regular at the CPAC conventions in the U.S., and who has invited her buddy Steve Bannon to speak at her conferences in Rome, is anti-immigration.

Meet the Most Dangerous Man in Italy

So is Matteo Salvini, a former Trump loyalist who visited him on the campaign trail and who, when appointed Interior Minister immediately closed Italys ports to rescued migrants. He is now facing a criminal trial for kidnapping after not allowing several hundred people to dock. The other major player in the coalition is Italys long-standing statesman Silvio Berlusconi, who famously cut a deal with Libyan leader Muamar Ghadaffi to close the spigot of migrants coming from Libya to Italy in exchange for investments.

Story continues

Immediately, those opposing this leading group have suggested that the murder of Ogorchukwu is directly linked to politics. Salvini immediately posted a photo of the victim on his social media. You cant die like that, he wrote. A prayer for Alika and a hug to his family, for the killer, sure pain to the end. City in disarray, violence by day and by night, we cant take it anymore: security has no color, security must go back to being a right.

The Nigerian Embassy to Italy has called for peaceful protests and a thorough investigation into the murder.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
Jul. 29GOSHEN  Elkhart County dispatchers received a threat of a bomb in a building at Goshen College at 12:25 p.m. Friday.

But it wasn't the only Indiana college receiving a bomb threat.

According to the Kokomo Tribune, "Business as usual was interrupted Friday at several of the state's Ivy Tech Community College campuses, including the one in Kokomo, due to bomb threats that caused temporary closures and sweeping searches.

"Mary Jane Michalak, vice president of public affairs for Ivy Tech Community College, told the Tribune that the affected campuses were located in Kokomo, Logansport, Michigan City, Lafayette, South Bend, Muncie and Terre Haute.

"Many of those campuses were already cleared and back in service as of mid-Friday afternoon, Michalak noted, and law enforcement did not locate any physical evidence of foul play.

"Michalak did not indicate how or when Ivy Tech Community College received the threats  or if they were individually called in to each campus  but she noted that law enforcement and campus officials worked together quickly to address the issue.

"'Nationally, we have seen a trend (of threats made) in other states at other community colleges,' Michalak said, 'and none of the threats have come to fruition. But we take all threats very seriously, so we're acting as if there is something to investigate.'"

According to a statement from Goshen College officials, campus safety was notified by the Goshen Police Department that someone called in a bomb threat.

Campus safety met with Goshen police to investigate the legitimacy of the threat, the release reads.

"We sent out an Omnilert message asking everyone on campus to evacuate their building until further notice," GC officials stated. "After the investigation, the GPD presumed this threat to be false and gave us confidence to give everyone the all-clear sign."

Goshen College then cleared the way for everyone to return to their offices or classrooms.

With respect to the report that other colleges across Indiana had received the same threat, Sgt. Ted Bohner of the Indiana State Police said that the Logansport campus of Ivy Tech had received one, but was unaware of any others.
They were drug dealers. Murderers. Disloyal criminals breaking almost every law imaginable.

And now there are statues of them in a proud hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

More from Deadline

The Breaking Bad team of Walter White and Jesse Pinkman (Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, respectively) were honored Friday by the town where they were slinging the blue meth in one of televisions greatest dramas. The city unveiled bronze statues of the TV characters at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The statues show Walt holding his signature Heisenberg hat at his side, standing next to Jesse.

The unveiling saw both actors, along with Dean Norris, series creator Vince Gilligan, and Better Call Saul cast membes Rhea Seehorn, Michael Mando and Patrick Fabian attend. Also there was Better Call Saul cocreator Peter Gould.

The 500-pound statues were created by sculptor Trevor Grove and donated by Sony Pictures Television, which produced the AMC drama.

Gilligan said a tiny wax statue of Walt created by Grove was the catalyst for the bronze renditions. It was so amazing that it just got me to thinking, he said. What if Trevor could sculpt a life-sized version of Walter White in bronze, a medium new to him, and what if he could toss in Jesse Pinkman to boot, and then we donate to the two statues to the city of Albuquerque as a thank-you for your hospitality?

He also noted: In all seriousness, some folks are going to say, Wow, just what our city needed. I get that. But let me tell you what I see when I look at these two works of art: I see two of the finest actors America has ever produced. I see them in character as two larger-than-life tragic figures, cautionary tales, world-famous ones at that.

Best of Deadline

Story continues

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.
A 70-year-old woman died after her Range Rover slammed into a pillar underneath the Gowanus Expressway, police said Saturday.

Rose Gargano was heading south on Third Ave. at about 3:42 p.m. Friday when she lost control of the wheel. Her Range Rover veered to the left, hopped a curb and slammed into a stanchion for the elevated highway.

First responders found Gargano unconscious behind the wheel, cops said.

EMS rushed her to NYU Langone-Brooklyn, but she couldnt be saved.

She was about two miles from her home in Bay Ridge when she died.

Cops are investigating the possibility that Gargano suffered a medical episode before losing control of the wheel.

An autopsy conducted by the citys Medical Examiners office will determine how she died.
A top Cook County prosecutor resigned this week, saying he cant continue to work for an administration I dont respect.

Assistant Cook County States Attorney Jim Murphy stepped down Friday after 25 years of service, explaining that he could no longer work under Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx, who he said is more concerned with political narratives and agendas than with victims and prosecuting violent crime, adding, that is why I cant stay any longer.

I wish I could stay, he wrote in an office-wide resignation letter obtained by CWB Chicago. However, I can no longer work for this Administration. I have zero confidence in leadership.

He detailed an incident several months ago in which Foxx called him into a meeting to discuss bond hearings he was part of, including one that involved a massive shootout where a woman walking to a store was fatally shot when she was caught in the crossfire.

Foxx expressed anger during the meeting about a newspaper headline that said a suspect would not face a murder charge because of the Safe-T Act, which requires prosecutors to present a higher burden of proof to hold accused criminals until trial, according to the letter.

That is what is wrong with this administration. Ive seen day after day, Murphy said. How many mass shootings do there have to be before something is done.

Murphy listed several reasons for his resignation: the Safe-T Act, Foxxs rush to eliminate cash-bail while brushing aside his concerns, and dangerously low staffing levels in all units and bureaus in Foxxs office, including one or two-person courtrooms.

If this administration was truly concerned with effectively fighting violent crime, then they would fully staff those courtrooms and units, he wrote. Meanwhile the rest of us are overworked, overstressed, and under-resourced. But at least we were allowed to wear jeans in July.

The resignation comes weeks after Foxx told officials at a county board committee hearing that 235 people, including attorneys, had resigned from her office since July of last year, according to the Chicago Tribune. In comparison, the year before the pandemic 130 staffers resigned.

Story continues

About one-third of assistant states attorney (ASA) spots have been vacated and refilled from January 2020 to June 2022, according to the report. The office made 280 legal hires in that time period but staffing has still not reached pre-pandemic levels.

The report cited several reasons for the high turnover: a lack of support from the downtown executive-level staff during Covid, resentment over the Jussie Smollett hate-crime hoax case and how leadership handled the public uproar over a bond proffer related to the police shooting of 13-year-old Adam Toledo last year. Murphy was placed on leave in April 2021 for telling a court that Toledo was holding a gun when the officer fired. Bodycam footage showed Toledo dropped a gun and was raising his hands when he was shot by Police Officer Eric Stillman.

Meanwhile, the resignation of the head of the Criminal Prosecutions Bureau, Natosha Toller, further rocked morale.

Were so short of attorneys, theres twice as much work with no help, one prosecutor told the paper. And really, youre setting people up for failure. Anything can blow up in your face. The expectations are not manageable.

More from National Review
A view of the emergency room drop-off and entrance at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center's new Critical Care Building in Avondale on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. The addition tripled the ER's size to 90,000 square feet.

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and CareSource Ohio have agreed to a new marketplace insurance contract one month after the two entities announced their partnership would terminate on Aug. 1.

Negotiations were finalized and announced late Friday, just three days before the contract was set to expire.

The expiration would have left Cincinnati Children's without an in-network Ohio marketplace provider as CareSource Ohio was its last-standing marketplace partner. The Ohio marketplace was created by the Affordable Care Act.

Details of the agreement weren't disclosed Friday. The agreement means medical care, often specialized for children, for 1,000 families who use the Ohio marketplace, can continue as an in-network option at the hospital.

Cincinnati Childrens never stopped working to seek a solution on our patients behalf, Chris Scowden, assistant vice president for contract & payor relations at Cincinnati Childrens, said in a statement. "As a result, these patients will continue to be considered in-network through their Ohio Marketplace insurance for all services provided at the medical center."

The two parties engaged in months of negotiations but late last June, Dayton-based CareSource Ohio announced it was ending the contract. The decision left many families on edge. One parent, Melissa Reinert, said her family would likely have to make a tough decision about whether her 4-year-old son could continue to receive speech therapy.

Steve Ringel, the Ohio market president of CareSource, a Medicaid provider with more than 2 million members across six states, said "thoughtul discussions" over the past few months led to the agreement.

We are pleased to announce CareSource and Cincinnati Childrens have agreed to a new contract, ensuring CareSource marketplace members will continue to have their care covered at Cincinnati Childrens without interruption, Ringel said. "...We look forward to continuing to serve the needs of our Marketplace members together.

CareSource is one of five providers who operate marketplace plans in southwest Ohio. Ambetter by Buckeye Health, Anthem, Medical Mutual of Ohio, and Molina Healthcare are also Ohio marketplace providers but don't have contracts with Cincinnati Children's.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Children's and CareSource agree to new deal
Loved ones, coworkers, and the community honored Clark County Sheriffs Deputy Matthew Yates with a memorial walk Friday afternoon.

>>Sheriffs deputy dies from injuries after being shot at Clark County mobile home park

Hundreds of people came out for the walk that was organized by the wives of the Clark County Memorial Sheriffs Office at the Clark County Fairgrounds, including people of all ages.

Deputy Yates was shot and killed Sunday after responding to a 911 call about a gunfire at a Clark County mobile home park.

The walk started out at the fairgrounds command post for the Clark County Sheriffs Office and ended at a track area on the fairgrounds.

Michele Elliot, a mother of a Clark County Sheriffs Deputy, spoke with News Center 7s Brandon Lewis about why she came and show her support.

>>Funeral procession route announced for fallen Clark County deputy

You know, you just feel so bad, but you cant do anything but support them, she said. You have to support all the deputies because their involved personally and it takes a lot out of them.

The Clark County Sheriffs Officer was out in front of the walk, leading it through the fairgrounds.

>>Funeral arrangements announced for fallen Clark County deputy

The visitation for Clark County Sheriff Deputy Matthew Yates will be held Sunday at First Christian Church from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The funeral will be Monday at 12 p.m. at First Christian Church, followed by the burial at Ferncliff Cemetery.
Several organizations came together on Saturday to celebrate an Afghan family welcome event at the headquarters of Project 658 in east Charlotte.

The goal of the event is to connect the immigrant and refugee families to each other and to community resources they can access in the Queen City.

This is the second event held by the organizations to specifically help Afghan refugees know that they are not alone and they have a community willing to help them.

Families were able to pick up necessities like fruit and dry goods as well as get assistance on how to register for local schools and affordable housing.

ALSO READ: Former Afghan interpreter thankful for familys new life in Charlotte

Mark London with Project 658 said its important for the close to 150 people who attended the event to understand that they are wanted in the community and have a way to be connected.

We want them connected to both the wider community in general, but also (to have) the immigrant refugee community unity so they they dont feel isolated, said London

The family day was part of Love Week for Elevation Church, where members focus on giving back and serving others.

(WATCH BELOW: Family of Afghan refugees coping months after mother killed in tragic accident)








An investigation is underway after a woman was found dead in Edmonds on Friday.

Police were called to the 23400 block of 94th Avenue West.

When officers arrived, they found a woman deceased at the scene.

Police said a man who called 911 was detained.

Investigators have not released any information about what might have happened.

The medical examiner was called to the scene and will determine the womans cause and manner of death.

Police said there is no active threat to the community.
The interior of Bar Siena in Skokie's Westfield Old Orchard Shopping Center features a widespread tree with mini-lights. (John Petlicki / Pioneer Press)

The stylish restaurant Bar Siena in Chicagos West Loop has found a second home in Skokies Westfield Old Orchard shopping center. The 9,000-square-foot restaurant, adjacent to Nordstrom, offers fare from different regions of Italy and seating indoors, at two outdoor patios, and at two bars.

David Rekhson and Lucas Stoloff are partners in the West Loop Bar Siena, which spun off from their Siena Tavern, as well as in the Westfield Old Orchard venue.

Advertisement

The partners opened the West Loop Bar Siena in 2015.

Rekhson said they decided to open their second Bar Siena in Old Orchard because, We really love the northern suburbs. My business partner is from the North Shore. My wife is also from that area. Weve a lot of friends and family that live in that area.

Advertisement

Rekhson added that they were attracted to the mix of commercial and residential in that area.

Thats something that we look for in any of our locations, he said. Theres a lot of office buildings in the area and a lot of commercial activity but theres also a lot of people living in the area who are looking for a good place to eat.

Skokies Economic Development Manager Len Becker said Bar Siena is a welcome addition to the area.

Bar Siena offers Skokie residents a new and exciting dining destination, Becker said. This extremely popular Chicago-based restaurant validates Old Orchard and Skokie as a premier first-to-market suburban trade area. In addition, the restaurant will provide much-needed sales and food and beverage taxes for the village in order to provide top-quality services for residents.

The restaurant will also help the village reach a goal.

The anticipated revenue generated by Bar Siena will play an important role in helping to double sales at Old Orchard over the next 10 years, Becker said.

The Old Orchard Bar Siena is very similar to the original one, Rekhson said. We have a large tree in the center with our twinkle lights. They have also integrated bricks into the design, the kitchen is open, and theres a huge pizza oven like the one in the West Loop.

Unique to Old Orchard, Bar Siena has two patios. The one by the mall entrance seats 40 people.

Advertisement

The parking lot patio seats 85 people and can be closed off for use during the cold months.

In terms of the menu, Rekhson said, Youll definitely see a lot of the favorites from Bar Siena downtown. We also incorporate a couple Siena Tavern bits as well. Siena Tavern is Bar Sienas sister restaurant in River North.

He cited a couple of favorites, one being the large roasted meatball with ricotta, basil, and polenta bread for $21. Another favorite he mentioned is grilled octopus with crispy fingerling potato and salsa verde, also for $21.

The menu also includes some unusual selections, including squid ink lobster linguine with roasted cherry tomato and spicy lobster cream for $39. Pizzas cooked in their large pizza oven include a carne version with Italian sausage, prosciutto, and bacon for $24 and a truffle mushroom version, also $24, plus two other varieties.

Theres a 22-ounce bone-in ribeye for $79 and roasted salmon with summer vegetables, Calabrian chili yogurt, and arugula pistou for $42.

Rekhson said the restaurant offers hand-made pasta dishes, including gnocchi, which is $28.

Advertisement

In terms of beverages, Rekhson said, Weve got some really nice cocktails and a lot of fine wines.

There are six cocktails, at $16 each. One, for example, has gin, lavender honey, Aperol, Lillet Rose, lemon and tonic.

There will be a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays. We wanted to bring a little of that downtown energy to the bar, Rekhson explained.

They dont currently have events planned but there is space for private events for groups from 12 to 125 people in private dining spaces. It is possible to buy out the entire venue for up to 400 people.

More Bar Siena locations are planned for the future. We definitely have expansion plans for the Bar Siena portfolio, Rekhson said.

Advertisement

Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio. AP Photo/Paul Vernon

Rep. Tim Ryan told NBC News that AOC's support of his Ohio Senate campaign wasn't "helpful."

The progressive lawmaker quickly became a magnet for GOP attacks after she entered politics.

Ryan is running in an open-seat race in a Midwestern state that trended Republican in recent years.

Rep. Tim Ryan, a veteran House Democrat, has served alongside fellow Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez since she joined the lower chamber in 2019.

However, Ryan, who is locked in a tough Senate race against Republican J.D. Vance in red-trending Ohio, is not thrilled about the show of support that he received from the progressive New York lawmaker.

Ryan, who since 2003 has represented a congressional district anchored in northeastern Ohio, has barnstormed the state campaigning in areas that have not been friendly to Democrats in years  hoping to cobble together a coalition of traditional base voters while also attracting those who may be exasperated by standard politicians.

And the pledge of support from the liberal star wasn't something that Ryan was looking for, according to NBC News.

"It's not a helpful endorsement here," the congressman told the news network. "Nor did I seek it."

After the Supreme Court struck down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision  which legalized abortion in the United States and afforded a constitutional right to the procedure  Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Instagram last month that voters needed to vote for Ryan this fall, along with Senate candidates John Fetterman in Pennsylvania and Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin.

"We CAN do more to pursue these items more aggressively. And THEN once we do, we can secure the W and turnout the vote for [Fetterman] in PA, [Barnes] in WI, and [Ryan] in OH this November," she wrote at the time.

For much of his congressional career, Ryan opposed abortion, citing the beliefs of his Catholic faith.

But in 2015, Ryan publicly reversed course and expressed his support for abortion rights, a position that he further embraced after the high court's recent ruling on the procedure, which he called "the largest case of government overreach in my lifetime."

Story continues

"By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court is gutting a long-established right in order to put politicians between women and their doctors," he said in a statement at the time.

Ryan has called for abolishing the filibuster to codify Roe into law, a position that Ocasio-Cortez had gotten behind even before the court overturned Roe.

However, Ryan is still seeking to put some distance between himself and Washington Democrats as he seeks to win over voters in a state that has become difficult for the party  in a year where Republicans are poised to make major gains in Congress.

During an interview on Fox News earlier this week, Ryan wouldn't say whether he'd back President Joe Biden's expected reelection bid in 2024.

"I'm working on my own election and that's all I'm focused on right now," he said.

"We've got a little under four months here in Ohio and we're running a great campaign. We're up in the polls and working really hard. So I'm just going to focus on that, and we can chat about that after I win and get in the United States Senate," he added.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite contains roughly 200 footprints from at least 10 different dinosaurs. BLM

Two dinosaur footprints were discovered by a customer at a restaurant in Sichuan province, China.

The footprints belonged to sauropods from the Cretaceous period.

It's rare to find remnants from China's Cretaceous period, a paleontologist said.

Dinosaurs footprints from over 100 million years ago were accidentally discovered by a customer eating in the courtyard of a restaurant in China, The Washington Post reported.

The footprints belonged to two dinosaurs that roamed the Sichuan province, paleontologists discovered.

Lida Xing, a paleontologist and associate professor at the China University of Geosciences, told CNN the footprints belonged to sauropods, who are known for their long necks and tails. Sauopods were the largest animals on Earth.

"Sauropod tracks are not rare in Sichuan Basin  but they are very rare[ly] found in restaurants in downtown," Xing told the Post in an email. "Most of the time, the ground of the city is either vegetation or cement."

These sauropods roamed Earth during the Cretaceous period, Xing told CNN. She said that while finding dinosaur prints in the province isn't uncommon, it's rare to discover prints from the Cretaceous era when "dinosaurs really flourished."

Xing said she estimated that the two footprints likely belonged to sauropods measuring 26 feet long, CNN reported.

According to CNN, the restaurant where the footprints were found only opened in the past year. Before that, the area was a chicken farm, and layers of dirt helped protect the footprints from erosion.

Xing told CNN that the restaurant owner put up a fence around the footprints to stop people from stepping on them. He might also build a shed to further preserve them.

"This discovery is actually like a jigsaw, adding a piece of evidence to Sichuan's Cretaceous period and the diversity of dinosaurs," Xing said.

Read the original article on Insider
Elon Musk countersued Twitter on Friday  drawing out lengthy legal battles about his wavering acquisition of the social media platform.

The confidential 164-page filing was submitted to the Delaware Court of Chancery and claimed the Tesla CEO wasnt contractually obligated to complete the $44 billion buyout deal he signed in April, according to AFP. The lawsuit was not immediately available to the public, but a transparent version with sensitive corporate data and information redacted may be available in the future.

Elon Musk countersued Twitter with a lawsuit filed on Friday. (Photo: Chesnot via Getty Images)

Elon Musk countersued Twitter with a lawsuit filed on Friday. (Photo: Chesnot via Getty Images)

Musk announced in April plans to buy Twitter with an offer of $54.20 per share, but in July he said he was terminating the agreement. Musk accused the social media company of withholding data regarding the number of fake bot accounts allegedly on the platform.

Twitters lawsuit to force Musk to complete the agreed-upon acquisition was filed in mid-July and began with a claim that Musk refuses to honor his obligations to Twitter and its stockholders because the deal he signed no longer serves his personal interests.

Elon Musk announced in April plans to buy Twitter with an offer of $54.20 per share, but in July he said he was terminating the agreement. (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images)

Elon Musk announced in April plans to buy Twitter with an offer of $54.20 per share, but in July he said he was terminating the agreement. (Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris via Getty Images)

Twitters suit against the billionaire claimed: Having mounted a public spectacle to put Twitter in play, and having proposed and then signed a seller-friendly merger agreement, 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.

A judge in Delaware, where Twitter is incorporated, has since ordered a five-day trial on the matter to commence on Oct. 17. Twitter, which has urged its shareholders to support Musks buyout offer, will vote on the merger on Sept. 13.

Story continues

We are committed to closing the merger on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk, said Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal and board chairman Bret Taylor in a copy of a letter to investors Tuesday.

Musk was given at least 49 tebibytes of internal data serving as a real-time record of more than 500 million daily tweets since June 19. Musk also said he might launch a competing service if the buyout failed.

This is one of the biggest worries that target companies have: That a buyer walks away with detailed knowledge of their secret sauce and then uses it to compete with or otherwise undermine them, Columbia Law School professor Eric Talley told HuffPost.

It remains unclear how Twitters legal battle against Musk will end.

While Twitter lawyer William Savitt called Musk a committed enemy, Musk might emerge triumphant  or lose with the whole world watching.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.

Related...
A federal court has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a former Franklin County patrol deputy who claimed he was wrongly fired, discriminated against, defamed and deprived of his civil rights.

The judge in the U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington granted a motion for the summary judgment requested by Franklin County and Sheriff Jim Raymond.

The judge ultimately dismissed George Rapps lawsuit after his attorney agreed his claims of retaliation lacked evidence and the legal authority to support them, according to court documents.

Itll be nice to get ... back to doing police work instead of answering to these frivolous accusations, Raymond told the Tri-City Herald on Friday.

Rapps attorneys, Andrea Clare and George Telquist with Telare Law, could not be reached Friday about the decision but it does not mark the final note in the more than 6-year-old legal dispute.

A notice to appeal was filed last week to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Retaliation claims

Rapp was hired by former Franklin County Sheriff Richard Lathim in 2011 and was first terminated in May 2016.

Raymond said Rapp was originally fired for policy violations and threatening the health and well being of fellow employees. He also was reprimanded six times in his first five years, according to previous Herald reports, though none ended in termination.

The incidents ranged from speeding so he could help a fellow law enforcement officer to appearing to fall asleep in his patrol car.

His patrol car also was not equipped with the necessary gear  first aid kits, bottled water, paperwork or traffic cones  for him to do his job.

Just a few months before his firing, Rapp reportedly became enraged after receiving what the county called a mildy critical performance evaluation. The fallout resulted in him being placed on administrative leave, and Rapp did not return his county-issued M16 rifle when asked to turn it in.

Raymond fired him based on all of the past reprimands.

Story continues

However, the deputys union contract didnt allow all of the reprimands to be put together into a single case and used as a reason to dismiss someone. Each one needed to be handled individually, according to court documents.

The arbitrator found the sheriff also didnt seek out all of the evidence or order a psychological evaluation, according to court documents.

After he was fired, Rapp challenged the decision through arbitration and won. In September 2016, following a series of hearings, the arbitrator ordered Franklin County to reinstate Rapp and give him back pay, saying the decision to let him go didnt meet the bargaining agreements standards for just cause.

The county appealed to Superior Court and did not reinstate Rapp until January 2019, more than two years later.

Rapp, formerly a patrol deputy, was assigned to a new job as a corrections officer in the jails master control room, which monitors cells and controls door access.

The suit alleged hed been mistreated and humiliated in his new role. He said the sheriff refused to commission him, restricted his access inside the sheriffs department, including break room.

Rapp said he wasnt given the resources he needed to complete assigned tasks. He also was reprimanded for briefly going to the jails intake area while on shift to get a soda because he wasnt allowed in that area.

His attorneys argued the county eventually found a reason to fire him again.

U.S. District Court Chief Judge Stanley Bastian in December 2020 ruled that Rapp should be rehired to his former job as a patrol deputy based on the arbitrators ruling.

He was ultimately never rehired and the lawsuit continued in federal court.

Then this month, Bastian ruled on Franklin Countys summary judgment motion.

Reporter Cameron Probert contributed to this report.
Jul. 30A Jasper County judge this week sentenced a 42-year-old defendant to four concurrent terms of seven years in prison on an array of felony convictions, including for burglary and delivery of methamphetamine.

Gary L. Tavis, formerly of Baxter Springs, Kansas, pleaded guilty Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court to second-degree burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm in one 2017 case and to delivery of a controlled substance from a second arrest that year.

Tavis also pleaded guilty to a forgery count filed on him in 2020 in a plea agreement dismissing vehicle tampering and resisting arrest counts that were filed with the drug count five years ago.

Judge Gayle Crane accepted the plea agreement and assessed Tavis seven years on each conviction, ordering the terms to run concurrently.

Court documents show that Tavis was one of three people who entered a residence in Carthage unlawfully Oct. 17, 2017, and stole a gun cabinet valued at $200, a shotgun also worth $200 and AR-15 semiautomatic rifle valued at $2,500.

The burglary was caught on video by a surveillance camera at the Early Childhood Center in Carthage. The Lincoln Navigator the culprits drove up in was tracked down to its owner in Webb City, who admitted committing the crime with Tavis and a female accomplice and told police that he kept the gun cabinet and shotgun while Tavis took the AR-15.

The vehicle owner was allowed to plead down to a misdemeanor offense of stealing in the case, but counts of second-degree burglary and unlawful possession of a firearm remained in place against Tavis, a convicted felon, for the past five years. His defense wasn't helped any by an arrest in Joplin less than a week after the burglary while in possession of a pickup truck stolen in Oklahoma and 9.4 grams of meth, according to court records.

Before either of his 2017 cases were resolved, he was charged with a forgery committed in Joplin in 2020.
IRYNA BALACHUK  SATURDAY, 30 JULY 2022, 10:53

Ukrainian troops have destroyed a Russian Su-25 combat aircraft in Donetsk Oblast.

Source: 25th Separate Sicheslav Airborne Brigade on Facebook

Quote: "Another enemy Su-25 is finished! On 29 July in Donetsk Oblast, Sicheslav paratroopers shot down an armoured attack aircraft of the occupiers with an Igla MANPADS [short range man-portable air-defence system]."

Details: The Ukrainian troops added that they would not stop killing Russian forces on Ukrainian territory.

In the General Staffs morning report on Russian losses, there was no information about the downed attack aircraft.

Background:

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have killed 170 Russian occupation troops in a day; 40,670 Russian soldiers have been killed since the beginning of the Russian aggression.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda!
Jul. 30The former priest of a Beckley Catholic church was arrested Wednesday on charges from Pennsylvania for an accusation of sexually assaulting a minor a decade ago.

Pericles "Perry" Pasamante Malacaman, 84, who served as a priest at St. Francis De Sales Parish in Beckley from 1999 to 2009, was charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 16, corruption of minors and indecent assault of a person younger than 16 by the Pennsylvania State Police, according to a criminal docket posted online by the SNAP Network.

According to its website, SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priest) is an independent, peer network of survivors of institutional sexual abuse and their supporters.

The complaint was filed Wednesday in Butler County, Pennsylvania, and lists the date of the offenses as May 16, 2012.

Malacaman was arrested in Raleigh County and booked into Southern Regional Jail at 5 p.m. Wednesday with no bond, according to the West Virginia Regional Jail website.

On Thursday, Mark E. Brennan, bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, confirmed the arrest with a letter posted to St. Francis's website.

In the letter, Brennan wrote, "The Diocese was not aware of the allegation until the day it was made public." He also stated, "Prior to his arrest, there were no sex abuse-related complaints on file for Fr. Malacaman."

Brennan said the Diocese will "cooperate fully with appropriate civil authorities as they investigate this matter." He added that they cannot comment on "pending criminal investigations" and have also not seen the criminal complaint.

Brennan also shared the following information regarding Malacaman's history as a priest.

"According to Diocesan records, Fr. Malacaman was ordained on December 16, 1972, in the Archdiocese of Davao, in Davao City, Philippines.

"Fr. Malacaman was assigned to St. John the Evangelist Parish in Mullens and Holy Cross Chapel in Pineville from June 23, 1993, through June 16, 1999; and St. Francis De Sales Parish in Beckley from June 16, 1999, through June 3, 2009.

"He has not been assigned in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston since then."

Brennan also wrote that, to the best of their knowledge, Malacaman was retired and living in a private residence in Beckley.
Former Georgia receiver Terry Godwin has signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans.

#Titans add WR Terry Godwin + waive WR Juwan Green  Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 28, 2022

Godwin was a seventh-round selection by the Carolina Panthers in the 2019 NFL Draft. He joined the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in 2019, and played in three games in 2020 before spending last season on injured reserve.

The Hogansville, Ga., native played in 54 games for Georgia in which he totaled 1,788 receiving yards and 133 receptions over four seasons.

DawgNation remembers Godwin most for his big-time catch against Notre Dame in 2017.

Sep 9, 2017; South Bend, IN, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Terry Godwin II (5) catches a pass for a touchdown as Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Julian Love (27) defends in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Story originally appeared on UGA Wire
William White, seen here in 2021, died on Thursday at 56 after a lengthy battle with ALS. (Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Former Detroit Lions safety William White died Thursday night, the team announced.

White, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2016, was 56.

We share in the sadness felt today throughout the NFL community following the news of William Whites passing. Drafted by the Lions in the 4th round of the 1988 Draft out of Ohio State, White played 6 seasons in Detroit (1988-1993) & appeared in 95 games (79 starts) for the club. pic.twitter.com/v42P1KnbmA  Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 29, 2022

I loved William. We shared experiences of joy and sorrow on and off the field, special assistant to the Lions president and CEO Chris Spielman said in a statement about his former teammate.

I am forever grateful for the special moment last year when he was able to be by my side during the Pride of the Lions ceremony at Ford Field. I cant wait to see him again when he will be free from ALS. May Gods peace rest upon his family.

White played in the league from 1988-1998, first for the Lions after they selected him in the fourth round of the draft out of Ohio State. White spent his first six seasons in Detroit, and made 79 starts while recording 450 total tackles and 13 interceptions. He put up 106 tackles and had five interceptions during the 1990 season, which marked his career-highs.

"We're thinking about him and his family."



Coach Campbell started today's press conference reflecting on the passing of William White. pic.twitter.com/oyRl4XgVTZ  Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 29, 2022

When I heard about his diagnosis years ago I was in shock. He fought it like youd expect, with uncommon valor. Known his family for many years-my thoughts and prayers to Nikol, their children, and the rest of the White family.

So sorry for your loss.  https://t.co/Mbsk5Hv16L  Kirk Herbstreit (@KirkHerbstreit) July 29, 2022

RIP William White. A great person and Buckeye. Thank you for all you gave us! pic.twitter.com/Aun9qIeloB  Gene Smith (@OSU_AD) July 29, 2022

White finished his career with a three-year run with the Kansas City Chiefs and two-year stint with the Atlanta Falcons.

Story continues

White was diagnosed with ALS in 2016.
A China-Europe freight train, carrying 100 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers, left Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province on Friday afternoon, for Budapest of Hungary, marking the first trip between the two cities.

Anhui-made products such as solar panel components, electric machines, and inverters, with a total worth of nearly 10 million U.S. dollars, are expected to arrive in Budapest in 16 to 18 days by the train after a journey of more than 10,800 km.

Since Anhui launched the first China-Europe freight train route in 2014, over 2,500 China-Europe freight train trips have been made so far, linking the province with 85 cities in 18 countries.

The China-Europe freight train service provides a new channel for the inland province to connect with the world and export its goods.

A total of 500 such trips have been made so far this year, and 22 more destinations are added to Hefei's China-Europe freight train network.
A Delta Airlines flight traveling from New York to Accra, Ghana on July 25 had to make a U-turn mid-flight due to a fuel issue.

According to Newsweek, YouTuber Xiaoma, whose real name is Arieh Smith, shared his account of the incident on his YouTube channel, xiaomanyc. Smith says it was the scariest day of his life as the plane turned around over the Atlantic Ocean to head back to New York.

The nonstop transatlantic flight was delayed an hour due to thunderstorms, but eventually, the weather calmed down and the flight was cleared for take-off. Two-and-a-half hours into the 10-hour flight, the captain walked down the aisle looking at one of the planes wings through the window.

This is causing a bit of a stir, Smith narrates in his YouTube video. I remember saying to the guy sitting next to me this doesnt look good.'

Thirty minutes later, an announcement resounded over the speakers. The captain said there was a fuel problem and that they would have to turn the plane around and head back to New York.

Im really grateful that it all worked out, said Smith in an interview with Newsweek. But in the moment, I was just thinking like, well, you know, these are my last moments on Earth, I better say something to my wife.

People were understandably freaking out. The woman next to me had her Koran out, praying. People were just like, whispering, talking to each other, and praying. Theres nothing you can even do at that point.

In his video, Smith is seen speaking to the camera. I hope everythings OK with this flight, he said. Itd be really great to be able to hold my baby again. I really hope Im overreacting here. Im sure I am.

Smith says he was relieved when the plane safely landed despite being surrounded by ambulances and fire trucks.

Delta flight DL9923 on July 25, en route from New York-JFK to Accra, returned to New York-JFK out of an abundance of caution due to operational reasons, a Delta spokesperson said to Newsweek.

The flight landed safely and customers deplaned as normal. The safety and security of Deltas passengers and crew is Deltas number one priority. Deltas customer support teams at JFK were engaged on the ground to assist affected customers and Delta deeply apologizes for the inconvenience and delay of their planned travel.

Related: 50 Children And Adults Treated For Skin Irritation After Plane Dumps Jet Fuel On Schools In Los Angeles
The last time research and consulting firm Gartner completed its biennial rankings in supply chain management, the world was grappling with the biggest disruptions to getting products to consumers in a generation. Think about the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020.

Two years on, were still facing pandemic-related shortages (looked at buying a new car lately?). Now, weve also got the Russian war against Ukraine wreaking havoc on everything from gasoline to food supplies.

The timing of Gartners 2024 Top 25 rankings for both universities and supply chain companies couldnt be more prescient.

Certainly its been a transformational two years for the education sector but also for the companies that we work with, says Caroline Chumakov, senior principal analyst at Gartner, a research and advisory firm for industry executives.

PREPARING FOR THE GREAT REORGANIZATION

Gartners supply chain Top 25 series releases rankings for both undergraduate and graduate supply chain management programs at universities, as well as a ranking of the top companies in the global supply chain. A major trend Gartner is watching is the great reorganization.

Deloitte estimates that the supply chain talent shortage will leave 2.4 million positions unfilled between 2018 and 2028. So orders arent shipping, trucks arent driving, lines arent running. We see this period of really unprecedented movement and churn in the supply chain workforce that weve never really seen before, Chumakov says in a Gartner webinar for industry executives and school administrators.

On top of that, baby boomers are retiring and there arent enough Gen Z workers to replace them. So these pressures are essentially providing an opportunity for many companies to take stock of their current approach to university engagement and to do a kind of reset. (See the list of the Top 25 Companies on page 2).

TRENDS IN SUPPLY CHAIN EDUCATION

In the webinar, Dana Stiffler, distinguished VP analyst, points to three emerging trends in undergraduate and graduate supply chain programs: First, Diversity of students and faculty ticked up at both undergrad and graduate programs, but particularly at the undergraduate level. Women account for 40% of supply chain undergrads compared to 39% in 2020. Some programs, in fact, have a have majority female participation, which is really interesting considering the history of our programs, Stiffler says.

Story continues

Diversity among faculty, however, is still lagging with only 26% of women, up 2% from two years earlier. In terms of ethnicity, more than half of schools score at least some points in the ranking for student diversity and 44% for faculty diversity, both increases over the previous ranking.

Starting salaries for students in supply chain roles also increased. In terms of compensation, U.S. undergraduates finding their first jobs in supply chain roles are earning about $1,600 more per year than in 2020. While the average starting salary is $61,769, graduates from the top 10 programs can expect around $65,000. The highest salary from the ranked schools was $80,000.

Finally, in terms of curriculum, schools are incorporating more environmental, social, corporate governance, and ethics lessons into their supply chain syllabi.

This makes perfect sense if we look at our overall global supply chain trends, Stiffler says. A big reason for companies to reorganize their global supply chain networks is resilience in the current environment, and cost and sustainability are very close together. So that is right in line with what global supply organizations are reporting.

TOP 25 GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Gartners biennial pair of school rankings are intended to support chief supply chain officers, heads of supply chain strategy, and supply chain HR partners in their quest to identify the B-school programs from which they can recruit the best talent. A major change for this years school ranking was the inclusion of 100% online programs. Traditionally, Gartner only covered on-campus and hybrid programs, but the rapid change of delivery following the pandemic caused them to react to those changes.

This year, University of Tennessee, a longtime participant in Gartners ranking, claimed the top spot for the very first time.

They are big, their graduates get paid, and they improved on the curriculum score this year, Stiffler says. The school also has a great alumni network working with faculty and the university board to extend the supply chain community.

The University of Arkansas improved more than any other school since 2020, jumping 19 spots to No. 2 in 2022.

The reason for their very steep trajectory is their improvements across the board  in their curriculum; in diversity, equity and inclusion, and especially in their strong growth.

Other schools with the biggest gains include University of South Carolina (No. 6 in 2022) which jumped 16 spots, University of Southern California (No. 10) jumping 13 spots, and Rutgers University (No. 5) gaining 12.

The graduate supply chain program list saw six new or re-entrants in 2022. These include University of Houston (No. 11), University of Wisconsin (No. 13), Auburn University (No. 14), HEC Montreal/University of Montreal (No. 16), Indiana University (No. 20), and Syracuse University (No. 25).

Arizona State University (No. 23) dropped the farthest, losing 16 points. Others with big drops include Purdue University (No. 24) falling 12 spots and North Carolina State University (No. 21) falling 11.

Next Page: Top 25 Undergraduate Supply Chain Universities & Top 25 Companies





TOP 25 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS

University of Arkansas grabs the top spot for the second straight time while University of Tennessee and University of South Carolina round out the top three.

Their performance is really notable across the board. They clearly are a large program, but they also focus on applied experience for their students.The robustness of their curriculum is really unmatched, Chumakov says. They have a really strong industry reputation. Arkansas students command really impressive salaries coming out of graduation or even before they've graduated. And they have actually really strong faculty and student diversity as well.

Five schools busted into the top 25 after being left off in 2020. University of North Texas shot all the way to No. 6, the highest jump of any other school. Texas Christian University (No. 17), Western Washington University (No. 18), Wayne State University (No. 21), and Purdue University (No. 24) also appeared on the list after taking a hiatus in 2020.

Two newcomers that made the list for the first time in 2022 were Western Washington University and Purdue University, Chumakov says. Western Washington's impressive entrance is really attributed to the breadth of their curriculum, and their internship and Co-Op requirements as well. Purdues strength lies in their size and their popularity within the industry.

Schools with the largest leaps were University of Texas Dallas (No. 8) which improved its ranking by 11 spots, University of Illinois (No. 11) which jumped 9 spots, and University of Houston (No. 9) jumping 8 spots. Schools with the largest falls include Bowling Green State University (No. 25) and University Texas Austin (No. 13) which each dropped 9 spots, while Pennsylvania State University (No. 10) and Marquette University (No. 19) each dropped 7.

That also means that five schools on 2020s ranking didnt make it this year. Those include Michigan State University (No. 9 in 20), Howard University (No. 13), Miami University (No 18), North Carolina A&T State University (No. 21), and University of Wisconsin Madison (No. 22).

TOP 25 SUPPLY CHAIN COMPANIES

Gartner also ranks the Global Supply Chain Top 25, industry leading companies that have mastered the art of getting products into the hands of customers. This year, 19 companies achieved the highest possible environmental, social and governance (ESG) score, reflecting the growing importance supply chain leaders assign to these initiatives, says Mike Griswold in a release. He is vice president team manager with the Gartner Supply Chain practice.

Cisco Systems scored the top spot for the third consecutive year. It was followed by Schneider Electric (No. 2), Colgate-Palmolive (No. 3), Johnson & Johnson (No. 4) and PepsiCo (No. 5)

"Cisco continues to adapt in various ways to the changing environment, and its supply chain moves in alignment, Griswold says. ESG is a big focus, with circular concepts incorporated in the design, operations and consumption aspect of the products and the supply chain.

To recognize sustained supply chain excellence, Gartner introduced the Masters category in 2015. To be considered Masters, companies must have attained top-five composite scores for at least seven out of the last 10 years. All of last years Masters - Amazon, Apple, P&G, McDonalds, and Unilever  again qualified for the category this year.

All of the Masters provide prime examples of how to deliver agility and responsiveness at scale for sustained periods of time, Mr. Griswold added. Other chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) can look to them and the other organizations in the ranking to learn their best practices.

DON'T MISS: UNDER THE RADAR - HORN ENTREPREURIP GIVING SILICON VALLEY A RUN FOR ITS MONEY AND HOW GEORGETOWN BECAME A LEADER IN SUSTAINABILITY

The post Gartners Top 25: Ranking The Best Supply Chain Schools & Companies appeared first on Poets&Quants.
An Augusta man was convicted of killing and burying a friend in his backyard and was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.

John Daniels, 41, was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, concealing the death of another and multiple firearm charges in the death of John Jones who was reported missing on Aug. 28, 2019 when he didn't come home from his job at Villa Europa.

Daniels was sentenced to life in prison without parole, followed by 25 additional years in confinement.

Earlier: Daniels denied bond, trial for homicide of friend ahead

More crime news: Misgendering trans woman is 'disrespect'; Georgia sheriff's office asked to update policies

Richmond County deputies, FBI seize drugs, vehicles, $82,000 linked to gang investigation

On Sept. 10, 2019, police searched Daniels' home and found blood on the floor, flies throughout the house and bodily fluid from decomposition, according to a release from District Attorney Jared Williams. Jones body was found in a shallow grave in the flowerbed behind the house.

Assistant District Attorney Kyle Davis tried the case with his co-counsel, Assistant District Attorney Keagan Waystack of the Violent Crimes Unit, Victim Advocate Cristina Kalpa, Legal Assistants Tracy Ball and Notosha Story, and DA Investigator Sam Long.

"John Jones was known as a great person, a hard worker, and just a nice man," Williams wrote in the release. "Outstanding teamwork allowed the family and loved ones of Mr. Jones to see justice served."

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Georgia man sentenced to life in prison for burying friend in backyard
Jul. 30Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Friday an emergency declaration for Las Vegas, N.M., because of ashy sediment and debris from a widespread burn scar that are threatening the city's water system.

The executive orders make $2.25 million in state emergency funding available to assist the city with measures such as buying a pre-treatment system to filter the contaminated water flowing from the Gallinas River.

The governor's orders followed an emergency declaration Thursday by Las Vegas Mayor Louie Trujillo after utility managers determined the city would have less than 50 days of water that could be made drinkable.

"There is additional water that has extremely high turbidites that cannot be treated in our system and meet drinking water standards," Maria Gilvarry, the city's utilities director, wrote in an email. "The extremely poor quality water could also possibly cause shutdowns and a dramatic increase in cleanings."

The city has been unable to draw water from the Gallinas River, which has been contaminated with ash and debris, and instead has tapped the Petersen and Bradner reservoirs, the Las Vegas Optic reported.

But earlier this week, the Peterson Dam was polluted by debris, taking it offline, and now the plan is to pull water from Storrie Lake with the help of a pre-treatment system that will cost about $1 million to operate and take two weeks to set up, the Optic reported.

"The destruction that continues to befall New Mexico communities affected by the U.S. Forest Service planned burns from earlier this year is unfathomable," Lujan Grisham said in a statement. "New Mexicans in San Miguel County have been through enough  we will continue to do everything we can to support them and prevent additional damage as a result of the wildfires."

The situation with contaminated water was an expected impact of the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, which scorched more than 341,000 acres, including in the Las Vegas area.

Story continues

In May, U.S. Forest Service officials said monsoon rains would wash ashy sediment and other debris from charred hillsides into the Gallinas River. Much of it would be carried downstream to the city's water treatment system unequipped to filter out the contaminants.

At the time, Micah Kiesow, who coordinated burned area recovery for Santa Fe National Forest, said ash, being highly buoyant, would travel a long way downstream and infiltrate municipal water systems, such as the one in Las Vegas.

The city's treatment system isn't equipped to remove the ash from water intended for drinking, Kiesow said. Ash-laden water is troublesome, he added, because it has increased nitrates, phosphorus, metals, dissolved organic carbon and suspended solids, all of which make it much harder to treat.

City officials were aware in May that a pre-treatment system would be needed.

Acquiring that system is involved, Gilvarry wrote. Beyond the normal shopping, it requires quality assurance from engineers, finding a funding source, crafting a plan to coordinate everything and getting approval from the drinking water bureau.

"These all take time," she wrote.

The pre-treatment system is designed to clean up the water enough to run it effectively through the normal process, she noted.

"The pre-treatment will bring the extremely poor quality water closer to a dirty water that is treatable with our current system," she wrote. "It is likely there will be some fine tuning and additional measures needed to treat the water to the highest quality possible."
Courtesy AppleTV+

Apple TV+s Surface is the latest drama series from Reese Witherspoons production company Hello Sunshine, which, at this point, we have only to thank for our modern obsession with watching dissatisfied, privileged white women stare longingly out of windows while their sketchy husbands lurk in the background. Likewise, the DNA of Witherspoons most acclaimed production credits, including Big Little Lies and Gone Girl, are weaved all throughout the actresss latest television endeavor, about another dissatisfied, privileged (Black) woman with a husband she should probably leave.

Created by Veronica West, Surface stars British actress and co-producer Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Sophie Ellis, the wife of a San Francisco venture capitalist, who lost her long-term memory from a head injury after jumping off a boat in a suicide attempt. At least, thats what shes been told by her husband, James (Oliver Jackson-Cohen)whose vibes are immediately offher medical records, and a particularly patronizing shrink named Hannah (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). Think of a tonally sad, foggy version of Overboard set to intense orchestral music.

The series begins five months after Sophies incident, when shes functioning physically but is still an empty shell of a person due to her amnesia. Quiet and obliging to James wishes, we initially get the idea that shes a bit of a Stepford wife. Attending galas on his arm in fancy dresses (that he approves) seems to be the only thing she has to do in between therapist sessions and experimenting with other memory recovery methods.

When Sophie starts experiencing flashbacks, however, she becomes increasingly less satisfied with the curt answers fed to her by James and her therapist. She also runs into a mysterious man named Baden (Stephan James), who claims to know more about her life, and especially her spouse, than she does. Suddenly, with Badens help, she has no choice but to dive into her own investigation. (Because every subsequent plot turn and character reveal is essentially a twist, this is all I can really tell you without spoiling anything.)

Story continues

Gugu Mbatha-Raw in 'Surface' Courtesy AppleTV+

So why would a woman with such a comfortable life and a dashing, rich husband jump off a boat? Well, if youve ever read a beach novel about a dead or missing wealthy woman, you can probably think of a million reasons why, which is what makes Surface a surprisingly fun and engaging game of Clue, despite what you may have read about it so far.

Paul Walter Hauser Is Giving the Best Performance on TV Right Now

The eight-episode series, which premiered on Friday, has not exactly received glowing reviewsaside from Mbatha-Raws stellar performance, which is deeply impressive for a role so hollow. Critics have pointed out Surfaces lack of originality, which even the shows more enthusiastic viewers, like myself, cant deny. From its foggy opening credits to its opulent setting to the type of woman at its center, it feels like it wouldve been more fresh in 2016. Its also not a particularly sexy crime drama (although everyone who stars in it is technically sexy).

Still, I didnt interpret the show as bland. Rather, as someone whos seen a lot of poorly made, convoluted, and thoroughly try-hard television in recent years (ahem, Euphoria), I appreciated Surface for its simplicity, both in its premise and the way its many twists gently unfold.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in 'Surface' Courtesy AppleTV+

In the era of prestige television, its easy for writers and producers of shows with big budgets and serious, cerebral subject matter to get high off their own supply, ignoring the specific restraints and nature of the medium in favor of something they deem cinematic. But Surface has the deliciously engaging, nail-biting episodic structure of a suspenseful primetime soap you wouldve watched on ABC in the mid-2000s.

The series is also bolstered by an ensemble of captivating performances. Mbatha-Raw, who definitely deserves more top billing, has the tough task of playing a cypher with no characterization other than glamorous wife for the first few episodes. But the level of emotion shes able to capture on her face and behind her eyes allows the audience to see inside her brain the entire time shes on screen. With a less skilled performer, the show, which heavily relies on the success of her performance, would be like watching a generic avatar in a video game.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Marianne Jean-Baptiste in 'Surface' Courtesy AppleTV+

Additionally, Ari Graynor is a standout as Sophies best friend Caroline, who doesnt seem immediately trustworthy. Every time the camera rests on the actress, whos typically held comedic roles, Im reminded of the days when actors had interesting faces that told their own story in addition to whatever character theyre playing. And James, whose memorable turn in If Beale Street Could Talk shouldve granted him more starring credits years ago, is equally compelling in his mystery man role.

Maybe its the #FreeBritney movement or the overturning of Roe v. Wade that made me completely savor this story of a woman trying to win control of her lifeand, admittedly, shed a few tears during a scene where Sophie feels lost and defeated, backed by a lush, evocative score. Either way, I had a great (aside from the crying), immersive time watching Mbatha-Raw play Sherlock Holmes and stroll cluelessly around San Francisco in stunning cocktail dresses.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
State Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, (center) will now lead the Democratic Party of Illinois following Saturday's vote.

What first appeared to be a contentious affair became one of unanimous support during the Democratic Party of Illinois Central Committee's meeting on Saturday.

Held at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 137 Hall, Democrats selected state Rep. Elizabeth "Lisa" Hernandez of Cicero to be the new party chair  unseating U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly of Matteson.

Factions of the party were split earlier this week between Hernandez and Kelly, as prominent Democrats such as Gov. JB Pritzker and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin did not see eye-to-eye.

ICYMI: State Democratic Party chair bows out in re-election bid, paving way for Hernandez

However, Kelly, the first Black woman to chair DPI, announced on Friday that she lacked the votes to continue in the position and would be stepping down in her bid.

I was elected as the first woman and the first Black chair of the DPI (Democratic Party of Illinois) because of my vision for an inclusive, diverse and people-first party, Kelly said in a statement. Unfortunately, it has become clear that support for my reelection as chair will come up just shy of the necessary majority. Therefore, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for chair.

Following Kelly's announcement, Durbin released his own statement:

"Congresswoman Robin Kelly made history as the first African American woman to chair the Illinois Democratic Party. Her challenge was not just to build a Democratic team, but to move from one man rule to a diverse leadership reflecting our party. She worked hard, and I was proud to back her re-election. Representative Lisa Hernandez has always been a friend. I wish her well, and I look forward to working with her."

Central Committee members expressed their gratitude for Kelly, who served 16 months as chair and replaced former House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan has since been charged with racketeering and bribery  charges that could lead to more than 200 years behind bars.

Navigating that space occupied by Madigan for more than 20 years, Kelly said she was proud of the responsiveness of the party in her term as it "held Republicans in a meaningful way."

Story continues

Still, some disappointment lingered.

"This past week has been a challenging one, honestly, this past 16 months have been challenging in many ways," Kelly said. "I know my vision for DPI was shared by so many and obviously I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to continue moving the party forward in this state  especially when I had so little time to do the work."

Among those most outspoken were state Central Committeeman Bill Houlihan of District 13, which includes Springfield. Houlihan, also the Sangamon County Democratic Party chair, spoke highly of Kelly's strides in downstate outreach  areas that have been growing increasingly conservative.

More:Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan charged with racketeering, bribery

"We do have a lot of counties that are trending red, or are red, that we have to do work in," he told The State Journal-Register. "We have to get the tools from the state party, which we have been getting from Robin Kelly, to slate candidates for office."

"I believe that will continue under Chair Hernandez and I think those are the kind of things that help us as a party."

With the vote, the Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch-backed Hernandez became the first Latina elected to chair the state party. Kelly's goals of keeping Illinois blue and gaining more seats in the House and Senate will also be embraced by her, Hernandez said.

"I vow to continue to listen to voices of Democrats across the state and will focus on building a party as diverse as Illinois," she said. "Working together, we can build a party that will deliver more Democrats at every level of government and protect and defend our majorities."

While no longer holding the DPI chair, Kelly will transition to represent the state on the Democratic National Committee as Christine Benson steps down. Kelly will now return as the Illinois at-large female member of the DNC.

Contact Patrick Keck : 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, or on Twitter @pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: State Rep. Lisa Hernandez is new chair of Democratic Party of Illinois
The author photographed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Olivia Singh/Insider

I'm a New York-based reporter at Insider who attended San Diego Comic-Con for the first time.

I was surprised by how reasonably priced food and beverages were at SDCC.

I was unprepared for San Diego's large number of mosquitoes and the hot temperatures.

Wearing a mask indoors was actually enforced.

The reporter wearing a mask while inside SDCC's Hall H. Olivia Singh/Insider

The pandemic has gone on for longer than most people anticipated. With that, I found that a lot of rules regarding safety have become lax and less strict.

SDCC 2022 marked the event's full-scale return for the first time since 2019. Even though SDCC announced that all attendees must wear masks, I was skeptical about whether or not that rule would be enforced.

As it turned out, event staff took the COVID safety measures very seriously. Everyone had to show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test in order to obtain a bright orange paper wristband that was to be worn during an attendee's entire time at SDCC.

Various security guards and event staff were stationed outside the San Diego Convention Center, and they diligently checked to make sure that people had their wristbands on before letting them pass.

I also saw staff asking people to put their masks on before entering the convention center.

On-site food and beverages were reasonably priced.

Food prices weren't astronomically high. Olivia Singh/Insider

As someone who has attended concerts, theme parks, and cons for years (mainly in an expensive city like New York), I'm used to prices for food and drinks being ridiculously high.

I was shocked that purchasing food at SDCC didn't leave a dent in my wallet.

One food truck sold tacos for $7, chips and salsa for $4, and churros for $6. Meanwhile, cocktails named after popular shows and movies cost between $16 and $18.

The Hilton San Diego Bayfront, where many SDCC panels and events took place, also offered affordable breakfast options, from coffee or tea costing $3 to a meal deal for $16.

It was hotter in San Diego than I had anticipated.

The sun was sharp at San Diego Comic-Con. Olivia Singh/Insider

Prior to my trip, people who had visited San Diego assured me that the weather there was comfortable and less hot than in areas like LA.

Story continues

But during SDCC, temperatures were in the high 70s Fahrenheit with a real feel in the 80s.

Aside from overcast mornings, the afternoons  which is when I was most often walking around SDCC  were extremely sunny.

When waiting in lines for outdoor activations, I was exposed to the direct sunlight because there were hardly any shaded areas.

No one warned me that San Diego has a large number of ruthless mosquitoes.

I learned that mosquitoes in San Diego are relentless. Olivia Singh/Insider

Apparently, there are 27 known species of mosquitoes in San Diego. During my trip, I accumulated approximately 25 total bug bites all over my body, including on my face.

Whether it was inside my hotel room or while I was outdoors, I was constantly uncomfortable because of the painful, bright-red welts on my skin. My left hand even swelled from the irritation.

By the time I went to a CVS to buy Off!'s insect repellent and Benadryl's maximum strength itch-stopping cream, the damage had already been done.

Lines were longer than I expected.

This photo only shows a portion of the extremely long line to get into the "Abbott Elementary" activation. Olivia Singh/Insider

I've previously attended New York Comic-Con and beauty conventions, so I'm familiar with the unavoidable lines that attendees have to wait in.

But at SDCC, lines for activations for shows like "Abbott Elementary" took anywhere between two and four hours, depending on when you joined the queue. While the experiences were fun, the time spent waiting took away from exploring other parts of SDCC.

Read the original article on Insider
Abortion rights supporters protest Friday outside the Indiana Statehouse. (Jenna Watson / Indianapolis Star via Associated Press)

Indiana state senators narrowly passed a near-total abortion ban Saturday during a rare weekend session, sending the bill to the House after a contentious week of arguments over whether to allow exceptions for rape and incest.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted 26 to 20 after about three hours of debate, passing the bill with the minimum 26 votes needed to send it on to the House.

The bill would prohibit abortions from the time a fertilized egg implants in a uterus. Exceptions would be allowed in cases of rape and incest, but the patient seeking an abortion would have to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to the attack.

Indiana is one of the first Republican-controlled states to debate tighter abortion laws since the U.S. Supreme Court last month overturned the precedent establishing a national right to an abortion. But the GOP splintered after the exceptions for rape and incest remained in the bill, and 10 Republican senators voted against it.

Abortion rights supporters said before the vote that the bill went too far. Dr. Roberto Darroca, one of several physicians who testified against it, advocated for an exception to preserve the health of pregnant women.

Decisions must be made rapidly. Having to wait for legal counsel would freeze this decision-making process, Darroca said. Can you imagine the dilemma the physician faces? The physicians liberty versus the life of the patient and the child?

Abortion opponents said the bill didnt go far enough.

Mark Hosbein was among a crowd at the Indiana state Capitol on Tuesday. For the second straight day in the special legislative session, cheers and shouts from protesters could be heard during committee hearings in Senate chambers. Hosbein, of Indianapolis, said he supports an abortion ban with no exceptions  even to protect the life of the mother.

Its wrong to try to kill the mother to save the baby, and its wrong to try to kill the baby to save the mother, he said. There are all kinds of limits, restrictions and everything going on here. But Im here in hopes of stopping the whole thing.

Story continues

A national poll this month found that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe their state should generally allow abortion in specific cases, including if a womans life is endangered or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. Few think abortion should always be illegal, according to the poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Thursdays Indiana Senate vote on an amendment that would have removed the exceptions for rape and incest failed 28 to 18, with 18 Republicans and 10 Democrats joining to retain the exceptions.

Some of the Republicans who did not want the exceptions had to support the bill for it to advance from the Senate to the GOP-controlled House.

Nicole Erwin of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates Indiana said Friday that she expected passage in the Senate, followed by House lawmakers adopting a full ban.

Theyve been waiting for this moment for far too long, Erwin said in a statement. Weve seen time and again we can only expect their worst, which means passing an outright ban on abortion.

Antiabortion groups have sought to ratchet up pressure on conservative lawmakers.

If they dont pass legislation during the three-week session, they need to explain to the voters why they have done nothing in Indiana to address this issue, Mike Fichter, president of Indiana Right to Life, said early in the week.

Republican House Speaker Todd Huston declined to talk about whats in the Senate bill but said he supports the exceptions for rape and incest.

Ive kind of told myself we will address all this next week, he said.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
An Iranian resistance group has urged European leaders to stop engaging with the current regime as Tehran threatens military action against its rivals  even on foreign soil.

The Fars News Agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran, published a July 27 article calling on the Islamic Republic to "put military action against the MKO headquarters in Albania on the agenda," claiming that the action would help to maintain "international peace and security."

Iran refers to the group as the "MKO."

IRAQI PARLIAMENT IN BAGHDAD STORMED BY PROTESTERS

The agency even referred to U.N. Charter Article 51, which ascribes the right to "individual or collective self-defense" of a member state.

Ali Safavi, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran, denounced the Fars report and urged western allies to do more to oppose the current regime.

"The brazen threats by Iran's ruling theocracy against its principle opposition the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) reflects first and foremost the extent to which the mullahs are terrified of the growing prowess and influence of the MEK-affiliated resistance units inside Iran," Safavi said, calling the report "a pathetic attempt to blackmail western governments into offering it concessions.

IRAN GOVERNMENT AGENTS ALLEGEDLY SHOOT OVER 1,000 DOGS DESPITE STERILIZATION, VACCINATIONS

"Firmness is the only effective policy to confront Tehran's terrorism and belligerence beyond its borders."

Fars referred to the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK or MOK) as a "terrorist sect" or "terrorist cult," but the group has developed healthy relations with the United States and other countries over the past two decades.

The U.S. once listed MEK as a Foreign Terrorist Organization for the alleged killing of personnel in Iran during the 1970s, but the State Department changed the groups status following a rejection of violence in 2012. Since then, as Secretary of State John Kerry appointed a special representative to help MEK move from Iraq to Albania, and former Vice President Mike Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo each met with members of the MEK group in 2022 during a visit to Tirana.

Story continues

BAHRAINI OFFICIAL: IRAN PROXIES NOTHING NEW, NUCLEAR DEAL CRITICAL TO COMBAT COMMON THREAT

Tehran has gone so far as to sanction 61 U.S. officials this month for their support of MEK, including attendance at MEK events and vocal support for the group and its opposition to Supreme Leader Khamenei, Reuters reported.

"The Iranian regime's foreign affairs ministry sanctioned 61 very senior former U.S. officials, including Mike Pompeo, John Bolton and General Jim Jones  a whole host of very distinguished Americans for their longstanding support for MEK," Safavi noted.

"Of course, the same kind of support that you see in the United States  is also happening in Europe, where many parliamentarians from different European countries, the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, national parliaments  have all repeatedly expressed support for a firm policy with the regime and the need for the West to abandon the policy of appeasement and engage the Iranian people and the Iranian resistance."

Safavi argued that this more aggressive stance from the current regime indicates that leaders in Tehran "fear the impact" that MEK has within Iran itself. The West, he said, must start to take stronger stances against Iran, including the end of appeasement.

"Remember that, back in 2018, a very senior Iranian diplomat in Vienna carried 500 grams of explosives from Tehran to Vienna aboard a commercial airliner to hand it over to two of his agents in Luxembourg to try to blow up the entire annual Free Iran World Summit near Paris." He said the European Union response was a "mere slap on the wrist" that will only embolden Iran to act so "brazen."

He also claimed that the JCPOA will not prove effective and that the U.S. should abandon its attempt to resurrect a "hopeless and useless" plan that Iranian officials never stopped "cheating and breaching."

"That deal never permanently stopped Iran from galloping toward nuclear weapons," Safavi argued. "In fact, all along, while the JCPOA was in place, the mullahs were cheating and breaching their obligations.

"If Iran is interested in peaceful energy, peaceful nuclear energy, it does not need to enrich uranium just like many other countries. It can be imported from abroad."
BAGHDAD (AP)  Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric stormed into Iraq's parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts led by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups.

The alliance showed signs of internal division, with some calling for counter-protests  a development that would raise the specter of civil strife  while others later urged for dialogue.

Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas and stun grenades to try to repel the demonstrators, who are followers of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Once inside, the protesters declared an open-ended sit-in and claimed they would not disperse until their demands are answered.

As the numbers of protesters swelled, the police backed off. An expected parliament session did not take place and no lawmakers were in the hall. By late afternoon, the Ministry of Health said about 125 people were injured in the violence  100 protesters and 25 members of the security forces.

Parliament Speaker Mohammed Halbousi suspended future sessions until further notice.

Earlier in the day and heeding al-Sadr's calls, the demonstrators used ropes and chains to pull down cement barricades leading to the gate of Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and embassies.

The development showed al-Sadr was using his large grassroots following as a pressure tactic against his rivals, after his party was not able to form a government despite having won the largest number of seats in the federal elections held last October.

With neither side appearing willing to concede, and al-Sadr intent on derailing government formation efforts lead by his rivals, Iraq's limbo and political paralysis has ushered in a new era of instability in the beleaguered country.

Al-Sadr has used his followers as leverage against rivals and ordered them to occupy the parliament in the past  as in 2016, during the administration of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.

Story continues

Now, 10 months since the last elections, the political vacuum is shaping up to be the longest since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion to oust Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had reset the country's political order.

Al-Sadr's rivals in the Coordination Framework  an alliance of Shiite parties backed by Iran and lead by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki  showed signs of internal divisions later on Saturday.

At first, the alliance called for peaceful counter-protests to defend the state, raising fears of possible street clashes and inter-ethnic violence.

Civil peace is a red line and all Iraqis must be prepared to defend it in all possible, peaceful, means, the alliance said. Three Shiite officials said this statement was written by al-Maliki and militia leader and political figure Qais al-Khazali.

Later, Hadi al-Amiri, also an alliance leader, issued a statement inviting our "dear brother" al-Sadr to a serious dialogue to find a way out of the impasse. Al-Maliki appeared to pivot also and issued a statement saying the day's tumultuous events had prompted him to call for dialogue with al-Sadr.

Al-Maliki is al-Sadr's chief rival and both men are powerful in their own right.

The United Nations expressed its concern of further instability and called on Iraqi leaders to de-escalate. Voices of reason and wisdom are critical to prevent further violence. All actors are encouraged to de-escalate in the interest of all Iraqis," the U.N. said.

In a speech, caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for restraint.

The political blocs must sit down and negotiate and reach an understanding for the sake of Iraq and the Iraqis, he said and ordered security forces to protect demonstrators.

Shiite leader Ammar al-Hakim  who is allied with the Framework but has announced he would not participate in the next government  echoed al-Kadhimi's words and called for both sides to make concessions to avoid the irreplaceable loss of the homeland.

Throughout the day, al-Sadr supporters  many had come not just from Baghdad but other provinces as well in order to stage the sit-in  continued to throng the parliament building, raising the Iraqi flag and portraits of al-Sadr. They chanted against the intrusion of foreign states, a veiled reference to Iran.

It was the second time in four days that the cleric ordered his followers to take their cause inside the Green Zone. On Wednesday, after protesters stormed the parliament in a similar fashion, they left shortly after getting inside, at al-Sadr's command.

Wednesday's show of force came after al-Sadr's rivals had made a step forward in their government formation efforts by naming Mohammed al-Sudani as their nominee for the premiership.

Inside the parliament, as the day unfolded, the defenses of the security forces grew less intense and many were seen sitting and conversing with demonstrators. Later, some protesters began moving from the parliament toward the Judicial Council building.

We came today to remove the corrupt political class and prevent them from holding a parliament session, and to prevent the Framework from forming a government, said Raad Thabet, 41. We responded to al-Sadrs call.

Al-Sadrs party left the government formation talks in June, giving his rivals in the Coordination Framework the majority they needed to move forward with the process.

Many protesters wore black to mark the days leading to Ashura, which commemorates the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohamed and one of Shiite Islams most important figures. Al-Sadr's messaging to his followers has used the important day in Shiite Islam to kindle protests.

Its unclear to what extent Saturday's events could derail efforts to muster enough support for al-Sudani's bid for premiership. Al-Maliki had wanted the premier post himself, but audio recordings were leaked in which he purportedly cursed and criticized al-Sadr and even his own Shiite allies, which effectively sank his candidacy.
You are here: China

China successfully launched a new group of remote sensing satellites from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province Friday.

The satellites were launched as the third group of the Yaogan-35 family at 9:28 p.m. (Beijing Time) by a Long March-2D carrier rocket and entered the planned orbit successfully.

The satellites will be mainly used to conduct scientific experiments, land resource surveys, agricultural product yield estimation, and disaster prevention and reduction.

This launch marked the 429th mission for the Long March series carrier rockets.

China launched the first and second groups of Yaogan-35 satellites on Nov. 6 of 2021 and June 23 of 2022 respectively.
Joe Biden - REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

When his green credentials were challenged by a young activist on the election trail, Joe Biden had a simple answer.

Kiddo, I want you to look into my eyes, the future president said in 2019, grasping her hand. I guarantee you, were going to end fossil fuels.

In contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump, the Democratic hopeful was promising to drive down Americas use of dirty oil and gas and instead pump hundreds of billions of dollars into a renewable energy revolution.

Yet almost three years later  as Russia blackmails Europe over gas and Americans fume at soaring petrol prices  the president is rowing back on his war against fossil fuels and preaching a starkly different message.

In a recent letter to some of Americas biggest oil companies, he chastised them for making big profits off the back of price rises and called for immediate actions to increase the supply of gasoline, diesel, and other refined products.

Bidens moves, which have enraged eco-warriors within his own Democratic Party, underline the growing alarm in the White House as potentially brutal midterm elections draw near.

But they also amount to a tacit admission that his energy policies, knocked off course by Russias invasion of Ukraine, appear to have gone awry.

Kathryn Porter, an energy consultant at Watt Logic, says the Presidents actions since taking office consistently signalled that he wants to protect the climate by reducing oil and gas production and that he backed this up with new regulation for the industry.

But he failed to consider the impact of a price shock, she adds.

Now, with rapidly rising gasoline prices, he is backtracking and accusing oil companies of profiteering, when in reality they are responding to his policies in the way he wanted, by reducing capacity.

The year before Biden entered the Oval Office, the US had just cemented its energy independence, becoming a net exporter of oil for the first time since 1949.

It has left America in a vastly stronger position than Europe during the current crisis, with the country protected from the kind of gas supply issues that keep officials across the Continent awake at night.

Story continues

America did this thanks to modern drilling breakthroughs that have unleashed a huge shale boom since 2010, with heartlands such as the Permian Basin in Texas powering a mighty output of 13m barrels of oil per day.

During his election campaign, Biden poured scorn on the industry and vowed to cut back on subsidies, saying he would ultimately like to see the use of coal and fracking eliminated.

He said he would not oppose existing fracking but would stop new licences being granted for extraction on federal lands and waters.

Within hours of entering the Oval Office, he kept his word, issuing an executive order to that effect. Biden also revoked a permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline to Canada and signed the US back up to the Paris climate accords, undoing former actions by former president Trump.

His moves came at a time when the oil industry was still reeling from a collapse in demand during the early months of the pandemic, when Brent crude plunged as low as $19 (15.6) per barrel.

By the summer of 2021, coronavirus restrictions were being lifted and economies opening up again, causing demand for oil to rebound. But ever since, supply chains have struggled to keep up.

Wary of Bidens hostile policies, oil companies say they have been taking a more cautious approach to investment in new fracking projects, and focusing on securing returns for their investors.

All the while, petrol prices have ticked up to eye-watering levels, with Russias invasion of Ukraine only aggravating the situation.

A year ago, the price of a gallon of petrol stood at about $3.17, meaning it cost about $38 to fill up a typical family car. Those figures leapt to $5 and $60 respectively at one point last month  although the price is now a little lower at $4.26, according to the American Automobile Association.

Biden has lashed out at oil and gas companies  complaining they are making a killing from refining and need to ramp up production.

Exxon [Mobil] made more money than God last year, the President seethed to reporters last month.

In a recent analysis, Katie Tubb, a research fellow at Republican think tank The Heritage Foundation, saw it differently: We must give Biden the credit that policies have consequences, and reject the administrations many attempts to shift responsibility for what is the only logical conclusion of policies designed to forcibly wean Americans off fossil fuels: higher prices.

In the meantime, Biden has junked his promise to block new oil and gas licences as the administration scrambles to bring down petrol prices. The Interior Department last month held the first sale of onshore leases for federal land since he entered office.

The response from businesses was tepid, with industry groups blaming factors such as threatened lawsuits from environmental activists and higher royalties the government was seeking.

After observing new obstacles to federal development, companies may have decided its just not worth the additional time, cost and risk," Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, told Reuters.

Earlier this year Biden was also forced to eat his words as he vowed to supply Europe with huge shipments of liquified natural gas (LNG), to help make up for reductions in supplies via Russian pipelines.

Before that, he authorised oil drawdowns from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve to help quell price rises.

Porter says the President's missteps illustrate the problem with trying to drive the energy transition from the supply side.

Oil and gas companies do not produce oil and gas for fun  they produce it because people want to buy it, she explains.

Unless consumers are provided with alternatives or choose to reduce demand, reductions in supply simply raise prices.

Two years ago, Biden confidently promised voters he would seek to eradicate fossil fuels. But as November's elections loom, he may not want to repeat that vow too loudly.
Local law enforcement has 14 people behind bars after a joint operation.

On July 29, Memphis Police Department Auto Theft Task Force (ATTF), the Bartlett Police Departments Crime Suppression Unit (CSU), Memphis Police TACT Unit, Austin Peay Station Task Force and Appling Farms Station Task Force conducted a one-day joint operation to suppress crime.

The operation resulted in 14 felony arrests, four stolen vehicles recovered and five handguns recovered, police said.

According to police, there were seven adults and seven juveniles arrested. The oldest adult was 36 years old, and the youngest juvenile was 10 years old.

ADULTS:

Dcobi Lane, 24: Theft of Property $1,000-$2,500 to wit Handgun, Convicted Felon in Possession of a Handgun, Driving while License Sus/Can/Rev, Violation of Vehicle Registration

Anton Dickerson, 36: Possession of Controlled Substance to wit Marijuana, Warrant  Aggravated Assault

Jordan Conard, 18: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft, Altering of Serial Numbers, Fabricating/Tampering w/ Evidence to wit Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (2 Counts), Evading Arrest (Foot Pursuit)

Marcus Jones, 18: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft, Evading Arrest (Foot Pursuit), Reckless Driving

Robert Gray, 20: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

Brandon Colliers, 24: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

Davidyon Smith, 19: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

CHILDREN:

14-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

10-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

13-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

16-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

15-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

14-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

15-year-old boy: Theft of Property $10,000-$60,000 to wit Auto Theft

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Trending stories:
Though churches cannot endorse political candidates, they can endorse political campaigns

On a recent Sunday in Kansas, a red-tailed hawk soared over a Catholic church at dusk. Mass had ended, and clouds were rolling in. Inside the foyer, a slideshow featuring a picture of a curly-haired baby and his mother urged parishioners to "value them both", the slogan for those who want to change the state's abortion laws.

On 2 August, Kansans will vote on whether to alter the language of the state constitution, the first state to vote on such an amendment since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, abolishing the constitutional right for a woman to have an abortion. If it passes, members of the Republican-controlled state legislature can write laws that make it much harder, if not impossible, for a woman in Kansas to get an abortion.

The ballot is written so that a "yes" vote affirms that "there is no Kansas constitutional right to abortion". Voting against the amendment would keep the constitution as-is, meaning that women in the state do have a right to an abortion.

At the Catholic church, located in Overland Park, a police officer stood guard. A few days earlier, someone had painted "My Body My Choice" over a statue of the Virgin Mary, and church-goers were skittish. "Thanks for your protection," one of them told the officer.

Meanwhile, at a nearby abortion clinic, Rachel Mary Stout, a 26-year-old pro-choice activist and podcaster, stood outside with a 9mm pistol strapped to her chest. She had a gun, she said, because of the death threats she has received for holding up a cardboard sign pointing to the clinic, one of only four facilities in the state that still performs abortions.

These contrasting Kansas scenes - one inside a church, the other outside a clinic - reflect the deep divide on this issue. Both sides are campaigning on their passionately held views over access to abortion ahead of the vote. And in a state where residents are intensely proud of where they come from, there's a battle over what are truly Kansan values.

Story continues

While the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade made it possible for individual states to restrict access to abortion, it did not automatically overturn the state laws. Kansas, like in several states in the US, has enshrined the right to abortion in its state constitution.

That means that if lawmakers in Kansas want to make abortion illegal - they will have to change the law.

Rachel Mary Stout stands outside an abortion clinic

The right to an abortion was debated in a serious way in 2019, when the Kansas Supreme Court ruled the state constitution's Bill of Rights "affords protection of the right of personal autonomy, which includes the ability to control one's own body".

The number of abortions in the state has gone up since the ruling. In 2019, according to the state's Department of Health and Environment, about 6,900 abortions were performed. Last year, the number jumped to more than 7,800, and nearly half of the women came from another state, most of them from neighbouring Missouri.

"This is a destination spot for people from a four- or five-state radius to come and murder their child," said Richard Kiper III, 49, a conservative Christian and an antique-house restorer.

On a recent Saturday, Mr Kiper stood outside an abortion clinic with his son Judah, 12, carrying a "Do Not Murder Your Baby" sign.

Ms Stout, the armed podcaster, stood nearby. The medical facility is located in a suburban office park, near a fast-food restaurant, and the smell of French fries hung in the air. A couple of dozen other activists - on both sides of the debate - had gathered there. Some were playing rap music and blowing horns, and people were shouting at each other.

Police officers soon arrived, telling the pro-choice protesters to be quiet. A local noise ordinance states that they cannot exceed 70 decibels, or about as loud as a washing machine. An officer told the BBC he had clocked them at 80-85.

Michael McConnell, a volunteer at the abortion clinic, said that this was a regular occurrence, where anti-abortion activists would shout out to patients, and pro-choice groups would loudly play music to drown them out.

He was carrying a shredded "Vote yes" yard sign under his arm. He looked down at the sign and laughed nervously. "It seems a little incriminating," he said, explaining that he had pulled it out of a grassy meridian and torn it up.

This vote has potential to change the Kansas constitution

Both sides are supported by powerful figures, and lots of money.

Progressive activists are behind in the polls, but they have a fundraising edge. The leaders of an organisation, Kansans for Constitutional Freedom, have reported more than $7.4m in contributions towards their campaign to defeat the amendment. US Senator Elizabeth Warren and other prominent Democrats have endorsed their campaign.

On the other side, the Value Them Both Association (the amendment is referred to as the "Value Them Both Amendment"; in this case, "both" refers to mother and child) has raised more than $6m in contributions.

The lion's share of their money has come from the archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, which is led by Archbishop Joseph Naumann.

Churches are tax-exempt in the US, and they are not allowed to get involved in campaigns for political candidates. Yet churches can campaign for a specific issue, such as the referendum on abortion.

A spokesperson for the archbishop declined to comment, instead referring the BBC to the Value Them Both Association.

Mackenzie Haddix, a spokeswoman for the organisation, said bumper stickers have been torn off cars, and yard signs stolen. "Members of the Value Them Both coalition are scared," she said. "But ultimately it just encourages more people to vote yes, because they've seeing the aggression from the other side. And that's not a Kansas value."

The vote will happen on 2 August

According to a poll conducted by a Kansas City-based research company, co/efficient, 47% of likely voters plan to support the amendment, and 43% will vote against it. It is a close race, and the electoral battle has energised both sides.

Voting takes place during the dog days of summer, an unusually hot one even for Kansas. Turnout for these elections is usually about 35%, according to the Office of the Kansas Secretary of State. This year, more than 60% of eligible voters are expected to cast a ballot.

The vote in Kansas is the first real-world test of how ordinary people feel about abortion since the Supreme Court decision. The outcome of this battle is likely to have an impact on how other states approach their own laws - and it will shape how politicians campaign on the issue ahead of the national midterm elections in November.

Still, it can be hard to predict how people will mark their ballots. Anne Jones, 57, a doctor who was raised Catholic, supports the right to choose an abortion and plans to vote against the amendment. But she says: "When I'm in there voting, I'm wondering what the Catholic girl in me will say." Like many Kansans, she struggles with values, and with her vote, too.
Sebastine Chun , 16, left, a junior at Chatsworth Charter High, and Katherine Shin, 17, a senior at North Hollywood High, write down their reviews as they sample new breakfast and lunch menu items at Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles school chefs  largely responsible for providing the main source of daily nutrition for tens of thousands of children  served up new back-to-school options Friday, the latest attempt to provide healthful yet appealing food to youthful taste buds. But in a world of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, will students eat their school meals?

Enter turkey, ham and cheese croissants for breakfast. "Nashville" hot chicken tenders and honey biscuits, mango smoothies and meatball sub sandwiches for lunch.

"It is good," wrote diminutive third-grader Antonio Plascencia on his grading form, which he intended as high praise. He polished off his croissant sandwich before even moving to the next item on his tray.

Feeding L.A.'s children has long been an imperative in the nation's second-largest school district. About 80% of students are from low-income families and many grapple with food insecurity. Parents' long work schedules can be an additional challenge for preparing meals, let alone healthful ones. Every school day, the $180-million-a-year L.A. Unified program serves more than 300,000 breakfasts, about 285,000 lunches and about 70,000 early dinners.

During 13 months of pandemic-forced school closures, L.A. Unified filled the hunger void by offering grab-and-go food for any takers, surpassing the generosity and costs borne by many other school systems during the crisis.

LAUSD Supt. Alberto M. Carvalho added his own reviews: "The new cinnamon rolls  very tasty. The kung pao chicken, honey glazed with brown rice and broccoli  delicious." (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

"A disproportionate number of our kids live in poverty," Supt. Alberto Carvalho said Friday. "We offer breakfast and lunch for free  no questions asked  for every single kid in our school system. We're addressing the food insecurity in our community by providing nutritious healthy food options. They're also appealing. Why is this important? Hungry kids don't learn well."

He added his own reviews: "The new cinnamon rolls  very tasty. The kung pao chicken, honey glazed with brown rice and broccoli  delicious."

The items were prepared in the kitchen at the downtown Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts for about 30 generally satisfied student tasters. But it is a long way from this setting to the mass-producing central kitchens, from which items are trucked to campuses.

Story continues

The central-kitchen system has been an impediment to taste, despite quality ingredients and menus that meet or surpass federal guidelines. That's because many hot food items are, in effect, akin to reheated leftovers by the time they are served to students.

In the overcrowded L.A. Unified of the 1990s, efficiency was the priority in meal preparation, with central kitchens taking over for food prepared at school cafeterias  and prepackaged food stations installed to keep long lines moving. Many of the more than 100 new campuses lacked functional kitchens. And remodels of existing schools often removed cooking equipment.

Student tester Sebastine Chun, an 11th-grader at Chatsworth High School, recounted the unpleasant experience of receiving a moldy hamburger.

About 40% of menu items can now be prepared at schools. Food managers have reformulated the preparation, adding in more salads, for example, that can be assembled on-site while rethinking other recipes and obtaining new equipment. The goal is to achieve "speed scratch" cooking, under which things are done quickly but as homemade as possible, said Manish Singh, the district's director of food services.

Tinniya Wilson, 9, a fourth-grader at Compton Avenue Elementary School, writes down her impressions of the new L.A. Unified menu items. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Singh proudly pointed out to one student that all the sweetness in the strawberry smoothie bowl comes from the yogurt and fruit. No sugar added. Also no nitrates, no sulfites, no artificial colors, no artificial flavors.

Sebastine was impressed by the ramen bowl: "The flavors are something I would expect to see at a restaurant, which is really surprising."

But second-grader Faith Posada found her ramen too bland: "It has no flavor." The croissant and the cinnamon bun, however, she rated "10 out of 10."

Of course, generations of students everywhere have complained about school lunches. But for all the complaints, L.A. Unified has been a leader in some innovations.

L.A. Unified was among the first to ban soda and prepackaged junk food. The district then transitioned into healthier items, moving in 2011 from chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos and other foods high in fat, sugar and sodium to black bean burgers, tostadas, quinoa salad, vegetarian curry and fresh pears. But fewer students ate those lunches, often substituting Flamin' Hot Cheetos and soda from their backpacks.

More healthful foods might stand a better chance a decade later. Before the pandemic, for example, a group of vegan students and their parents regularly descended on school board meetings demanding the kind of foods they favored.

The testers on Friday included Karen Ramirez, 16, a vegetarian who wished there'd been more such options available. But the mango smoothie was promising: "I like the idea of it. But I think it could have tasted less like yogurt with a little bit more emphasis on the mango."

L.A. Unified has tried to innovate in various ways, with an initiative to purchase locally sourced ingredients and to use its buying power to influence farming practices. About seven years ago, when the school board set new standards for how suppliers should treat their poultry, their workers and the environment, contract talks with the nations largest two suppliers fell apart, leading to a year of virtually no chicken on school lunch menus.

Tacos and meatball sub sandwiches were among the food items students got to sample. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

The district has also tried to curb food waste, but it has far to go on that front.

Along the way there's been angst  chocolate milk was banned and then returned after students weren't drinking regular milk. Breaded chicken was removed, then brought back.

There's also been labor intrigue  the school board approved health benefits for part-time cafeteria workers even though it threw the food program into a deficit at the time. On the upside, that policy also provided vital health coverage for low-wage workers and their families.

And befitting the school district that includes Hollywood, there's even been drama  the district refused to permit celebrity chief Jamie Oliver to film a show on its campuses  and true crime, when a top district food official and chef was convicted of forgery on a district vendor application.

Jailyn Johnson, a senior who attends King-Drew Medical Magnet, hasn't been too keen on school food. She remembers getting sick after eating a meal in elementary school, and in middle school she recalled hasty warnings over the intercom not to drink the milk or yogurt after someone noticed it had expired.

In high school, if she forgot her lunch from home, she'd often go hungry rather than eat the campus food. She said it affected her energy level and ability to concentrate. And she's not the only one: "Sometimes it's gotten so bad to where teachers will have to bring snacks. I had a teacher who would have a PB and J [peanut butter and jelly] station for students."

But, on Friday, she was encouraged: "I really am enjoying some of the choices. I've really liked the diversity."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Participants at a past square dancing event at the Claxton Community Center.

The Claxton Country Squares, a Western-style square dance club, offers a gathering place for regular square dances and also lessons for everyone who wants to learn. Easy step-by-step square dancing instructions are given and no experience is necessary. Square dancing is the official folk dance for the state of Tennessee.

The club meets in the Claxton Community Center, 1071 Edgemoor Road, just beside the Claxton Community Park and near the Bull Run Fossil Plant.

This club was established in 1986. The club members are proud of the reputation of being the friendliest square dance club in the state, according to a news release.

The square dancing sessions are led by caller Mike Hoose, who is well known in the state and across the United States for his ability to call and to teach the art of square dancing. Hoose is a hometown boy who was born and raised in the Claxton area and graduated from Clinton High School.

The club offers regular square dances on the first and fourth Saturday evening on almost every month of the year. These dances are from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The group offers square dance lessons beginning each year on the first Monday after Labor Day, that being Sept. 12 this year. Their first two classes on Sept. 12 and 19 are free and begin at 7 p.m. After that, the lessons are $6 per dancer, with discounts offered for multiple family members. Everyone is encouraged to try it. All ages are welcome. It is a very enjoyable and healthy activity for the entire family, young and old alike, according to a release.

More information? Visit claxtoncountrysquares.com.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Learn to square dance in Claxton
LOS ANGELES  Carlos Zaragoza's 17-year-old son was tortured and killed by gang members in El Salvador three years ago, after refusing to join them.

Zaragoza, a Los Angeles resident, is one of many who support Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's hardhanded strategy against the country's gangs, saying it is necessary to claim our country and try to provide a better future for our future generations.

Bukele's recent roundups and crackdowns, which have included reports of fatalities, have drawn international scrutiny. According to human rights groups, authorities have committed serious human rights violations, including dozens of arbitrary arrests. Over 43,000 people have been arrested since the state of emergency began in late March, according to official data. There are over 60 credible reports of deaths in custody, according to Human Rights Watch.

Bukele has branded his government as breaking with the past, fighting corruption and ensuring security, an efficient state and opportunities for Salvadorans, said Juan Pappier, senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch. But in practice his policies show that hes following similar or in some cases even worse practices than his predecessors.

But in El Salvador and among the diaspora in the U.S., many are OK with Bukeles strategy, even if it chips away at the countrys fragile democracy.

In El Salvador, the approval rating of Bukele, a 41-year-old populist, has soared to almost 90%, even as he curbs civil liberties.

There are no U.S.-based polls indicating the level of support for Bukele. But in the Los Angeles area, home to the largest Salvadoran-born population in the U.S., as well as in other cities, he's garnering support.

Bukele recently tweeted about large rallies held in his support in Los Angeles, Houston and Long Island, where people chanted for his re-election.

Zaragoza, who heads the El Salvador Foundation, a nonprofit that helps families in need, said Bukele is doing the "best" work in that area.

Story continues

Like Zaragoza, much of the appeal of those who support him comes from the presidents crackdown on gangs. Bukele declared a state of emergency in March after Congress granted him the power to suspend some civil liberties in order to rein in street gangs. It came after a deadly weekend in which gangs were blamed for 62 killings. A giant prison with space for 40,000 gang members is under construction. The "Terrorism Confinement Center" will be ready within 60 days, Bukele wrote in a tweet.

While Bukele has clashed with U.S. officials over his tactics, he regularly reaches out to Salvadorans in the U.S., who can participate in elections in their home country. Politicians from his political party, Nuevas Ideas, have traveled to U.S. cities to meet with members of the diaspora.

"The popularity of Bukele, right now, especially among the diaspora has to do with the deep frustration of the Salvadoran people with the performance of previous governments," said Jose Miguel Cruz, director of research at Florida International University's Latin America and Caribbean Center. He once headed the Public Opinion Institute at the University of Central America.

Many Salvadorans have grown tired of the violence and lawlessness that have plagued the country for decades. Although the homicide rate fell in recent years, the small Central American country has been referred to in the past as the murder capital of the world. For decades, violence has prompted many Salvadorans to migrate to the U.S., leading the Salvadoran immigrant population to explode from 95,000 in 1980 to over 1 million today. There are over 2.3 million people of Salvadoran origin residing in the U.S., comprising the third largest Hispanic group.

After El Salvadors bloody civil war ended in 1992, the U.S. deported thousands of Salvadorans that had ties to gangs founded in Los Angeles during the 1980s. Once in El Salvador, the gangs flourished into a transnational criminal network. The years of violence and instability has caused frustration, with government leaders unable to control it.

"Many people in the diaspora left in the past 20 years," said Cruz. "They hear from their relatives now that there seems to be a little bit more security and they have bought into the narratives."

Iris Lara Cubias, president of Juntos Por Una Sonrisa Shulton L.A. Foundation, said Bukele is doing a good job in providing the country with a heightened sense of security as well as more hospitals and resources  a lot of help that was never seen before in the country."

Bukeles supporters point to the decline in gang violence since the millennial leader took office in 2019.

But some experts say violence has fallen because Bukeles government brokered a truce with the gangs. Bukele denies it.

Using social media, taking swipes at U.S.

Bukele, an avid social media user, boasts about the arrests of gang members on his Twitter account and has taken swipes at the U.S. government.

President Joe Bidens administration has not had warm relations with Bukele, a reversal from Bukeles embrace of former President Donald Trump.

Early in Bidens presidency, El Salvador's National Assembly, dominated by Bukeles party, removed the attorney general and five supreme court judges in what many saw as an effort to consolidate power. Months later, the top court ruled the countrys president can serve two consecutive terms, clearing the way for Bukele to run for re-election. Both moves prompted condemnation from the Biden administration.

Late last year, Biden sanctioned Salvadoran government officials over corruption and allegedly facilitating and organizing secret meetings with incarcerated leaders of the MS-13 and Barrio-18 gangs.

Bukele fired back on Twitter calling the accusations "absurd."

It is clear that the United States Government does not accept collaboration, friendship or alliance, he said.

In a move that shows how rocky relations are between the two countries, Bukele skipped the Summit of the Americas, hosted by the U.S. in Los Angeles, a rare snub from a small country like El Salvador.

But despite the wariness over democracy, Salvadorans in the U.S. and back home continue to support him. Pro-Bukele rallies in Los Angeles, Long Island and Houston were recently organized by Salvadorenos en el Exterior. People chanted "re-election." Bukele, keen on cultivating support in the U.S., tweeted videos of the rally.

Politicians allied with Bukele have traveled to different parts of the U.S. to hold meetings with the Salvadorans. Last year, Bukele urged voters in a California congressional district to vote out their representative, Guatemalan-born Norma Torres, a Democrat, after a spat between the two on Twitter. Torres said that after the exchange of harsh tweets, she was sleeping with a gun nearby because she received hateful messages.

Torres is up for re-election in November and her district is heavily Democratic. Her office did not respond to several emailed requests for an interview.

More perception than reality?

Yesenia Portillo, a Salvadoran American activist raised in Los Angeles, said there is a perception that Salvadorans in the U.S. are overwhelmingly supportive of Bukele.

But Portillo said there are many in the U.S. who don't support him, and are becoming more vocal about their concerns, especially as more political exiles arrive in the U.S."

Portillo said that in El Salvador, there is more opposition to Bukele than polls reflect.

Feminists, LGBTI+, labor, and environmental organizations in El Salvador have been taking to the streets by the tens of thousands to criticize his policies and that often doesnt get highlighted, she said.

South Central, Los Angeles resident Benedicto Benavides, 54, says Bukeles high approval rating isnt reflective of what the majority of Salvadorans truly think.

Theres a lot of people that dont agree with him, Benavides said, though he added that Bukele he is very social media savvy and everything about him looks good.

Follow NBC Latino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Marylands Montgomery County reopened its pandemic rent assistance program on Wednesday for a fourth phase after a rise in community levels of COVID-19.

I am pleased to announce the reopening of the rental relief program. We have additional funds to distribute, and we know that the need for this assistance has not gone away, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich said in a statement announcing the new phase.

The countys COVID-19 Rent Relief Program, first launched in May 2020, allocates rent assistance to those who have fallen behind on rent payments due to financial hardship resulting from the pandemic.

The program provides as much as $12,000 for up to a year and a half for those deemed eligible for assistance.

For households below 30% of the Area Median Income (AMI), additional financial help may be available beyond the $12,000, including up to $2,000 for utility assistance, the program specifies.

The new phase of the program is open to new submissions from renters in Montgomery County as well as continued submissions from those who were unable to complete a submitted application by the previous deadline of June 30.

For a household to be eligible, in addition to having experienced financial hardship due to the pandemic, its members must have incomes at or below 50% of AMI, have lived in the county since at least August 2021, have an informal or formal agreement to pay rent and be behind on rental payments by at least two months as of June 30.

The impact of this pandemic will be with us for quite some time, so I urge eligible residents who are in need to not delay and apply today, Elrich said in his statement.

Montgomery County COVID-19 Surveillance recently reported a high community level in the area after seeing a rise from 6.1 hospitalizations per 100,000 residents on July 5 to 13.2 on July 28.

At the time of the launch of the fourth phase, the COVID-19 Rent Relief Program had distributed $79.1 million.

The fourth phase is using funding provided by U.S. Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance to Montgomery County and the state of Maryland.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Saying there is no way to protect the community by releasing her from jail, a judge Friday afternoon declined to set bond for a mother charged with causing the abuse that resulted last week in the death of her 5-year-old son.

The ruling by Washington County District Judge Terry A. Myers means Catherine Thrasher, 30, will remain behind bars along with her boyfriend, Timothy Lee Haselden II, 33, who is also charged in the death of Thrasher's son.

Haselden was watching the boy and two of the child's siblings July 22 at Thrasher's house north of Interstate 70 and west of Greencastle Pike, according to charging documents filed in the case. The 5-year-old became unresponsive and Haselden told police he noticed a brown substance coming from the boy's nose.

He called Thrasher at work, who got a ride home. When she arrived, she called 911 regarding the boy's condition. Arriving medics found the boy in cardiac arrest and told Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies that his injuries were consistent with abuse. The boy also had a swollen head, apparently from a potential skull fracture, and there were signs of strangulation, according to court records in the case.

Previously:Washington County man charged with first-degree child abuse and death of 5-year-old boy

The boy was taken to Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown and then to Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he died.

Haselden, who is facing charges including first-degree child abuse causing the death of a child under 13-years-old, continued to be held without bond following a hearing Monday in district court.

Thrasher continued to be held without bond this week at the Washington County Detention Center after her bond hearing was postponed until Friday. She was taken into custody at the Washington County Sheriff's Office on Monday following an interview with authorities.

She is also charged with first-degree abuse causing the death of a child younger than 13 years old, which carries a potential life sentence.

Story continues

Thrasher also is charged with a first-degree count of causing abuse that resulted in severe physical injury to a child in her custody; a second-degree count of causing abuse of a child in her custody; causing sexual abuse to a child in her custody; first- and second-degree assault; and neglect of a minor, charging documents state.

Assistant State's Attorney Michelle Flores argued before Myers on Friday afternoon in Thrasher's bond hearing that Thrasher should not be released on bond.

As Thrasher looked on through a closed-circuit TV link from the Washington County Detention Center, Flores said Thrasher's charges stem beyond the fact that she is the mother of the boy. Flores said evidence shows that Thrasher was a participant in acts resulting in his injuries, which included new and old bruises over his body.

"These are not bruises from one incident," Flores said.

Flores also argued that Thrasher is a flight risk, adding that she has only lived in the area for a couple years.

"She has no ties here, no career holding her here," Flores said.

During a hearing for Thrasher on Tuesday, Acting District Public Defender Eric Reed asked for a postponement due to a potential conflict of interest. Reed and the public defender's office represented Haselden, who has past criminal cases, at his Monday bond hearing. Reed said he planned to seek a different attorney for Thrasher.

Hagerstown Attorney Robert L. Kline III told Myers during Friday's hearing that he will be representing Thrasher.

Kline requested that Thrasher be given an unsecured bond and that she perhaps be fitted with a home monitoring device.

Kline detailed Thrasher's state of mind the day her son died. When Haselden called her to report what happened to the boy, Thrasher "promptly obtained a ride home. She was the one who called 911," Kline said. "She cooperated with police later that day," he said.

That's in contrast to Haselden, who declined to provide information to authorities under this Fifth Amendment rights, Kline said.

After ordering Thrasher to be continued to be held without bond, Myers said there is no way the community can be safe with her out of jail. He said the fact that the case is a serious one is an "understatement."

Preliminary hearings for Thrasher and Haselden have been scheduled for Aug. 23 at 8:30 a.m. in district court.

A deputy who responded to Thrasher's house on July 22 said he found the boy's two siblings sleeping. He said the children were not well kept and the youngest child appeared to have lesions and/or abrasions on his face, court documents state.

At least one of the siblings had been taken to Children's National Hospital.

The sibling was released from the hospital and both siblings were in foster care through Child Protective Services, the sheriff's office said earlier this week.

Haselden is also charged with first- and second-degree rape; first- and second-degree assault; sex abuse of a minor; neglect of a minor; abuse of a child in his custody that resulted in severe physical injury; and second-degree abuse of a child in his custody.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County woman held in death of 5-year-old son
A tip led to the discovery of the remains Thursday night, said Chief Assistant District Attorney C. J. Robinson.

Police have opened a double homicide investigation into the deaths of two men following a shooting Friday evening.

Montgomery Police Lt. Jarrett Williams said the police and fire medics went to the scene at the 400 block of South Jackson Street at about 7:25 p.m.on a call of a person shot.

Montgomery shooting leaves one dead, another with life-threatening injuries

Williams said that police found William Lee and Emanuel Harmon Jr., both 30 and from Montgomery, with life-threatening gunshot wounds. They were both taken to a local hospital where Lee was pronounced dead. Harmon Jr. was pronounced dead on Saturday.

No additional information has been released and the investigation is ongoing.

Jemma Stephenson is the children and education reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. She can be reached at jstephenson@gannett.com or 334-261-1569.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery police launch double homicide investigation after Friday shooting
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korea on Saturday reported no new fever cases for the first time since it abruptly admitted to its first domestic COVID-19 outbreak and placed its 26 million people under more draconian restrictions in May.

There have been widespread outside doubts about the accuracy of North Korean statistics as its reported fatalities are too low and its daily fever cases have been plummeting too fast recently. Some experts say North Korea has likely manipulated the scale of illness and deaths to help leader Kim Jong Un maintain absolute control amid mounting economic difficulties.

The Norths anti-epidemic center said via state media it had found zero fever patients in the latest 24 hours, maintaining the countrys total caseload of about 4.8 million. Its death count remains at 74, with a mortality rate of 0.0016%  the worlds lowest, if true.

Despite the claimed zero cases, it is unclear whether and how soon North Korea would formally declare victory over COVID-19 and lift pandemic curbs because experts say it could face a viral resurgence later this year like many other countries. North Koreas state media have recently said its intensifying and upgrading its anti-epidemic systems to guard against coronavirus subvariants and other diseases like monkeypox.

The organizational power and unity unique to the society of (North Korea) is fully displayed in the struggle to bring forward a victory in the emergency anti-epidemic campaign, the official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday.

North Koreas claimed zero cases could have symbolic significance in its efforts to establish Kims image as a leader who has suppressed the outbreak much faster than other countries. Kim would need such credentials to garner greater public support to surmount economic hardships caused by pandemic border closings, U.N. sanctions and his own mismanagement, observers say.

In North Korea, public health care and politics cant be separated from each other, and that aspect has been revealed again in its COVID-19 outbreak, said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website focusing on health issues in North Korea. Since they began with manipulated data, theyre now putting an end to the outbreak with manipulated data.

Story continues

North Korea had been widely expected to claim zero cases as its daily fever caseload has been nosediving in recent days  there were three reported cases on Friday and 11 on Thursday  from a peak of about 400,000 a day in May. The country, which lacks test kits, has identified only a fraction of its 4.8 million fever patients as confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Realistically speaking, hundreds of thousands of daily fever cases becoming zero in less than three months is something impossible, said Lee Yo Han, a professor at Ajou University Graduate School of Public Health in South Korea.

Many outside experts earlier worried the Norths outbreak would have devastating consequences because most of its people are believed to be unvaccinated and about 40% are reportedly undernourished. But now, activists and defectors with contacts in North Korea say they havent heard of a humanitarian disaster. They say the countrys outbreak has also likely peaked.

In an indication of an easing outbreak, North Korea this week held massive no-mask public events in its capital, Pyongyang, where thousands of aged Korean War veterans and others gathered from across the country to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the end of the 1950-53 war. During an anniversary ceremony, Kim hugged and exchanged handshakes with some veterans before he took group photos with other participants. No one wore masks, according to state media photos.

Shin Young-jeon, a professor of preventive medicine at Seouls Hanyang University, said North Korea would know that zero cases dont mean it has no COVID-19 patients because there are likely asymptomatic cases. He said North Korea wont likely announce it has officially beaten the pandemic anytime soon because of worries about a resurgence.

North Koreas state media have already used expressions like its winning its anti-virus fight. The only other expression they can use now is declaring the coronavirus has been completely eliminated from its territory, Shin said. But if new cases emerge again, North Korea would lose its face.

The only route for North Koreas fresh viral spread from abroad is likely China, its main ally that shares a long, porous border, and North Korea would find it difficult to announce victory over the pandemic until China does, Lee said.

The North Korea-China border has been largely shut for more than 2  years, except for a few months when it reopened earlier this year.

Some observers say the Norths elevated pandemic response has provided Kim with a tool to boost his authoritarian rule amid public complaints over long-running restrictions. They say North Korea could report a small number of fever cases again in the coming days.

Foreign experts struggle to assess the true number of fatalities in North Korea. They note the Norths shortage of test kits would also make it virtually impossible for the country to determine whether aged people or others with underlying diseases died of COVID-19 or something else.

Shin, the university professor, stood by his earlier study that predicted North Korea would likely suffer 100,000-150,000 deaths. He said he used South Korean data showing its mortality rate of unvaccinated people for the omicron variant, whose outbreak North Korea admitted in May, was 0.6%.

Other experts say the Norths fatalities would be several thousand at the maximum. They said bigger death tolls must have been detected by North Korea monitoring groups.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed further implementing the strategy of strengthening the armed forces by training competent personnel in the new era.

Presiding over and addressing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday, Xi also urged efforts to give better play to the talent's role in spearheading and underpinning the cause of building a strong military.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, Xi extended festival greetings to service personnel of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces, days before the 95th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which falls on Aug. 1.

The personnel strategy is of great significance to realizing the Party's goal for military development in the new era and building the people's armed forces into a world-class military, Xi stressed.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the talent-related work in the military has gained historic achievements, Xi said.

Noting that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, Xi said China is facing mounting instability and uncertainty in the national security situation.

In the coming five years, the key task for the country's military is to achieve the centenary objectives of the PLA. The work to foster military talent should be strengthened comprehensively, Xi said.

He stressed practicing the absolute Party leadership over the military throughout all aspects and the whole process of the talent-related work and improving the service personnel supply for war preparedness.

Xi also called for efforts to address salient problems in the talent-related work with reforms and innovations on all fronts.

The communication and cooperation between military and civilian sectors should be enhanced to further integrate the military's talent-related work with the country's efforts in developing a quality workforce, Xi said.
A map shows where a suspect shot at deputies in East L.A.

A person was detained after Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were shot at in East L.A. late Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Deputies were shot at after responding to a call for service at 4:50 p.m. in the 4200 block of Fisher Street, said Deputy Alejandra Parra, an L.A. County Sheriff's Department spokesperson.

The deputies were responding to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, said Deputy Veronica Fantom, another department spokesperson.

Deputies did not open fire during the incident, Fantom said.

Authorities set up a containment zone and had one person detained by 6:15 p.m., she said.

The containment will remain in place for an unknown duration.

Further information about the shooting was not immediately available.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A Pennsylvania man has been freed on nominal bail while awaiting retrial on charges of killing his wife and then faking an all-terrain vehicle accident to cover up the slaying a decade ago.

An appeals court earlier in the week upheld a York County judges decision in June to allow 49-year-old Joseph Fitzpatrick III to be freed on $1 bail.

Defense attorney Christopher Ferro said he was ecstatic.

York county prosecutors are mulling an appeal.

Fitzpatrick is accused of having drowned 43-year-old Annemarie Fitzpatrick in a creek in June 2012 and then telling police they crashed their ATV in the water.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

TRENDING NOW:

Pittsburgh police warning residents of crimes involving teens using USB cords to steal cars Police say a man was shot in the head after a possible robbery, victim in critical condition Man accused of shooting state trooper in Beaver County pleaded guilty to killing doctor in 2005 VIDEO: Local teen wins gold at national karate competition DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts
ISLAMABAD (AP)  Pakistans powerful army chief has contacted Washington, seeking U.S. help in securing an early release of a crucial $1.7 billion installment from the International Monetary Fund to his country, struggling with a deepening economic crisis, Pakistani officials said Saturday.

According to several government officials, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa discussed the issue with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, appealing on Washington to use its influence with the IMF to help Pakistan.

The appeal was a rare reaching out by the army chief. Pakistan's relations with the United States have been troubled in recent years, mainly over the issue of neighboring Afghanistan, now run by the Taliban.

The relations remained especially tense under former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament in April. However, Pakistans military, which has directly ruled the country for more than half of its 75-year history, has closely worked with the U.S. and was an official ally in the war on terror against al-Qaida.

Pakistan's foreign ministry confirmed Friday that Bajwa and Sherman had talked.

I understand (the) conversation has taken place, but at this stage, I am not in direct knowledge of the content of this discussion, said ministry spokesman Asim Iftikhar.

The officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday said the discussion focused on the IMF loan. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Pakistan and the IMF originally signed the bailout accord in 2019. But the release of a $1.7 billion tranche has been on hold since earlier this year, when the IMF expressed concern about Pakistans compliance with the deal's terms under Khan.

Khan's successor, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, and his government reached a preliminary agreement with the IMF earlier this month to revive the bailout package. That agreement was subject to approval from the funds board of directors.

Story continues

Pakistan had hoped for a quick revival of the bailout, but the IMF has so far not released the much-needed installment, which may have prompted Bajwa's call to Washington. It remained unclear what U.S. officials could do to speed up the process of the bailout.

There was no immediate comment from Washington on the phone call.

Bajwa also spoke by phone with the head of U.S Central Command in the Mideast, Gen. Michael Kurilla, on Friday, according to a military statement. It quoted Kurilla as saying he appreciates the role Pakistan plays in the region's stability and expressing hopes for further improvement in cooperation with Pakistan.

Pakistan desperately needs the IMF loan. Earlier in July, the fund said it would raise the value of the bailout from $6 billion to $7 billion, if approved by its executive board, usually considered a formality.

Sharif has repeatedly blamed the former prime minister's government, alleging that Khan  a former cricket star turned Islamist politician  had deliberately violated IMFs conditions in order to remain popular among followers at home.

Analysts say the revival of the IMF bailout will help Pakistan and encourage other international financial institutions to engage with the South Asian country.

Sharifs government has also been in contact with Washington over reviving the IMF bailout. Since his ouster, Khan has repeatedly alleged that his government was toppled under a U.S. plot, a charge Washington denies.

Since Khan's ouster, Pakistans currency has plummeted to an all-time low amid uncertainty about IMF assistance. The rupee slid a record low of about 240 against the dollar last weekend. Previously, the dollar sold for 225 rupees.

The steady decline in this Islamic nations currency has spread panic among its business community. Rising food prices and inflation has made Sharif's government, now in its four month in office, highly unpopular.
Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead. Mary Altaffer/ AP

The New York pastor whose expensive jewelry was stolen was once accused of defrauding a woman.

The parishioner accused bishop Lamor Whitehead of a scam where he promised to help her buy a house.

Instead, she alleged that he pocketed the funds and used them as a campaign donation.

The New York bishop who was robbed at gunpoint during a livestreamed service was once accused of conning a congregant out of her life savings, according to court documents  all while running his unsuccessful campaign for Brooklyn Borough president in 2021.

Bishop Lamor Whitehead, known for his designer clothes and luxury cars, raised eyebrows when police valued the worth of the jewelry stolen from him and his family on Sunday to be close to $1 million. Whitehead has over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, where he regularly goes live.

The parishioner, Pauline Anderson, sued Whitehead in September 2021, alleging that she gave him $90,000 to help her buy a home after she told him she had poor credit. Per court documents, she sued him and alleged he kept the money and lined his pockets for his political campaign.

The lawsuit, first reported on by The City, alleges that Whitehead first met Anderson after he helped her son Rasheed secure housing after an intensive surgery procedure.

Anderson alleged that Whitehead helped her get in touch with two lenders who said her chances of securing a mortgage were very low because of her credit. Then, Whitehead asked Anderson to move her retirement savings into her personal bank account and offered her a deal.

"Mr. Whitehead proposed that Ms. Anderson should invest her money into his company, Defendant LWI, and offered to use the money to purchase a home for her, to make any needed repairs to the property so that it would be habitable for Ms. Anderson, and then return any unused portion of the "investment," Anderson's attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. "When Ms. Anderson expressed reservations because she had no other income with which to support herself, Mr. Whitehead offered to provide her with $100.00 per month to live off of until the purchase and renovation of the property was complete."

Story continues

By January 2021 and the ensuing months, Anderson alleged she had only received one payment of $100. She contacted Whitehead to ask for a refund, but he said he was busy campaigning for Brooklyn Borough president and had used the "investment" as a "donation," according to texts shared in the lawsuit.

"And for the record, anything that was given to me is a Donation unless it's attached to a contract! I was making investments that's what I Do!" Whitehead texted in a message to Anderson, according to an exhibit in the suit. Anderson alleged in the lawsuit that she never received a contract, and is seen asking Whitehead for a contract in text messages.

According to the lawsuit, as the deal went sour, Whitehead blamed the breakdown on Anderson's son's behavior, calling him a "liar" and the "devil."

"All of this because of what? Because you took money that you refuse to pay back and now you're quoting scripture to serve your purpose! This is so offensive and did you just go there. You said you were a man of integrity!" Anderson texted Whitehead in May 2021, alerting him that she would contact authorities about the alleged scam.

Whitehead had served five years in state prison for defrauding others and for grand larceny, according to The City.

In response to questions about his past and the lawsuit, Whitehead held a press conference Friday evening to pull the focus back on the robbery.

"My wife has not stopped crying. My daughter has not stopped crying yet. My members have not stopped crying yet," Whitehead said in the conference. "Nobody's empathizing with my church!"

He also said that the focus on his lifestyle was tied to his race.

"Why do we always gotta tear Black men down?" Whitehead added. "As soon as a Black man has a tailored suit, he's a criminal."

Attorneys for both parties did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Lexington police have released images of a man who they say was involved in vandalism at several businesses in Chevy Chase this week.

Police said the vandalism occurred between midnight and 1 a.m. Monday. Earlier this week, they asked businesses in the area to check their surveillance footage.

In images released by police Friday, a man appears to be picking up a table outside The Beer Trappe, which is on Euclid Avenue.

Lexington police released images of a suspect who they said was involved in vandalizing businesses in Chevy Chase.

Lexington police released images of a suspect who they said was involved in vandalizing businesses in Chevy Chase.

The Beer Trappe said in a Facebook post about the incident that a man not only destroyed our front window but also damaged property at Chevy Chase Inn, Bear & The Butcher and Oram Flowers on Sunday night.

Chevy Chase Inn also reported the damage, posting on its Facebook page: Lexington, we apologize that Chevy Chase Inn is not open in the middle of the night. With that being said, we appreciate anyone who loves their favorite dive bar so much that they would throw a table through the window because a night in CCI is truly that much fun!!!

Unfortunately, this is a special window making it extremely expensive to replace. Want to help out Lexingtons oldest bar? Come have a drink and a laugh with us this week!

Police asked that anyone with information call them at (859) 258-3600 or submit an anonymous tip to Bluegrass Crime Stoppers by calling (859) 253-2020 or visiting bluegrasscrimestoppers.com. Tips can also be submitted through the P3 tips app at P3tips.com.
Associated Press

Egypt was in mourning Monday over a blaze at a Coptic Orthodox church that killed 41 people, but many also raised questions about the emergency response, fire safety codes, and restrictions on building houses of worship for the countrys Christian minority. Neighborhood residents expressed shock over the fire Sunday, one of Egypts deadliest in recent years, that killed 41 members of the congregation, including at least 15 children. The scene of dead children still haunts me, said Salah el-Sayed, a 43-year-old civil servant who lives next to the Martyr Abu Sefein church in the working-class Imbaba neighborhood, and was one of the first to arrive at the scene as thick smoke poured from the building.
Pope Francis has said the time may soon come when he needs to consider stepping down - and would do so if he felt his health meant that could not serve in the way he should.

He made the comments at the end of a trip to Canada - where he apologised to indigenous people - which involved extensive travel and long days.

The 85-year-old pontiff stressed that for the moment he intends to continue in his duties - and will be guided by God as to when he will step down, if he steps down at all.

"It is not a catastrophe to change Pope, it is not a taboo," he told journalists from a wheelchair on the plane from Canada's Arctic territory to Rome.

"The door [to retiring] is open - it is a normal option. But until today I have not knocked on that door. I have not felt the need to think about this possibility - that is not to say that in two days' time I might not start thinking about it."

Over recent months Pope Francis has suffered ongoing knee trouble that has impacted his mobility. He spent much of his visit to Canada in a wheelchair.

But he has previously dismissed speculation about more serious, life-threatening illnesses.

"This trip has been intense," he said. "I don't think I can keep travelling with the same rhythm I used to at my age and with the limitation of this knee.

"I either need to save myself a little in order to continue serving the Church, or I need to consider the possibility of stepping aside."

The Pope - whose predecessor Benedict XVI retired due to ill health in 2013 - did say that he was keen to visit Ukraine soon, but would have to seek advice of his doctors first.

On his visit to Canada, his sombre focus had been to apologise to indigenous people of the region for the wrongs committed against them by those within the Catholic Church.

The Pope appeared most engaged in his interactions with local people - particularly survivors of abuse at Catholic schools.

Story continues

But there were times during some of the formal proceedings with politicians that his tiredness on a busy trip looked obvious.

He spoke to journalists on the plane back about a range of topics and became animated in his criticism of so called "traditionalists" in the Church - as it happens, those most likely to welcome a change in pontiff.

"A church that doesn't evolve is a church that goes backwards," Pope Francis said.

"Many people who call themselves traditionalists, they are not, they just go backwards. That is a sin.

"Tradition is the living faith of the dead, instead their attitude is the dead faith of the living. It is important to understand the role of tradition - a musician used to say the tradition is the guarantee of the future, it is not a piece that belongs in a museum."

Additional reporting by Sara Monetta
Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. Tom Williams/Pool via AP, File

Warnock has a 48%-39% lead over Walker in the Georgia Senate race, per a new SurveyUSA poll.

Warnock is seeking a full six-year term after winning a Senate runoff election in January 2021.

Walker, an ex-NFL player, is a first-time political candidate backed by former President Trump.

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia has a nine-point lead over Republican challenger Herschel Walker in the state's high-profile Senate contest, according to a new poll conducted by SurveyUSA for 11Alive News.

The survey showed Warnock with 48% support among likely voters in the Peach State, while Walker received 39% support; eight percent of respondents were undecided.

In the poll, nine-in-ten Democrats (90%) were lined up behind Warnock, while Walker earned the support of 77% of Republicans; 10% of Republican respondents crossed over to support Warnock over Walker in the survey.

Critically, Warnock has strong leads among respondents in both urban and suburban areas, whose firm support of Democratic candidates in recent cycles have turned Georgia from a Republican stronghold to a swing state highly coveted by both political parties.

Walker  a former University of Georgia football standout who was born in Augusta and grew up in rural Wrightsville  had a 28-point led among rural voters. However, while Republicans have performed strongly with rural voters for years, Democratic gains in the fast-growing Atlanta metropolitan area have started to cut deeply into GOP margins in recent statewide races.

Republicans feel that Walker's near-universal name recognition in the state and early endorsement from former President Donald Trump will be key in what is poised to a GOP-friendly midterm electorate.

But in addition to Warnock making some inroads with GOP voters, he also led Walker with independents (44%-35%), a group that has backed fewer Republicans in statewide races in recent cycles. (In the 2020 election, now-President Joe Biden won Georgia independents by a 53%-44% margin over then-President Donald Trump, per CNN exit polling.)

Story continues

Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

And Walker has had to face myriad of questions regarding his campaign, from public revelations about the number of children that he has fathered to remarks that he made regarding climate policy and China's air.

Meanwhile, Warnock has sought to make the case that he has been laser-focused on the economy in the face of Biden's lackluster approval ratings.

The senator, who was first elected in a 2021 runoff election against Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler, is seeking his first full six-year term in office this fall.

In the gubernatorial contest, incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp led Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams by a razor-thin 45%-44% margin; four percent of respondents indicated that they'll back another candidate while seven percent were undecided.

In the poll, Abrams held 92% of Democrats, while Kemp had the backing of 87% of Republicans.

However, unlike the matchup between Warnock and Walker, independents supported Kemp by a 20% margin (48%-28%), a clear edge that buoys the Republican despite Abrams so far having done a better job of consolidating intraparty support.

While Abrams ran unopposed for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, Kemp had to beat back a challenge from ex-Sen. David Perdue, who had been endorsed by Trump as a result of the governor's refusal to help the former president overturn the 2020 election results in the state.

Biden won Georgia in the 2020 presidential race, but Trump has continued to insist  without any evidence  that there was widespread election malfeasance.

The race between Abrams and Kemp is a rematch of the 2018 gubernatorial election, when the now-governor defeated the former Democratic state lawmaker and prominent voting-rights activist 50.2%-48.8%, narrowly winning the contest and avoiding a separate runoff election by exceeding the 50% threshold.

SurveyUSA polled 604 likely voters from July 21 through July 24; the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 5.3 percentage points.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Dozens of people gathered on Sofiyivska Square, mostly relatives of soldiers of the Azov Regiment on July 30, 2022

The event was a reaction to the attack carried out in the Olenivka prisoner colony, in which dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war were killed.

Several dozen people gathered on the square on July 30, lined up near the monument to Bohdan Khmelnytskyi. They held the flags of the Azov Regiment and placards reading: "Russia is a terrorist state", "Free the defenders of Azovstal", "Geneva Conventions do not apply", and "Russia killed our heroes.

The event was organized by the initiative group Vyriy, with the support of the Association of Families of Azovstal Defenders.

Kateryna, the wife of the commander of the Azov Regiment, Denys Prokopenko, pointed out that when the defenders of Azovstal laid down their arms, the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross assured that nothing would threaten their lives and health.

The demonstrators called on the organization to respond to the crimes of Russia, which violated the previously concluded agreements and to bring it to justice.

Read also: Ukraines Foreign Ministry slams call by Russian Embassy in UK to execute POWs

In their appeal, published the day before, the relatives of the Azov fighters urged that representatives of the ICRC and the UN be sent to the colony in Olenivka to discover the circumstances of the tragedy, the state of health of the wounded and other prisoners of war.

Similar demonstrations are also announced on July 30-31 in a number of cities and countries around the world, including Berlin (Germany), Krakow and Warsaw (Poland), Istanbul (Turkey), Montreal (Canada), Frankfurt (Germany), and London (United Kingdom). The full list is available here.

The New Voice of Ukraine has collected together photos from the event in Kyiv.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Earlier, Russians published a list of dead prisoners of war in Olenivka. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets denied receiving this data. According to him, Ukraine has started the process of returning the bodies of the dead, and he himself demands access to the scene of the crime.

Story continues

Ukraines General Staff said on July 29 that Russia had attacked the prison in Olenivka in order to accuse Ukraine of committing war crimes, while covering up the torture and executions of prisoners committed at the site on the orders of the occupation administration and the command of the Russian invasion forces in occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia had committed a petrifying war crime and called for Russia to be declared a terrorist state.

The adviser to the head of the Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said Ukraine demands a response from the United Nations and international organizations to the Russian war crime.

Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate reported that the order to murder the Azov Regiment prisoners of war was given by the nominal owner of the Wagner mercenary company, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is known as Putins chef because his companies used to organize banquets for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

According to Ukrainian intelligence, the explosions took place on the territory of the industrial zone in a recently constructed building that was supposed to be specially equipped for prisoners of war from Azovstal. Some of the captured defenders of Ukraine were transferred there just two days ago.

Ukraines SBU security service published an intercepted conversation that it said confirms that it was the Russians who committed the mass murder in the colony in Olenivka. The SBU noted that judging by video clips from social media, the windows in some buildings of the colony were completely intact  this may indicate that the epicenter of the explosion was inside the destroyed building.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on June 6 that more than 2,500 defenders of Mariupol from the Azovstal plant were in Russian captivity. According to the Ukrainian news website Ukrainska Pravda, 2,449 defenders surrendered and left Azovstal, and they were being held in Russian-occupied Olenivka.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Ukraine and Russia held a large-scale exchange of prisoners on June 29, during which 144 Ukrainian defenders were returned home. Among them were 95 defenders of the Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol, including 43 servicemen of the Azov Regiment.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Rentokil Initial plc (LON:RTO) as an investment opportunity by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you want to learn more about discounted cash flow, the rationale behind this calculation can be read in detail in the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for Rentokil Initial

Crunching The Numbers

We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years.

Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK379.9m UK416.0m UK505.5m UK744.0m UK866.4m UK968.6m UK1.05b UK1.12b UK1.17b UK1.21b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x9 Analyst x9 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 16.45% Est @ 11.79% Est @ 8.54% Est @ 6.25% Est @ 4.66% Est @ 3.54% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.1% UK358 UK370 UK423 UK587 UK645 UK679 UK695 UK696 UK686 UK670

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK5.8b

Story continues

We now need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all the future cash flows after this ten year period. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.9%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 6.1%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2032  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK1.2b (1 + 0.9%)  (6.1% 0.9%) = UK24b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK24b ( 1 + 6.1%)10= UK13b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is UK19b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK5.4, the company appears quite undervalued at a 47% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

We would point out that the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate and of course the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Rentokil Initial as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 6.1%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.067. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

Next Steps:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Rentokil Initial, there are three pertinent factors you should look at:

Risks: Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Rentokil Initial you should know about. Future Earnings: How does RTO's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

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



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

Join A Paid User Research Session

Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
The Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) will convene its 36th session from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 in Beijing.

The decision was made on Friday at a meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, which was presided over by Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee.

According to the proposed agenda, lawmakers at the session will review a draft law on anti-telecom and online fraud, and draft revisions to the Law on Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products and the Wild Animals Protection Law.

The Standing Committee session is also expected to review the bills on draft revisions to the Counter-Espionage Law and a draft law on ecological conservation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Other documents to be submitted at the session include reports on the implementation of the national economic and social development plan and on the implementation of this year's budget.




(Reuters) - Russia has invited experts from the United Nations and the Red Cross to probe the deaths of dozens of Ukrainian prisoners in a jail held by Moscow-backed separatists, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

In a statement, the ministry said it was acting "in the interests of conducting an objective investigation" into what it called an attack on the jail earlier in the week.

The separatists put the death toll at 53 and accused Kyiv of hitting the prison with rockets. Ukraine's armed forces denied responsibility, saying Russian artillery had targeted the prison to hide the mistreatment of those held there.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
ABC News

On the one-year anniversary Monday of the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, House Republicans and the Biden administration quarreled over who is to blame for the series of events that led to the Taliban victory and the handling of the chaotic withdrawal of 120,000 Afghans. A 121-page report by Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee that investigated the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan blames the Biden administration for failing to plan accordingly for what would happen once all U.S. troops left the country.
Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov

Members of the public will have to apply for a pass from the occupational commandant's office, the mayor said.

Read also: Preparing to hold sham referendums, Russia kidnaps and tortures Melitopol locals

Since yesterday, the Russians began to inform people that starting Aug. 1, it will be required to receive some kind of special passes from the commandant's office in order to leave the temporarily occupied territory, said the mayor.

Theyre trying to make it harder to leave.

Read also: Collaborators in occupied Melitopol panic, refuse to work, says local media

According to Fedorov, as of the morning of July 30, more than 800 cars and more than 4,000 people were queuing to leave the area through Vasylivka.

Fedorov also said that earlier the Russian invasion forces used to let cars pass starting from 5 p.m., but now they are letting them pass from the morning. All the same, the number of cars that are allowed to leave for Ukrainian-controlled parts of Zaporizhzhya has remained unchanged, at 200-300 per day.

Read also: Ukrainian guerrillas is said to arrange sabotage against Russian invaders in Melitopol

Also, two days ago, they started making copies of the passports of all the people who were leaving, added the mayor.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A Russian operative backed by the Kremlin meddled in United States politics for seven years and recently tried to undermine American support for Ukraine by recruiting local activists to spread pro-Moscow propaganda, the Justice Department announced Friday.

Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, who worked with the Russian Federal Security Service and at least three unnamed "Russian officials," was charged with conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government from December 2014 through March of this year, the agency said.

As court documents show, Ionov allegedly orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning U.S. political groups and U.S. citizens into instruments of the Russian government, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division. The 24-page indictment against Ionov was unsealed in Tampa, Florida.

Ionov, who lives in Moscow, was not in Tampa when the grand jury indictment was unsealed, and there was no immediate response to the revelations from the Russian government.

Neither Ionov nor any of his alleged Russian accomplices were duly accredited diplomatic or consular officers, the indictment states.

Ionov, founder of a nongovernmental organization called Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, had already been on the DOJ's radar. In 2018, it was revealed his organization had been raising money to aid convicted Russian operative Maria Butina, who was deported to Moscow in 2019, an event mentioned in the indictment.

The DOJ said in its statement that Ionov targeted "political groups" in Florida, Georgia and California.

It did not identify the U.S.-based groups. But shortly after the Ionov indictment was announced, the FBI in Tampa confirmed to local media it had raided headquarters of the Uhuru Movement in St. Petersburg, Florida, in connection with the alleged conspiracy.

"The Uhuru Movement is a worldwide organization, under the leadership of African Peoples Socialist Party, uniting African people as one people for liberation, social justice, self-reliance and economic development," the group said on its website.

Story continues

The DOJ did not identify the members of the three groups who co-conspired with Ionov, but said it was fully aware Ionov and his organization were agents of the Russian government."

In May 2015, Ionov sent the "leader" of the Uhuru Movement in St. Petersburg on "an all-expense paid trip to Russia" and for the next seven years "exercised direction and control over senior members," the DOJ said.

The Uhuru Movement did not respond to requests for comment Friday, but at an earlier news conference an Uhuru leader did not deny the group's ties to Russia.

We can have relationships with whoever we want to make this revolution possible, said Eritha Akile Cainion after the indictment was announced, The Tampa Bay Times reported. We are in support of Russia.

Four of the unindicted co-conspirators listed but not named in the indictment are U.S. citizens living in St. Petersburg, while the others live in Atlanta and California. One of the California residents also has a home in Moscow.

Based on the indictment, it appears Ionov was most active in St. Petersburg, where he allegedly tried to stoke racial resentment by having Uhuru members write a petition to the United Nations "alleging that the United States had committed genocide against African people" that would later be translated and disseminated across Russia.

Ionov, according to the indictment, also encouraged Uhuru members in 2017 and 2019 to get involved in local St. Petersburg elections and campaign on the issue of "reparations" for slavery, a divisive topic in the U.S. He also helped bankroll the campaigns, the indictment said.

In California, Ionov backed an unnamed group that wants the state to secede from the U.S., the indictment said. Ionov paid $500 for posters for a 2018 demonstration outside the state Capitol in Sacramento and encouraged the participants to "physically enter the governor's office."

In March, after the Russians invaded Ukraine, Ionov worked to rally support for Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin by taking part in a video conference hosted by "U.S. Political Group 1," which the FBI has identified as the Uhuru organization.

During the video conference, Ionov repeated the bogus claims pushed by the Kremlin that "Nazis were in power in Ukraine and were killing innocent people."

Ionov, the DOJ said, also paid for members of an unnamed Georgia group to travel to California and take part in a protest outside an unnamed social media company that had placed restrictions on posts supporting Russias invasion of Ukraine.
The six candidates for the Sarasota City Commission shared their views on affordable housing, the Sarasota Performing Arts Center and other key topics in recent interviews with the Herald-Tribune.

They are set to compete in the Aug. 23 primary election, in which voters narrow down the pool of candidates to three. Those three will then compete in the general election Nov. 8, when two will be elected to at-large seats on the City Commission.

The candidates include incumbent Jen Ahearn-Koch, health care consultant Sheldon Rich, Planning Board chair Terrill Salem, Lido Key Residents Association president Carl Shoffstall, former Rosemary District Association president Debbie Trice and community activist Dan Lobeck.

Here are the six Sarasota City Commission candidates for two at-large seats. Top, from left: Jen Ahearn-Koch, Dan Lobeck and Sheldon Rich. Bottom, from left: Terrill Salem, Carl Shoffstall and Debbie Trice.

Background: Sarasota neighborhood leaders, an incumbent and others compete in the City Commission race

More: Dan Lobeck joins the race for the Sarasota City Commission at-large seats

The two elected to the commission will be tasked with trying to alleviate Sarasotas housing crisis, which is due to rents jump up during the pandemic and the areas lack of affordable housing.

The candidates viewpoints on this topic and a few others are listed below.

What can be done to increase the citys supply of affordable housing?

Jen Ahearn-Koch: She believes the city should implement inclusionary zoning, which requires a share of new development to be built for people with lower incomes, in areas where it makes sense. She also has been looking into other affordable housing tools, including a program in Vail, Colorado, that incentivizes people to deed restrict their property so its next occupants will be individuals who work in that county.

Dan Lobeck: He supports inclusionary zoning and said that developers shouldnt get density bonuses unless they are tied to truly affordable housing. He believes that any time the city increases an areas base density  the number of dwelling units allowed in an area  some of the units built there must be affordable.

Story continues

Sheldon Rich: He would like the city to adopt a program similar to the Nashville model, which gives private property owners incentives in exchange for lowering or removing rental obstacles that often confront low-income individuals and working families. Rich also thinks that ultimately, the city will likely have to implement density bonuses. If that occurs, he wants to ensure that those bonuses result in affordable housing.

Terrill Salem: He believes that any time a developer requests a zone change from the city, the developer must agree to build attainable housing as part of their overall housing development. Salem, a general contractor, builds and rents affordable housing. He said he favors making affordable units remain so in perpetuity.

Carl Shoffstall: He supports giving developers density bonuses and other credits when they agree to build attainable housing. He also thinks that inclusionary zoning is a tool the city can explore. He said that everybody  including the city, developers and citizens  is going to have to come to the table to figure out solutions to the housing crisis.

Debbie Trice: She said the city needs to implement mandatory inclusionary zoning. She also thinks Sarasota should give builders information and support so theyll know what the citys requirements are for the building of affordable housing. In addition, she wants the city to work more closely with housing-related nonprofits, which could provide services to the residents of affordable units.

What do you think of the idea of administrative approval for attainable housing?

The City Commission voted 4-1 in May for a comprehensive plan proposal with several components. One of those is that development projects would be granted administrative review  by staff  during design of the project if the development contains "attainable units."

Under administrative review, a project would no longer go before the planning board or City Commission for approval, something opponents say limits citizen input in the critical development decisions that affect the look, feel and character of the city.

The vote in May transmitted the proposal to state officials as changes to a municipality's growth plan require state approval. The City Commission will then have to approve the plan for it to take effect. City staff expect the public hearing for the proposal to take place on Sept. 19.

Ahearn-Koch: She has long been a critic of administrative approval and she thinks there needs be public input. How can I do my job without their input? she asked.

Lobeck: Administrative approval is indefensible, except for the developer, because what it replaces is public approval, he said.

Rich: I am very much against administrative approval, because I think that that takes the citizens, their voice, out of the process, he said.

Salem: He believes that administrative approval should be very limited. Whenever you have a development that is going to greatly affect a neighborhood, administrative approval is not appropriate, he said.

Shoffstall: He said he thinks administrative approval for attainable housing is necessary. He believes that there should be a streamlined process for developers when they want to create affordable housing, including expedited permitting.

Trice: I think any expansion of administrative review is bad, she said. I mean, administrative review needs to be rolled back even where its already in place.

What do you think of the citys plan for the Sarasota Performing Arts Center?

Another contentious topic that has come before the City Commission this year is the Sarasota Performing Arts Center. The city is partnering with the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation to build a new arts hall on Sarasota Bay, which is expected to cost $350 million. The project has drawn criticism from numerous Sarasota community members.

In a 3-2 vote this April, the City Commission approved a partnership agreement with the foundation for the planning, financing, design and construction of the SPAC.

Ahearn-Koch: She voted against the April agreement. That dollar amount just, it cant be, she said. I mean, I dont know how we would ever fund that. I dont know how a city of our size could ever do a project like that. And if it can, maybe we can. I would like to see how, and I would like to see that all laid out: what is this plan, what is the strategy and how are we going to get there?

Lobeck: He has lambasted the SPAC proposal at City Commission meetings and in the Herald-Tribune. Among his numerous concerns with the plan is that the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation is supposed to pay for half for the cost of the new center. No way in heck theyre going to come up with that money, he told the Herald-Tribune. They dont have a track record for raising that kind of money.

Rich: He said it would be wonderful for the city have a new Sarasota Performing Arts Center, but he doesnt believe the city can afford it. He is worried that a high surcharge will be added to the centers tickets to help pay for the new building.

Salem: He noted that Florida has the luxury of having no state income tax because it has attractions. If the opportunity presents itself to build a state-of-the-art performance hall that can attract visitors from around the world to come in here and leave tax revenue behind  and the cost v. benefit is there  then Im all for it, he said. He would like the city to do a cost-benefit analysis for the center.

Shoffstall: He said hes not against a new performing arts center, but the city needs to have a plan for paying for it. And I dont really see that too much right at the moment, he said. Shoffstall also believes the city will need to have oversight over the SPAC project to make sure the money is being used responsibly.

Trice: I think the city got scammed, she said. She has several concerns with the SPAC proposal, including that the center will have to compete with Sarasota Orchestras future concert hall, which is going to be built near Interstate 75.

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Elections 2022: Sarasota City Commission candidates talk affordable housing
(Reuters) -Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday that an agreement with the International Monetary Fund has been pushed back to September due to the unrest over the past weeks, the Associated Press reported.

Wickremesinghe, in his first speech since he was elected by parliament, said even though he when prime minister had aimed to reach an agreement by early August, it has now been pushed back by a month, the report said.

Wickremesinghe was appointed after former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, under whom the discussions with IMF began in April, was ousted on July 13.

The finance ministry on Friday said Sri Lanka had resumed bailout discussions with IMF after the new government took office and talks were highly successful.

The country has $12 billion overseas debt with private creditors.

(Reporting by Maria Ponnezhath in Bengaluru;Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Alistair Bell)
ZURICH (Reuters) - The head of the Swiss agency that implements economic sanctions expects the neutral country to adopt any punitive measures the European Union launches against China if it invades Taiwan, she said in a newspaper interview.

China has been stepping up military activity around Taiwan seeking to pressure the democratically elected government there to accept Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan's government says only the island's 23 million people can decide their future, and while it wants peace, it will defend itself if attacked.

Asked by the Neue Zuercher Zeitung paper if Switzerland would adopt EU sanctions against China in that case, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Director Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch said: "I strongly believe that we would adopt such sanctions.

"However, sanctions in the case of China would be far more drastic (than sanctions against Russia) because the economic relations are much more important. Therefore, there would probably be greater discussions in the EU and the United States as well as in Switzerland than there were in Russia. But I hope it will never come to that."

Ineichen-Fleisch defended Switzerland's record on adopting EU sanctions against Russian individuals and companies over Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation".

Pressure has mounted on Switzerland -- a popular destination for Moscow's elite and a holding place for Russian wealth -- to more quickly identify and freeze assets of hundreds of sanctioned Russians.

As of this month Switzerland has frozen 6.7 billion Swiss francs ($7.04 billion) worth of Russian financial assets and 15 properties, and Ineichen-Fleisch said this figure was unlikely to change much.

"We at SECO have no indication that there are many assets of sanctioned persons that have not yet been found," she said.

($1 = 0.9514 Swiss francs)

(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Toby Chopra)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)  The president of Michigan's Hillsdale College was riding high earlier this year when he announced plans to launch 50 charter schools in Tennessee after Gov. Bill Lee originally asked for 100.

Six months later, that relationship has cooled after Hillsdale's Larry Arnn made disparaging comments about educators, telling an audience including Lee that teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges.

The comments inspired outrage among lawmakers, teachers and other public school advocates already skeptical of the plans. Now the Republican governor  long known as a charter school and voucher advocate  has distanced himself from Arnn, leaving the fate of charters connected to the small, conservative college in doubt.

Since Arnn's comments, three Hillsdale-affiliated charter school applications in Tennessee have been rejected by school boards in Jackson-Madison, Clarksville-Montgomery and Rutherford counties. A spokesperson for Hillsdale College declined to comment on the rejected applications and did not respond to a request to interview Arnn.

It's unknown when or if the additional 47 charter schools promised will ever materialize. No new legislation has been filed or formal steps taken by the GOP-controlled legislature to oust Hillsdale, but the next legislative session doesnt start until January.

Things could hardly be more different from when Lee touted Hillsdale-affiliated charters in a speech to the legislature early this year  an unusual shoutout for the private college. Hillsdale, Lee said in announcing a civics education partnership with the school, has been the standard bearer in quality curriculum and the responsibility of preserving American liberty.

Arnn had recently spearheaded the 1776 Curriculum, which was inspired by former President Donald Trumps short-lived 1776 Commission, as a direct response to The New York Times 1619 Project focusing on Americas history of slavery. The curriculum's materials glorify the nations founders, downplay Americas role in slavery and condemn the rise of progressive politics.

Story continues

Although Hillsdale has long been well-known inside GOP circles  Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, former Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz have given commencement speeches there  its prominence has strengthened among conservatives amid the national debate over the role schools should play in teaching race and sexuality.

Starting in 2010, Hillsdale began setting up charter schools  publicly funded but privately run  across the country. Hillsdale says it does not operate or manage schools, but instead offers two types of support by licensing their curriculum for free and providing training and other resources to so-called member schools. The program had more than 20 member schools by the end of 2021 and more than 30 schools using its curriculum, with major presences in Florida, Colorado and Michigan.

Nationally, charter schools frequently stir political tensions. During her tenure as education secretary, Betsy DeVos championed the concept as an alternative to low-performing schools. Critics, often on the left, argue they unfairly drain funding from traditional public schools.

Republicans have tapped into parents frustration with remote learning at traditional schools during the pandemic, giving them a path to rally behind charter schools and other school choice initiatives. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Virginia won election last year after drawing on those themes, and the GOP plans to make it a core part of their strategy in this years midterms.

It wasnt until Lee endorsed bringing as many Hillsdale-affiliated charter schools as possible to Tennessee in January that public doubts began to take hold. That has since morphed into anger at Lee among educators for not refuting Arnns claims.

Im even more saddened and disappointed in our governor who sat there and did not defend our teachers, Sullivan County school board member Mary Rouse, who was elected to the seat in a heavily Republican region, said at a meeting earlier this month. Shame on you, Gov. Lee. Shame on you.

Republican Rep. Mark White, chairman of the states powerful House Education Commission, was equally blunt. He posted on social media that any hope that Hillsdale will operate in Tennessee has been shattered" after Arnn's remarks.

Before the June event where Arnn made the comments, his executive assistant emailed Lees staff 11 questions he planned to ask the governor. They looked straightforward enough: Who were his most important teachers, books and subjects at school? How would he describe what he and Arnn were planning in Tennessee? None of them casts doubt on teachers or their training, according to the email The Associated Press obtained in a records request.

Asked last week if he still maintained a whole-hearted embrace of Hillsdale, Lee demurred. He said hed only talked to Arnn maybe five times in the past two years.

Arnn also weighed in last week with an editorial defending his commitment to teaching, saying he's made similar remarks throughout his career.

Dumb can mean unintelligent, which I did not mean. Dumb also means ill-conceived or misdirected, which is, sadly, a fitting description for many education schools today, Arnn wrote.

Whether he helped himself was unclear. The governor, hardly rallying to Arnn's side, declined to comment on whether he would support the states Public Charter School Commission overturning the local boards' rejections of Hillsdales charter school applications. The commission was created in 2019 and Lee has hand-selected all nine members.

A spokesperson for the commission says all three Hillsdale affiliates have filed to appeal their rejections.

___

Associated Press writers Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee, and Collin Binkley in Boston contributed to this report.
The Old River Control Structure regulates the flow of water leaving the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River in Vidalia, Louisiana.

Numerous letters (including mine of June 30) have commented recently on the possibility of moving water from the Mississippi River to the Colorado River at Lake Powell (Glen Canyon dam on the Utah/Colorado border) and then downstream to Lake Mead (Hoover Dam/Las Vegas) and on through Arizona and beyond. Some of these letters are supportive and some not. The whole point of suggesting this solution to the Southwests water problem is to generate a public demand to the Army Corps of Engineers to investigate the feasibility of such a project.

I suggested diverting 250,000 gallons/second, which is only about 5% of the flow on the lower Mississippi south of the Old River Control Structure (ORCS) in Central Louisiana 300 miles above New Orleans. This water does nothing except flow out into the Gulf of Mexico. It generates no electricity and doesnt help commercial shipping or recreational boating. It only causes flooding problems in New Orleans. No state above the OCRS would suffer any loss of water.

If 250,000 gals/sec is impractical, have the Corps consider a flow of 125,000 gals/sec (only 2.5% of the downriver flow), which would take two to three years to fill Lakes Powell and Mead. This is a rather rapid and reasonable time frame to solve the water problems of the Southwest.

The reason the Old River Control Structure is so important is that it already has the infrastructure used since the 1950s to currently divert 30% of the southbound flow of the Mississippi above the OCRS over to the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana and down to the Gulf of Mexico. No further investment in building a diversion system would be needed. All you need is a big concrete-lined ditch to go to the Colorado River.

Yes, this would require massive pumping stations to lift the water up the Continental Divide at some point (the lowest lift would be 4,000 feet in Campbell, New Mexico, close to Albuquerque), but then it would be all downhill using gravity to Lake Powell or somewhere else on the Colorado above the Glen Canyon Dam. One writer suggested a series of windmills to generate the electricity, but, of course, you would need holding basins for those times when the wind isnt blowing. That would be the Corps job to figure out exactly how to generate the electricity.

Story continues

The California Aqueduct from Sacramento to Los Angeles (average 110 feet wide x 30 feet deep) has a capacity of about 100,000 gals/sec. The Edmonston pumping station at the south end of the California Aqueduct lifts that water up 2,000 feet over the Tehachapi Mountains into the Los Angeles basin.

Those old pumps (installed in the early 1970s) have a capacity of 33,333 gals/sec, which is why there are storage lakes to smooth out the excess flow. The Corps has already installed pumps in New Orleans with 5 times the capacity (150,000 gal/sec) of the Edmonston pumps to prevent flooding. The Corps thus already has the experience of pumping these huge amounts of water.

It is roughly 1,400 miles from the OCRS to Lake Powell, but that really means building 1,400 miles of something similar to an interstate highway. The U.S. has already built 47,000 miles of such highways, so another 1,400 miles doesnt feel insurmountable.

Water conservation on the part of everyone living in the Southwest is certainly important, but conservation simply cant do the job. Los Angeles couldnt exist without the California Aqueduct. Phoenix and other cities in the Southwest are in the same boat. Their future survival depends upon finding large amounts of new water.

Don Siefkes lives in San Leandro. Email him at donsiefkes@aol.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Army Corps of Engineers must study feasibility of moving water West
YBO - On July 25 afternoon, a working delegation of the Office of Vientiane provinces Administration of Laos led by Chief of the Office Siviengxay Orabun paid a visit to leaders of the People's Committee of Yen Bai province.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Ngo Hanh informed the delegation about the provinces socio-economic development situation in the first half of 2022.





Accordingly, its economy enjoys positive growth, industrial production continues to grow, service industries are recovering after the COVID-19 pandemic, social and cultural affairs receive attention, and the building of the Party and political system is consolidated.





Phuc also briefed the delegation on specific cultural features of each locality, expressing his hope that in the coming time, the two provinces of Yen Bai and Vientiane will have more opportunities to cooperate in various fields, contributing to enhancing their solidarity and friendship.





On behalf of the delegation, the Chief of Office of the Vientiane provincial Administration informed the host about the achievements gained by Vientiane province in recent years.





A delegation of Vientiane province visits Tran Yen district Medical Centre.





Thanking Yen Bai for their support in various fields, especially in the prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, Siviengxay Orabun showed his hope to continue receiving help from Yen Bai province in the spheres of health, education and information technology.





During their stay in Yen Bai, the delegation also exchanged cooperation activities and working experience with the Office of the provincial People's Committee and the health sector of Yen Bai province./.




A Tri-Cities school board member is getting heat for a photo he shared of himself with a controversial U.S. congressman under investigation for allegations of sex trafficking.

Kennewick School Board member Micah Valentine shared a photo of himself with Rep. Matt Gaetz, R. - Fla., this week captioned, Probably my favorite #MattGaetz.

It was taken at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando in February.

On Wednesday, Gaetz, who is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegations of sex trafficking involving a teen girl, voted against an anti-sex trafficking bill. Gaetz has not yet been charged with a crime.

Gaetz was implicated in the investigation when his close friend, former Seminole County, Florida, Tax Assessor Joel Greenberg, was arrested and later convicted of numerous crimes including sex trafficking involving a minor.

Greenbergs sentencing has reportedly been delayed as he cooperates with the investigation into Gaetz and the larger array of crimes, according to a July 8 article from Politico.

Gaetz was one of 20 Republican in Congress to vote against the anti-sex trafficking bill. Others included Lauren Boebert, Louie Gohmert and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

A spokesperson for Gaetz told USA Today that he voted against it because of the definition of sex trafficking used, which he believes would create a backdoor loophole for illegal immigration and amnesty. He also claimed the cost of the bill was too high.

The bill is intended to bolster anti-sex trafficking measures that have been in place since 2000.

Valentine told the Herald Thursday that he was not aware of that vote, but believes Gaetz probably had a good reason for voting against it.

When asked if he was concerned about being an elected school board member posing for photos with someone accused of sex trafficking, Valentine was confident of Gaetzs innocence.

The optics of it is, it didnt happen. Let me tell you this, if it did happen I would be the first one to speak out about how terrible it is. I have four daughters, and my wife and I have spent a lot of time battling sex trafficking, Valentine said. Its something Im very concerned about. I feel confident that its a totally fabricated story. It didnt happen so Im not going to hold Matt Gaetz accountable for something he didnt do.

Story continues

Valentine said he understands he is held to a higher standard as an elected official, and that his actions speak for him. He pointed to his work in the community and advocacy on the school board.

Im not going to penalize Matt Gaetz for false claims someone made against him, he said. And if someone is expecting me to do that, they need to look at themselves in the mirror and ask what country they live in.

But some Tri-Citians were not shy with their criticism.

You work in a position of leadership to help oversee a school district with 18,000+ children in it. You posed with someone accused of sex crimes with a minor ... And he recently voted against reauthorizing a bill to combat human trafficking, a West Richland woman posted under the photo on his Facebook page.

And a Richland man called Micah and Gaetz a disgusting pair.

Valentine said he attempted to respond to a social media post on Reddit and his account was suspended.

Thats what happens if youre a conservative, they come after you, Valentine said.

Its unclear if his account was actually suspended. The only comment removed from the post on r/TriCitiesWA, which is a community for discussion of happenings in the Tri-Cities area, is one from an account that was too new to be allowed to comment.

Many Reddit communities enforce guidelines for account activity in order to minimize harassment attempts via creation of burner accounts, that is a new or throwaway account created for the sole purpose of harassment or evading bans.

An archiving service that stores deleted comments did not have a copy, and indicated it was an automatic removal within 12 seconds, rather than an action taken by a moderator.

Valentine believes that Gaetz is innocent and is being blackmailed or extorted.

While it is true that a family friend attempted to extort Gaetzs family, the person was claiming he could get Gaetz a pardon. He wanted $25 million from Gaetzs father in exchange for a pardon that would shut down the sex trafficking investigation, according to Politico.

Valentine said he believes Gaetz has a right to due process.

In our country we have a law of the land called innocent until proven guilty, Valentine said.

Valentine said he feels it isnt his place to pass judgment on someone who hasnt been charged with a crime.

Im not a judge, he said. I look at people, I love people and I care about people.

The social media controversy is one of several involving Valentine in recent months. In May he spoke at a Richland school board meeting telling two of its members to resign.

More recently, he was criticized by fellow Republicans for insinuating that state Rep. Brad Klippert or his campaign staff were stealing congressional candidate Jerrod Sesslers signs. Valentine is currently Sesslers campaign manager.

He also went on Lars Larsons show to discuss an attempt to ban teaching critical race theory.

During that interview he was critical of his school board colleagues, and did not correct Larson when he repeatedly disparaged the other school board members or told the audience they were liberals.

School boards in Washington are nonpartisan.
By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday approved Boeing's inspection and modification plan to resume deliveries of 787 Dreamliners, two people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

The FAA approved Boeing's proposal that requires specific inspections to verify the condition of the airplane meets requirements and that all work has been completed, a move that should allow Boeing to resume deliveries in August after it halted them in May 2021, the sources said.

On July 17, Boeing told reporters it was "very close" to restarting 787 deliveries.

The FAA referred questions about the approval to Boeing. "We dont comment on ongoing certifications," the agency said.

Boeing did not confirm the approval Friday but said it "will continue to work transparently with the FAA and our customers towards resuming 787 deliveries.

Boeing has faced production issues with the 787 for more than two years. In September 2020, the FAA said it was "investigating manufacturing flaws" in some 787 jetliners.

In the aftermath of two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019, the FAA pledged to more closely scrutinize Boeing and delegate fewer responsibilities to Boeing for aircraft certification.

Boeing suspended deliveries of the 787 after the FAA raised concerns about its proposed inspection method. The FAA had previously issued two airworthiness directives to address production issues for in-service airplanes and identified a new issue in July 2021.

Boeing Chief Financial Officer Brian West said this week on an investor call that it had 120 of the 787s in inventory and was "making progress completing the necessary rework to prepare them for delivery." Boeing is "producing at very low rates and we'll continue to do so until deliveries resume, gradually returning to 5 airplanes per month over time."

The planemaker had only resumed deliveries in March 2021 after a five-month hiatus before halting them again. Friday's approval came after lengthy discussions with the FAA.

Story continues

The regulator had said it wanted Boeing to ensure it "has a robust plan for the re-work that it must perform on a large volume of new 787s in storage" and that "Boeings delivery processes are stable."

The FAA said in February it would retain the authority to issue airworthiness certificates until it is confident "Boeings quality control and manufacturing processes consistently produce 787s that meet FAA design standards."

The agency's then-administrator, Steve Dickson, told Reuters in February the FAA needed from Boeing "a systemic fix to their production processes."

A plane built for American Airlines is likely to be the first 787 airplane delivered by Boeing since May 2021, sources said. That could come as soon as next month. American Airlines said last week on an earnings call it expects to receive nine 787s this year, including two in early August.

Boeing in January disclosed a $3.5 billion charge due to 787 delivery delays and customer concessions, and another $1 billion in abnormal production costs stemming from production flaws and related repairs and inspections.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler; Editing by William Mallard)
Ukraines Cabinet calls for mandatory evacuation from Donetsk Oblast before cold season

"There is absolutely no gas supply in Donetsk Oblast, all the gas pipelines that could be repaired have been repaired, but, unfortunately, the enemy again and again destroys everything that could keep people warm in winter," Vereshchuk said.

Read also: One day on the evacuation train that takes scores westward from war-torn Donbas

There is no proper electricity supply. In a word, there will be no heating in Donetsk Oblast in the winter. The 33rd article of the Code of Civil Protection stipulates exactly that this form of evacuation is mandatory.

According to Vereshchuk, 200,000-220,000 people remain in the region today, including 52,000 children.

I believe that (the evacuation of children) is the duty of every adult family member, the minister said.

There are 52,000 children in Donetsk Oblast. They need to be evacuated. They cannot be exposed to mortal danger in the winter without heat, electricity, without the possibility of warming.

Read also: Ukrainian patrol officer shares story of evacuation of 42,000 people from Luhansk Oblast

However, Vereshchuk added that it would possible to refuse to evacuate. For this, residents of Donetsk Oblast will need to confirm in writing that they understand and are aware of all the consequences and that they bear personal responsibility for their own lives.

We are a democratic country, we cannot force someone (to evacuate), but such a (refusal document) will be obligatory and will have to be signed," she said.

According to Vereshchuk, Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Oblast, 65% of which does not have gas supplies, may be next to receive a mandatory evacuation order.

Read also: How large cities in Donetsk region are preparing for an attack by two hostile forces  the Russians and the cold

The Cabinet of Ministers on July 29 created a coordination headquarters to oversee the evacuation of Donetsk Oblast.

Earlier in July Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported that 340,000 people are still staying in war-torn Donetsk Oblast.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty

The war in Ukraine could be breaking out into a new phase in the coming days, as Ukrainian forces gear up to launch a make-or-break counteroffensive against Kherson, a key city which Russian forces have occupied since the early days of the war.

Ukrainian forces have been preparing for weeks to to run an attack on Kherson, a key city in the south, close to Russias strongholds. The counteroffensive is gathering momentum, according to a British intelligence analysis issued Thursday.

But some American officials and lawmakers are hesitant to say the Ukrainian forces are guaranteed a victory if they go all in now.

Ukrainian forces have been preparing for a counteroffensive for some time now. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week his forces have been advancing towards Kherson step by step. Ukraines Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged civilians to evacuate the region to avoid the offensive earlier this month.

And an adviser to Khersons government, Serhiy Khlan, has suggested that Kherson will definitely be liberated by September. The strategically important city is just a couple of hours drive from the Crimean peninsula which was seized by Russia way back in 2014.

A woman who lives in a village on the border of Mykolaiv and Kherson Oblast greets a Ukrainian military member on July 25, 2022. Chernichkin/Zaborona/Global Images Ukraine via Getty

Creating a Russian stranglehold across the south of the country and wrecking Ukraines economy by cutting off access to the Black Sea as well as the Sea of Azov has been a key goal of Putins invasion. That twisted dream would be all but destroyed if Ukraine can re-take Kherson. But a Ukrainian success might hinge on western aid supplies, which Ukrainian officials say cant come fast enoughand failing in Kherson would be a devastating loss for Ukraine.

But getting ahead of our skis would not be appropriate in advance of the assaultso much remains to be seen on the battlefield, warned Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA).

Theres always a fog of war, Auchincloss, who has previously commanded infantry in Afghanistan, told The Daily Beast. You can never predict what happens after first contact.

Story continues

Concerns abound about whether the Ukrainian forces are adequately prepared to take on the Russians in Kherson.

Ukrainian officials have said they are going through between 5,000 and 6,000 rounds of artillery ammunition each day. Keeping up with that burn rate will change once the counteroffensive begins, and Ukraine might need three or four times that, according to The New York Times.

Russian Troops Executed One of Their Own for Helping Ukrainian CiviliansThen Covered It Up, Report Says

Ukraines offensive weapons supply and preparation will be key to their ability to take back Kherson, too. But current preparation might not be enough, by some lawmakers count. As Ukrainians eye a counteroffensive, the Biden Administration should step up its efforts to provide more High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and to provide air support, such as fighter jets, to Ukraine that could be pivotal in securing a win, warned Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA).

The United States and our NATO allies and other democracies have provided tremendous support to the Ukrainian peopleand I believe we need to provide more, Lieu, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Daily Beast. If we can give Ukraine additional advanced weapons such as advanced aircraft, and try to increase Ukraines air power, I think that will be immensely helpful to Ukraine.

Lieu said he continues to press the administration to follow through on promises to consider sending fighter jets to Ukraine.

Hopefully they can do that sooner rather than later, Lieu said, referring to the Biden Administration.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, indicated that he is tracking the morale of Ukrainian fighters, and suggested that morale is in good shape.

Morale remains high, Swalwell said. Thats the most important factor.

Valodya, a 49-year-old man, volunteers as a cook for Ukrainian soldiers in Kherson, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine. Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty

But Ukraines defense minister, Oleksi Reznikov, has discussed the need to raise up a million man-strong army to take back southern territory Russian forces have seized.

And Ukrainian leadership openly admit they still need more help to properly back their assault plans. Ukrainian political leaders have been pushing the United States military outpost in Germany to provide more equipment in recent days more quickly, according to The New York Times.

The U.S. Defense Department says its working to keep up with demand, as Ukrainians need more reinforcements to be able to attack Russians in Ukrainian territory.

We understand the urgency, and were pushing hard to maintain and intensify the momentum of donations, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said last week.

Even so, Russia appears to be bolstering its defenses, in what appears to be a shift in strategy. In recent hours, amid warnings that Ukraine is preparing an offensive, Russia has already been redeploying forces to defend the south, according to Oleksiy Arestovych, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

There are, however, some indications Russia is down for the count, at least for now. Russia hasnt made any major gains since taking Lysychansk earlier this month. Russian forces in Kherson are "virtually cut off" from other Russian-occupied territories, according to the British intelligence analysis.

Just Wednesday, Ukrainian forces used American-supplied HIMARS to bomb Antonivskyi Bridge, a key bridge over the Dnipro river by Kherson which has been crucial to Russian supply routes, said Kirill Stremousov, the deputy chief of the Russian administration for the Kherson region.

And Russia, as in the early days of the war, is not doing well in terms of supplying the war in Ukraine, according to John Kirby, a White House National Security Council coordinator.

His own defense-industrial base is having a hard time keeping up with his unprovoked war in Ukraine, Kirby told reporters last week.

An armored truck of pro-Russian troops is parked near Ukraine's former regional council's building in Kherson. Alexander Ermochenko/Reuter

And although concerns remain that Russia is prepared to keep the fight grinding on, the Russian military doesnt appear prepared to keep up training and equipment to levels necessary for decisive wins, according to Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ).

Russia can probably mobilize men but they cannot mobilize well-trained men and well-equipped men, Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told The Daily Beast. That puts Ukraine in a better position. I think its military probably is now on par or even better when it comes [to] their training with Russia.

Assessments from the U.S. intelligence community show that Russian forces have been significantly depleted since the war began. While estimates from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have pinned Russias troop losses at about 40,000, U.S. intelligence has pegged Putins troop losses at close to 75,000 since the war broke out in February, according to Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

And MI6 chief Richard Moore said last week at the Aspen security conference that the U.K. intelligence agency believes Russia will tire out in the coming weeks due a manpower shortage.

All of the hurdles the Russian military is facing now, coupled with key weapons aid and intelligence support from the United Stateswhich so far has helped Ukrainian forces go after Russian ammunition depots and other targets preciselycould lay the groundwork for a difficult but successful fight ahead for the Ukrainians.

I have confidence that we are providing them with the weapons and intelligence support that they need to precisely target Russian command and control and ammunition nodes, Auchincloss said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
By Natalia Zinets and Pavel Polityuk

KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday his government was ordering the mandatory evacuation of people in the eastern Donetsk region, scene of fierce fighting with Russia.

In a late-night television address, Zelenskiy also said the hundreds of thousands of people still in combat zones in the larger Donbas region, which contains Donetsk as well as the neighboring Luhansk region, needed to leave.

"The more people leave (the) Donetsk region now, the fewer people the Russian army will have time to kill," he said, adding that residents who left would be given compensation.

Separately, domestic Ukrainian media outlets quoted Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk as saying the evacuation needed to take place before winter begins since the region's natural gas supplies had been destroyed.

Zelenskiy said hundreds of thousands of people were still living in areas of Donbas where fighting was fierce.

"Many refuse to leave but it still needs to be done," the president said. "If you have the opportunity, please talk to those who still remain in the combat zones in Donbas. Please convince them that it is necessary to leave."

It is not the first time Ukrainian authorities have called for civilians to evacuate areas they control in Donetsk, and John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, told Reuters it could be due to expectations of heavier fighting rather than fuel shortages.

"I dont know why Zelenskiy issued the call," he said. "What I do know is that there has been fierce fighting in Donetsk. The Russians took (neighbouring) Luhansk (oblast) several weeks ago. I expect further fierce fighting in Donetsk."

Herbst said he did not expect Russia to capture the rest of Donetsk given the longer logistics lines they would need and the Ukrainian forces use of advanced long-range artillery and rocket systems provided by the United States and others.

Story continues

Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine's military said more than 100 Russian soldiers had been killed and seven tanks destroyed in fighting in the south on Friday, including the Kherson region that is the focus of Kyiv's counteroffensive in that part of the country and a key link in Moscow's supply lines.

Rail traffic to Kherson over the Dnipro River had been cut, the military's southern command said, potentially further isolating Russian forces west of the river from supplies in occupied Crimea and the east.

South of the town of Bakhmut, which Russia has cited as a prime target in Donetsk, the Ukrainian military said Russian forces had been "partially successful" in establishing control over the settlement of Semyhirya by storming it from three directions.

"He established himself on the outskirts of the settlement," the military's evening report said, referring to Russian forces.

Defence and intelligence officials from Britain, which has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies since Moscow invaded its neighbor on Feb. 24, portrayed Russian forces as struggling to maintain momentum.

Ukraine has used Western-supplied long-range missile systems to badly damage three bridges across the Dnipro in recent weeks, cutting off Kherson city and - in the assessment of British defence officials - leaving Russia's 49th Army highly vulnerable on the river's west bank.

The Kherson region's pro-Ukrainian governor, Dmytro Butriy, said fighting was continuing in many parts of the region, and that Berislav district, just northwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant, was particularly hard hit.

"In some villages, not a single home has been left intact, all infrastructure has been destroyed, people are living in cellars," he wrote on Telegram.

Just to the north of Lysychansk, which Moscow's forces captured in early July after weeks of fighting, Ukrainian partisans destroyed a railway junction box near the Russian-controlled town of Svatove on Friday night, making it harder for Moscow to transport ammunition to the front lines by train, Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said in an online post.

Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports.

Officials from the Russian-appointed administration running the Kherson region earlier this week rejected Western and Ukrainian assessments of the situation.

On Friday the British ministry described the Russian government as "growing desperate", having lost tens of thousands of soldiers in the war. British MI6 foreign intelligence agency chief Richard Moore added https://twitter.com/ChiefMI6/status/1553309715299536896?s=20&t=ScC3FnVxfbtD1_W6tPFDvQ on Twitter that Russia is "running out of steam."

PRISON DEATHS

Ukraine and Russia have traded accusations over a missile strike or explosion early on Friday that appeared to have killed dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war in the front-line town of Olenivka, held by Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Donetsk.

Russia's defense ministry on Saturday published a list of 50 Ukrainian prisoners of war killed and 73 wounded in what it said was a Ukrainian military strike with a U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).

Ministry spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said "all political, criminal and moral responsibility" rested with Zelenskiy, "his criminal regime and Washington who supports them".

The ministry said Russia had invited experts from the United Nations and the Red Cross to probe the deaths "in the interests of conducting an objective investigation".

The separatists put the death toll at 53.

Ukraine's armed forces denied responsibility, saying Russian artillery had targeted the prison to hide mistreatment there. Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Friday Russia had committed a war crime and called for international condemnation.

Reuters could not immediately verify the differing versions of events, but some of the deaths were confirmed by Reuters journalists who visited the prison.

The United Nations said earlier it was prepared to send experts to investigate if it obtains consent from both parties. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was seeking access and had offered to help evacuate the wounded.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his condolences in a Friday phone call with Kuleba and said Washington was committed to "hold Russia accountable for atrocities," the U.S. State Department said.

Ukraine has accused Russia of atrocities against civilians and identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes. Russia denies targeting civilians and war crimes.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Jonathan Landay and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Lincoln Feast, William Mallard, Frances Kerry, Jonathan Oatis and Daniel Wallis)
OLHA HLUSHCHENKO  SATURDAY, 30 JULY 2022, 07:25

The Armed Forces of Ukraine have repelled Russian assaults on the Sloviansk, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Novopavlivka fronts. Fighting is currently underway on several of those fronts.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 30 July

Details: On the Sivershchyna front, Russia has continued to conduct aerial reconnaissance and fire on infrastructure targets using tubed and rocket artillery in the areas of Ukraines Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts near the Ukrainian-Russian border.

On the Kharkiv front, Russian forces fired using artillery on the city of Kharkiv, as well as on the areas around Prudianka, Cherkasky Tyshky, Borshchova, Lisne, Korobochkine, Mospanove and Staryi Saltov.

On the Sloviansk front, Russian forces used tubed and rocket artillery  as well as tanks  to fire on the areas in the vicinity of Asiivka, Protopopivka, Husarivka, Hrushuvakha, Karnaukhivka, Dolyna and Adamivka. The Russians conducted assault operations near Brazhivka and Dmytrivka but were unsuccessful and have retreated.

On the Kramatorsk front, Russian forces shelled the areas near Kramatorsk, Siversk, Spirne and other towns and villages and continued to use UAVs to conduct aerial reconnaissance.

On the Bakhmut front, Russian forces fired on military and civilian infrastructure facilities in and around Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bakhmut, Vesela Dolyna, Kodema, Semyhiria, Travneve, Zaitseve, Kostiantynivka and Niu-York. Russian aircraft conducted an airstrike near Soledar. In addition, the Russians conducted assault operations near Vershyna and Travneve but were unsuccessful. Fighting is continuing near Semyhiria, Zaitseve and Vershyna.

On the Avdiivka front, Russian occupying forces fired on the areas around Novobakhmutivka, Opytne, Vodiane, Pisky and Krasnohorivka using tanks, as well as tubed and rocket artillery. Russian aircraft conducted airstrikes near Selydove, Avdiivka and Pervomaiske. The Russians conducted assault operations in the vicinity of Pisky and Avdiivka but were not successful. Fighting is continuing near Krasnohorivka.

Story continues

On the Novopavlivka front, Russian forces opened artillery fire on the areas around Marinka, Vuhledar, Mykilske, Pavlivka, Vremivka, Novosilka and Novopil. They conducted assault operations near Marinka but were not successful and have retreated. Fighting is currently underway near Pavlivka.

On the Zaporizhzhia front, Russian forces shelled civilian and military infrastructure in the areas around Zaliznychne, Charivne, Bilohiria, Orikhiv, Novoandriivka and Kamianske and conducted an airstrike near Novomykhailivka and Mali Shcherbaky.

Russian troops main efforts on the Pivdennyi Buh front are focused on maintaining their previously occupied positions and preventing the Ukrainian forces in the area from advancing. Russia has ramped up its use of UAVs to conduct aerial reconnaissance.

Russian forces continued to shell military and civilian infrastructure in the areas around Trudoliubivka, Osokorivka, Tokareve, Karierne, Ivanivka, Lozove, Velyke Artakove, Kobzartsi, Shevchenkove, Shyroke, Posad-Pokrovske, Ukrainka, Partyzanske, Mykolaiv and Dniprovske, and conducted airstrikes near Novohryhorivka and Andriivka.

Russian troops are actively working on restoring their logistics and supply routes in the area.



Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda!






Ukrainian army repulses invaders attack on Pisky and Avdiyivka in Donetsk Oblast

According to the report, the Russian army shelled military and civilian infrastructure in the areas around the settlements of Yakovlivka, Soledar, Bakhmut, Vesela Dolyna, Kodema, Semihirya, Travneve, Zaytseve, Kostyantynivka and New York in Donetsk Oblast. The enemy also carried out an airstrike near Soledar.



Read also: Strategy a la russe: catch up with Portugal and die in Donbas

On the Avdiyivka front, Russian invading forces shelled the districts of Novobakhmutivka, Avdiyivka, Opytne, Vodyane, Pisky and Krasnohorivka with tanks, artillery and rockets. Russian infantry carried out assaults in the areas of Pisky and Avdiyivka, but without success. Fighting continues near Krasnohorivka.

Read also: How a Kremlin curator launched a huge corruption feeding frenzy for Russian officials in the occupied Donbas

On the Novopavlivskyi area of front, artillery shelling was recorded around the settlements of Maryinka, Vuhledar, Mykilske, Pavlivka, Vremivka, Novosilka and Novopil. Russian invasion forces carried out assaults in the area of Maryinka, but were unsuccessful and withdrew. Fighting continues near Pavlivka.

On the Kramatorsk part of the front, shelling was recorded near Kramatorsk, Siversk, Spirne and other settlements. Enemy air forces launched an airstrike near Serebryanka and Spirne.

Russian invasion forces also continued conducting aerial reconnaissance using surveillance drones.

Read also: Russian army still failing to gain ground in Donbas, says Institute for the Study of War

Shelling of civilian and military infrastructure was recorded in the areas around the settlements of Zaliznychne, Charivne, Biloghirya, Orihiv, Novoandriivka and Kamianske, on the Zaporizhzhya part of the front.

The enemy also launched an airstrike near Novomykhailivka and Maly Shcherbaki.

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The new US envoy for the Horn of Africa called Saturday for progress in holding Ethiopian peace talks and for unrestricted aid deliveries to stricken areas of the country.

Mike Hammer, who arrived in Addis Ababa on Friday, held talks with Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen, the US embassy said.

They discussed the "need for continued progress on ensuring unfettered humanitarian assistance delivery, human rights accountability & political talks to end the conflict & achieve a lasting peace", the embassy said on Twitter.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government and the rival Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) have both raised the prospect of peace talks to end the brutal conflict that erupted in November 2020.

But major obstacles have emerged, not least over who should mediate any negotiations.

Abiy wants the African Union, which is based in Addis Ababa, to broker any talks, while the TPLF is insisting that the negotiations are led by neighbouring Kenya.

Abiy's national security adviser Redwan Hussein said on Twitter this week that the government was ready to talk "anytime anywhere" and that negotiations should begin "without preconditions".

Meanwhile, TPLF-linked Tigrai TV quoted the rebels' leader Debretsion Gebremichael warning that basic services would have to be restored in Tigray before negotiations could begin.

Fighting has eased in northern Ethiopia since a humanitarian truce was declared at the end of March, allowing the resumption of desperately needed aid convoys.

- Malnutrition and food insecurity -

Untold numbers of people were killed in the war and the UN says more than 13 million people need food aid across Tigray and the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara, with high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition.

Tigray itself is lacking in food, fuel and essential services such as electricity, communications and banking, with hundreds of thousands living in dire conditions because of what the United Nations has described as a de facto blockade.

Story continues

The UN's humanitarian response agency OCHA said that since the resumption of humanitarian convoys on April 1, 4,308 trucks had arrived in Tigray's capital Mekele as of July 19.

In Addis, Hammer also "reviewed" the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the large-scale hydroelectric project on the Blue Nile, the embassy said.

On Friday, Egypt said it had protested to the UN Security Council against Ethiopian plans to fill the reservoir of the controversial dam for a third year without agreement from downstream countries.

The multi-billion-dollar GERD is set to be the largest hydroelectric scheme in Africa but has been at the centre of a dispute with Egypt and Sudan ever since work began in 2011.

"We are actively engaged in supporting a diplomatic way forward under the African Union's auspices that arrives at an agreement that provides for the long-term needs of every citizen along the Nile," Hammer said on a visit to Egypt this week.

Addis Ababa deems the GERD essential for the electrification and development of Africa's second most populous country.

But Cairo and Khartoum fear it could threaten their access to vital Nile waters.

txw/imm
The first day back to school for students in Orange County is Aug. 10, which means its time for families to get those school essentials.

WATCH: Floridas back-to-school tax-free holiday: What does it include?

Several Central Florida organizations held back-to-school events on Saturday, including the YMCA of Central Florida.

The events helped to provide a bit of relief to families as costs for back-to-school items are higher than they have been in years.

Photos: YMCA of Central Florida hosts back-to-school celebrations

I feel like the summer has been short, said 10-year-old Nathaniel Rowe.

Rowe is about to be a fifth grader and two months off for the summer was enough time.

WATCH: Back-to-school shopping is a struggle for homeless families in Central Florida

As Rowe gets ready to return to the classroom in a little over a week, his grandmother is working to check off all the items on his back-to-school supply list.

The are one of many families who stopped by the YMCA on Saturday morning, hoping to get that head start.

In addition to free backpacks and other school supplies, the YMCA events also featured free haircuts, prize giveaways, games, music and additional parental resources.

WATCH: Central Florida school districts focus on safety as families prepare for back to school

Watch more in the video above.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, and click here to watch the latest news on your Smart TV.
From January to June, 39 Centra Health employees reported a workplace violence injury.

To reduce such incidents, the Lynchburg-based health care provider is taking steps including creating a new committee to prevent workplace violence, educating caregivers on de-escalation techniques, providing panic buttons to more caregivers to quickly signal security when needed, and enhancing security cameras and other systems.

Workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. It can affect and involve employees, clients, customers, and visitors, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

When many people hear the term workplace violence, they might first think of big events such as shootings. But Nathan Campbell, corporate director of security for Centra Health, said it also includes spitting, kicking and pushing. The majority of workplace violence events are centered around health care facilities and health care providers, he said.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates of the 20,870 private sector workers who experienced trauma from non-fatal workplace violence in 2019 resulting in missed days of work, 70% worked in health care and related fields. BLS data also shows the incidence rate of violence against health care workers rose each year from 2011 to 2018.

Meanwhile, surveys conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the Emergency Nurses Association indicate almost half of emergency physicians report being physically assaulted at work, while about 70% of emergency nurses report being hit and kicked on the job.

Another survey conducted this year by Incredible Health found 65% of nurses surveyed reported they had been verbally or physically assaulted by a patient or a patients family member within the last year.

So while you think if you come to a health care facility, you continue to receive care and everythings good and friendly and wonderful, we actually are having a lot of incidents where our caregivers are being hit, kicked, punched, cursed at and abused, Campbell said. And so that obviously results in injuries, loss of work; its hard to recruit and retain individuals to work for us when theyre getting battered all the time.

Centra, which has 8,000 employees, always has had safety mechanisms in place to protect its caregivers, Campbell said, but during the past several years, workplace violence has continued to increase.

The two departments where Centra sees workplace violence most are its behavioral health and emergency departments.

Campbell said behavioral health patients are being held longer and theyre getting more aggressive, which he said is a challenge within itself.

Then outside of that, theres just problems around society, he said. Theres an increase in violence just around society in general, where people have expectations and they become elevated. And I think that in a lot of cases they think that they can just kind of act however and some of its had to do with people that are too anxious and nervous about whats wrong with their family.

Campbell said some people become worried about their loved ones and are concerned about whats happening with them and they may act in an inappropriate manner.

So theyre very driven off of fear, concern, etc. and we try to be careful about how we watch that and monitor it and make sure were aware of how people act, he said.

Ismael Gama, Centras vice president of behavioral health, and Shannon Miles, senior director of behavioral health, said in a joint email statement the acuity of hospital patients is ever increasing and as staff provides care, the risk for violence increases as well.

The behavioral health staff including nurses, therapists and mental health professionals are constantly in situations that could result in physical harm. With training from Crisis Prevention Institute and other resources on de-escalation, we have reduced the number of workplace violence encounters this year, they said in the statement. The safety of our Caregivers and patients continues to be our top priority.

In 2017, there were 110 workplace violence incidents reported across Centra; 199 in 2019; 196 in 2020; and 160 in 2021.

To help address such incidents, Centra has implemented a new multidisciplinary Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee. This committee has been tasked with identifying, preventing and responding to workplace violence events. During the past several months, the committee has developed several subcommittees focusing on Caregiver-to-Caregiver events, Complex Patients and De-escalation, and Environmental Safety.

Centra is even encouraging staff members to press charges against people who abuse them.

Well actually carry them down on the magistrates office and will follow them through the whole process, but we want to make sure that they do feel supported by us and that we are not going to tolerate that as a health care organization, Campbell said. Were here to provide a service and to help individuals in need of care but were not going to take abuse from people.

Campbell said the hospital system also wants to make sure patients and visitors are safe when they are on the campus.

So we have a multifaceted team, which has individual leaders from all throughout the organization, including home health and the hospice unit because they have a very unique perspective as opposed to our acute care facilities, he said.

He said this committee is really driven around the prevention of workplace violence.

We call it workplace violence prevention because while it does happen and we want to have mechanisms in place on how we manage that, we also want to make sure were preventing it.

To accomplish that, Campbell said the community needs to be aware of the hospitals zero tolerance policy on workplace violence. New signage has been placed throughout the property so patients and visitors understand expectations.

Campbell said the Centra Foundation has provided $200,000 to start education through the Crisis Prevention Institute  the vendor Centra is using for standard de-escalation and nonviolent crisis training  which will be providing education for all caregivers on de-escalation practices.

Centra is working now with caregivers to provide panic buttons that have the ability to signal the security team on a moments notice, Campbell said. It also is identifying people who are high risk and working to place them in electronic medical records so all caregivers are aware of the potential situation ahead of time.

Within the emergency department or behavioral health areas, the nurses and care providers have a button about the size of their name tag they can press to signal to security which room theyre in so someone can get to them quickly.

So were working to scale that and spread that out throughout the organization because its strictly been focused on behavioral health and emergency in the past, he said.

Theres a greeter present in the front lobby who monitors everybody thats coming in and out of the building, he said, and camera systems and access systems also are getting enhanced.

We expect people to act appropriately and respectful of our caregivers, because were here to take care of people were not here to be abused, Campbell said. So we want to make sure that people understand that when they come in here, were not going to tolerate that and we will cancel procedures.

Campbell said he worked in the emergency department for 20 years before starting in the role he holds now and would go home every day with the expectation he would have gotten cursed at at least once.

And that shouldnt be the way our caregivers are coming to work, he said.
BEDFORD  A Lynchburg man convicted of involuntary manslaughter and reckless handling of a firearm in the accidental shooting death of a Bedford woman was sentenced Friday to eight months with time already served.

Daniel Joseph Norwood, 35, pleaded guilty in March in Bedford Circuit Court to the two charges in connection with the July 2021 killing of Jessica Ryan Moore, who was shot shortly after a holiday fireworks display in Bedford.

Moore, 36, was rushed to Bedford Memorial Hospital, where she later died, according to Bedford town police.

Norwood was in a romantic relationship with Moore and was heavily drinking alcohol with a firearm on him during the fireworks show, Bedford Commonwealths Attorney Wes Nance has said. After leaving the event and while in the passengers seat of the vehicle, Norwood was in the course of unloading the firearm with it pointed in the direction of Moore, who was in the drivers seat when it discharged, Nance said.

Several hours after the incident, Norwood had a blood alcohol content of .11, Nance has said.

At Norwoods sentencing hearing Friday, Nance said both the prosecution and defense were initially prepared to go forward with a contested hearing but he had a conversation with Moores father beforehand.

They asked me to show grace to Mr. Norwood today, Nance told Judge James Updike.

Michael Lonchar, defense attorney for Norwood, said the defendant is remorseful and has taken responsibility. ... This was a horrible, tragic event, Lonchar said.

Lonchar thanked the Moore family for their grace. Norwood said in court the tragedy was the worst thing to happen in their lives and he is deeply sorry.

Norwood, who was released on bond in March, also apologized to the Bedford community for what he said was his negligence.

I would do anything to bring Jessica back, Norwood said. We were building a future together.

Norwood said Moore was the most beautiful person, his heart is broken and he will never stop loving her.

She defined what love is, Norwood said. I will never forgive myself ... I was supposed to protect her, and that was my intent, but I failed.

Updike upheld the plea agreement by sentencing Norwood to eight months and crediting him with time served, which means no additional jail time. Norwood is ordered to be on good behavior for eight years, he cannot own or possess a firearm and cannot consume alcohol or any illegal substance.

Bedford police will destroy the firearm, according to the judges ruling.
BEDFORD  A Moneta man was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty to four felony charges in connection with an inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor.

William Clarke Newman, 52, was found guilty Friday in Bedford Circuit Court of two counts of aggravated sexual battery and two counts of producing child porn.

Bedford Chief Commonwealths Attorney Chris Dolen said the case involves a victim, now an adult, who was a minor at the time of the offenses that took place over the course of years.

Dolen said the inappropriate sexual relationship occurred while Newman was under the influence of various drugs.

The abuse also involved photos, which led to the two child porn production charges, Dolen said. Two of the offenses are from 2009 and two are from 2012, according to court records.

Newman apologized before sentencing to everyone he has hurt.

Judge James Updike sentenced Newman to 30 years with all but 13 years suspended on the combined charges. He ordered Newman undergo sex offender evaluation, have no further contact with the victim and have no unsupervised contact with minors after his release.
Hill City Montessori School is slated to open Sept. 6 in Gospel Community Church at 1301 Rivermont Avenue at the terrace level.

Kathleen Olinger, head of school, said this will be a temporary location until a permanent one is found.

Olinger founded the school along with four other local Montessorian educators. She said it is a women-owned business dedicated to partnering with families, giving back to the Lynchburg community, and developing human potential for a stronger, more equipped future.

We believe our combined ownership, intimate design, and concrete commitment to our school, our community and our students, is what makes Hill City Montessori School a unique and beautiful school, she said. HCMS will be a Lynchburg staple you can count on. We love this city and we are dedicated to building a foundation for a better future for generations to come.

HCMS will offer Montessori education for children six weeks of age up to elementary level, with hopes to continue growing as the community needs.

She said the school is accepting applications and has openings.

Lynchburg, and especially the central and downtown areas, is a child care desert, she said. There is a serious need for quality child care and education in our area, and we are so honored to have the opportunity to help fill that need.

The Montessori method is a child-led form of education that provides a developmentally appropriate environment to encourage independent learning. Montessori teachers guide students from birth in their learning process while following and encouraging their interests.

One of the misconceptions of Montessori learning is that the environments lack structure, children have too much freedom, and children are allowed to do whatever they want, Olinger said.

In reality, Montessori encourages freedom within limits, she said. Children have the freedom to follow their inner guide and choose their learning path while the Montessori guides are there to assure that they have a well-rounded, complete education. As Montessorians, we believe in supporting the development of the whole child. This means not only encouraging academic learning in the traditional sense but supporting and encouraging the development of social, emotional, and behavioral learning.
The average life expectancy of Japanese women and men decreased for the first time in a decade in 2021 as the country struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic, health ministry's statistics showed Friday.

The average life span for Japanese women was 87.57 years, down by 0.14 year compared to a year earlier, while that of men was 81.47 years, down by 0.09 year, according to the health ministry.

It is the first time the figure has declined since 2011, when a massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan caused meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, leaving more than 15,000 dead and many more unaccounted for.

According to the health ministry, the fall in the average life span was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. "COVID-19 was behind the decline for most of the men," a ministry official said.

About 16,000 people in Japan died of COVID-19 in 2021, according to the health ministry.

Despite the decline, 88.3 percent of Japanese women who were born in 2021 are expected to live until 75 years old, while that of the men born last year is predicted to be 76.0 percent, according to the health ministry's estimate. ...continue reading
Horyuji temple in Japan's ancient capital of Nara has raised more than seven times its crowdfunding target to supplement a decline in revenues due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The crowdfunding website shows that more than 7,400 people had donated a total of more than 146 million yen, roughly 1 million dollars, when the funding campaign closed at 11 p.m. on Friday.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site began the campaign on June 15 to raise 20 million yen to be able to carry out maintenance on the compound.

Horyuji needed donations because its main source of income from admission fees had fallen to about half of pre-pandemic levels due to the plunge in the number of visitors. ...continue reading
More than 20 nonprofit organizations in southwest Iowa are receiving more than $3.5 million in grant funding from the Iowa West Foundation, the Council Bluffs-based philanthropic organization announced Thursday.

The funding is going to organizations that work in Pottawattamie and surrounding counties in a variety of services, including early childhood services, trauma-informed care training, Wi-Fi access, music education, and radios and other equipment for first responders.

Our goal is to help communities achieve their dreams, IWF President and CEO Brenda Mainwaring said in the press release. By supporting both critical services, like access to early childhood development, while also funding projects that increase quality of life such as park space and free, family-friendly events, it allows for the next generation to thrive within their community.

During a series of Imagine Hour listening sessions with residents, many participants indicated that the lack of affordable housing should be seen as a priority issue. IWF agrees, and is providing funding to both Anawim Housing  a Des Moines-based nonprofit that works to develop stable housing in communities around the state  and Metro Area Continuum of Care for the Homeless  an umbrella organization for more than 20 nonprofits and governmental agencies that work to end homelessness in Pottawattamie, Douglas and Sarpy counties  to increase the amount of housing in Council Bluffs.

Anawim Housing is looking forward to the opportunity to support existing providers in the community through an enhanced service delivery model that builds upon the vital work already taking place, Anawim President Russ Frazier said in the press release. Through the generous gift from the Iowa West Foundation we expect to provide housing solutions and case management support for many of Council Bluffs most vulnerable citizens. Utilizing a housing first approach with a foundation in evidence-based practices, we believe this new collaboration will have a significant impact on the unsheltered population in the community.

Studies show home ownership increases financial stability as well as a sense of belonging in communities, according to the press release.

The rural communities of Carson, Carter Lake, Dunlap, Little Sioux, Treynor, Underwood and Walnut all received funding for placemaking projects or essential fire safety gear. This includes a $500,000 grant to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to preserve the Little Sioux Scout Ranch as Loess Hills State Forest.

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation greatly appreciates the early support and vision from Iowa West Foundation to help protect Iowas Loess Hills and make this project happen, said Heritage Foundation President Joe McGovern. It is a big project, but the result will be an expansive complex of nearly 6,000 wilderness acres protected for public enjoyment and natural resource conservation that also maintains the memorial to the four young scouts who lost their lives there in the 2008 tornado. The project will create a lasting impact on the Loess Hills and surrounding communities.

Partnerships with local casinos Ameristar, Harrahs and Horseshoe make it possible for IWF to continue meaningful grantmaking and initiative work in the community. Fees from gaming, in addition to IWFs investments, enable the organization to award operating, capital and programming grants throughout 14 counties in southwest Iowa.

IWF is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest, and it has distributed more than $500 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program in 1996. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrahs. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrahs and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run. IWF targets resources into programs and projects that focus on economic development, education, placemaking and healthy families.
Human Rights Watch has once again derailed from its watchdog mission issuing a politically-motivated heinous report on the state of human rights in Morocco in which allegations are taken as facts!

In a 129-page report that is more of a diatribe than an objective compilation, HRW rehashed one-sided stories and statements from a group of self-proclaimed activists who have been using human rights to serve an anti-Moroccan agenda.

The report was issued as Morocco prepares for the celebration of the Throne Day, a national occasion that symbolizes the steady bond between the monarchy and the people.

The timing of this diatribe/report says much about the political intentions of HRW, an organization that has betrayed its ideals of objectivity in treating human rights issue. The report has one goal: attempting to undermine Moroccos image within Western circles, notably in the US.

HRW whose members come in and out of Morocco interviewing people freely and attending trials and other events has preferred to turn a blind eye on countries such as Algeria and Egypt, which bar access for the organizations members to their countries.

The ability of HRW to operate freely in Morocco is the first element that discredits this very hostile and biased report.

The document in itself is a tally of cases brought against the people HRW calls dissidents. These include penal code cases involving theft, rape and espionage.

For instance, HRW treats journalists Omar Radi and Taoufik Bouachrine as innocent opponents who are behind bars for their views, where in fact they were indicted on rape and sexual assault charges.

The rationale of HRW is that opponents or dissidents should not be brought before justice despite the existence of victims who have sued them for rape and sexual assault.

HRW did not only sideline with people who have been found guilty by the Moroccan judiciary. It showed contempt for the many women that accused Bouachrine of sexual exploitation and the Moroccan journalist who said she was raped by Radi.

HRW is saying between the lines that any penal code case brought against dissidents is rejected because it treats opponents as people who should be above the law! That is the basic message of its 129-page-long diatribe.

The organization went too far in its enmity to Morocco showing lack of respect for the judiciary of an independent state.

HRW claims that Morocco has an ecosystem of repression reiterating unfounded accusations that Morocco used Pegasus malware! But it fell short of offering any proof, save uncorroborated statements from self-proclaimed activists who hide their anti-Moroccan positions behind a thin curtain of human rights activism.

The organization included in its promotional video of the report an attack on the Moroccan press which it described as state-aligned! Maati Mounjib, who is sued for embezzlement of funds, has complained that the press wrote stories about his case, in a blatant attack on press freedom as if the media is not allowed to write on cases brought against activists.

In a first reaction, spokesman for the Moroccan government Mustapha Baitas said the report was orchestrated to undermine Moroccan interests and that the country will forge ahead with the rule of law.

Moroccos media and editors association also denounced the report and its attack on the Moroccan press.

HRW had better do its job and look into the thousands of dissidents arrested in Algeria. But they cant! because unlike Morocco, Algeria does not allow HRW to access the country and unlike Morocco, those in Algeria who talk to HRW bare faced will face the worst forms of retaliation.

In sum, HRW one-sided biased and heinous report is evidence of the freedom that human rights activists enjoy in Morocco, the only oasis of stability and freedoms in a turbulent region mired in authoritarianism and media blackout.
In Morocco, King Mohammed VI is custodian of the freedom of worship in a country that embraces the Muslim and Jewish constituents of its identity.

Thanks to efforts spearheaded personally by the Monarch, Morocco has strengthened its character as a home of religious diversity and traditions of tolerance and coexistence.

In 2010, King Mohammed VI initiated a program to repair hundreds of ancient synagogues and cemeteries scattered throughout Morocco. Since then, the kingdom has spent millions of dollars to repair nearly 200 of these sites. In 2011, Judaism became enshrined in the countrys new constitution as a key part of Moroccan identity.

Taking example of tolerance at home, the King spared no effort to champion the values of inter-faith dialogue and coexistence in international forums.

Moroccos distinctiveness is underpinned by the Commandership of the Faithful and the Maliki rite, an institution that aims to shield the Moroccan society against the demons of ideological manipulation and subversive forces, using, to this end, enlightened religious training based on moderation and tolerance.

In Morocco, there is no difference between a Muslim and a Jewish citizen, said the King in a message to an inter-faith conference held in Morocco in 2018.

As Commander of the Faithful, I cannot speak of the Land of Islam, as if only Muslims lived there. I am keen to ensure freedom to practice the religions of the Book and I am the guarantor of that freedom. I protect Moroccan Jews as well as Christians from other countries, who are living in Morocco, the King said in a speech at the esplanade of Hassan Mosque in Rabat on the first day of the Popes visit in 2019.

Domestically, Morocco has engaged, since 2005, in the reform of the religious sphere with the aim to counter radical religious narratives, while preserving the Moroccan version of Islam.

This reform helped to modernize religious institutions such as the Council of Religious Scholars and the Ministry of Religious Affairs, ensuring greater transparency when it comes to the financing of mosques and other religious activities.

The Kings Muslim authority as Commander of the Faithful and his lineal descent of the Prophet Mohammed gives him an edge in promoting the lofty values of Islam and taking action against extremism.

Building on its moderate school of Islam as a bulwark against extremism conducive to pre-empting radicalism at home and abroad, Morocco has extended the project of the Mohammed VI Institute, created in 2015, for the training of Imams to respond to the growing demand from a number of countries.

The Institute has offered training, accommodation and stipends to hundreds of Imams who are now practicing in their homelands spreading the lofty values of the religion.
Morocco is the only country on the African continent with a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, eliminating tariffs on more than 95 percent of qualifying consumer and industrial goods, says the 2022 U.S. Investment Climate Statements issued by the State Department.

The North African Kingdom is planning to phase out tariffs for some products through 2030. The FTA supports Moroccos goals to develop as a regional financial and trade hub, providing opportunities for the localization of services and the finishing and re-export of goods to markets in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, says the report.

Since the U.S.-Morocco FTA came into effect, bilateral trade in goods has grown nearly five-fold, adds the document which provides investors with data on business climates of more than 160 countries and economies.

The U.S. and Moroccan governments work closely to increase trade and investment through high-level consultations, bilateral dialogue, and other forums to inform U.S. businesses of investment opportunities and strengthen business-to-business ties, says the report prepared by economic officers stationed in U.S. embassies around the world.

Morocco, located at the confluence of Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East, seeks to transform itself into a regional business hub by leveraging its geographically strategic location, political stability, and world-class infrastructure to expand as a regional manufacturing and export base for international companies, affirms the U.S. report.

Morocco actively encourages and facilitates foreign investment, particularly in export sectors like manufacturing, through positive macro-economic policies, trade liberalization, investment incentives, and structural reforms, underlines the document.

It also informs investors about the strategies implemented by Morocco to boost employment, attract foreign investment and improve the performance and output in key revenue-earning sectors, with an emphasis placed on value-added industries such as renewables, automotive, aerospace, textile, pharmaceuticals, outsourcing and agro-food.

Most of the Moroccan governments strategies are laid out in the New Development Model released in April of 2021, says the U.S. report, noting that the country continues to make major investments in renewable energy. It is also on track to meet its stated goal of 64 pc total installed capacity by 2030 and announced an even more ambitious goal of 80 pc by 2050.

According to UNCTADs World Investment Report 2021, Morocco attracted the ninth-most foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa in 2020. Peaking in 2018 when Morocco attracted $3.6 billion in FDI, inbound FDI dropped by 55 percent to $1.7 billion in 2019 and remained largely unchanged at $1.7 billion in 2020. UAE, France, and Spain hold a majority of FDI stocks.

Manufacturing attracted the highest share of FDI stocks, followed by real estate, trade, tourism, and transportation. Morocco continues to orient itself as the gateway to Africa, and expanded on this role with its return to the African Union in January 2017 and the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) which entered into force in 2021.

In June 2019, Morocco opened an extension of the Tangier-Med commercial shipping port, making it the largest in Africa and the Mediterranean. The country is developing a third phase for the port which will increase capacity to five million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

Tangier is connected to Moroccos political capital in Rabat and commercial hub in Casablanca by Africas first high-speed train service. Morocco has ratified 72 investment treaties for the promotion and protection of investments and 62 economic agreements, including with the United States and most EU nations, that aim to eliminate the double taxation of income or gains, says the State Department report.

The document also cites the incentives offered to encourage foreign and local investment. The Moroccan Government offers several guarantee funds and sources of financing for investment projects to both Moroccan and foreign investors.

With respect to agricultural incentives, Moroccos Green Generation 2020-2030 plan aims to improve the competitiveness of the agribusiness industry by supporting value chains and making the industry more resilient and environmentally sound.
The United States government has called on the authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to ensure the protection of MONUSCO sites and personnel, following the killing of three UN peacekeepers, one from Morocco and two from India.

The call was made by State Department Spokesperson Ned Price during his daily briefing held Thursday in Washington-DC.

Over the past four days, there have been protests against MONUSCO in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. A number of these protests have turned violent, resulting in the unacceptable and tragic deaths of UN peacekeepers and UN police officers and Congolese protesters, he said.

The United States offers condolences and deepest sympathies to the families, the friends, and colleagues of those killed as well as to MONUSCO and to the United Nations, he added, stressing the critical role of the UN mission in fostering peace and security, protecting civilians, and facilitating delivery of humanitarian assistance.

We appreciate the government of the DRCs commitment to investigating these events and holding accountable those responsible, said the spokesperson of the State Department.

The United States underscores that attacks against UN personnel and facilities are contrary to international law, affirmed Mr. Ned Price.

The UN Security Council, UN Chief, the European Union, the Arab Parliament and several Arab countries, including Bahrain and Jordan have all condemned the deadly terrorist attack that targeted Moroccan peacekeepers serving in MONUSCO. Twenty other Moroccan blue Helmets were also injured in the attack which occurred in the northeastern region of DRC.

Rebels in the turbulent region took advantage of a violent protest staged by the local population against the presence of MONUSCO.

Another Moroccan soldier died Wednesday in a friendly fire by the UN police sent to reinforce the Moroccan peacekeeping mission.
The all-important 4th edition of the Africa Climate Talks (ACTs!) was held in in Maputo, Mozambique under the theme Ensuring a just and equitable transition and human security in Africa: building resilience.

African nations gathered for the climate talks this July 27-29 to identify their priorities and come up with a common position ahead of the United Nations climate summit, known as COP27, in Egypt in November. Convened as hybrid in-person and virtual participation, ACTs 2022 was co-hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Eduardo Mondlane University, with the participation of other UN Agencies, the Africa Union Commission, African Development Bank, and the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

ACTs! 2022 comes against the backdrop of more frequent and severe weather events, including unprecedented droughts, cyclones and tropical storms in East and Southern Africa. The West Indian Ocean region in particular has suffered considerable damage and losses from weather and climate related events. The continent of 1.2 billion people, which represents 17% of the worlds population, contributes less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions but suffers mightily from extreme weather events, which scientists have warned will become more frequent due to climate change.

Officials were expected to decide whether to ask nations for reparations for environmental damage in Africa, known in climate circles as loss and damage. African nations already spend between 2% and 9% of their national income on natural disasters linked to climate change, according to the UN estimates. The forum focused on using Indigenous knowledge and land practices for conservation and adaption efforts, rather than relying on external help, said Jean-Paul Adam, the head of climate at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The talks include policy makers and regional institutions as well as grassroots activists and representatives from private sector.
King Mohammed VI on Saturday delivered a speech to the Nation on the occasion of the 23rd anniversary of the Sovereigns accession to the throne of his glorious ancestors.

Here follows the full text of the royal speech:

Praise be to God,

May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet, His Kith and Kin

Dear Citizens,

The celebration of the anniversary of my accession to the throne which, this year, coincides with the beginning of the new Hegira Year, is an annual opportunity to renew the mutual bonds of the Beia between the people and the King.

I thank Almighty God for having blessed us with such close cohesion throughout history, through good times and bad.

This years commemoration of an event which is dear to the heart of all Moroccans is taking place in an unstable environment marked by the continuing impacts of the COVID19 crisis and the effects of major international developments on the national and the global economy.

Hence, it would hardly be possible for us to rise to domestic and external challenges without combining the spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience to shore up social stability with the need to enhance the status of women and the family and boost the national economy.

Dear Citizens,

Building the kind of country we yearn for  one that is committed to progress and dignity  is possible only with the participation of all Moroccans  men and women alike  in the development process.

Therefore, I insist, once again, on the need to ensure the full participation of Moroccan women in all sectors.

Ever since my accession to the throne, I have been keen to improve the status of women, open up prospects for their advancement and enable them to hold their rightful place in society.

The main reforms we have introduced in this regard include the adoption of the Family Law and the 2011 Constitution, which enshrines equality between men and women in terms of rights and obligations and provides for the principle of parity as a goal to be pursued by the state.

The question here is not about giving women unwarranted privileges; rather, it is about giving them their legal and legitimate rights. Today, in Morocco, women cannot be deprived of their rights.

In this regard, we need to make sure the constitutional institutions concerned with the rights of the family and women are operational, and to update the relevant mechanisms and regulations for the promotion of the status of women and the family.

The Family Law was a major step forward. However, it is no longer sufficient. Experience has shown there are many hurdles which stand in the way of completing this process and achieving its objectives.

Among them is the inadequate enforcement of the Family Law for various sociological reasons, the more so as a category of employees and justice practitioners still believe the said law is strictly for women.

In fact, the Family Law does not concern men only, nor is it specific to women: it is a law for the entire family.

This law is based on fairness, since it gives women their rights just as it gives men theirs; it also takes into consideration the interests of children.

I therefore insist on the need for everyone to commit to the proper and full implementation of the provisions of the Family Law.

Moreover, we need to address the deficiencies and negative aspects noted from experience, just as we should revisit  where necessary  some of the laws provisions where deviations from the original goals have been noted.

As the Commander of the Faithful, I pointed out before Parliament in 2003, when introducing the Moudouwana, or Family Law, that I shall not make licit that which the Almighty has forbidden, nor shall I forbid that which He has authorized, particularly when it comes to matters governed by unequivocal Quranic prescriptions.

Therefore, whatever decisions are made in this regard, I am keen to ensure they are in keeping with the stipulations of the Islamic Sharia and the particularities of the Moroccan society, building, to that end, on a moderate, balanced approach, on open-minded interpretation as well as on consultation, dialogue and the engagement of all stakeholders concerned.

In the same vein, I call for family courts to be set up throughout the country, and for providing them with the qualified human resources and means they need for the proper conduct of their mission.

Everyone should understand that giving women their rights does not mean it will be at the expense of men, nor does it mean it will be at the expense of women.

Progress in Morocco hinges on womens status in society and their effective participation in all development sectors.

Dear Citizens,

As you know, the situation in recent years has been affected by the impact of the Coronavirus crisis on various socioeconomic sectors.

Many people, especially from vulnerable and poor segments of society, have been deeply affected socially and economically.

However, and by the grace of the Almighty, we have managed that difficult phase successfully and in a unique way, thanks to the concerted efforts of the citizens and the authorities.

The state has exerted tremendous efforts, devoting significant financial resources to tackling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provided direct material assistance to needy families as well as support to the sectors affected by the pandemic.

The state also made sure basic goods were available on a continuous basis and in sufficient quantities throughout the country.

Similarly, everyone agrees that Morocco was one of the first countries which managed to purchase the vaccine needed, providing it, free of charge, not just to its citizens, but also to foreign residents, despite the exceedingly high costs.

In the same circumstances, we started implementing the major project aimed at achieving universal social protection coverage as well as the upgrading of our national health system.

In the same vein, I launched a number of projects with a view to achieving sovereignty in the health sector and making sure our citizens are safe and secure.

Thus, in less than a year, the number of subscribers to the compulsory medical insurance scheme exceeded six million non-salaried people and their dependents.

Moreover, mandatory health coverage will be completed by the end of this year, once it has been extended to the beneficiaries of the subsidized health insurance regime  RAMED.

And, by the grace of Almighty God, I am determined to ensure the gradual implementation of the family allowance scheme as of the end of 2023, in accordance with the program set to this end.

Close to seven million children  mostly from poor or vulnerable families  will benefit from this solidarity-based national program, in addition to three million households with no school-age children.

To this end, I call for the finalization of the unified social register to be speeded up, since it will be the main tool for granting assistance and making sure this endeavor is efficient.

Dear Citizens,

Thanks to the combined efforts of the state and the public and private sectors, our national economy has proven to be resilient in the face of crises and fluctuations. Thus, positive results have been achieved in all productive sectors.

However, the recovery phase has been short-lived due to the current global circumstances.

These external factors, coupled with a modest agricultural season, have caused the prices of some commodities to soar. This is an issue plaguing all countries around the world.

Realizing the impact of this situation on the livelihoods of many segments of the population, I have launched a national program to mitigate the effects of drought on farmers and rural populations.

I have also instructed the government to allocate substantial funds to subsidize some basic goods and ensure they are available on the market.

Moroccans deserve no less!

In this regard, the budget of the compensation fund has been doubled, exceeding 32 billion dirhams for 2022.

Parallel to this, we need to boost national solidarity mechanisms, and speculation and market manipulation must be tackled resolutely and responsibly.

Despite the fluctuations noted at global level, we must remain optimistic and focus on our strengths.

We must also seek to leverage the opportunities and possibilities created by the profound changes underway, especially when it comes to attracting investment, boosting export incentives and promoting national products.

In this regard, I urge the government as well as political and economic stakeholders to facilitate the mission of foreign investors who choose to come to our country in the current global circumstances, and to remove any hurdles they may be facing.

Indeed, the greatest peril for the countrys development and the promotion of investment are the obstacles intentionally created by those who seek personal gain. These practices must be combatted.

Dear Citizens,

My commitment to improving socioeconomic conditions is second only to my keen desire to address Moroccos priorities at the regional and international levels.

In this regard, I wish to insist, once again, that the borders separating the two brotherly Moroccan and Algerian peoples, will never stand in the way of the interaction and understanding between the two peoples.

In fact, we want these borders to serve as bridges for building a common future for Morocco and Algeria, and thus set the example for other peoples in the Maghreb.

I therefore call upon Moroccans to continue to adhere to the principles of brotherhood, solidarity, and good-neighborliness binding us with our Algerian brothers and sisters. I want to assure Algerians that Morocco and the Moroccans will always be on their side, no matter what and in all circumstances.

As for the allegations accusing Moroccans of insulting Algeria and Algerians, those who irresponsibly make them want to ignite the flame of strife between the two brotherly peoples.

What is being said about the Moroccan-Algerian relations is both unreasonable and deeply distressing. We do not and shall not allow anyone to adversely affect our brothers and neighbors.

As Moroccans, we are keen to find a way out of the current situation and to promote closer ties, interaction and understanding between the two peoples.

I look forward to cooperating with the Algerian presidency so that Morocco and Algeria may work hand in hand and enjoy normal relations between the two brotherly peoples, who are bound by historical and human ties as well as a common destiny.

Dear Citizens,

The history of Morocco is replete with lessons and achievements which confirm that we always overcome crises, thanks to the everlasting cohesion between the throne and the people, and the sacrifices made by valiant Moroccans.

Today, I cannot but thank you and tell you how much I appreciate your love for your homeland  whatever the circumstances  and your commitment to your national unity and territorial integrity as well as to the defense of your symbols and sacred values.

I should like to take this glorious opportunity to salute our Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the National Security Forces, the Auxiliary Forces and the Emergency Services for being mobilized, at all times, under my leadership, to defend the nations unity, its security and stability.

I also wish to pay tribute, with all due deference, to the nations valiant martyrs, particularly my revered grandfather and father, Their Majesties King Mohammed V and King Hassan II  may they rest in peace.

I can think of no better way to close this address than the following Words of the Almighty:

So verily, with every difficulty there is relief: verily with every difficulty there is relief. Therefore, when you are free (from your immediate task), still labor hard, and to your Lord turn (all) your attention.

True is the Word of God.
UPDATED, Aug. 1, 1942, 1:35 pm: Updated to clarify year that Tri-City Tribune was sold to Platte Valley Media.

***

Two longtime Dawson County newspapers, the Gothenburg Times and the Cozad-based Tri-City Tribune, will both cease publication.

A staff-written post on the Tribunes Facebook page Friday said Platte Valley Media LLC of Gothenburg, which owns both papers, had informed its staff of the closures in a noon telephone call.

The post said Times and Tribune subscribers would receive refunds based on how much time was left on their subscriptions.

Josh Umholtz, listed in the post as a contact for advertising customers, did not return a call from The Telegraph.

Websites for both papers were still online Friday afternoon, but Facebook pages for both had disappeared by then.

The twin closures end a brief two-newspaper competition in both cities launched by the founding of the Gothenburg Leader in 2019 and the revival of the Cozad Local in 2021.

Syndicate Publishing LLC, also located in Gothenburg, publishes the two newer weekly papers.

The Gothenburg Times had been published since July 17, 1908, according to the Nebraska Press Association and a search of the newspapers.com website.

A previous incarnation of the Times launched on Aug. 7, 1896. J.H. Donahue bought it a year later and moved it to Lexington, where it operated as the Lexington News until its 1899 merger with the Clipper-Citizen, now the Lexington Clipper-Herald.

The late Dean Dorsey founded the Tri-City Tribune in Cozad on Nov. 16, 1965, the press association said. His family sold the Tribune to Platte Valley Media in 2018.

Platte Valley Media acquired the Times in 2015 from Greg and Kathi Viergutz, Lexington radio station KRVN-AM reported Friday.

Syndicate Publishing, owned by Gothenburg Leader founders Colten Venteicher and John Bell, also owns the Callaway Courier and Minden Courier.

Its revival of the Cozad Local last year resurrected a longtime name in that citys newspaper history. The original Local debuted on July 16, 1897, and lasted into the 1970s, according to a newspapers.com search.
SUTHERLAND  Four veterans quietly received Quilts of Valor Friday, presented at the Veterans Memorial at Anchor Park in Sutherland.

The men listened as Chris Reinert of the Heartland Quilts of Valor chapter read portions of their military biographies to an appreciative crowd of friends and family. Frank Thompson, Gary McCormick, Morris Van Vleet and Nick Muhlenkamp were recognized, and Reinert encouraged them to use their quilts and not just store them in a closet.

Frank Thompson,

U.S. ArmySometime in the late fall or early winter of 1967, Thompson began to believe that his time to be drafted into the military was near. He decided to make a trip to Omaha to enlist in the Navy.

However, upon arriving he discovered his draft notice had been delivered that day to his home in Sutherland.

Thompson reported to boot camp on Dec. 14, 1967, and following his training, was deployed to Vietnam on April 26, 1968.

Shortly after arriving at his post, now longtime friend Ken Pichler gave him the nickname Thumper. It stuck with Thompson his whole life.

Thompson, as part of D-Troop, helped rescue pilots and other survivors of crashes, as well as conduct reconnaissance missions that often resulted in combat situations.

His band of brothers learned Thompson was someone they could trust and count on. One of his lieutenants said of Thumper, His actions saved lives, including mine.

Thompson was honorably discharged on Dec. 12, 1969, from the U.S. Army.

Gary McCormick, U.S. ArmyMcCormick served from August 1968 to July 1998. From 1969-70, his service was in Vietnam as an infantry platoon sergeant and later as battalion psychological operations NCO. In 1977, McCormick was assigned to the Netherlands Army Infantry battalion for Reforger 77 in Germany.

From 1976 to 1984, he commanded artillery batteries in Ogallala and North Platte and from 1984 to 1988 he commanded the Nebraska State HQ Detachment. From 1988 to 1990, McCormick was with the 67th Brigade S-2 Intelligence division, deploying several times to Germany.

From 1990 until his discharge in 1998, he assisted and commanded infantry and battalion units in the Nebraska National Guard. His rank at discharge was colonel.

He received numerous awards and medals including the Combat Infantry Badge, two Bronze Star medals and five Meritorious Service medals.

Morris Van Vleet, U.S. Navy

Van Vleet enlisted on Sept. 20, 1965, and was honorably discharged in August 1969. He was assigned to the USS Providence in San Diego and attended electrician school.

After being assigned to the USS Gyatt, he saw an ad asking for volunteers for the USS New Jersey. Van Vleet received his orders to join the troops aboard the New Jersey. The Big J, as it was known, provided off-shore fire support for troops in I Corps, mainly from DaNang to the DMZ and sometimes farther north in 1968-69.

Van Vleet received numerous awards and medals including the Action Ribbon with three stars, a Navy Unit Citation Ribbon, Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Campaign Ribbon three stars and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.

Nick Muhlenkamp, U.S. Army

Muhlenkamp served from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean War. He was stationed in Germany and served in the 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division.

His Army service including serving in the National Guard/reservists. Muhlenkamp received a Good Conduct Medal, Occupation Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

Reinert asked him, Do you want to add anything to your bio? Muhlenkamp replied with a smile, no.
Writer Beer & Society

There is nothing that cannot be discussed and worked out over a beer. Join me as I explore local beer, breweries and how they can civilize us.
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended a meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Friday.

During the meeting, Wang said that the world today is entering a new period of turbulence and transformation, profound changes unseen in a century are resonating with the most serious pandemic in 100 years, and international and regional hotspot issues keep cropping up.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has grasped the pulse of historical development and echoed the voices of people from all over the world. He proposed the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, contributing Chinese wisdom and public goods to solving the problems of the times, which has received positive responses from the international community, including the SCO member states, Wang said.

Faced with the arduous task of development and stability, we must uphold the Shanghai Spirit, work together and help each other to build a closer SCO community with a shared future, the Chinese top diplomat said, who also put forward a five-point proposal.

Wang stressed that China will take the hosting of the SCO prime ministers' meeting in November this year as an opportunity to promote the coordinated and efficient development of the regional economy.

China has always regarded the SCO as a priority in its diplomacy, and will use its own development to help the development of countries in the region, and inject more positive energy into the security of all countries and the well-being of the people, he said.

The foreign ministers who participated in the meeting fully affirmed the important role played by the SCO in consolidating the strategic mutual trust among member states, promoting regional development and prosperity, and deepening people-to-people bonds. They believed that solidarity and coordination should be further strengthened, and multilateralism should be activated, so as to adapt to the rapidly changing international situation.

They agreed to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, improve the level of regional connectivity, and believed that the SCO will play a greater role in promoting the stability of international production and supply chains.

They also pledged to make good use of the rich cultural resources of countries in the region and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation. They discussed the establishment of the SCO Development Bank and agreed to advance the SCO membership expansion process in an orderly manner.

All parties spoke highly of the work of Uzbekistan which holds the SCO's rotating presidency, and supported the SCO Secretariat and regional anti-terrorist agencies to strengthen their own construction and provide stronger guarantees for the organization's cooperation in various fields.

The meeting made comprehensive preparations for the SCO summit in the city of Samarkand to be held this autumn, and also adopted draft documents that will be submitted to the summit for deliberation.

During his stay in Uzbekistan, Wang also met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi, Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, and participated in Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's collective meeting.


This show suckkkkkked and Lens directed the pilot.

Reply

Thread

Link

I thought this was really absorbing when I watched it, even though all the financial nuances completely flew over my head.

Reply

Thread

Link

I'm shocked that this is a modern (current) show. I found it on HBO and watched a couple of episodes and it felt like something from the mid 2010s that never got picked up for a second season. like Suits but for finance and British.

Reply

Thread

Link

this show was stressful for me in my mid 30s watching going "what a horrible work environment for young'ins" every few scenes, but i'll watch season 2. i love priyanga burford.

Reply

Thread

Link

My bf and I recently binged the first season and.... yeah... I wouldn't watch it week to week because it's just not interesting enough.



And I felt like many of the characters were just off somehow. Weird situations and odd reactions and odd conversations... idk.



It's fine to watch while you stare on your phone or work on your laptop

Reply

Thread

Link

Gus is my favorite. I'm only interested in what they do with Gus.



I don't find Eric compelling.

Reply

Thread

Link

This show was like Skins, Suits and Billions rolled into one, minus about 21% charisma. I liked it but I was also in lock down so I'm not 100% sure if I'll watch it week to week when second season comes out, or if I'll just binge at the end

Reply

Thread

Link

The show was so predictable once you realised the goal of the writers was to "shock" you.



If you ask yourself "what's the most shocking thing that could happen now" you'll guess right 99% of the time. That's how I knew the guy would lick his cum off the mirror, despite the writers really thinking they were bringing it.



I'll watch season 2, because I'm really only interested in the mentor/mentoree dynamic, the rest of the characters are either meh or downright annoying (that rich girl).

Reply

Thread

Link

yeah, I've made it to episode 7. it is giving adult skins. I need more business less cocaine and weird sex.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link
damn, what a thing to have exposed on tv. "btw your grandma had an affair sorry"



i wonder if his dad knew?

Reply

Thread

Link

They called him before being filmed and let him know.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

HOLD the prepaid phone - What?!

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

It's Saturday, I've had terrible sleep all week (when I've been able to sleep that is), and my brain is fried: so what? What??

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

This is hurting my brain

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My sisters best friend growing up found out her older sister was really her mom, it was wild.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Ummmmmmmmm how does that work?? My brain cant make sense of this it keeps shutting down when I try to do the math lol (like literally )



Edited at 2022-07-30 04:17 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I recently came to the conclusion that my Mom's dad was not her biological dad, and that my Grandma (died in 2014) had a fling or affair with a local guy who was crazy about red heads. I don't blame her, her husband was a mean, selfish alcoholic.





After consulting with my uncle, we decided it would be best not to tell my Mom. Still not sure if my mom's other 3 siblings have the same dad.









Reply

Thread

Link

My mother's "step father" is/was 1000% her bio dad. Grandmother would never admit it, but among other things my mother was the only one of my grandmother's three children who was allowed and welcomed to take his last name. Only her older children blamed her for cheating on and later divorcing their asshole father (in the 50s).

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My mom has never told one of her cousins that she had a half-brother who was born six months after her. My mom is the genealogist of the family and has various members of the family (there was a total of 13 siblings between my grandmother and grandfather). So this cousin took the test as a request but doesnt really care about the results.



Anyway, the story goes her father was a player and worked at a full-service gas station. Met a lady, and nine months later their son was born. He was given up for adoption because this was the 1950s, and that was that. The son grew up and took the test because he wanted to know if he had any relatives. Finds his fathers side but nothing on his mothers. Mom was able to track down two possible mothers, however they were identical twins who never married and, as far as we can find, never had any other children.



Mom went back and forth with whether to tell her cousin, but sadly the half-brother passed away just six weeks after contacting my mom. She decided it was best to leave those sleeping dogs lie.



Then there is the case of the missing great-great-grandfather and what happens when siblings find out they have a half-sibling/cousin who is older than all of them.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My uncle found out from one of these ancestry kits that he had a daughter he never knew about from a one night stand when he was a teenager. Definitely a shock for them, but it happened years before he ever met my aunt and they had their kids so no drama there. They first time they met her they said it was like an instant connection, she immediately felt like family, and now they get together a couple times a year (she lives far away). It's like the one "secret kid" story I've heard of that didn't fuck up a family lol

Reply

Thread

Link

My best friends dad found out he had another daughter about a decade before he married and had my friend. Apparently the mom was his high school ex who left him for another guy but found out she was pregnant around the same time and decided not to tell him the baby might be his. He left town and generally knew she had a kid but thought it was the other guys; they ran into each other FORTY YEARS LATER and she spilled the beans.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Straight people are really just too stupid to use condoms huh.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

If gay men could get pregnant...

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Condoms can fail, I know from experience 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I guess condoms work 100% of the time 

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

C'mon let's not lie. Plenty of gay men don't use condoms

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

i absolutely despise the stupidity inherent in this line of thinking



i've gotten pregnant while using condoms. hell, my middle son is here because a condom AND my bc pill weren't enough.



some of us fuck too much and beat the odds lmao



shit happens. nothing is perfect.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Aww, that turned out sweet. I feel like these matters can easily get so messy.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Its a good thing he met knowing the context of how they were related because that instant connection between people who are genetically close but dont know each other as family (or know, but werent raised with that context) can lead to interesting relationships lol

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

that might be the best possible ending for a secret kid discovery! there's no incest, no infidelity, no love triangles. your uncle lucked out lol. btw, i love your jesus christ superstar icon! Carl Anderson is sooo iconic as Judas.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link





"Somebody was passing" appears to be the story of every remotely attractive white person on Finding Your Roots https://t.co/jbLC6xqBm3  Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) July 30, 2022



How strange/interesting tho? My mom's told me I have several different ethnicities mixed on my father's side and while I would be potentially interested in seeing how that shakes out I also don't want my DNA on file in one of those facilities either. so funny because I was going to post this in the roundup tonight -How strange/interesting tho? My mom's told me I have several different ethnicities mixed on my father's side and while I would be potentially interested in seeing how that shakes out I also don't want my DNA on file in one of those facilities either.

Reply

Thread

Link

Yeah Im dying to try 23andme because my grandpa always swore we had some Romani blood in our family and I really want to know if he was right but Im freaked out about some company having my DNA.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I did Ancestry.com and I think its been fun with all the little sub-groupings for, like, predisposition for eye colors or whether you think cilantro takes like socks. (Although it confirmed I am a very genetically homogenous white person.)

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

I really want to do it with my daughter because my husband is adopted and doesn't know who his biological family is. I'm curious what his actual genetic Heritage is. But he would never consent to having his DNA on file anywhere and someone who shares half his DNA he's probably close enough.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I've seen people say this, but I don't think I've ever thought about it much before. I work in a lab and I actually know many people that worked for 23andMe. I think next week I'll ask them how the samples were stored and for how long because now I'm curious. Typically extracted DNA can be kept for decades. My company has so much that they pay for offsite storage because we've run out of room in the walkin freezers.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

they are such scams when you look at the sample sizes from regions. Ancestory.com doesn't make it clear that if you do a family tree in their system, they just use that info-- even if there is adoption. They literally pretended my Dad who was born 6 hours away, put in the foster care system, then adopted by his foster parents who then changed his name was their bio kid, I was legit cackling, because his adoptive parents were Norwegian, and he was super tan with thick back curly hair LMAO.



So yeah, I did some digging and found out that results are super iffy with adoptions and if one of your parents is dead/doesn't have their DNA in the system.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

yeah i really want to do one of those tests because my biological father was basically abandoned then adopted, he doesn't even know when his actual birthday is, and is a mess of different ethnicities. but i also don't want my dna being sold

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

My dad told us when I was 19 that I had a 12 year old brother out there, good times. All the grownups in the family knew from when his mom was pregnant, but it was kept secret from the kids until he contacted my dad to meet him. And its weird cuz he grew up knowing he had older siblings, but we never knew about him.



Weve stayed connected since meeting, but I do wish we were closer.

Reply

Thread

Link

About 3 years ago, someone I didn't know sent me a friend request on Facebook, and cause they were from my hometown I accepted, I asked who he was and it turns out that my dad had another family that my mom never mentioned to me. They are all older than me, so supposedly they all knew. It was a shock, but several of them contacted me on Facebook and they seem pretty cool, I met one of them already, the others are spread all over, but I like them, and most of them seem to like me.

Also one of them is a gay man like me, which I thought was awesome, but he doesn't want anything to do with me, well 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I found out about 10 years ago that my brother and I have an older sister from a relationship my dad was in prior to my mom. So no drama in that regard, but my mom knew and they decided to keep it a secret. My dad's name was not on the birth certificate but my half-sister managed to get my dad's name from her mother, who has since died. We were only told when this woman decided to track down my dad. She's reached out to me but I haven't responded and not sure I ever want to. It felt really intrusive. She didn't even ask my dad if it was ok she just found my work address on the internet and emailed me out of the blue.



Edited at 2022-07-31 01:42 pm (UTC)

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

That is so interesting. My family secret is that we can only go back a few generations on my mom's side because both of her great grandfathers or something were "illegitimate." What we do know is that one of them was born to a woman who worked for someone of English nobility like a lord or something and my mom and I have a theory that she was impregnated by the man of the house.

Reply

Thread

Link

as a mixed person, im obsessed in learning about my ancestors. 23andme was ok but i WANT MOREE

Reply

Thread

Link

Ancestry.com is better with that info but for full benefit you need to subscribe for a month or so.



Ancestry gives me slightly different results too.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Found out that we have Swedish DNA and that threw me for a loop. Basically everything my father told me was untrue, but I feel like West Indians feel like they are mixed with more stuff than they are xD



Still was 80% Black so four Black grandparents came in clutch. The specifics of breaking down that heritage was interesting because it is just explicitly the slave route.



I will be milking that 17% Scottish forever just because now I can say that the reason I hate Outlander is the cultural appropriation xD

Reply

Thread

Link

We did one for my dad, who, to set the scene, was nicknamed Shaft because he looks so much like Richard Roundtree. Turns out hes descended from Vikings on his paternal side . Genetics are wild

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i have random finnish ancestry and i really want to know who and when.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I am 18% Welsh and 15% Scottish but know of no welsh or scottish ancestors. All the white british isle genetics (like 90% overall) blended together for a very generic white american here.



But I hate Outlander too, so maybe Ill use that. Lol.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

I have a single Roma ancestor who is something like eight or nine times removed from me. My maternal haplogroup comes from her line, I have a smattering of Levant, Coptic Egyptian, Maltese and South Asian that comes from her. Those genes are unbelievably strong.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

His maternal great-grandmother was a survivor of the Armenian genocide and great-grandfather a German prison officer.



Whaaaaat.

Reply

Thread

Link

It says her husband and 7 of her kids were killed and she got shot but played dead. After she escaped with her 8th child only for the baby to drown on their way to Germany where a German officer got her pregnant and left her. She had one picture of him but it got lost.



Tragic and wild doesn't come close to describing this woman's story 

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Holy shit, that's incredible.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Oh god. What a story.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

My grandpa (dads side) never knew his parents. He was left in an orphanage right before WWII, so yeah, we have no idea where he comes from. I am tempted to do one of those DNA tests, but I doubt there is a good database in Europe. I would love to know if I have relatives somewhere and learn about my grandpa because he is absolutely delightful 

Reply

Thread

Link

My German grandpa was illegitimate and put into an orphanage in 1916. When he was 8 he was claimed by his mother and her new husband who moved to Michigan. NO ONE talked about it.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Omg so his biological mom went back for him eventually? I would love to know her whole story. Its a shame it seems like she never told it.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Oh, gosh, I want to know now too



He might be able to find his people

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

Tiktok told me those kits are not reliable, sowhatisthetruth.gif



There's some missing links in my family tree so I would like to try them to find potential family but afaik those databases are only available in the US, not cool globalization.

Reply

Thread

Link

Yeah, the video I saw said the percentages are not accurate/real but most people get them just for that.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

Ancestry.com has updated mine over the years. As more people give samples, they increase the reliability of the data. I have some Greek in me that unless someone else in my family does their damn test, I will never know which side it came in.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

the family relations are definitely accurate because not only did it help identify a woman who is in all likelihood my grandmothers half sister, but it also showed that my oldest aunt was fathered by a different man because my cousin showed up as a second cousin instead of a first cousin

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

i got a kit from myheritage and when i uploaded my results, it didn't show any connection to the target ethnicity i know i belong to. as its data sample size grew, its ability to differentiate that ethnicity improved and now, ten years later, it shows it as my primary ethnicity. so in terms of technology, i think most of these kits are more or less reliable, but what you as a user get from it depends immensely on how big their user database is and whether the people you are looking for are looking for you as well.

Reply

Parent

Thread

Expand

Link

fwiw the show doesn't just use DNA testing, they do pretty extensive genealogical and historical research on the celebs who come on the show.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

If you want to talk "I'm 100% Swedish" then there's definitely some flaws. But I've solved adoption mysteries in my family, including my great grandfather's parentage despite him being adopted 100 years before I was born. Genetic genealogy (DNA + trees) is fucking wild.

Reply

Parent

Thread



Link

A few years back we did Ancestry for my dad and came back with zero results bearing his last name. Eventually after feeding his results into MyHeritage we found a half sister. Never got in touch with her, she and my dad coincidentally both died in the same month (March of 2021). I briefly spoke to her daughter in law, I'll probably do more digging later after I do my own Ancestry.



It was a friend of my grandparent's that they knew from the military. Roger. There was a picture of him hidden in the frame of a baby picture of my dad, which is something we'd known for ages and had huge suspicions about, but my dad was in denial until there was proof.



We'll never know because my paternal grandparents have been gone since the 90s, but I feel like grandpa was probably gay and he and grandma were a besties marriage of convenience.

Reply

Thread

Link

One of these days I would love to a deep dive into my family tree.



As of now, nothing scandalous has surfaced after doing a 23andme test. But I was surprised to find that my ancestry was more mixed than I thought. My ancestry map lit up like a Christmas tree, lol. My biggest surprise was discovering I have quite the mix of African ancestry (mainly west and central). My mom is interested in doing the test too, so I'll be able to see even more of my ancestry.

Reply

Thread

Link
While investment is ramping up, most mega-projects target 2030 for completion.

The fuel is seen as a potential solution for energy, food, and environmental crises.

With countries and energy companies around the world looking to accelerate their transitions towards cleaner energy resources, Latin American nations are developing plans to scale up the production, consumption and export of so-called green hydrogen, which is generated from clean energy resources.

One of the most recent, high-profile developments came in June, when the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego  located at the southernmost tip of South America  outlined plans to develop a hydrogen and ammonium industry.

The province is attempting to utilise the regions ample wind resources to attract $6bn in investment in technologies to produce the fuel. This includes investment in wind farms to generate electricity that can be used to power electrolysers, which remove oxygen atoms from water to produce hydrogen.

Once established, some of the projects hydrogen will be used to make ammonium, which in addition to being used to create fertiliser, can also serve as a carrier fuel for transporting hydrogen through pipelines to downstream markets.

Along with renewable sources like solar and wind, hydrogen is seen as a potential low-carbon or zero-carbon fuel that is key to the transition away from fossil fuels.

While countries across Latin America and the Caribbean are focused on green hydrogen, hydrocarbons-producing countries like Argentina, Colombia, and Trinidad and Tobago can use carbon-capture utilisation and storage technologies to remove carbon emissions from their production process and generate so-called blue hydrogen.

The Tierra del Fuego announcement comes as appetite for hydrogen  and its economic and environmental benefits  continues to grow.

While there were just three hydrogen pilot projects in Latin America in 2019  in Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica  by 2021 the region had a pipeline of more than 25 projects, according to the International Energy Agency, with many of them GW-scale mega-projects that intend to export hydrogen to Europe and Asia.

Economic benefits

Hydrogen has significant potential as a clean energy substitute for fossil fuels in power generation, most notably in the energy-intensive industrial sector, but also as a transport fuel across numerous sectors.

Argentina and Brazil have the most expansive hydrogen plans on the continent and are also looking to become major export hubs to feed markets in Europe, the centre of the worlds hydrogen demand, and Asia.

Related: Saudi Arabias Real Production Capacity: Is 15 Million Bpd Possible?

As the worlds second-largest producer of hydroelectric power and home to substantial wind and solar resources, Brazil has significant potential to produce hydrogen. Some estimates suggest the country could earn $4bn-6bn by 2040 through the export of hydrogen to the EU and the US alone.

In the countrys north-east, the $5.4bn Base One green hydrogen project will be the worlds largest when completed, capable of producing 600,000 tonnes per year from 3.4 GW of combined solar and wind power generation capacity.

Beyond energy, hydrogen has important applications for the food sector, among others, highlighting the positive effects that developing hydrogen can have in addressing global challenges.

Hydrogen has multiple applications, not only for the energy sector but in the manufacturing of fertilisers, which is of an increasingly critical concern for countries around the world, Rodrigo Rodriguez Tornquist, Secretary of Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Innovation at Argentinas Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, told OBG.

Globally, three major crises are being discussed: the energy, food and environmental crises. Hydrogen is a key component in all three, as it generates a more sustainable energy solution, enables food production and accelerates the decarbonisation of the economy.

Reaching export markets

To fulfil their hydrogen ambitions, Latin American countries need to consider the most challenging and expensive part of the energy industry: transport.

This will likely involve both internal pipelines for intracontinental markets and seaborne export terminals to reach Europe and Asia.

One of hydrogens most appealing aspects is that hydrocarbon pipelines can be repurposed to transport it. Latin America and the Caribbean already has strong pipeline networks in both the north, starting from Venezuela and T&T, and the south, from Bolivia, which feed into Argentina and Brazil and could serve these export ambitions.

In Tierra del Fuegos case, the provinces location at the tip of South America means that it is also eyeing potential exports to Asia.

Aside from supplying export markets, the production of hydrogen could also result in the use of more cost-effective and environmentally friendly fuels domestically.

Latin America not only has the potential to supply high-demand international markets like Europe, which has been more aggressive in its clean energy adoption, but also to displace imported fuels, Alfonso Blanco, executive director of the Latin American Energy Organization, told OBG. The large natural advantages of countries like Argentina and Chile to produce renewable energy enables the low-cost and large-scale production of green hydrogen.

Development timelines

Hydrogens uptake in the global energy system will be decades-long, with most mega-projects in Latin America looking to 2030 as a target date for completion. This timeline gives governments more time to establish the regulatory, institutional, legal and commercial frameworks that will allow hydrogen to penetrate the global energy system in a meaningful way.

For instance, one of the largest projects in Latin America is the $8.4bn Pampas facility in Argentinas Rio Negro province, which seeks to generate 15 GW in power that will produce 2.2m tonnes of green hydrogen by 2030.

Similarly, Uruguay has crafted a roadmap for hydrogen that aims to build 10 GW of renewable energy to power electrolysers as part of plans to become a net-exporter in the 2030s.

Ultimately, the key to developing such capital-intensive, low-carbon hydrogen projects will be cooperation between government and business, which industry figures say must continue to include incentives for renewable energy.

On a global level, hydrogen will allow for the decarbonisation of many sectors  in terms of not only electricity generation, but also energy consumption, especially in the industrial and transport sectors, Rodriguez Tornquist told OBG. However, this transition requires a long-term roadmap and significant resources, which will require all stakeholders in the public and private sector to align their needs and expectations.

By Oxford Business Group

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The former British colony of Guyana, a nation whose economy was hit hard by the pandemic, has emerged as the worlds hottest offshore drilling location. Since 2015 global energy major ExxonMobil as well as its partners Hess Corporation and CNOOC have made a slew of quality oil discoveries in the offshore Stabroek Block which have delivered resources in excess of 11 billion barrels of oil. This is driving a massive economic boom for Guyana, which was among the poorest nations in Lain America and the Caribbean. According to the IMF, the micro-states gross domestic product grew by just under 20% during 2021 and is poised for further strong expansion. The substantial surge in oil prices which sees the international Brent benchmark up by 58% over the last year to be trading for $110 per barrel coupled with the push by big oil to decarbonize its operations are adding considerable momentum to the boom. Guyanas government is expected to bank over $1 billion in oil revenues during 2022 which according to industry consultancy Rystad Energy will soar to $7.5 billion by the end of the decade. That will deliver a tremendous economic boom which will see Guyanas economy grow fivefold over that period. Key to this tremendous economic opportunity is the rapid ramping up of crude oil production, with Exxon estimating that its operations will have the capacity to pump 1.2 million barrels per day by 2027, which is further oil discoveries. Exxon and its partners in the 6.6-million-acre Stabroek Block have made over 25 quality discoveries with the crude found being light and sweet with an API of 32 degrees and 0.58% sulfur content. The latest discoveries were at the Seabob and Kiru-Kiru wells in the Stabroek Block to the southeast of the Payara Project. Exxon also announced that production from the Liza oilfield in the Stabroek Block has exceeded the 340,000 barrels per day initially targeted. Earlier this month it was revealed that Exxon had lodged an application with Guyanas Environmental Protection Agency to drill 35 exploration and appraisal wells in the Stabroek Block. When the energy supermajors exploration success in the block is considered along with the five discoveries made in the Stabroek Block earlier this year, the drilling campaign will make additional discoveries boosting the 11 billion barrels already discovered. That crude oil is also economic to extract. Breakeven prices range from $35 per barrel Brent for Liza Phase 1, $25 a barrel for Liza Phase 2, which recently came online, and $32 per barrel for the 220,000-barrel capacity Payara Project, which is scheduled to start production during 2024.

While it is the Exxon-led consortium that is key to driving Guyanas epic oil boom, which will see the Caribbean country become a leading oil producer, other international energy companies are also engaged in exploration drilling. British driller Tullow Oil, which is the operator of the world-class Jubilee field in offshore Guyana discovered in 2007, announced 37.5% partner Repsol, with TotalEnergies holding the remaining 25%, had spud the Beebei-Potaro well in the Kanuku Block. That wildcat well, which comes on the back of the 2020 Carapa medium oil discovery in the block where 13 feet of net oil pay was identified, is targeting a prospect that Repsol estimates contain around 200 million barrels of crude oil. The Kanuku Block lies below the southeastern tip of the Stabroek Block, where Exxon has made nearly all discoveries in offshore Guyana and is believed to lie on the same petroleum fairway. To the east of the Kanuku Block lies Block 58 offshore Suriname, where TotalEnergies and partner Apache have made five quality light oil discoveries with modelling estimating the block contains 6.5 billion barrels. Those factors, notably the slew of high-quality oil discoveries made by Exxon in the Southeastern tip of the Stabroek Block, bode well for further finds by Repsol and its partners in the Kanuku Block.

Related: U.S. Refiners Haven't Seen Fuel Demand Destruction

Most of the crude oil found so far, in offshore Guyana, has been medium to light and relatively sweet, meaning it is cheaper and easier to refine into high-quality low contaminant fuels such as gasoline and diesel. That means, particularly in comparison to neighboring Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador which all predominantly pump heavy sour crude oil grades, the petroleum being produced in Guyana has a low carbon footprint. Those characteristics are especially important in a world where there are significant global efforts to significantly reduce carbon emissions while ratcheting up pollution restrictions and regulations. Disappointingly for Tullow, its exploration wells in the Orinduik Block, Jethro-1 and Joe-1, found high-sulfur content heavy crude oil, which compared to the light sweet crude being pumped by Exxon from the Stabroek Block is less economically viable.

Guyana is a rapidly growing offshore drilling hotspot, accounting for nearly a fifth of discovered oil and natural gas resources globally and nearly a third of solely oil discoveries. The latest discoveries, made by Exxon and Repsol, coupled with growing light oil production will see Guyana become the third largest oil producer in Latin America after Brazil and then Mexico. That will deliver a tremendous economic windfall for the deeply impoverished South American nation which will grow with Georgetown focused on attracting greater energy investment and building urgently needed industry infrastructure.

By Matthew Smith for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
There has also been a private sector push for strict accounting of individual companies' ESG programs and the promulgation of various rankings for investor review.

Legal and regulatory initiatives promulgated as a result of the 2015 Paris Climate Accords, have been the driver of these changes.

Climate change and its perceived impacts from projected warming of the Earth through Anthropogenic Global Warming-AWG have instituted profound changes in how the world approaches energy sources. It comes as no surprise really, that legacy energy companies have borne the brunt of these changes given that their output, oil, and gas, are viewed as being key contributors to AWG. The result has been a rapid roll-out of individual strategies to reduce their individual Green House Gas-GHG, emissions-Scope 1, 2, and in the case of upstream oil and gas operators to change their product mix to reduce Scope-3 emissions.

The Paris Accords of 2015 set the stage for this ramp-up of concern about corporate GHG emissions. Companies had been sniffing the air of this sweeping change in how the world would power itself beginning in earnest in the early 2010s. The Paris Accords changed this incremental attitude toward the energy transition with its very declarative language that countries and industries begin to take serious steps toward reducing their GHG emissions. Soon the investment funds like Blackrock began to exhort banks and investors to extend their climate focus to investing and deny capital to upstream oil and gas developments, the goal being to force GHG reduction at the point source of origination.

By 2020 most energy companies had sophisticated platforms for adhering to and beating Paris climate goals, in some cases by 20 years in 2030. Key among the GHGs that are to be controlled or minimized are carbon dioxide and methane. An article discussed on RBN Energys blog, noted,

The primary focus is on reducing emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane  CO2 because it is by far the most prevalent GHG and methane because of the intensity of its impact in the first several years after it is emitted into the atmosphere. GHGs are generated at pretty much every step in the production, delivery, processing/refining, and (especially) consumption of fossil fuels.

As noted above, GHG emissions have been divided by regulators into three buckets: Scope 1 (GHGs directly caused by the facilities and equipment that a company owns or controls), Scope 2 (indirect GHGs from the electricity a company buys), and Scope 3 (all other indirect GHG emissions that occur in the companys entire value chain, including the emissions generated when end products like gasoline, diesel, propane, and natural gas are consumed).

As this increased focus on controlling these emissions has matured, concerns about evaluating the true depth of individual company commitment to the cause have arisen. Driven in some measure by environmental activists impatience with the rate at which companies have made the energy transition a core part of their focus. The term Greenwashing, is sometimes used in frustration with companies that havent taken concrete steps to begin GHG reduction in their operations. The struggle between activist firm Engine #1 and ExxonMobil last year exemplifies this frustration on the part of climate-conscious investors. Engine #1 wanted to propose three independent directors that would accelerate the companys implementation of GHG policies. ExxonMobil ultimately lost this contest and took on these directors. The RBN article goes on to characterize these lackluster efforts thusly- A number of recent studies have suggested that ESG-focused mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) underperform the broader market; that many companies touting their ESG cred have less-than-stellar records on compliance with environmental and labor laws; and that some companies use ESG as a cover for poor business performance.

A number of rating and ranking agencies have also begun to track corporate ESG programs in an attempt to provide transparency to investors when evaluating these companies. Some of the leaders in this field include MSCI ESG Ratings, Bloomberg ESG Disclosure Scores, S&P Global ESG Scores, and Moodys ESG Solutions Group. The agencies assign numeric or alphabetic rankings to companies so that investors can easily discern the ones really putting their shoulders behind ESG goals, and those who may just be greenwashing their results.

Thus far the forces pushing ESG and the Paris goals have had relatively free rein in their relentless march. At the end of June, the SCOTUS issued a ruling in the West Virginia vs EPA case that dealt a blow to some of the bureaucratic impetus in regulating ESG goals. A number of Federal agencies had recently broadened their mandates to include climate edicts that far beyond what Congress had expressly authorized in their charters.

Notably, the Securities and Exchange Commission-SEC had proposed requiring publically traded companies to begin reporting their GHG emissions as part of their statutory quarterly and annual filings. In so doing adopting the aggressive posture the EPA had taken under the Biden administration to put up barriers to further oil and gas development. The Court, in their finding, determined that this was an over-step on the part of the regulators in interpreting or expanding environmental laws on the books. It further clearly stated that if these lines of enforcement were to be pursued in the future, Congress must expressly authorize it.

Related: Zelensky: Ukraine Ready To Restart Grain Shipments

For their part, oil companies have worked hard to reduce the GHG emissions that occur on their facilities. The RBN article noted, in particular, the effort of EQT Corp, (NYSE:EQT) citing the use of multi-well pads the reduce truck trips and water consumption. They are also shifting to electrically driven frac pumps powered by natural gas to eliminate diesel. The article notes that EQT expects to save 23 mm gallons of diesel annually in this manner. In addition, EQT has taken the following steps to enhance the ESG quotient in their field operations-

Reducing or eliminating routine flaring, which typically occurs due to a lack of infrastructure to either utilize the gas onsite or transport it to market.

Implementing leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs to minimize methane and other GHG emissions from pipes and equipment through audio, visual, and olfactory inspections; optical gas imaging cameras; portable gas detectors; and aerial methane monitoring.

Reducing venting, which is made possible, for example, by the use of vapor recovery units that remove vapors and gases (including methane) from storage tanks, then route them into pipelines rather than venting them into the atmosphere.

Moving to electrify operations that traditionally depend on internal combustion engines.

Increasing the use of renewable energy sources to provide low- or no-carbon power to their field operations and offices.

EQT and other American shale frackers arent alone in taking proactive steps, Canadian companies are also on board. Here is an example of a Canadian producer, Crescent Point Energy, (NYSE: CPG) declaration of commitment to ESG goals.

Crescent Point Energy

Your takeaway

The steps EQT and CPG are taking bolster their viability in this very ESG-conscious world. In spite of concerns about over-reach from regulators, this transition to clean energy exemplified by proactive steps like these is going to be with us going forward. With that in mind, it behooves investors to look deeply into public filings and investor presentations to ensure that the companies embrace the Paris Accords, and have robust implementation plans to reduce GHG emissions.

By David Messler for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Following the phone call, it has been reported that Xi and Biden are considering an in-person summit.

Both sides agreed the call was "candid" and "in-depth", and concluded by agreeing to stay in touch.

Coming off their two-hour, seventeen-minute phone call Thursday wherein Taiwan tensions topped the agenda, The Washington Post is citing a senior administration official to say Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are mulling an in-person summit.

As the Post report notes, "When Biden was vice president, he spent long hours with Xi in the United States and China, an experience he often recalls as he talks about the two countries opportunities for conflict and cooperation. However, they have not met in person since Biden became president last year."

Xi recently made a day-trip visit to Hong Kong, but there's speculation that the Chinese leader, who rarely travels, could attend the G20 summit in Indonesia set for November, which could be a likely location for an in-person Biden meeting.

In a surprisingly longish phone call at over two hours, Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden focused on the geopolitical flashpoints of Taiwan and Ukraine on Thursday, speaking by phone for the fifth time. Both sides agreed the call was "candid" and "in-depth", and concluded by agreeing to stay in touch. However, China state sources are reporting that - in a moment perhaps intent on humiliating the US administration - Xi warned Biden "those who play with fire will get burned."

Related: Why The U.S. Is Desperate For A Russian Oil Price Cap

Bloomberg cited Xi as saying, based on early Chinese state media reports, that "China firmly opposes separatist moves toward Taiwan independence and interference by external forces, and never allows any room for Taiwan independence forces in whatever form." As usual, Biden was urged to stick by the one-China policy, with the US president reiterating that the US intends to.

In the face of Xi's firm words on the Taiwan issue, Biden affirmed that the United States does not back Taiwan's independence.

Not only did Xi again lay down China's 'red lines' on Taiwan, but the Chinese leader stressed Beijing vehemently opposes the "intervention of other powers," according to quotes in China state media.

The warning comes just hours after the USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered 'super carrier' has entered waters of the South China Sea, triggering PLA snap military drills in the area in response. After multiple US Navy sail-throughs of both the Taiwan Strait and near the Paracel islands this summer, Beijing has ramped up its rhetoric threatening a "forceful response" - particularly if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi follows through with her trip to Taipei next month.

Axios writes of the context to Thursday's call, "The Chinese government has repeatedly vowed to take control of the island, by force if necessary, and it reacts furiously to any gesture that seems to treat Taiwan as an independent state." And further, "There was also speculation ahead of the call about the potential easing of U.S. tariffs on China, though the White House dampened any expectation that major announcements would result from this conversation."

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A crypto mining company plans to redevelop a northeastern North Dakota anti-ballistic missile site abandoned in the 1970s into a data center that may be used for the mining of bitcoin and other digital currencies, Gov. Doug Burgum announced Monday.

Bitzero Blockchain Inc., backed by strategic investor and Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary, announced last month that it planned to make North Dakota its headquarters for North American operations. The company said that within three years it intends to build 200 megawatts of data centers in the state and is involved in a joint venture to become an assembly and distribution hub for graphene battery technology.

Long considered a white elephant and waste of taxpayers money, the site at Nekoma grew out of a 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The $6 billion Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex once housed a radar system within a concrete pyramid, with 7-foot-thick, steel-reinforced walls. It was deactivated in 1976 after only a few months of operation. Nekomas population reached several hundred, compared with about 30 today, and surrounding towns benefited from an influx of highly paid missile experts and support personnel.

The Cavalier County Job Development Authority has owned the site since 2017. Spokeswoman Carol Goodman said the facility would be sold to the company for $250,000.

Burgum said waste heat captured from the data centers servers will be used to heat an on-site greenhouse, and the company also is planning an interpretive center, representing a total investment estimated by Bitzero at $500 million.

This important piece of history will be restored and become a beacon for North Dakota innovation to the rest of the world, Burgum said.

Bitzero has signed leases in both Bismarck and Fargo for administrative operations. The Nekoma site will be their primary data center site in North Dakota, Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said.

Separately, Burgum in January announced construction of a $1.9 billion data center located near the biggest city in the states oil-production region in northwest North Dakota.
Americans are less concerned now about how climate change might impact them personally  and about how their personal choices affect the climate than they were three years ago. That's according to a June poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research that shows a wide majority still believe climate change is happening. Many climate scientists told the Associated Press that those shifts are concerning but not surprising given that individuals are feeling overwhelmed by a range of issues, which now include an economy plagued by inflation after more than two years of a pandemic. In addition to being outpaced by other issues, climate change or the environment are mentioned as priorities by fewer Americans now than just a few years ago, according to the poll.
TIRANA, Albania (AP)  Albanias new president was sworn in on Sunday and urged the nation's political parties to cooperate on the country's future and consolidate the rule of law.

President Bajram Begaj, 55, who won after getting 78 votes in the 140-seat Parliament, formally took office at a ceremony in parliament.

I won't stand neutral to anyone putting personal interests above those of our nation, said Begaj, a former army chief-of-staff general.

At a later ceremony at the presidential office the Constitutional Court head handed over the country's Constitution to Begaj.

Begaj was nominated by the governing left-wing Socialist Party after no compromise candidate was reached with the opposition. Most opposition lawmakers boycotted the voting and some avoided the swearing in ceremony too.

Begaj is post-communist Albanias eighth president and the third from the military ranks. The five-year presidency has a largely ceremonial role and the president is expected to stand above partisan divisions. The president is the army's commander general, also holding some authority over the judiciary and the armed forces.

Begaj started his speech at parliament talking about Albania's irreversible European path.

Earlier this month Albania, a NATO member since 2009, launched accession talks with the European Union.

European Albania, today a promise and tomorrow a reality, is the crown of the most beautiful historical dream of the Albanian people, he said.

The EU, the United States and other Western countries welcomed Begaj in his new post.

European Council President Charles Michel congratulated Begaj in a tweet Sunday, adding that With the opening of accession talks, we are at an exciting time in EU-Albania relations."

Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Afghan interim government, here on Thursday over further strengthening the two countries' relations.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Wang said he and Muttaqi have met four times since the beginning of this year, which demonstrates the traditional friendship between the people of the two countries.

Recalling the severe earthquake hitting Afghanistan earlier, Wang said that China felt empathy for Afghanistan and sent urgently needed supplies to the country through land, sea and air routes as quickly as possible, which has written a new chapter in China-Afghanistan friendship.

Meetings of the two working groups between the two countries on humanitarian assistance and economic reconstruction have been respectively advancing smoothly, and reached new consensuses on bilateral cooperation, Wang noted.

He said that China appreciates the Afghan interim government's endeavor to overcome the four challenges of a cold winter, an earthquake, floods and sanctions, making unremitting efforts in reconstruction, recovery and the improvement of people's livelihood, and making steady progress towards the goal of long-term peace and stability in the country.

China is ready to push for dovetailing the Belt and Road Initiative with Afghanistan's national development strategies, support the extension of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan and share China's development opportunities, he said.

He announced that China will grant zero tariff treatment to 98 percent of the tariff lines from Afghanistan to China and is willing to import more high quality products and specialties from Afghanistan.

China appreciates Afghanistan's firm attitude on drug control and is ready to help Afghanistan develop alternative planting, Wang added.

The senior Chinese official stressed that China will continue to urge the United States and its Western allies to lift unreasonable sanctions against Afghanistan and earnestly fulfill their primary responsibility for Afghanistan's economic reconstruction.

China, Wang said, hopes that Afghanistan will be inclusive and prudent in governance, maintain internal stability, realize ethnic harmony, unswervingly crack down on all terrorist forces including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, actively respond to concerns of the international community and seek greater understanding and recognition.

Muttaqi thanked China for its timely emergency assistance to Afghanistan, which was deeply moved by the urgently needed aid and friendship.

The Afghan side will continue to abide by the one-China principle and will never allow the Afghan territory to be used for anti-China activities.

He said that the Afghan government is determined to crack down on drug-related activities, attaches great importance to China's proposal on alternative planting, and looks forward to learning from China's development experience and advanced agricultural technology, so as to achieve sound development of agricultural industry and benefit the Afghan people.

Muttaqi hopes that China will give Afghanistan more support in the country's pursuit of international recognition and its efforts in improving infrastructure construction, among others.

Wang spoke highly of Afghanistan's active participation in the Foreign Ministers' Meeting on the Afghan Issue Among the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan in China's Tunxi, adding that China is ready to work with various parties to make good use of the mechanism and continue to play a constructive role in Afghanistan's reconstruction and development.

Wang announced that China will resume issuing visas to Afghan citizens starting Aug. 1.


BISMARCK, N.D. (AP)  A crypto mining company plans to redevelop a northeastern North Dakota anti-ballistic missile site abandoned in the 1970s into data center that may be used for the mining of bitcoin and other digital currencies, Gov. Doug Burgum announced Monday.

Bitzero Blockchain Inc., which is backed by strategic investor and Shark Tank star Kevin OLeary, announced last month that it planned to make North Dakota its headquarters for North American operations. The company said within three years it intends to build 200 megawatts of data centers in the state and is involved in a joint venture to become an assembly and distribution hub for graphene battery technology.

Long considered a white elephant and waste of taxpayers money, the site at Nekoma grew out of a 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The $6 billion Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard Complex once housed a radar system within a concrete pyramid, with 7-foot-thick, steel-reinforced walls. It was deactivated in 1976 after only a few months of operation. Nekomas population reached several hundred, compared with about 30 today, and surrounding towns benefited from an influx of highly paid missile experts and support personnel.

The Cavalier County Job Development Authority has owned the site since 2017. Spokeswoman Carol Goodman said the facility would be sold to the company for $250,000.

Burgum said waste heat captured from the data centers servers will be used to heat an on-site greenhouse, and the company also is planning an interpretive center, representing a total investment estimated by Bitzero at $500 million.

This important piece of history will be restored and become a beacon for North Dakota innovation to the rest of the world, Burgum said.

Bitzero has signed leases in both Bismarck and Fargo for administrative operations. The Nekoma site will be their primary data center site in North Dakota, Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki said.

The second-term Republican governor hailed the Atlas Power Data Center to be built by Missoula, Montana-based FX Solutions Inc. as one of the biggest such centers in the world, and one that will help diversify the economy in Williston-area that has suffered oil boom-bust cycles for decades.

Burgum, a wealthy former Microsoft executive, called data centers an incredible forward- looking industry not dependent on the price of oil.

Uses for data centers include the mining of bitcoin and other digital currencies. Cryptocurrency mining involves supercomputers to solve complex calculations needed to provide security for transactions in the digital currency.

The process requires vast amounts of power and generates much heat. Burgum has said North Dakota is an ideal place for data centers because it has a reliable and affordable power supply, and a climate that lowers cooling costs.

Burgum spokesman Nowatzki said no public money has been earmarked for any of the projects, though they are expected to qualify for tax credits already given to agriculture, energy and other industries.
LAS VEGAS (AP)  Another body has surfaced at Lake Mead  this time in a swimming area where water levels have dropped as the Colorado River reservoir behind Hoover Dam recedes because of drought and climate change.

The National Park Service did not say in a statement how long officials think the corpse was submerged in the Boulder Beach area before it was found Monday by people who summoned park rangers.

Clark County Coroner Melanie Rouse said Tuesday it was partially encased in mud at the water line of the swimming area along the shore north of Hemenway Harbor marina.

The gender of the dead person was not immediately apparent, Rouse said, and it was too early to tell a time, cause and manner of death. Investigators will review missing persons records as part of the effort, Rouse said.

The corpse was the third found since May as the shoreline retreats at the shrinking reservoir between Nevada and Arizona east of Las Vegas. The lake surface has dropped more than 170 feet (52 meters) since the reservoir was full in 1983. It is now about 30% full.

The coroner said her office was continuing work to identify a man whose body was found May 1 in a rusted barrel in the Hemenway Harbor area and a man whose bones were found May 7 in a newly surfaced sand bar near Callville Bay, more than 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) from the marina.

On July 6, the body of a 22-year-old Boulder City woman was found in the water near where she disappeared while riding a personal watercraft. Rouse said it may take several weeks to determine her cause of death.

The case of the body in the barrel was being investigated as a homicide after police said the man had been shot and his clothing dated to the mid-1970s to early 1980s.

The discoveries have prompted speculation about long-unsolved missing person and murder cases dating back decades  to organized crime and the early days of Las Vegas, which is just a 30-minute drive from the lake.

The drop in the lake level comes while a vast majority of peer-reviewed science says the world is warming, mainly because of rising levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Scientists say the U.S. West, including the Colorado River basin, has become warmer and drier in the past 30 years.
The nations top public health agency is relaxing its COVID-19 guidelines and dropping the recommendation that Americans quarantine themselves if they come into close contact with an infected person. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said Thursday that people no longer need to stay at least 6 feet away from others. The changes come more than 2 1/2 years after the start of the pandemic. They are driven by a recognition that an estimated 95% of Americans 16 and older have acquired some level of immunity, either from being vaccinated or infected.
TOKYO (AP)  The leaders of Japan and Indonesia agreed Wednesday to bolster their ties in maritime security and their cooperation on climate change, energy and investment between the Asian archipelago nations.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, at a joint news conference after holding talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Tokyo, said Japan will provide support to further reinforce Indonesian maritime security capability to ensure peace and safety at sea in the Indo-Pacific region."

Kishida also announced that Tokyo is loaning 43.6 billion yen ($318 million) to fund Indonesian infrastructure projects and disaster prevention.

Widodos Japan visit follows his trip to China, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and formally invited him to the Group of 20 summit in Bali in the fall. The two leaders on Tuesday also discussed issues ranging from trade to maritime cooperation.

While Indonesia and China enjoy generally positive ties, Jakarta has expressed concern about Chinese encroachment on its exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea, which China claims virtually in its entirety.

Widodo' comments in Tokyo focused on investment, energy and the G-20 summit. Widodo welcomed new Japanese investments and asked for Japan's support in new technology involving clean energy, infrastructure, medicine, agriculture and natural resources.

In particular, I invite Japan to support the acceleration of Indonesias net zero emission target through advocating innovative technologies such as hydrogen and ammonia technology, he said.

Japan is promoting mixing hydrogen and ammonia at coal-fired power plants as a way to lower emissions.

Also, Kishida said Japan is researching whether it can provide Japanese patrol vessels for Indonesia to build its maritime capabilities.

Japan's Ground Self-Defense Force is participating for the first time in the Garuda Shield multilateral training exercise hosted by Indonesia next month, Kishida said. The U.S. is also joining the exercise.

While Japan promotes a free and open Indo-Pacific vision of security and trade with the United States and other democracies and friendly nations in the region that share concern about Chinas increasing assertiveness, the two leaders did not mention the country by name.

Widodo said Indonesia, as the chair of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations next year and Japan as the chair of the Group of 7 summit, will continue to cooperate for the peace and prosperity in the region and the world.
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.
BANGKOK (AP)  A court in military-ruled Myanmar ruled Monday that there is sufficient evidence for the bribery trial of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to continue, a legal official said.

Suu Kyi, who was deposed last year by the military, has been charged with 11 counts of corruption, each punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The cases are one of many pursued by the military against her. If found guilty of all the charges, she could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.

Her supporters and human rights groups say it's meant to discredit her and keep her from running in an election that the military has promised in 2023.

A legal official who is familiar with Suu Kyis cases said she was formally indicted Monday on two corruption counts on charges of allegedly receiving $550,000 in bribes in 2019 and 2020 from Maung Weik, a tycoon who previously was convicted of drug trafficking.

State television last year showed a video in which Maung Weik claimed to have given payoffs to government ministers to help his businesses.

Suu Kyis trials are closed to the media and her lawyers were served with gag orders last year, restricting them from releasing information.

The legal official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information, said Suu Kyi pleaded not guilty after the court approved the indictments against her and allowed the trial to continue.

Suu Kyi has already been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment on charges of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, sedition and another corruption charge.

She is also being tried on a charge of violating the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years, and an election fraud charge, which carries a maximum sentence of three years.

The legal official said Suu Kyi appeared Monday to be in good health although she seemed sad when she was informed by her lawyers about the executions of four political prisoners before the trial began.

Myanmars military government announced earlier that it had carried out the executions of a former lawmaker from her party, a democracy activist and two men accused of a targeted killing. Suu Kyi did not issue any comments.
SYDNEY (AP)  U.S. officials say they have little fear that China would attack Nancy Pelosis plane if she flies to Taiwan. But the U.S. House speaker would be entering one of the worlds hottest spots, where a mishap, misstep or misunderstanding could endanger her safety. So the Pentagon is developing plans for any contingency.

Officials told The Associated Press that if Pelosi goes to Taiwan  still an uncertainty  the military would increase its movement of forces and assets in the Indo-Pacific region. They declined to provide details, but said that fighter jets, ships, surveillance assets and other military systems would likely be used to provide overlapping rings of protection for her flight to Taiwan and any time on the ground there.

Any foreign travel by a senior U.S. leader requires additional security. But officials said this week that a visit to Taiwan by Pelosi  she would be the highest-ranking U.S. elected official to visit Taiwan since 1997  would go beyond the usual safety precautions for trips to less risky destinations.

Asked about planned military steps to protect Pelosi in the event of a visit, U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that discussion of any specific travel is premature. But, he added, if theres a decision made that Speaker Pelosi or anyone else is going to travel and they asked for military support, we will do what is necessary to ensure a safe conduct of their visit. And Ill just leave it at that.

China considers self-ruling Taiwan its own territory and has raised the prospect of annexing it by force. The U.S. maintains informal relations and defense ties with Taiwan even as it recognizes Beijing as the government of China.

The trip is being considered at a time when China has escalated what the U.S. and its allies in the Pacific describe as risky one-on-one confrontations with other militaries to assert its sweeping territorial claims. The incidents have included dangerously close fly-bys that force other pilots to swerve to avoid collisions, or harassment or obstruction of air and ship crews, including with blinding lasers or water cannon.

Dozens of such maneuvers have occurred this year alone, Ely Ratner, U.S. assistant defense secretary, said Tuesday at a South China Sea forum by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. China denies the incidents.

The U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues, described the need to create buffer zones around the speaker and her plane. The U.S. already has substantial forces spread across the region, so any increased security could largely be handled by assets already in place.

The military would also have to be prepared for any incident  even an accident either in the air or on the ground. They said the U.S. would need to have rescue capabilities nearby and suggested that could include helicopters on ships already in the area.

Pelosi, D-Calif., has not publicly confirmed any new plans for a trip to Taiwan. She was going to go in April, but she postponed the trip after t esting positive for COVID-19.

The White House on Monday declined to weigh in directly on the matter, noting she had not confirmed the trip. But President Joe Biden last week raised concerns about it, telling reporters that the military thinks her trip is not a good idea right now.

A Pelosi trip may well loom over a call planned for Thursday between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, their first conversation in four months. A U.S. official confirmed plans for the call to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity ahead of the formal announcement.

U.S. officials have said the administration doubts that China would take direct action against Pelosi herself or try to sabotage the visit. But they dont rule out the possibility that China could escalate provocative overflights of military aircraft in or near Taiwanese airspace and naval patrols in the Taiwan Strait should the trip take place. And they dont preclude Chinese actions elsewhere in the region as a show of strength.

Security analysts were divided Tuesday about the extent of any threat during a trip and the need for any additional military protection.

The biggest risk during Pelosis trip is of some Chinese show of force gone awry, or some type of accident that comes out of a demonstration of provocative action, said Mark Cozad, acting associate director of the International Security and Defense Policy Center at the Rand Corp. So it could be an air collision. It could be some sort of missile test, and, again, when youre doing those types of things, you know, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong.

Barry Pavel, director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council, scoffed at U.S. officials reported consideration of aircraft carriers and warplanes to secure the speakers safety. Obviously, the White House does not want the speaker to go and I think thats why youre getting some of these suggestions.

Shes not going to go with an armada, Pavel said.

They also said that a stepped-up U.S. military presence to safeguard Pelosi risked raising tensions.

It is very possible that ... our attempts to deter actually send a much different signal than the one we intend to send, Cozad said. And so you get into ... some sort of an escalatory spiral, where our attempts to deter are actually seen as increasingly provocative and vice versa. And that can be a very dangerous dynamic.

On Wednesday, Chinas Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the presidential phone call. However, spokesperson Zhao Lijian reiterated Chinas warnings over a Pelosi visit. If the U.S. insists on going its own way and challenging Chinas bottom line, it will surely be met with forceful responses, Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing. All ensuing consequences shall be borne by the U.S.

Milley said this week that the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with U.S. and other partner forces has increased significantly over the past five years. He said Beijings military has become far more aggressive and dangerous, and that the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

Those include reports of Chinese fighter jets flying so close to a Canadian air security patrol last month that the Canadian pilot had to swerve to avoid collision, and another close call with an Australian surveillance flight in late May in which the Chinese crew released a flurry of metal scraps that were sucked into the other planes engine.

U.S. officials say that the prospects of an intercept or show of force by Chinese aircraft near Pelosis flight raises concerns, prompting the need for American aircraft and other assets to be nearby.

The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its strike group is currently operating in the western Pacific, and made a port call in Singapore over the weekend. The strike group involves at least two other Navy ships and Carrier Air Wing 5, which includes F/A-18 fighter jets, helicopters and surveillance aircraft.

Prior to pulling into port in Singapore, the strike group was operating in the South China Sea. In addition, another Navy ship, the USS Benfold, a destroyer, has been conducting freedom of navigation operations in the region, including a passage through the Taiwan Strait last week.
BAGHDAD (AP)  Hundreds of Iraqi protesters breached Baghdads parliament Wednesday chanting anti-Iran curses in a demonstration against a nominee for prime minister by Iran-backed parties.

The majority of the protesters were followers of influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The demonstrators, all of them men, were seen walking on tables of the parliament floor, leafing through folders, sitting in the chairs of lawmakers and waving Iraqi flags. The incident raised the stakes in the political struggle for Iraq nearly 10 months after federal elections.

No lawmakers were present. Only security forces were inside the building and they appeared to allow the protesters in with relative ease.

The demonstrators were protesting the recent selection of Mohammed al-Sudani as the official nominee of the Coordination Framework bloc, a coalition led by Iran-backed Shiite parties and their allies.

It was the largest protest since federal elections were held in October, and the second time al-Sadr has used his ability to mobilize masses to send a message to his political rivals this month. Earlier in July, thousands heeded his call for a mass prayer, an event many feared would devolve into destabilizing protests.

Hours after his followers occupied parliament, al-Sadr issued a statement on Twitter telling them their message had been received, and to return safely to your homes," signaling there would be no further escalation to the sit-in. Shortly after, protesters began making their way out of the parliament building with security forces supervising.

The incident, and al-Sadr's subsequent show of control over his followers, carried an implicit warning to the Framework alliance of a potential escalation to come if the government forms with al-Sudani at the helm.

Al-Sadr's ability to mobilize and control his large grassroots following gives him powerful leverage over his rivals. In a similar fashion, his followers stormed the Green Zone in 2016 and entered the countrys parliament building to demand political reform.

Earlier in the day, demonstrators breached Baghdads heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the parliament and other government buildings, as well as foreign embassies.

Protesters chanted curses against Iran and said, Sudani, out!

Riot police had attempted to repel the protesters using water cannons, but demonstrators scaled the cement barrier walls and pulled down slabs using ropes to enter the Green Zone.

The demonstrators walked down the zone's main thoroughfare with little resistance from security forces. One security personnel was seen handing a protester a water bottle.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi called for calm and restraint, and for protesters to immediately withdraw from the area.

Al-Sadr recently stepped down from the political process despite having won the most seats in the October federal election. Protesters carried portraits of the cleric.

Al-Sudani was selected by State of Law leader and former premier Nouri al-Maliki. Before al-Sudani can face parliament to be seated officially as premier-designate, parties must first select a president. Protesters also chanted: Maliki, garbage!

The Framework, in a statement, said they had known of calls urging chaos, stirring up strife, within the last 24 hours since nominating al-Sudani.

The United Nations said Iraqis had the right to protest but that it was essential that demonstrations remain peaceful and comply with the law," in a statement.

Al-Sadr exited government formation talks after he was not able to corral enough lawmakers to get the majority required to elect Iraqs next president.

By replacing his lawmakers, the Framework leader pushed ahead to form next government. Many fear doing so also opens the doors to street protests organized by al-Sadr's large grass roots following and instability.
Nebraskas two U.S. senators expressed confidence that a bill expanding health benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan will make it across the finish line after they joined Republican colleagues earlier this week to delay the bills passage.

Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse were among the 41 Republicans in the Senate who moved to force debate on amendments that would reduce future mandatory spending in the bill. Both Nebraska senators were among the 84 who voted in favor of another version of the bill last month.

That legislation hit a snag due to a line on nontaxable benefits. The Constitution requires all bills with tax items to originate in the House. The House passed the bill on an overwhelming 342-88 vote earlier this month.

This time around some Republican senators said they wanted to take the opportunity to debate amendments to the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will bring the bill back to the floor next week, and that he will allow Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., to bring an amendment addressing mandatory spending to the floor for debate.

The Republican senators who changed their minds, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, did so shortly after West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin announced a deal with Schumer on a separate tax and spending bill that Republicans are united against.

The delay sparked an outcry from Democrats, some of whom were joined Thursday by comedian Jon Stewart, who has been an outspoken advocate for the legislation.

They love to say they support the troops, but they dont support the troops, Stewart told reporters Thursday. They support the war machine.

But some Republican senators downplayed the delay as part of the normal process and expressed optimism about the ultimate fate of the bill.

A spokesperson for Fischer said the senator expects the legislation, known as the PACT Act, to make it across the finish line next week.

Sen. Fischer remains committed to getting this bill done, the spokesperson said.

A spokesman from Sasses office also said they expect the bill will become law, adding that its unfortunate that Democrats are trying to score partisan points.

This is part of the legislative process: The Senate passed the bill two weeks ago with Senator Sasses support, the House made some changes so it came back to the Senate, and now the Senate should include an amendment from Senator Toomey to fix an accounting issue, the spokesman said.

Toomey, one of the few senators to consistently vote against the bill, has said it creates a slush fund and would create a huge explosion in veterans funding in the future.

The version passed by the Senate last month would have expanded health care and disability benefits for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in response to concerns about their exposure to toxic burn pits. The military routinely used open burn pits set ablaze with jet fuel to dispose of tires, batteries, medical waste and other materials during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It was projected to increase federal spending by about $283 billion over 10 years and did not include offsetting spending cuts or tax increases to help pay for it.

There are going to be veterans who die between now and when this bill passes, Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman Jon Tester said following the delay in the Senate. I apologize for the dysfunction, but if were able to step up, I think we can right this ship.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who supported the legislation last month, told reporters he believes the bill will eventually pass, provided Republicans are allowed debate on their amendments. Democrats want to pass the bill before they break for the August recess.

The issue is personal for President Joe Biden, who lost his son Beau to brain cancer. Beau Biden served overseas near burn pits, and Biden has suggested that the toxins from the pits may have caused the disease. The president mentioned protections for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in his first State of the Union address this year.
Lone Star College employees recognized for excellence

HOUSTON (July 28, 2022)  The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) at the University of Texas at Austin has awarded 25 Lone Star College faculty and staff members with the NISOD Excellence Award during its recent conference.

Lone Star College has outstanding faculty committed to students, said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., LSC Chancellor. It is an honor to work with this very committed group of educators and I congratulate them on this accomplishment.

The NISOD Excellence Award provides its members the opportunity to acknowledge and recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions at their respective institutions. Receiving a NISOD Excellence Award demonstrates that the recipients college identifies and appreciates their educational contributions.

Our first in person conference since 2019 went off without a hitch, said Edward Leach, NISODs executive director in a release. Im so proud of everything our staff and partners accomplished to make the conference a success! The event was full of energy and it was obvious everyone was thrilled to be back in person and engage in high-quality professional development and celebration.

Excellence Award recipients were celebrated during NISODs 44th International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence recent held in Austin. The conference offered 200-plus educational presentations with topics ranging from creating a classroom culture and reengaging disengaged learners, to erasing barriers to student success.

The LSC faculty and staff members honored were:

LSC-CyFair

Tricia, Bartz

Carolyn Ho

Leslie Jewkes

Trish Smith Cagle

LSC-Houston North

Ilse Granizo

Tarcia Hubert

LSC-Kingwood

Sampada Chavan Dalvi

CaLandra Pervis

Antoinette Sheppard

LSC-Montgomery

Madeline Brogan

Lori Hughes

Micheal Walsh

Charles Wood

LSC-North Harris

Ibrahim Abou Saad

Ralph Angeles

Julie Duncan

Samantha Ward

LSC-Tomball

Alice Ferron-Gabriele

Margret Jelinek Lewis

Lacy Moreno

Kimberly Williams

LSC-University Park

Kristi Boston

Alma-Kristina Rodriquez-Tusini

Christa Spears

Kevin Tucker

NISOD is proud to continue our long history of recognizing the outstanding work of community and technical college educators at our member colleges, especially on this 31st anniversary year of the Excellence Awards, said Leach. We are honored to be able to showcase outstanding colleagues for their good works during our annual celebration of Excellence Award recipients.

Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSC is training tomorrows workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2021 Great Colleges to Work For institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education and ranked 35th in Texas in the Forbes Americas Best Employers By State list. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
NORMAL  Police are investigating after a man was stabbed late Friday afternoon in Normal.

Sgt. Brad Underwood with the Normal Police Department told The Pantagraph that officers were called at 5:16 p.m. to a reported stabbing in the 1000 block of Charlotte Drive.

When they arrived at the scene, the police sergeant said they found a 27-year-old man with a stab wound. He said the victim was taken to the hospital.

No arrests have been made and no suspect information was available Friday, Underwood said. He said there are no indications of any danger to the public.

Anyone with information can contact police at 309-454-9535.

This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
PEORIA  A 29-year-old Normal man was sentenced last week in federal court to 10 years in prison for trafficking a minor for sex in Peoria.

A press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office Central District of Illinois said Jahquan Howard received his sentence Thursday, July 21, before U.S. District Court Judge James Shadid.

The report stated that in April 2019, Howard trafficked a minor into prostitution. Prosecutors said the man rented hotel rooms in the Peoria area, took a girl to the rooms and gave her controlled substances. He also used online advertisements to solicit men to have sex with the girl in the hotel rooms, and then collected payment.

U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris stated in the news release that his office has zero tolerance for sex traffickers and will work tirelessly to bring them to justice.

Shannon Fontenot, special agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigations Springfield Office, also stated the FBI is continuing daily efforts to shut down sex traffickers. Fontenot said the bureau is committed to providing resources to victims hurt by these crimes.

Howard was indicted in February 2020 and pleaded guilty in April of this year. He has stayed in custody with the U.S. Marshals Service. After release from prison, he will serve 10 years of supervised release.

The release stated that statutory penalties for sex trafficking range from 10 years to life imprisonment.

The Bloomington Police Department and the FBIs Springfield Field Office investigated the case with help from the McLean County States Attorneys Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Hollingshead-Cook prosecuted the case.

The prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice program to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. It directs federal, state and local resources to enhance the identification, apprehension and prosecution of those who exploit children on the internet, and to rescue their victims.
BLOOMINGTON  A man from Normal was sentenced to five years in prison on a weapons charge after a gun was found on him during a traffic stop in 2020.

McLean County Judge William Yoder sentenced Robert A. Pfeifer, 33, to five years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, with credit for two days served. Pfeifer will also have to pay a $75 fine, along with court fees, and complete a year of mandatory supervised release.

He had pleaded guilty in May.

Pfeifer was arrested in July 2020 following a traffic stop where police found a loaded handgun in his pocket. A burglary charge from 2008 prevented Pfeifer from legally owning a firearm in the state.

Pfeifer's mother, Kim Pfeifer, spoke on behalf of his defense at the sentencing on Friday. She testified that her son had graduated with honors from Lincoln College, had taken some graduate courses at Illinois State University and is a constant help to her.

Robert Pfeifer had studied criminal justice, assistant state's attorney Aaron Fredrick said.

Pfeifer admitted in his statement to the court that he knew he could not possess the gun but felt he needed it for protection. He apologized for having caused a disruption in the community.

In his ruling, Yoder acknowledged that it was a difficult case to decide a sentence for, as he rarely dealt with people who had such a strong educational background, work history and family support. Yet he also called it a "very dangerous situation" for both the officers on scene and Pfeifer, and noted the defendant's prior record.

"This case is a very difficult one for the court because this is a defendant who does appear to have a bright future in front of him," Yoder said.
NORMAL  Illinois State University students will need to select a new student trustee after the one elected this spring was deemed ineligible due to living outside Illinois.

ISU spokesman Eric Jome said on Friday that the school would look to hold new elections early in the fall semester to choose a replacement. The Illinois State University Law, a state statute, requires the student trustee to live in Illinois.

Student trustees are elected along with other student leaders in the spring.

Student Government Association President Patrick Walsh said the university is already moving toward a special election this fall and that he wants to ensure continued student representation in ISU decisions.

"We're aiming to have a student trustee back up representing student interests as soon as possible," Walsh said.

The expected student trustee, Aneel Gillan, had not yet been seated. He said at the May meeting when he was introduced to the board that he is from Canada.

"He had been elected (...) but he had not been sworn onto the board," Jome said.

The university had to postpone a scheduled board meeting last week. Jome said the board was not expected to have a quorum, due to three board vacancies and one trustee who was unable to attend the meeting.

The board needs at least five members present to conduct business. State law specifies that the board's actions are not "invalidated (...) by reason of any failure to select a student trustee."

The vacancies include two non-student trustees, including Rocky Donahue, who resigned earlier this summer and was expected to be named a trustee emeritus at the July 22 board meeting. The other non-student vacancy is due to a resignation in 2021.

The board can still conduct business with all five members, and Jome said it is looking to reschedule the postponed meeting once it can find a time that works for all of the trustees.

Walsh said he considers Gillan a friend and that the situation was an unexpected mix-up and not a negative reflection on Gillan at all. Walsh also said he wishes state law would allow ISU students to serve on the board even if they are not from the state.

"I always want to see any student (no matter residency) to be able to serve and represent the student body," he said.

Gillan said that it was an unfortunate situation but that he looks to keep his promises to the student community to make positive changes and he will be looking for opportunities to do so across athletics, academics and extracurriculars.

Correction: this article has been updated with comments from Gillan and to correct the spelling of his name.
NORMAL  Pre-veterinary students at Illinois State University can soon receive a new scholarship thanks to a fundraising campaign led by the mother of a former student.

Marla Rice named the Dr. Kristian KP Philpotts Memorial Scholarship after her son. Though Philpotts had not finished his education at the time of his death, Rice is including the "Dr." to recognize the veterinarian she knows he would have become. Philpotts was shot and killed in January during an apparent robbery while driving for Lyft in Champaign-Urbana. He was 29.

He was just trying to become that doctor, because I know if his life hadnt been cut short he would have been that doctor, Rice said.

Rice raised more than $25,000 through a GoFundMe to honor her son. She thanks everyone who donated and spread the news of the fundraiser.

Three teenagers have since been arrested in Philpotts' death and have been charged as adults in Champaign County, with four charges of murder each, online court records show.

Philpotts had a bachelors degree from ISU and a masters degree from Eastern Illinois University. He had planned to go on to earn a doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

At EIU he helped restart the chapter of Iota Phi Theta. He introduced EIU undergraduate and friend Dewayne Jones to the fraternity, and was a mentor for Jones throughout his time at EIU.

He actually got me into the music side of things, he got me DJing at events, Jones said.

He described Philpotts as a leader on campus, who was always making sure his friends were studying and focusing on their academics.

Philpotts' professor and the Iota Phi Theta adviser Gary Bulla agreed. He shared a letter of support he wrote for Philpotts' application to veterinary school. He highlighted a program called "Kids for Science" that Philpotts started to bring elementary students to campus to learn about science, including animal science.

"KP brings a high level of enthusiasm, engagement, and community-mindedness rarely seen in individuals," he wrote.

Jones is going into his last year at EIU, as a digital media and graphic design major. He also is now the president of EIUs Iota Phi Theta chapter. While Jones feels he has big shoes to fill, he also appreciates that Philpotts encouraged people to be themselves. It was that broad mix of people with different interests and personalities that drew Jones to Iota Phi Theta in the first place, he said.

Rice started the GoFundMe page in April. Endowed scholarships at ISU need at least $25,000 to ensure there will be enough investment money to keep the scholarship going permanently. The fundraiser reached that goal earlier this month and Rice signed the papers July 17, which would have been Philpotts 30th birthday.

It was very emotional, because its been a long road, Rice said.

One anonymous donor gave $10,000, which Rice said meant a lot because it showed that people cared about her son's story.

Throughout the process, she worked with Toni Burningham, director of development for the College of Applied Science and Technology.

Were very grateful to have such a lovely scholarship in honor of her son, Burningham said.

Along with the scholarship, Rice is working with EIU and ISU to place memorial benches on their campuses. The money for the memorials is coming from her, she said, not from the GoFundMe. Right now, she is waiting on the plaque for the bench at ISU, and for new benches to arrive at EIU.

Rice is also asking for signatures on a petition for UIUC to give her son an honorary doctorate. While the school normally gives those awards to people who have reached the end of a significant career, that is impossible for her son, Rice said. The university has offered a Certificate of Achievement for Philpotts.

He didnt have a chance to reach the end of his career; he didnt have a chance to start his career, she said.

The Dr. Kristian KP Philpotts Memorial Scholarship requires a college GPA of 2.8 and an essay on why it is important to create a more diverse workforce in the veterinary and animal science field. It is open to pre-vet students who will be juniors or seniors and who demonstrate a financial need. Burningham expects it will open for applications next year.

Those who want can still contribute to the scholarship fund, as it will remain permanently open.

Its a legacy, it never goes away, Burningham said.

The scholarship preserves Philpotts legacy at ISU for the future, Rice said.

His name is going to live on forever, she said.
100 years ago

July 30, 1922: Preparations are being made to start grading for the Illini Boulevard, Bloomington to Lincoln, next week. Cameron-Joyce & Co., contractors, are making arrangements to move. Work will start at Shirley and proceed north to the county seat. The second section south of Bloomington, in the vicinity of Funk's Grove, will be put in by another Cameron-Joyce outfit.

75 years ago

July 30, 1947: The kindergarten and six grades at Normal's daily vacation Bible school will participate in closing exercises in Normal Central school auditorium. The Rev. Harry C. Wooding of the First Presbyterian Church will give the invocation. The first grade will conduct the worship service, followed by a third grade dramatization, "How Brian Sings Praises."

50 years ago

July 30, 1972: About 450 State Farm employees will go to work July 31 in the company's new corporate headquarters at 1 State Farm Plaza thanks to a moving job over the weekend by nearly that many other people. They'll be the first contingent to occupy space in the new $31 million building. A total of 2,200 employees will move to the new complex in the next 10 to 11 months.

25 years ago

July 30, 1997: Members of the Livingston Anglers hope to hook kids on more than bluegills when they host the 10th annual Larry Douglas Memorial Fishing Tournament on Aug. 2. The event at Stillman Lake in Chenoa will give the roughly 100 expected participants a glimpse of what could become a lifelong, family-oriented hobby. The free event is open to kids 5 to 12.
SPRINGFIELD  The vote for state Rep. Elizabeth Lisa Hernandez as the Democratic Party of Illinois first Latino chairwoman was unanimous and uneventful Saturday morning. The drama had occurred in the days prior in a power struggle of some of the states most prominent Democrats.

Hernandez was backed Gov. J.B. Pritzker and House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch. She served with Welch on a special investigating committee of House Speaker Michael Madigan in 2020, which chose to take no action against the speaker for his alleged role in a yearslong bribery scheme with a public utility. Several months later, Madigan was indicted.

The new DPI chair also played prominently in the redistricting process last year in the General Assembly, chairing the House committee on redistricting and frequently stonewalling inquiries as to what data was used to draw new maps. Ultimately, Democrats passed the new maps on partisan lines.

The 34 members of the Democratic State Central Committee  one man and one woman for each of the states 17 congressional districts  elected her by voice vote over outgoing chair Robin Kelly, who was backed by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin.

Kelly, a congresswoman from suburban Matteson, pulled herself from the running less than 24 hours earlier after it became apparent Hernandez had secured the requisite number of votes to replace her.

Kelly was elected chair just more than 16 months ago in what was also a tight and contentious race between her and Pritzkers chosen candidate, Chicago Ald. Michelle Harris. She maintained strong support this year among some members of the state central committee and drew high praise from its downstate members.

Hernandez offered praise for Kelly in a statement, and the pair shared a brief embrace before the meeting began. But the fact that neither Kelly nor Hernandez took questions from the media underscored the fact that the wounds of the fight might still be fresh.

I have deep respect and admiration for Congresswoman Robin Kelly and appreciate everything she has done to support Illinois Democrats. I've spoken with Congresswoman Kelly and we are both ready to move forward in a united fashion. Hernandez said, reading aloud from a prepared written statement before leaving without answering any questions from the media.

Kelly read from a prepared statement as well in running her final meeting as DPI chair.

When I was elected to this position last year, one of the first things I did was get in my car and drive south for a listening tour, she said. I heard a lot of things that first listening tour, but the thing that stuck out the most to me was how many people came up to me and said things to the effect that I've never seen anyone from the state party here before, let alone the chair. People were so excited just to feel like their party saw them, heard them and cared enough to show up for them.

Kelly took over after former Speaker Madigan, who led the party from 1998 until February last year. Madigan frequently faced criticism for the partys lack of outreach and the fact that he mostly used the party to elect state House Democrats. He stepped down after failing to gain reelection as speaker in January 2021.

Some of the committeemen serving downstate congressional districts said Friday once Kelly became chair, it was the first time they felt involved in the party.

Peter Janko, a committeeman from McHenry County in the 11th congressional district, said Kellys leadership was like a brand new day. Terry Redman, of DeWitt County in the 15th congressional district, had similar sentiments.

Finally, downstate Illinois got some attention, and that's all because of you, he said in thanking Kelly for her effort as chair. And I certainly hope that continues.

After the meeting, Redman said he spoke to Hernandez who told him she was committed to paying continued attention to downstate.

It's too big of an area to write off, lets put it that way, Redman said. So I think we'll do just fine under the new leadership.

State Rep. Will Davis, a Hazel Crest Democrat and member of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, said he didnt like how the race played out on racial lines, and how the governor worked so hard to sway support to oust Kelly, the partys first Black woman chair.

Of course Im still concerned about where it takes the party, and I shared this with the new chair, that you know, theres still some race issues that need to be addressed and shes going to have to work hard and figure out how to mend those fences, he said.

Pritzkers camp maintained throughout the race that his opposition to Kellys re-election centered on the fact that she was a federal officeholder, which meant she wasnt legally allowed to raise funds to directly support state candidates.

Look, what we're looking to accomplish, I think all of us who care about the Democratic Party, is to make sure that we have representation from all the diverse constituencies, and making sure that we have leadership that can accomplish the goals that we want to set out to do, which is to beat Republicans and make sure that the party is doing what it needs to do, Pritzker said at a news conference Friday morning.

Davis accused the governor of twisting arms, saying that while money and politics reared its ugly head, Democrats now must work to unify to support candidates in November.

Its something Hernandez promised to do in her brief statement.

I plan to sit down with every member of the State Central Committee, our executive branch candidates, Democratic caucus leaders, committees for the two Democratic Supreme Court candidates, members of DPI staff and other stakeholders to ensure their vision for our party is incorporated into the apparatus we will build to hold Republicans accountable and win in November, she said.

State Sen. Cristina Castro, a Democrat from Elgin and the committeewoman who nominated Hernandez for chair at the party meeting Saturday, compared the fight to a contentious primary election.

She and three other Latino central committee members pledged their support for Hernandez on Friday afternoon which appeared to seal the race for Hernandez at the time.

We were hearing both candidates out, she said. We looked at the vision for the party, and our colleague, Lisa Hernandez, had the vision of the big tent for everyone.  So in the end, that's where we decided and we didn't take your decision lightly.

Pritzker congratulated Hernandez in a statement Saturday afternoon and thanked Kelly for serving.

Leader Hernandez is a woman of integrity who cares deeply about fighting for working families, promoting diversity and inclusion, and helping all Illinoisans prosper, he said. I know she will maintain our party unity, and I am confident in her ability to work with the State Central Committee to elect Democrats at every level of government  both in this midterm election and beyond.
ST. LOUIS  Heavy rains brought another round of flooding to the St. Louis region that was already recovering from record rains earlier this week, prompting firefighters to help dozens of people escape the floodwaters.

No injuries were reported from Thursday's flooding, but the St. Louis Fire Department said on Twitter that it responded to 75 flooding-related emergencies and 60 people were rescued or helped to safety.

Among the rescues, the department said firefighters carried six children to safety from a daycare at Cornerstone Institutional Baptist Church, where 15 children and three adults reportedly were trapped.

The Rev. Paul Sheridan, a longtime priest at St. Louis University High School, a Jesuit college prep school, was among several drivers whose cars became trapped by rising floodwaters Thursday afternoon. He told KSDK-TV that when the water reached his seat, he dashed out of his car.

Sheridan swam to a nearby tree and St. Louis firefighters helped the 77-year-old priest get into a nearby McDonald's restaurant. He said he kept thinking about people who had lost their homes.

"I've never been caught in a storm like that and, no, I can't walk on water," Sheridan said, laughing.

The storms that began Thursday afternoon lasted for a few hours and dropped about 2 to 4 inches of rain, according to early National Weather Service estimates.

Debbie Boshans, her husband and their cat had been rescued Tuesday from their home due to flooding, and they were working to load belongings onto a trailer Thursday when rain began falling again, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. Their street flooded a second time.

"I can't believe this happened again," Boshans' son-in-law, Kyle Mathes, told the newspaper. "It's a double whammy."

Earlier in the week, a storm system dropped more than 12 inches in St. Charles County and up to 10 inches in other areas on Tuesday and Wednesday. That prompted widespread flooding. Parts of southern Illinois also saw flooding after heavy rains.

Authorities said two men drowned in the earlier St. Louis-area storm.

The weather service said the rain that began early Tuesday was the most prolific in the St. Louis metropolitan area since records began in 1874.

The flooding came the same week that heavy rains caused deadly flooding and massive property damage in central Appalachia.
Even though Ghana has been thwarted as the gate way to Africa, the country still lack behind certain policy directions in relation to visa application refund policy.



Currently, Ghana doesnt have any universal policy or guideline for it citizens to demand refund from embassies when their visa application forms are refused.



This development has empowered some embassies in the country to act evasive towards citizens by refusing them visas without any reasonable grounds.



Based on this, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Marrer Ghana Limited and Susatgad Boat Industries, Mr. Novihoho Afaglo is appealing to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration and Interior through the Ghana Immigration Service to immediately adopt a visa refund policy.



Mr. Afaglo said the policy will help citizens demand for visa refund when the embassies denied their visa applications wrongly or intentionally.



Speaking to the Republic Press, he said is high time the Ghana government adopt policies to check activities of these embassies and how they are treating Ghanaian citizens.



It is sometimes strange and unexplainable how these embassies deny visa applications forms to Ghanaians whose documents and paper works are genuine, he stated.



Mr. Afaglo mentioned Nigeria as one of the countries in African that has taking a step further in the visa refund policy.



The policy in Nigeria states that a refund will be issued, upon request, and with supporting proof and or evidence from the customer, for an acceptable reasons for a refund to be made.



Notwithstanding the above, Nigeria Immigration Services reserves the right to grant or deny refunds to anyone for any reason.



He therefore called on the government of Ghana to initiate programmes towards the immediate adoption and implementation of visa refund policy to easy the pressure of citizens whose applications are denied without refund.

Source: Philip Antoh









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Former NPP Member of Parliament(MP) for Manhyia North, Collins Owusu Amankwah, has appealed to the Minister of Communcations, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful to extend the deadline for the SIM registration.



The Minister issued a deadline for all Ghanaians with SIM cards to re-register with their Ghana cards by July, 31, 2022 or risk their card being deactivated.



The deadline falls on Sunday, yet a mammoth number of Ghanaians are still struggling either to register for or receive a Ghana card.



Many of those who have received their cards too, due to some challenges, are yet to register their SIM cards.



Discussing the matter during Friday's "Kokrokoo" morning show on Peace FM, Collins Owusu Amankwah pleaded with the Minister to pardon those who haven't registered their SIM cards.



"Right now, should we deactivate the SIM card of every person who hasn't registered, do you know that person can't transact business again? Do you know that person cannot pay the E-Levy? The Telcos also will not benefit. If it is even 1 million subscribers, it's a very huge cost . . . I feel those who haven't got their card yet should be pardoned," he said.



He also took a swipe at the National Identification Authority, responsible for registering and issuing the Ghana card, for failing to make the cards easily accessible to the masses ensuring every person has registered and grabbed it.



"Whether the cards were printed during President Kufour's time, they owe us an apology. They should have released those cards to the people before sanctioning these new ones, but they didn't distribute them. Sometimes, you make things difficult for us," he added.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
This image shows the first measurements taken by EMIT on July 27, 2022, as it passed over Western Australia. The image at the front of the cube shows a mix of materials in Western Australia, including exposed soil (brown), vegetation (dark green), agricultural fields (light green), a small river, and clouds. The rainbow colors extending through the main part of the cube are the spectral fingerprints from corresponding spots in the front image. The graph on the right shows spectral fingerprints for a sample of soil, vegetation, and a river from the image cube. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

After being installed on the exterior of the International Space Station, NASA's Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT) mission has provided its first view of Earth. The milestone, called "first light," took place at 7:51 p.m. PDT (10:51 p.m. EDT) on July 27 as the space station passed over Western Australia.

Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, EMIT is focused on mapping the mineral dust composition of Earth's arid regions to better understand how dust affects climate heating and cooling. The instrument works by measuring the hundreds of wavelengths of light reflected from materials on Earth. Different substances reflect different wavelengths of light, producing a kind of spectral fingerprint that, when collected by an imaging spectrometer and analyzed by researchers, reveal what they are made of.

An animation depicting EMIT's installation onto the International Space Station (ISS). Credit: NASA

Ground controllers used the Canadarm2 robotic arm of the space station to remove EMIT from a Dragon spacecraft and install it on the outside of the station, a process that began on July 22 and took more than 40 hours. Engineers powered on the instrument on July 24 and cooled it to its operating temperature over the next 72 hours.

The EMIT team then collected the instrument's first measurements, creating something called an image cube. The image at the front of the cube shows a mix of materials in Western Australia, including exposed soil (brown), vegetation (dark green), agricultural fields (light green), a small river, and clouds. The rainbow colors extending through the main part of the cube are the spectral fingerprints from corresponding spots in the front image.

This time-lapse video shows the Candarm2 robotic arm of the International Space Station maneuvering NASAs EMIT mission onto the exterior of the station. Extraction from the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft began around 5:15 p.m. PDT on July 22 and was completed at 10:15 a.m. PDT on July 24. Portions of the installation have been omitted, while others have been speeded up. Credit: NASA

While the EMIT instrument can measure the spectral signature of light from such materials as vegetation, rocks, snow and ice, and human-made surfaces, its primary mission, beginning in August, will be to collect measurements of 10 important surface minerals (hematite, calcite, dolomite, and gypsum, for example) in arid, dust-producing regions of Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Australia.

The spectral fingerprints of dust minerals allow scientists to determine its composition. While dark, iron-rich particles strongly absorb the Sun's energy, light-colored clays reflect it. Right now, scientists don't know whether mineral dust has a cumulative heating or cooling effect on the planet. The full spectral fingerprints that EMIT collects will help answer that question.

The line graph shows spectral fingerprints for soil, vegetation, and a river. Radiance indicates the amount of each wavelength of light (in nanometers) reflected from a substance. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

EMIT was developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managed for the agency by Caltech in Pasadena, California. It launched aboard a SpaceX Dragon resupply spacecraft carrying more than 5,800 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and other cargo from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 14. The instrument's data will be delivered to the NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) for use by other researchers and the public.

Explore further NASA's new mineral dust detector readies for launch
Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday issued an executive order declaring a state disaster emergency in response to the ongoing monkeypox outbreak.

The executive order enables the state to respond more swiftly to the outbreak and allows health care professionals to take additional steps that will help get more New Yorkers vaccinated, according to a news release.

More than one in four monkeypox cases in this country are in New York state, and we need to utilize every tool in our arsenal as we respond, Hochul said in a news release. Its especially important to recognize the ways in which this outbreak is currently having a disproportionate impact on certain at-risk groups. Thats why my team and I are working around the clock to secure more vaccines, expand testing capacity and responsibly educate the public on how to stay safe during this outbreak.

The executive order specifically extends the pool of eligible individuals who can administer monkeypox vaccines, including EMS personnel, pharmacists and midwives; allows physicians and certified nurse practitioners to issue non patient specific standing orders for vaccines; and requires providers to send vaccine data to the New York State Department of Health.

Hochul had announced on Thursday that the federal government had secured an additional 110,000 vaccine doses, resulting in a total of 170,000 doses to New Yorkers to date.

The state has also launched a new text-message notification effort to deliver the latest monkeypox information directly to New Yorkers. New Yorkers can sign up for text messages, which will include alerts about cases, symptoms, spread, and resources for testing and vaccination, by texting MONKEYPOX to 81336 or MONKEYPOXESP for texts in Spanish. By providing a zip code, New Yorkers can also opt-in for location-based messages.

For more information, visit the states website at https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/zoonoses/monkeypox/
QUEENSBURY  The study the town of Queensbury hired C.T. Male Associates to complete regarding public water options for the Jenkinsville area residents is almost complete.

The towns study is separate from the study ordered by the state Department of Environmental Conservation, which is looking at the source of contamination in some residential wells near the inactive landfill.

Town Supervisor John Strough said the purpose of the towns study is to look at options for providing Jenkinsville residents with reliable, high-quality public water.

The upcoming town water study has nothing to do with any effort to establish the source or sources of any potential contamination in the area, he said on Friday.

Strough said the DEC is conducting a site characterization study to determine the source of the low levels of 1,4-Dioxane detected in several private wells.

He explained the difference between the two studies.

There are essentially two options being analyzed: one is to extend the existing town water system to Jenkinsville. The other is to install water wells in the Jenkinsville area, treat the water and pump it to the homes. This is the study the town expects to receive in August and to hold community meetings about in September, he said.

The supervisor said DEC was originally looking into whether or not PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were present in the drinking water wells near the towns landfill. However, Strough said the levels of PFAS were not ruled dangerous.

To date, fortunately, no PFAS were not detected in any private wells above New York states public drinking water standards; 1,4-dioxane was detected in some private wells at levels above the states public drinking water standard. Again, fortunately, the highest levels detected to date do not pose a significant health risk, he told The Post-Star.

The Department of Health recommends people take actions to reduce exposure when drinking water standards are exceeded. The DEC has been providing bottled water to residences whose results showed 1,4-dioxane levels at or above the states standard.
Warren County Health Services reported 35 total new COVID cases on Friday, 13 of which stemmed from home test results.

Over the last five days, the county has reported 146 new cases.

The seven-day positivity rate for the county is 7.5%, according to Health Services.

A total of six county residents are hospitalized with COVID-19. One resident is critically ill.

Health Services will host a booster clinic featuring Pfizer and Moderna vaccines on Tuesday at the Warren County Municipal Center. Registration is required. For registration links and additional information visit the countys COVID hub site.

According to state vaccination numbers, Warren County has had 76% of residents complete a vaccination series, and 63.1% of eligible residents have received a booster dose.

Washington County

Washington County reported 69 active cases of COVID-19 on Friday. Over the last five days, the county has had a total of 50 new cases reported, according to state numbers.

Five county residents are currently hospitalized with COVID, according to Washington County Public Health.

Washington Countys vaccination rate is 64.5%, according to state data, with 58.2% of eligible residents receiving a booster dose.

Capital Region/statewide

On Friday, there were a total of 116 COVID-related hospitalizations throughout Capital Region hospitals, which is one fewer than the last state update. There were a total of 2,757 hospitalizations reported statewide, which is 23 less than the last state report.

According to state numbers, there were 306 total COVID cases reported in the region. Over the past five days, a total of 1,185 COVID cases have been reported.

Statewide, there were a total of 7,093 positive results out of 77,864 tests reported. The seven-day positivity rate for the state is 8.8%.
After a nearly 70-year absence, a passenger train running from Vermont's revitalized Burlington train station to New York City headed south Friday.

The Ethan Allen made stops in Fort Edward on Friday on the way to and from Burlington, but service to New York was interrupted due to a problem with a building in Albany. Passengers on the Ethan Allen were bused between Saratoga Springs and Rensselaer.

Amtrak stopped running passenger trains along a stretch of track near an old warehouse in Albany with an exterior wall in danger of partially collapsing. Amtrak officials could not say how long the stretch of track would be off limits to trains.

City officials in Albany are concerned about the stability of the privately-owned Central Warehouse; a massive, old building north of the city's downtown. Mayor Kathy Sheehan said a structural engineering report states that a collapse of part of the warehouse's south wall is considered imminent.

Chunks of the facade have already fallen off.

Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said the rail service was taking preemptive measure to keep passengers and employees safe.

Lake Shore Limited trains to Chicago, and Maple Leaf trains to Toronto, were not running Friday. Empire Service was running between New York City and Albany, but not west of Albany.

On Friday, the Ethan Allen was the only train continuing past Albany with the aid of a bus bridge. Amtrak later said it would offer alternate transportation to continue service on the Ethan Allen, as well as the Lake Shore Limited to Chicago and the Maple Leafs to Toronto.

Vermont's new Burlington rail expansion caps a nearly 30-year-long effort that saw about $117 million spent on rail infrastructure and comes a year after Amtrak, on its 50th anniversary as the nations passenger rail service, announced a $75 billion, 15-year-plan to expand passenger rail around the country.

In Albany, Sheehan declared a state of emergency.

"We are working closely with local, state, and federal partners and engineering experts to determine the extent of the structural failure and develop a plan to ensure the safety of our residents and businesses, and get the trains running on time and interstate commerce back on track," she said.
LOWER TOWNSHIP  The moon was wrapped in fog over Cape May Harbor, like a pearl in an oyster. It was a little after 5 a.m., and air conditioners hummed along the docks on this steamy July morning.

The only light in the Lobster House, it seemed, came from the counter of the coffee shop, where a lone night watchman peered into his laptop as his shift came to a close.

I wasnt expecting anyone, Tony Senteneri said. Sometimes I think this place is haunted.

The business, at its bones, hasnt changed much since the Laudeman family began hauling their catch to the wharf here in 1922, but the volume and size of the operation is mind-boggling today, a century later.

The Lobster House  despite a handful of devastating fires and a centurys worth of hurricanes  floats the way a cruise ship does. According to Restaurant Business Magazine, the restaurant served 320,000 meals in 2020 and brought in $15.4 million, earning it the 62nd spot on the list of Americas Top 100 independent restaurants.

We spent a day there to see how that ship stays on course.

Hundreds enjoy second day of Atlantic City Seafood and Music Festival ATLANTIC CITY  Seafood lovers from across New Jersey are at Bader Field this weekend for th

6:01 a.m.

In the Lobster Houses coffee shop, waitress Rita Foss slides the first customer a steaming cup and a glass of ice, while oranges roll down chutes into the mechanical juicer.

Within minutes, a dozen customers are beside him. Talk centers on fishing  theyre hitting pink lures  and what closing time at the bars looked like. Most dont glance at the menu.

Ill take the special.

That was three eggs with a choice of meat.

Grits or home fries with that? Foss asks.

Kevin Lewis tapped to lead Lower Township police Joined by his family, Lewis took the oath of office as police chief this month at the reorga

The coffee shop is mostly locals, Foss said, and while its not a secret, people can eat dinner there, too, instead of waiting for a table later in the day.

Outside, by the raw bar, workers are pressure-washing bar mats. Gulls lie in wait for scraps on the roof above them.

7:56 a.m.

Across the hall from the coffee shop, the fish market is arguably the steadiest part of the Lobster House. It opens at 8 a.m., but customers are already inside, wiping the condensation off the glass case to ogle the offerings. Staring at fresh seafood, it seems, is a good way for grandparents to give mom and dad a break on vacation.

Keith Laudeman, 67, is the unassuming captain at the helm of the Lobster House. As owner, he could be surfing in Fiji or fishing for weakfish in Cape May, but instead he spends most of his days the way he spent most of his life: at the restaurant and adjacent Cold Spring Fish & Supply.

Ah, I dont mind doing work, he said, shoveling ice into a bin at the fish market that morning. Everybody talks about me retiring but me.

Fun, food and music on Landis Ave in Vineland VINELAND  Games, music and food  lots and lots of food  drew thousands to a closed-off se

As a former scallop fisherman, Laudeman has a love for the market. Most of the scallops are local, unloaded from the boats up the pier. One of them, the Susan L, is named for his wife; the Vaud J in honor of his grandmother.

Yesterday, we packed 30,000 pounds of scallops, he said.

11:24 a.m.

Laudeman has a rule for oysters and clams behind the raw bar. He wants them buried in ice, all day.

His saying is No shell shall show, bartender Katie Salasin, 43, said while shucking oysters.

Customers wandered around the deck, looking out at pricey boats and multimillion-dollar waterfront homes in Cape May.

Youre six minutes early, she tells a patron looking for a beer.

11:59 a.m.

The Lobster Houses schooner, dubbed the American, is one of its most popular locations. The boat is a steel replica of the original wooden schooners, also named American, that docked there over the century.

Getting a seat there, particularly at the bar at the bow, is a hot commodity, and 20 waited in line to get on before noon.

Folks, were going to get everybody aboard in a minute, the hostess said.

Every seat is filled out on the dock, and the occasional gull raids a customer carrying food from the takeout window.

Oh my God, it fluttered in my ear, one woman said, moments after screaming.

3:40 p.m.

The first customers arrive for dinner, about 50 minutes early. By 4 p.m., the line is out the door of the Lobster Houses dark, iconic bar. Waiting for a table there is as much a summer tradition in Cape May County as catching sand crabs and reading banner planes.

The Lobster House doesnt take reservations, Laudeman said, because we never have.

The two dining halls can seat approximately 550 people, but sometimes the wait can extend over two hours.

5:30 p.m.

Im behind you, boiler cook Joseph Fulton yells out while moving a tray of crab imperial from the oven.

Behind is the most important word at the Lobster House, the easiest way for waitstaff, cooks, bussers and everyone else to let others know theyre walking behind them with hot soup or a tray full of wine glasses.

The kitchen is hot and raucous. The Lobster House is known for staples like stuffed flounder. Longtime customers, Laudeman said, will notice the slightest change in ingredients.

I know that were only as good as our last meal, he says.

6 p.m.

From her perch behind the hostess station out in the Lobster Houses main lobby, Tina Wood, 55, spends a full hour taking names and numbers.

Most people are relieved at a 45-minute wait time, Wood said. They frown if its over an hour. Wood invites them to walk around the dock and grab a drink. She tells parents to go look at the lobsters or the boats.

The key is to let them know its not the end of the world, she said during a break. You will be seated, eventually.

9 p.m.

The Lobster House stops seating for dinner at 10 p.m., but the dining halls are are ebbing. Outside, on the dock, party boats filled with bachelorette parties cruise the harbor. Children doze off while their parents finish their crabs.

At the coffee shop, two customers remain. The fish market is empty, and the crew is cleaning up. Theres not much seafood left.

Someone bought 20 pounds of flounder, cashier Jessica Allen said.

Allen, 37, took 400 phone orders this Saturday. In October, shell be getting married at the Lobster House.

10 p.m.

Tony Senteneri, the night watchman, was back for his shift. In the coffee shop, a waitress erased the days special from the chalkboard.

I need a foot massage, she said.

The fish market was dark. Workers were setting tables for Sunday in the dining hall. Gulls still looked for scraps and found none.

High tide lifted the schooner American up by the dock and brought in the first waves of silence until the Lobster House came back to life Sunday morning.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
ATLANTIC CITY  Mental health courts, modeled on New Jerseys recovery courts, would lessen homelessness and crime in the resort, acting Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds told a group of officials Friday morning at a public safety meeting.

Based on the crime Ive seen in eight short weeks in office, its really needed, Reynolds said, adding most petty criminals and homeless are in need of mental health treatment rather than incarceration.

It would require legislation, Reynolds said at the fifth meeting of the group of local, county and state officials and business owners who are coordinating efforts to crack down on lawlessness in the city.

Assemblyman Don Guardian, R-Atlantic, offered to sponsor the legislation, along with his colleagues Assemblywoman Claire Swift and state Sen. Vince Polistina, also R-Atlantic.

Help us write (the legislation), Guardian said. Wed be happy to sponsor it, and well get support from the other side of the aisle.

Recovery court, which offers those arrested on drug offenses the chance to avoid jail by getting substance abuse treatment and staying clean, does not accept people who only have mental health problems, Reynolds said.

The group also heard about how efforts to crack down on repeat shoplifters at Tanger Outlets The Walk and other areas are starting to pay off.

We wanted to have a safe (NAACP National) convention, which we did, without any incidents, which we did, said City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz, who organizes the weekly safety meetings. A lot of our friends (panhandlers and drug/alcohol abusers) on Atlantic Avenue were not there during the convention.

Acting Police Chief James Sarkos said the level of cooperation between city police and the county Prosecutors Office is unprecedented, and has allowed much progress to be made.

Reynolds said Atlantic County Sheriff Eric Scheffler placed 35 people who were regulars on Atlantic Avenue into substance abuse treatment ahead of the convention, and it made a big difference.

The first court dates are set for late August, for repeat offenders who have racked up large numbers of charges of shoplifting and other quality-of-life crimes, Reynolds said.

Atlantic City Municipal Court is expected to hear cases against nine individuals Aug. 31, but they collectively have hundreds of shoplifting cases against them, he said.

Atlantic City Police Department and Jewish Family Service receive grant ATLANTIC CITY  The Police Department, in collaboration with Jewish Family Service of Atlant

Those charged will be offered a choice of treatment for their problems or incarceration.

One gentleman has 40 cases of shoplifting, Reynolds said. Hes going to make a decision: Does he want help now, or does he want to go to state prison?

If they dont show up for court, police will pick them up on warrants and they will go to jail until their cases are heard, Sarkos said.

COVID-19 restrictions, which ended May 22, had prevented law enforcement from picking up low-level criminals on warrants when they missed court dates. Now, law enforcement again has options for getting them off the streets, officials have said.

Councilwoman LaToya Dunston said some stores are part of the problem because they do not report to police those who sell or use drugs on their properties.

Often they are stores that only accept cash and have no security cameras, Dunston said. Some sell tobacco to minors and allow illegal narcotics sellers to hang around.

They are complicit in what goes on, in my opinion, Dunston said.

Well-run stores set a good example, she said.

No one stands in front of Cedar Markets (for hours), Dunston said.

Reynolds suggested working with code enforcement first to enforce existing laws.

Reynolds and Prosecutors Office staff walked several blocks from 1900 to 1300 Atlantic Avenue late Wednesday night, along with members of the city police and public works departments, and AtlantiCare staff, to check out reports of nonfunctioning street lights.

About 15% of street lights were out, Reynolds said.

He and others in the group are making it a priority to improve street lighting, so people will feel safer and security cameras and facial recognition equipment will have enough light to provide information to law enforcement for solving crimes, he said.
ATLANTIC CITY  Those flocking to the areas beaches in order to beat the oppressive heat may be in for a shock.

Despite the high heat last week, water temperatures dipped into the 50s, meaning that although you were sweating on the beach, if you went to take a quick dive in the ocean to cool off, you would walk out of it shivering.

I walked out, put my feet in the water and then said, Im definitely not going in today, said Laurie Jenkins, of Atlantic City. But at least its still a nice day to sit out here and enjoy the beach.

It seems like the trend of chilly ocean temperatures has carried over into this week because as of Friday morning, despite it being 80 degrees inland, the ocean temperature in Atlantic City was a bone-chilling 56.8 degrees, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations tides and currents website.

The colder ocean temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend.

Most people have seemed content sitting under an umbrella or lying in the sand for now, but the colder than usual water has not deterred some people from enjoying the Atlantic Ocean.

Man faces aggravated sexual assault charges in Sea Isle attack SEA ISLE CITY  A 19-year-old from Pennsylvania faces charges of aggravated sexual assault, 

Jeremy Anderson, of Quebec, Canada, who came to the resort for a weeklong vacation with his family, spent some time in the ocean and thought, at least for a short period, the water felt pretty nice.

Its definitely pretty chilly once you first stand in it, but once you get fully into it, your body will get used to it and it isnt too bad, Anderson said.

Anderson does recommend that you dont spend too much time in it, though.

Eventually you will start to feel cold again, and youll definitely feel the difference once you step back onto the sand where it is 20 degrees warmer, he said.

Why is the ocean temperature so vastly different from the air temperature? The reason is called upwelling, which is when water that is near the sea floor is brought up to the surface.

Since the Earth is curved, water is not pulled in the same direction as wind, as it is pulled at about a 45-degree angle to the right of the wind direction. For upwelling to occur, from Long Beach Island all the way to Cape May, the winds need to be blowing south to southwest.

Atlantic City briefs: Council passes ban on Boardwalk sleeping ATLANTIC CITY  City Council passed a resolution making it illegal to sleep on or under the 

So far this month, 20 of the first 27 days met the wind direction criteria for upwelling, according to Sen. Frank S. Farley State Marina in Atlantic City.

Typically this time of year, the water temperature in Atlantic City is in the mid- to upper 70s, and the warmest its been so far this month was 75.7 degrees, which was recorded on NOAAs tidal and currents website July 18.

Locals and tourists alike are hoping the water temperature will soon rise again but also are still finding ways to enjoy the beach.

Its tough with how cold the water is, especially for the kids because the first thing they want to do is jump right in and spend the whole day in it, said Tatiana Rodriguez, of Brooklyn, New York, a mother of two boys. But they are still having fun running around and playing in the sand, so they are making the best of it.

Kimberley Watson, of Pleasantville, took advantage of a day off from work to come to the beach, and although she would like the water to be more comfortable, she enjoys spending the day sitting out there.

I think the beach is the perfect place to come to just clear your mind, Watson said. Normally any time I come here, I take a dip in the ocean, but it just feels way too cold at the moment. I dont mind kicking back in the sand, catching a tan and reading a good book though, so I really cant complain. We still have a couple months of the summer left, and Im sure the water wont be like this forever.
A former Eldridge and Davenport police officer has been sentenced to 10 years in the Iowa Department of Corrections after pleading guilty earlier this year to sex abuse charges involving a 14-year-old girl.

During a sentencing hearing Friday in Scott County District Court, District Court Judge Patrick McElyea sentenced Andrew Patrick Denoyer, 24, to 10 years on each of three counts of third-degree sexual abuse.

McElyea ordered that the sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time. Denoyer will get credit for any time served in the Scott County Jail awaiting trial and sentencing.

Denoyer pleaded guilty to the charges June 14 during a plea hearing in district court.

DeNoyer was arrested Sept. 28, 2021, on the charges. He had resigned from the Eldridge Police Department the day before.

DeNoyer had been a police officer with Davenport before moving to the Eldridge department.

According to a news release issued by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the case began Sept. 24, 2021, at the request of the Eldridge Police Department as DeNoyer was suspected of having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

According to the trial information filed by Asst. Attorney General Scott Brown, the acts occurred between Aug. 19, 2020, and the time when DeNoyer was arrested.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by DCI Special Agent Ryan Kedley, DeNoyer admitted during a post-Miranda interview to committing the sex act with the girl.

Denoyer was being held Friday night in the Scott County Jail pending his transfer to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Oakdale.
The Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District (MetroLINK) announced Friday in a press release that it would waive fares for K-12 students taking Metros fixed route or school peak service routes to and from school for the 2022-2023 school year.

Moline, Rock Island-Milan and United Township district students rely on Metros fixed route or several school peak routes to travel to and from school. The waived fare program is available to all K-12 students riding Metro routes, regardless of income.

Metro launched the school service program last year to assist families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is open on days when classes are in session for trips to and from school only. As a result of the program, student ridership increased 25%.

The ridership numbers clearly show that affordable transportation is a real need for families in our community, Jennifer Hirsch said in the press release. Hirsch is the manager of administration for MetroLINK.

In 2021, students took around 2,000 trips a day on Metros bus system.

Continuing to offer this program in partnership with our school districts will allow all students to have affordable access to and from school on any Metro route serving their neighborhood, Hirsch said.

High school students must show their school ID when boarding, but elementary and middle school students do not.

We received positive feedback from our families regarding this program, and we are thrilled it will be continuing on through this upcoming school year. This is an excellent example of how this community comes together when the need arises. said Dr. Rachel Savage, superintendent of the Moline-Coal Valley School District No. 40.

Dr. Reginald Lawrence, superintendent of the Rock Island-Milan School District No. 41, is also looking forward to continuing the program.

This program is so important to our families, and we are grateful that it is being continued again this school year. It puts parents at ease to know that they can depend on reliable, safe transportation to school and home, and that in turn helps our students focus on learning in the classroom, Lawrence said.

To learn more, visit www.metroqc.com or @metroqc on social, call customer service at 309-788-3360, or download the real time TransLOC transit app.
Three Pleasant Valley students completed the intensive UX Design Internship program this week in Maquoketa.

Shobini Iyer, Nathan Romans and Tarun Vedula represented Pleasant Valley, but the internship included students from five school districts throughout eastern Iowa, including Maquoketa, Bellevue, Bellevue Marquette Catholic and Central DeWitt high schools.

This fall, Romans and Vedula plan to attend Iowa State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively. Iyer will be a senior at Pleasant Valley.

Gov. Kim Reynolds' Future Ready Iowa grant program funded the internship. The program aims to expose Iowa youth to high-growth career opportunities, especially in underrepresented communities.

During the internship, students learned foundational user-centered design principles. They also got the opportunity to apply what they learned to one of four projects for Fortune 500 clients.

Interns also worked with client representatives to uncover and discuss specific user experience challenges. Four intern teams finished the session by delivering professional presentations to the senior level clients.

This cohort was extremely focused and professional for high school students. I am confident that our clients found value in their research and recommendations," Innovate 120 founder and executive director Robert Abbott said in a press release.

Innovate 120 is located in the historic U.S. Bank building in downtown Maquoketa. Innovate 120 looks to provide small or early stage startup companies with facilities and support they may not be able to invest in themselves.
Saturdays are for sharing a cold one with the boys  and for Bix block parties.

With near perfect weather and comfortable temperatures for the weekend, the Downtown Davenport Partnership is hoping to draw Quad-Citians and visitors to local businesses with Bix block parties.

The two-day series of events started Friday, July 29, and continue on Saturday, July 30. Businesses will provide food, games and live music spanning from the Rock Island Arsenal Bridge on the east to the Centennial Bridge on the west throughout east, south, west and downtown.

"Seeing downtown come alive this weekend, with so many people and so many activities, it lays out having a good time," Jason Gilliand, DPP's events director, said.

Businesses participating in block parties had to fill out an event application and go through a few different processes. If businesses are going to be using a street for games, live music or a beverage tent, road closures needed to be confirmed, and they must have their liquor license through the state.

Before Bix Block parties came to fruition, DPP would bring in outside food vendors and get their own liquor licenses. But with the growth of downtown over the past 15 years, Gilliand noted it didn't make sense to do that anymore and would rather have people come to explore downtown and spend that money with local businesses.

"This is, for a long time, kind of the Quad-Cities homecoming when people will come home and meet up with family and friends and have a great time," Gilland said.

Parking is available in all three downtown parking ramps beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, July 29, through noon on Sunday, July 31.

The Bix Museum will also have free admission and extended hours on Friday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Block Parties

River Music Experience - July 29

Located at RME Courtyard at 129 Main St.

Sponsored by Dahl Ford

The event is free with live music from 5-7 p.m.

Bix Mix - July 29 and 30

Located on 3rd Street between Ripley and Harrison

Produced by Macs Tavern, Carriage Haus, Daq Fac, and Kilkennys Pub

The party will have food trucks, outside bars and street games. On Friday, ROADS will perform from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.. On Saturday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Wicked Liz and the Bellyswirls will perform, followed by the Flying Buffaloes from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Bix-Bash - July 30

Located at 208 E. River Drive at the Pub & Eatery

Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.

Live music, food, and beer

The patio party will have live music from Andrew Jacob and Lisa Lynn, outdoor games such as giant jenga, giant pong, and bags. Bix participants can bring in their official 2022 race bib to receive $1 off FSB Core Pints.

Finish-Line Fest - July 30

Half a block from the Bix 7 finish line at 218 Iowa St.

Produced by The Stardust

$1 admission from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with drink specials and food by Flavor Train

There will also be performances from Dirt Road Rockers, Rude Punch, Orangadang, Funkatude, Class of '82, and Electric Shock the AC/DC Show.

Best Dam Bix Party - July 30

Located at 410 E. 2nd St.

Produced by Damn View Inn

Doors will open at 6 p.m. with a $10 cover charge. Too Hype Crew will perform at 8 p.m.
MOUNT VERNON  Two Illinois Department of Transportation contractors were shot in Mount Vernon Wednesday night, police say.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Department Capt. Bobby Wallace said neither sustained life-threatening injuries. Both were taken to Crossroads Hospital in Mount Vernon then transferred to Saint Louis University for additional treatment.

The two contractors were on the Interstate 57 overpass around mile marker 103 near the exit. Authorities said they received a 911 call from the company at approximately 9:14 p.m. saying they had been shot.

A flagger was struck in the back of the head. The second worker, who was attending to the flagger, was then hit in the chest.

"One of the workers was released early this morning and sent back home," Wallace said. "I haven't heard about the other worker yet."

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department served a search warrant at the homes of two juveniles and recovered a high-powered air file. Both were taken into custody and later released to their guardians pending further investigation.

"It is our belief that at least one of the juveniles was responsible for it," Wallace said.

Wallace said the investigation is ongoing, but he anticipates presenting a case to the state's attorney's office for possible charges.

IDOT released a statement Thursday.

"We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and providing any assistance we can to see that the perpetrators of this crime are given the appropriate punishment," it said. "This troubling incident serves as an important reminder that the men and women of the Illinois Department of Transportation and our partners put their lives on the line every day to ensure the public's safety and well-being. While this kind of dangerous and senseless act not only puts workers at risk, it can also result in grave consequences for anyone else traveling in the area."
CHICAGO - Despite Lollapalooza cofounder Perry Farrell reportedly saying that festival organizers have reached a deal to keep the flagship music festival in Chicago for another decade, no such agreement is yet finalized.

A spokesman for Texas-based C3 Presents, which puts on Lollapalooza, said its negotiations continue with the city and the Chicago Park District.

We have no official agreement, but we are hopeful to have one as conversations continue, said Guy Chipparoni, a consultant for C3 Presents.

A city official declined to comment, referring questions to C3.

Lollapaloozas previous agreement, which was signed in 2012, was set to expire after last years festival, but the parties agreed to execute a one-year extension option.

This years festival opened Thursday in Grant Park and runs through Sunday.

When the current Lollapalooza agreement was announced in 2012 after months of private negotiations, it was heralded as a big win for Chicagos taxpayers, hotels, restaurants, cultural community and parks.

Once a traveling festival that found a home in Grant Park in 2005, Lollapalooza draws crowds of 400,000 over the four days it takes place and generates millions in local economic impact and revenue, C3 has said. When the Lollapalooza agreement was announced in 2012, after months of private negotiations, it was heralded as a big win for Chicagos taxpayers, hotels, restaurants, cultural community and parks.

But it has also sparked skepticism over the lack of transparency from the Chicago Park District over its continued presence at the park, and neighboring aldermen have complained about the noise and other nuisances. For example, the one-year extension inked in 2021 was done behind closed doors, without any public discussion or vote. Neither was the decision to extend the festival from three days to four starting in 2016.
Running while snagging a Jell-O shot and a Bloody Mary was never better.

The turnaround, on McClellan Blvd, was the halfway point of the 7-mile Quad-City Times Bix 7 run. With runners already having gone up hills through McClellan Heights and the Brady Street hill at the beginning, the crowd and drinks were what runners needed to make the hike three or so mile hike back to the finish line.

Volunteers and spectators where more than ready to cheer on family, friends and every runner who passed through. Many of them have returned year-after-year to enjoy the morning run.

Wearing bright green shirt, with a photo of his sister, Mary Ellen, on it, Jerry Hughes is no stranger to cheering runners on in the Quad-City Times Bix 7. Flying in from Florida, Hughes said his sister ran the race for years.

His sister died last year in a traffic accident.

"She was the one who remembered everything," Hughes said.

Hughes said they sit in the same area every year, beneath a nice shaded area on McClellan Boulevard with family from all over the United States who fly in to cheer family and friends. Hughes said he used to live in the Quad-Cites from about 1960 to 1970 and that coming back for the Bix feels like a small homecoming.

"This has become our family reunion," Hughes said.

Since the passing of his sister, Hughes said his family has gotten heavily involved with Donate Life, a nonprofit organization that works to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues to save others.

Down the block, former Bix 7 participant Rachel Royster stood alongside her family, opting to cheer runners on and enjoy the Saturday morning.

Royster said she has done the race twice, once when she was 7 and then in 2013.

At the time, Royster lived in Chicago, and training in an area that was flat left her "knocked out" after running up the hills throughout the 7-mile course. The hills, she said, destroyed her time.

"I was anticipating Brady Street but McClellan Heights I was in for it," Royster said. "I didn't realize there was so many hills."

Even though the hills left Royster exhausted, she said it was a great time and that she would love to do the race again soon.

Filling up a cup with water, Tim and Angela Rhodes have been volunteering for about 16 years, taking over the exact spot Angela's parents used to hand out water for 31 years. Their two sons were ready to help but more interested in playing with toys they brought with them.

Angela said they fill up about 400 cups ahead of time to make it easier to grab and hold out as runners pass.

With temps lower than most Bix years, Angela said the weather was one of the top things she was looking forward to, along with the atmosphere of being apart of something that always makes for a great time.

"The runners, all the kids and everybody just participating (makes) it a big, family-oriented event," Angela said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week raised the rating of community COVID-19 transmission in Henry and Stark Counties from "low" to "medium."

With the new rating, according to a graphic provided by the Henry and Stark County Health Department, that means COVID-19 is having some impact on the health care system, more people have severe disease and the health department recommends to keep up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations and if you're sick to wear a mask and seek a COVID-19 test. The Illinois Department of Public Health recommends at medium transmission level, people who are elderly or immunocompromised to wear a mask in indoor public places.

Rock Island County, too, remains at "medium" transmission levels, according to the CDC.

Scott County, however, is at "low" community transmission, according to the CDC, which means there are low levels of severe disease and limited impact on the health care system.

Two major events are happening in the next week in Davenport  the Quad-City Times Bix 7 and festivities and the Mississippi Valley Fair. Each draw thousands of people.

Both, however, are mostly outdoor events, which Scott County Health Department Medical Director Louis Katz said are "largely safe."

Katz said the department had advised leaders of both events throughout the pandemic and said the department advised if people were sick, they should stay home.

"While I would strongly advocate masking indoors, we cannot require that," Katz wrote in an email.

While case surveillance has become less reliable because of home testing, which isn't reported systematically, Katz wrote that hospital resource use in the metro areas for COVID-19 infected patients is "modest and stable."

"Which reflects case numbers somewhat but more importantly the relatively mild nature of omicron variant infections and the availability of reasonable treatment options for high-risk individuals," Katz wrote.

In neighboring Clinton County, however, the CDC tracker rates transmission level as "high," which means there is high potential for health care system strain and severe disease. At that level, the CDC recommends wearing a mask in public.
Morning sunlight streamed between the buildings of Brady Street, illuminating London Young as she belted out the notes of the National Anthem. Thousands of runners, volunteers and spectators looked on silent, in anticipation, ready and waiting.

"Today is about community and coming together, and as you go up Brady Street  know you are 9,888 strong. Friends, run with the best! Here we go," Race Director Michelle Juehring said.

The crowd erupted, and with the bang of the starting gun, Davenport exploded into motion.

People from across the region and the country traveled to the Quad-Cities for the Quad-City Times Bix 7, enjoying the mild, 67-degree weather. Nearly 10,000 participants made their way along the 7-mile route, flanked by friends, family and parties.

Lyle Lichty, 65, of Mount Vernon, said running barefoot made him "feel like a kid again."

He started running without shoes about 15 years ago because of pain. He said it made him slow down and think about his form.

"Now if I put on shoes, I feel like I have wood on my feet," he said.

In the streets, glimpses could be caught of wedding gowns and groomsmen suits, Jedi and Sith robes and a winding line of vertebrae made up of Palmer College of Chiropractic students.

DeAnna Walter, Tonia Rogers and Anthony Kimmel ran as the Liberty Bells, dressed to the nines with a feather boa, red and black eyelash extensions, and flags.

Walter and Rogers are both Palmer graduates, and Walter owns downtown restaurant Cafe D'Marie.

"The Bix is like the American way of melting together; we're all running together, and we need to stick together," Walter said.

According to one spectator, the best part of the Bix had nothing to do with running. Sylvia Leasman has parked herself in the same spot on Kirkwood Boulevard for around 30 years to take in the music of the race, from ukuleles to barbershop quartets to a drumline.

Runners will show their appreciation for the tunes alongside the spectators, whooping and clapping as they dash  or limp  by.

"We love it," Leasman said. "We come every year. This is the best part."

At the McClellan Boulevard turnaround, some runners grabbed water while others threw back Jell-O shots and sips of a Blood Mary. They had the chance to lift some weights, splash through the slip-and-slide and more along the course, and had finally reached the halfway point.

Wearing bright green shirt, with a photo of his sister Mary Ellen on it, Jerry Hughes cheered runners on with his family. After flying in from Florida, Hughes said his sister ran the race for years. She died last year in a traffic accident. Hughes said they sat in the same area every year, beneath a nice shaded area on McClellan Boulevard with family from all over the United States who flew in to cheer family and friends. Hughes said he used to live in the Quad-Cites from about 1960 to 1970 and that coming back for the Bix felt like a small homecoming.

"This has become our family reunion," Hughes said.
While digitizing archived cases, the Pennington County Sheriffs Office came across a 1970 manslaughter case file containing personal photos and letters. The office plans to return the items to the victims daughter, who was 17 months old at the time.

Journal archives show 21-year-old Faye Johnson was shot once in the chest with a .25 caliber pistol on Jan. 23, 1970 outside M&W Cabins at 520 East North Street in Rapid City  now the Stardust Motel. Her killer was Harvey Dale Bray, a 24-year-old Rapid City man.

Bray was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to the PCSO. After being let out on parole in October 1973, he went on to kill another young mother with an 18-month-old child in 1975. On Feb. 2, 1976, he died by suicide in the Pennington County Jail.

Rhonda Bohn, a computer tech at the PCSO, and Karen Olson, a staff assistant at the PCSO, found the files and brought them to PCSO Capt. Tony Harrison, head of the investigative division.

Harrison made it his mission to find Johnsons daughter, born Francine Howard, now Francine Bergen, a 53-year-old woman living in Phoenix. The task took a few tries. Bergen didnt respond to a call or Facebook messages, but Harrison eventually reached her through a connection of his in Phoenix.

She never knew the story of how her mom died, the true story, Harrison said. She was told, believe it not, she was somewhere between 12 months old and three years old. She didnt even know how old she was when this happened, so thats how little about the case she knew."

Bergen told the Journal that after the killing, she went with her mothers sister, Grace Bergen, who changed her last name to Bergen. For the first portion of her life, her aunt told her she was her mother, but Bergen later found out that wasnt true.

We had a really bad relationship. I just kind of think it has to do with my mom, Bergen said. One time, when she got really drunk and she was looking at me, she goes, You just laugh like your mom, you talk like your mom.

Her mothers story was fragmented, but Bergen learned pieces from other family members. She found out her mother had been killed but didnt know many details of what happened. She had only one picture of her mother, which was lost about 30 years ago.

I still have that picture in my mind, Bergen said. I just wish I never lost her. I really needed her.

The office will send her the 135-page case file along with her mothers address book, handwritten letters and photos, so she can learn more about her and her mother's story.
Tobacco has been ingrained into Virginias fabric since English settlers planted the first seeds along the banks of the James River in 1612.

While states like North Carolina and Kentucky produce more tobacco than Virginia, Richmond arguably remains the capital of Americas tobacco industry, with the headquarters of the nations largest tobacco conglomerate, Altria Group, located on West Broad Street in Henrico County. About half of all the cigarettes produced in the U.S. are manufactured at Altria subsidiary Philip Morris USAs cigarette plant in South Richmond off Interstate 95.

Given that history, it is unsurprising that many of the top causes of death in the Richmond area are often linked to tobacco use, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The CDCs cause-of-death database shows that lung cancer is responsible for more than 11,000 deaths in the Richmond area  the Big 4 of Richmond, Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico, plus neighboring cities Petersburg and Hopewell  from 1999 to 2020, over 6% of all deaths in that time period. But lung cancer, which has killed more than 3 million nationwide since 1999, is only the second-most common cause of death around Richmond.

Topping the list is atherosclerotic heart disease, caused by the blockage of arteries due to buildup of fats and other substances. The disease has killed just over 12,500 people in the region since 1999, or 58 deaths per 100,000 residents during that time period.

Other top causes of death include acute myocardial infarctions, better known as heart attacks; various forms of dementia, including those caused by Alzheimers disease; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and strokes.

Those causes are largely in line with the top causes of death nationwide  pneumonia is the only one of the top 10 national causes of death that is not also in the top 10 in the Richmond area  but there are some notable differences in the death rates; 25% fewer people die of heart disease or heart attacks in the Richmond area than the nationwide rate.

But HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, kills nearly four times as many people per capita in the city of Richmond than in the rest of the country.

Elaine Martin, deputy director of the Virginia Department of Healths disease prevention division, told The Times-Dispatch that social health determinants like poverty and access to health care are factors in the citys high incidence of HIV deaths.

Richmonds poverty rate is more than twice as high as its immediate neighboring counties, and its median household income in 2020 was just over $51,000  $25,000 below the statewide median. Virginias Central health region, which includes the Richmond metropolitan area, has slightly lower rates of insured residents than other parts of the state, Martin said.

Accidental overdoses are approximately twice as likely to kill in the Richmond area than the rest of the nation, and more than three times as likely within the city of Richmond. Overdose deaths in the region increased by 764% from 1999 to 2020, per the CDC data, driven largely by the increasing prevalence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which is present in three-fourths of overdose deaths in Virginia, according to the states top forensic epidemiologist.

The Richmond region also outpaces the rest of the country in gun-related deaths. More than 3,200 people in the area were killed by firearms from 1999 to 2020. Of those gun deaths, 45% were categorized as acts of intentional self-harm. Over 60% of firearm suicides in the Richmond area since 1999 have occurred in Chesterfield and Henrico counties.

More than half of the 1,763 gun homicides in the area took place in the city of Richmond, where per capita gun homicides increased 43% from 2019 to 2020, according to a review the CDC published in May. The May report linked poverty and gun deaths, finding that localities with high levels of poverty had firearm homicide rates 4.5 times as high as in localities with the lowest poverty levels.

While heart disease and lung cancer were the most common causes of death across the full 1999-2020 window, nothing was as deadly in 2020 as COVID-19, which accounted for nearly 8% of all deaths in the Richmond area  730, according to the CDC data, nearly 100 more than heart disease.

More than 700 per year

In 2012, Frances Givens of Bon Air began to feel dizzy while coming out of a department store. She didnt pass out or fall down. There were no headaches or chest pain. But shed never felt anything like it before.

Soon after, she went to her primary care physician. After she underwent a stress test and cardiac catheterization, they found blockage in her arteries.

She had atherosclerosis, and a stent was put in to treat it.

Givens, now 80, said she sees her cardiologist every six months and is glad she didnt ignore the symptoms.

You know your body better than anybody else, Givens said. And one needs to listen and pay attention to things that are not normal or routine. I think, too often, folks ignore things that they might ought to get a professional to look at.

Atherosclerosis is caused by an accumulation of fats, cholesterol and other substances obstructing blood flow through the arteries. When plaque buildups occur in the arteries of your heart, said Dr. Hem Bhardwaj, a cardiologist with VCU Health, they can rupture and cause heart attacks. But often, there are no definitive symptoms until blood flow is severely decreased. A buildup of plaque can cause chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue, but those symptoms are nonspecific, Bhardwaj said.

Could it be because you have asthma? Could it just be that you could have fatigue because youre just not sleeping well at night? she asked. The key thing is if theres any symptom changes, or you have any symptoms or any changes in how youre feeling, go to your primary care doctor or go see your cardiologist to discuss the symptoms.

At least 495 people in the Richmond region have died from atherosclerosis each year since 1999, with an additional 250 or more succumbing to heart attacks annually. Someone in the U.S. has a heart attack every 40 seconds, according to CDC data.

When heart attacks do happen, Dr. Michael Kontos, a cardiologist at VCU Medical Center, said the biggest factor between life and death is time. At VCU Medical Center, the average time it takes from first medical contact to get a patient into treatment is 78 minutes. The goal is under 90 minutes.

Kontos, who has worked in Richmond his whole career, said the main risk factors for heart attacks are blood pressure, nutrition and tobacco use  but that tobacco use is the risk factor more likely to be seen in younger heart attack patients.

I think we have seen significant decreases over the last 20 to 30 years as there has been increased recognition of the adverse effect [smoking] has, he said. But still, many patients continue to smoke and its probably one of the most important risk factors for those that come in with early heart attacks, those in their 30s and 40s.

One reason that tobacco use is such a prominent risk factor is nicotines impact on blood pressure. Robin Gahan, vice president of health for the Richmond American Heart Association, said monitoring blood pressure is a top priority for the organization in its outreach programs.

We launched in May with Feed More and a number of food pantries across Richmond, Gahan said, to include blood pressure screening as a part of monthly food pantry services.

And in the fall, the AHA partnered with St. Pauls Baptist Church in Richmond and Henrico to add blood pressure monitors to nurses stations and at other events the church hosts.

A failure of a system

Tobacco use is also a key risk factor for lung cancer, the disease most commonly associated with smoking. According to the CDC, cigarette smoking is linked to as many as 90% of all lung cancer deaths, and small cell lung cancer is almost always caused by smoking.

According to data from the CDC collected between 2018 and 2020, Virginias smoking rate  14.9% of adults  is higher than the national rate of 12.5%, but lower than that of many of its southern neighbors. In West Virginia, 25.5% of adults identified as smokers, the highest rate in the U.S., and more than 20% of adults smoked in Tennessee, Kentucky, Mississippi and Louisiana.

One of the main differentiators between smoking and non-smoking is income. The CDC found that just over 20% of adults with an annual household income below $35,000 smoke, while only 6% of adults with household income above $100,000 are smokers.

Dr. Robert Winn, director of the Massey Cancer Center at VCU, says lung cancer screening and treatment techniques have improved significantly in the last decade, but theres still a messaging issue that makes the disease deadlier than it needs to be. Screenings are recommended for Black smokers beginning at age 45 and for other smokers at age 50.

I think its a failure of a system to appropriately educate folks, like we have in breast cancer, that lung cancer can be prevented and if you get it, it is not a death sentence, Winn said. Lung cancer doesnt have to be the number one cancer in the state if we just get people screened and make sure that everyone can get access to the latest and most cutting-edge treatments.

Dr. Renato Martins, chair of hematology, oncology and palliative care at the Massey Center, came to Richmond in March from the University of Washington in Seattle, where he helped develop new therapies and treatments that are improving outcomes for lung cancer patients.

To Winn and Martins, two things are effective in curbing smoking: restrictions that make smoking a hassle, like banning indoor smoking or prohibiting the use of menthol as a flavoring agent in cigarettes, and taxation. Virginia currently taxes cigarettes at 60 cents per pack, one of the lowest rates in the country, according to a January analysis by the Federation of Tax Administrators.

Just like any principle of capitalism, if you increase prices, you decrease demand, he said.

Dr. Rashelle Hayes, an associate professor of psychiatry at VCU and a certified tobacco treatment provider, says quitting smoking is even more difficult than you might think.

About 70% of people who smoke say they want to quit each year, and about half will try to quit each year, but even fewer than this will successfully quit, Hayes said. Fewer than 1 in 10 adult smokers successfully quit each year, according to the CDC.

Altria Group spokesman David Sutton says the conglomerate, which made more than 80% of its $20.8 billion in revenue in 2020 from the sale of conventional cigarettes, is trying to fundamentally change the landscape and become smoke-free by 2030. A 2020 report by the Office of the Surgeon General found that annual U.S. health care spending related to smoking is more than $170 billion.

We are moving from a tobacco company to a tobacco harm reduction company, Sutton told The Times-Dispatch.

The companys Moving Beyond Smoking strategy includes the production of e-cigarettes and other smokeless products, though it is unclear what impact the Food and Drug Administrations June order to pull all Juul products from the market  which has been put on hold pending further review  will have on that strategy. Altria owns a 35% stake in Juul Labs.

Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said in a June statement that Juul, more than any other product or company, has been responsible for creating and fueling the youth e-cigarette epidemic.

Martins, of the Massey Cancer Center, said vapes have less chemicals and theoretically they should be less dangerous, but there is not enough research yet to fully determine the effect e-cigarettes have on peoples lungs and whether they cause lung cancer like tobacco does.

A slow death

Leslie Jones is the executive director of Anthology of Midlothian, a facility in North Chesterfield that offers assisted living and memory care for people with many types of dementia. She started volunteering in nursing homes when she was 14 and developed a passion for caring for people with dementia after seeing it affect her aunt and grandmother.

Dementia, I think, is one of the worst diagnoses because its a slow death, Jones said. You lose a piece of that person every day, and I personally am very passionate about the dignity and care in the life of someone with dementia.

More than 450 people in the Richmond area  including 70 from the city  died of dementia in 2020, up from just 102 in 1999.

The fourth-leading cause of death in the Richmond region, dementia is defined by the CDC as a general term for impaired ability to remember, think or make decisions. It encompasses a group of conditions and disorders characterized by the impairment of numerous brain functions, like memory loss and judgment.

A state commission found that Black and Hispanic people are as much as twice as likely to have dementia than white people, and that more than 60% of all people ages 65 and up living with dementia are women.

When specifically diagnosed, Alzheimers disease, the most common cause of dementia, is by itself the seventh-leading cause of death in the country, according to the CDCs database.

Anthology resident Lorraine Tracy said she was likely having symptoms long before she realized it.

My kids would always tell me, Mom, we told you that yesterday, or something would happen and they would remind me they already told me that, she said.

Matthew Barrett, a neurologist with VCU Health, described Tracys experience as a common phenomenon.

Individuals experiencing the cognitive changes are often unaware of it, and this is especially the case for Alzheimers disease, Barrett said. And so in that situation, its really the family members or other people close to the individual that recognize the changes and pursue medical evaluations.

And even when people may recognize some of the warning signs, theres a stigma around dementia that makes some unwilling to talk about it, said Kevin Jameson, founder of the Dementia Society of America.

In many cases, they dont want to talk about it, he said. And so they dont get the care they need, dont get the workup they need to determine a diagnosis, and many doctors are not prepared for how to deal with their patients that may have it  especially primary care physicians. So were really all about changing the dialogue and the message around dementia.

Dementia often changes the lives of a persons family members, too, Jameson said. Since the diseases causing dementia are progressive, what is normal one week becomes the exception the next week.

Tracy noticed it. Her handwriting used to be nice, but now its not very nice anymore. But she still looks for different ways to try to remember and keep moving forward.

And if youre having symptoms of dementia, she said, go see a doctor  it doesnt take that long.
Commonwealths Attorney Colette McEachin in a statement said: There is no criminal liability or culpability for any individual officer who appropriately followed an order in the chain of command that was lawful but, with hindsight, in error.

Calls to representatives of the Richmond Police Department and Mayor Levar Stoney were not immediately returned Friday night.

Police on June 1, 2020, deployed tear gas on a crowd that gathered at the monuments after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer the week before. The use happened before an 8 p.m. curfew took effect. The curfew was established after two previous days of looting and other violence.

Police recently said the use of chemical agents was not warranted and apologized. Police Chief William Smith also resigned.

Body cam videos, police documents and other records related to the case are being made public by the Library of Virginia. The release is part of a legal settlement between the city and plaintiffs who say police used excessive force.

McEachin on Friday released a seven-page review of materials related to the case, including a timeline of events. It pointed to confusion on police radio traffic about what was happening at the two monuments about 500 feet apart from each other.

The overwhelming majority of the conversations simply referred to the monument. This lack of clarity contributed to the overall confusion and chaos, the report said.

The timeline said two men climbed atop the Stuart monument and used hacksaws on the legs of the statues horse at 7:31 p.m. Two others threw a rope on the statue.

Police department leaders, which included Smith, approved a request from a sergeant to use tear gas or oleoresin capsicum spray, referred to in the report as OC gas.

But neither the sergeant or others specified at which location a chemical agent was authorized, the report said.

The authorization to deploy OC gas had nothing to do with the 8 p.m. curfew, the document said. Officers did not deploy OC gas to preempt the curfew, which had not yet gone into effect for that night. OC gas was mistakenly deployed at the Lee monument because of the dangerous conduct that was actually occurring at the Stuart monument.

Having received permission to deploy tear gas, an officer threw a canister into the crowd at the Lee statue at around 7:35 p.m.

The McEachin report comes after the library recently released footage of the police response to the unrest. The Richmond Times-Dispatch during an unrelated news conference on Wednesday asked Stoney about the footage.

I believe this is a learning opportunity, Stoney said. A learning opportunity not just for city government, its a learning opportunity for the Richmond Police Department, for our city at large and for other communities to learn from.

Police initially had said the use of chemical agents was necessary to keep officers safe. Richmond police this month retracted their statement from two years ago, saying it does appear, at the time tear gas was initially dispersed at the Lee monument, that the crowd was peaceful.

The review included internal reports, an incident action plan, police radio transcripts, footage from a police airplane, drone footage and body cam footage.

McEachin, who was elected in November 2019, said the conduct of protesters, the large crowd at the Lee statue, and ambiguity and confusion in police communications were the primary factors that led to officers decision-making.

The officers who deployed the OC at both the Lee and Stuart monuments did so only after receiving a lawful order and authorization, McEachin wrote.

Although no single officer was deemed accountable in McEachins view, she said Smith was held responsible for his orders to deploy the gas by being removed from office on June 16, 2020.

It is deeply unfortunate that, given the multiple levels of miscommunication and confusion detailed above, no one in command was able to observe the entire circumference of the Lee statue during those four minutes, realize that no one was on top of that statue or trying to pull it down, and reevaluate the situation prior to OC being deployed at the Lee monument, the report said.
As volunteer shortages continue to plague organizations across the United States, fire and rescue departments in the Roanoke Valley are taking steps to engage young people as they seek new recruits.

The Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Department hosted a single-day camp for children ages 10 to 14 on Friday that provided participants with a rapid in-depth insight into the world of emergency services professions, according to a press release.

The camp, called Camp R.I.T., was held for the first time in 2019. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced a two-year hiatus, but this year it attracted about 25 children from local elementary and middle schools.

R.I.T. stands for respect, integrity and teamwork. Its a play on words, as fire departments often have Rapid Intervention Teams. The camp replaces the Character Academy, a similar day camp experience held yearly for 14 years prior to 2019.

This years camp participants explored fire and EMS service vehicles, flowed water through a hose attached to a fire hydrant, descended a zip line and learned CPR.

Roanoke County Fire and Rescue Chief Travis Griffith said exposing young people to the activities of emergency personnel may spark an interest in the profession.

If you can find that target audience in middle school or high school, and engage them, maybe in a camp like this, or get them into a volunteer system, a lot of times those people do progress, and they do eventually become career fire and rescue personnel, Griffith said Friday.

Roy Wall, president of the Southwest Virginia Firefighters Association, recently said younger people arent as interested in fire and rescue careers as they once were.

The younger generations seem to be missing the values instilled in past generations for service to community, Wall wrote in a letter published on the SVFA website. It is up to us to find a way to instill the desire and passion that we all share for the fire service with the next generations. The youth are our future!

Seth Harris, 21, of Roanoke, is a volunteer at the Cave Spring Fire and Rescue Station. He started as a first responder industry at Character Academy when he was 13, where he learned the value of teamwork and respect.

Were all different. Just because somebody looks different, or they act different, they can do the job as well as you can, Harris said Friday.

Harris recalled being interested in firefighting since age 3. He intends to make the shift from volunteer to career firefighter soon.

Im in the process now, Harris said. I went to the volunteer academy. I got my firefighter one, firefighter two and hazmat certifications for Roanoke County. Ill have to go through the academy again.

Roanoke Countys department has about 200 full-time administrative and operational employees, or careers. There are roughly 160 active volunteers that serve in the area. Those numbers dont exactly align with national trends.

Among the departments registered with the U.S. Fire Administrations National Fire Department Registry as of January, 34% of active firefighters were careers, 54% were volunteers and 12% were paid per call, according to the National Fire Department Registry Summary.

As our volunteer workforce has decreased, weve had to increase the number of career staff, Griffith said. While were not fully staffed, were not what I would call critically low-staffed. Our numbers are really good right now, as far as our staffing numbers and our operational numbers.

The department is expecting to see about five or six vacancies in coming months due to retirements, but those positions are going to be filled by this winter with recruits graduating Roanokes regional training academy this fall.

We cant hire somebody today and put them to work tomorrow. With the training and the certifications you have to get, the onboarding process takes a while to get somebody to fill those operational numbers, Griffith said.

The Franklin County Department of Public Safety is expecting seven recruits to graduate this fall, too, making the department fully staffed.

Keith Ludeman, deputy chief of operations, said the county started running its own 16-week academy for Franklin, Henry and Patrick counties recruits last year to attract more young people.

Beforehand, we would only hire people that were already certified, Ludeman said. Weve also added a full-time recruitment retention officer, for not only the Franklin County public safety department, but also the volunteer organizations.

When you walk into the countys public safety office, the first thing you see is a volunteer sign-up sheet. Ludeman said the department has about 50 full-time and 30 part-time staff members that are supplemented by about 250 active volunteers.

But some days, there still arent enough hands. Ludeman described his departments response to a recent fatal crash in Rocky Mount that involved three vehicles.

Two critical, one deceased, one in cardiac arrest with minimal staff, Ludeman said. They did a heck of a job working very hard and got everything done and gave that person a fighting chance, though they didnt survive. But it would have been a lot easier, maybe a little bit faster, had we had more people.

The Botetourt County Department of Fire and EMS is also seeking more hands on deck. Chief Jason Ferguson said his department still relies heavily on volunteers to service his large, rural jurisdiction.

There are very few people these days that are willing to give of the time and dedication to get the training and all the things that come with being a volunteer firefighter, Ferguson said. Its just really difficult with the pace of todays lifestyles.

Ferguson said fire and rescue camps like Camp R.I.T. show young people that there is a pathway into the emergency services field through volunteerism. The Botetourt County department hosted a fire camp exclusively for girls last month.

There were a lot of people excited about it, Ferguson said. It may very well be that were not encouraging them to come be in our profession. But if they learned something about fire safety, and how to get out of their house if its on fire, or how to call 911, or do CPR, then weve definitely left a mark with them.

Just this week, the county altered its regulations to allow 16- and 17-year-olds participating in the fire departments junior program to serve at a greater capacity with parental consent and certification. Before this week, younger teens werent allowed to fully participate until age 18.

We basically had an ordinance that had a little bit of a restrictor plate, and we just removed the restrictor plate, Ferguson said. We can keep their interest up, we can keep their morale and desire to continue to learn and grow up. Then once theyre 18, theyre ready to start taking other certification programs and continue to learn and grow.

There are already about 15 junior members in Botetourt Countys program. The department has about 60 full-time and 25 part-time positions.

About 13 of those positions are vacant, but eight will be filled once some recruits graduate Roanokes regional academy. Those careers are supplemented by about 240 active volunteers.

The career-to-volunteer ratio in one New River Valley department is quite the opposite. There are only nine full-time staff members in the Montgomery County Department of Fire and EMS. Three work in administration and six work in EMS operations.

The county also has 16 part-time positions. Supplementing those 25 career staff members are a whopping 622 active volunteers.

Michael Geary, director of fire and EMS, said the county has Virginia Tech to thank for the surplus.

We just have a lot of students that are interested in the medical field, and becoming a volunteer EMS provider is a great way to take a step to, number one, gauge interest, but then to gain that experience thats required for so many schools now before you apply, Geary said.

While Geary said the county is an anomaly, it isnt immune to national trends.

We are starting to see that same kind of shortage of volunteers in more rural areas in the county, and thats why were starting to supplement with career staff, Geary said. Were in the process of hiring two more full-time positions to do more operations.

The starting salary for paramedics in Montgomery County is $46,300, Geary said, which is pretty competitive for the region.

The paramedics that department hires already have experience, so the county doesnt technically have recruits, Geary said. But recruits for Botetourt, Roanoke and Franklin counties agencies are paid as soon as they enter their respective academy.

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors approved a pay raise for fire and EMS employees as a part of the localitys step plan pay scale for public safety personnel.

Starting recruit salary just went up to $45,100, Griffith said. When youre hired in recruit school, thats the salary you are paid. And then upon graduation, you get another pay raise, either to firefighter-EMT or to paramedic-firefighter based on your certifications.

Ludeman said Franklin County public safety career personnel also just received a pay raise in light of a recent pay study completed by the county.

It puts the department more in line with neighboring jurisdictions that are of equal economic and geographic size, Ludeman said, which makes us a little more competitive when it comes to recruitment and retention.

The initial starting salary in Franklin County is $42,000 for firefighter-EMTs and $46,305 for firefighter-paramedics. In Botetourt County, firefighter-EMT academy graduates get a $42,100 starting salary, and entry-level paramedics get $46,350.

We will always be underpaid in this profession, Ludeman said. However, were grateful for the salaries and the benefits and opportunities we have.

The latest round of applications for paid positions in Botetourt County, Roanoke County, Roanoke and Salem are due Friday, Aug. 5. Those recruits will begin their academy training in January.

Those agencies are also going to host the first Roanoke Valley Regional Public Safety Career Fair on Sept. 17 at Salem Civic Center.

Griffith said the applicant pool has dropped in recent years from 300 to 100 during each hiring cycle, but that doesnt mean fire and EMS agencies cant continue to use strategic and selective hiring practices.

Its not just putting warm bodies in positions. Its finding the right people for the job, Griffith said. We dont want a higher quantity. We want a higher quality, because in public service youre front-facing with the public at their worst possible time.

Harris said people who are interested in applying to work or volunteer can complete a ride-along with department staff.

See what we do on a daily basis, Harris said. You have your routines, but every day is different. Youre not going to run the same calls every day. Every call is different. Every person is different to deal with. Come do it. Come do a ride along, and if you dont like it, pursue something else. Its okay. If you like it, keep going.

Griffith said theres a place for anyone who wants to help.

You dont have to go fight fire every day. You dont have to run all the EMS calls, Griffith said. There are so many different avenues you can get into within our volunteer system in our agency.
A former Liberty University communications executive fired in October and involved in ongoing litigation with the school testified in court this week he properly returned sensitive privileged material to LU, while lawyers for the university argued he altered, destroyed and hid evidence.

Attorneys for Liberty are pushing for sanctions against Scott Lamb, arguing in a two-day evidentiary hearing in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg that after his employment ended, he improperly tampered with privileged material from the college, much of which hasnt been recovered.

Lamb, who worked for LU since January 2018 and became its lead public communications officer in spring 2019, filed suit in federal court after his Oct. 6, 2021, firing, claiming he was terminated in retaliation for objections he raised over corrupt practices.

Liberty filed a counterclaim against him demanding $3 million in damages, the return of LUs files and a gag order against him, among other measures at the heart of a two-day hearing in U.S. District Court in December.

Following those proceedings and an order from Judge Norman Moon, a protocol agreement was set up for Lamb to return those documents. Heidi Siegmund, an attorney for Liberty, argued Thursday that Lamb had hundreds, if not thousands, of school documents and files that have not been returned.

He destroyed evidence he knew was relevant to this case and he testified he wouldnt delete it, Siegmund said.

Siegmund said a phone with crucial evidence is missing.

That alone is grounds for sanctions, she said.

She said an expert recovered a shadow copy of notes, but it was only a fraction of what was expected to be found as far as evidence in connection with Lamb advocating for changes to LUs Title IX practices, which is crucial to the litigation. Lambs lawsuit is based on accusations Liberty violated Title IX, which among other things covers how colleges and universities handle claims of sexual assault.

Seigmund argued Lamb went to lengths to cherry pick the data that was turned into the expert.

That process alone should give the court a lot of pause in trusting Mr. Lamb, Siegmund said. The bottom line [is] he not only knew he wasnt supposed to destroy evidence, he did it anyway.

Ian Northon, Lambs attorney, argued his client properly gave back to LU what belonged to the university and the protocol didnt apply to his personal information not tied to the university.

Its not about what they expected to see, Northon said. Its about what we agreed to.

Northon argued information Liberty seeks is sitting on their servers and Lamb properly gave more than 2,000 documents from his notes in accordance with the protocol.

No, he didnt steal it, Northon said, adding Lamb didnt destroy evidence. Its simply not true. Its an exaggeration of what actually was agreed to and what actually happened.

The forensic expert testified Lamb in April returned an iPhone, a laptop and credentials to his account for notes. The expert said in court he expected to see much more data from the past two years than what was found.

Lamb testified on specifics of removing LU data from his personal computers to hand over in accordance with the protocol. Scott Oostdyk, an attorney for Liberty, heavily questioned Lamb about his handling of the LU materials and asked if anyone told him he could destroy devices before data was to be turned into the expert. Lamb said in response he followed the protocol.

Lambs duties while at LU included helping former college president Jerry Falwell Jr., write books. Oostdyk asked if that was around the time of Title IX issues involving the college.

Thats a very big question, Lamb said. I would allege the Title IX issue has been around 20 years and I only got here in 2018.

Lamb testified he spoke with Falwell in person rather than email on such issues because of the sensitive nature.

I dont know how to talk to my boss about sensitive topics other [than] face to face, Lamb said. I wasnt being protective. I was being a good communicator.

Lamb also testified he deleted a recorded conversation with Jerry Prevo, Libertys current president, on the day he was fired and that Prevo also had a recording of that conversation.

Lamb testified with sexual assault complaints coming against the university he felt a duty to preserve documents.

In May, a settlement notice was filed in a lawsuit that began in July 2021 after a dozen anonymous women claimed LU repeatedly swept sexual assault cases under the rug.

Lamb said in court he used an old laptop to access his notes and extract the LU data and the memory stick did not have enough capacity to hold all the documents. He said he wanted to comply with the protocol in the least expensive way possible and desired to not retain anything of Libertys.

Oostdyk said LU needs the information back and argued Lamb disseminated privileged material to the media as a Title IX whistleblower. He said Lamb was hired to be Falwells biographer and wiped his laptop of LU materials not backed up by the university.

When he wiped it, he did a very bad job, Oostdyk said.

Oostdyk said the expert received a small self-selected cache of documents and argued Lamb scrubbed his notes of material, including information on Falwell and Title IX. He argued Lamb upset the protocol process and purposely corrupted metadata and deleted text messages with Falwell, among other actions.

This case is so mucked up, judge, Oostdyk said in his final argument.

Northon argued Libertys lawyers are claiming spoliation, a legal term for rendering evidence invalid, and they didnt even bother to look on their own servers.

LU wants text messages for Jerry Falwell Jr. for another case, Northon said. That has no relevance here.

Northon argued Lamb properly complied with the courts order in December, stopped talking to the press and acted properly while also keeping his costs down in complying with the protocol.

He requested no sanctions be levied against Lamb.

Mr. Lamb kept what he was supposed to and turned over what he was supposed to in good faith, said Northon, adding of Libertys lawyers: They want to run up the tab on a guy to force him out of litigation.

Oostdyk said the Liberty legal teams theory is Lamb was fired for mismanagement and pivoted to a whistleblower role, describing him as a Johnny-come-lately to the issue.

He said Libertys lawyers know Lamb, an adamant note taker, was working on the life and times of Falwell and believes the memory stick is the smoking gun key argument against Lamb.

Hes testified he tampered with it, Oostdyk said.

Moon will rule on the matter at a later date. Northon had no further comment after the hearing. David Corry, general counsel for LU, declined further comment.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency flooding in Southwest Virginia for the second time this month.

On Wednesday and Thursday, Pound got an estimated 5 to 6 inches of rain, and Clintwood saw more than 6 inches in the two-day period, according to Brandon Wasilewski, a meteorologist at the National Weather Services Morristown, Tennessee office. Those numbers exceed the areas normal average rainfall total for the entire month of July, which is typically around 5 inches, Wasilewski said.

The new flooding comes on the heels of more than 100 homes damaged in Buchanan County on July 12-13. No deaths or injuries have been reported in the most recent flooding.

On Friday, Dickenson County Emergency Management Coordinator Richard Thacker reported damage to three county buildings  a recreation center, a library in Clintwood and a senior citizens building in Clinchco.

As crews in both Dickenson and Wise counties continue cleanup efforts and conduct damage assessments, there is no word on just how many structures were damaged in the flooding; however, officials have noted that damage to roadways is a concern.

I dont anticipate we have a lot of homes damaged, Thacker said. Its mostly driveways, culverts and bridges.

Wise County Emergency Management Coordinator Jessica Swinney reported damage to roadways that were being assessed by the Virginia Department of Transportation on Friday.

According to Swinney, Wise County had 16 people evacuated by swift water rescue teams on Thursday, eight of which were evacuated by the Bristol Swift Water Rescue Team.
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat, expressed skepticism about a potential new Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) between the United States and Iran on Fox News Sunday: I want the administration to know that no deal is better than a bad deal.

Unsurprisingly, he is not alone in his opposition to the Biden administrations recent renegotiations with Iran and other signatories of the original 2015 JCPOA, like France, the U.K., Germany, China and Russia. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., published a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken affirming his objection to a re-joining of the Iran Deal without maintaining the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

On the other hand, Iran faces its own inhibitions: a non-binding executive agreement may dissolve once again if a Republican were to enter the White House, not to mention that Irans economy suffered substantially after former President Trump reneged the original JCPOA.

Despite a draft deal being nearly complete, the administrations of both the U.S. and Iran remain unable to conciliate the last few unresolved complications of sanctions relief, underscoring historic antagonism that has defined American-Iranian relations for the past nearly-five decades.

It may appear that the U.S. and Iran have always been diametrically antithetical adversaries, both of whom appear inherently politically, socially, and economically incompatible with each other. Does history, though, bear witness to the seemingly perpetual animosity between the U.S. and Iran?

The short answer, frankly, is no. As much as the recent history between the two countries has been defined by mistrust and malevolence, Iran and the United States also had extended periods of collaboration, communication, adoration and friendship.

In fact, according to John Ghazvinian, executive director of the Middle East Center at the University of Pennsylvania, in his history America and Iran, the very first dispute between Iran and the United States revolved around Irans request to fly American flags on its ships for protection against the British navy in 1854. This minor squabble punctuates the historic connections between Iran and the United States, ever since America was founded in 1776 in the backdrop of its quest for national sovereignty from British imperialism.

Irans own journey for national independence against imperialism from Great Britain and Russia is what ultimately drew the U.S. and Iran to be strategic partners for decades. Beginning with the first diplomatic engagement in 1850 to formally recognize the Kingdom of Persia and the first American delegation in Tehran in 1883, the two countries worked in earnest to advance the interests of both nations, particularly in helping Iran balance its budget and protect its natural resources from constant British and Russian incursions.

In the words of Ghazvinian, Iran viewed the United States up until the late 20th century as a counterweight to imperial forces that have extracted Iranian resources for decades, and the Americans acknowledged Iran to be a more natural ally for its democratic cause  with Irans emerging democracy and cultural similarities to the West which other Middle Eastern countries did not possess. This is, in fact, still the case in the Middle East, as Iran maintains a theocratic-democratic political system while neighboring countries maintain dynastic thrones.

Though the history between the United States and Iran is freckled both with instances of cooperation and mistrust, it is in the best interest of both countries to reconcile past myopic understandings of one another.

Even Republicans not long ago had interest in restoring a relationship with Iran. President Ronald Reagan famously asserted to the American people following the Iran-Contra Affair, there need be no permanent conflict.

Alas, inspecting the granularity of history, like with many things in life, reveals there generally is much more to be shared than to be disavowed. As with Iran and the United States and the evolving nature of JCPOA renegotiations, now could serve as a propitious juncture to disarm the political tumult suspended in perpetuity and remember that Iran and the United States have historical precedents for economic and diplomatic collaboration.
PAMPLICO, S.C.  Metal detectors and school resources officers will be in place when Florence County School District Two begins classes Monday.

The district comprises Hannah-Pamplico Elementary/Middle School and Hannah-Pamplico High School.

School resource officers are trained by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy and the Florence County Sheriff's Office, Superintendent Neal Vincent said. Through a memo of agreement, SROs are assigned to both Hannah-Pamplico Elementary/Middle and Hannah-Pamplico High School.

School security jumped into the national spotlight again after the May 24 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in the deadliest school shooting attack in nearly a decade More than 15 others were wounded in the attack. The shooter was killed by law enforcement officers an hour and 14 minutes after the first shots were fired.

The National Center for Education Statistics reported 93 school shootings with casualties at public and private elementary and secondary schools during the 2021-22 school year. Forty-three of those shootings resulted in deaths.

In July, the South Carolina Department of Education upgraded its Model Safe School Checklist. All school districts in the state are required to complete the checklist and submit updated plans to the state education department by Sept. 1.

Vincent said administrators and staff will evaluate children with violent tendencies to help create a safe environment.

Administrators and staff use EducatorsHandbook.com to facilitate the measurement and analysis of student behavior in need of services or targeted interventions, he said. Multiple reports are utilized allowing counselors and administrators the opportunity to monitor student referrals, discipline trends, and individual incident type patterns.

Vincent said the district has assembled a threat-assessment team.

Members of this team are trained to use a district-selected threat assessment tool to determine whether or not a student is considered a threat to themselves or the school environment," he said. "Recommendations and referrals are made by team members based on the outcome of the assessment.

Vincent explained the school district's emergency crisis plan. Details of the protocol will not be published to prevent giving access and advantage to potential perpetrators.

Our emergency crisis plan is reviewed with first responders annually, he said. The crisis plan includes protocols for active shooters including lockout and lockdown procedures in the case of a large-scale emergency incident."

In the event of an emergency or incident, Vincent said, the district and school administrators will work closely with first responders and safety officials to determine if the conditions warrant an early release or a reunification.

Information will be shared using the districts automated calling system, website, social media and local media outlets. Parents should plan and discuss specific plans with their students in the event of an early dismissal/emergency closing (pickup, supervision, etc.).

Mandatory lockdown training sessions are held to prepare students in the event of a shooting incident. He said they are required by state regulation and district policy.

Vincent said acts of violence have occurred in Florence School District Two from 2019 to 2022 and reviewed trends. He defined the violent incidents as simple assault.

For the academic school year 2019-2020, Hannah-Pamplico Elementary/Middle School had one violent incident and Hannah-Pamplico High School also had one violent incident. For the academic school year 2020-2021, there were zero incidents. Vincent said 40% of students received virtual instruction. For the academic school year, 2021-2022, there were two violent acts at Hannah-Pamplico Elementary/Middle School and one violent act at Hannah-Pamplico High School.

He said a trend could not be determined because of the limited number of violent acts.

Florence County Sheriff's Office spokesman Major Mike Nunn said all school resource officers are trained and certified to deal with active shooter situations.

School resource officers in South Carolina are all class one law enforcement officers who have successfully completed additional specialty training and certification, he said. All SROs are specifically trained to respond to an active shooter situation, part of which is called 'ALERT training.' SROs also help train faculty and administrators on the response to an active shooter with both online and onsite training. One of the aspects of that training is the 'Run, Hide, Fight' protocol.

Nunn said there is no difference between a school resource officer and law enforcement officer.

All SROs are Class 1 law enforcement officers with the same power and authority of any other law enforcement officer, he said. In addition, an SRO has statewide jurisdiction when traveling with students anywhere in South Carolina.

Nunn said school resource officers will mentor students with violent tendencies.

As a mentor to students, the school resource officer will attempt to take more time with a student with violent tendencies so as to guide the student toward a more healthy attitude and appropriate behavior.

Nunn said the officers have a mission to ensure safety in the school environment.

The mission of the SRO is to protect students and staff, to serve as a mentor to students, to be a positive role model and to enforce South Carolina law, he said. The SRO does not enforce the school disciplinary procedures and does not determine which students are disciplined and which are not. SROs take the same oath of office as all other law enforcement officers in the state.
DARLINGTON  Student and staff safety are a priority for the Darlington County School District, Superintendent Tim Newman said. The district will open the 2022-23 school year on Aug. 1.

Darlington County School District is committed to creating safe spaces for students and staff, Newman said. We have focused our efforts on improving safety at all levels and plan to increase that focus as we move into the new year.

School security is a national issue. The National Center for Education Statistics reported 93 school shootings with casualties at public and private elementary and secondary schools during the 2021-22 school year. Forty-three of those shootings resulted in deaths.

The National Center for Education Statistics is the research arm of the U.S. Department of Education.

There were more school shootings with casualties in the last school year than any other year since data collection started in the early 2000s.

The May 24 school shooting incident at Uvalde, Texas, remains fresh in the publics mind. An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School in the deadliest school shooting in nearly a decade. More than 15 others were wounded in the attack. Law enforcement officers killed the attacker.

Surveillance footage shows law enforcement officers law enforcement officers waiting 45 minutes after the last shots were fired before storming the classroom and killing the shooter. The officers killed the gunman one hour and 14 minutes after police first arrived on the scene.

Newman outlined existing and improved safety measures for Darlington County School Districts 10 elementary schools, four middle schools, four high schools, Darlington County Institute of Technology and Darlington County Intervention School.

School resource officers, who are active-duty law enforcement officers in local law enforcement agencies, will be at every school, Newman said.

School safety assessments will be conducted in every school and on every campus, he said.

Each campus will be assessed by nationally-recognized school safety experts, he said. We are using these assessments to identify and address potential weaknesses in our facilities, plans and protocols.

Metal detectors will be used for the first time in all of the districts middle schools and high schools, he said.

The new metal detectors give us the flexibility to move locations throughout the day so we can provide checks randomly, he said.

A district chief security officer, who is an active-duty law enforcement officer with more than 24 years of experience, will constantly assess safety and security measures at all the campuses.

He will provide training for our people, serve as a liaison with our local law enforcement agencies and lead the charge in identifying and implementing new safety measures, he said.

Small- and large-scale safety drills in conjunction with local emergency responders will take place to ensure our students and staff know what to do in various situations.

These drills allow us to improve our ability to respond in a crisis, he said.

A crisis communication plan has been created to keep parents informed during an emergency situation.

Communication will include phone calls from our rapid notification system, emails and texts, he said.

Newman said counselors at every school are trained to assist students in distress and the district will use telehealth partners to expand its mental health resources.

There will be outstanding working and training relationships with local law enforcement agencies and safety training for the districts administrators, which includes Federal Emergency Management Agencys Incident Command Training.

Newman also asked the community to help protect students by reporting incidents and potential threats to school officials and law enforcement agencies.

Darlington County School District believes safety is our first priority, he said. We must provide a safe, nurturing learning environment for our students, but it is only possible if our community members and school families help us to keep watch. If you see something, say something.

Capt. Kim Nelson is the Darlington County School Districts safety officer.

The Darlington Police Department is trained to de-escalate situations that might arise in the school district and in the community, Nelson said.

If we had to respond to a situation involving an active shooter, we are trained to go straight to that threat, she said. Our goal is to eliminate the threat or stop the threat to stop the shooting from occurring.

A school resource officer has the same training as every police officer in the state of South Carolina.

All of our school resource officers go through training from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy, and are certified law enforcement officers assigned to work in schools, she said. There is no difference between an SRO officer and a police officer.

Nelson said school resource officers are equipped with firearms.

Darlington citys mission for the SROs is to protect and serve the community, she said. Our children are our precious commodity and we will protect them. We will also protect the teachers and faculty.
Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com . Felicia Frazar is the managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail her at felicia.frazar@seguingazette.com .
SIOUX CITY  Siouxland residents are finally starting to see steady relief when they go to fill up.

In the past month, according to figures from the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in Sioux City has fallen by 57 cents ($4.65 to $4.08). The average cost of a gallon of premium has shifted from $5.37 (a month ago) to $4.77. And diesel's dropped by more than 30 cents ($5.37 to $5.00, on average).

Jerold Erlandson, who drives his 2016 Audi A6 as far as Denison for work on a daily basis, said he's absolutely glad to see costs coming down.

"I drive a lot for work," Erlandson said. "The farthest I go would be Denison. Storm Lake. Cherokee. It adds up pretty quick."

Around the metro on Saturday, $3.97 for a gallon of super unleaded was a constant sight. The Kum & Go on Gordon Drive, the Hy-Vee Fast & Fresh along Hamilton Boulevard and the Casey's on Dakota Avenue (in South Sioux City) all offered super unleaded gasoline at that price point.

For premium gasoline, there was a little more fluctuation. The Love's in Sioux City had the 91 octane fuel priced at $4.59 a gallon while the Kum & Go station offered it for $4.72 a gallon. At the Casey's in South Sioux, the price was $4.82 for a gallon.

Statewide, in Iowa, on July 30, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline was $3.90 (down by 72 cents from a month prior). The average for mid-grade was $4.12. Premium was $4.61 per gallon and diesel cost $4.94, on average. All down by 45 cents or more over the past month (per AAA). (A year ago, prices ranged from $3.00 to $3.11.)

Even with the decline, the counties of Sioux, Plymouth, Woodbury, Monona and Ida continue to see some of the highest gas prices in the state. In fact, no county in all of Iowa had as high of an average price for a regular gallon of gasoline as Ida at $4.20, according to AAA. (The second highest was Page County at $4.18 for regular).

Despite having the highest price in the state, Ida County's is still below AAA's national average of $4.23.

At a White House event on July 22, Democratic President Joe Biden said his administration was "working hard" on the issue of high prices.

"Gas prices are coming down," Biden said.

This week, Politico reported: "The U.S. benchmark oil price is forecast to fall to an average of $90 a barrel for the second half of this year compared with $101.35." Were that to happen, gas prices would continue to trend down even as supply chain issues persist and as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to worry global oil markets.

However, oil company profits haven't been affected by the disruptions. This week, the New York Times noted that Exxon Mobil and Chevron, the two largest energy companies in the United States, saw profits reach record highs in the second quarter. Exxon reported income of $17.9 billion for the three months through June while Chevrons reached $11.6 billion.

Record highs for gasoline in Sioux City came more than a month ago when the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded hit $4.83 on Tuesday, June 14. Diesel in Sioux City topped off at $5.39 on Wednesday. June 22. Nationally, the wave crested at $5.01 for regular (also on June 14) and $5.81 for diesel (on June 19).

Before 2022, the nationwide record was $4.103 set in 2008 (per Yahoo News).
SIOUX CITY  Dwight Evans didn't appear intoxicated to two Sioux City police officers when he was taken into custody, but both said they had only brief contact with him.

Officer Michael Sitzman and detective Bill Enockson assisted with Evans' apprehension early on May 1, 2021, hours after a fatal shooting at a Sioux City bar. Neither noticed signs signs of intoxication in Evans.

Enockson testified that Evans responded that he understood his Miranda rights after they were read to him and answered officers' questions. Enockson continued to talk to the handcuffed Evans while leading him to a squad car and placing him in the back seat.

"I didn't see any indications he was (under the influence). Nothing stood out to me," Enockson said Friday, the second day of evidence in Evans' trial for the shooting death of Martez Harrison.

Evans, 18, of Sioux City, has pleaded not guilty in Woodbury County District Court of first-degree murder and going armed with intent and is accused of shooting Harrison, 22, twice outside Uncle Dave's Bar, 1427 W. Third St., while Harrison was fighting with Evans' friend, Lawrence Canady. Witnesses Thursday testified they saw Evans fire the gun, then run from the scene.

He was located about three hours later after police received a call about a suspicious person in the area of 20th and Myrtle streets, several blocks from the bar but near a house police detective Paul Yaneff testified was Canady's home.

Evans' lawyers are using a defense that Evans was intoxicated at the time of the shooting, and they challenged Enockson and Sitzman's assessment of Evans' condition.

Sitzman drove Evans to the police station after he was taken into custody and said he didn't appear intoxicated.

Under cross examination, Sitzman said he did not speak to Evans, and his assessment was based upon his observations.

Enockson, a former member of the police department's Alcohol Safety Action Program, or ASAP unit that targets impaired drivers, said he spent about a minute and a half with Evans at the scene.

"It was a short amount of time," he said.

While reviewing Enockson's body camera video of Evans being taken into custody, public defender Michael Adams pointed out Evans' speech.

"He's very soft-spoken and mumbly, isn't he? He's kind of slurring his words, isn't he?" Adams asked Enockson.

Enockson said he didn't know how Evans usually talked.

"He kind of mumbles, as you put it," he said.

Adams challenged Enockson's assessment, saying his main concern was investigating a possible homicide and whether Evans posed a threat to officers, not assessing whether Evans was intoxicated.

"You can't tell us one way or another if he was intoxicated, can you?" Adams said.

"All I can say is I did not observe indicators (of intoxication)," Enockson said.

Minutes before he was apprehended, Evans had approached a bonfire in a yard in the neighborhood, where Mark Kuhfus was visiting his cousin and asked if he could use someone's phone.

Kuhfus said his cousin let Evans use his phone, and Evans made three calls but didn't appear to talk to anyone.

Evans then gave Kuhfus and his cousin $50-$100 to use a flashlight to search the alley for his wallet and phone. After a few minutes, Kuhfus joined the search. Going in the opposite direction from Evans, Kuhfus found a gun partially hidden in shrubbery in the alley.

Though Kuhfus was unaware of the shooting earlier that night, "I wrapped it up in my shirt and called 911," he said.

Shown a photo of the gun that a previous witness identified as the one used to shoot Harrison, Kuhfus said it was the same one he found.

Unaware the gun had been found and police notified, Evans fled when officers arrived, jumping over a couple fences before he was apprehended, Kuhfus said.

Police identification technician Jasmine Gray-McLean testified she received the gun at the scene, photographed it, then took it to her lab, where she processed it for DNA and fingerprints. Evidence was sent to the state crime lab for analysis.

There will be no court proceedings on Monday. The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man who shot a woman outside a Sioux City gentlemen's club was sentenced Friday to 12 years in federal prison.

Rudy Johnson, 28, pleaded guilty in February in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand sentenced Johnson to 10 years in prison on the gun charge and an additional two years for violating provisions of his supervised release from a previous federal conviction.

Johnson, who had previous felony convictions that prohibited him from possessing firearms, shot Krista Kruckenberg, of Sioux Falls, outside Mavericks Gentlemen's Club, 416 Cunningham Drive, on Dec. 20, 2020.

According to court documents, Johnson fired eight shots into a group of people watching a fight between his girlfriend and Kruckenberg's friend. Kruckenberg was struck six or seven times, including in her jaw, shoulder, pelvis, foot and both arms. Johnson and his girlfriend then fled.

Johnson was arrested nearly seven months later in Indiana.

He was initially charged in Woodbury County District Court with willful injury and numerous gun-related crimes, but the case was dismissed after Johnson was charged in federal court.
Man from E China's Shandong makes his way to world stage as a cook for the UN headquarters, commits to cultivation of skilled talents

People's Daily Online) 17:29, July 29, 2022

In 1989, 17-year-old Luo Yongcun was a waiter at a restaurant in his hometown, Jinxiang county, Jining city, east Chinas Shandong Province. Nowadays, he is a member of the kitchen staff providing catering services at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in the New York.

Before he started to take part in cooking competitions in 2000, Luo had worked for restaurants in various places across the country. As he mastered different cooking styles, he gradually become famous in the industry.

In 2013, Luo was recommended by the China Cuisine Association to become a member of the team responsible for preparing banquets held at the UN headquarters. During a food culture exchange activity in New York, the United States, Luo made a dish called Sweet and Sour Fish, which won unanimous applause from guests from various countries.

During an international cuisine competition held in Russia in November 2005, Luo won the first place in the hot dish challenge with his dish Sweet and Sour Fish.

 Sweet and Sour Fish requires high cooking skills and precise application of the cooks strength throughout the whole cooking process, including preparing the fish and other ingredients, slicing the fish, cooking the dish, and finally serving the dish with style, Luo explained. To master these techniques, he had participated in numerous cuisine competitions over the past 10 years.

In 2002, Luo participated in a cooking competition themed on "Man Han Quan Xi," or Complete Manchu-Han Banquet, which was hosted by China Central Television (CCTV). One challenge for the contestants was to make a dish using a leg of lamb.

Luo's work, which was a roasted leg of lamb, marked his third consecutive win in the same challenge. However, he failed the theory test due to his inadequate theoretical knowledge and a lack of understanding of the culture of cuisine. From then on, Luo would ask his apprentices to improve their theoretical knowledge.

Over the past years, Luo has trained 132 cooks, of whom 67 have become managers or owners of catering businesses. He has not only taught cooking to his apprentices, but has also assisted them in developing their own careers.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji)
SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in federal prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.

Juan Pablo-Hernandez, 44, pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child. There is no parole in the federal system.

Pablo-Hernandez had sex with the girl on two occasions between July 15 and Sept. 15, 2021, in an apartment in the 1600 block of Douglas Street. During an interview with police, Pablo-Hernandez admitted to having sex and other sexual contact with the girl.

Pablo-Hernandez was arrested Sept. 24 and charged in Woodbury County District Court with two counts each of second-degree sexual abuse, indecent contact with a child and lascivious acts with a child. The case was dismissed after Pablo-Hernandez was indicted in federal court in November.
SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa  A judge has halted proceedings in a Dickinson County murder case after granting a defense request for a psychiatric evaluation of the suspect.

District Judge Carl Petersen on Thursday ordered Christian Goyne-Yarns to be transported from the Dickinson County Jail to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Oakdale so doctors can determine his mental competency to stand trial for the Feb. 3 fatal shooting of Shelby Woizeschke.

If Goyne-Yarns is found mentally incompetent to stand trial, he would remain in Oakdale for treatment to restore his competency.

Petersen suspended further proceedings in the case, which was scheduled to go to trial on Aug. 16 in Dickinson County District Court.

Goyne-Yarns' attorneys had asked for the mental health evaluation in a motion filed Monday after having had several meetings with him to help him prepare for trial.

"Counsel believes that the defendant's current mental condition makes it impossible to effectively assist in his own defense," they wrote in their motion.

Goyne-Yarns, 25, of Jackson, Minnesota, has pleaded not guilty of first-degree murder. He's charged with shooting Woizeschke in the parking lot at GrapeTree Medical Staffing in Milford, Iowa, as she arrived for work. According to court documents, she was shot at least twice and was able to call 911 and identify Goyne-Yarns as her assailant. He was arrested about an hour and a half after the shooting.

Woizeschke, 24, of Spencer, Iowa, died in a Sioux Falls hospital Feb. 6. She had two young sons from a previous relationship with Goyne-Yarns.

If found guilty as charged, Goyne-Yarns would face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole.
The Cedar Rapids native had no idea the smoke from the pit may also have been destroying his lungs. Joshua Casteel died in 2012 at age 32 of lung cancer his family believes was caused by toxins from the burn pit at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP)  Alabamas prison system said Friday that the execution of an Alabama inmate was delayed because of the time it took to establish an intravenous line to the inmate.

The state offered more information about the hourslong delay that observers said was troubling and unusual.

"The protocol states that if the veins are such that intravenous access cannot be provided, the team will perform a central line procedure. Fortunately, this was not necessary and with adequate time, intravenous access was established, the Alabama Department of Corrections said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press.

The statement did not elaborate on how long it took to establish the intravenous line or how many attempts were made. But a prison system spokeswoman confirmed the delay happened because of the time required to establish the IV connection.

Joe Nathan James Jr. was put to death Thursday night for the 1994 murder of his ex-girlfriend Faith Hall, 26, more than three hours after the procedure originally was supposed to begin.

The execution was set for 6 p.m. CDT, and the U.S. Supreme Court denied James' request for a stay at 5:24 p.m. Reporters were taken to the grounds of Holman prison by van at about 6:30 p.m. to witness the execution, which did not get underway until about 9:04 p.m. The inmate was pronounced dead at 9:27 p.m.

A delay of that length is unusual compared to executions conducted in Alabama in recent years.

Three-hour delays in carrying out executions after all court issues have been resolved are not normal. They dont happen unless something has gone wrong or the state is not properly prepared, Robert Dunham, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, wrote in an email Friday.

The state in 2018 called off the execution of Doyle Lee Hamm after staff had trouble finding a suitable vein for the intravenous line. The inmate was punctured at least 11 times in his limbs and groin, according to his attorney, as staff tried unsuccessfully to connect the IV line.

Dunham said the delay with the most recent execution shows the need for greater transparency.

In a truly transparent system, the media would be able to witness the attempts to set an IV line. If it took three hours to set an IV line, thats a huge problem  reminiscent of the Doyle Lee Hamm botched execution attempt, Dunham wrote in an email.

Alabama Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told reporters Thursday that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Asked Thursday if there was difficulty in finding a vein during James lethal injection, Hamm said: I dont know.

I cant overemphasize this process. Were carrying out the ultimate punishment, the execution of an inmate. And we have protocols and were very deliberate in our process, and making sure everything goes according to plan. So if that takes a few minutes or a few hours, thats what we do, Hamm told reporters.

By comparison, the January execution of Matthew Reeves was relatively swift. News reporters left for the prison at about 8:27 p.m. to witness the procedure and Reeves was pronounced dead at 9:24 p.m.

Asked whether there was any resistance from James to the preparation, Hamm said: None that Im aware of.

James showed no deliberate movements at any point during the portion of the execution witnessed by media, gave no final words and had his eyes closed. Hamm, responding to questions, denied that James was sedated beforehand.
Grand juries play a major role in the U.S. criminal justice system. And theyre very much in the news these days.

A grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia, is looking into former President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in that state. Among the latest witnesses to give testimony to the grand jury was Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.

In Washington, D.C., the U.S. Justice Department is in the middle of an investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and it is questioning witnesses before a grand jury as well. Most recently, two top aides to former Vice President Mike Pence were questioned in that probe.

A grand jury does not mean that the investigation will lead to any formal criminal charges, which are known as indictments. There was a grand jury that issued subpoenas during the investigation into Hillary Clintons email server, for example, but no one was charged with any crimes.

In order to understand grand juries and their work, I offer the following explanation of how federal and state grand juries are used in the U.S.

Legal basis: Federal and state

The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides the legal basis for grand juries. In federal criminal cases, federal grand juries are made up of 16 to 23 members. They decide whether to indict someone who is being investigated, and at least 12 grand jurors need to agree to issue an indictment.

In addition to considering whether individuals may have committed a crime, a grand jury can also be used by a prosecutor as an investigative tool to compel witnesses to testify or turn over documents. Reports indicate that Special Counsel Robert Mueller used a grand jury for the latter when he investigated whether there was collusion between former President Donald Trumps election campaign and Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Makeup of a grand jury

Grand jurors are usually chosen from the same jury pool as trial jurors. For a federal grand jury, all U.S. citizens over the age of 18 living in the federal district courts geographic jurisdiction are in the pool.

Court clerks first identify members of the grand jury pool from public records, including records of licensed drivers and registered voters.

Next, prospective grand jurors are screened, usually through questionnaires.

To be a member of a federal grand jury, a person has to be adequately proficient in English, have no disqualifying mental or physical condition, not be currently subject to felony charges punishable by imprisonment for more than one year and never have been convicted of a felony (unless civil rights have been legally restored). The court then randomly chooses candidates for the grand jury from this pool.

Work of the grand jury

In all felony cases, there must be a probable cause determination that a crime has been committed in order for a case to move forward to a trial or a plea. Probable cause means that there must be some evidence of each element of the offense.

In the federal system, a grand jury is the body that makes the probable cause determination. In many states, like Missouri, the probable cause determination can be made either by a grand jury or at a preliminary hearing before a judge.

When there is an option for either a grand jury or preliminary hearing to determine probable cause, the prosecutor decides which one to use. For example, in the shooting death of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in 2014, the St. Louis County prosecuting attorney brought the evidence to a grand jury rather than choosing to present evidence to a judge through a preliminary hearing. In serious cases like murder, most prosecutors use the grand jury because it is usually quicker than a preliminary hearing.

Most people whose cases go to the grand jury have already been arrested. These include all of the cases in which a person is arrested while committing a crime or shortly after the crime has been committed.

In some cases, like Muellers Russia investigation, prosecutors do not have all the evidence they need to make a good case. In these investigations, a grand jury is used to help with the investigation. Once the grand jury is impaneled, the prosecutor has the ability to subpoena records and witnesses.

Subpoena power means the prosecutor can compel witnesses to turn over documents and to testify. If the prosecutor obtains sufficient evidence of a crime, the same grand jury has the power to indict whomever it believes has committed a crime.

The work of a grand jury is required by law to be done in secret, so the public has no right to know who is subpoenaed or what documents the grand jury is reviewing. Even though the grand jury work is secret, federal rules and a majority of states permit grand jury witnesses to discuss what occurred when they testified.

President Clinton in videotaped grand jury testimony Aug. 17, 1998. AP Photo/APTV

In some high-profile cases, witnesses subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury will talk to the press if they think it will be helpful to them. For example, when former President Bill Clinton testified before a grand jury during the investigation into Whitewater real estate investment and the affair with Monica Lewinsky, he went on national television and announced that he had testified.

Potential dangers

The secrecy of a grand jury presents some dangers. The defendant does not know the evidence being considered, does not have a right to be present, and cannot question the evidence early in the criminal justice process.

As a result of the secrecy, the grand jury can also end up being a tool of the prosecution, and the prosecutor can choose to withhold evidence that is favorable to the accused. That is why a former chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in New York, famously said that a prosecutor could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich.

These types of dangers are always present during any grand jury, and getting a grand jury to issue an indictment may be easy. But in high-profile cases, like the Russia connection to the Trump presidency and possibly the current investigation into Trumps efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia, proving wrongdoing beyond a reasonable doubt through a trial or a negotiated guilty plea usually proves much more difficult.

This is an updated version of a story originally published on Aug. 7, 2017.

___

Peter A. Joy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

___
Russias state-owned natural gas corporation says it has halted shipments to Latvia because of contract violations. In a brief statement, gas giant Gazprom said the shipments were stopped because Latvia broke terms for extraction of gas. It didn't elaborate.The statement likely referred to a refusal to meet Russias demand for gas payments in rubles rather than other currencies. Gazprom previously suspended shipments to European Union countries, including the Netherlands, Poland and Bulgaria, because they would not pay in rubles.The immediate effects of the cutoff were not clear. Latvian media reported this week that the country had resumed buying Russian gas from another supplier.
During recent election seasons there has been a debate over whether a voter must present an identification card to cast a ballot and if so, what type?

Congressional Democrats are considering legislation that would provide secure identification cards, not to U.S. citizens for the purpose of voting, but to those who crossed our southern border in violation of our immigration laws, which the Biden administration has mostly refused to enforce.

Supporters say cards for immigrants would make it easier, among other things, for them to access benefits, meaning U.S. citizens will foot the bill. Taxpayer dollars are already going to nonprofits working at the border, which amounts to a kind of aiding and abetting lawbreakers. In our upside-down legal system where lawbreakers are often treated better than law-abiders (New York City and California are the most egregious examples), ID cards can only encourage more people to come to America where they can count on free stuff and other goodies normally reserved for U.S. citizens.

Todd Bensman, national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, wrote in the New York Post: As things stand, well over 2 million border crossers have fanned out across America. Millions more will be granted admittance in the next two years if the administration stays this course. By the end of Bidens term, at this rate, the number of people let in at the border will probably exceed 6 million.

Will all those crossing the border take the card? Or will some believe its just a way for the government to track their movements and make sure they show up for court hearings where a judge will determine the legitimacy of their claim that they fled persecution in their home countries? A credible case for ID cards that track their whereabouts might be made if that were the objective, but I doubt it. One doesnt have to be a conspiracy fanatic to question why this is happening. Compassion cant be the only motive, especially with drugs and people with criminal records coming in.

It is more than ironic that Democrats want to pass out ID cards to people who have broken our immigration laws while simultaneously opposing requiring the presentation of voter ID on Election Day.

Voter ID has become a patchwork, with some states requiring a photo, some states not requiring a photo and some states not requiring any ID at all, except for first-time voters. Uniformity would help increase public confidence that election outcomes are fair and accurate, reducing the spectacle we have witnessed since the 2020 election in which Donald Trump and his supporters continue to claim fraud and a stolen election without credible proof.

Speaking about the proposed ID card for those who broke the law to enter the U.S., as they face waiting for court dates (which may take up to several years, given the huge backlog of cases), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told The Daily Mail: During the worst border crisis in history, the Biden administration is now handing out ID cards to illegal migrants to make it easier to travel throughout the United States. This is the exact opposite of what he should be doing.

He is right, but only if Republicans win House and Senate majorities in the November election will they have a chance to significantly reduce the immigrant flood and end benefits that serve as an enticement for even more to come with possibly even worse consequences.

Only Fox News seems to be giving this story the coverage it deserves. If more media paid attention, public opinion might be better informed and the nation better served.
A journalist who covers wildfires responds to Premee Mohameds All That Burns Unseen.

In All That Burns Unseen, set in a dystopian but not-too-distant future, we finally get the drone sidekick we didnt know we needed. Premee Mohameds heroine, Vaughn Collins, is a government worker gone rogue as a wildfire burns. Along the way, she rescues a dazed, glitchy fire extinguisher drone. When a funnel of flames heads for Vaughns truck, threatening everything, her new friend dives into the blaze and sprays.

Advertisement

I understand her affection for it. When the world is too much, Id like to humbly recommend fire drone YouTube. Drones can spot forest fires, find people behind flames, and pull firehoses up beyond the tallest ladders. Some, like this little guy, are essentially flying fire extinguishers.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Vaughns enthusiasm for her drone friend is dampened only by the chemicals it contains. Supposedly they were less dangerous than they used to be. Vaughn still didnt like the idea of breathing the stuff in, Mohamed writes. In our present and in Vaughns past, the chemicals in some firefighting foams, known as PFAS, are indeed dangerous. What replaces them could depend on todays Environmental Protection Agency.

In firefighting, different fuels call for different chemicals and techniques. Class A fuels, like wood or paper, can be put out using water, often made even more effective with additives. Youre probably familiar with Class A fire retardants from photos of air tankers dropping red clouds near wildfires; they slow oncoming flames by changing how they burn. To be clear, these are different from PFASalthough they have their own risks. Made of salts or chemicals used to make fertilizer, they have killed fish and caused algae blooms; their use is now restricted near water.

Advertisement

Advertisement

But at least these Class A wildfire retardants should break down over time. When I asked Shirley Zylstra at the U.S. Forest Service, she told me that they lose most or all of their toxicity within a month or so. So do the Class A foams used to fight wildfires up close, which are made of detergents like those in shampoo or shaving cream; they help water sink in and coat buildings in protective bubbles. Like retardants, Class A foams are also short-term bad for fish; on the upside, they are required to biodegrade quickly. (In case you were wondering, home fire extinguishers shouldnt have long-term effects, either. Their powders smother grease and electrical fires as well as Class A fires. White powder is basically baking soda; yellow is chemically close to bird poop.)

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Vaughns drone sprays black powder. It could be carrying fire extinguisher powder. Or, if the drone also carries water, it could be carrying a futuristic foam concentrate. As Vaughn points out, first responders should avoid breathing any of this stuff in. Many of these chemicals could cause coughing, irritation, or even death at high-enough doses. That said, they are deeply diluted before use. Opponents would like Class A foams and retardants used less, but they are not focused on making the chemicals themselves less harmful.

When Vaughn says firefighting chemicals have become less dangerous, then, she may be talking about a different category: aqueous film forming foams, or AFFFs. Invented in the 1960s, these foams protect jet fuel at airports and oil at refineries. They are our best tool for Class B fires: when vats of flammable liquids catch flame. In Mohameds story, Vaughn lands her plane on an oil company runway. Perhaps her manta rayshaped drone sidekick, fighting fires in a land filled with flammable liquids thanks to the oil industry, is carrying a futuristic replacement for AFFF. But what, exactly?

Advertisement

Advertisement

Like the fossil fuels they protect, AFFFs cause long-lasting harm. Instead of killing fish quickly, they give fish cancer. In Lake Superior, chemicals used in AFFFs have made some fish dangerous to eat, affecting tribal fishing traditions and people who fish to survive. Across the U.S., these chemicals are contaminating drinking water. Whats worse, they essentially never break down.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Called PFAS (for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), these forever chemicals repel both water and oil. They form weirdly impenetrable firefighting foam; they also give us waterproof mascara, rainproof tents, leakproof burger wrappers, and nonstick pans. But in addition to repelling liquids, PFAS also accumulate in our blood. Most of us have at least some PFAS in our bodies.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Youve probably heard about them before. In 1999, mysterious cow deaths near a DuPont factory sparked class-action lawsuits and medical research into the impacts of PFAS. The 2019 film Dark Waters follows lawyer Robert Billot, played by Mark Ruffalo, who won several lawsuits against DuPont, which knew there were risks for years.

Independent research ordered during those lawsuits linked high levels of PFAS to thyroid problems, pregnancy complications, kidney disease, and more. Since then, even low levels have been connected to immune system problems and other health concerns.

PFAS were first developed in the 1930s and are still used widely. But AFFFs are one of the most obvious ways they wind up in our water. For years, fire departments could simply hose huge, foamy mounds of AFFF into soil and storm drains. Eventually, many states tightened guidelines for disposing of foam.

Advertisement

Advertisement

In the early 2000s, chemical companies started phasing out early PFAS called PFOS and PFOA, replacing them with ostensibly less-bad alternatives. Newer short-chain PFAS are different than their predecessors on a molecular level, so existing research about risks did not as clearly apply. Many municipalities did what seemed like the right thing: They switched to firefighting foams made with the newer PFAS.

Now, it appears many of the newer PFAS are still plenty bad for us. Many fire departments will have to replace AFFFs again, this time with non-PFAS foams. In the meantime, weve spent two decades using replacement chemicals in all sorts of products that are still toxic and that still persist in the environment.

Advertisement

Its the kind of seemingly preventable mistake that makes teeth grind. But in the chemical industry, these regrettable substitutions are common. Vaughns skepticism toward the contents of her drone is warranted: The same thing could easily happen again.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Reasonable people might expect chemical regulation to work something like drug approvals. To release drugs (or vaccines) companies must first runand pay forstudy after study to clarify any side effects. For the U.S. chemical industry, for a long time, the process was almost the opposite. For decades, most new chemicals entered the market with no required safety testing and no formal review by the U.S. EPA.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Under the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act, chemicals were assumed safe until proved dangerous. The EPA had limited power even to request data. Once it understood health risks, it had to weigh them against financial costs. When the EPA banned asbestos in 1989, manufacturers sued to weaken the ban and won.

Advertisement

Now, there is a glimmer of change. In 2016, Toxic Substances Control Act reform finally passed. A bipartisan bill, the Lautenberg Act, gave the EPA more authority to test and regulate new and existing chemicalsand required it to do so. In June, the EPA finally proposed a new asbestos ban; it also ordered safety tests for 6:2 FTAB, one of the short chain PFAS now used in AFFF.

A week later, the EPA also announced health advisories for four other PFAS. The new safe level for PFOA and PFOS in drinking water is approximately zero. Next, the EPA plans to designate those two PFAS as hazardous. That move will trigger Superfund cleanups and big decisions about who will pay.

Advertisement

For the first time, the EPA also defined safe drinking water levels for two of the newer short chain PFAS; enforceable limits should follow. Surely now we can rest easy, knowing that Vaughns well-meaning drone sidekick, decades in the future, is spraying something truly harmless?

Advertisement

The problem is, none of this actually bans the PFAS in AFFFs. PFAS are still used in Class B firefighting foams because they still put out liquid fires faster than alternatives. The Department of Defense has a mandate to find non-PFAS replacements by 2024, but so far it doesnt have a silver bullet.

Advertisement

More broadly, drinking water limits alone cant solve for regrettable substitutions. There arent just four PFAS chemicalsthere are thousands. The EPA cant even test for them all yet. While this years four health advisories were based on clear, if limited, data, most PFAS are entirely unstudied. They may be better or worse than their predecessors; we dont know.

Advertisement

Thats why some toxicologists want the EPA to regulate PFAS as one big group. As with drugs, they think PFAS should be assumed dangerous until proved safe. Because PFAS dont biodegrade and we cant study them quickly enough, continuing to produce them multiplies problems we dont yet understand. Add all the other chemicals we cant keep up with, and we may even be threatening the stability of life on Earth. (Again, may I recommend a delightful firefighting drone video as a break from the news?)

Advertisement

Advertisement

A handful of states, like California, are already regulating PFAS as a group, banning them in product categories like food packaging. The EPA is taking a different tack, working first to better understand the specific risks of different PFAS subgroups.

Advertisement

Using computer models and machine learning, computational toxicologists can treat PFAS molecules like keys and virtually test them against receptors in our cells. PFAS that are likely to accidentally unlock similar cellular functions can be grouped and prioritized for research. Data from the 6:2 FTAB used in AFFF, for example, could help the EPA make educated guesses about the health risks of 503 other structurally similar PFAS.

This approach could clarify health risks and help justify eye-popping cleanup costsit could also take decades. In an email, the EPA said the agency is focused on improving its ability to address multiple chemicals at once. In the dystopian future Mohamed imagines, Vaughns continued skepticism implies plenty of regrettable substitutions in the meantime.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
A new statewide, searchable cold case database sparked a new lead in a 19-year-old murder investigation late last month.

I just got a tip, Virginia State Police Special Agent Douglas Hubert said. On the Dickie Palmer case, from the website.

Richard Anthony Dickie Palmer, 52, of Floyd County, and his dog, Rufus, were found dead in Palmers truck in Roanoke on April 22, 2003.

A person of interest in Palmers murder, Milton Lewis Wright, 60, of Pulaski, has been incarcerated for life on a slew of child pornography charges, according to court documents.

But Hubert, who has been working Palmers case out of the state polices Bureau of Criminal Investigation Salem Field Office, said that doesnt mean the murder case is closed.

There is a lot of DNA involved in this case, Hubert said. There was an obstacle with putting the suspect in the vehicle with Palmer. And were trying to accomplish that now.

Huberts latest tip, which came through the cold case database, is from someone who doesnt want to remain anonymous to police.

Theyve given their information, Hubert said. They knew somebody whos connected to it and is a potential suspect in the case.

The legislation that established the database passed through the Virginia General Assembly in 2020 and was signed into law. According to state code, the database is designed to assist law-enforcement agencies in the development of information leading to the identification and arrest of persons who may have committed the crimes or to persons who may have relevant information to solve the case.

Del. Danica Roem, D-Prince William, introduced a bill to establish the database. That first bill was killed in an appropriations committee, but she tried again in 2020, which sought $100,000 to fund the websites creation.

That 2020 bill passed through the House and Senate and returned to the House.

It was a long day on the House floor, and I go, So, if you like solving murder, you should vote for this bill. And they did, and it passed unanimously, Roem said July 22.

The database launched in the middle of June. As of last month, it featured 40 homicide cases, six unidentified persons cases and five missing persons cases.

Those 51 cases have been entered into the system by special agents in state police and Bureau of Criminal Investigation field offices around the state.

Corinne Geller, state police public relations director, said additional cases from local agencies will be added to the database as the website matures.

State police featured its own cases initially in order to test the site and the processes used to upload information from our special agents in the field, Geller said in an email Friday. Basically, we want to work out the bugs of the system before opening it up to other law enforcement agencies.

Geller said those fixes are being finalized now, and state police will soon begin working with local agencies to upload their cases to the database.

In the Roanoke and New River valleys, there are two state police criminal investigation field offices: Wytheville and Salem. Each of those offices is staffed with special agents assigned to investigate active cases within the offices geographical boundaries.

Some offices have special agents that work as assigned members of the Cold Case Unit. Special Agent Russell Edwards is on that task force and works out of the Wytheville office.

Edwards said he is currently investigating 12 cold cases. Ten of those cases are featured in the new database, including that of Gary Nolan Romano.

Romano was 25 years old when he was found dead in his 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck on the shoulder of Interstate 81 in Pulaski County on June 30, 1980.

He was discovered by a road crew worker. And upon looking into his truck and noticing blood there, he called the state police to inform them of it, Edwards said.

The special agent said crime scene photographs indicate Romano was shot once in the head while sleeping on the bench seat. Edwards said there were no witnesses, but officers were able to retrieve latent prints from the truck in 1980.

The lab in Roanoke submitted those fingerprints to the cold case latent database for periodic searches to see if anything pops up, Edwards said. They havent had any matches on them.

Edwards is also working with a lab to identify DNA on cigarette butts also found in Romanos truck.

Just because a person rode in a truck doesnt mean they had anything to do with it, but possibly they may know something, Edwards said. Im still currently working with the lab on trying to check those through CODIS  the Combined DNA Index System, a Federal Bureau of Investigation program.

Romanos body was found the same day a car that had been driven by a Radford University freshman named Gina Hall was found, two days after Hall disappeared from the Claytor Lake area of Pulaski County. Halls body hasnt been found, but a man has been convicted for her murder.

Two New River Valley murder cases: Unsolved and unlisted, or solved but still cold Investigators still hope to locate a body from a 1980 murder and the killer or killers from a 2009 double slaying.

Edwards said he hasnt found any links between Romano and Halls deaths, despite their proximity.

A lot of people have speculated over the years that they were directly related, but reading both case files, I cant find a single link from one case to the other, Edwards said.

Two of the other cases on Edwards list arent featured on the states new database, because theyre not yet five years old.

One of those cases features Bruce Ritchie, who was found dead near his car in the ditch of an Interstate 77 exit in Bland County in 2020. The 57-year-old man from Herminie, Pennsylvania, had a stab wound in his back. Edwards said he was one of the original agents on that case.

There are a couple more than Ill probably be getting sometime soon, Edwards said, once they reach that magic age.

Geller said the new database features cold cases aged five years and older as directed by the legislation that established the website. She also said most law enforcement agencies accept and use a four- or five-year benchmark.

But 1st Sgt. Kevin Zirkle from the Bureau of Criminal Investigations Salem Field Office said that just because a case is considered cold doesnt mean it isnt being actively investigated by agents.

There are cases we have that we maybe arent ready to prosecute or ready to charge somebody, but theyre not cold, Zirkle said. We still have leads, and were working on those cases daily and weekly.

When cases are old enough to have been managed by several agents or investigators, their files can pile up and require a lot of maintenance.

If we want to find a particular piece of information in a case file thats thousands and thousands and thousands of pages of written documents, how do we find that? Zirkle said. The longer a case goes, the more voluminous it becomes, and the harder it becomes to manage that file.

Special Agent Matthew Wade, also with the Salem Field Office, is a part of a task force investigating the murders of Michael, Mary and Jennifer Short in 2002. He said his team is taking time to digitizing case files and evidence.

When this took place, back in the early 2000s, everything was still put on pen and paper, Wade said. We tried to make sure every piece of paper thats a part of the case file has been scanned and put in a digitized format. All interviews that were recorded using the old audio cassette recorders, weve put those to a digital format. Same thing with any VHS recordings.

Michael Wayne Short, 50, and Mary Hall Short, 36, were found dead in their Henry County home on Aug. 15, 2002. Their daughter, Jennifer Short, 9, had been abducted from the residence. Her remains were found six weeks later in Rockingham County, North Carolina.

The task force investigating the Short murders contains law enforcement officers from several jurisdictions, including the Henry County Sheriffs Office, the Rockingham County, North Carolina, Sheriffs Office, the Virginia State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The inter-jurisdictional task force hit the ground running last fall.

When you have this many people, it just kind of makes the load easier, Wade said. It would definitely be overwhelming for one person to have the caseload that we all have and try to work this by yourself. Because its just such a big case.

The Short familys case is one of the most notorious in Western Virginia. Wade said because it is so well known, people arrested in the area try to bargain with police by providing tips.

Unfortunately, we have people that get arrested, and think they can help themselves by lying, and trying to give us information, Wade said. Some of it, you can prove pretty quick that they dont know what theyre talking about. Some of it, its a little bit harder.

Hubert said not all tips are misleading. In addition to Palmers case, hes investigating the disappearance of Christopher Douthat, a 24-year-old Franklin County resident last seen in Roanoke eight years ago.

In my experience, every time I put out for tips, in the Douthat case particularly, Ive received one piece of good, valuable information out of that, Hubert said, adding that the new database is an opportunity for that to happen again.

Douthat disappeared after leaving Chaps Tavern in Roanoke the evening of Oct. 25, 2013. Cellphone data puts his last known location on Ninth Street Southeast at about 5 p.m.

Hubert said what happened to Douthats body and cellphone is unknown.

The fact is, time can be an advantage, and time can be a disadvantage, Hubert said. Time has been a little bit of both for Christopher Douthat.

When Douthat first disappeared, the Vinton Police Department picked up the case, because the last visual sighting of Douthat was in their jurisdiction. The department launched a missing persons investigation, but they didnt get very far.

The police officers are not going to leave Vinton, and all the actors in this case are in Franklin County, Hubert said. And a patrol officer had it, so its not like hes going to get in his patrol car and drive to Franklin County and interview people on a case.

Hubert said a lot of evidence that could have helped Douthats case, including surveillance video, was lost in the first seven days that law enforcement was waiting for him to show up as a suicide or overdose victim.

In 2018, Vinton handed over the case to state police, and Hubert had to essentially start from scratch.

That five-year lag in there has given those people, particularly the suspects, an opportunity to change, Hubert said. A lot of the players in this case were immature persons at the time that the case occurred. If we fast forward, as they begin to mature and have families of their own and have other changes in life, their mindsets change. So, you get a different interview. Thats been a positive point.

Douthats case is now being investigated as a homicide, and Hubert said hes on the cusp of solving it.

I dont have Chris, but I have the actors, I have the players and I have a really good understanding of what did occur. But at this point, thats all evidentiary, and I cant discuss it with the family. It does make it very hard, Hubert said. It wont be solved in my mind until I know where Chris is at.

A case is traditionally considered solved when a suspect is charged, prosecuted in court, found guilty and sentenced.

But while no one has been prosecuted for the murder of Palmer and his dog, Hubert said hes comfortable saying that case is solved.

Its not solved in the fact that we did not have someone go through a court process and either have them convicted, acquitted or anything like that, Hubert said. But, yes, we have the truth.

What more important thing is there? Roem said. This is why were supposed to have a government in the first place, why we have law enforcement, why we have public records. Its to benefit the public. And solving these cases absolutely benefits the public.

The cold case databases website has a tab that allows visitors to submit suggestions for site improvements. Geller said that most suggestions so far have come from families wondering why their loved ones case is not yet featured.

Those have been cases being investigated by a local Virginia police or sheriffs agency, Geller said, not the state police.

Hubert confirmed that cold cases being handled by local agencies arent in the new database yet. He said the Franklin County Sheriffs Office is working at least two homicide cases  those of Heather Hodges and Vicky Purdy  that may be connected to Douthats case.

The players all overlap, Hubert said. I think that by putting these things in the database and starting to put these cases together, it may let somebody in the public start linking them together a little bit, which will be helpful, or it may be a reminder to the agencies as theyre entering them that, Oh, whats this case here? Ive heard that name before.

By design, this will help facilitate conversations between different law enforcement agencies and the people who run them, because in order for those local cases that are not currently on the website to have to get up there, theyre going to have to interact with Virginia State Police, Roem said. This will have to inherently involve law enforcement officials working collaboratively with each other, and working collaboratively with the public.

Wade said hes looking forward to following leads the new database may generate.

Theres going to be people out there that have information that, for whatever reason, they just havent come forward with all these years, Wade said. Everybody has a cellphone with them all the time. You never know when they may actually see it and be like, Hey, this is something that I want to provide at this time. Having that platform for them to be able to respond to us, I think its going be a great thing.

Roem said the database will only be successful in solving crimes if the public engages with it.

I am imploring your readers wherever they are, give it a look. Please, give it a look, even if its just one time. Just look over the cases and see if theres something that you remember there, Roem said. If we solve even one of these cases because of the cold case database, then the whole thing is worth its while.

Geller said the site has only generated a handful of tips since it launched in June. But she said her agency is proud to manage the database and hopes it aids law enforcement in the states effort to successfully resolve these difficult cases and bring closure to the affected families.

Im working the case for the family, Hubert said of the Douthat case. Thats devastating for the family. I cant fathom the thought of not knowing where somebodys at. Ive had contact with the suspects or actors in this case, and its just very irritating to me that somebody would be able to do this to somebody.

Edwards said that hes similarly anxious to solve the cases assigned to him.

Im going to solve as many as I can. Theres one Im particularly interested in that needs to be resolved, the special agent said. That would give the family some peace that their loved ones been found and given a proper burial. Thats my main drive, especially for all these missing persons.
Several days of heavy rain and storms hit the area last week with more in the forecast for this week. The storms caused some minor damage in the area including the toppling of a southern catalpa tree believed to be nearly 200 years old.

A southern catalpa tree located at the home of Mark and Wendy Kedzierski in the Waterfront community in Moneta went down during a storm on July 26. The home is listed on the Virginia Historic Registry as the only surviving structure on what was the John Craghead plantation that made up much of the surrounding area long before Smith Mountain Dam was created.

The home was constructed in 1825. Wendy Kedzierski said the recently toppled southern catalpa tree is possibly as old as the home itself. That would make for an ancient southern catalpa since the lifespan of most of the trees is around 60 years.

Kedzierski said the tree was added to Virginias Big Tree program in 2017. The program is coordinated by the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech to maintain a register of the three largest specimens of over 300 native, non-native and naturalized tree species in Virginia.

At that time it was measured in 2017, the southern catalpa was 43 feet with a 210-inch circumference.

Despite the size, the tree was showing its age. Part of the trees truck had decayed and Wendy Kedzierski said she feared it would eventually fall.

Every year we thought it would be its last year, Kedzierski said.

The tree was still a popular spot for birds and other wildlife in recent years, according to Kedzierski. Signs of a long ago tree house could also be found on the tree with multiple boards nailed to the trees trunk.

We hate that it went down under our watch, Kedzierski said.

Removal of the tree is expected in the coming days or weeks. Kedzierski said she plans to salvage a section to create something to memorialize the tree and its long history at the home.

It had a good, long life, Kedzierski said.
Considerable interest in stays inside fully equipped period tents, built in historical areas.

Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled

Period tents with comfortable beds, the clothing people wore in the Middle Ages, drinking from a Viking horn, even a chainmail shirt with a helmet and sword: all part of a unique experience that people can currently find in the area of Vodny Hrad Castle in Hronsek.

Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement

Last year's event at Pusty Hrad Castle, the Royal Wedding, confirmed that there is a special interest in this type of attraction.

As part of the event, for the first time they tried to offer visitors a day like in the Middle Ages complete with an overnight stay in a historical tent on the castle grounds, said Jiri Pec, executive director of the Regional Organization of Tourism (OOCR) Central Slovakia.

To enhance the offer, they bought four large period tents with ample equipment.

"They have comfortable beds, period clothes, metal cutlery for eating or a Viking drinking horn. For those who would like to dive deeper into the Middle Ages, there is a chainmail shirt with a helmet and a sword on offer," Pec said.

Visitors will have the chance to learn how people used to make fire, or try throwing a spear or an axe.

The tents are currently erected in the area of Vodny Hrad Castle in Hronsek, which has changed significantly over the past quarter of a century. However, the rare tent town should not only be set up in Hronsek.

According to the director of OOCR Central Slovakia, the plan is to move it to places with current events, such as Forgotten Crafts at Zvolen Castle, Hronsekanie in the park of the Hronsek Manor or the aforementioned Royal Wedding at Pusty Hrad.

"Outside the events, the tents will be placed at a selected location in central Slovakia, where they will enhance the historical atmosphere and essentially be an added value for the given location.

The hardest ferrata in Slovakia opened in Skalka Read more

Booking to be available soon

According to the information provided by Zuzana Jobova, destination marketing specialist of KOCR Turisticky Novohrad a Podpolanie, those interested can book accommodation in the tents through a website, to be launched at the beginning of August. Further information can be found at www.centralslovakia.eu.

My Novohrad

Spectacular Slovakia travel guides
Driver Tyler Borth was a force to be reckoned with on Friday night (July 29) at Grand River Raceway, winning half of the evening's 10 races.

Borth kicked off the night in the winner's circle with Paul Chapman's homebred pacer Chappiesboy ($5.60) and then won back-to-back races mid-card for trainer Shayne Barrington with the maiden-breaking three-year-old filly trotter Lady Guinevere ($7.10) and the popular sophomore pacing gelding Shadowmoon Rising ($4.20) from the trailing tier.

The Blair Burgess sophomore student Docs Papparazzi ($29.20) landed Borth right back in the winner's circle when he collared the pacesetter at the wire for a 13-1 upset in the seventh race.

Borth later closed out the night in rein to the Kristina Anderson-trained trotter Arcanum ($3.20), delivering as the favourite with a 5-1/4-length victory.

Currently amid a career-best year, Borth's five Friday wins boosted his seasonal total to 179, which ranks him among the top four drivers in Canada. The Ingersoll, Ont. reinsman, who won Canada's Future Star Award in 2014, is enjoying his first million-dollar season with more than $1.18 million banked already in 2022.

To view Friday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Friday Results - Grand River Raceway.
A surprising upset in the Dream of Glory eliminations has drawn post five and looks to make it back-to-back upsets this Saturday (July 30) in the Dream of Glory Trot Final at Hanover Raceway.

Lenis came up with a big win as the morning line odds longshot at 8-1. The Brian Lee-trained three-year-old gelding won his elimination in the time of 1:59.1. What adds to the surprise of this win is the fact that Lenis was racing with an injury, and Lee is still scratching his head on how his young trotter managed to hurt himself in such a manner.

He actually had a broken jaw we noticed in June, Lee told Trot Insider. We have no idea how he ended up doing it. He had to get his jaw wired and it's still wired right now.

Lee was very surprised with the results of his young trotter, who prevailed by a neck in 1:59.1 for first-time driver Austin Sorrie. With Sorrie at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday, Mike Saftic has picked up the drive aboard Lenis, listed at 8-1 on the morning line.

Ill be honest, he hadnt raced that well his last two starts. We got him scoped after his last start and he showed mucus build-up from allergies. So, we treated him for that, and we really didnt know what to expect with the allergies and broken jaw.

Lenis did not have the flashiest two-year-old campaigns but was able to finish near the leaders a couple of times. He got his first win at Woodbine Mohawk Park this past May in the time of 1:57.3 which also stands as his lifetime mark.

It took him a while to figure it out. He kept making breaks and we had to stop with him at one point.

Lenis needed extra time to develop and is still catching up to the level where Lee thinks he should be performing but the son of Il Sogno Dream is showing flashes of skills that keeps his trainer hopeful.

He showed some nice last quarters and he raced well in the Harvest Series, As a two-year-old, Lenis did have back-to-back second-place finishes in the first two legs of the Harvest Series where he  showed some nice last quarters and raced well before a fifth-place finish in the final.

Over the winter, Lenis showed improvement and showed his trainer some growth both physically and mentally. He grew quite a bit. Hes got a nice length to him. He trots cleaner this year and seems to be more mature.

I was expecting him to be a bit better this year, but I wouldnt say hes disappointed me. He did have his issues and it seems to be healing well so Im hoping he will do better going forward.

Last Saturdays elimination was only the second time Lenis raced on a half-mile track, but he has shown that he can trot well on the smaller size track. In his two starts on the half-mile track, he has a win and a third-place finish. Over 16 career starts, Lenis has $36,624 in earnings and just the two wins but there is something in this horse that Lee sees and he thinks his time will come soon.

Hes a pretty smart colt. He doesnt do too much wrong. Hes usually pretty steady on the track. At home, hes pretty quiet and to himself. He can get worked up in the paddock with the other horse but hes slowly learning how to behave.

Lee himself is having one of his best years as a trainer in 2022. So far, he has earned more than $130,000 in earnings and hasnt had a year like this for over a decade. Lee recognizes that it all comes down to the horses that he has in his barn. It has been one of my better years. Its all about the horses you have. The horses make you or break you.

Good horses also come from good relationships like the one Lee has with the young trotters owner Leonard Christopher and his wife, Mary. His wife, Mary, comes every day to the barn and loves to help with the horses. They both just love the horse, said Lee, who relayed that Lenis is named after Leonards grandfather.

Looking forward to the upcoming final, Lee knows Lenis has his work cut out for him. I wish he drew a bit better. The five hole is going to be a bit tougher. There are some nice colts that drew inside him. Weve worked on his allergies this week so Im hoping to see more from him this week.

With fellow elim winners Sea Can (PP1, Scott Young) and Drinks At Home (PP3, Travis Henry) to his inside, Lenis will have to face more adversity but, clearly, thats nothing the colt hasnt faced and already conquered to get to this point.

First post time for the Dream of Glory card is 6:15 p.m. as Hanover shifts to a special nighttime card of harness racing with fireworks after the card and a 50/50 draw in support of the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society.

The field for the $52,200 Dream of Glory Trot is as follows:

1. Sea Can - Scott Young - Mark Etsell - 3-1

2. Renegade Gypsy - Mario Baillargeon - 5-2

3. Drinks At Home - Travis Henry - Luc Blais - 2-1

4. Three Finger Pour - Jason Ryan - Shannon Henry - 6-1

5. Lenis - Mike Saftic - Brian Lee - 8-1

6. Promise For Life - Bruce Richardson - Rene Dion - 12-1

7. Armstead Cole - Tyler Moore - Chantal Mitchell - 10-1

8. Evil Guy - Trevor Henry - Shannon Henry - 4-1

To view the entries for Saturday's card, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Hanover Raceway.

(A Trot Insider exclusive by Trey Colbeck)


Erv Miller recently joined rare company in harness racing by reaching the 6,000 win plateau  a milestone reached by only three other trainers. At his current pace, hell reach another major milestone with even less company by the end of the year.

Miller joined Ron Burke, Virgil Morgan Jr. and Richard Moreau among the list of trainers with more than 6,000 wins, and he hit that milestone in his new home state of Pennsylvania on July 18 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono with Kilee Rocks. The veteran horseman said with a smile that it took a lot of races to get to 6000 wins. Hes not wrong; lifetime, Miller has more than 27,000 starts but his lifetime 0.353 training percentage indicates a fair amount of success throughout those 27,000-plus starts to join this exclusive group.

Although Millers name is the one on the stable sign that receives the bulk of the praise and accolades, he is thankful for those who have been a part of his team over the years. Ive had a lot of support from the owners. Weve had great people work for us."

It takes hours and many people to get the work done and Miller is appreciative of the help he has received over the years that have given him the push to hit the historic milestone. Everything needs to be right for [the horses] that week...If I didnt have the help. It wouldnt have happened. Its hard enough to get one win in the horse racing business let alone 6,000, adding that it takes good owners buying good horses.

Millers continued consistency certainly helped pave the way for the Illinois native to reach this milestone. Hes currently fourth among North American trainers this year in wins (144) and earnings ($2,688,379) and hasnt dipped below 13th best in either category in the last 20 years. A number like that can easily sneak up on someone that just puts his nose to the grind and works hard every day.

Its amazing but I had never really thought about it before.

With more than $96.5 million in career earnings, Miller is on the cusp of reaching the US$100 million mark in lifetime earnings, and this milestone is something Miller has on his radar. Only Ron Burke and Jimmy Takter have more than US$100 million in trainer earnings.

It was brought to my attention that I was approaching $100 million. So, it will be my goal for 2022. Lets see if that happens.

Millers best year came in 2007 when he earned more than $7 million in purses and had 434 wins as a trainer  both totals second best in harness racing that year. He has shown no signs of slowing down, picking up another 28 wins in the 12 days since his milestone tally.

The names of Lis Mara, Loyal Opposition, Restive Hanover, Shark Gesture and Manofmanymissions are familiar to fans of harness racing as Grand Circuit stars from the Miller stable. While he still has races like the Little Brown Jug and the Hambletonian on his bucket list, Miller has changed the main focus of his stable in recent years to a more regional approach.

The last few years Ive taken a different avenue. I look at the Sire Stakes more than the Grand Circuit races now. It works for me and feels like the right spot.

(A Trot Insider exclusive by Trey Colbeck)
For this week's Rewind Robert Smith has chosen to write a bit about a recently passed person who played an integral part in the communications part of our sport for many years. We said goodbye to Barbara A. Lennox, a lady who operated a very successful racing journal for many years. Her publication closed a number of years ago but her memory and her past issues are very much in the background of today's historical recollections.

I, along with many in the world of harness racing, was very saddened to learn of the recent passing of Barb Lennox (Waples) on June 20th. She was in her 74th year. Her lifelong involvement in our sport places her in rather select company as one who was a truly multi-talented person. Although her personal style kept her somewhat out of the spotlight she managed to create a long and lasting legacy. She had a unique way of accomplishing her goals in a quiet yet efficient manner. Just a hunch, but I think it may have been a family trait.



Barb Lennox is shown at her farm where she enjoyed many years of working with the horses she loved so dearly.

When Barb completed her formal education by graduating with an honours B.A. degree in English from The University of Guelph she chose a rather different career path. At a very young age she decided to start her own business. Her choice was not an easy one but undoubtedly one that she had given a lot of thought to and also had every intention of making it a success. In time, her "dream" became a reality and her enterprising spirit came into full fruition.

Around 1971 Barb launched a new publication first known as "the Standardbred Record". With minimal staff she began to publish a very small, yet "newsy" magazine. As an indication of just how long ago this happened, the original annual subscription price was a princely $5.00. Her timing proved to be excellent as just a couple of years into her fledgling venture the newly created Ontario Sires Stakes program came into existence. With it came many new opportunities in not only reporting but also advertising and promotional possibilities. Breeding farms and colt sellers were soon eager to advertise in the up-and-coming magazine. The scope of her publication eventually covered stories from the U.S. and International scene as well.

As the magazine grew in popularity, she expanded her staff and upgraded her finished product. Barb soon became known for hiring younger staff members who may have lacked experience but possessed journalistic ability and an eagerness to learn. Many remained for a lengthy stay and also went on to other endeavours.



A front page view of the Standardbred magazine the creation of the late Barbara Lennox (Waples). Photo by Heather MacKay

Back about 40 years ago, a fellow worker of mine told me that he had subscribed to a harness racing publication that he thought I might enjoy reading. Although the name had changed slightly by then to "The Standardbred" he still referred to it by its original name. After seeing one or two copies that he lent to me I was "hooked" in fairly short order. When an article recalling the career of the late W.J. Hyatt, the man who started the once popular Supertest Stake races appeared in an issue, an idea occurred to me.

I wrote to Barb and asked if she would be interested in having someone write a regular column on "days gone by." Based solely on my letter and a few back and forth notes (no emails in those long ago days) Barb accepted my suggestion and thus began "Looking Back" which became my start of published writing. Who could have guessed how that would have turned out?

I did not get to know Barb overly well, mainly due to my freelance status and the distance, but I did learn her style over time. She was extremely fair and caring about those who worked for her. I have told her a few times over the years that I felt as though "I worked with her rather than for her." I know that at the time of her passing, more than one of her former employees spoke of how well they had been treated and how grateful they remained for the opportunity to work for her and hone their skills.

I am forever indebted to Barb for allowing me an opportunity to experience a long term hobby of writing about the past of harness racing and the many people who have been involved down through the years. I have been extremely well treated by all members of the Waples family and will forever treasure the "chats" I had in very recent years with Keith. I will close with what I think was a humorous little anecdote involving that famous yet very humble man.

A few years ago I contacted Barb to see if it would be OK if I phoned her Dad who, along with her Mom, was wintering in Florida at the time. She said "of course I'm sure he would love to hear from you." She added one cautionary bit of advice. She said to be prepared for a very short conversation because "Dad doesn't like to talk on the phone." Shortly thereafter I called him and while I didn't time the call I would say we easily chatted for 45 minutes!

When I read her obituary I couldn't help but think how thoughtful and kindly it was written, giving credit to those around her. When I read that she was proud of the fact that a number of people who started out with her magazine had continued to promote the sport. She had a way of encouraging others; that was her style.

Her passing is a sad event for her family and friends but the legacy she leaves will live on in everyone she touched. When I recently approached her sister Karen about the idea of dedicating an issue of Rewind to her she said " She was an incredible lady and her lifelong dedication to harness racing should be remembered.



Barb was more than just an editor and publisher. She also owned or co-owned many horses down through the years. Above she appears in the Windsor winner's circle following a 1979 win with her own Raise Your Skirts in a division of the Ambassador Stakes. Her trainer and driver was brother Gord Waples.



In her retirement years Barb thoroughly enjoyed her role as grandmother. Here she appears with her two precious granddaughters Mara and Fiona McKinney.



In this 1975 photo Barb makes a presentation to the late Dr. Glen Brown at the annual C.T.A. awards night. Dr. Brown was subbing for Duncan MacDonald, owner of Armbro Nesbit, named aged pacer of 1974. (TROT Magazine)

Quote For The Week: "Nothing is a bigger waste of time than regretting the past and worrying about the future." - James Meredith.

Who Is It and Where Is It?

A bit of a carry over from a recent Rewind showing a judge's stand. Where was this scene and who is the winning driver?

Who Else Is It?

Can you identify this horse and driver? If you know the owner(s) let us know as well. (Photo courtesy of the Standardbred magazine)
Jamie Mohrs front door was blank  plain white  when two Lincoln Police officers rang her doorbell around 8 p.m. June 14, minutes before one of them would fire two rounds from his service pistol into the womans American bulldog, Diva.

The scene at her home has changed in the month-and-a-half since then.

Mohrs yard is devoid of the dog toys that once littered it. Her boyfriend, Matthew Hutchinson, has since moved out of the residence, their relationship splintered by the stress that night has brought.

And the front door, now, is equipped with a stickered decal displaying an outline of the dogs face above three words: Justice for Diva.

Thats all I want, Mohr told the Journal Star this week, two days after the city denied her $3,575 tort claim stemming from the shooting which paralyzed Diva. The bulldog was euthanized at an emergency veterinarian clinic hours after the incident.

The events of June 14 unfolded quickly. The two officers knocked on Mohrs door at 7:48 that night, and immediately, Diva began barking, according to doorbell video reviewed by the Journal Star.

Mohr opened the door 29 seconds after officers initially knocked, exchanging greetings with the officers, who had come to the house to perform a compliance check on Hutchinson, a drug court participant who is now nine months sober.

OK, Mohr told the officers, before turning back to call for Hutchinson.

Matt, she said. Drug court check.

Hey, man, one of the officers said, just as Diva raced down the steps and charged toward the officer, who tripped and drew his Taser as he backpedaled away from the dog.

Then, Diva looped around the officer who had fallen and began to charge his partner, who had already drawn his gun.

He fired twice and fell backward. Diva collapsed. Mohr froze. Hutchinson charged toward the officer who had fired his weapon, shouting expletives. The second officer intervened and began to de-escalate the situation.

It had been 52 seconds since the officers knocked on the door. Now a sergeant was on the way, and the residents of the single-story home in Lincolns Belmont neighborhood soon rushed the dog the vet. Diva would not survive the night.

Its probably one of the most traumatic things Ive been through in my life, said Mohr, 38. Like, I watched my dog get shot in front of me.

Diva was previously deemed potentially dangerous after she bit a city resident in an unprovoked incident in December 2019, according to Steve Beal, the citys Animal Control manager.

Mohr disputes that characterization and took issue with the police departments description of the dog to the media after the incident.

I had her at an AA function with 150 people, not on a chain, Mohr said. Kids, dogs, puppies, grown adults, food. She didnt do a thing.

She was protective of me, but she was not mean, by any means.

In the video of the encounter, Diva can be heard growling as she charged the first officer.

In its news release announcing the shooting, the police department said it would investigate whether the officers followed LPDs training procedures for encounters with aggressive dogs.

Lincoln Police Investigator Scott Parker said Friday the department had completed its investigation and found the officers did not violate any policies.

It was the police who shot Diva, but Mohr said shes the one who continues to pay.

She and Hutchinson paid for the dogs cremation, though the vet held Divas ashes until the $726 medical bill stemming from the shooting was paid in full on Wednesday.

Mohr paid $350 for a new dog, a pit bull puppy named Sookie, to fill the void left in her house.

And the couple has suffered other losses. Hutchinson moved out shortly after the incident, which they both attribute to the stress brought on by the shooting.

Its been hard, Hutchinson said.

Its been really hard, Mohr said.

After the shooting, the two held a vigil and barbecue in Divas honor, commissioning Justice for Diva T-shirts and decals like the one that adorns Mohrs front door.

They wore the shirts to Lincolns City Council chambers on Monday, where Mohr tearfully asked city officials to reimburse them for the medical bills, the replacement dog and $2,500 for Divas original cost. (Mohr says she got the dog from a breeder).

I understand that Diva didnt do anything wrong, and the officers may have not done anything wrong either, but they took my dog from me, Mohr told the City Council, advocating for her reimbursement.

The city denied the claim, so that night, Mohr turned instead to the community, launching a GoFundMe page to bring her dogs remains home. She raised the necessary funds  $726  in 19 hours.

Its just nice to know that theres good people who actually care about people who are going through something that the city wont help them with, Hutchinson said.

The fundraising effort was buoyed by a single anonymous donor who gave $500. The donors name is shielded from public view but was provided to Mohr, the organizer, who searched the donors name on Google.

He works for Lincoln Police.
We would love to hear your thoughts...

1. How did you come up with the idea for your startup?

2. What was the hardest part in the early stages of the startups growth?

3. What are the services/solutions/products that the startup offers? Who are the targeted audiences?

4. What are your strengths and advantages over your competitors?

5. At the moment, how do you measure success? What are your metrics?

6. Is the company bootstrapped or funded? What milestones will the financing get you to?

7. What is the road map ahead? How are you planning to achieve it?

Key Management :

Founding Year :

Milestones :

Awards/Recognition :

Clients :
This year's Armenian Eurovision entry has charted in the UK at 26 - more than two months after the song contest, BBC News reported.

Rosa Linn's Snap has been used on more than 360,000 TikTok clips, with some having millions of likes.

It's not those numbers that count towards the chart, though - but users are going on to streaming platforms - which do contribute to the figures.

"Everything is going crazy and it's a dream come true," the 22-year-old told BBC News.

It's the second-highest charting song from this year's competition, behind the United Kingdom's Sam Ryder, who got to number two back in May.

"You never know what will go viral on TikTok," Rosa Linn said. "I saw a video of a guy who proposed to his girlfriend and it was amazing.

"It's one of the most important things in their lives with my song and it touches my heart very, very strongly."

That engagement was between 26-year-old Ruairi McGivern and 24-year-old Annalivia Hynds from Armagh, which has now had nearly 17m views.

"We were going out for food and he couldn't get the ring out without me noticing," Hynds told the BBC.

"I was just scrolling on TikTok and that song had come up on someone else's video and he said 'make one with that song' so I did.

"The song was completely chosen at random."

Hynds didn't watch this year's Eurovision but said: "It's such a good song and we're going to have it our wedding now."

"We have had so many messages and comments and it's gone viral in different countries where I can't read the comments in the languages".

Different versions of the song have increased its global popularity.

"Once we hit the one million streams a day I was like 'Oh My God'," Linn said. "I'm checking my numbers on Spotify every day and I see them grow and I just can't believe it.

"I'm from Vanadzor, in Armenia, which you probably don't know where it is in the world, and I'm so, so happy. As a child I'd dream about this."

The song is charting in Latin America and the US, as well as in countries in Africa.

"There was a chance it would chart in Europe but to cross over there is great," Linn says.

At the grand final in Turin, in May, Snap finished in 20th position out of 25 - receiving no points from the UK in either the public or jury votes.

"That was my first time on a big stage but it felt so right. It felt like home," Linn explained.

The United Kingdom will host Eurovision - the world's largest live music event - in 2023, as organizers ruled that Ukraine could not - despite Kalush Orchestra's win - because of the war with Russia.

Rosa Linn said she would "love to" represent Armenia next year.

"I really loved everything at Eurovision. I loved it before as a fan, but when you experience it, it's magical."

Photo from Armenia First Channel TV

Follow NEWS.am STYLE on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Randy Henderson was released from prison and granted a new trial this month, after serving 26 years for a Kelso mans murder. Three witnesses testified he was not involved in the killing.

Henderson, 52, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 1995 murder of John Robinette at his home in Kelso. He received the longest sentence of the three people convicted in Robinettes murder.

Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Patricia Fassett vacated Hendersons aggravated murder conviction on July 11 and ordered a new trial. Fassetts ruling says that her decision was largely based on new testimony given by one of Hendersons co-defendants, Geoffrey Foutch, who told the Washington Innocence Project Henderson had never entered Robinettes home on the night he was killed.

If Foutchs testimony is believed and found credible, the court finds that would probably change the result of the trial, Fassett wrote.

Fassett also ordered Henderson could be released from prison pending trial. On Friday morning, Henderson posted bail and was released from Cowlitz County Jail, where he had been transferred earlier this week.

Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jurvakainen said his office is appealing the ruling to the Washington State Court of Appeals, which he said could take more than a year.

The court made their decision, a decision that we dont necessarily agree with, but it has to go through the legal process as would any other case, Jurvakainen said.

Henderson has been defended by the Washington Innocence Project since 2016. The legal group submitted new testimony from Foutch and two other witnesses that were interviewed by police in 1995 along with claims that the Kelso Police Department improperly stored evidence that could have been tested for DNA as an additional piece of Hendersons defense.

Foutch and Jimmy Pyles pled guilty to their role in Robinettes death and were sentenced to roughly 27 years in prison each. Neither testified against Henderson during his original trial.

Robinette was a drug dealer who allegedly sexually assaulted Pyles, Foutch and other young men and boys that he provided drugs to around Kelso. According to court records, Pyles and Foutch had been planning to assault and rob Robinette in an act of revenge well before Henderson moved to Kelso in 1995.

In a letter to Innocence Project Director Jacqueline McMurtrie in 2017, Foutch said Henderson helped break into Robinettes home on the night he was killed but that was the extent of his involvement.

I tell you the honest truth when I tell you that Randy split. As soon as he realized what my plan really was (sic) he left. He never even made it inside, Foutch wrote.

Robinette was attacked on the night of Oct. 5, 1995 and beaten severely by multiple weapons, including a wooden board embedded with nails that was allegedly wielded by Henderson. Robinette died of his injuries at a hospital three days later.

No physical evidence at the time connected Henderson to Robinettes house. Henderson was convicted based on witness testimony, largely from acquaintances of Pyles and Foutch who saw the three on or around the night of the murder and said Henderson had discussed his role in the crime.

The Cowlitz County Prosecuting Attorneys Office argued in court filings that the new testimony was not reliable, given the years that have elapsed since the original trial. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Aila Wallace said the testimony from other witnesses should still warrant Hendersons conviction, according to court records.

The prosecuting attorneys office also questioned the interactions that led to the new testimony by Foutch, arguing that the Innocence Projects biases could have exerted undue influence on Foutch in a court filing.

Kelso Police Chief Darr Kirk told The Daily News by email Friday that We have been advised the (prosecutors) office intends to appeal this decision and we will not be available for any comment until that process is complete.

Two other witnesses change their story

In addition to Foutch, a witness who testified against Henderson during his original trial and a third person interviewed by Kelso police also wrote testimony supporting Hendersons innocence.

Josephine Pickell, who was engaged to Pyles at the time of the murder, testified in 1996 that Henderson laughed about hitting Robinette with a piece of wood filled with nails the morning after Robinette was attacked.

Pickell, who now has a different last name, declared in October 2021 that she did not think Henderson was involved in the crime and would not have known about Foutch and Pyles previous plans to attack Robinette before that evening. She claimed in her affidavit that the prosecutors office forced her to leave the hospital the day after giving birth to testify against Henderson.

Judge Fassett said that the circumstances around her testimony in the trial were offensive, at best, but the new claims would not be enough to justify a new trial. Fassett made a similar ruling for the testimony of the third witness, a friend of Pyles and Foutch who said it was not in Hendersons character to kill anybody.

In 2015 the Washington Innocence Project helped secure the release of Donovan Allen, a Cowlitz County man convicted of killing his mother, after additional DNA testing implicated a new suspect.
Longview will receive nearly $300,000 in grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund mental health crisis response teams in schools, the department said Thursday.

The City of Longview plans to use the total $292,000 to hire two additional mental health professionals to work on a mental health field response program, according to the Department of Justice.

This comes after the Longview City Council Tuesday approved using at least one of their grants, a $10,934 award through the DOJs Edward R. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, to help maintain the school resource officers who work in the district.

Other Western Washington groups, including the City of Bellevue and the Renton School District, also received funding, according to the DOJ.

Bellevue received $915,000 to launch a local crisis assistance. The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center got $250,000 to start a sexual assault education and prevention program in two Renton public schools, as the grants can also be used for sexual assault awareness training.

The Department of Justice is always looking for programs that can increase community safety. These three innovative approaches focus not on punishment, but on supporting members of our community outside the criminal justice system, said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown in a news release. Our hope is that program successes can be replicated in other locations, expanding the toolkit for dealing with mental health challenges that impact our community.
A phone appearance by Donald Trump and heavy spending from a conservative Super PAC have ratcheted up the heat heading into Tuesdays primary for the District 3 House race.

Trump appeared on a 10-minute town hall phone call with Republican candidate Joe Kent on Monday afternoon. Trump endorsed Kent for the House seat in late 2021 and reiterated during the call that he was the only candidate in the race with the former presidents endorsement.

During the call, Trump and Kent both attacked incumbent Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler as a Republican in name only. Herrera Beutler was one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection.

This is one of the most important votes we have going Tuesday in the whole country, Trump said during the call.

Trump spoke about meeting Kent for the first time in 2019, after his wife Shannon Kent was killed during a U.S. military operation in Syria. He talked for a while at Dover Air Force Base and Trump said he told Kent he should consider running for office eventually.

Candidates endorsed by Trump have a strong track record overall, but the backing is not a guaranteed win for a race as contested as District 3. According to Axios, Trump-endorsed candidates have gone 14-5 in competitive primaries for House seats this year and 7-0 in competitive Senate primaries.

The other big recent splash in the race is the late arrival of a super PAC called Conservatives for a Stronger America. The group has spent $1.44 million on the race between July 13 and July 26, largely on ads supporting conservative candidate Heidi St. John over Kent.

The super PAC gave an initial $724,000 to St. Johns campaign on July 13 for television and radio ads. Since then, the group has paid for multiple rounds of mailers about St. John and Kent along with airing other ad spots.

Matt Braynard, an adviser for Kents campaign, called the investment dark money attack ads during the town hall call Monday.

Conservatives for a Stronger America is registered through a Massachusetts company called Bulldog Compliance, which is linked to other largely anonymous PACs that are operating in this years primaries. The PAC filed with the Federal Elections Commission to report its fundraising receipts on a monthly basis, so the identify of the donors behind the fund will not be available until late August.

St. John had backed off from an agreement to drop out of the race if another candidate received Trumps endorsement. She has criticized Kent for being a relative newcomer to southwest Washington and voting in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary.

In addition to the two prominent Republican opponents challenging her from the right, Herrera Beutler is also running against the leading Democrat in the field, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. Five other candidates will also be listed on the ballot.

A similar dynamic is playing out in another Washington congressional race. Trump has endorsed former gubernatorial candidate Loren Culp in the primary race against Rep. Dan Newhouse in Washingtons 4th district, who had also voted for his impeachment. The Seattle Times reported race has also seen an influx of spending from super PACs in recent weeks aimed at supporting the more moderate Newhouse.
RAINIER  Economic recovery funds have been offered to Rainier, with officials planning to use them for major infrastructure projects across the city.

Scott Jorgensen, City of Rainier administrator, said the city got $223,000 so far in American Rescue Plan Act funding, which has come from the U.S. government to help revitalize communities still reeling amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The city expects another round of about $223,000 to come in soon, totaling $446,450.98 for Rainier.

ARPAs requirements are relatively flexible, though the bill specifies cities should prioritize public health projects, replace lost public sector revenue or invest in water, sewer or broadband infrastructure.

Jorgensen said most of the money will be used for those infrastructure projects, like fixing water lines and rehabilitating the wastewater and water treatment plants.

Receiving these funds has enabled the city to move forward with things weve needed to do, Jorgensen said.

Jorgensen said they also landed $100,000 for a Fox Creek renovation feasibility study through Oregon states allocation of the ARPA funding.

Oregon state got more than $4.2 billion from ARPA, with about $680 million allocated to cities, according to lobbying group League of Oregon Cities.

How the funding is distributed depends on the citys population. With a city that has more than 50,000 people the money comes straight from the U.S. Treasury. For Rainier, which has a population of about 1,800, the city gets its ARPA funds from the Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
VANCOUVER  When Bradley Mitch Mitchell moved to Vancouver from Kirkland in January, he brought an unusual  and weighty  collection with him.

It includes a 450-pound pump built in 1893 by A.J. Morse and Son, antique diving boots weighing 25 pounds each, and two 58-pound Mark V helmets.

The Seattle Aquarium displayed his collection several times over the years, and now he hopes people here will appreciate his antique diving gear. He will display it during the Clark County Fair, Aug. 5-14.

The men and the companies that made this equipment, they were really into quality, he said. When I look at the pump and helmets, its like a canvas for me. Its like Im looking at a painting by Leonardo da Vinci or Picasso. It emotionally moves me.

Although he has tried out his equipment in Lake Stevens, hes not a diver. He retired three years ago from a career running excavators and heavy equipment as a member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 302.

Im more of a history buff, Mitchell said. This is my hobby. I was born and raised in Seattle. From the time I was 5 or 6 years old, I liked nautical decor and nautical antiques.

He went from reading Jules Vernes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a kid to spending thousands of dollars on artifacts as an adult. Mitchell, now 68, said he started buying antique gear when he was about 40.

His first acquisition was a ships telegraph, which relayed orders from the bridge (stop, slow, full speed, etc.) to the engine room. Then he plunged into diving equipment. The history of salvage diving fascinates Mitchell, who can list every U.S. Navy salvage job from 1915 to 1939.

At his home in the Minnehaha area north of Vancouver city limits, he pointed to a 1912 diving helmet built by A. Schraders Son Inc.

Thats a real prize, he said.

Although Schrader was a forerunner in diving equipment, almost everyone has encountered the companys technology. In 1893, Schrader patented the pneumatic tire valve found on bicycle and car tires.

In addition to the Schrader helmet, Mitchell also has two U.S. Navy Mark V diving helmets, one from 1943 and another from 1972. The Navy used Mark V helmets for salvage operations into the 1980s.

Mitchell liquidated about half of his collection during the Great Recession, but he still has 13 pieces of various gear, he said.

For exhibits at the Seattle Aquarium, Mitchell would spend hours polishing the equipment to ready it for display and then welcome children to touch it and try it on.

I dont know what was more fun  watching Mitch talking to the kids or the kids talking to Mitch, said Tim Kuniholm, the Seattle Aquariums public affairs director. He is a wonderful, unique, eclectic guy who has a passion for military dive gear unlike anything Ive seen before. Hes such an interesting character  a little gruff around the edges but with a heart of gold.

Mitchells wife, Debbie, not only tolerates his niche hobby; she encourages it.

It makes him really happy, she said. When he gets to do shows, its very exciting. The gear is beautiful. The people who come see him get excited by the gear too.

Now that Mitchell is retired, hes turning his full attention to collecting and exhibiting antique diving gear. He encourages people to email him at Navy1954markv@gmail.com about his hobby.

Mitchell hopes his exhibit at the fair (look for him at booth 1306 in the main exhibition hall) will be just the first around here.

Its my passion, he said. Its a Jules Verne thing  the guy on the ocean floor wrestling the octopus.
A deluge of outside PAC money is saturating two of Washingtons top congressional primaries, aimed at helping Republican Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Dan Newhouse survive their votes to impeach then-President Donald Trump last year.

More than $3.4 million  fueled in part by hidden donors  has been spent in the past few weeks backing the incumbents and targeting their Trump-endorsed challengers, Joe Kent and Loren Culp, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The cash influx comes at a high-stakes moment for Republicans, and the country, as voters choose whether to oust two representatives who broke with most of the House GOP and voted to impeach Trump over his stoking of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Both Kent, who is challenging Herrera Beutler, and Culp, who is challenging Newhouse, have echoed Trumps false claims about his 2020 election loss and reject the ongoing congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack as illegitimate.

Newhouse and Herrera Beutler are likely more vulnerable in the primary, where they could place third behind their Trump backed-challengers and Democratic candidates. If they survive, their odds of winning in November look easier.

Kent and Culp said the spending spree targeting them shows the Washington, D.C., establishment is running scared.

Its big money from D.C., Culp said in an interview, saying lobbyists are working to prop up Newhouse.

In Southwest Washingtons 3rd Congressional District, where Herrera Beutler faces Kent and other challengers, $1.9 million in outside spending has boosted her chances in recent weeks  including a pop-up super PAC that timed its spending to avoid disclosing its donors until weeks after the Aug. 2 primary.

The super PAC, Conservatives for a Stronger America, was created just a few weeks ago. As of Wednesday, it had unloaded $1.4 million on TV, radio and mailers, attacking Kent and ostensibly supporting Heidi St. John, a Republican who has polled fourth in the race.

The messaging in the groups ads appear designed to siphon support from Kent and ensure Herrera Beutler makes it through the top-two primary. Its ads have echoed St. Johns efforts to sour conservatives on Kent by branding him a leftist, Portland Joe the Bernie bro. (Kent has acknowledged voting for Bernie Sanders in Oregons 2016 presidential primary, as part of what he said was a Rush Limbaugh-inspired plan to wreak havoc on Democrats.)

The goal is not to get Heidi across the finish line, its to take a little away from me, Kent said in an interview. This is what people need to understand. ... This is how the establishment wins.

St. John is a Christian speaker and home schooling advocate who has feuded with Kent, a decorated Army Ranger combat veteran, calling him a carpetbagger with few ties to the 3rd District. Kent has criticized St. John for reneging on her pledge to drop out of the race and support whichever candidate won Trumps endorsement.

Matt Braynard, Kents campaign consultant, said the campaign intends to file an FEC complaint against Conservatives for a Stronger America, alleging the group has violated donor disclosure laws.

An attorney representing the group said its actions have been legal.

The super PACs treasurer listed on its filings is Charles Gantt of the Massachusetts-based political firm Red Curve Solutions. He referred a message seeking comment to Jessica Furst Johnson, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney and former general counsel for the National Republican Congressional Committee, the campaign arm for House Republicans.

This political committee is compliant with federal law and applicable regulations, and operates as a monthly filer, which means that its next report is due on 8/20, Johnson wrote in an email.

Pop-up super PACS have increasingly taken advantage of FEC disclosure windows to meddle in congressional and gubernatorial primaries  often concealing donors who fund disingenuous ads that mask their real political agenda until votes are counted.

In the 2020 election cycle, such groups spent at least $39.5 million nationally to influence primaries while keeping their donors hidden from primary voters, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics.

The advantage of getting involved in that way is that if people were to know who you were, it would discredit your messaging, Sarah Bryner, research director for OpenSecrets, said in an interview. By the time you see meaningful disclosure the election is over.

Besides the so-far anonymous money, Herrera Beutler, who is running for a seventh term, also has benefited from more conventional PAC support.

The Governing Majority Fund, whose top donors include Chevron and an array of business and union groups, has spent more than $140,000 against Kent.

ClearPath Action, a PAC founded by conservative philanthropist and clean-energy advocate Jay Faison, also has spent $135,000 in support of Herrera Beutler. WFW Action Fund, which works to elect Republican women to Congress, has spent $307,000 supporting Herrera Beutler.

Herrera Beutlers campaign declined to comment on the independent spending.

We find out about these efforts when everyone else sees them and dont have anything to add here, her campaign spokesperson Craig Wheeler said via email. Jaimes not taking her focus off her job responsibilities  addressing the affordability crisis, protecting Social Security and meeting community infrastructure needs.

David Nierenberg, an investment manager helping lead fundraising for Herrera Beutler, said in an email he didnt know the source of the undisclosed PAC cash boosting St. John, but added he was delighted by her attacks on Kent.

Since she and Kent are competing for similar voters, I remain hopeful for Jaimes prospects of getting through the primary, Nierenberg said. If she does, she should carry the general election easily.

In addition to Kent and St. John, state Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver, is also running in the primary, further dividing the GOP vote.

Amid the Republican infighting, Democrats see a potential opportunity, as they have united behind candidate Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, who owns an auto shop with her husband and is touting a platform of lowering prescription drug and child care costs, and investing in apprenticeship training.

There are just all kinds of shenanigans over there, Perez said in an interview. If I were a Republican voter, I would feel pretty disappointed by all these games theyre playing.

While Perez would be a longshot if she and Herrera Beutler get through the primary, she said shes very confident she could beat Kent in a general election due to his extremist views.
Samsung Repair Mode has been introduced to take care of your personal data while the device is at a service center.

Sending your phone to a service centre is a nightmare, isn't it? The repair costs are one aspect but keeping your data safe on it is another task. While the only solution is to create a backup of all your data, Samsung has come up with a solution to fix this issue for once and all. It has designed a feature called Repair Mode on its Galaxy devices. The idea is simple  this mode will keep your sensitive data safe from prying eyes at the service station, and prevent the need to reset the device altogether.

The feature will be part of the Battery and Device Care option under Settings menu. Once the feature is activated, the phone will reboot and will open up an interface that is devoid of all your personal data. This personal data will consist of photos, messages, accounts and the installed apps. To the service centre people, it will appear as a brand new phone.

Samsung Repair Mode to ease your life at service centre

Once the phone has been repaired and is handed back to you, you will be able to deactivate the Repair Mode using the fingerprint sensor or the pattern unlock  just like a regular new phone.The phone will reboot again and will open up to the profile with all your data and settings intact, even the service people have changed it in the Repair Mode.

For the service people, the Repair Mode will create a log of the data that records all the recent issues and the apps that are associated with. Samsung assures that the data won't be shared with anyone in the log and in the Repair Mode as well. However, for the cynical ones, you can choose to avoid creating a log of the issues as well.

As of now, the Repair mode is coming first to the Galaxy S21 series devices via a future software update. Samsung eventually plans to expand the feature to some other models as well in the future. Additionally, the feature seem to be limited to the Korean markets for now and Samsung could release it later for other markets as well.

We wish more manufacturers adopt this way of keeping the data safe while the device goes for repair.
The Aerospace Corporation has predicted that a big Chinese rocket is likely to fall to earth today at around 11:35 pm. Check details here.

A big Chinese rocket is likely to crash back to Earth today, July 30, according to the information provided by the Aerospace Corporation. The reentry of the CZ5B rocket is said to happen on July 30, 2022 at 18:05 UTC +/- 5 hours (11:35 pm IST +/- 5 hours). Informing about the same The Aerospace Corporation tweeted, "Our latest prediction for #CZ5B rocket body reentry is: 30 Jul 2022 18:16 UTC  5 hours Reentry will be along one of the ground tracks shown here. It is still too early to determine a meaningful debris footprint. Follow this page for updates: https://aerospace.org/reentries/cz-5b-rb-id-53240."

Our latest prediction for #CZ5B rocket body reentry is:

30 Jul 2022 18:05 UTC  5 hours

Reentry will be along one of the ground tracks shown here. It is still too early to determine a meaningful debris footprint. Follow this page for updates: https://t.co/SxrMtcrMrs pic.twitter.com/hOsvq5wmWl  The Aerospace Corporation (@AerospaceCorp) July 29, 2022

The Aerospace Corporation in a series of tweets gave further insights about the rocket and the orbital debris. Here is all you need to know about the crash.

Will the Long March 5B rocket stage survive?

According to the information provided by Aerospace Corporation, it is expected that about 5 to 9 metric tons of the object will reach the ground. "The general rule of thumb is that 2040% of the mass of a large object will reach the ground, but the exact number depends on the design of the object. In this case, we would expect about five to nine metric tons. Generally, for an upper stage, we see small and medium tanks survive more or less intact, and large engine components. The large tanks and the skin of this core stage are likely to come apart. We will also see lightweight items such as insulation fall out. The melting point of the materials used will make a difference in what remains," it said in a report.

Also read: August sky has lots in store for us! NASA says watch out for these special events

How to read debris predictions?

For the current Long March 5B reentry, experts at Aerospace's Center for Orbital Reentry and Debris Studies (CORDS) are monitoring its journey using sophisticated modeling to predict when and where the 22-ton piece of space debris will crash to earth. The yellow satellite icon indicates the center of the reentry window, the blue track is the first half of the window, and the yellow track is the second half. The final reentry location for the current Long March 5B will be displayed once it has reentered.

Are reentries visible to people from the ground?

Reentries can be visible from the ground if they hit in the right place and at the right time. If the reentry happens over the ocean or an unpopulated region of land it is unlikely people can see it. If it happens over a populated region, it helps if it's dark. The darkness makes it easier to see the pieces of debris because they tend to be glowing from their hot descent from space.
Are humans on Earth at risk due to asteroids or meteoroids? Know what NASA said.

The Moon is full of craters everywhere. Same is the case with Earth, but the craters caused by asteroid impacts have been worn away by the wind, rain and other natural phenomena. However, there is a big difference between the Moon and the Earth. Space bodies with no atmosphere allow small asteroids or comets to hit the surface without any hindrance. On the other hand, Earth's thick atmosphere protects us from the masses of small asteroids, or meteors which pelt our planet every day. Those shooting stars in our night sky are basically the burning debris of these meteors. Even 33-feet sized meteoroids are destroyed in the Earth's atmosphere on entering. However, bigger asteroids manage to reach the Earth and some have caused widespread carnage, with one causing the extinction of dinosaurs. NASA mentions that there are more than 100 ring-like structures on Earth, which are recognized as definite impact craters.

NASA Ames Research Center estimates that there are around 2,100 asteroids larger than 1 kilometres and maybe 320,000 larger than 100 meters. This is the asteroid size that caused the devastating Tunguska event.

Now, the question is, what will happen if any such asteroid crashes to Earth? NASA says that the crash of any of these large asteroids in the wrong place would be a catastrophe!

However, it would not threaten civilization.

Can asteroids or meteoroids pose a risk to humans on Earth?

NASA predicted that an impact by an asteroid larger than 1-2 kilometers is capable of degrading the global climate, which could lead to widespread crop failure and loss of life. This can bring a global environmental catastrophe as the entire population of the Earth will be at risk.

However, an object larger than about 5 kilometers will have the potential to cause mass extinction.

This all may sound scary, but NASA assured that, As noted earlier, no human in the past 1000 years is known to have been killed by a meteorite or by the effects of one impacting. An individual's chance of being killed by a meteorite is small.
A Chinese cargo spacecraft that serviced the country's permanent orbiting space station has largely burned up on reentering the atmosphere, amid separate concerns over China's decision to allow a massive booster rocket to fall to Earth uncontrolled.

A Chinese cargo spacecraft that serviced the country's permanent orbiting space station has largely burned up on reentering the atmosphere, amid separate concerns over China's decision to allow a massive booster rocket to fall to Earth uncontrolled.

Only small parts of the Tianzhou-3 ship survived to fall safely Wednesday into a predetermined area of the South Pacific, the China Manned Space Agency said.

Until July 17, the spacecraft had been docked with the station's Tianhe core section and its return follows the addition of a laboratory module on Monday as China moves to complete the station in the coming months.

China's space program is run by the ruling Communist Party's military wing, the People's Liberation Army, and has largely proceeded with the space station program without other nations' assistance. The U.S. excluded China from the International Space Station because of its military ties.

The booster that has drawn attention from the space community was part of the massive 23-ton Long March 5B-Y3 rocket  China's most powerful  that carried the Wentian module to the station, aboard which three astronauts currently reside.

China decided not to guide the booster back through the atmosphere and it's not clear exactly when or where it will come down to Earth. While it will largely burn up on return, there remains a slight risk of fragments causing damage or casualties.

While China is not alone in such practices, the size of the Long March rocket stage has drawn particular scrutiny.

China has allowed rocket stages to fall back to Earth on their own at least twice before, and was accused by NASA last year of failing to meet responsible standards regarding their space debris" after parts of a Chinese rocket landed in the Indian Ocean.

China also drew heavy criticism after using a missile to destroy one of its defunct weather satellites in 2007, creating a massive debris field.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Wednesday rejected such concerns.

Since the development stage of the space engineering program, China has taken into consideration the debris mitigation and return from orbit into atmosphere of missions involving rocket carriers and satellite sent into orbit," Zhao said at a daily briefing Wednesday.

It is understood that this type of rocket adopts a special technical design that most of the components will be burnt up and destroyed during the reentry process," Zhao said. The possibility of causing damage to aviation activities or on the ground is extremely low."
To the naked eye, the Mako Compressor Station outside the dusty West Texas crossroads of Lenorah appears unremarkable, similar to tens of thousands of oil and gas operations scattered throughout the oil-rich Permian Basin.

To the naked eye, the Mako Compressor Station outside the dusty West Texas crossroads of Lenorah appears unremarkable, similar to tens of thousands of oil and gas operations scattered throughout the oil-rich Permian Basin.

What's not visible through the chain-link fence is the plume of invisible gas, primarily methane, billowing from the gleaming white storage tanks up into the cloudless blue sky.

The Mako station, owned by a subsidiary of West Texas Gas Inc., was observed releasing an estimated 870 kilograms of methane  an extraordinarily potent greenhouse gas  into the atmosphere each hour. That's the equivalent impact on the climate of burning seven tanker trucks full of gasoline every day.

But Mako's outsized emissions aren't illegal, or even regulated. And it was only one of 533 methane super emitters detected during a 2021 aerial survey of the Permian conducted by Carbon Mapper, a partnership of university researchers and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The group documented massive amounts of methane venting into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations across the Permian, a 250-mile-wide bone-dry expanse along the Texas-New Mexico border that a billion years ago was the bottom of a shallow sea. Hundreds of those sites were seen spewing the gas over and over again. Ongoing leaks, gushers, going unfixed.

We see the same sites active from year to year. It's not just month to month or season to season, said Riley Duren, a research scientist at the University of Arizona who leads Carbon Mapper.

Carbon Mapper identified the spewing sites only by their GPS coordinates. The Associated Press took the coordinates of the 533 super-emitting sites and cross-referenced them with state drilling permits, air quality permits, pipeline maps, land records and other public documents to piece together the corporations most likely responsible.

Just 10 companies owned at least 164 of those sites, according to an AP analysis of Carbon Mapper's data. West Texas Gas owned 11.

The methane released by these companies will be disrupting the climate for decades, contributing to more heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires and floods. There's now nearly three times as much methane in the air than there was before industrial times. The year 2021 saw the worst single increase ever.

Methane's earth-warming power is some 83 times stronger over 20 years than the carbon dioxide that comes from car tailpipes and power plant smokestacks. Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency have largely failed to regulate the invisible gas. That leaves it up to oil and gas producers  in some cases the very companies who have been fighting regulations  to cut methane emissions on their own.

Methane is a super pollutant," said Kassie Siegel, director of the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. "If carbon dioxide is the fossil-fuel broiler of our heating planet, methane is a blowtorch.

PERSISTENT, NOT JUST INTERMITTENT EMISSIONS

Methane emissions are notoriously hard to track because they are intermittent. An old well may be wafting methane one day, but not the next.

But last October, AP journalists visited more than two dozen sites flagged as persistent methane super emitters by Carbon Mapper with a FLIR infrared camera and recorded video of large plumes of hydrocarbon gas containing methane escaping from pipeline compressors, tank batteries, flare stacks and other production infrastructure. The Carbon Mapper data and the AP's camera work show many of the worst emitters are steadily charging the Earth's atmosphere with this extra gas.

In addition to West Texas Gas's Mako site, AP observed a large plume of gas escaping from tanks at a WTG compressor station about 15 miles away in the Sale Ranch oil field. Carbon Mapper estimated that emissions from that site averaged about 410 kilos of methane an hour.

AP found Targa Resources, a Houston-based natural gas storage, processing and distribution company, was the closest operator to 30 sites that were emitting a combined 3,000 kilograms of methane per hour, with plumes escaping from pipelines, wells, tanks and compressor stations across the company's sprawling Texas footprint.

Targa did not respond to a detailed list of questions from the AP.

Another 21 super-emitting sources were detected at facilities owned by Navitas Midstream, a pipeline company based north of Houston, that has since been sold to Enterprise Products Partners. Equipment belonging to Navitas was estimated to be releasing a combined 3,525 kilos of methane an hour.

WASTING A MARKETABLE PRODUCT

One of the unusual things about this kind of climate pollution is that operators are wasting the very product they are working to extract. Methane gas is not a waste product; it is the target gas that operators drill for, process and sell all over the world.

But fracking has unlocked such massive amounts of natural gas from the Permian's shale deposits that the basin's ever-expanding web of pipelines don't have enough capacity to gather and transport it all. As a result, natural gas is still routinely burned off even as billions have been invested into new terminals along the Gulf Coast to ship the glut of American gas to overseas markets.

Still, companies say they're doing better.

Houston-based Enterprise Products, which owns the former Navitas assets, said it was cracking down. We are in the process of integrating the acquired assets and are committed to ensuring they are operated safely and responsibly, said spokesman Rick Rainey.

He did not answer specific questions about what the company would do to reduce methane emissions.

In a statement, Midland-based West Texas Gas said it routinely conducts its own overflights with gas detection equipment and within the last six months had either repaired or upgraded nine of the super emitting sites that AP asked about, including Mako. The company was actively addressing another site, though it declined to provide specifics about what improvements were made and when. WTG said it inspected the last site and found no leak.

West Texas Gas is deeply committed to environmental stewardship and continuously strengthens company processes and procedures to ensure we operate in a manner that is consistent with that commitment, the statement said.

YEARS OF INACTION

In May 2016, President Barack Obama announced a Climate Action Plan that included new federal rules requiring the oil and gas sector to slash methane emissions by 40% by 2025.

But President Donald Trump, who derided climate change as a Chinese-perpetrated hoax, scrapped those policies before they took effect.

Trump's climate denial and die-hard support for fossil fuels attracted campaign contributions from the industry. It also won him widespread support in the Permian's Republican-dominated cities and towns, where pumping oil and gas is considered both lifeblood and birthright.

At Big John's Feedlot, a burger and barbecue hut in Big Spring, the parking lot one day last fall was filled at lunchtime with gas-guzzling American-made pickup trucks. Inside, multiple portraits of John Wayne and a mounted deer wearing a cowboy hat preside over diners eating sauce-slathered beef ribs and krack poppers, a house specialty of cream cheese stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon.

Can you imagine anyone in here driving an electric car? asked Brenda Stansel, the owner, who insisted Trump was still the rightful commander in chief. Asked if she believed in climate change, Stansel responded: I believe in God.

On the first day of his administration, President Joe Biden ordered EPA to write new rules to reduce the oil and gas industry's methane emissions, and Congress reinstated some Obama-era restrictions on methane from new oil and gas facilities. Proposed rules to address emissions from the hundreds of thousands of existing sites are still under review.

Tomas Carbonell, EPA's deputy assistant administrator for stationary sources, told AP that reducing methane emissions is urgent.

Reducing air emissions from the oil and natural gas sector is a top priority for the administration and for EPA, Carbonell said. Methane, he added, is "helping drive impacts that communities across the country are already seeing every day, including heat waves and wildfires and sea level rise.

AN UNKNOWN QUANTITY

To track the problem, the U.S. government keeps an inventory of methane released into the atmosphere. Those figures are used by policy makers and scientists to help calculate how much the planet will warm in the coming decades.

But AP found the government database often fails to account for the true rate of emissions observed in the Permian.

The EPA requires companies to report to its Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program emissions above the equivalent of 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Only a few dozen sites in the Permian say they exceed that threshold for methane.

AP's analysis, however, found that more than 140 of the super-emitting facilities identified by Carbon Mapper were on track to exceed the reporting limit.

For example, Carbon Mapper estimated that Mako emitted an average 870 kilos of methane per hour over each of the four times it was measured. Over the course of a year, that would be 7.6 times the federal reporting threshold.

In 2020, the most recent year that data is available, the West Texas Gas subsidiary that operates Mako reported that methane emissions from all of its boosting and gathering operations combined were just one-twelfth of what Carbon Mapper documented billowing from the Mako site alone.

Other companies also reported methane emissions at levels far lower than what Carbon Mapper's aircraft observed, even when adjusted to take into account overflights where no emissions were recorded.

Devon Energy reported releasing methane equivalent to 42,000 metric tons of CO2 for a year of operations in the Permian Basin. AP's analysis, using the detected emissions, shows they would likely emit that much in just 46 days.

If Lucid Energy Group's observed emissions continued unabated, the company would surpass what it reported to EPA in just three months.

A spokesperson for Devon said the company is committed to reducing its methane emissions and being transparent about its progress. The company has joined a U.N. partnership for oil and gas companies to report methane.

In a statement to AP, Lucid said it had a best-in-class" leak detection program and that any emissions at its plants are typically non-methane. The company also questioned the science behind how Carbon Mapper measured its methane emissions rates, claiming no camera image can provide an accurate concentration of a pollutant.

The NASA AVIRIS instrument used by Carbon Mapper is not a camera. It is an airborne infrared spectrometer that measures wavelengths in light to detect and quantify the unique chemical fingerprint of methane in the atmosphere. The instrument then measures the mass of the methane in the air and the length of the plume. Carbon Mapper takes into account the wind speed at the site to estimate the hourly emissions rate, averaged over multiple overflights.

This estimation method is well established and common practice with emissions monitoring systems, Duren said, and has been used in multiple prior peer-reviewed studies.

Vaquero Permian Gathering reported emitting methane equivalent to 19,000 metric tons of CO2 for the company as a whole, yet AP found just a single Vaquero site was spewing methane at a rate of 53,000 tons per year.

A spokesperson for Vaquero said the company did not have any comment.

Though the Clean Air Act requires companies to accurately report greenhouse gas emissions, the EPA could not provide AP with a single example of a polluter being fined or cited for failing to report, or underreporting.

TEXAS' NON-ENFORCEMENT

If the federal government is behind the curve on how much methane emissions have escalated with the fracking boom, Texas is even more hands off.

Tim Doty retired from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2018 because, he said, the agency's leadership had little interest in monitoring, documenting or addressing airborne emissions, not even the toxic chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide and benzene that can come from oil and gas operations.

They don't go look for anything, said Doty, who now works as a private consultant for clients that include environmental groups.

The Mako site, for example, was built in 2018, and no one from TCEQ has ever visited the site, spokesman Gary Rasp told AP.

Doty, who served as a senior manager for the state's mobile air quality program, said that starting under the administration of then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry in 2000, the agency discouraged staff from enforcing air quality violations against the oil and gas industry.

A champion of the fossil fuels industry, Perry served a record three terms as Texas governor before becoming President Donald Trump's energy secretary. He is now a partner and board member at Energy Transfer, one of the nation's largest oil and gas pipeline companies.

Doty said the Texas environmental agency has cameras capable of detecting air pollutants leaking from oil and gas facilities, but after he and other staff began documenting huge methane plumes about a decade ago they were told to keep the cameras locked away.

Even though they have 20 infrared cameras, they don't actively take them out in the field, said Doty, who was charged with training staff members to use them. And the TCEQ still hasn't really recognized methane (as a problem). You can't really openly talk about climate change within that agency.

TCEQ's own fiscal year 2021 enforcement report appears to bear out Doty's critiques. Of 5,362 reported excess emissions events statewide that year, TCEQ issued no findings in 4,486, or 84% of cases, and asked for corrective action in only 19 cases.

TCEQ has issued upwards of $10 million in annual fines for violations of air, water or waste standards, but the median fine  less than $4,000  is pocket change for most oil and gas companies.

Enterprise Products, which acquired the Navitas pipelines underlying more than a dozen methane plumes in AP's analysis, was fined $46,000 last year for flares and valve malfunctions at its Texas facilities. The company is valued at more than $50 billion. Targa faced state fines of $100,000 for carbon monoxide and nitrous oxide emissions. Neither company was cited for emitting methane. Both denied the state's allegations and offset their financial penalties by helping school districts purchase new buses.

Across the border in New Mexico, regulators are taking a much different approach.

New regulations enacted last year by the administration of Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham regulates methane not as a greenhouse gas, but as a wasted industrial resource that when released into the atmosphere deprives the state of tax revenue.

The new rules require producers to report the amount of gas they produce and track what was lost. Routine flaring and venting are forbidden, and producers have to provide an explanation each time gas is burned off.

TWO OPPOSITE TRENDS

Even as nations seek to lower their carbon footprints, global demand for natural gas continues to grow. This year alone, U.S. gas shipments to Europe have tripled since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

On any given day, about 500 rigs are drilling new wells in the Permian basin to boost production. They tower over the landscape, hulking steel goliaths that seem to spring up as spontaneously as desert flowers after a thunderstorm, moving on to somewhere else after a couple weeks.

Most rigs run day and night, with crews of roughnecks rotating in 12-hour shifts. They often sleep on site in nearby man camps, rows and rows of bunk house trailers where weekly rents for a room are comparable to big city apartments. The constant need for skilled workers drives blue-collar incomes that can easily reach six figures a year, supporting spouses and children who often live hundreds of miles away.

More than 5,000 new well-drilling permits were issued in the Texas portion of the Permian in 2021. Numbers from the first quarter of 2022 show the industry on pace to eclipse that figure.

Each new well, which takes about two weeks to drill, represents millions in capital investment  corporate bets that demand for oil and gas will continue for decades to come.

The frenetic search for more gas and oil is happening just as Biden and other world leaders are promising to cut methane emissions across the globe.

Scientists warn that we are in a decisive decade for the Earth's climate, with sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions needed immediately to avoid the most catastrophic droughts and superstorms and prevent coastal cities from being swamped by rising seas.

This summer is on pace to be among the hottest on record, with wide swathes of the Earth shattering temperature records and billions of people struggling to cope with weeks-long heat waves. Even in energy-rich Texas, the primary electricity provider had to take emergency conservation measures to keep the state's grid from failing because of soaring demand for air conditioning.

Biden said last week the Earth is running out of time, calling the climate crisis a code red for humanity.

I will do everything in my power to clean our air and water, protect our people's health, to win the clean energy future, the president said. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us.

At an international climate summit in November, the United States signed on to a Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030. More than 100 countries agreed to the target, though Russia and some other major methane emitters refused.

To meet that deadline, the American oil and gas industry would have to reduce emissions at a rate far beyond anything currently seen.

The industry says it is working toward that goal.

To be able to capture more methane emissions makes sense from a business perspective, said Frank Macchiarola, the senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs at the American Petroleum Institute, an industry trade group. It's the product that we ultimately want to bring to market. And it also obviously makes sense from an environmental standpoint.

But climate scientists and environmentalists warn the industry's incremental efforts are nowhere near enough to avoid dire consequences for humanity.

Methane is responsible for 25% of today's global warming, and we can't limit future warming to 2 degrees Celsius if we don't drastically cut those emissions," said Ilissa Ocko, a senior climate scientist at the Environmental Defense Fund, a group that campaigns for climate action. "We have the tools to cut methane in half and the faster we do that, the better off our climate and communities will be.
Dr John Mather, senior project scientist for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has said that the telescope can look back in time by looking at things that are far away

The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed a lot about space in recent days with its first images and data. And it is just getting started with its exploration of the cosmos. NASA has informed that Dr John Mather, the observatory's senior project scientist, has been working toward this milestone for more than 25 years. Taking to its official Twitter handle NASA tweeted, "Letting go of the past is not one of Dr. John Mather's strong suits. In fact, he's received a Nobel Prize for it. As @NASAWebb's senior project scientist at @NASAGoddard, Mather is shifting the past into new focus. Learn more in Gravity Assist: https://go.nasa.gov/3zlescr."

Letting go of the past is not one of Dr. John Mather's strong suits.



In fact, he's received a Nobel Prize for it. As @NASAWebb's senior project scientist at @NASAGoddard, Mather is shifting the past into new focus. Learn more in Gravity Assist: https://t.co/ysAAnkxRsJ pic.twitter.com/K87kLYHLfP  NASA (@NASA) July 29, 2022

It can be known that before Webb, Dr Mather worked on a spacecraft that delivered a groundbreaking baby picture of the universe and offered the best evidence yet that the universe began with a rapid expansion we call the Bbig Bang. Speaking to Jim Green from Gravity Assist, NASA's interplanetary talk show, here is what Dr John Mather said.

Giving a little background about COBE, Dr Mather said, "COBE was the Cosmic Background Explorer satellite, and it was proposed back in 1974, to measure the Big Bang . So what's it mean to measure the Big Bang? It means measure the cosmic microwave background radiation, which fills the entire universe now. And is evidence of the conditions at the very earliest moments, whatever they were. So task number one, see, is it the right color? Is it colorless in the sense of matching up a theoretical curve called a black body spectrum? And, and it is."

Also Read: August sky has lots in store for us! NASA says watch out for these special events

"Number two, is it the same in every direction? And the answer is almost, but not quite. And that's really important because we interpret the hot and cold spots that we saw on the map, to say those come from the big bang itself, whatever the big bang really was. And they made the universe not exactly smooth and not exactly uniform, and because of that we are here," he added. He further informed that when they showed the map to the world, Stephen Hawking said Well, that's the most important scientific discovery of the century, if not of all time!

On being asked what is happening in the early part of the universe that James Webb is going to be able to tease out? Dr Mather said, "Well, the Webb telescope does look back in time by looking at things that are far away. Light takes a long time to get here from there. So we can look back on not quite all the way towards the beginning. But if nature gave us an object to look at, then we should be able to see it as soon as 50 or 100 million years after the expansion started up. So those primordial objects are purely predicted at the moment. Nobody's ever seen them. But we built the Webb telescope so that we could if they are there."

He added, "By the way, when we're talking about the size of the universe, the universe as a whole is probably infinite, so it doesn't really have a size. The part that we can see is 13.7 or 13 point 8 billion light-years in dimension at the moment, or it was when the light was sent to us. So that's a little tricky bit too, because of course, everything's been moving and changing ever since the light came."

"But in any rate, our job with the Webb telescope is looking as far back towards that moment to into what we call the Cosmic Dark Ages, to see the first luminous objects that grew out of that primordial material. So they could have been stars, they could have been galaxies that came together, before the stars grew, they could have been black holes, there even are stories about how black holes could grow out of that primordial material. It's even logically possible that there are some left from the big bang itself. Although nobody has figured that one out, we've never seen a real signs of them. But what about that? So that's sort of number one cosmological objective is to see back as far as possible in time," he said.

You can read the full interview here.
HAIKOU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Fabrice Megarbane, L'Oreal North Asia Zone president and chief executive officer of L'Oreal China, sees the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) as a signal of the greater opening-up of the Chinese market.

The expo, which concluded on Saturday in Haikou, capital of south China's Hainan Province, attracted exhibitors from 61 countries and regions. Some 2,800 brands from 1,955 domestic and international enterprises participated in the exhibitions.

China is committed to opening up further and is increasingly determined to unleash the potential of its market by boosting consumption, Megarbane said. It was also the second time L'Oreal has exhibited at the expo, and it this year expanded its exhibition area to 625 square meters.

There were over 50 French companies and nearly 250 French brands participating in the expo held on the resort island of Hainan. France was the guest country of honor at this year's CICPE and, after China, the second-largest exhibitor.

French fashion brand Karl Lagerfeld and the Hainan Global Duty-Free Plaza on Feb. 26 signed a strategic cooperation agreement to share the opening-up opportunities and accelerate the expansion of Hainan's consumer market.

Durian, coffee, snacks and various delicacies exhibited by Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Group were audience favorites during the event. "The expo is a very good platform and is in line with the development strategy of our company," said Xue Zengyi, senior vice chairman of the group's Agro-Industry and Food Business China Area.

Attracted by the preferential policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the group increased its investment in Hainan and established a global trade company in 2021. Xue said the company hopes to import the world's best consumer goods into Hainan and then push them from Hainan to the Chinese market, and, at the same time, bring high-quality Chinese consumer goods to the world.

Oranuch Wannapinyo, commercial consul of Commercial Section at the Thai Consulate-General in Guangzhou, said she believes that in participating in the expo, more premium and high-quality Thai brands will be promoted to the Chinese market and across the globe.

Foreign direct investment inflows, in actual use, increased 17.4 percent year on year to 723.31 billion yuan (about 107.3 billion U.S. dollars) in the first six months, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Vice Minister of Commerce Sheng Qiuping said that during the expo, the number of foreign exhibitors and brands increased significantly, the international exhibition areas expanded, and the quality of economic and trade activities also improved, which shows that the expo's platform role has become more prominent and the Chinese market has become more attractive. 
The American League Wild Card race is one that is extremely competitive, with a number of teams coming into Saturday clearly in the hunt to earn one of the two playoff spots available.

That list of teams includes the Tampa Bay Rays, who made what could be a key addition to their playoff push in a notable trade on Saturday.

The Rays have acquired veteran outfielder David Peralta from the Arizona Diamondbacks for catcher prospect Christian Cerda.

The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring outfielder David Peralta from the Arizona Diamondbacks, sources tell ESPN. Catcher Christian Cerda is headed to Arizona. @ByRobertMurray was on Peralta moving.  Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 30, 2022

The Diamondbacks are on the outside of the playoff picture in the National League, so it was expected that they would likely be sellers at the trade deadline.

The Rays have a clear need for Peralta after it was recently diagnosed that Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier will miss the rest of the 2022 MLB season after undergoing left hip labrum surgery.

Peralta  who won the Silver Slugger Award in 2018 and a Gold Glove in 2019  has spent the entirety of his nine-year career with the Diamondbacks. But he will now be heading to Tampa Bay to help provide some depth in the outfield for the organization.

He has had a solid season for the Diamondbacks thus far, hitting 12 home runs on the year while slashing .248/.316/.460 on the year.

Many Diamondback fans are certainly upset to see a long-time fan favorite like Peralta was in Arizona leaving the organization.

End of an era. https://t.co/Ev3v1FJ2DK  Jose M. Romero (@RomeroJoseM) July 30, 2022

So where do David Peralta stats rank among #Dbacks franchise leaders? 961 GP (3rd), 434 Runs (6th), 960 Hits (3rd), 468 RBI (4th), 15.3 WAR (6th) One of the best players to dawn Sedona Red.  Millard Shane Thomas (@creatorthomas24) July 30, 2022

It's sad to see David Peralta go, and his story has been told so much, it's easy to forget how remarkable it was. Cut by the Cardinals, worked at McDonald's, took up hitting in indy ball, signed by AZ, in MLB a year later. A Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove and career 112 OPs+.  Zach Buchanan (@ZHBuchanan) July 30, 2022

David Peralta is gonna fit right in with the Rays. He's 34, and he's only been paid once in his entire career, and that was a 5th outfielder's salary while he got second outfielder playing time.  Razzball (@Razzball) July 30, 2022

It appears like the New York Yankees have a firm grasp on the AL East division lead, but this move makes it clear that the Rays are still trying to make a push for a Wild Card spot this year.

[Jeff Passan]
The newest exhibit at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Mandela: The Official Exhibition, opened Friday and takes visitors through the world leaders life from his childhood in Mvezo, South Africa, until his death in December 2013.

Jay Patton, supervisory museum curator at the Bush Library and Museum, worked in partnership with the host company, Round Room Live, to install the exhibit that will be on display in College Station through April 23, 2023.

Patton said on Friday that the exhibit, which has toured throughout Europe and has made a handful of stops in North America, is full of information and artifacts people can view as they travel through the different sections of Mandelas life. The exhibit expands beyond the normal footprint of the Ansary Gallery of American History, he said, with displays beginning in the rotunda and continuing through the traditional exhibit space.

Each section spans a period of Mandelas life, he said, including his activism against apartheid in South Africa, his time in prison at Robben Island from 1964-1990, his presidency in South Africa and, finally, his work on a global platform after his presidency.

Some of the items that Patton noted as special to him are a pair of AbaThembu garments commissioned for the exhibit by the Royal House of Mandela, a master key to the prison cells at Robben Island that Mandela was gifted by Christo Brand, a Robben Island prison guard he befriended, and also the white lion skin that draped Mandelas casket at his funeral in South Africa.

Patton said this is the first time the white lion pelt has been on display in North America.

Its very humbling for me, he said to have the item on display at the end of the exhibit. For me, its a symbol of how impressive this man was. Hes an icon, and I think to have that symbol of his power, his influence, his charisma displayed here is really special, and our visitors will appreciate that by the time they finish the exhibit.

One of his favorite sections is the final one titled Healing a Nation, because of how aesthetically different it is from the rest of the exhibit and the symbolism it includes.

Before entering the Robben Island section of the exhibit, Patton said one quote in the exhibit sums up Mandela: During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against White domination, and I have fought against Black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realised. [sic] But, my Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

During a tour of the exhibit Friday morning, Patton told the tale of civil strife in South Africa over apartheid when Mandela entered prison, and when he re-entered the outside world, the country was close to a civil war.

After he ascended to the presidency, he was the first Black president in South Africa, Patton said. He basically inherited all of those problems, and so he had to try to figure out how to resolve them peacefully, how to negotiate with friends and adversaries alike, to basically save the country, to create justice for everyone.

Patton said a focus exhibit is planned to open on Aug. 29 that will be dedicated to the intersection of George Bush, American foreign policy with the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandelas rise to the presidency, FW de Klerks diplomacy and negotiations with all parties involved.

Amy Raines, director of marketing and communication for the presidential library and museum, saw the exhibit for the first time put together on Friday and said it did a good job of showing the different stages of Mandelas life and how he became such a key figure of the 20th century.

She said the exhibit highlights how Mandela took the strengths he identified in himself, such as his abilities to speak and relate to others, and utilized them as an effective leader.

He just wasnt afraid to talk to or sit down with anybody and you have to respect and admire that, she said. He was well aware of his strengths, and I think he put those to use to accomplish a whole lot in his lifetime.

She also remarked on Mandelas ability to forgive people throughout his life.

Patton said he hopes people will see the parallels between Mandelas life and todays world.

That, for me, is the biggest thing I would hope people would see, and that we still deal with so many of the issues that Nelson Mandela fought for (and) against all of his life, he said. Its important to me that our visitors get a sense of the struggle; they get a sense that there is a direct connection to this person. Of course, most people have not met Nelson Mandela, but I think you can find a personal connection. I think each and every person can find a personal connection in what we have presented here.

He said he hopes people take time to reflect on the exhibit and do what they can to make the world a better place.

The exhibit is open and will run through April 23, 2023. Admission to the exhibit is included in admission to the Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for senior citizens, $7 for retired military  with military ID  and $3 for youth and college students. Masks are required of all visitors to the museum due to high COVID-19 rates in Brazos County.
AUSTIN  After the Uvalde school shooting, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spent nearly three hours in Huntsville at a campaign fundraiser that he was criticized for not canceling.

But the governor didnt touch down and quickly depart, as he implied, after news outlets reported hed gone ahead with the May 24 fundraiser at a private home in East Texas. Some expected Abbott to instead rush to the South Texas town where residents awaited news about unaccounted-for relatives.

The following day, Abbott said the stop in Huntsville was to let people know that I could not stay, that I needed to go to Austin to continue working with law enforcement on the response to the 21 killings at Robb Elementary School.

Newly obtained campaign finance reports and flight-tracking records show that Abbott, using northeast Texas rancher-businessman Ricky Bakers loaned jet, arrived in Huntsville at 4:52 p.m. on May 24. He was driven about 2 miles to a local supporters house and didnt depart the city until 7:47 p.m.

On Thursday, Abbott campaign spokeswoman Renae Eze was asked about the governors statements suggesting he only briefly stopped en route from a news conference about wildfires in Abilene. Although Abbott said Huntsville was on the way, its actually 150 miles east of Austin.

Eze, insisting Abbott had been forthright about his movements that day, took aim at his Democratic opponent Beto ORourke.

Unlike Beto ORourke who took advantage of the tragedy in Uvalde by increasing his fundraising efforts and resorting to political stunts, Governor Abbott canceled all political activity, including fundraising, Eze said in a written statement.

Earlier, Abbott spokesmen said the Republican governor spoke by phone on the day of the shooting with President Joe Biden and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

The governor spoke with the President, Secretary Mayorkas, law enforcement and staff throughout the afternoon and evening, including on the ground in Huntsville, Eze said Thursday. The day after the tragedy, the governor traveled to Uvalde and met with law enforcement and local officials. The governors description of his movements that day are accurate.

Abbott has been dogged by the Uvalde massacre, with criticism of his decision to go forward with the fundraiser, his inaccurate early statements that police heroically responded to the shooter and his deferring to the Texas Legislature to frame policy responses that might avert repetitions of mass killings.

At the Huntsville event, Abbott may have raised as much as $50,000, according to his campaign finance report covering Feb. 20 to June 30, which he filed with the Texas Ethics Commission on July 15. That doesnt include an in-kind donation of meal and party expenses worth almost $6,900 from the host, Huntsville designer and chef Jeff Bradley.

After the Dallas Morning News on Thursday sought to reach a half-dozen possible attendees of the event  Huntsville residents who gave to Abbott between May 9 and May 26  Bradley protested.

I would appreciate it if you would refrain from contacting my guests who attended the dinner in my home, Bradley, who according to Ethics Commission records has thrown five parties for Abbott since late 2017, said in a text message. This was a private event.

Eze did not dispute flight-tracking information that, by process of elimination, shows Abbott flew from Abilene at 4:11 p.m. in a Cessna Citation Jet CJ4 registered under Avtex Holdings LLC of Mount Pleasant. Its owned by Baker, who since June 2014 has given Abbott almost $120,000. Of that, $70,000 were in-kind contributions for eight previous uses of his private jet.

On Thursday, Baker did not respond to messages left at his business, KRB Investments, and on his personal phone.

When asked at a news conference in Uvalde on May 25 why he didnt cancel the Walker County fundraiser, Abbott noted he had been in Abilene when he learned of an 18-year-old gunmans rampage that killed 19 third- and fourth-graders and two teachers.

On the way back to Austin, I stopped and let people know that I could not stay, that I needed to go, Abbott said. And I wanted them to know what happened and get back to Austin so that I could continue my collaboration with Texas law enforcement to make sure that all the needs were being met here in the Uvalde area.

ORourke, the former El Paso congressman who is trying to deny Abbott a third term, interrupted the news conference, yelling at Abbott, This is on you.

Although both candidates say they suspended overt politicking in the days and weeks after the Uvalde horror, Abbott spokesman Mark Miner said Thursday that ORourke ramped up his appeals for campaign contributions in Facebook ads in the days immediately following the mass shooting.

ORourke spent between $618,000 and $825,000 on Facebook ads between May 24 and June 1, Miner said. Some of the ads mentioned guns and Uvalde, he noted.

ORourke spokesman Chris Evans, though, said the Democrat mentioned Uvalde only in ads that asked the public to RSVP and attend five Protect Texas Kids townhalls he held in the wake of the mass shooting.

Were always spending money on Facebook, Evans said. Their accusation is that we spent money to capitalize off of Uvalde. We in fact chose not to do that.

Speaking of the Abbott camp, Evans said, Theyre trying to kick dust up around this. Theyre trying to get people to look at that instead of (Abbotts) not going to a single funeral and not going back to the community, not calling a special session even though the school board and the city council have now passed unanimous resolutions asking him to.Since May 24, Abbott has visited Uvalde four times.

As Eze told the Houston Chronicle earlier this month, Abbott has visited with every family that requested a meeting.  Many families requested private funerals, and the governor and first lady instead sent flowers and condolences to let the loved ones know they remain in their prayers.
When President Donald Trumps supporters assaulted the Capitol, it was evident they were trying  with his encouragement  to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election.

Now, as radio commentator Paul Harvey used to say, we know the rest of the story. Or at least most of it.

Thats because the House Jan. 6 committees investigation, and its eight carefully staged hearings, left no doubt the former president was directly responsible for initiating, inspiring and failing to stop the most serious domestic assault on American democracy since the Civil War.

Its hearings have provided detailed proof for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnells assertion that Trump was practically and morally responsible for that days events. Or, as GOP Rep. Liz Cheney put it, Trump summoned the mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame.

Here are the 10 most important things about Jan. 6 that the hearings have made clear:

1. Trump always planned to claim fraud, regardless of the specifics, if he was losing to Biden. He often said before the 2020 election that was the only way he could lose to his Democratic rival. His longtime confidant, Steve Bannon, confirmed that was his pre-election intent.

2. Trump knew that his persistent, undocumented claims of widespread election fraud were false. Thats because numerous members of his own camp told him so, including his own attorney general, his campaign manager, family members and top White House aides.

3. Trump pressured officials in several key states to reverse the results and his own Justice Department to let him pursue the fraud allegations it had already rejected. An Atlanta grand jury is weighing possible criminal charges stemming from his much-publicized phone call urging Georgia election officials to reverse Bidens 10,000-vote victory there.

4. Trump was directly involved in initiating the demonstration that preceded the attack on the Capitol while it was formalizing his election defeat. His supporters considered as a call to arms his Dec. 20 tweet: Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild! Top advisers predicted in advance there would be violence.

5. Trump knew many demonstrators that day were heavily armed and sought to protect them by not enforcing the usual security restrictions at his midday rally. He said he was unconcerned because he knew he wasnt their target.

6. Trumps call for the protesters to go to the Capitol at the end of his Jan. 6 rally speech was planned from the outset. Some leaders of participating groups said they were told to keep it secret so it would look spontaneous.

7. Trump demanded that his own security officials let him go to the Capitol with his supporters, though his intent remains unclear. He clashed with his own Secret Service detail when told he couldnt go because they could not ensure his security.

8. Trump exerted pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to exert powers he did not have and assist his effort to overturn the result by rejecting state certifications of their electoral votes. Pence, supremely loyal to Trump for four years, resisted and did his constitutional duty. When demonstrators threatened Pence, aides heard Trump say he deserves it.

9. Trump considered invoking the most extraordinary presidential powers intended for national emergencies as part of his effort to overturn the election results, but his top legal advisers talked him out of it. On Jan. 6, he ignored their advice to invoke his authority to quell the violence.

10. While the insurrection raged, Trump resisted for hours the pleas of those who beseeched him to call off the protesters, choosing instead to keep calling senators to urge them to reject the results. Committee members said it raised a question whether he violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Nineteen months later, Trump continues to lie about the 2020 election, having convinced millions of Americans including a majority of Republicans there was substantial fraud despite the absence of evidence. According to Axios Jonathan Swan, he has ousted all advisers who dispute that.

Republican congressional leaders have refused to discuss the substance of the hearings, including their own pleas for Trump to quell the violence on Jan. 6. They questioned the veracity of witnesses and procedural aspects like House Speaker Nancy Pelosis rejection of two Republican House members for the panel after the GOP torpedoed her original plan for a totally bipartisan probe.

Trump has regularly denounced panel members, especially Republican Cheney, and witnesses. But virtually every person whose testimony was shown live or taped was a Republican, a former Trump aide or a nonpolitical police officer.

More seriously, Trump apparently sought to influence the testimony of several potential witnesses who were preparing to testify about what they saw on Jan. 6, committee members said.

This all explains why they have suggested Trump  and possibly some top aides, like former chief of staff Mark Meadows  violated federal laws barring obstruction of congressional proceedings or engaging in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Final decisions on possible criminal charges will be made by the Department of Justice and the attorney general, Merrick Garland.

But the American people, starting with Republican leaders and primary voters, will determine Trumps ultimate fate. After these hearings, there will be no excuse for any of them saying they didnt know what happened.
TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian Intelligence Ministry has recently arrested a citizen of Sweden for "espionage" charges, the ministry announced in a statement on Saturday.

The detainee had some "suspicious behavior and communication during his previous multiple trips to Iran," according to the statement.

The ministry noted that the suspect had communicated with a number of "European and non-European suspicious elements who were under surveillance in Iran."

The suspect entered Iran a few months ago "after the arrest of another European spy, with the mission of obtaining information on how the identity of that spy had revealed and the type and amount of information that had been fallen to the hand of the ministry," it added.

The arrested person had also a history of visiting Israel before traveling to Iran, read the statement, without specifying the name of the suspect.

In June, a Swedish court sentenced a former Iranian official to life in prison after being convicted of committing "war crimes and murder" in the 1980s. The accusations were rejected by the convict. 
A threat actor operating with interests aligned with North Korea has been deploying a malicious extension on Chromium-based web browsers that's capable of stealing email content from Gmail and AOL.

Cybersecurity firm Volexity attributed the malware to an activity cluster it calls SharpTongue, which is said to share overlaps with an adversarial collective publicly referred to under the name Kimsuky.

SharpTongue has a history of singling out individuals working for organizations in the U.S., Europe, and South Korea who "work on topics involving North Korea, nuclear issues, weapons systems, and other matters of strategic interest to North Korea," researchers Paul Rascagneres and Thomas Lancaster said.

Kimsuky's use of rogue extensions in attacks is not new. In 2018, the actor was seen utilizing a Chrome plugin as part of a campaign called Stolen Pencil to infect victims and steal browser cookies and passwords.

But the latest espionage effort is different in that it employs the extension, named Sharpext, to plunder email data. "The malware directly inspects and exfiltrates data from a victim's webmail account as they browse it," the researchers noted.

Targeted browsers include Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Naver's Whale browsers, with the mail-theft malware designed to harvest information from Gmail and AOL sessions.

Installation of the add-on is accomplished by means of replacing the browser's Preferences and Secure Preferences files with those received from a remote server following a successful breach of a target Windows system.

This step is succeeded by enabling the DevTools panel within the active tab to steal email and attachments from a user's mailbox, while simultaneously taking steps to hide any warning messages about running developer mode extensions.

Volexity characterized the campaign as "quite successful," citing the attacker's ability to "steal thousands of emails from multiple victims through the malware's deployment."

"This is the first time Volexity has observed malicious browser extensions used as part of the post-exploitation phase of a compromise," the researchers said. "By stealing email data in the context of a user's already-logged-in session, the attack is hidden from the email provider, making detection very challenging."

The findings arrive several months after the Kimsuky actor was connected to intrusions against political institutions located in Russia and South Korea to deliver an updated version of a remote access trojan known as Konni.

Then last week, cybersecurity firm Securonix took the wraps off an ongoing set of attacks exploiting high-value targets, including the Czech Republic, Poland, and other countries, as part of a campaign codenamed STIFF#BIZON to distribute the Konni malware.

While the tactics and tools used in the intrusions point to a North Korean hacking group called APT37, evidence gathered pertaining to the attack infrastructure suggests the involvement of the Russia-aligned APT28 (aka Fancy Bear or Sofacy) actor.

"In the end, what makes this particular case interesting is the usage of Konni malware in conjunction with tradecraft similarities to APT28," the researchers said, adding it could be a case of one group masquerading as another in order to confuse attribution and escape detection.

Update: Following the publication of the story, Google told The Hacker News that the extension used in the attacks was not available on its official Chrome Web Store and that the infection requires the adversary to have already breached the target systems by other means.

"The extension in question is not in the Chrome store, and this report does not identify an exploit in Gmail," the tech giant said. "It speaks to a scenario where a system needs to already be compromisedby spear phishing or social engineeringin order for the malicious extension to be deployed."

Enabling anti-malware services and using security hardened operating systems like ChromeOS are best practices to prevent this and similar types of attacks," it further added.
More than 100 people have signed an online petition asking the City of Carbondale to loosen restrictions on short-term rental properties  the kinds listed on travel rental websites such as VRBO and Airbnb.

Currently, Carbondale allows property owners to post their property as a vacation rental as long as it is owner-occupied, meaning those listing the unit live in the home or on the property. Those who are behind the petition including Justin Zurlinden want to see that restriction removed.

Right now, to list a property on Airbnb or VRBO, you have to live on-site where you are having guests, said Zurlinden, who owns several Carbondale properties he feels would make good vacation rentals. Technically, my house qualifies because it has an attached apartment. That apartment could be a rental, but any other property I own where I do not live does not qualify.

The city code also requires the property to be licensed with the city as a rental property, subject to regular inspections.

Zurlinden said he understands the city code was originally written so that property owners would be sure to maintain their rentals and to allow for supervision of guests, but he says a loophole allows the on-site property owners to rent their home when they are away  even on vacation themselves. He would allow owners of other properties to have the same latitude  by eliminating the owner-occupied provision.

He said a change in the code would allow for some of the communitys vacant homes or rental stock to be renovated and become a source of income.

A lot of the rentals in Carbondale need money put into them, he said. They need work, they need updates and they need some love. They need somebody who cares and if we can incentivize people by saying, Update this house and use it as an AirBnb, I believe these properties would be more well-kept than traditional rentals.

He said concerns about unruly tenants and poorly maintained properties are without merit, explaining the rental websites will cancel an owners membership if they allow parties or large gatherings at a property and, thanks to guest reviews, dirty or rundown units will quickly go out of business.

D. Gorton serves as an ambassador for Airbnb. His Carbondale Pool House is a popular short-term rental (he resides in the main home on the property). He said he sees the need for the changes Zurlinden is suggesting.

For a long time, we felt like it was the wrong thing to do, Gorton admitted. However, Ive changed my mind. We have entirely too much open housing in our community. This is something Carbondale needs.

Gorton said his rental is booked through much of the fall and he would welcome more competition.

Seems like if people can take these vacant homes and turn them into businesses that are well run, I think thats a good idea and exactly what should happen.

Gortons vision has happened in other area communities. Jason Powell manages more than a dozen short-term rentals in Marion and Williamson County. He said Airbnbs there need to be registered with the city and undergo regular inspections, providing a safeguard.

If you have any issues such as if the police have been called to the property, then they can pull your short-term rental license, Powell said.

Carbondale City Manager Gary Williams said he would be amenable to the city council considering a change in the vacation rental unit code.

At the staff level, were open to suggestions because we realize that the Airbnb market is a big one and we realize that we have a lot of tourism opportunities in the region that we could capitalize on. We also have a lot of older housing where perhaps property owners may have a vision to improve them and make them Airbnbs, he said. At the same time, we have concerns about how they are managed and what the impact might be on the other homeowners in the district. If we can find a balance to make all of that work, I think we may support it.

Powell said one of his Williamson County properties has been viewed online more than 45,000 times.

Theres a real demand there for short-term rentals. You cant overlook that, he said. A lot of people who are traveling arent using hotels anymore; they are wanting to bring their whole family and their pet to spread out in a house.

There is a need for more vacation rentals in Carbondale, Powell noted. He said many of his vacation renters stay in Williamson County because they are unable to find a house in Carbondale.

These folks are eating in our restaurants in Marion because they are staying here. Theyre stopping at the gas station and filling up here because this is where they are staying, he said. I think Carbondale is missing out on some tremendous opportunities.
More than 19,000 Cook County residents whose gun permits were revoked have failed to turn over their firearms owners identification cards to law enforcement as required by law, a top police official said on Thursday.

Deputy Chief Arthur Jackson of the Cook County sheriffs office told a panel of legislators that staffing shortages have prevented his department from collecting revoked FOID cards and guns from residents who havent voluntarily turned the cards and gotten rid of their guns, either by turning them in or transferring them to someone permitted to have them.

Issues surrounding the states gun permit system were again highlighted earlier this month when it was revealed that the alleged gunman in the July Fourth mass shooting in Highland Park, which is in Lake County, had a valid firearm owners identification card despite previously exhibiting dangerous behavior that some believe should have prevented him from being allowed to own a gun.

Illinois residents must possess a valid FOID card to make legal gun purchases. But just because someone has a FOID card  attainable by passing a criminal-background check  doesnt mean they own a firearm. Its not clear how many FOID cardholders in the state actually own guns but as of July 1, 19,508 Cook County residents had not turned in their revoked FOID cards, officials said.

One of the issues that were currently facing in Illinois is the lack of follow through in ensuring that individuals that have revoked FOID cards no longer have access to firearms, Jackson said. So, we know that there are a number of revoked FOID cards out there and its just a matter of having the resources to retrieve them.

FOID cards can be revoked for a number of reasons, including if a holder has been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence or a violent felony, or has been flagged for exhibiting mental health issues.

According to a document authored by Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart that was obtained by the Tribune, as of June 6, more than 6,100 people who had not turned in their FOID cards had a felony indictment, over 4,300 had an order of protection taken out against them, more than 4,100 had possible mental health issues and about 150 were considered fugitives for various alleged crimes.

Authorities said 21-year-old Robert Bobby Crimo III had a valid FOID card and legally obtained the high-powered rifle used in the Highland Park shooting, which left seven people dead and dozens wounded. Crimo was able to obtain a FOID card from the Illinois State Police months after Highland Park police had responded to emergency calls at his home in 2019.

In one of the calls, Crimo allegedly threatened family members, and authorities also learned that Crimo was suicidal. His behavior was reported by Highland Park police to state police and flagged as being potentially a clear and present danger, a designation that could allow the state police to deny or revoke a FOID card.

The state police in September 2019 learned about those allegations against Crimo and determined he didnt meet the threshold of being considered a clear and present danger. A state trooper reviewed the allegations against Crimo, but at that point he had no pending FOID application. Shortly thereafter, the clear and present danger designation apparently was cleared from the state system.

The Cook County sheriffs office has had a gun team in place since 2013 that concentrates on retrieving weapons and revoked FOID cards, Jackson said. Since then, the department has confiscated about 2,000 guns from 881 FOID revocation efforts, he said.

The department is working with the state police to secure funding for extra teams of officers, or at least for more overtime, to focus on FOID card revocations and gun retrievals, he said.

There are so many out there, we dont have enough manpower to actually retrieve everything the way that we would like to at this time, he said, referring to revoked FOID cards.

A revoked FOID cardholder would not be allowed to purchase a new firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer if the dealer properly checks the status of the card. But a person with a revoked FOID card wouldnt be prevented from purchasing ammunition.

Dart is working with state legislators to push for a measure that would require customers to present valid FOID cards to buy ammunition.
Like most of South Carolina, Calhoun County has its own share of sites and stories about the American Revolution.

On Monday, a meeting will take place to help organize how to compile those stories.

The meeting will be held at the Calhoun County Museum and Cultural Center, located at 313 Butler Street, in St. Matthews. It starts at 6:30 p.m.

The stories are being gathered ahead of the nations 250th birthday on July 4, 2026.

Although the occasion is four years from now, the S.C. General Assembly passed legislation in 2018 in anticipation of the sestercentennial.

The South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission is working with local organizations in each county to compile stories, sites and other items of interest.

In Calhoun County, this will be known as the Calhoun County 250 committee.

Bill Davies is the coordinator for such county committees across the state and will be presenting more details about it at Mondays meeting.

Every county in South Carolina had a role to play. Some of the stories are of brutal battles featuring regular army and militia. Some are of skirmishes between neighbors in this partisan war. Some feature notable family names that we recognize on our street signs and county insignias today, while other stories are of free and enslaved African Americans, Native Americans, women and children who are often forgotten in textbooks. We plan to tell all of these stories openly and honestly, the commission said.

The true goal of the SC250 Commission is to discover our stories, document the Revolutions impacts on all peoples, and help local communities put in place cultural heritage tourism assets that continue to provide destinations and tell our stories long after the Commission is concluded, they said.

For more information about the SC250 Commission, visit www.southcarolina250.com.

All interested individuals and groups are encouraged to attend Mondays introductory meeting.
Orangeburg

Department

of Public Safety

A former Ollies Bargain Outlet cashier is accused of letting customers leave the business without paying the full price for items, and stealing money from the store.

The Orangeburg woman is charged with one misdemeanor count of breach of trust with fraudulent intent valued less than $2,000. She was taken into custody Wednesday.

Within the past week, five of the six customers, who are facing shoplifting charges, have been taken into custody.

According to an incident report, a total of $2,059 in money and $1,638 in merchandise was stolen from the store at 1462 Chestnut Street.

The stolen items allegedly include:

 A comforter

 Floor rugs

 A cooking kit

 A ceiling fan

 Pillows

 Hula-hoops

 Toys

Warrants claim the thefts and fraudulent transactions were recorded on the stores surveillance videos.

Orangeburg County

Sheriffs Office

A concerned Orangeburg mom called deputies on Thursday claiming that a 31-year-old man was texting her 14-year-old daughter, according to a sheriffs office incident report.

The mom said she only knew the man by his street name.

She claimed the man texted her daughter messages such as, You are sexy and Nobody has to know about us, age doesnt matter.

The case remains under investigation.

In an unrelated report, an employee of Monster Storage, located at 1758 St. Matthews Road, reported on Thursday that the business let someone use a 2021 white Chevrolet from the business on May 13. The person was supposed to return the vehicle to a Charleston business on May 17.

The employee claims the customer never returned the vehicle.

It is valued at $40,000.
Orangeburg County Animal Control wants to implement a program to reduce the feral cat population in the county.

The OCAC is looking to implement a Trap, Neuter and Return (TNR) program that will focus on spaying and neutering cats.

"We are not going to fix the issues overnight, but I guarantee you we are going to work towards it together," Orangeburg County Code Enforcement Director Mernard Clarkson told those gathered Wednesday at the Orangeburg County Library and Conference Center on Russell Street. "We are not there yet but we are going to get there."

The agency is in the planning stages of the program and is working with the Elloree-based nonprofit For the Love of a Paw to better understand the program's procedures and workings.

In a TNR program, community cats are humanely trapped (with box traps), brought to a veterinarian to be spayed or neutered, vaccinated, eartipped (the universal sign that a community cat has been neutered and vaccinated), and then returned to their outdoor home.

Animal control officials say healthy cats and kittens do not do well in a shelter environment, end up getting sick and having to be euthanized.

For the Love of A Paw Board member Jane Singh explained that the organization started about six years ago to primarily to focus on TNR.

The group found out that over 90% of cats going into the Orangeburg and Calhoun county shelters were being euthanized, Singh said.

"Pretty much it was a death sentence to be taken to the county's shelters," Singh said. "We did not feel that should be happening."

She said it has been a challenge to do TNR lately because the Columbia Humane Society has lost two mobile service vans and a veterinarian, limiting the availability for TNR opportunities.

"Our numbers are lower because of surgical spots," Singh said. "We are chipping away at it but, if we could get done on the county level in a much wider spread accent, it would make a bigger difference."

Orangeburg County Council took the matter up earlier this year and gave second reading to changes to the county's animal ordinance paving the way for such a program. Third reading was never carried forth as the county continues to further explore how other counties have handled the program.

Greenville and Charleston counties have similar programs.

Thursday's meeting was the second Code Enforcement and Animal Services gathering held in an effort on the part of Clarkson to bring together various county animal activist groups to discuss ways to improve animal welfare in the area.

"We are going to be Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle we are going to speak for them," Clarkson said. "Trust me, they are telling us stuff. We got to hear and act on what they are telling us."

The combined "All Things Animals - Orangeburg" group plans to meet again Tuesday, Aug. 30, and then plans to meet quarterly following. The goal is to split individuals into focus groups on animal welfare and then to work in a collaborative way as a whole to address animal concerns in the county.

Individuals from various animal advocacy agencies were present, including those from the Orangeburg SPCA, For the Love of a Paw, Pawsitvely Orangeburg and the Charleston Animal Society.

In addition to the TNR program, Clarkson said the county's animal control is also looking to address the issue of cat overpopulation in several ways.

One is the purchase of a mobile unit.

"My ideal goal is to get that mobile spayed and neutering unit and take it out into the community where we can provide some free services and some low-cost services for folks that can't afford it," he said. "If we don't help the people that can't help themselves, then we have a revolving door."

Clarkson said another goal would be for the county's animal control to get its own medical room and equipment where it can do its own spay and neuter procedures in partnership with local veterinarians.

Currently, animal control has partnered with veterinarians to do about 10 procedures a month. The effort began in June.

"We are slowly trying to get it going but we just need many more surgical appointments," Singh said.

Volunteers needed

In other matters, county Animal Control volunteer Sabrina Faircloth said animal control really needs volunteers to spend time with dogs by walking them around the yard as well as to help with laundry.

Individuals are also needed to take pictures and videos of the dogs and their interactions with other dogs and cats for placement purposes.

"It is a lot of fun to pet them and get to know them," Faircloth said, noting she enjoys interacting with dogs that perhaps are more skittish. "I get to watch them blossom over the next couple of weeks. This shelter is 98.5% rescue rate in the state."

Faircloth encouraged individuals to call animal control to see about volunteer opportunities.

Local and state laws

Some attendees asked about the status of the county's tethering laws that deal with how a dog is cared for on property.

Orangeburg County Animal Control Manager Dana Lang said currently animal control works with dog owners to educate them on how they can improve restraining conditions for their dogs and that there are efforts underway to get a tethering ordinance drafted for the county.

"We need to review and evaluate ordinances, procedures and policies annually," Clarkson said. "What we did 10 years ago or what the county looked at 10 years ago is not happening today," he said.

Another suggestion made by an attendee is for the county to offer low-income residents a voucher to have their animals spayed or neutered.

A question was asked about the number of animal control officers in the county. Clarkson said there are four, not including the manager and assistant manager.

"We are addressing that too," he said.

On the statewide level, there are efforts to enact legislation that would allow animal control officers to enforce laws and ordinances on the state level as Class 3A officers, according to Janelle Gregory, The Humane Society of the United States South Carolina state director.

A Class 3A officer would be able to carry a firearm and would have greater authority to address animal code enforcement issues should it pass.

"We have a mixed bag in South Carolina," Gregory said. "A lot of our animal control officers are also code enforcement officers and they don't get the benefit of going to the law enforcement academy."

Clarkson said the county is in the process of training all animal control officers and promised that under his watch, animal cases will be tried to the fullest extent of the law.

"For animal cruelty, we won't take you to magistrate court to get a slap on the hand," Clarkson said. "No, you need to go to the big courthouse so you can understand it is not something we take lightly. We are going to use those tools in our toolbox. Pretty soon they are going to know Orangeburg County is no place for you if you are not going to take care of your animal."

There are also efforts to advance legislation on the state level that would address the cost of care of animals seized by the state. Gregory said currently animals legally seized have to be held until a court case is completed.

The cost-of-care bill would place a bond on the animal and require the defendant to pay the bond every 30 days on the animals. A failure to do so would automatically forfeit the animal to the seizing agency, meaning the animal would not need to be held by a county, Gregory said.

For example, Gregory said Horry County did a seizure of about 30 dogs in 2019 and held the dogs for over two years, costing the county $300,000 during that time period. The dogs were all eventually euthanized.
Hurricane or storm preparedness has become rather routine for T&D Region residents in recent years.

The area has been hit with the historic 2015 flooding and 2016's Hurricane Matthew. Other tropical systems have impacted the area, downing trees, power lines and causing sporadic damage in subsequent years.

Eight tropical systems, which were downgraded to tropical storms by the time they arrived to The T&D Region, had impact locally in some form or fashion in each of the last seven years.

Though The T&D Region has not been impacted by any hurricanes or tropical storms through the end of July, that does not mean residents should become complacent.

It is not a matter of if the next hurricane or tropical storm strikes, but when.

Orangeburg County Director of Emergency Services Billy Staley says residents should always be ready for a storm and perhaps more so this year with supply-chain shortages.

"People maybe ought to prepare a little bit more in advance," Staley said. "The amount of supplies that we are used to having on store shelves -- it may not be that plentiful this year. There is a need for people to make sure they plan a little further in advance. I would encourage people to do."

"There is not much of anything that you need to buy right now that you won't have trouble finding that the supply chain is not impacted by," Staley said.

One area of readiness that is particularly important not only for this year but for all storms are power outages.

"People need to be prepared to deal with the daily needs of life without having electricity for a couple of days and they need to make sure they have a plan," Staley said.

"That plan needs to include food, water those basic supplies," Staley continued, adding first-aid kits should include medicines, important documents (health care information, property titles, insurance records) flashlights, radios, cell phone with chargers, family and emergency contact information, emergency blankets and maps.

Other items that should be available include: baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers); games for children; pet supplies; extra set of car and house keys, manual can opener, whistle, N95 or surgical masks, matches, rain gear, towels, work gloves, tools/supplies for securing home; extra clothing, duct tape, scissors, household liquid bleach and sleeping bags.

Staley said generally residents prepare according to a storm's projected strength and path. He is confident local residents will take the necessary precautions.

"Preparedness is nothing new," Staley said. "A lot of people prepare every day and don't realize they are preparing."

"So if we get a tropical storm, not many people are worried about it because they know the power may go out for an hour, two or three," Staley said. "They are prepared for stuff like that, but when you start talking about a Category 3 or Category 4 hurricane, sometimes they look at a certain depth that they need a little bit more preparedness capability."

Staley said another thing is preparation for possible intense storms such as the landfalling Category 4 Hurricane Hugo back in 1989. He noted there were individuals who boarded up windows around the lake during that storm.

"We can't rule out storms of that intensity here further up in the Orangeburg area," Staley said.

In Calhoun County, Calhoun County Director of Emergency Management David Chojnacki suggested individuals sign up for Code Red Alerts from the county to help prepare for hurricane season. About 28 counties currently use the alert system, including the state.

"When there is important information that needs to be out in the public, that is how I will notify the public," Chojnacki said.

Individuals can sign up by texting calhounema to 99411 or they can also text signmeup to 99411 and somebody from the library will call to assist.

Another thing individuals should have is a weather-alert system with a battery backup for localized alerts.

"They should build up their two-week food supply," Chojnacki said. "Any government agency is not going to really be able to respond for at least 24 or 72 hours, so people should have a minimum of 72. I would recommend two weeks' worth of food and water for each person and to also include their pets."

Chojnacki said people should have an emergency contact set up for family and friends to use outside of the state to swap information if the local phones go down.

"Texting is great because I might send the text today with no signal from the tower but as soon as it gets the signal, that text will be sent out to somebody," Chojnacki said. "Texts are smaller in size than a phone call. Lines don't get bogged down with texts as quickly as they do with the cellphone towers."

Chojnacki said there are plans in Calhoun County to improve weather information access.

He hopes by the end of July to have nine out of 10 weather stations installed throughout the county. The stations will be located in the Sandy Run area down toward Midway Fire Department.

"This way residents, and of course our employees and responders, can look at exactly what is happening in the area they are closest too," Chojnacki said. The stations will calculate rainfall totals, winds, temperature, the current weather and the forecast.

The stations will be able to be accessed free of charge via a mobile app.

The department is also looking to contract with Earth Networks to build an app for Calhoun County Emergency Management that would push out weather and emergency notifications.

Emergency preparedness

From the emergency response side, Staley said storm readiness, response and recovery are the norm for each storm.

Prior to a storm, Orangeburg County Emergency Services continually monitors the weather and conducts messaging with partners such as the Orangeburg County Department of Social Services and Department of Public Works, the fire departments, the school district, colleges, universities, cities, towns and utilities.

For example, schools are kept abreast of severe weather to help facilitate scheduling changes such as school closures and early dismissals.

"We push stuff out on our Facebook pages when you see the severe potential stepping up," Staley said. "We make sure we are all planning at the same level.

"Sometimes it is a matter of them pushing information back to us about their readiness level and how well they will be able to respond to it and what we think that common operating picture will look like for that event."

From the emergency-response side, finding supplies should be less of a challenge than for individuals trying to find items in a store. Staley says the county has contracts with suppliers and FEMA has contracts with federal partners.

"We got places we can reach to get the most cortical things, but it ain't going to be fast," Staley said. "The flip side is we may not be able to get everything on our wish list or as many as we ultimately need, but it will come down to how many can you get by with. It depends on how big the storm is and the availability of everybody's resources."

"We encourage the public to have a plan so you don't need us," Staley continued, noting that when the weather gets really bad, emergency personnel such as EMS and fire cannot respond due to the precarious conditions.

Chojnacki said the county's emergency department prepares a couple of days before the storm is expected to hit. He will call an emergency services meeting of all first responders, and all groups, departments and agencies that have some form of response before, during or after a storm.

"We just make sure we are all on our tiptoes and that everything is ready to move as needed," Chojnacki said.

He said the county has tanks for gasoline and diesel for emergency services vehicles and makes sure these are topped off.

Prior to a storm, the county's roads and bridges department will ensure flood-prone areas are properly barricaded. Buildings and grounds will go out and put sandbags around buildings to prevent floodwaters from entering.

Plans are also put together.

"We will usually get together and discuss what preparations need to be done," Chojnacki said. "EMS and fire will not respond if sustained winds are 35 mph or more. That is because their vehicles are so big they can flip over."

Chojnacki said during a storm, it is about monitoring and responding to events using technology such as Palmetto EOC which is a tool that allows counties to share information and updates within the county departments and throughout the state agencies.

He said Interstate 26 traffic cams are monitored and weather radar is monitored.

Chojnacki said following a storm, it is all about damage assessment.

"Our roads and bridges guys and building and grounds will go out an inspect buildings," he said.

He said the county's damage assessment team, which is annually trained by the state, ranks damages in order to determine if the damages trigger the county receiving federal funding from FEMA to help compensate for county resources used in a storm and individual assistance to handle individual damages.

Bamberg County Emergency Services Director Tiffany Kemmerlin said storm preparations are done on a daily basis.

"We are constantly ensuring our Emergency Operations Plan is current, coordinating and training with key partners and staff as well as keeping the citizens in the community informed," she said.

Kemmerlin encourages residents to prepare for storms.

Have a plan, make it personal," Kemmerlin said, quoting the South Carolina Emergency Management Division's advice. "Having a personalized emergency plan is critical for each family. Its always best to be proactive vs. reactive."

Kemmerlin also encourages residents to use resources such as SCEMD and the Federal Emergency Management Division.
Together we can do anything, said Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Officer Devon Gilmore ahead of the annual National Night Out event.

Its planned for 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4, at Centennial Park. It's being hosted by ODPS and the City of Orangeburg and in partnership with the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office.

The free community event will feature a live band for the first time and will include games, vendors and the usual food fare of hot dogs, hamburgers, drinks and more.

Gilmore said the event will also honor three entities for their contributions to the community: Fogles Piggy Wiggly, Hotep Protective Services and the Sunnyside Village community watch group.

Were giving back. Yall are always giving to us and we want to give back and let yall know, Hey, we want to recognize yall too, Gilmore said.

From small businesses to non-profit organizations, to faith-based groups and more, Gilmore said vendors are encouraged to set up tables  at no cost  at the event.

Show the community what youre bringing to Orangeburg, he said.

Gilmore said hes having fun doing most of the legwork for ODPSs National Night Out event.

Hes spoken with multiple law enforcement agencies, churches and organizations throughout The T&D Region, and many plan to take part in the festivities.

We have different activities for all age ranges to get everybody involved, ODPS records technician Betty Robinson said. "We just really come out and have a good time.

Everybody has the police at a disadvantage at this point. Its Oh, we dont like the police. So this is a time where were showing, Hey, we still have a job to do, but at the same time, were human just like you. So thats why we have set this time aside for the community to come out and meet the police at the same time and a service back to them, where most of the time theyre giving back to us. But were giving a service back to them at this time, she said.

Were basically bridging the gap with the community, just bridging the gap, Robinson said.

The Orangeburg band Moses and the Promise Land will perform several numbers.

Robinson said, They wont be there the whole time, but theyre going to come at the very end of it and take us home. I said, Thats all you need to do.

This is our first time having an actual live band, so I think its going to be very interesting, she added.

National Night Out is an annual community-building effort that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, according to its website.

It is typically held throughout the nation on the first Tuesday of August each year.

There are 54 cities and towns in South Carolina that participate in National Night Out, according to the organizations website.

Gilmore said he and other officers would like to know what the community wants to see offered at the annual National Night Out event.

Its not what we want, its what the community wants, Gilmore said.

Residents are encouraged to give suggestions about National Night Out or about any public safety topic to Gilmore by calling 803-383-8731.
JINAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) jointly released nearly 2 million fish fry on Friday, aiming to restore aquatic biological resources in the Yellow Sea.

A release ceremony was held and streamed live in east China's coastal city of Yantai and the ROK's Mokpo City. China released 1.2 million fry, and the ROK released over 700,000 fry.

China and the ROK have taken turns hosting the activity in the Yellow Sea since 2018.

Ma Lufeng, director of the marine development bureau of Yantai's Huangbohai New Area, said that such activities help deepen marine fishery cooperation between the two countries, and also play a positive role in promoting marine economic development and the host city's image. 
(TBTCO) - He thong khu cong nghiep, khu kinh te a co mat o 61/63 tinh, thanh pho. Tinh en nay, tai cac khu cong nghiep, khu kinh te tren ca nuoc ang co gan 11.000 du an co von au tu truc tiep nuoc ngoai con hieu luc voi tong so von au tu len 230 ty USD... Cac doanh nghiep trong khu cong nghiep, khu kinh te ngay cang ong vai tro quan trong trong tong thu ngan sach.
(TBTCO) - Trao oi voi phong vien TBTCVN, TS. Nguyen Huu Huan - Truong bo mon Tai chinh thuoc Truong ai hoc Kinh te TP. Ho Chi Minh, cho biet boi canh kinh te nua cuoi nam 2022 a co nhung thay oi so voi nua au nam. Trong o, ap luc lam phat a giam bot. Vi vay, Ngan hang Nha nuoc nen can nhac viec noi han muc tang truong tin dung (room) e ho tro tang truong kinh te cuoi nam.
Heating with gas or oil is becoming increasingly expensive. This is why many residents are opting for alternatives as they prepare for winter: the demand for wood-burning stoves and pellets is growing rapidly.

Many consider the good old-fashioned wood stove a way of reducing the need for electric, gas or oil heating when winter approaches, or even outright replacing it. Depending on where your fireplace is located, the heat can spread throughout the house.

Read also: New study estimates cost of Luxembourg switching to 100% renewables

According to Martin Antony, the owner of a chimney construction company, people are trying to avoid heating with gas or oil. Compared to the last few years, the demand for wood-burning stoves has doubled. People are looking for alternatives to oil and gas, both in new buildings and in the context of renovations in older houses.

Cheaper and locally available

Heating with wood is definitely cheaper. If you heat your house all winter with a wood-burning stove, the costs currently remain below 1,000. Wood is also a regional resource, and plenty is still available in the region, according to Antony, who adds that "there are also fewer problems with deliveries when you consume locally".

Firmin Ndounand and his family are renovating their house, which they mainly heat with oil. As part of their renovations, they have opted for a wood-burning stove. "Wood is simply more natural. We are trying to get away from heating oil as much as possible," says Ndounand.

Demand for pellets skyrockets, exports threatened?

Not only is there a growing interest in wood, but people are also looking for pellets as an alternative. These wood pellets are sometimes used as an alternative means of heating in new buildings.

There is only one pellet producer in Luxembourg and since 2014 the demand and production have almost doubled.

In recent years, the quantity produced was sufficient to cover the domestic demand and even sell some abroad. But now the demand in Luxembourg is so high that there is only a small amount left for export.

The Luxembourg pellet producer estimates that from next year they will sell all their products in the Grand Duchy and will no longer be able to export. In addition, the factory operates seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The production of pellets has its limits. In fact, they are made from the remains of wood from forests or sawmills. The trees are not cut down specifically for the production of pellets. If there are no leftovers, it is not possible to produce them. That is why the Luxembourg producer consistently produces 75,000 tonnes of pellets every year.

The high demand is also reflected in rising prices. In just one year, the price of a tonne of pellets has doubled from around 200 to 400.

Video in Luxembourgish:
Rotary Club hosts Sarah Compton

On Monday, Aug. 1, the Rotary Club of Casper is honored to welcome Sarah Compton, the Executive Director of the Wyoming Congressional Award Council (WCAC), as the speaker at its noon luncheon meeting. Rotary Club members and guests are invited to attend this special presentation.

WCAC recognizes initiative, achievement, and service in Wyomings young people. The Congressional Award was established in 1979 and is non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive. The program is open to all youth regardless of ability, circumstance, or socioeconomic status. It is a life-changing commitment.

Sarah Compton has been the Executive Director of the Wyoming Congressional Award Council since September of 2020 and has made her home in Wyoming since 2003. The skills she gained in past jobs in both the business and nonprofit sectors have been perfect to head up WCAC. She has four children, 2 grown and 2 teens still at home. Sarah is a compassionate, passionate, devoted person whether that is to her family, friends, or organizations that she believes in. When she is not doing taxi/mom duties, she enjoys live music, movies, and participating in local theatre.

Some tidbits about Sarah are that she loves homework, a good Excel spreadsheet, sharp #2 pencils, and a thick medium-rare steak.

Sarah believes with all her heart that small, kind, consistent actions will change the world and lives that belief every day. Sarah feels strongly that much like Rotary International enhancing communities and improving lives across the world, youth who participate in the Congressional Award program will achieve the mission of a lifetime of community engagement and impact every aspect of their paths moving forward in a positive way.

Join Rotary at the Ramkota for this special presentation to learn more about how the WCAC enhances our communities and improves the lives of Natrona Countys youth. Members unable to attend in person may join the live stream online.

Antique clubs preps for super flea

The Casper Antique and Collectors Club (CACC) is preparing for its October Super Flea and Collectibles Show, which will be held at the Fairgrounds Industrial Building on Oct. 1 and 2. This show is open to antiques, collectibles, vintage and new items, re-purposed items as well as the usual super flea items. If interested in being a vendor/dealer at the Fall Show, please call Ruth at 235-3141. Show contracts will be mailed the first week of August. Proceeds are used to support Wyoming museums and other local non-profits.

The Club is holding its annual picnic on Aug. 18, 6 p.m. at the Izaak Walton Clubhouse (Ft. Caspar grounds). Members are encouraged to attend.

The Clubs next general meeting will be on Thursday, Sept. 15, in the Senior Center activity room, 1831 East 4th Street, at 7 p.m. There will be a business meeting, program, and refreshments. Members and anyone interested is invited to attend.

The CACC has been active in Casper for 50 years! The Club holds regular meetings with programs of interest, and sponsors the Super Flea and Collectibles shows throughout the year. The Club is all volunteer, and new members are welcome!

Pioneer association picnic

The Natrona County Pioneer Association will conduct their Summer picnic on Sunday, Aug. 7, at the Pioneer Church area of the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds starting at 12:30 p.m. Please bring an individual sack lunch. Drinking water will be provided. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Contact Vaughn Cronin at (307) 251-1466 for more information.

LCCC Radiography Club donates $2,500 to CRMC

Students in Laramie County Community Colleges Radiography Program, have been hard at work raising funds to support the Cheyenne Regional Medical Centers, Curie Fund. In April, LCCC students presented CRMC a $2,500 donation to benefit the Curie Fund. Over the past 12 years, the Radiography Club at LCCC has raised and donated over $35,000 to the fund.

The engagement and fundraising support provided by the young women and men of the LCCC Radiography Club is really exciting for several reasons. Not only will patients benefit, but the students willingness to give some of their time to help people in need in their community is really admirable. This program also helps those future healthcare professionals understand that giving back to their community can be very rewarding, said Scott Fox, executive director of the CRMC Foundation.

The Curie Fund was established in the 1980s by Cheyenne Regionals Radiation Oncology Department to help patients undergoing cancer treatment pay for personal or family necessities, including utilities, transportation expenses and school supplies. Funds are given to patients with financial struggles and are not used to pay medical bills.

Its important to continue the tradition of supporting the Curie Fund because it allows us to care for patients in an unconventional way. When we presented the check at the CRMC Cancer Center it was one of the most humbling and rewarding experiences I have had during my time with the Radiography Club, LCCC student Kaitlyn Jacobs said.

LCCCs students hold fundraisers such as bake sales and t-shirt sales to help raise the funds they donate.

The Radiography Club is committed to helping support local patients who are involved daily with our profession. Teaching students to give back to a community through service learning is a valuable way to help them grow into professionals who will lead into the future, said Ashleigh Ralls, radiography program director.

To learn more about LCCCs radiography program contact Ashleigh Ralls, Program Director at aralls@lccc.wy.edu or 307-778-1292.

Model railroaders back at clubhouse

We held an in-person Business Meeting on March 26 and installed a new President, Kurt Brown. So, the phone numbers to reach us will change to Kurt 277-0462.

The other two numbers stay the same: Harry 235-4950 and Homer 266-6439.

Our doors are still open on Wednesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Friday evenings from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays from Noon to 4:00 p.m. We offer the opportunity for visitors to actually run a train. We will try to get the locos that visitors bring if it fails to operate. We offer installation helps for DCC electronics, and general maintenance. After all it is fun to run trains not just look at them.

We accept donations of unwanted items and find homes for them, sometimes on our layouts. We encourage participation while running the trains in that horns and whistles can be engaged. The lights can be turned on and off as well.

Our Clubhouse is located at 1356 N. Center St. Drive north at the ex-Roosevelt School building and go across the speed bump but stop at the pastel green building with the maroon doors and the picture of one of our locomotives atop those yellow sign posts. If you end up in the River you went 1/2 block too far.

We thank all of the residents of this area for their continued support. Who would we be able to show our model railroads to if we were ignored? So come and visit us.

Our Clubhouse is located at 1356 N. Center St. Drive north at the ex-Roosevelt School building and go across the speed bump but stop at the pastel green building with the maroon doors and the picture of one of our locomotives atop those yellow sign posts. If you end up in the River you went 1/2 block too far.

We hope that the restrictions imposed by the COVID bugs will allow us to resume some meetings this year. Reach President Kurt Brown at 307-235-4950, Treasurer Harry Buhler at 307-235-4950 and Secretary Homer Whitlock at 307-266-6439.

Toastmasters info

Toastmaster Clubs in Casper are recruiting for new members.

Why Join Toastmasters?

Improve your presentation, communication and leadership skills by joining a Toastmasters Club in Casper.

Toastmasters offer a continuous learning forum for you to practice your public speaking, leadership, and organizational skills.

Toastmasters can open doors in your personal and professional life. You will learn in a self-paced atmosphere of fun and fellowship.

Who Joins Toastmasters?

Youll discover a wide variety of members ranging from those who have never before delivered a presentation to an audience to professional speakers, salespeople, attorneys, teachers, and retirees.

Toastmasters really is for everyone because, when it comes to communication and leadership skills, theres ALWAYS room to grow.

How to Join a Casper Toastmaster Club:

PIONEER TOASTMASTERS CLUB 97 (first and third Wednesday from Noon-1:00) kevin@wyocpa.com

MORNING TOUR TOASTMASTERS CLUB 2503 (first and third Mondays, 6:30 a.m.  7:40 p.m.) shaunagibbs0@gmail.com or MaryAnn 307 262-5539

PATHFINDER TOASTMASTERS CLUB 8503 (second and fourth Mondays, 6:15 p.m.  7:30) swhitfield19@msn.com or Steve 307 235-2956

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: www.toastmasters.org

Elks events

Saturday, Aug. 20

Elks Family Picnic in the City Park across from the Elks Lodge. Meat and beverages will be provided by the Lodge. Please bring a covered dish of your choice to share with everyone. Please bring your own plats, eating utensils and lawn chairs. Picnic is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Family games for the older kids and the younger ones as well. The Lodge is all so hosting a Car Show this is open to the public. Register and Shine 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. If you have a old car and would like to show it off bring it on down and register your car and Awards at 2 p.m. You may register that morning or before at the Lodge. For more information call 234-4839.

Wyoming Girls State delegates elected

The following Girls State Delegates attended the 79th session of American Legion Auxiliary Wyoming Girls State held on the campus of Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne on June 4-11. Below are the Delegates and the offices to which they were elected:

Krysta Dennis of Casper was in the city of Sagebrush and elected to and awarded: City Treasurer, Nationalist Party Election Judge, Judge of the District Court.

Brooke Harmon of Evansville was in the city of Paintbrush and elected to and awarded: City Water Commissioner, Federalist Party Agriculture/Environment Platform Committee Chairman, Dept of Game and Fish Director, Outstanding Americanism Delegate.

Shelby Blackwelder of Casper was in the city of Cottonwood and elected to and awarded: City Attorney, Federalist Party Election Judge, County Attorney, Outstanding Court Delegate.

Upon arrival to the program, Delegates are assigned to cities, where they live during their residence at Girls State. During the program, which is operated in accordance with the basic laws of the State of Wyoming, Delegates elect their own city, county and state officials and learn the duties of the various offices; introduce and pass their own bills in the Girls State legislature; make and enforce ordinances regulating their cities; and manage their own police force to administer justice. Every student holds a definite, integral role in the functions of Girls State. The program invites guest speakers to include government officials, community leaders, military members and veterans who present their perspectives on processes and operations.

Girls State offers a myriad of opportunities to experience government first-hand as a citizen, as a voter, as a candidate, as an official, as a policy maker, and as a friend.

The Girls State program emphasizes the importance of government in modern life and educates young women in the duties, privileges, rights, and responsibilities of American Citizenship. It awakens a sincere conviction that a well-informed, intelligent, participating citizenry is vital to protect and preserve our American institutions and our democracy. These goals are achieved by actual participation in a simulation of the political and governmental process.

Stammtisch meets monthly

The Casper German Stammtisch will meet monthly at 6 p.m. at Gruner Brothers Brewery on Oct. 6 (German-American Heritage Day), Nov. 10 and Dec. 8 (includes a sing-a-long of traditional German Christmas carols). When the weather is nice, we prefer to sit outdoors on the patio/deck, so please look for us there first.

Our Stammtisch, which started in 2003, is an informal no-host gathering for everyone who is interested in most things German and German-American from history to cars, food, holidays, and so much more. Both English and German are spoken.

Hope youll join us!

Margo Perry 307-265-3696
Given that one of the plaintiffs in the case against Wyomings ban on abortions identifies herself as Jewish in opposing the law, lets explore fully what Judaism says on the topic.

Wyomings abortion ban was temporarily blocked Wednesday after a ruling by Teton County Ninth District Judge Melissa Owens.

To understand Judaisms view on abortion, we must refer to the Jewish Bible, specifically, the Torah or the Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

On a practical basis, Judaism generally believes that the life of the mother in pregnancy takes precedence over that of the fetus; however, only up to a certain point in gestation: when the baby enters the birth canal and begins to breathe real air. Once the baby enters the birth canal, Judaism says the babys life takes precedence over the mothers. Before that point, the fetus in the womb is a potential pursuer against the mother and should her health be endangered by the pregnancy, Judaism requires the fetus must be removed to protect the mothers life.

Judaism certainly does not believe in abortion on demand. However, traditional Jewish belief supports the availability of abortion, but only to terminate a pregnancy in the aforementioned circumstance. That is, only for the life of the mother and not for either rape or incest. A final caveat  all these questions must be discussed and settled with a competent religious authority on a case-by-case basis.

The source for this Jewish view on abortion starts in Leviticus when we meet a little-known Biblical figure (the mklalel in Hebrew), the blasphemer in the Israelite camp, who scoffed at a Torah commandment and then for added measure attempted to pitch a tent within a tribe in a manner also against Jewish law. After the episode of this wayward blasphemer, and seemingly out of nowhere, the Torah recounts the laws of monetary damages, including the famous eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. We conclude from the juxtaposition of these two verses that lack of respect for Jewish law can lead directly to the overturning of the ethical society and mayhem.

This discussion in the Torah on monetary damages brings the great medieval commentator Rashi to develop a Jewish view on abortion. Obviously, it first must be emphasized that the Jewish view on an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, is not literal, but rather reflects monetary compensation for injuries sustained between people. However, in formulating the Jewish view of abortion, Rashi notes the odd language in the text, and a man, if he strikes mortally any human life, he shall be put to death. Because the Torah writes human life, and not another person, Rashi concludes that this means a fetus, which indicates that someone who causes a woman to abort, does not face the death penalty for murder, but must only pay monetary damages, because that is the topic of these verses. When one is unsure about issues of morality, he or she ought to seek facts and clarity. Please keep this in mind when discussing abortion and remember to treat people with respect with whatever side of the debate/discussion that you are.
As hunters, anglers, hikers, campers and riders of our public lands, we are writing to warn our Wyoming neighbors about the threat Harriet Hageman poses to our freedom to roam and recreate on Wyomings public lands.

For over a decade, Hageman has espoused transferring our national public lands to the states; this was a key part of her platform when running for governor 4 years ago. Whats wrong with this idea? It will mean that, once in state hands, our prized hiking, hunting and fishing areas will be sold off to fund our state budget. Past legislation introduced in Wyoming repeatedly documents this intent. This is aimed at privatizing our federal public lands  national forests and more  and shutting the public out from access. Thankfully, Wyoming folks have overwhelming opposed this idea and rallied to defeat these efforts.

Wyomings open spaces, wildlife, forests and rivers are the envy of the nation. We enjoy extraordinary freedom in Wyoming to roam and recreate on a vast array of lands. Our public lands are the best backyard in the world for our kids to grow up in and for families to explore. In Wyoming, you can live on a small lot in Casper or Rock Springs but have access to hunting and fishing grounds that rival those of any European royalty. This democratic tradition  with equal access and freedom  makes us uniquely Wyoming.

This outdoor heritage is threatened by Hageman. In Wyoming, we are already feeling the pressure of out-of-state people buying up our private lands and driving up property values, making it hard for fixed- and middle-income families. Imagine the loss if also our treasured public lands could be sold. Would Wyoming become just the gated playground of the wealthy? Do we want to become like Texas, where you can only hunt at private clubs?

Hageman is a danger to our public lands legacy because, if elected to Congress, she will be in a position to implement her agenda. Transfer of federal public lands to the states is part of the state and national Republican Party platform. Will she listen to Wyoming people and oppose this mandate from her party, or will she kowtow to the extremists? Her apparent inability to think independently of her party and her lockstep allegiance to one individual who doesnt even live in Wyoming gives us no assurance that she will buck her masters to keep public lands in public hands.

Lets be honest. Liz Cheney isnt lily-white on this issue. She recently supported Gov. Gordons appeal of a BLM ranch acquisition near Casper that improves land and river access for the public. She once voted for a procedural rules package that could be construed as supporting future land transfer to the states. However, once she got negative feedback from Wyoming residents about that vote misstep, she appears to have listened. While these positions and others leave room for improvement regarding her view of federal lands, Hageman would very likely be much worse.

And probably most telling, Rep. Cheneys work with the Jan. 6 hearings has certainly shown that she has the cojones to buck her party in the name of whats right. She even cites from the Code of the West: Some things are not for sale. We know we have a Wyoming independent thinker with her in Congress.

We support multiple use of our federal lands and know management needs improvement, with robust local input. But we are unwilling to sell out our public land freedoms and the outdoor opportunities they provide.

This is a treasured Wyoming heritage we want to pass on to our children and grandchildren. We cant afford to risk what makes Wyoming so special with the wrong choice this primary election.

Mike Burd, Green River

Steff Kessler, Lander

Don Saner, Jackson

Rick Harrison, Powell

Earl DeGroot, Cheyenne

Dan Smitherman, Bondurant

D. Terrance Booth, Cheyenne
GILLETTE  The Gillette College Pronghorn Center was filled with more than 100 youth and youth leaders who raised awareness and prepped backpacks for refugees on Wednesday evening as part of an Interfaith Youth, Refugee Service Project.

The project brought youth from three churches together  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, St. Matthews Catholic Church and New Life Wesleyan Church. Angi Klamm, Gillettes stake communication director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, said the planning for the event began six months ago.

During the service project, the youth heard from Bertine Bahige, the principal at Stocktrail Elementary who came to America as a refugee from the Congo, and Oksana Barchenko, a Ukrainian refugee who recently made her way out of the country.

Klamm said that Barchenko spoke to everyone gathered about the importance of kindness and treating those who may look differently or talk differently from others with the same love. Bahige walked the youth through his lifes story, from escaping from the Congo to the processes he went through to become an American citizen and create his life here.

After the speakers, everyone joined together to fill 50 backpacks with the necessities refugees would need when leaving their country. The items included things like a blanket, snacks, toiletries and water.

We just wanted them to think about and see what they (refugees) might need in a backpack, Klamm said. And understanding our lives could change at any moment.

The groups also organized the event to bring awareness to the fact that Wyoming remains the only state in America that does not offer a refugee resettlement program or any way to help refugees within the state. Klamm didnt know that Wyoming had no way to help refugees before starting the project and now hopes legislation can change to care for those in need.

Without state backing, she still believes that events like these can help in some way.

Even without help from the state, I still feel like we can find ways to help and come together, she said.

Since Wyoming has no center for refugees, the group will send all of the backpacks to Church World Service, a nonprofit organization that helps those in need.

They will distribute (the backpacks) where the greatest need is, Klamm said.

The project also worked as a platform for youth to learn about Just Serve.

It (the platform) is raising awareness to look for opportunities to serve and volunteer in different communities, Klamm said.

All of the backpacks and items for the backpacks came from community members and those who chose to help on justserve.org and all of the tie-blankets were put together by the youth.

Mariana Garcia, the hispanic ministry director at St. Matthews, Dani Tew, the state representative for justserve.org and Sarah McCormick, the youth pastor at New Life all pitched in to bring the event and youth together, as well.
THE recent, and perhaps ongoing, difference of opinion between Caribbean Airlines Ltd (CAL) and the Tobago House of Assemblyover the limitations on the national air carriers service on the Tobago routeled me to question whether CAL needs to be responsible for the domestic airbridge.
Bear with us. We will deal with this challenging situation in Trinidad and Tobago. We will deal with this scourge.

That was the plea to the public yesterday from acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob, as murders and serious crime continue unabated.

Moving to address the crisis, Jacob said leave has been restricted for all police officers, while 60 have been pulled from their vacation to increase foot and mobile patrols in high traffic and public areas.
People walk out of the venue of the 18th China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

NANNING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At a leading paper factory in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a production line was running at full steam as orders from ASEAN countries surge this year.

"Nearly 90 containers filled with white cardboard produced by the factory are shipped through Qinzhou port every day to ASEAN markets and the number keeps increasing," said Zhou Ju, logistics department director of Guangxi Jingui Pulp & Paper Co., Ltd., owned by Indonesia's Asia Pulp & Paper Sinar Mas.

Since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into force in January, trade costs have been further reduced among member countries and related companies have seen tangible benefits.

Customs data shows that, in the first half of this year, China's trade with ASEAN countries reached 2.95 trillion yuan (about 437.8 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 10.6 percent.

Zhou said that the raw materials like wood chips, wood pulp, and starch imported from ASEAN countries now enjoy preferential tariffs thanks to the RCEP agreements, and that has greatly saved the cost of the company.

The Indonesian company also established a branch in January in Nanning, capital of Guangxi, to manage the forestry affairs of the group in China, Laos, and Cambodia, and seek to expand industrial chains as the company eyes the giant economic cooperation potential among China and ASEAN countries.

Companies believe that the implementation of RCEP enables ASEAN and Chinese enterprises to conduct business in a more transparent and clear environment, simplify customs clearance procedures, and facilitate trade and economic exchanges.

"The implementation of RCEP has brought real benefits to our company and our partner companies in Malaysia," said Li Huihuan, deputy general manager of Guangxi Free Trade Zone Sing Nest International Trading Co., Ltd., a Singaporean-funded health food production and processing enterprise in Guangxi. The company has been importing raw materials like edible bird's nests from Malaysia.

Li added that thanks to the simplified customs clearance brought by RCEP, the production and operation efficiency of the enterprise have greatly improved. "The time span from ordering raw materials in Malaysia to receiving goods has been shortened from 15 days to five days, which has greatly reduced our warehousing costs," Li said.

For Chinese companies in Guangxi, RCEP also boosted their confidence to deepen cooperation with ASEAN countries. Liugong Machinery Co., Ltd. transported a large number of loaders to Thailand in January and signed a joint venture agreement with Thai distributor Yontrakarn in February.

Zeng Guang'an, chairman and CEO of the company, said that the two sides have been cooperating for 11 years, and they wish to serve Thai clients better with the joint venture.

Connected with ASEAN countries by land and sea, Guangxi becomes an important window for exchanges and cooperation between China and RCEP members. A total of 12 air cargo routes have been opened between Guangxi and ASEAN countries, covering almost all major ASEAN countries. 

Photo taken on March 2, 2022 shows the container terminal of Qinzhou Port in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua)

Workers load and ship white cardboard products in the delivery area of a paper factory in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 22, 2022. (Xinhua)
The magical charm of the Manzanilla-to-Mayaro vista is not the only gift of nature that could be lost to future generations. Natural phenomena combined with the human-induced impacts of climate change are already altering our lives, and are projected to do so in even more drastic and dramatic ways within the lifetimes of most people alive today.
Outlying areas of Pima County including Three Points, Ajo and the Tohono Oodham Nation will get upgraded broadband internet access, thanks to federal funding recently handed out by the state.

The Arizona Commerce Authority awarded Cox Communications a $5 million grant to support fiber broadband upgrades to the Three Points area west of Tucson and Sycamore Springs in the Sahuarita-Corona de Tucson area, as part of $100 million in grants announced recently.

Those projects will be supported by an additional $5.1 million commitment from Cox Communications and $2.5 million from the Pima County Public Library, helping to provide reliable internet to about 1,400 area residents.

The project also will provide needed infrastructure for the Pima County Sheriffs Department, Ryan Airfield and other community institutions, the county said.

Elsewhere, Chandler-based fiber provider Alluvion Communications also received a $5 million grant for a broadband upgrade project in Ajo, and the Tohono Oodham Utility Authority received just under $5 million for broadband infrastructure within the nation.

Cox said its grant will help the cable provider expand broadband service across more than 100 miles of its network and also provide internet services to the Altar Valley School District.

Coxs fiber-to-the-premises network expansion is part of a multibillion-dollar annual infrastructure investment Cox is making over the next several years to build a 10-gigabit capable, fiber-based network, the company said.

Cox said it also is investing $175,000 in the rural communities to set up a Cox Innovation Center, which will host computers, printers and the latest technology for student learning at a yet-to-be-determined location; and to promote digital equity through the distribution of 100 devices and low-cost internet service for qualified residents, and production and ad placement of a a long-form video to promote digital equity.

Tucson-based Asarco, mining unions back at bargaining table The United Steelworkers and six other unions this week resumed negotiations with Asarco over the terms of a basic contract, the union says.

New state plan to drive growth of rural broadband across Arizona Arizona's "middle-mile" broadband plan boosts high-capacity data lines along Interstate 19, I-17 and other highways to serve more rural users.

Tucson Tech: U of A program helps foreign firms set up US shops Two Canadian tech startups are targeting Tucson as a "soft landing" spot for U.S. entry, helped by a fast-growing University of Arizona program.
Arizona runs on a semi-closed primary system, meaning that while only registered Republicans and Democrats will automatically receive a ballot, voters registered with other parties can request the ballot of their choice.

The problem is, not many do, said Save Democracy executive board member Sarah Brown Smallhouse. "Because so few people (request a ballot), we almost have closed primaries," she said.

"This is an educational effort to raise awareness around the connection between how we elect our representatives and the results we get."

In an open primary, any registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, can vote in any one party primary. Only one candidate from each party can go on to the general election.

In a nonpartisan system, all candidates are included on the same ballot and every registered voter, regardless of party affiliation, may vote for any candidate.

Nearly 11 million independent voters are prohibited from voting in 10 states with closed primaries, and another 19 states prohibit voters registered with one party from voting in another party's primary election.

This often results in minority party voters being excluded from the election that matters the most in electing their representative, says Unite America, a grassroots group working to bridge the growing partisan divide and foster a more representative and functional government.

Unite America reported that in 2020, turnout in nonpartisan primaries averaged 36.2%, significantly higher than in most open, semi-open, semi-closed or closed primaries, for which turnout data varies.

Despite operating under a semi-closed system, Arizona's system saw turnout on par with that of nonpartisan primaries that year, thanks to a surge in voter turnout. In 2020, 36% of registered Arizona voters cast ballots in the primary, an increase of about 10% over the 2018 primary and 25% more than in 2016, according to the Arizona Secretary of State's Office.

In Pima County, roughly 43% of registered voters cast ballots in the 2020 primary election, up just 3% from 2018's primary, according to the County Elections Department.

Texas has an open primary system, but only 18% of registered voters cast primary ballots in this year's midterm election. Despite that percentage being higher than in the last six midterm primaries, it still meant that fewer than one in five registered voters participated, the Texas Tribune reported.

Different rules for candidates

In Arizona, if you don't cast a vote in the primary election, essentially your vote in the November general election doesn't count, said Save Democracy executive board member and Tucson attorney Ted Hinderaker.

Hinderaker got his first taste of the political scene during a legislative internship in college, when it was very different.

"At that time, people worked together across the aisle. The system seemed to work," he said of his experience, which included working for a variety of candidates who all lost in primary elections. "It dawned on me over the years that it's not enough to have good people run and that we have to reform the system."

Hinderaker said the group's efforts are not partisan, a misconception its members sometimes hear, but that they're working to change the system so that it works for everybody.

"This gives the candidate a chance to address issues instead of just towing the party line," he said.

Smallhouse said the core of the issue is the state's low turnout in primary elections, which are often stacked with candidates who are "highly motivated and often, well-funded."

And then, when the general election rolls around, it doesn't matter as much as the primary did in who wins the seat, because there are so many uncompetitive districts, she said.

"Primaries have been designed to exclude people," she said. "If you're an active, engaged, civic person and you're registered as an independent and don't request a ballot, that's sort of the end of the story."

Independent voters represent a large part of today's population, making the current system unfair to independent or unaffiliated voters, as well as to candidates who are not running under one of the two major parties, Smallhouse said.

A 2021 Gallup poll found that 42% of Americans identified as independent.

And as of April 2022, nearly 34% of Arizonans were registered as "other," a category that includes independent voters, secretary of state records show.

In Pima County, there were 198,056 voters registered as "other," a higher number than registered Republicans, as of July 25, according to the Pima County Recorder's Office. The "other" category represents 32% of the 624,028 registered voters in the county.

"There are much higher requirements to get on the ballot, and they're often not included in debates," Smallhouse said of candidates from outside of the two major parties. "This gives an edge to the two main political parties and agendas which are often nationally driven and not locally driven."

Signature requirements are higher for unaffiliated candidates than for Democratic or Republican candidates.

Independent candidates in Arizona are required to get a number of signatures that is equal to at least 3% of all registered voters who are not affiliated with a recognized political party. However, the affiliation of people signing the petition doesn't matter. For candidates running as a Republican or Democrat, the signature requirement varies by office. Candidates running for U.S. senator or a state executive position must get signatures equal to 0.25% of registered voters. For candidates for U.S. representative or state legislative offices, the requirement is 0.5% of registered voters.

Moreover, candidates from other parties don't have access to other parties' voter rolls and don't get as much clean election money, Hinderaker said.

In Arizona, the Clean Elections Commission provides an optional public financing program to qualified statewide and legislative candidates. Candidates must meet requirements including collecting a certain number of $5 qualifying contributions and agreeing not to accept contributions from PACs and corporations.

But independent candidates can only receive 70% of the combined primary and general election funding amounts. For example, in 2022, a Democratic or Republican candidate will receive a combined total of $43,233, while an independent candidate is only eligible for $30,263, according to the committee's website.

Alternative systems in place

While most other jurisdictions have worked to change the primary system for municipal elections, Tucson has not, said Schorr, who has been involved in local politics for decades.

"Every city in Arizona has an open, nonpartisan primary except for Tucson," Schorr said. "It's worked so well, people don't even understand that they're the beneficiaries of the system."

Save Democracy is working to develop the details of the ballot initiative and trying to figure out which system is best for Arizona.

Both California and Washington have top-two primary elections, where the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, Hinderaker said.

Washington's top-two primary system was passed into law by voters in 2004 with nearly 60% of the vote. The two candidates who receive the most votes during the primary election move on to the general election, which sometimes results in two candidates from the same party facing off. Washington's top-two primary does not apply to elections for president or vice president, nonpartisan offices or special districts.

In 2003  before the law took effect  voter turnout in the primary election was just 18%. By 2008, voter turnout in Washington's primary election was up to 43%, and in 2020, it jumped to nearly 55%, according to data from the Washington secretary of state.

California's top-two primary system was approved by voters in 2010 and rolled out for the first time statewide two years later. A decade after its passage, critics say the system too regularly produces confusing results, makes primary races more expensive and therefore dependent on big spending by public interest groups and is prone to other issues, Cal Matters reported in June.

Barbara Norrander, a professor in the University of Arizona's School of Government and Public Policy, said evidence from California's top-two system doesn't show that the candidates being nominated are more moderate candidates, which advocates claimed would happen under the change.

"Voters generally vote for the candidate they prefer. They don't strategically vote for a candidate that may be more competitive in the general election," she said.

Another issue under the top-two system is candidate crowding, according to Norrander, even though it's a nonpartisan system. In a Republican-leaning district, if four Republicans decide to compete and two Democrats, the candidates will likely split the vote several ways, she said.



"Quite possibly the people who get nominated could both be Democrats, or it could be the one Democrat or the more extreme Republican," Norrander said. "The candidates that run under that system aren't going to be much different than under a partisan primary."

In 2020, Alaska voters approved an initiative to establish a nonpartisan pick-one primary election system to implement ranked choice voting in the general election. In each race, voters will rank their choices in order of preference with votes counted in rounds. During the first round, the Alaska Division of Elections counts all first choices. If a candidate gets 50% plus one vote in round one, that candidate wins and the counting stops. If no candidate achieves that number of votes, the voting goes to round two.

For round two and beyond, the candidate with the fewest votes gets eliminated. If a person voted for that candidate, their vote goes to their second choice and the voter still has a say in who wins. If a person's first choice candidate was not eliminated, their vote stays with that candidate and votes are counted again. This keeps happening in rounds until two candidates remain and the one with the most votes wins.

Advocates of the change told radio station KTOO this year's primary was a "big success," saying there was a "wide and diverse candidate list."

Voter turnout for the June primary  the state's first by-mail election  was 27%, according to the Alaska Division of Elections, with KTOO reporting it was the highest voter turnout for a primary since 2014.

UA professor Norrander said there's not as much evidence to gauge how the system works or the outcomes of the change when it comes to ranked choice voting. Most ranked choice systems exist within local offices, she said. San Francisco, Minneapolis and about 20 other cities all use ranked choice voting.

In addition to Alaska, Maine also has a ranked choice voting system, but both states still have partisan primaries, Norrander said.

The one benefit to a ranked choice system, according to Norrander, is that eventually, the outcome is a candidate supported by the majority.

"That doesn't mean that the majority choice is more moderate, since voters don't necessarily rank candidates from moderate to more ideologically extreme," Norrander said. "People have different preferences based on geography or name recognition."

She said that while primary election voters are often described as a small portion of the population who have different views than general election voters, data shows that two-thirds of general election voters voted in the primary.

Nevada residents will be voting on an initiative to change the state's election system in November. The measure would establish a top-five primary and ranked choice. Efforts are also underway in Missouri to change the way citizens vote in primary elections.

"There's a groundswell to do this," Hinderaker said. "And we wouldn't have to change that many states to change what's happening in Washington, D.C., as well, given how narrowly split the Senate and House are."

Hinderaker said the byproduct of an open, nonpartisan system is elections that are more fair and independent, and campaigns that are less divisive.

"What it takes to win in the primary election is to be an extreme in your party," Save Democracy executive board member Don Budinger said.

But an open primary rewards candidates whose messages speak to the largest number of people, he said.

Open elections also result in diversity in candidates and voters, according to Smallhouse.

Additional questions remain

Smallhouse called Save Democracy's efforts a long game, saying that even if they do get an initiative on the 2024 ballot and voters approve it, the change wouldn't take effect until 2025. From there, it would take a few election cycles for people to catch on and for real change to take place.

"It's a heavy lift to get this done," Smallhouse said, adding that because the group is proposing an amendment to the state's constitution, the signature requirement is high. But she added, "Lots of groups in Arizona and nationally are concerned about politics in America today."

Even if the initiative does pass, the group is prepared for legal challenges, despite the fact they're not currently aware of any organized opposition to their efforts.

A representative of the Pima County GOP did not respond to the Star's request for comment about the idea of moving to an open, nonpartisan system.

The chairwoman of the Pima County Democratic Party, Bonnie Heidler, said that while her group hasn't heard from Save Democracy, it has had other presentations about various ways to hold elections.

She said that while she's open to exploring a change to the system, she sees a bigger barrier to improved election results than the state's semi-closed primary  the roles partisans play in redistricting.

"That's an area where we've tried to make it nonpartisan, but unfortunately we have not reached that goal. In Pima County, there are districts that have been gerrymandered," she said. "We could change how we do voting to be any way we want it, but until we fix the redistricting problem, I'm not sure how it will make a difference."

Save Democracy members believe partisan redistricting and partisan primaries, while different, are related issues, Hinderaker said.

For a variety of reasons, 80% to 90% of Arizona districts are noncompetitive. In a district with a Republican voter advantage, the Republican candidate who wins the Republican primary election will almost always win the general election, and the same principle applies for Democrat-dominated districts, he said.

"To get elected, a candidate only has to appeal to those voters in his or her party who vote in the party-controlled primary, and these tend to be the most ideologically rigid voters. All other voters can safely be ignored because the candidate is assured of victory in the general election," Hinderaker said.

In a single-choice nonpartisan primary election, independent voters  who will soon become the single largest voting bloc  would not have to request a ballot for each primary election and therefore would be more likely to participate, Hinderaker said.

In addition, instead of appealing to only their party's base, candidates would be incentivized to address issues and concerns that are important to a wider spectrum of voters in their district, he said.



"Although the successful candidate would likely still be a Republican in a Republican-dominated district or a Democrat in a Democrat-dominated district, to win, the candidate would have to focus on issues rather than just party loyalty and would be free to vote their conscience without the threat by party bosses of being 'primaried' in the next election cycle," Hinderaker said.

"Instead of always voting strictly along party lines, legislators would have more freedom to enact bipartisan and commonsense legislation."

Smallhouse said the group's plan to implement change is a multi-stage approach, but they can see a path to victory at every stage.

"We are committed to the conclusion that if we don't do this, we're enabling a bad system to exist," she said. "This is about empowering all voters and giving all voters and all candidates a chance."

"If you feel disaffected, if you feel like the system has left you out, if you feel like your voice doesn't matter, it matters to us," Smallhouse said. "We want you involved."
TEHRAN, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At least 59 people have been killed in recent flash floods in different parts of Iran, an official from Iran's Red Crescent Society (IRCS) said on Saturday.

Yaqub Soleimani, secretary general of the IRCS, told the official IRNA news agency that 30 other people are still missing in the floods that started last week.

Some 60 cities and 516 villages, as well as 85 connecting roads, have been affected by the recent floods, Soleimani was quoted as saying.

So far, 1,332 people have been transferred to safe places, 5,215 others are receiving accommodation, and 944 houses have been evacuated, he said.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday ordered the ministers, heads of organizations and governor-generals across the country to mobilize all their facilities to manage the possible floods, according to the presidential website. 
Drug smuggling in Arizona has almost completely shifted away from marijuana and to harder drugs including fentanyl.

In Border Patrol sectors and at ports of entry in Arizona, marijuana seizures have nearly disappeared since the states voters legalized medicinal use in 2010 and recreational use in 2020, and as other states also legalized the plant.

In the Tucson Sector, marijuana seizures are about one-one-thousandth of what they were a decade ago and one-tenth of what they were a year ago.

In fiscal year 2012, Border Patrol agents in the sector, which covers most of Arizonas southern border  262 miles that stretch from New Mexico to Yuma County  seized more than a million pounds of marijuana.

Last fiscal year, they seized about 12,000 pounds. In the first nine months of the current fiscal year, they seized less than 900 pounds.

But fentanyl seizures are moving toward a 60% increase in the Tucson Sector and a 21% increase at Arizona ports of entry this year compared to last year.

Nogales port seizures have exceeded 5 million fentanyl pills so far this fiscal year, says Nogales Port Director Michael Humphries.

Here in Nogales, weve seen high amounts of fentanyl, some of the highest along the Southwest border, Humphries said. Whatever transnational criminal organizations control this area here are heavy into fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine.

Fentanyl-smuggling hotspot

The Sinaloa Cartel, which is in Sonora, is the primary pill maker for fentanyl, which can come in all shapes and colors, even made to look like prescription medication, says Cheri Oz, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in Phoenix.

The Sinaloa Cartel uses routes that come through Arizona, Oz said. So because they are the major producer of the fentanyl pill, we are seeing more fentanyl pills here in Arizona than other Southwest border states.

Arizona has the second-highest amount of fentanyl seizures after California. Fentanyl seizures are on track to be about the same nationwide this year as last, while they are increasing dramatically year-over-year in Arizona.

Nogales, Arizona, has a population of around 20,000 people, so most of the 5 million fentanyl pills seized this year at its ports are not intended for Nogales residents, notes Humphries, the port director. Drugs that come through the Nogales ports are intended for Tucson, Phoenix and all over the country.

Theyre going throughout the U.S., so what we do here matters for Ohio and West Virginia and Connecticut and Kentucky where were seeing a high rate of overdose deaths from opioids, he said.

There were nearly 81,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. involving opioids in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control, a 15% increase over 2020.

Here in Pima County, opioids in general, including fentanyl, contributed to at least 71% of the 498 overdose deaths during the 2021 calendar year, the county health department says.

Seizure weights drop

Although marijuana smuggling has dropped nationwide as more states legalize medical and recreational use, Arizona has seen a more drastic change than nationwide numbers, as there are still substantial marijuana seizures in Texas.

As well, the average weight of seizures in Arizona has dropped dramatically, to levels indicative of personal use rather than intent to distribute.

The marijuana seized in the Tucson Sector this fiscal year came from 360 seizures, meaning the average seizure was less than 2 pounds. Just three years prior, in 2019, the average individual seizure was nearly 56 pounds.

Seizure weights during some months are even lower. For example, in May, there were 36 seizures that added up to one pound, meaning the average amount of marijuana confiscated in each was less than a half-ounce.

Although marijuana was legalized in Arizona last year  adults over 21 can legally carry one ounce for personal use  it is still federally illegal and federal agents are required to seize it, even many miles from the border.

Cartels move away from marijuana

Two likely reasons for the shift away from marijuana to harder drugs are that more states have legalized the once illicit plant and Americans addiction to fentanyl has increased.

When we arrest somebody with marijuana, we just ask Why? said Tucson Sector agent and spokesman Jesus Vasavilbaso. Its getting legalized in many different states so that marijuana is just not lucrative for the cartels anymore.

Obviously cartels are always looking to make money. Theyre not going to be put out of business just because youve legalized marijuana. So they just move to harder drugs.

Vasavilbaso has been a Border Patrol agent for 13 years, and the drop in marijuana seizures has changed things, he says. For one, marijuana smugglers were easier to spot because the load was larger and more visible and had a strong smell. Now, when they find drugs on someone crossing the border, they dont know until they look into the persons backpack.

Tucson Sector agents have seized more than twice the amount of methamphetamine than marijuana this fiscal year.

It is a strategy of transnational criminal organizations, which control nearly all aspects of when and where migrants cross the border, to sometimes persuade migrants to carry drugs across the line. Agents also seize drugs from people going through Border Patrol checkpoints that are away from the border, often being smuggled by U.S. citizens.

Still, the vast majority of drugs now come through ports of entry, also often smuggled by U.S. citizens. Arizona customs officers at ports of entry confiscated more than 15,600 pounds of drugs so far this fiscal year, nearly five times what Tucson Sector agents seized.

Of fentanyl seized in Arizona sectors and ports this fiscal year, more than 80% was at ports of entry.

Hard-drug smuggling likely to increase

If you look at drug smuggling as a business model, the shift to harder drugs makes sense, says Victor Manjarrez Jr., former head of the Tucson Sector, who is now assistant director for the Center of Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas-El Paso.

When you talk about marijuana, youre talking about a big logistical chain, he said. You have to have real estate to grow it. You have to have workers to attend to it, to harvest it. Youve got to transport it. Youve got to store it. Youve got to let it dry. And then the profit margin isnt all that great.

Harder drugs, on the other hand  you can cook that stuff in a house.

And its easier to hide  8 pounds of meth rather than 8 pounds of marijuana takes up less space and has a much higher profit margin.

Manjarrez thinks the transition to smuggling of harder drugs will just get more pronounced over time.

I think youll see even less marijuana, and youll see harder drugs, he said. Quite honestly, I think youre gonna see drugs that we dont even know about yet, designer drugs.

With a little over two months left in this fiscal year, fentanyl seizures have already exceeded last years complete total, which has happened every year for the last few, port director Humphries said. In 2014 there was probably no fentanyl seized, and in 2015 officers confiscated around 10,000 fentanyl pills, he said. This year, theyve seized more than 5 million.

When we exceed 5 million fentanyl pills, I dont see it slowing down until the demand goes down, he said. Its easy to get addicted to, so until we stop all that, its probably going to take a whole-government approach to be able to tackle this issue.

RELATED:

Fentanyl deaths still rising in Pima County, but drop among teens County will be offering fentanyl testing strips along with Narcan so drug users can check if a substance contains fentanyl.

Pima County brings in $2.4M in marijuana tax revenue, about same as Tucson Unlike the city, which projected about $8 million in revenue for the fiscal year, Pima County did not budget any expected revenue from marijuana sales this year.

Fentanyl overdoses are leading cause of death among young Tucsonans For Star subscribers: Fentanyl overdoses have now replaced car accidents as the leading cause of death for people 19 and younger in Pima County, as 2021 moves toward being a record year for all overdose deaths overall.
Among Tucson Unified School District high schools, Catalina showed the sharpest increase, and Rincon the biggest drop, in the percentage of seniors who graduated this year compared to pre-pandemic years.

At Catalina, 82% of seniors graduated by the end of May, compared to 66% who graduated in 2019.

Rincon, on the other hand, had the biggest decrease within TUSD, with 72% of its seniors graduating this year compared to 80% in 2019.

Rincons percentage was also one of the lowest throughout Pima County, where most schools showed a graduation rate of 80% and above this year.

Were not happy with it. Were concerned, said Cathy Comstock, the TUSD assistant superintendent who oversees Rincon High.

Overall, TUSD showed an across-the-board average of 88% of seniors graduating this year. That number was based on the number of seniors still enrolled in the district by the last day of school; other students may have dropped out or moved away.

Additionally, that number was expected to rise a bit as senior students completed missing class credits during the summer.

English Language Learners

Comstock said that while no final determinations had been made regarding Rincons graduation count, she was considering two main factors.

She said those are the schools relatively big populations of refugee students and English Language Learner (ELL) students, as well as its higher count of students with autism, who typically take a bit longer to fulfill the required credits.

During the 2021-22 school year, according to information provided by the district, Rincon and Tucson high schools had the highest number of students with autism, with 40 students enrolled at each school. Other high schools served between 10 to 20 students with autism.

Also, Rincon is one of those schools that has a significant number of refugee students because of where the refugee housing is located, Comstock said.

Rincon also served a total of 43 students with refugee status, 13 of whom were seniors. The school also served an additional 65 non-refugee ELL students, 12 of whom were seniors.

At the end of last school year, Rincon had a total enrollment of nearly 1,200 students, meaning those 108 in ELL made up more than 10% of the schools student body.

Those numbers put Rincon among the list of schools with the highest number of ELL students, but not at the top. Pueblo and Cholla high schools served a total of 129 and 110 ELL students, respectively, and Tucson High tied with Rincon.

Some of them come in and we have to teach them English first, Comstock said of refugee students. With our ELLs and our refugees, it sometimes takes five or maybe even six years for them to be able to get the credits that they need in order to get to graduation.

Melissa Castillo, the associate superintendent of equity, diversity and inclusion for the Arizona Department of Education, said that while some ELL students may take more than four years to graduate from high school, theres no such thing as typical patterns or experiences for that group.

Its very specific to the learner and the experiences and the background that they already have, Castillo said of the students process to become proficient in English and graduate from high school.

But, she added, research has shown that theres often a lower graduation rate among ELL students statewide.

Our Latino students are graduating at a lower rate than our white students, and when you disaggregate that data, a lot of our Latino students are ELLs, she said.

Even so, Castillo noted, there are still many success stories among ELL students.

We also have a lot of English-learners that are really excelling in school and were learning from their educators and their experiences as to why, and taking those things into consideration, she said.

Personal experience

Sara Makansi, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee student who graduated within four years from TUSDs Palo Verde High School in May 2021, is an example of one of those success stories.

Makansi said she arrived in Tucson when she was 13 and was enrolled at Secrist Middle School, where they initially didnt offer any services or programs for ELL students like herself.

It was so hard. They put me in history class and biology class  and I had zero English when I first came, she said. Then four months after, they started an English program.  But when I really started learning English was in high school.

Makansi said her road to English proficiency was a lot of work, noting that she had to take four English classes both her freshman and sophomore years. She was able to take a lighter workload during her junior and senior years as she improved her language skills.

She spoke fondly of the educational structure for ELL students at Palo Verde, where her English teachers would combine material from other classes, such as biology and history, to help students grasp that knowledge while also practicing their English skills.

Additionally, Makansi said, her English educators would maintain constant communication with the rest of her teachers, so they were aware of her language progress and could adjust their lessons accordingly for ELL students.

I loved Palo Verde High School, their program is perfect and the teachers there, as well, she said, adding that it was comforting to be on the same pace as other ELL students in her class. It was awesome. I learned so much.

She added that some of the most helpful ELL activities included listening to a song or TV news excerpt, then filling in the blanks for what they had heard. She said the school also hosted private shows for ELL students families, in which the students would practice their skills by acting out a story from their English books or sharing essays they had written about their experiences at the school.

It was really nice. I hope all the schools do the same thing, she said, in reference to the overall ELL experience at Palo Verde.

She added those skills led her to Pima Community College her first year out of high school, and shes already been accepted to study public health at the University of Arizona in the fall.

Credit recovery

Aside from ELL students, Comstock said there was another big factor that may contribute to Rincons low percentage of seniors who graduate.

She said that, while some high schools offer seven-period schedules that allow students to accumulate more credits in a year and provide more flexibility for making up credits during the regular school year, Rincon offers a slightly more restrictive six-class schedule.

Thats because Rincon shares its campus with University High School, and that restricts both schools abilities to house more teachers and offer additional classes.

If they fail three or four classes, it takes four summers to even make those up, so its a little bit of a struggle, she said.

But, she said most students who do not manage to graduate with their class typically return the following year to continue to work towards their diploma.

We have students that stay on the campus, its not that they go away.  They stay behind until they get their credits or they age out, Comstock said, noting that the age limit in Arizona is typically 21, though there may be some exemptions for students with autism.

She added that administrators and school staff also strongly encourage and inform students of their summer school and credit recovery options to ensure that theyre maximizing their time to help them catch up on work.

We strive to get them their diploma. What we really want them to do is become high school graduates, she said.

By the end of June, nearly 180 students across the TUSD high schools had managed to earn all their credits through summer courses and still graduate before the end of the 2021-2022 school year, according to information provided by Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo during the July 12 governing board meeting.

Catalina High School

As for Catalina High School, which showed one of the highest graduation rate increases compared to other high schools in Pima County, Comstock said its lower student population was a big advantage.

In 2019, according to information provided by TUSD, 66% of seniors enrolled at Catalina High School managed to earn their high school diplomas. That figure jumped to 82% this year, based on the number of students who were still enrolled at the school by the last day of classes.

Comstock said that could be attributed to strong outreach efforts school personnel took on to communicate with the student community.

They basically reconnected with seniors once they came back to campus, provided frequent credit checks, created individual grad plans for each of the students so that they could meet their graduation requirements, she said.

Comstock noted that while Catalina also tends to have a high count of ELL students, the overall enrollment is much smaller than Rincons and makes it easier for staff to build those personal connections with the students and their families.

Compared to Rincons nearly 1,200 students in the past year, Catalina served a much smaller body of 542 students.

She added that, unlike Rincon, students at Catalina also had the option of taking credit recovery courses during their regular instructional schedule to prevent them from falling too far behind.

Improvement efforts

Moving forward, Comstock said, the district plans to continue strong summer school efforts to help students catch up on credits, and to pay close attention to the areas in which schools may need more help.

In the next few months, we will be working with Rincon to best determine where additional district support may be needed, Comstock said in an emailed statement, adding that the disruptions caused by online learning could also be a strong factor in the low graduation count.

As a statewide effort to help ELL students, Castillo said the Arizona Department of Education receives federal dollars to allocate to schools throughout the state to ensure that teachers receive the proper training and schools are able to offer additional services and opportunities for families to become involved in the students progress.

The state has also been working to update guidelines for ELL programs based on research of effective practices, and has invested more money towards understanding the needs of ELL students and how schools can best meet those, she said.

We know if the system doesnt understand the needs of English learners and the communities that theyre a part of, then its hard to support teachers in the day-to-day practices that they need to plan for, Castillo said.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again Saturday, slightly more than three days after he was cleared to exit coronavirus isolation, the White House said, in a rare case of rebound following treatment with an anti-viral drug.

White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor said in a letter that Biden has experienced no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well.

In accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Biden will reenter isolation for least five days. The agency says most rebound cases remain mild and that severe disease during that period has not been reported.

Word of Bidens positive test came just two hours after the White House announced a presidential visit to Michigan this coming Tuesday to highlight the passage of a bill to promote domestic high-tech manufacturing. Biden had also been scheduled to visit his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, where first lady Jill Biden has been staying while the president was positive. Both trips have been canceled as Biden has returned to isolation.

Biden, 79, was treated with the anti-viral drug Paxlovid, and tested negative for the virus on Tuesday and Wednesday. He was then cleared to leave isolation while wearing a mask indoors. His positive tests puts him among the minority of those prescribed the drug to experience a rebound case of the virus.

While Biden was testing negative, he returned to holding in-person indoor events and meetings with staff at the White House and was wearing a mask, in accordance with CDC guidelines. But the president removed his mask indoors when delivering remarks on Thursday and during a meeting with CEOs on the White House complex.

Asked why Biden appeared to be breaching CDC protocols, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, They were socially distanced. They were far enough apart. So we made it safe for them to be together, to be on that stage.

Regulators are still studying the prevalence and virulence of rebound cases, but the CDC in May warned doctors that it has been reported to occur within two days to eight days after initially testing negative for the virus.

Limited information currently available from case reports suggests that persons treated with Paxlovid who experience COVID-19 rebound have had mild illness; there are no reports of severe disease, the agency said at the time.

When Biden was initially released from isolation on Wednesday, OConnor said the president would increase his testing cadence to catch any potential rebound of the virus.

White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha told reporters on Monday that the clinical data suggests that between 5 and 8 percent of people have rebound after Paxlovid treatment.

Paxlovid has been proven to significantly reduce severe disease and death among those most vulnerable to COVID-19. U.S. health officials have encouraged those who test positive to consult their doctors or pharmacists to see if they should be prescribed the treatment, despite the rebound risk.

Biden is fully vaccinated, after getting two doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine shortly before taking office, a first booster shot in September and an additional dose March 30.

While patients who have recovered from earlier variants of COVID-19 have tended to have high levels of immunity to future reinfection for 90 days, Jha said that the BA.5 subvariant that infected Biden has proven to be more immune-evasive.

We have seen lots of people get reinfected within 90 days, he said, adding that officials dont yet have data on how long those who have recovered from the BA.5 strain have protection from reinfection.
PHOENIX (AP)  The FBI on Friday arrested a Massachusetts man for threatening to blow up Arizona's top election official following the 2020 election that saw former President Donald Trump lose in the state.

James W. Clark, 38, of Falmouth made an initial court appearance in Boston to answer to a three-count indictment that charges him with threatening to explode a bomb in Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs' "personal space" if she did not resign.

Court records do not show a lawyer for Clark, or show if he remains in custody.

The threat was sent on Feb. 21, 2021, through an online form maintained by the Secretary of State's election department, according to the indictment.

It was one of countless threats made against Hobbs for her role in certifying the 2020 election, which Trump contends without evidence was flawed by fraud. He lost to President Joe Biden in Arizona by more than 10,000 votes.

Hobbs spokeswoman Murphy Hebert said it was the only bomb threat Hobbs received among the thousands of threats the office received via telephone, email and online. She said the threats and harassment came in spurts, with hundreds on some days and then none for a while before another flurry of activity.

"Hanging is something we hear a lot, that you should be hanged," Herbert said. That seems to be a favorite.

Clark faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of making the bomb threat and five years on each of the other charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Departments Criminal Division said threats of violence put election officials and workers at risk "and undermine the bedrock of our democracy: free and fair elections.

Election officials across the nation, especially in battleground states that Trump lost like Arizona, have been subjected to threats in the wake of Trump's defeat and the failed attempt to prevent Congress from certifying the election results on Jan. 6, 2021.

Attorney General Merrick Garland formed an Election Threats Task Force in June 2021 to focus on threats of violence against elected election officials, workers and and volunteers to ensure they are able to oversee elections free of harassment. The case against Clark is part of that effort.

Hobbs said in a statement that election officials across the country are being regularly threatened for doing their jobs and thanked the FBI for pursuing the investigation.

Its unconscionable and undermines our democracy," Hobbs said. This harassment wont be tolerated and cant be normalized.
The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

This Tuesday, August 2nd join my crusade to hunt down ALL RINOs and to end medicare, sex education and socialist security! To opt out: STOP2END.

Replying STOP2END didnt slow the flood of loony texts.

Like Trump Ill fight to secure our border, pursue the pedophiles, put an end to low-flush toilets, cancer causing windmills, Critical Race Theory and THE WAR on Christmas. OPT OUT now if you HATE Ameri-

Before I could OPT OUT a new message appeared.

My Q-ANON sisters and brothers, show courage by showing up at the polls on Tuesday to vote for MEin spite of the very real risk of ALIEN ABDUCTION by CANNIBALS-

I skipped over the next 327 texts.

I will restore LAW & ORDER to ARIZONA by leading a CITIZENS ARMY down to OUR border on November 3rd just like the mob of PATRIOTS I led up to our Nations Capitol on January 6th. Reply DEEP STATE ELITIST to opt out.

My phone was possessed. Are they all insane?

UNLIKE the RINOS I will ban gay marriage, interracial marriage, dancing, AND contraceptives! The only marriage I will endorse is between a Christian Nationalist and his billionaire donors! VOTE FOR GOD and COUNTRY!

Yikes.

EVERY ANGLO SAXON militia across ARIZONA has endorsed me in this race because I have the backs of ALL law enforcement except for those TREASONOUS Capitol Hill cops working for ANTIFA on January 6th. VOTE TUESDAY or I will BEAR SPRAY YOU.

Get in line. Another candidate pleaded his case.

Vote for Arizonas tried and true conservative. Its true! Ive been tried in front of a jury for sedition-

Delete.

FACT: The TRAITOR PENCE was made by CHINESE geneticists who injected a weasel fetus with Ted Knights DNA! The LEFT has weaponized the phony January 6th riot against us! When voter suppression and gerrymandering just isnt enough to insure a Trump win VOTE FOR ME and Ill fix-

Delete.

VOTE for me this Tuesday. If youve had it with Chinese bamboo ballots, jews shooting space lasers at us and George Soros cancer causing wind farms vote for ME, the candidate backed by Cyber Ninjas for Election Integrity-

No, thanks. I scrolled on, deep into Arizonas Twilight Zone.

Ill defund Planned Parenthood, Obamacare, & the Department of SEXUAL EDUCATION! Ill expand school choice, seal the border, & ban ballot and fetal tissue harvesting! Ill bring Arizonas CONSERVATIVE VALUES to our STATE capital on NOV 2nd in 2022 just like I brought my CONSERVATIVE VALUES and assorted explosives to our NATIONs capital on January 6th in 2021.

I forwarded that text to the FBI as more candidates made their cases.

Heres what we see in OUR SAVE ARIZONA campaign database: Number of contributions from you: ZERO! Maybe youve already donated. Maybe youve barricaded yourself inside your home and thrown your phone in the aquarium. But with armies of woke liberals and caravans of brown people coming HERE we have to ask you to contribute MORE-

The barrage of bombast and begging was relentless.

This Trump endorsed outsider is the only Arizona candidate endorsed by Rudy Giuliani, Steve Bannon and THE PROPHETIC PILLOW GUY. Vote for me this Tuesday or my fellow OATH-KEEPERS will ring your doorbell, break your windows and crush you in your doorway before you can-

Edgy. I scrolled on.

Dont let the lame stream media distract you with their anti-gun hysteria, their COVID HOAX, their Climate Change FAKE NEWS  NOT when pedophiles are grooming our kids right here in Arizona to change genders, commit voter fraud and get abortions! Donald Trump and I are asking you to SAVE ARIZONA by voting THIS TUESDAY IN this ELECTION which will be RIGGED by-

Next.

We are so close to winning! Please make a $1 donation now. It would mean the world to me to know you actually BUY my TOTAL BS. Vote for me, the only CREEP endorsed by TOTAL lunatics and sideshow freaks. Text 666 for more info.

What?

My campaign apologizes for that last text sent by our FORMER digital outreach campaign manager. Her harassment allegations against me are FAKE NEWS. Everyone knows I am a strong Christian family man! Please make a donation today to help cover the enormous costs of fighting these frivolous defamation and sexual harassment lawsuits! How did I know she was 12? I LOVE my wife, my kids and our dog, Ezekiel!

Im sure you do.

I am endorsed by the Christian Nationalist Cyber Ninjas of Zion and I am ready to fight for you against the legions of transgender Mexican rapists and WOKE drag queens destroying our country! Can I count on your vote on Tuesday, August 2nd? GOD BLESS ARIZONA. To opt out reply STOP2END.
The are many misconceptions surrounding residential solar arrays (systems). It can be difficult to decipher the truth from the myths.

Randy Cole, owner, Fox Valley Electric and Solar, a Rosie-Certified Partner, explains the truth behind some of the most common myths.

Myth: Solar only works when the sun is shining.

This can be true and a myth depending on a few factors. As their name suggests, solar panels produce energy when there is sunlight.

Truth: Solar works regardless of the weather.

Regardless of the weather, the suns rays will make it to Earth, although a cloudy day may reduce output. Most systems produce enough energy during the day, thus creating a surplus, especially during the cooler months that will build credits in a grid-tied system. However, to use the surplus and not rely on the grid, you need batteries with a smart transfer switch connected to a home generator. This is a nice option for supplemental power. This allows the home to produce power throughout the night, when the power goes out, or when it is cloudy. The home remains connected to the grid as it is for water and sewer. The storage battery will kick in when the grid goes down, thus maintaining critical circuits like refrigerators and medical equipment.

Myth: Solar panels arent efficient.

Not true.

Truth: Solar panels are very efficient.

Solar panel efficiency is measured by how much of the suns available energy is turned into usable energy. Because the sun produces enormous amounts of energy, solar panels will provide plenty of power to meet your homes needs at a cost generally below the electricity provided by the utility grid. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, in 2020 residential solar installations used panels with efficiencies between 16% and 22%. The majority of arrays installed in 2020 used panels with efficiency ratings of 19%, right in the middle of that range. The more efficient the solar panels are, the more energy output, resulting in more savings for the homeowner. Early solar panels were only around 1%.

Myth: Installing a solar system is free.

Regardless of what the salesperson or advertisement tells you, a solar system is never free. Those companies are actually selling you on zero-cost utility bills.

Truth: There is no such thing as a free solar system, but you can achieve $0 energy bills.

Dont confuse a zero-cost energy bill with free solar. You still have to pay for the panels. Once you have paid them off, you may have a zero-cost energy system without a utility bill each month.

Myth: Solar is too expensive.

It doesnt have to be.

Truth: Solar does not need to be expensive.

While the cost of a residential solar system can range from $15,000 up to $39,000 as of July, you dont have to pay for it all at the time of installation. Several solar financing options allow you to pay it out over time. There are also local, state and federal tax credits of up to 26% of the system and rebates to offset the costs. The federal residential solar energy credit is a tax credit that can be claimed on federal income taxes for a percentage of the cost of a solar photovoltaic system. According to Energy.gov, in December 2020, Congress passed an extension of the Investment Tax Credit, which provides a 26% tax credit for systems installed in 2020-2022, and 22% for systems installed in 2023. (Systems installed before December 31, 2019, were eligible for a 30% tax credit.) The tax credit expires starting in 2024 unless Congress renews it. To learn more about the tax credit and whether you qualify, visit tucne.ws/1l0q.

Myth: The return on investment is too long.

It can be if you move within a year or two of installation.

Truth: Solar panels add value to your home. The cost can be recovered when the house is sold. If staying in the home, you should start seeing your return on investment as soon as six years, especially if you take advantage of the available credits. Avoid leases and Power Purchase Agreements, as transferring the contract to the new homeowner during the sale can be challenging. Standard solar financing enables an affordable monthly payment and makes the sale transition simple.

Myth: Maintaining the panels is a nightmare.

Truth: The panels require little maintenance.

Solar panels require little ongoing maintenance. In a dusty environment such as Arizona, you may want to clean them once a year to maximize power output. The solar installation company will help you maintain or troubleshoot any problems with the panels. That is why it is best to have a professional installation instead of installing them yourself. Most panels have a 20-25 year warranty.

Myth: Installing solar isnt necessary because the power company will fix my homes electrical problems if the power goes out.

Not necessarily.

Truth: A homeowners responsibility for the incoming electric service usually starts where the utility companys wires are attached to the home. The customer/owner is responsible for installing, maintaining and repairing all equipment beyond the service connection point except for the electric meter.

The benefits of installing a solar array can far outweigh the reasons not to. Before making a decision, do your research. Talk to your neighbors who have solar and contact a few reputable installers.
In the 12 months after the Oklahoma Highway Patrol removed a warning from its policy about high-speed pursuits, four people were killed and two more hospitalized when state troopers intentionally struck fleeing drivers at excessive speeds.

The agencys February 2020 pursuit policy update erased language cautioning troopers that, as speeds increase, spinning out a vehicle becomes a less predictable action  raising the risk of serious injury or damage.

Troopers then spun out vehicles at high speeds in three separate pursuits  two in excess of 100 mph  that killed three eluding drivers and one passenger. Two more passengers were hospitalized, with at least one of the two survivors suffering serious injuries that likely wont ever heal.

OHP leadership undertook informal investigative reviews in two of the three cases, documented only one of the two reviews, and opted against any disciplinary actions, according to a Tulsa World analysis of records.

Federal crash data shows four fatalities that resulted from three OHP trooper pursuits from 2016 to 2020 arent counted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. Agencies arent required to report fatalities that are a direct result of officers spinning out eluding motorists, but that information may be voluntarily included in crash data reported to the feds.

Even with some fatal chases not reported, Oklahoma ranks sixth-worst in law enforcement pursuit-related deaths per capita from 2016 to 2020, according to a Tulsa World analysis of NHTSA data. Oklahomas death rate is nearly double that of the nation, with 46 people killed in chases in the state during those five years.

OHP recently took down its pursuit policy from its website, where it had been publicly available since May 2020.

Spinning out a fleeing vehicle is often called a tactical vehicle intervention (TVI) or pursuit intervention technique (PIT). OHP requires troopers to do TVIs in a manner that doesnt constitute a ramming or uncontrolled collision.

Tim Tipton, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety commissioner who oversees OHP, hasnt responded to interview requests nor questions from the Tulsa World.

Tipton, who was appointed to his position by Gov. Kevin Stitt in September 2021, did speak publicly that month about auto pursuits for a House legislative interim study on high-speed chases.

Tipton posed the question of how to maintain a civil society and catch criminals while mitigating innocent deaths  what he called a delicate balance. Without referencing OHPs string of deadly spinouts at high speeds, Tipton described OHPs priority of life model as placing innocent civilians first, troopers second and criminals third.

But in the end we do want to help protect (criminals). It is the sanctity of life that we still value, Tipton said. Even though theyre making horrible decisions and violent decisions, we still try to apprehend them in a way thats as least violent as they will allow us to do that from.

The Tulsa Worlds ongoing investigation of the Highway Patrols deadly pursuits and shootings has uncovered reckless trooper actions, shoddy record-keeping, failure to address alarming concerns expressed by commanders, and unwillingness to formally review several fatal chases despite red flags.

A very high-risk action

OHP approves TVIs at speeds above 100 mph, though agency spokeswoman Sarah Stewart previously has said troopers dont practice the maneuver when traveling faster than 45 mph.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, said PERF  whose guiding principle is the sanctity of life  doesnt recommend TVIs or PITs.

Wexler said that is because the very high-risk maneuver requires so much training and practice and hasnt been studied enough.

Oklahomas previous DPS Commissioner John Scully signed off on a pursuit policy update in February 2020 that removed this sentence explaining a key risk of TVIs: As speeds increase, the outcome of the maneuver becomes less predictive, and the chance of serious damage or injury increases as well.

Three months later, a trooper at high speeds spun out a vehicle into a concrete bridge railing in a chase prompted by a speeding violation, killing both occupants in a fiery wreck in Creek County.

Two months after that, a trooper at 109 mph spun out a driver fleeing in a stolen car  killing the driver in a violent rollover  after obtaining his drivers license and identifying him during a traffic stop.

Scully had publicly released the updated policy in May 2020, but the agency didnt respond until September 2020 to a question about whether OHP deleted the cautionary TVI language because of culpability or liability concerns.

Stewart responded on behalf of OHP that the wording was removed because it was a declaratory statement that was unnecessary in policy.

Seth Stoughton, a Florida police officer turned lawyer who studies policing for the University of South Carolina, said OHPs change confused him. He noted almost all policy language is declaratory statements  essentially directives.

Did OHP consider the language too limiting? Were troopers not using TVIs enough for leadership? What purpose did its removal serve?

That strikes me as a non-responsive answer to your question, Stoughton said. Why was it deemed unnecessary to include?

Four months after Stewarts response, another trooper spun out an SUV into a violent rollover at more than 100 mph in a pursuit prompted by a stolen license plate and suspicious behavior in Cleveland County. The 17-year-old driver joyriding in his grandmas SUV was killed; two other occupants were hospitalized.

Thats not a TVI

Without providing supporting data during the House interim study, Tipton said the huge majority of TVIs are done with no deaths nor injuries.

However, the agency as recently as spring 2019 acknowledged that it wasnt aggregating data on chases.

In summer 2020, an OHP email indicated the agency was looking at a variety of software to track internal cases and had consulted with other state law enforcement organizations on what worked best.

If OHP made a change to collect the information, more action may be required to ensure accurate data. For example, five OHP pursuits killed seven people  including two uninvolved motorists  in the first 13 months after the agency updated its chase policy. However, in only one of those five deadly chases did a pursuing trooper fill out a report as required by the revised policy.

Experts say chases should be judged by their process  not necessarily their outcomes  so a TVI that doesnt injure anyone could still be considered inappropriate.

Stoughton, who also teaches at the University of South Carolinas law school and criminology and criminal justice department, said TVIs can be immensely valuable when used appropriately.

But he said a catastrophic effect can result if used otherwise, comparing TVIs to dynamite. Even though dynamite is inherently dangerous, its a tool with a unique purpose requiring careful management  similar to TVIs, he said. Officers must assess the risks of using the technique based on speeds, roadway and shoulder environment, and type of vehicle.

TVIs should not be done at speeds exceeding 30 to 40 mph, according to most guidance Stoughton has found. He said the maneuver is too dangerous in areas with ditches or embankments, as well as on vehicles with high centers of gravity or fewer than four wheels.

Theres a huge difference between a maneuver that is designed to cause the fleeing vehicle to come to a controlled or semi-controlled spin and stop, and a maneuver thats just designed to cause the fleeing vehicle to crash  thats not a TVI, Stoughton said. If the apparent goal is, Well, this will get him to crash, then youre not doing a PIT technique or a TVI.

At that point youre doing something that has a substantial likelihood of killing someone in that fleeing vehicle.

OHP not aligning with contemporary policing

Many statewide law enforcement agencies have imposed limitations on use of TVIs based on specific speeds; Oklahoma Highway Patrol isnt among them.

Trooper Steve Meredith hit the rear of a stolen car at 109 mph and spun out its driver toward an approaching motorist at night on a highway west of Siloam Springs despite having positively identified the person in a toll violation stop  with the mans drivers license still in Merediths pocket. Casey Don Bailey was killed, thrown over the troopers car and onto the pavement, with Merediths superiors advising him to try not to talk about it.

Trooper Tanner Eads, at about 115 mph, set up to spin out a driver fleeing in an SUV with a stolen license plate, killing the 17-year-old driver and hospitalizing two other young occupants after a violent rollover. Vinnie Hamlet, who was pronounced dead on scene, had been joyriding in his grandmas SUV as his brother, Chris Hamlet  who now has injuries likely to last his life  says he tried to convince him to return the vehicle.

Trooper Darren Potter nearly lost control of his cruiser in rural Creek County while spinning out a driver who fled a traffic stop for speeding  with a passenger Potter knew was inside. The fleeing vehicle hit a concrete bridge railing at a high speed before violently spinning down into a creek, where it burst into flames. Joshua Kyle Priest and passenger Nicole Ann Stephens were both killed.

The Tulsa World in early 2019 reviewed vehicular pursuit policies of 36 other states that provided their protocols as open records, though seven contained redactions.

At least 13 of the agencies  or one-third  either discouraged or prohibited TVIs above a certain speed. The policies either discouraged or prohibited them altogether, or with the caveat that deadly force is justified to use the maneuver. The speed thresholds ranged from 25 mph to 50 mph.

At least half of the policies  16 agencies  specifically restricted use of TVIs by at least one of four factors: speed, supervisory approval, an immediate need to stop, or deadly force is justified.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol policy doesnt.

Wexler said Police Executive Research Forum doesnt recommend use of TVIs or PITs  let alone in chases prompted by traffic infractions or stolen property.

He said PERF has concerns because the maneuver creates high risks and requires more training and practice than most agencies can do. Research on the technique is lacking, he said.

I think the problem with the PIT is youre engaging in an activity that you dont really know exactly what the outcome is going to be, Wexler said. Even though many departments may still do it and are able to accomplish it, theres been other cases where departments have used it and the car has gone out of control with fatalities.

PERF empathizes with officers, Wexler said, because their alternatives are limited in situations where they have a compelling reason  a violent crime and imminent threat  to chase a fleeing vehicle.

The challenge is that there isnt any research, Wexler said. Youre talking about basically hitting a moving vehicle, and some departments have put a speed limit on it. Others havent.

The speed limit that people put on it is not based  in our mind  its not a science-based determination. Departments are doing the best they can to approximate what speed is safe.
Xi stresses further strengthening armed forces by training competent personnel

Xinhua) 08:43, July 30, 2022

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has stressed further implementing the strategy of strengthening the armed forces by training competent personnel in the new era.

Presiding over and addressing a group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Thursday, Xi also urged efforts to give better play to the talent's role in spearheading and underpinning the cause of building a strong military.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, Xi extended festival greetings to service personnel of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces, days before the 95th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which falls on Aug. 1.

The personnel strategy is of great significance to realizing the Party's goal for military development in the new era and building the people's armed forces into a world-class military, Xi stressed.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the talent-related work in the military has gained historic achievements, Xi said.

Noting that the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, Xi said China is facing mounting instability and uncertainty in the national security situation.

In the coming five years, the key task for the country's military is to achieve the centenary objectives of the PLA. The work to foster military talent should be strengthened comprehensively, Xi said.

He stressed practicing the absolute Party leadership over the military throughout all aspects and the whole process of the talent-related work and improving the service personnel supply for war preparedness.

Xi also called for efforts to address salient problems in the talent-related work with reforms and innovations on all fronts.

The communication and cooperation between military and civilian sectors should be enhanced to further integrate the military's talent-related work with the country's efforts in developing a quality workforce, Xi said.

(Web editor: Liu Ning, Bianji)
NANJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A freight train left the city of Xuzhou in east China's Jiangsu Province on Friday for Vietnam's Hanoi, marking the launch of a new freight train route between China and Vietnam.

The freight train, loading 72 TEUs of glass bottles, plastic products, and maternal and childcare facilities, is expected to arrive in Hanoi within seven days after a journey of about 2,985 km, nearly half the time of traditional waterway transportation.

As an important country along the Belt and Road and a member of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Vietnam is the third country to which Xuzhou opened international freight train services this year, following Belarus and Mongolia.

You Xingjun, deputy head of Xuzhou Customs, said that local customs authorities will give full play to the logistics advantages of such trains, and promote stability and quality of foreign trade.

The China-Vietnam freight train service operated 173 trips in the first half of 2022, up 19.3 percent year on year, according to China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd. 
Except for enterprises with large investments already involved in global supply chains, a majority of others are on a rocky road to cement themselves.

Stringent standards

In a large factory with many automated phases and robots, workers of Aureole Unit  Devices Manufacturing Service Inc., an arm of Japans Mitani Sangyo Group, patiently checked newly-manufactured accessories in the auto sector.

Holding plastic accessories with many designs and sizes, Nguyen Van Tam, director of production at the enterprise, was proud that millions of parts assembled in his factory would be used in automobiles across the world.

Having developed auto accessory factories in Vietnam since 2014, Yoshida Masakazu, CEO of Aureole Unit  Devices Manufacturing Service Inc., said 40-45 percent of the factories products were consumed in Vietnam and the remaining were exported to Japan, Europe, and America.

As the manufacturing of accessories requires high standards, the firm has to import 100 percent of plastic beads.

Earlier, it had to import metal accessories, specifically those similar to bolts and screws.

Workers assemble wheels for Kia autos using a modern system at the THACO Chu Lai Industrial Park in Quang Nam Province. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

However, the firm has found domestic supplies of these metal accessories as Japanese firms now produce these products in Vietnam, said Yoshida Masakazu.

He added that recent statistics from Japanese enterprises showed that the localization rate of Japanese firms in Vietnam reached only 36 percent.

Vietnamese enterprises have yet to deeply participate in supply chains because quality standards are strict.

Enterprises that wish to get involved in supply chains must get the agreement of customers, so manufacturers of supporting industry products cannot choose suppliers of their own free will, the Japanese CEO noted.

Having visited many auto factories in Vietnam, Yoshida was surprised that many factories had better machinery than Japanese enterprises.

However, Vietnamese enterprises should invest in the quality in the broad sense of the word.

As a case in point, many Vietnamese companies have obtained quality certificates, but have failed to ensure the quality in reality, from the material purchase, Yoshida said.

Regarding the delivery time commitment, a leader of a foreign direct investment (FDI) firm specializing in manufacturing electronic accessories for export to the U.S. and Europe at the Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in Ho Chi Minh City said he learned a painful lesson.

Everything was all right. His company placed an order with a local supplier and they reached a consensus that the product would be delivered in four weeks.

However, the supplier later asked for a delay and the product was not delivered after eight weeks, which damaged the prestige of the FDI manufacturer and caused it to be subject to a fine.

Hard to immediately achieve best results

According to Bui Minh Hai, chairman of the director board of Hanoi Plastics Joint Stock Company, despite being a first-tier supplier of Honda, the company is just a second-tier supplier of Samsung.

In reality, to produce a product meeting the requirements of multinational groups, local companies must meet stringent standards, such as having modern and stable production lines, so they must invest heavily in factories and machinery.

Employees of THACO in Quang Nam Province are at work in an area for automatic electric wire cuts. Photo: Huu Hanh / Tuoi Tre

In addition, their human resources must be trained systematically. However, Vietnams workforce finds it hard to keep pace with new technologies.

Therefore, when taking part in supply chains, Vietnamese businesses cannot immediately become first-tier suppliers but need time to improve their capability.

To take advantage of opportunities, Hai expected the government to pay more attention and invest more in the training of high-skilled manpower and launch financial support packages and incentives for enterprises.

Truong Thanh Hoai, head of the Industry Agency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Vietnamese industrial enterprises internal capability remained limited due to their heavy reliance on FDI.

Although the processing and manufacturing sector has been playing an important role, with its contribution to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) rising from 13 percent in 2010 to 16.7 percent in 2020, Vietnam is in the group of newly-emerging industrial economies because its capability and added value are still low.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, supporting industries meet around 10 percent of the domestic demand.

Local enterprises are able to produce accessories and simple products, with low technologies making up 60 percent, and are using production lines imported in the 1960s-1970s.

Vietnamese enterprises spend an average of 0.5 percent of their revenue renovating technology, while the rate is five percent in India and 10 percent in South Korea.

Therefore, Vietnam was considered unwilling to commit to the fourth industrial revolution and has not taken advantage of new technologies.

A leader of the Ministry of Industry and Trade said policies should be issued early to effectively realize the goal of industrializing and modernizing the country, develop industry, and enhance the countrys self-reliance.

It is vital to build the law on industrial development to pave the way for enterprises to grow in value chains, the ministry added.

Policies needed are those to improve the State apparatus for industrial development, clarify the management responsibility, promote the application of science and technology in industry, improve the internal strength of Vietnamese enterprises, bolster the connectivity among regions, and create industrial spaces.

Do Thi Thuy Huong, a member of the executive board of the Vietnam Electronic Industries Association, said local firms found it hard to make use of the foreign investment shift into the country and get involved in supply chains.

When FDI enterprises come to Vietnam, their suppliers also enter the market.

The high-quality manpower which has been scanty will be attracted by FDI enterprises due to their better policies.

In addition, the rentals for land in industrial parks as well as the costs for construction, warehouses and materials have surged.

Therefore, Huong threw her support behind the viewpoint that policies are needed to boost the development of the domestic industry, facilitating Vietnamese firms.

More practical support needed

According to many mechanical enterprises, they have striven to maintain their operations. Therefore, it is a must to have a specific study on Vietnams advantages and opportunities, even information about foreign enterprises demand for partners.

To keep pace with trends, forecasts must be made so that domestic firms can get ready for investments, not preparing machinery and equipment after securing orders.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Pham Thi Kim Hang, aged 26, hopes her sustainable grocery store model will inspire others to join the green-living movement.

Hangs friends call her Hang ly, or Stubborn Hang, due to her steadfast commitment towards sustainable living.

Her minimalistic outfits and penchant for digging through garbage cans in search of recyclable items are an ode to her adopted way of life.

Deep concern about the environment

Hangs Limart  Zero Waste green grocery store on Nguyen Trai Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City specializes in selling consumer goods and eco-friendly gifts.

I have felt more confident since I began working at Limart. I talk and smile more.

I also get to learn about online sales and product marketing, said Ngo Thi Phuong Linh, a Limart employee who also happens to be blind.

But Limarts business model isnt focused solely on profit.

As a social enterprise, part of its mission involves educating others on the importance of sustainable living.

Never is this more evident than when the store welcomes busloads of elementary school children eager to learn about how products theyve never even heard of such as herbal soap and all-natural luffas.

Hangs own zero-waste journey began by accident when she purchased her own all-natural products just to see what the fuss was all about.

The more I used [all-natural products], the more I loved them, so I decided to start selling them to everyone, Hang said.

She had such success selling sustainable products that she wound up quitting her job in logistics and opening Limart  Zero Waste in 2019.

Though many doubted Hang's ability to make a decent living selling wooden toothbrushes, bamboo straws, glass jugs, bars of shampoo, and hair conditioner, she refused to let naysayers stand in the way of her dream.

Like other startups, my path is full of difficulties.

For me, the biggest challenge was having to work alone because most of my family and friends disapproved of my idea, she explained.

Empowering the disabled

To meet the rising demand for sustainable goods, Hang constantly updates her inventory with the latest green-product lines from both Vietnam and abroad.

She also works alongside her employees to create her own sustainable soaps, lipsticks, and perfumes.

Her inventory currently consists of about 50 percent imported products and 50 percent domestically produced goods.

The current target is changing those numbers until about 70 percent of the goods she sells are produced by her and her team.

Early 2020  the peak of the pandemic  was a difficult time for Hang, but while the future of Limart was uncertain, a business model shift that involved product placement in local coffee shops helped the business stay afloat.

A major portion of Limarts success is also owed to its dedicated 12-member staff, all of whom are blind, deaf, or disabled.

Each of these staff members earns a basic salary of VND5 million (US$213) per month during their training period and VND12 million ($511) per month once they are officially welcomed to the team.

I used to avoid other people because I didnt want to be made fun of because my dad was blind.

After my father passed away, I felt bad about how I acted.

I now hire disabled people as a way to make up for my wrongs, Hang shared.

However, recruiting and training disabled works has been challenging journey for Hang.

Sometimes, it is so hard to talk to [disabled workers]. Many of them are shy and defensive because of how theyve been treated by others throughout their lives, Hang explained.

A refuge for kindness

Hangs entrepreneurial journey has been a roller coaster of ups and downs.

At one of her lowest points, she stumbled across a greeting card that said What you are doing is great. Keep going and dont give up! in a pile of trash given to her store as part of an exchange program.

That greeting card inspired her to keep pushing her business towards success.

Other donations, such as a heart-shaped measuring scale from one of Limarts Facebook followers and tons of fruits and vegetables donated by Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong Province residents to support Limarts green lifestyle campaign, have been equally inspiring.

Perhaps [Limart] is a refuge for kindness! Through just a couple small activities, I believe that we can show our love for each other and look toward living in a cleaner environment, Hang shared.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
KATHMANDU -- Nepal has nearly tripled its wild tiger population, officials announced Friday, in a victory for the Himalayan country's efforts to help the big cats claw their way back from extinction.

Deforestation, human encroachment on habitats and poaching have devastated tiger populations across Asia, but Nepal and 12 other countries signed a pledge in 2010 to double their numbers by this year.

The Himalayan republic is the only country to meet or beat the target and a survey in 2022 counted 355 of the creatures, up from around 121 in 2009.

"We have succeeded in meeting an ambitious goal... I thank everyone involved in conservation of tigers," Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said at an event unveiling the figures in Kathmandu.

A Royal Bengal tiger roams in its enclosure at the central zoo in Lalitpur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu, on July 29, 2022. Photo: AFP

Conservationists surveyed the population with thousands of motion-sensitive cameras set up across a vast stretch of Nepal's southern plains, where the majestic predators roam.

Wildlife experts combed through thousands of images to identify individual animals by their unique stripes.

The country's internationally praised efforts to increase tiger numbers have, however, had a negative impact on some communities living near their habitats.

Royal Bengal tigers gesture in their enclosure at the central zoo in Lalitpur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Photo: AFP

At least 16 people have been killed in tiger attacks in the past year, according to government data.

More than 100,000 tigers roamed the world at the turn of the 20th century, but that number fell to an all-time low of 3,200 in 2010.

The 2010 Tiger Conservation Plan signed by Nepal is backed by several celebrities, including actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

Royal Bengal tigers rest in their enclosure at the central zoo in Lalitpur, on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Photo: AFP

The plan quickly began bearing fruit, and in 2016 the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum announced that the wild tiger population had increased for the first time in more than a century.

World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Nepal representative Ghana Gurung said the country's achievement had set the benchmark for tiger conservation globally, but has also thrown up new challenges.

"The challenge now is to manage it, and manage the tiger-human conflict... we need to take an integrated approach to minimise the problems," he told AFP.
Check out the news you should not miss today:

Politics

-- Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen convened a meeting on Friday to bid farewell to U.S. Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Marie C. Damour at the completion of her tenure.

Society

-- An Indian tourist was found on Friday night in Ho Chi Minh City after going missing for one day while visiting Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor) Pagoda in downtown District 1.

-- A car driver in Hanoi has been held in custody as he fatally crashed into a commuter and injured other people while driving on a street on Thursday night.

-- The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is planning to establish a website where Vietnamese can apply for a technical intern trainee program in Japan, with the goal of reducing the fees that Vietnamese interns must pay to brokers before entering the country, according to Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asia.

-- A company from Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, has been fined VND400,000 (US$17) after a circulated video showed its two female staffs taking off their bras to carry seawater at a popular beach during a team-building game.

-- A container truck suddenly overturned while traveling on a pass in Lam Dong Province, Vietnams Central Highlands, killing two commuters and severely injuring the driver on Friday.

Lifestyle

-- The popular fire and water breathing performance at the iconic Dragon Bridge in Da Nang, central Vietnam, will be showcased every Friday starting this week, according to local authorities.

-- The organizing committee of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 has released a set of photos of the 30 best contestants in swimsuits ahead of the contest's upcoming finale.

-- Cao Nguyen Vu, a 39-year-old photographer from central Quang Ngai Province, has recently won first prize in the General-Color category at the HIPA International Photography Awards for a shot of hundreds of fishing boats anchored in his hometown.

-- The Moffatts, a Canadian band, will participate in the upcoming HAY Glamping Music in Vietnams capital city of Hanoi and will shoot four music videos in an attempt to promote tourism in the Southeast Asian country.

-- Tourism authorities from Phu Yen Province, south-central Vietnam, organized a gastronomy event to set a national record of 101 tuna-based dishes in Tuy Hoa City on Friday, drawing hundreds of chefs from across the country.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Police in Ho Chi Minh City on Friday managed to find an Indian female tourist, who had gone missing while visiting a pagoda in District 1 a day before.

Appe 1 Travel Co. Ltd. confirmed later on Friday that 66-year-old tourist Kalwani Sunita Krishna had returned to the Indian travel group of 12 members, who arrived in the southern Vietnamese metropolis on Wednesday.

Functional forces found Krishna wandering at 23/9 Park on Pham Ngu Lao Street in District 1, about 3.7 kilometers away from her last location, at around 7:00 pm on Friday.

They also had the woman undergo physical and mental health checks, whose results returned normal afterward.

Appe 1 Travel reported to the police on Thursday that the group lost contact with Krishna while they were visiting Ngoc Hoang Pagoda on Mai Thi Luu Street in District 1 earlier the same day.

Upon the groups arrival at the pagoda at 1:00 pm, Krishna stayed at the gate to rest while the other 11 Indian tourists went inside the venue following a tour guide.

Krishnas husband, who was among the tourists, later told the tour guide that she was nowhere to be seen.

A street vendor selling beverages before the pagoda told the tour guide that the woman headed toward inside the venue about five minutes after the group.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A woman in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City handed over a baby crocodile weighing about 150 grams raised as a pet by her son to the city rangers on Friday afternoon over a concern that the reptile may become dangerous once it grows up.

Rangers at the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station in the namesake district identified that the crocodile they received from Le Thanh Hoa, a resident of Hoc Mon District, is Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis), which is in the list of rare and endangered forest animals.

The reptile weighs about 150 grams and is around 30 centimeters long.

Hoa said her 17-year-old son brought home a glass tank with the petit crocodile inside on Thursday and said that a friend gifted it to him.

A ranger receives a glass tank containing a rare, endangered crocodile kept at the house of Le Thanh Hoa in Hoc Mon District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo taken on July 29, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

My son brought the crocodile home with the intention of raising it, but I said no, Hoa said.

I see crocodiles as dangerous animals.

Hoas concern is that the crocodile would become dangerous once it grows up.

Three long-tailed macaques are kept in cages at the house of Huynh Van Thanh in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo taken on July 29, 2022. Photo: Ngoc Khai / Tuoi Tre

The Ho Chi Minh City forest protection division also received three long-tailed macaques that had been kept at the house of Huynh Van Thanh in Cu Chi District for two years.

Nguyen Quang Hoang, deputy head of the Cu Chi Wildlife Rescue Station, warned people against raising wild animals at home and encouraged handovers such as Hoas and Thanhs.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A company from Phu Tho Province, northern Vietnam, has been fined VND400,000 (US$17) after a circulated video showed its two female staffs taking off their bras to carry seawater at a popular beach during a team-building activity.

The incident happened at Cua Lo Beach in the namesake town, located in north-central Nghe An Province.

In the footage, two women remove their bras and use them to deliver seawater during a relay game as part of their companys team-bulding activities, whereas other players carry seawater in T-shirts, towers, or hats.

Other vacationers in the video as well as netizens were taken aback by the act.

According to preliminary information, the women were members of a tourist group from Phu Tho Province.

Hoang Thanh Son, head of Cua Lo Town's Division of Culture and Information, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Friday that local authorities had fined the firm hosting the event at Cua Lo Beach, in accordance with Article 15 of Decree 144/2021 on administrative penalties for violations of social order and security.

The leader of the firm that organized the beach game said that the behavior was inappropriate and disrespectful, Son stated.

We have requested the company to explain the incident and apologize to the public.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany will temporarily issue birthplace certification to holders of Vietnams new passports to help them obtain residence permit and other administrative procedures in Germany.

The embassy is ready to issue such certificates for free to holders of new Vietnamese passports, which have been put in use on July 1, so that they can present to German authorities when requested, said the embassy in its website on Friday.

The move came after the German Embassy in Hanoi said Thursday it cannot grant visas to holders of the new passports since their identities could not be verified without the place of birth.

A source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper confirmed that the German Embassy in Hanoi had sent a diplomatic note to the Vietnamese side stating the reason for the problem.

Accordingly, the new passport model, in blue-violet color, does not provide information on the place of birth, making it difficult to identify the passport holder, especially when holders have the same surname, the note said.

Meanwhile, the old passport, in green color, displayed the birthplace of the holders.

Chu Tuan Duc, Counselor of the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany, said that the embassy will continue issuing Vietnams new passports attached with a birthplace certificate.

Those who hold old passports are allowed to continue using them until the expiry date.

An official from the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security told Tuoi Tre on Thursday that Vietnams new passports comply with international regulations and practices.

According to a quick survey of Tuoi Tre, there are quite many passports of other countries that do not show the holders place of birth, such as South Korea.

Under the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)s passport standard set, which are accepted by many countries, the place of birth of the passport holder was not mandatory.

The embassy and the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs have asked Germanys agencies concerned for coordination to solve the problem based on the spirit of the Vietnam - Germany strategic partnership.

The embassy will update new information on this issue on its website.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The organizing committee of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 has released a set of photos of the 30 best contestants in swimsuits ahead of the contest's upcoming finale.

The swimsuit collection was created with warm colors in order to highlight the beauty and charm of each contestant, according to the organizing board.

Prior to the swimsuit photography, the top 30 contestants participated in a range of contests which has been broadcasted as a reality television show on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Youtube.

The contest has attracted many promising candidates who have made improvements during the course of the competition.

The winner will get a crown made of 18k gold and diamonds, with a value of VND2 billion (US$86,000).

The crown for the winner of the Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 beauty pageant. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

The red jewels of the tiara represent the vitality and strength of women, while its design is inspired by the lotus, a symbol of the elegance and beauty of Vietnam.

The finale is set to take place on July 31 at 8:00 pm at Nguyen Du Stadium in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Contestants of Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022 don swimsuits. Photo: Miss Fitness Vietnam 2022

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Over 2.5 million Brits tuned in for the one hour Neighbours finale on Channel 5.

According to Digital Spy, it became the shows highest rated episode since 2008 and its third highest rated episode ever on Channel 5.

On social media there was an outpouring of emotion, especially from those who grew up with the show and linked it to pivotal moments in their own lives.

Its a Sin and returning Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies said Brilliant finale. Beautifully done. Funny and kind and forgiveness for Izzy! And Plain Jane Superbrain becoming more beautiful by putting her glasses ON is absolute scriptwriting genius. So many great actors, Id kill to work with Jackie Woodburne! We measure our lives by these shows, and thats a wonderful thing.

Ive watched #Neighbours for much of my life. It always reminds me of happier times  when I was a child, staying at my Nannys house. To this day, I always think of her when I tune in.  Thank you @NeighboursTV. To quote Rachel Kinksi and Ty Harper, youre Unforgettable.  Stephen Patterson (@mr_sjpatterson) July 29, 2022

The perfect ending. To a show that shouldnt even be ending in the first place. #Neighbours#NeighboursFinale  Stephen Patterson (@mr_sjpatterson) July 29, 2022

I feel sorry for all the kids who do not know what it was to sit down in your school uniform and watch Newsround, Blue Peter & then Neighbours every weeknight! #NeighboursFinale  Beccy Wood (@BeccyWoodTV) July 29, 2022

Possibly shedding a tear at the end of #NeighboursFinale  Richard Osman (@richardosman) July 29, 2022

A lot of talk lately about all the success stories that came out of #Neighbours but Jackie Woodburne is easily one of the best actresses to come out of Australia. Queen of the cul-de-sac  #NeighboursFinale pic.twitter.com/L3jg6uxcqK  Joe (@onlyjoekin_) July 29, 2022

Dead end? I think not. A masterclass of a sudsy swan song. https://t.co/Dolwlk3M3w  Richard Arnold (@RichardAArnold) July 29, 2022

Travellers on the London Underground were even greeted by a poem from staff to Neighbours.

Everybody needs good neighbours and you were simply the best.

Thank you to all of the cast & crew for becoming good friends to us for 37 years and giving us so many wonderful memories.

Love from all of your fans#Neighbours#NeighboursFinale#CelebratingNeighbours @kylieminogue pic.twitter.com/7DGikAH3uJ  All On The Board (@allontheboard) July 29, 2022

Tourism Australia also ran a special Visit Australia advertisement produced by Fremantle and CHEP Network.

The end line, Say gday to Australia, appears in the same font as the shows logo.

For four decades, a little touch of the Australian lifestyle has been appearing in everyones living room every day, Sally Cope, Tourism Australias regional general manager for the UK and Northern Europe told The Drum.

The Neighbours finale doesnt air in Ireland until Wednesday.
CHOLPON-ATA, Kyrgyzstan, July 30 (Xinhua) -- China and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to build a community with a shared future, visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Saturday.

China-Kyrgyzstan relations have withstood trials and tribulations and gone through an extraordinary journey, Wang told reporters after meeting with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev.

Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' heads of state, China and Kyrgyzstan have become veritable good neighbors, good friends, good partners and good brothers, Wang said, adding that with no major differences or unresolved issues, the two countries should only pursue greater friendship and more cooperation.

Standing at a new historical starting point, China is ready to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to join hands with Kyrgyzstan to open up a brighter future for bilateral cooperation and deliver more benefits to the Chinese and Kyrgyz people, he said.

The Chinese foreign minister briefed reporters on the series of consensuses reached between the two sides.

Both sides believe that the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Kyrgyzstan should be raised to a higher level. With an eye to the development of bilateral relations in the next 30 years, the two countries decided to build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future, contributing to the building of a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future and a community with a shared future for mankind.

Both parties are convinced that facing the current complex regional and international challenges, China and Kyrgyzstan should speed up the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, jointly promote the stability and development of Central Asia, oppose stirring up turmoil and divisions in the region, adhere to true multilateralism, safeguard the basic norms of international relations, and unite efforts in the international community to meet global challenges.

Both sides agreed to further strengthen strategic coordination, continue to firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty, security and development interests, unswervingly back each other in following a path of development in line with national conditions, and resolutely object to foreign interference in the internal affairs of the two countries.

The two sides decided to accelerate high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. They consider the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway as a strategic project of regional connectivity, and the time and conditions are becoming ripe for the launch of this important project.

The first group of Chinese experts have arrived in Kyrgyzstan recently and started the survey work, kicking off the construction process of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.

The two sides will also speed up the construction of major projects in Kyrgyzstan, including canals and road networks, and open new border ports to facilitate the flow of people and freight.

They will foster new growth areas such as ecological agriculture, e-commerce, cross-border payments and green energy, build a "green Silk Road," and create a new landscape for common development.

The two countries agreed to vigorously promote China-Kyrgyzstan friendship from generation to generation. China will build a Luban Workshop in Kyrgyzstan as soon as possible to train more vocational and technical personnel for the development of the Central Asian country.

They also agreed to set up cultural centers in each other's country at an early date, and strengthen people-to-people ties to consolidate the foundation of long-lasting friendship between China and Kyrgyzstan. 
On the final Joanna Lumleys Great Cities of the World, Joanna visits Berlin including the Festival of Lights, an all-female motorcycle club, a famous photographer who documented life in Soviet-controlled East Berlin and finally Holocaust survivor, Frau Friedlande.

Joannas Berlin adventure begins at The Festival of Lights, an annual event where Berlins most famous landmarks are transformed each night using the clever art of luministic projections. Waking up the next day, Joanna sets off to see Berlins infamous sites by day. And what better way to see these landmarks than with The Curves  Berlins all-female motorcycle club.

Joanna heads West to the district of Spandau where she meets Jack Hunter, the mayor from Old Texas Town, a replica of a western town which Jack has built by hand. After getting a glimpse into one of Berlins more unusual scenes, Joanna trades in the cowboy hat for some far more glamourous hats belonging to Frau Hat  the hat lady of Berlin.

Joanna explores Frau Hats collection of headwear that truly encapsulates Berlins free-spirited rebellious nature. Turning her attention to Berlins renowned nightlife, Joanna visits popular queer club SchwuZ, where she meets some voguing pros and takes to the catwalk herself.

She then takes a walk around the city with the rebel photographer Harald Hauswald who documented life in Soviet-controlled East Berlin and the fall of the Berlin wall. Joanna meets with Holocaust survivor, Frau Freedlander, to hear her story and then visits the chefs of The Open Kitchen. The Open Kitchen is a thriving group of locals, refugees and even professional chefs who all cook together to break down social and cultural barriers using food.

7:40pm Sunday on ABC.
Anonymous campaigners have stepped up calls for consumers withhold energy bill payments after gas and oil firms celebrated record profits this week amid the cost of living crisis.

The Dont Pay campaign urging millions to join the mass non-payment strike when fees are hiked again on 1 October.

The campaign is run by several anonymous activists and was launched in mid-June.

They said on Friday they had seen an upwell of support and would scaling up hugely, adding: This movement is taking off.

Millions more will already be thinking about whether theyll be able to pay come winter and afford the other things they need to survive for them and their families, says the organisation on the website.

Even more of us will be angry about paying more than double what we used to pay for the same amount we use. Let alone food, petrol and mortgages.

British Gas and Shell have listed record profits .



The answer is simple 



Beat their profits with our people power .



We need you to help us get a million pledges .



Help get our numbers up  and their numbers down . Signup today https://t.co/RYOlAVoLqd pic.twitter.com/dOLYOjPOjX  Don't Pay. (@dontpayuk) July 28, 2022

Energy regulator Ofgem is set to increase its price cap by as much as 1,800, the maximum a gas or electricity provider can charge.

The hike is predicted to increase the publics annual bills to around 3,800 by the beginning of 2023.

Even if a fraction of those of us who are paying by direct debit stop our payments, it will be enough to put energy companies in serious trouble, and they know this, Dont Pay says website.

We want to bring them to the table and force them to end this crisis.

The group is inspired by the resistance to the poll tax in 1989, when more than 17 million people refused to pay the divisive tax introduced by Margaret Thatcher.

Story continues

Increased support for the campaign comes after oil company Shell reported record profits of $11.5bn, doubling its earnings in a single year.

This is an increase from $5.5bn in April to June 2021  a $6bn increase in profits  and an up from $9.1bn in the first quarter of 2022.

British Gas owner Centrica, the UKs largest energy supplier, posted a fivefold increase in its haf-year profits to 1.3bn.

The companys profits for the six months to the end of June were a hefty increase on earnings compared to the 262m recorded in the same period last year.

The announcement comes as Citizens Advice revealed the number of people reporting that they cannot afford to top up their energy meters had trebled in July compared with the same time last year.
Elon Musk has countersued Twitter, the social network that he previously agreed to buy for $44bn, according to a new report.

He later backed away from the deal, prompting a lawsuit from the company.

Mr Musks lawsuit was filed on Friday and has not been made public, CNBC reported. It remains unclear why Mr Musk requested that the details of the suit be kept secret.

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has heavily criticized Twitter in interviews as well as on social media following the sale agreement.

The $44bn deal was announced on 25 April, but a market decline soon led to a plunge in tech stocks, impacting both Tesla and Twitter.

Not long after the deal was agreed upon, Mr Musk said Twitter had provided inaccurate estimates of the numbers of spam and bot accounts on the platform and he also accused the company of not giving him access to information concerning how these accounts were managed.

Earlier in July, Mr Musk said he wanted to end the deal, prompting Twitter to sue him in the Delaware Court of Chancery to force him to go ahead with the agreement.

Mr Musks lawyers filed the countersuit in a court in Delaware on Friday. The lawsuit could be made public soon, possibly with some details redacted, according to CNBC.

Chancellor Kathaleen St J McCormick, the judge in the case, issued an order on Thursday evening, outlining a schedule for a trial lasting five days to begin on 17 October.
French authorities on Friday held a fireman from the south of France accused of being behind a series of wildfires in the region which he says he started in a quest for adrenaline.

The man, a volunteer fireman from the Herault region, was arrested on Wednesday, regional prosectors said.

The case of the man dubbed in media as the "pyromaniac fireman" has sparked a keen interest in France, which was shocked by a swathe of wildfires in last week's heatwave that forced the evacuation of thousands of people.

Montpellier prosecutor Fabrice Belargent said in a statement that the man had admitted staring fires with a lighter on May 26, July 21 and most recently over the night of July 26-27.

"Asked about his motive, he declared that he had done this in order to provoke an intervention by the fire brigade to save him from an oppressive family environment and because of the excitement these interventions caused him," said Belargent.

"Adrenaline he called it -- these are his own words," said the prosecutor. "He also said he had a need for social recognition."

Adding to the irony, the full time job of the man, who has not been identified by name but is in his 30s, was a forester with preventing fires one of his primary responsibilities.

His lawyer Marie Bar told BFM TV that under questioning the man had "expressed very strong regret and above all a strong sentiment of shame".

She confirmed he had been remanded in custody by an investigating judge ahead of trial.

"He apologised to the.... firemen who he works with as he calls them his big family. This is someone who is very devoted to his work," she said.

"He finds it hard to explain. In a way he is relieved to have been arrested. He explains it as an addiction."

If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and a 150,000 euro ($153,000) fine.

"It's disgusting to have within the organisation this type of individual," former fire brigade colonel Ludovic Pinganaud told BFM, adding that out of 200,000 volunteer fireman in France there were just "some sick people" addicted to fires.

siu-sjw/har
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

As rumors swirl that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress may be jetting off to Taiwan in the coming days, China is threatening a forceful retaliation. But U.S. lawmakers have their own message for China and President Xi Jinping: Dont mess with us.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, warned that if China has learned any lessons from Russias war in Ukraine, Beijing ought to stand down.

China is playing with fire there if they learn the wrong lesson from Ukraine, if they think that they can violently violate Taiwan's territorial integrity that they wouldnt suffer reputational and economic damage, Swalwell told The Daily Beast.

Pentagon Will Send Fighter Jets to Protect Pelosi if She Visits Taiwan: Report

China should know better than to go after Taiwan or conduct any forceful military responses to Pelosis visit, according to Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

If China attacks Taiwan today they're going to be in a world of hurt, Moulton told The Daily Beast.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February, but leaders from around the globe have reacted, providing weapons aid to Ukraine to thwart Russia and throttling Russias economy through sanctions. Meanwhile Russian forces have faltered and failed to achieve key objectives in Ukraine.

The lawmakers warnings come as Pelosis possible trip nears: Shes supposed to depart Friday. And Chinese President Xi told President Joe Biden on a two-hour long call Friday to not play with fire when it comes to Taiwan, according to Reuters

But the lesson China should learn from Ukraine is that allies, just as they have rushed to help Ukraine, will help Taiwan, according to Rep. Gerrald Connolly (D-VA), a member of the U.S.-China Working Group and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Determined resistance to naked aggression can be effective and can draw lots of ancillary support, Connolly said.

Story continues

On what lessons China should learn from Russias invasion in Ukraine, Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ)the former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in the Obama administrationis crystal clear.

Dont invade Taiwan, Malinowski, now a member of the House Committees on Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security, told The Daily Beast.

Biden Reveals Red Line That Would Spark War With China

Some lawmakers fear, however, that China could have learned the wrong lesson from Ukraine, surmising that with increased U.S. defense aid to Taiwan year over year, the longer China waits to invade, the harder it may be to overtake Taiwan.

Asked if hes confident the United States and Taiwan are currently prepared to deter China from invading, Moulton told The Daily Beast that the outlook is not good.

No. I think we have a lot of work to do, he said.

Moulton added that he hopes lawmakers and the Biden administration can leverage what they have learned from Ukraine and work to boost Taiwans preparations for a potential invasion. And he said he and the House Armed Services Committee were working on pushing the administration to respond properly, so that we're better prepared to deter and prevent an invasion of Taiwan than we were to deter and prevent an invasion of Ukraine.

What we want to do, he continued, is get to a place where they don't even consider it.

Already this year, the United States has approved two air-defense capabilities packages for Taiwanone totaling $100 million and another totaling $95 million. Both packages were focused on giving Taiwan equipment, training, and other services tied to the islands Patriot Air Defense System.

Taiwan TV Station Apologizes After Announcing Chinese Invasion

Biden has warned that the United States would respond militarily if China were to invade Taiwan. The statement appeared to add some clarity to Americas position on Taiwanalthough the United States acknowledges Chinas stance that Taiwan is a part of China, it doesnt recognize Chinas claim to Taiwan, and has long maintained a strategically ambiguous stance on whether it would intervene with force if China were to attack.

But theres a real concern that China might just be better prepared than Russia for an invasion, according to Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

Russias shortcomings in Ukraine are in large part due to its cumbersome organizational structure, top heavy decision making, its poor logistics trains, and I'm not sure that we would see the same shortcomings in an offensive by China, Brown told The Daily Beast. I don't think that we would see that same sort of incompetence.

Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and its preparatory work to take on Taiwan have set off alarm bells throughout the Capital region for years. The PLA has recently undertaken major organizational reforms and modernization programs, and according to the Department of Defenses annual report on Chinas military prowess, the PLA has particularly been working to develop capabilities to deter intervention in a Taiwan invasion and to defeat third-party intervention.

Every President Talks About Focusing on ChinaBidens Really Doing It

According to U.S. intelligence community assessments, Beijing is expected to continue to press Taiwan to move toward unification, and is in a reactionary phase when it comes to U.S. engagement on Taiwan.

While many members of Congress believe China shouldnt dictate Pelosis trip plans, concerns about Chinas military capabilitiesand willingness to go after Taiwanare currently looming over Congress as Pelosis trip hangs in the balance.

Of course, much remains to be seen: Pelosis office has been assembling this week to debate the Taiwan trip amid the national security implications and has the trip marked as tentative for now, according to NBC News.

Chinas threats might just be all blusterdeployed as a way to get its way and have U.S. officials step aside on Taiwan questionsaccording to Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

These descriptions of anxiety that China is showing, is just sort of a lot of bullshit, Gallego said, noting his support for Pelosis visit. We shouldn't play their game.

In the end, China shouldnt be the one calling the shots on this, according to Malinowski.

I worry about the precedent if a trip did not happen because China made threats, he said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now.

Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now.
Olia Hercules, author of Home Food (Bloomsbury Publishing, 26)

The chef speaks to Prudence Wade about setting up the Cook for Ukraine campaign, and how food can connect everyone - regardless of where you're from.

For Olia Hercules, cooking is normally her therapy, her safe space - but she lost this when Russia invaded her native country, Ukraine.

"For the first two months or so, I couldn't really cook - it was a weird feeling," the 38-year-old remembers. "Normally it's an act of meditation and stress relief. If it's a normal, everyday stress, I cook - especially if I make something a bit more involved, like dough, breadmaking, dumplings - something like that, it's amazing.

"But when you're going through trauma, it was completely different. I felt guilty eating at first, then I felt guilty cooking. It was a horrible feeling, and I couldn't shake it off."

She eventually felt differently while making her parents a meal in Italy after they fled Ukraine. "That's when it lifted, and I was like yes, I've got it back. I'm enjoying making this borscht for them, I know it's going to do so much good."

Now, Hercules says she realises cooking is "an act of resistance and defiance, and not letting Putin and his goons take all the joy away from us - because that's what they're trying to do".

Recently, after some particularly bad news about the war, Hercules regressed to those feelings - but her mother brought her back to herself. "She said, 'This is what he's [Vladimir Putin] trying to do. Don't let him do this - this is how we're going to lose if we're going to be paralysed by fear all the time and stop living.' So we can't stop living - and food is life."

Now, Hercules is learning to take better care of herself, whether that's returning to cooking, booking herself into an embroidery course, or writing. She also set up the Cook for Ukraine campaign with friend and food writer Alissa Timoshkina, as a way of raising awareness.

"At first we thought, OK, this is going to be a hashtag, and maybe we'll think of something - a donation situation," she says. "We were like, it's good enough to just do a hashtag, cook a Ukrainian meal, and educate people and keep Ukraine in the news, keep talking about it - and also this thing of connection."

Story continues

If somebody in Britain makes a Ukrainian dish, Hercules suggests: "It's much easier for them to imagine a family that would have been having this dish somewhere in Ukraine - and now they can't do that anymore. The headlines are there, and with time it's only natural for people to start disassociating, and being like, OK, I need to preserve my sanity, I can't look at this horror all the time.

"But having something cultural - especially something to do with food - keeps you connected, and also gives you strength in a way."

The campaign's success exceeded Hercules' expectations, and as well as raising awareness around the situation in Ukraine, it's also a window into the country's unique cuisine.

She accepts there are preconceptions about Ukrainian food. "People have said it is all about potatoes and dumplings and overcooked cabbage, which was actually really hurtful. But stereotypes are stereotypes - I don't blame people for having them."

Instead, she wants people to know the cuisine is so much more than that - it's "diverse, and can be fresh and herbaceous".

Now though, Hercules doesn't feel like she has to convince everyone that Ukraine is a rich and diverse country. It is - but she also says: "It's time to embrace all of our potato and cabbage dishes, because they're actually extremely delicious."

She has one of these potato dishes in her latest cookbook, Home Food. A staple growing up, the recipe for crispy potatoes and onions is "something everybody could do - students do it - and the perfection of this dish is because you cut the potatoes in an imperfect way. [Even if] you're striving to do really thin slices, inevitably some will be thicker than others - and that's what you want, that's what makes it so good. Because some of the potatoes become more crispy, and some become soft."

Hercules rediscovered the recipe during the start of the pandemic, asking her mum about it (who, by the way, didn't think it even counted as a recipe) - and now it's well and truly back in her repertoire.

Through writing her new book, Hercules realised how much food can connect people - regardless of where you come from. She reflects on her time in Italy (she spent a year there during university as part of an exchange program), saying: "When I lived in Italy, I immediately connected to my fellow students" through food.

In her halls of residence, "We became friends with loads of Italian students living there - they were from all over, especially from the south of Italy. A few of them used to receive parcels from their families - one of the boys' papa was a butcher, so he'd receive hunks of amazing cuts of meat and jars with what they call 'sugo de la mama' - like tomato sauce, either with meatballs or whatever. And we'd all benefit from it, because it's so delicious.

This immediately transported Hercules back in time, to when her older brother went to university in Odessa when she was 12. "I remember my mum packing these big boxes, and once she even packed a whole roasted duck into the box, and you'd go to the bus station, and you'd pay someone to take the box on the bus, and then he'd receive it on the other end."

When she first arrived in Italy, Hercules admits her grasp of the language was rudimentary - but she managed to communicate this story to her new friends, and find common ground.

"[Food] breaks barriers, and immediately makes you feel closer," she reflects. "I think the book has become that in many ways, reflecting through cultures. I realised food and humour have been the two ways for me, in each culture I experienced or tried to assimilate into - as soon as there was some kind of a connection in what we ate, and as soon as I understood the humour in another language, I was like OK, this is it. I feel at home now."

Home Food: Recipes To Comfort And Connect by Olia Hercules is published by Bloomsbury Publishing, priced 26. Photography by Joe Woodhouse. Available now.
By Xin Ping

It is natural for people of the 21st century to be shocked by the reminiscence of colonial arrogance in Boris Johnson's comment on the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to motherland, when he touted Britain's so-called "historical responsibility" and claimed not to "give up Hong Kong".

To begin with, it is ridiculous for the British government to talk about "historical responsibility" for Hong Kong because London never recognizes the reality of its relationship with the city. In its government "reports" and the BBC's so-called Hong Kong "timeline", sheer facts are intentionally ignored.

First, the British came as unwelcome invaders who seized Hong Kong by waging the Opium War on China.

Second, democracy never ever existed in Hong Kong under the British colonial rule. The governors were appointed by the British monarch and were responsible to no locals but the parliament faraway in Westminster.

Third, for the record of liberty and human dignity, one must be reminded of colonial rulers' Regulation of Chinese Ordinance in 1888 that exclusively restricted Chinese residents from going outside at night, the Peak District Reservation Ordinance in 1904 that forbade ethnic Chinese from dwelling in most parts of the Victoria Peak, and the Societies Ordinance in 1911 that strictly limited Hong Kongers' right to assemble, just to list a few.

Why the old lords now become concerned about Hong Kong's democracy and human rights which they never granted in the old colonial period? As the British prime minister claims not to "give up Hong Kong" which has already been an integral part of another sovereign country, he might have intentionally ignored what is happening to Scotland and Northern Ireland, or he is just diverting the public from domestic troubles.

It is too long a story to start with historical conquest, national identity and independence tendency. In short, the British government has taken a harsh approach to Scotland and Northern Ireland. On grounds of democratic principles, the British government and Supreme Court have no proper excuse to reject Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeons plan for a second independence referendum intended to be held on October 19, 2023. On July 13, two Scottish MPs were thrown out of Commons for independence protest. If there were a "six-monthly report on Scotland", the day would be highlighted as a proof that "British authority systematically undermines the rights and freedoms promised to the people of Scotland".

Panicked by the recent victory of Sinn Fein, Westminster hastily voted to scrap the Northern Ireland Protocol which was actually supported by the majority of local voters, according to a LucidTalk poll. Sinn Fein's President Mary Lou McDonald, amid impasse of power sharing at Stormont, has accused London of "frustrating the will of the people" expressed in the election: "to anybody who calls themselves a democrat, [it] is clearly unacceptable and clearly shameful".

While applauding violence and chaos in Hong Kong, the British government tightens control of protests at home. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act coming into force on June 28 has enabled the police to block protests by listing more preconditions. The vaguely defined "intentionally or recklessly causing public nuisance" is made a crime facing up to 10 years in prison. As the epitome of British doublestandards, Home Secretary Priti Patel, who has met with Hong Kong rioters and pledged to "keep our promise to protect and uphold their freedoms", argued for the PCSC Act that "The law-abiding, responsible majority have had enough of anti-social, disruptive protests carried out by a self-indulgent minority who seem to revel in causing mayhem and misery for the rest of us."

It becomes self-explanatory that when Britain habitually points fingers at Hong Kongand other places of the world, it is neither for democracy nor for human rights, but another attempt to relive its old imperial and colonial dream. The British government and media just need a wake-up call from the colonial past. Its time to think seriously about how to manage their own future in the new century.

(The author is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Global Times, etc. He can be reached atxinping604@gmail.com)
(PA)

Police have arrested a man on suspicion of murder following the fatal stabbing of nine-year-old Lillia Valutyte.

Lincolnshire Police released four CCTV images of a man they wished to speak on Saturday and warned anyone who sees him not to approach him but to call 999 immediately.

In an update on Saturday afternoon, the police said a 22-year-old man had been arrested in the Boston Central Park area at approximately 2.45pm.

UPDATE: We have arrested a 22-year-old man in Boston, this afternoon, on suspicion of murder. He is currently in police custody.



This follows the death on Thursday of nine-year-old Lillia Valutyte.https://t.co/palIzpOlnt pic.twitter.com/oNg1NrmVQo  Lincolnshire Police (@LincsPolice) July 30, 2022

A statement read: The arrest follows a combination of intelligence and information supplied by several members of the public. Wed like to thank everyone for their assistance as we continue our investigation.

We are not looking for anyone else in connection with this incident. There will continue to be a signficant police presence in the town while our investigation progresses.

We are still encouraging anyone with information to contact us. You can do so via the Major Incident Portal.

The force added that two people who were arrested earlier this week have now been released with no further action.

Lillia was found on Fountain Lane in Boston at around 6.20pm on Thursday.

Anyone with information should call 101 quoting Incident 419 of July 28.

She had reportedly been playing with her younger sister on the street just yards from an office where their mother was working at the time.

The girls had a hula-hoop, and a toy pram was left at the scene, according to local people.

A resident from the area told the Telegraph: The little girl was playing in the street with her younger sister when it happened. They had some toys out.

Im sure her mum wouldnt have been far away as she always checked on them. She was a very quiet girl, and I just cant understand it.

I didnt see what happened, but we were told they (police) were looking for footage of a man running away.
(AFP via Getty Images)

Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have warned each other over Taiwan in a two-hour phone call.

According to a read-out of the call, Mr Xi told Mr Biden: Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this."

However, the US President said policy on Taiwan had not changed and that Washington strongly opposes unilateral efforts to change the status quo.

China claims Taiwan to be part of China, and Mr Xi has vowed to bring it under Beijings control by force if necessary.

Tensions have increased ahead of a possible visit to Taiwan by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China has warned of serious consequences if she were to proceed with such a visit, which would make her the most senior US politician to travel to Taiwan since 1997.

Washington follows a "one-China policy" that recognizes Beijing, not Taipei, diplomatically.

However, it is also committed to providing democratic Taiwan with the means to defend itself, and pressure has mounted in Congress for more explicit support.

A screen displays images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden (REUTERS)

The White House said the long-scheduled call was part of the administrations efforts to deepen lines of communication with China and "responsibly manage our differences."

During Thursdays phone call, Mr Biden and Mr Xi also discussed arranging a possible face-to-face meeting, according to a senior Biden administration official. They described the call as "direct" and "honest".

When Mr Biden was vice-president he hosted Mr Xi during a visit to the US in 2015, but they have not met in person during Mr Bidens presidency.

Some analysts believe Mr Xi has an interest in avoiding escalation as he seeks an unprecedented third term in office this year.

Others say playing up the Taiwan issue could serve as a domestic distraction from Chinas slowing economy.

Following the call, Taiwan thanked Mr Biden for his support and said it would continue to deepen its security partnership with the United States.

While highlighting Taiwan, both sides also discussed the importance of economic coordination, according to read-outs.
French leader Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman agreed to work "to ease the effects" of the Ukraine war, Macron's office said Friday, after talks in Paris that marked the full diplomatic rehabilitation of the Saudi leader.

Like US President Joe Biden who visited Riyadh earlier this month, Macron had been keen to secure extra oil production from the de facto Saudi leader who was a pariah in the West under recently.

A French statement made no reference to any agreement but said the two men had agreed to "intensify their cooperation to ease the effects (of the war) in Europe, the Middle East and the world".

The dinner between the two men on Thursday evening outraged rights groups because of bin Salman's suspected role in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Western leaders snubbed the 36-year-old prince after Saudi agents killed Khashoggi inside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul in 2018.

But the prince is being courted again as Europe and its allies urgently seek fresh sources of fossil fuels to replace lost Russian production.

As he left on Friday, bin Salman expressed his "deepest gratitude and appreciation for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to me and the accompanying delegation" in a statement posted online by the Saudi foreign ministry.

Macron's decision to host the controversial royal sparked fierce criticism at home from human rights groups and left-wing opponents.

- 'French values' -

While Biden fist-bumped bin Salman as he arrived in Riyadh, Macron shook hands on the steps of the Elysee Palace as he welcomed the prince.

"He's shaking the hand for a long time of man whose hands are covered in blood," senior left-wing MP Alexis Corbiere told BFM television on Friday.

As defence minister, bin Salman oversaw Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Yemen in 2015 against Iran-backed Huthi rebels who took control of the capital Sanaa.

Allies of the French president defended a meeting that has been widely portrayed as a case study in "Realpolitik" -- putting practical considerations above principles in foreign policy.

Story continues

Analysts say Saudi Arabia is one of few countries worldwide with the capacity to increase its oil production, though its margin for manoeuvre is seen as limited.

"There are partners, countries that do not all share the same democratic values as France," Public Services Minister Stanislas Guerini, a close ally of the president, told Europe 1 radio.

"But I believe it would be a mistake to not speak, to not try to make things happen," he added.

The role of the president was "to protect the French people," he said.

"French values, the voice of France, human rights, were carried last night, as always, by the president," he added.

- 'Scandalised' -

The head of Amnesty International Agnes Callamard told AFP she felt "profoundly troubled by the visit".

The killing of Khashoggi was described by a UN probe as an "extrajudicial killing for which Saudi Arabia is responsible".

US intelligence agencies determined that the crown prince had "approved" the operation that led to Khashoggi's death.

Riyadh denies this, blaming rogue operatives.

"I am scandalised and outraged that Emmanuel Macron is receiving with all the honours the executioner of my fiance, Jamal Khashoggi," his fiancee Hatice Cengiz told AFP on Thursday.

The French president first hosted bin Salman in 2018, when Macron took him to an art exhibition at the Louvre Museum, and travelled to the kingdom in December 2021 for further talks.

The Saudi strongman stayed overnight at his Louis XIV chateau in Louveciennes west of Paris which he acquired in 2015, according to a source who asked not to be named.

Despite its name, the castle was only built in 2009, by a company headed by Khashoggi's cousin Emad, and was described as "the world's most expensive home" at the time of purchase.

adp-rbj/jm
Christian Bale is the most Googled Welsh celebrity in the world according to research. The Haverfordwest born actor is seen accepting an award (L: Picture: Chris Pizzello) and as Batman (R. Picture; Warner Bros)

WHEN it comes to famous people, some celebrities immediately come to mind - but the most Googled Welsh star may not be who you think it is.

Tom Jones, Gareth Bale and Shirley Bassey might be the some of the most recognisible Welsh figures, but the number one most searched celebrity from Wales is a lot closer to home.

Haverfordwest born actor Christian Bale is the most Googled Welsh celebrity across the world, according to comparison site JohnSlots.

The site compiled a list of more than 300 well-known Welsh public figures including actors, musicians and athletes - and found that Christian Bale was searched on Google 2.1 million times each month across the world.

Catherine Zeta-Jones (1.23 million) and Tom Ellis (1.2 million) came in second and third most-searched.

Christian Bale, who was born in and lived in Haverfordwest until the age of two, lives in Los Angeles, but following his departure from the Welsh town, he lived in England, Portugal and the USA before the family settled in Bournemouth.

MORE NEWS:

He is most known for playing Patrick Bateman in American Psycho and Batman in Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises.

Haverfordwest actor and musician Rhys Ifans is the only other Pembrokeshire mention in the top 20 in 11th place with 401,000 searches.

A JohnSlots spokesperson said: Christian Bale deservedly takes the top spot as the most searched Welsh celebrity.

"However, with the actor perfecting his American accent in order to secure numerous Hollywood roles, many are often surprised when they learn of his Welsh roots.

His longstanding contribution to film has evidently cemented his place as a worldwide household name.

Wales should remain proud of the eclectic mix of talent that it has cultivated over the years, with many of those born in the country going on to become global celebrities, who continue to attract interest from fans all over the world.

JohnSlots ran 364 Welsh celebrities through Ahrefs Keyword Tool to find the most Googled celebrities. You can see the study here.
The two were jailed for the violent attack (Met Police)

Two men have been jailed after they violently attacked a young man in south London.

Enes Ulas, 23, and Daniel James, 24, both of no fixed abode, were jailed at Kingston Crown Court for attacking a 24-year-old man in Mitcham on August 7, 2020.

Ulas was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for wounding with intent, possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon on July 29.

James, was found guilty of violent disorder and threatening a person with an offensive weapon on June 7, 2021, and was sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment on June 30.

This was a violent assault on a young man that was committed in broad daylight in a residential area and in the presence of young children. It caused shock in the local community, detective constable Emily Dawson, investigating officer, said.

Both assailants approached a group in Potter Close, Mitcham where a violent altercation then took place.

James drew a large knife and proceeded to threaten a man. Ulas, who had been carrying what appeared to be a firearm, pointed the object at the 24-year-old victim before chasing and stabbing him in the right side of his head.

The victim was taken to St Georges Hospital where he remained for a significant period of time for the injuries which will have a lasting impact on his life, the police said.

Ms Dawson added: I would like to thank the local community for their support and patience with the police investigation.

I hope the convictions bring some closure to the victim and wish him well in his ongoing recovery from his injuries.Acts of violence such as this will not be tolerated. The Metropolitan Police remains committed to tackling violent crime and putting violent offenders behind bars.
SWNS

<p>A woman gave birth alone on the bathroom floor in just 30 minutes before her husband or paramedics to arrive - and the ordeal was captured on her Ring camera.</p><p>Gabriela Perez, 30, was surprised when she woke up experiencing contractions on 15th January 2022 and realised her unborn baby wasnt wasting anytime in arriving. </p><p>Her husband, Miguel Perez, 34, a warehouse manager, was unable to get home in time as he was at work and so he advised Gabriela to call the paramedics. </p><p>But 20 minutes after her contractions started, Gabrielas water broke, and her contractions were becoming very painful and much closer together. </p><p>Gabriela couldnt hold on any longer and gave birth to her little girl, Aurora Isabella, on the bathroom floor, while on the phone to 911. </p><p>Minutes after Aurora was born, weighing 7lbs 3oz, the couple's home security camera caught paramedics rushing in to wrap the newborn up in a blanket and tend to Gabriela, who was losing blood. </p><p>The mum-of-six was taken to Javon Bea Hospital, Belvidere, US, to be checked over before she was able to return home the same day with Aurora. </p><p>Gabriela, a part-time shop assistant, from Belvidere, US, said: It all happened so quickly but it was such an amazing experience. </p><p>I wasnt expecting it as doctors had checked me over just a few days before and said she still wasnt on the way. </p><p>I woke up with contractions and my waters had broken after 20 minutes, 10 minutes later she was born. </p><p>I couldnt believe it. </p><p>Miguel thought the paramedics would make it to me in time, but I was OK. </p><p>Doing it alone was an incredible experience. </p><p>Gabriela was 40 weeks pregnant when she started to experience contractions at 8am on 15th January 2022. </p><p>She had been told by doctors that her daughter still wasnt on the way and had been scheduled to be induced on 17th January if her little one hadn't arrived by then. </p><p>It didnt seem like she was coming and there were no signs of labour, Gabriela said. </p><p>I was shocked when the contractions started, and my husband was already at work. </p><p>The contractions quickly got worse, and my waters broke at 8.20am. </p><p>I realised she was coming imminently. </p><p>Miguel told me to ring 911 and I had them on the phone, but I just couldnt hold her in anymore. </p><p>I was scared, and I didnt really know what to do. </p><p>I pushed and she was suddenly out and on the floor. </p><p>Minutes later, paramedics rushed in and took over to look after Aurora and Gabriela. </p><p>Gabriela was taken to Javon Bea Hospital, Belvidere, as she was losing blood. </p><p>They just got the bleeding under control and the two of us could come home again that day, she said. </p><p>Miguel thought the ambulance would have got there in time, so I think he feels bad that I had to do it alone. </p><p>But it was a magical and scary experience, and I realised my Ring camera captured it all, so I have her birth to look back on. </p><p>Aurora, now six months old, is settling in well with her brothers and sisters - Miguel, 10, Valerie, nine, Edan, six, Elizabeth, four, and Adrian, two. </p><p>Shes doing really well and growing fast, Gabriela said. </p><p>It was an emotional and crazy experience, but I wouldnt change anything.</p>
Dexter Turnbull Turns On the Style in the UKIPT Nottingham Main Event

July 30 2022 Matthew Pitt Editor

Day 1b of the 1,100 PokerStars United Kingdom & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) Nottingham Main Event was almost three times as large as Day 1a, with 433 players heading to Dusk Till Dawn to try their luck in the 500,000 guaranteed tournament. After 17 intense levels of play, only 65 players had chips in front of them and nobody in the entire event has more chips than Dexter Turnbull.

1,100 UKIPT Nottingham Main Event Day 1B Top 10 Chip Counts

Place Player Country Chip Count 1 Dexter Turnbull United Kingdom 736,000 2 Jonathan Mccann United Kingdom 708,000 3 Adam Maxwell Ireland 515,000 4 Philip Clarke United Kingdom 461,000 5 Jack Hardcastle United Kingdom 430,000 6 Stephen Woodhead United Kingdom 423,000 7 Mark Liles United Kingdom 405,000 8 Alan Vinnicombe United Kingdom 347,000 9 Aaron Khera United Kingdom 328,000 10 Tan Luan Le United Kingdom 322,000

Mark Whitney claimed the Day 1a chip lead courtesy of turning his 30,000-starting stack into 385,000 chips. Whitney's stack, although impressive, is only enough for eighth place going into Day 2 after the chips went flying on the second Main Event flight.

Turnbull is a local player who has $70,808 in live tournament cashes, and a largest score worth 7,985 ($10,529), which he won at Dusk Till Dawn in May 2018. Turnbull soared into the chip lead before the scheduled dinner break and maintained his lead until the curtain came down on Day 1b proceedings.

Jonathan McCann (708,000) was the only other Day 1b player to finish with more than 700,000 chips in his stack. McCann came close to winning the WPT Opener event at the 2019 WPT UK at Dusk Till Dawn, finishing fourth for $37,000. He now has a chance to make amends for that near miss.

Jack Hardcastle

Jack Hardcastle took advantage of the re-entry system and bought into Day 1b after busting on Day 1a. Hardcastle finished his flight with 430,000 chips, which is bad news for anyone who finds themselves on his table on Day 2.

Stephen Woodhead (423,000) and Alan Vinnicombe (347,000) were two other notables who finished with top ten stacks.

Further down the chip counts but still in the hunt for the UKIPT Nottingham Main Event title are stars such as Anthony Gardner (240,000), Fabio Sperling (234,000), Michael Kane (196,000), Brandon Sheils (155,000), Dusk Till Dawn legend Waheed "Wadey" Ashraf (130,000), and Team PokerStars Pro Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg.

Day 2 kicks off at 12:00 p.m. BST sharp, with the PokerNews Live Reporting team updating throughout. The returning 86 players play to extended 60-minute levels as they battle for a place at the 2022 PokerStars UKIPT Nottingham Main Event final table.

Chung Enjoys an Early Birthday Present; Wins the 230 PLO

Tim Chung

It is Timothy Chung's birthday on July 30 and he earned himself an early present by winning the 230 buy-in Pot-Limit Omaha event. Ninety-nine players bought in and created a 19,206 prize pool. Chung got his hands on 5,126 of that pot after defeating Osman Mustanoglu heads-up for the title.

Usman Siddique (3rd - 2,360) and Steve Jelinek (6th - 1,160) also saw returns on their investment.

Curry Adds Some Spice to His Bankroll With a 14,375 Score

Joshua Curry is 14,375 richer than a couple of day ago after he came out on top in the 230 buy-in UKIPT Nottingham Mini Main Event. The tournament drew in a 1,039-strong crowd, made up of 577 unique players and 462 re-entries; they created a 158,300 prize pool.

The top 157 finishers won at least 400, with the top 45 finishers receiving a 1,100 UKPIT Nottingham Main Event in addition to their cash prize.

Players including Jack Allen, Paul Coughlan, Richard King, Team PokerStars' Benjamin "Spraggy" Spragg, and the 2014 UKIPT Nottingham Main Event champion Duncan McLellan were among those who received a 1,100 ticket despite missing out on a final table place.

The nine finalists were whittled to only two, and that duo decided to strike a deal. The deal secured Matthew Cartright 17,726 as he was the chip leader at the time. However, Curry staged a comeback and took down the tournament, earning himself 14,375 in the process, the largest score of his career.

UKIPT Nottingham Mini Main Event Final Table Results

Place Player Prize 1 Joshua Curry 14,375* 2 Matthew Cartright 17,726* 3 Scott Berko 8,000 4 Jav Javed 6,000 5 Freddie Henry 4,750 6 Steven Simpson 3,750 7 Manuel Zapf 3,000 8 Vinnie Mohan 2,500 9 Pavel Sergeiciuc 2,000

*reflects a heads-up deal
A chef cuts slices of Prosciutto di Parma at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, July 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

HAIKOU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- At the second China International Consumer Products Expo held in the southern Chinese city of Haikou, one can taste various Italian delicacies and admire an Italian luxury yacht without going to Italy.

Over 70 brands from Italy covering food, wine, jewellery, clothing and yachts have become an instant hit among visitors at the event in Hainan Province. Confident in the Chinese market, Italian companies hope to tap into the vast opportunities by attending the expo.

At the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce Company Pavilion, over 100 products from four companies are on display, including VM Fine Wines.

Piero Vio, VM Fine Wines manager for China's Sichuan area, spoke highly of his first experience of the Hainan expo.

"I hope to meet not only private clients, but also some distributors," said Vio, adding there are a lot of opportunities for every company and also for wine importers.

Vincenzo Raffa, South China Manager of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, said Italian companies will find a lot of business opportunities here in Hainan.

"The Chinese consumer market is unimaginable," he said. "It's very, very big, and for Italian companies that want to invest in China, this is the right moment, the right time to invest in South China, especially in Hainan, thanks to the free trade port policy."

By 2025, the whole island of Hainan will have become a free trade port.

"So we have very high expectations, and we are working with the local institutions to ensure that Italian companies have an even better presence at the Hainan expo next year," he said.

The Ferretti Group, a leading yacht company in Italy, has participated in the China International Import Expo on four occasions. Now, it is taking part in the Hainan expo for the first time, bringing two full-size yachts and three models of its latest creations.

Danielle Chen, chief representative of Ferretti Group's representative office in Shanghai, said Hainan boasts unique resources for the yacht industry and has issued new regulations to promote the industry, which is very exciting news for the entire industry.

The regulations to promote the industry in the Hainan Free Trade Port became effective this July, marking the country's first local legislation on the yacht industry. Several measures have been proposed to encourage the innovation and development of the industry on the island.

"The yacht industry is an emerging sector of China's fast developing economy and we feel it has a great potential, as China has a long coastline and a very strong economic strength," Chen said. 

A visitor tastes Italian wine at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Visitors purchase Italian ice cream at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

A visitor purchases Italian jewellery at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, July 30, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

Visitors view a yacht model of an Italian yacht company at the second China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE) in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, July 29, 2022. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)
This was confirmed at the roundtable on Finance and Governance Accelerators for a Just Energy Transition on July 29, co-hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and VIR.

The roundtable on Finance and Governance Accelerators for a Just Energy Transition

At the United Nations Climate Change Summit in 2021, the Vietnamese government pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while halting investments in new coal power generation, scaling up the deployment of clean power, and phasing out the use of coal by the 2040s.

One of the central challenges facing Vietnam is to meet climate change and energy transition commitments while ensuring that the country maintains its focus on achieving its Sustainable Development Goals, ending poverty, and promoting long-term economic transformation that leaves no one behind.

The session focused on the issue of JET development finance, with an in-depth discussion on the wider context of development financing, the role of domestic and international finance, lessons learnt from international experience, and domestic policy innovations that can support the JET.

Following the opening remarks by UNDP resident representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen and VIR editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh, UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP regional director for Asia-Pacific Kanni Wignaraja  who is on a visit to Vietnam  delivered a keynote address entitled Financing Vietnams Transition to Renewable Energy: Beyond the Big Numbers.

UN assistant secretary-general and UNDP regional director for Asia-Pacific Kanni Wignaraja addressing the roundtable on energy transition

Policymakers and experts presented recommendations that could help to attract the required finance for energy transition, lessons from Southeast Asia's experience so far, and the role of green public development banks in accelerating climate action.

Pham Xuan Hoe, former deputy director at the Banking Strategy Institute, made a presentation on opportunities and challenges for green finance market development in Vietnam towards sustainable governance and development according to ESG practices.

This was followed by Financing the Energy Transition: The Role of Green Public Development Banks in Accelerating Climate Action  International Experiences and Lessons for Vietnam, jointly by presented Dr. Thomas Marois and Prof. Uli Volz from SOAS University of London.

UNDP resident representative in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen addressing the event on energy transition

The subsequent panel discussion focused on how policies could support private sector participation in the just energy transition.

Finance is a key factor in achieving a just energy transition, with profitability and predictability being vital when financing the JET. The lack of these two factors limits the financing of renewable energy projects, not the other way around.

Governance issues related to competitive and transparent markets, direct (bankable) power purchase agreements, a transparent investment environment, and curtailment, transmission, and distribution issues for power producers play an important role in unlocking finance.

When governance accelerators are in place, financing will come from public investment through taxation, domestic bond issuance, international private finance sources, and domestic private sector financing.

VIR editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh delivering his remarks at the roundtable

It is evident that most of the capital needed will be derived from domestic sources. However, national development banks in other countries can provide long-term domestic finance for complex and slow-gestating projects.

Vietnams demand for energy will grow rapidly over the coming three decades with transport, industry, agriculture, and construction transitioning from fossil fuels to electricity generated by solar, wind, and other renewable systems. If renewable electricity generation is used to decarbonise the energy system as projected, the demand could increase five-fold by 2050.

In the context that Vietnam both fulfils its climate change and energy transition commitments, and ensures that the country maintains its focus on achieving its Sustainable Development Goals, governance and finance will be effective accelerators for the JET.

This roundtable is the first of a series of discussions, roundtables, and conferences that the UNDP in Vietnam intends to hold in cooperation with the government to clarify the available policy options as it seeks to deepen and develop financial systems.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (standing) at the dialogue with Korean associations and businesses on July 30 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh chaired a dialogue with the Republic of Korea (RoK)s Ambassador Park Noh-wan and representatives of Korean associations and businesses in Vietnam in Hanoi on July 30.

The RoK, the largest FDI partner in Vietnam at present, is investing in 9,383 projects worth over 79.8 billion USD in 19 of the 21 economic sectors and 59 of the 63 localities nationwide.

Highlighting the two countries flourishing relations in various spheres, PM Chinh said Vietnam and the RoK have become leading partners of each other, and economic cooperation is always an important pillar of bilateral ties.

A number of Korean enterprises have been operating fruitfully and considerably contributing to socio-economic development in Vietnam, he noted.

He also took this occasion to thank the RoK Government and people for supporting Vietnams efforts in socio-economic development, including the COVID-19 combat.

PM Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the dialogue in Hanoi on July 30 (Photo: VNA)

Over the past 35 years of reforms, the Party and State of Vietnam have issues many policies and laws to attract foreign investment and create an optimal business climate that has gradually matched international practices. The foreign invested sector has been growing fast and effectively, becoming a crucial part of the economy and greatly helping with local development, according to the Government leader.

In September 2021, the PM held a dialogue with Korean businesses to learn about difficulties and obstacles facing them and also listen to their initiatives and proposals for institutional, policy and administrative procedure reforms in order to facilitate production and business activities.

So far, 25 of the 29 recommendations and proposals raised at that event have been handled, especially those related to COVID-19 prevention and control and business facilitation. Authorities of Vietnam are working to deal with the four remainders.

The PM asked representatives of Korean associations and enterprises to point out problems they have encountered and suggest ideas for further improving their investment, production and business activities in Vietnam, thus contributing to the development of bilateral relations.

PM Chinh also required Vietnamese ministries, sectors, agencies and localities to work out appropriate solutions.

Representatives of Korean associations and businesses at the event (Photo: VNA)

Ambassador Park noted the dialogue last September has given more strength to companies which were struggling with the pandemics impacts then, and they have received practical assistance.

He cited some economists as predicting that Vietnam can easily attain a growth rate of at least 6% this year, sustain macro-economic and exchange rate stability, and boost export - import growth even amid global economic uncertainties and disrupted global supply chains.

The diplomat attributed those achievements to the countrys stability and the Governments effective governance, which is highly valued by the RoK Government and businesses.

Together with economic recovery, Vietnams trade and investment links with the RoK are also thriving, and if such recovery and growth trend is maintained, bilateral trade can reach 100 billion USD this year, ahead of the target of 2023, he added.
PM Pham Minh Chinh greets representatives of the RoK's associations and businesses at the dialogue in Hanoi on July 30. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has called on the Republic of Korea (RoK)s enterprises to increase investment in Vietnam and boost connectivity with local firms so that Vietnam can soon become a hub in regional and global value chains.

He made the appeal while addressing a dialogue with the RoKs Ambassador Park Noh-wan and representatives of Korean associations and businesses in Hanoi on July 30.

The RoK, the largest FDI partner in Vietnam at present, is investing in 9,383 projects worth over 79.8 billion USD in 19 of the 21 economic sectors and 59 of the 63 localities nationwide. Vietnam is also the RoKs biggest economic partner in ASEAN, with 30% of the RoK investment in the bloc channelled into Vietnam.

Besides, the Northeast Asian country is the third largest trade partner of Vietnam, following China and the US. Bilateral trade is equivalent to 50% of the RoKs total trade with ASEAN, the PM noted.

The RoK is a leading partner of Vietnam in most areas while Vietnam plays an important role in ASEAN and East Asia, he stressed, adding that investing in Vietnam also means accessing the ASEAN market with a combined population of over 600 million. The two sides are working to ratify the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and striving for 100 billion USD in bilateral trade by 2023 and 150 billion USD by 2030.

The Party and State of Vietnam always create the best possible conditions for Korean enterprises, as well as those from around the world, to make long-term investment in the spirit of equality, common development, mutual benefit and social responsibility, he affirmed.

PM Chinh said Vietnam hopes to welcome more cooperation and investment projects from the RoK in the areas related to high technology, innovation, research and development such as digital technology, electronics, renewable energy and infrastructure development.

He voiced his hope that Korean businesses will strengthen connectivity with and help Vietnamese firms take part in supply chains to help Vietnam soon become a hub in regional and global value chains.

Regarding trade, he asked for increasing policy dialogue under the Vietnam - Korea Free Trade Agreement (VKFTA), resolving trade imbalance, and creating conditions for Vietnams strong exports like agricultural and fishery products to enter the Korean market.

In terms of industrial development, the PM said a priority of Vietnam is to develop industries with high technological content, especially key technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while attracting investment into the manufacturing sector so as to make a breakthrough in forming new production capacity linked with science - technology, innovation, and digital transformation, which are also the fields the RoK is strong at.

He also recommended stronger cooperation in energy development, noting that Vietnam is encouraging the development of clean and renewable energy to realise the commitments made at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

At the dialogue, the RoK Ambassador and the Korean business community in Vietnam presented 33 proposals to Vietnam's ministries, sectors, agencies and localities.

The proposals are related to tax incentives, power planning and electricity market, incentives for investment in renewable energy, pandemic response, procedures in various business and labour matters, along with difficulties in the implementation of certain projects.
Vietnam wants to become a front-runner in smart city development, Photo: Shutterstock

According to statistics from HSBC Group, by 2080, 10 billion people will live in roughly 10,000 cities. Disparities in income often create cities that are less equal, and so the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2022, set for July 31-August 3, is deemed an ideal platform for Vietnam to showcase its vision and learn innovative lessons from Singapore and other countries.

Jointly organised by Singapores Centre for Liveable Cities and the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the biennial WCS returns to an in-person conference this year after a largely virtual summit in 2021.

WCS 2021 comprised a hybrid event and webinars and convened over 4,700 delegates from 566 cities. Over 1,100 senior level delegates attended the event, from the public and private sector, international and nongovernmental organisations, and the media. Nearly 40 per cent of its audience were overseas delegates.

Since its inauguration in 2008, WCS has been attended by hundreds of mayors and city leaders and supported by leaders from governments, businesses, international organisations, and academia.

WCS 2022 will be held in conjunction with its key partner, the Asia Infrastructure Forum. Themed Livable and Sustainable Cities: Emerging Stronger, this eighth edition of the summit will also see the inaugural in-person WCS Smart Cities Workshop, following the success of the virtual edition in 2021. WCS sessions, networking, physically co-located events, and partner events will also take place at the summit.

Through plenaries at the main conference, delegates will engage with the theme of how cities can emerge stronger from contemporary disruptions across five tracks: sustainable financing, smart cities, development and planning, urban resilience, and liveable future cities.

WCS 2022 is slated to take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. The expo provides the platform for cities, corporates, and others to profile themselves on a global stage through physical booths and pavilions on the expo floor.

Thus, Vietnamese industry leaders and policymakers can have a chance to learn best practices to address liveable and sustainable city challenges, thereby contributing to smart city implementation in Vietnam.

According to Do Thanh Huyen, Vietnam national policy analyst on Governance and Participation at the UN Development Programme, the country has been making significant progress, adopting smart city initiatives in 41 of its cities and provinces, and contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Vietnams major cities should strive to become not only smart but also sustainable in order to meet the increasing demands for socioeconomic development and pressures as a result of population growth, Huyen said.

The challenge facing these cities is how to apply appropriate technological and non-technological solutions to accommodate all present and future needs  from all economic, social and environmental fronts  of their diverse urban populations, Huyen added.

WCS 2022 has added a new section to the Smart Cities expo to present the latest advancements in various fields, including cybersecurity, energy, and health to smart buildings, transportation, and waste management. By participating in the expo, Vietnam can be exposed to more innovative technologies to speed up its smart city progress.

Meanwhile, the City Innovators Stage is a platform for sponsors, exhibitors, and startups to pitch the latest technologies and solutions to governments, industry leaders, urban solution experts, as well as trade investors.

The Industry Networking Night will also present an opportunity to unwind and meet fellow delegates and exhibitors over drinks and food. The event is suitable for visitors to forge meaningful partnerships and connect with the industry in a relaxed setting.
New voting machines in McLennan County may take voters back to the future, as they will feature paper ballots that voters will mark by hand.

We think voters are really going to like it. Were getting rid of the electronic element, making it easier for voters to learn, county Elections Administrator Jared Goldsmith said. We also think this would be better logistically for the county, and should prove easier for poll workers to implement.

With the new system, a ballot would be printed when a voter checks in. Then, the voter would fill out the ballot and submit it at the polling place.

Price is not a deciding factor, but the machines McLennan County commissioners are considering will save the county hundreds of thousands of dollars compared to other options, Goldsmith said. They will cost $1.5 million to $2 million, while Goldsmith said machines sampled last year would have been closer to $3 million.

McLennan County Judge Scott Felton said the county several years has weighed buying new voting machines. He said commissioners believe the time is right to strike a deal, that money is available in the capital improvement fund, and choosing a provider before the new fiscal year begins Oct. 1 is doable. He said he has received positive feedback since a demonstration the countys election office hosted Wednesday, attended by election staffers and Republican and Democratic party representatives.

He referred to machines being considered as dual control, in that they provide a paper ballot but also supply an electronic footprint.

When we had paper ballots, we heard complaints from people who said we needed electronic ballots. We went to electronic, and people say we need paper, Felton said. Now we will give them both.

New machines will not be available during the November midterm elections, but Goldsmith said he hopes to unveil them in May.

Commissioner Pat Miller released a statement, saying she would prefer that commissioners take more public comment before choosing a machine.

Miller said she attended the demonstrations hosted by the elections office and saw that both systems tested meet state requirements that all processes produce an auditable paper trail for all elections after Aug. 31, 2026.

But she also said in her email that commissioners should solicit input from others attending the preview, and hear an analysis from Goldsmith.

She said via email the county should not rush into spending $2 million to $3 million without weighing all factors, including results of a state-sponsored program evaluating vote-counting machines during November midterms.

McLennan County Democratic Party Chair Mark Hays said he did not attend the demonstration, but heard from someone who did.

Its primarily a paper ballot system, with a reader in the polling place, Hays said. It sounds like a good system. I have no objections to what was described to me. It sounds like it could work very well.

Hays said he has questions about the process at what he called the central counting station, which produces the ultimate tally of votes cast. He said the system now in place occasionally confuses him, and he has been an election judge.

Longtime former Democratic Party Chair Mary Duty said the sanctity of the ballot goes back to the little men and women sitting in those chairs at the polling place. Machines are only as good as the people who program them.

County Republican Chair Brad Holland could not be reached Friday.

Finalists to provide the machines are Austin-based Hart InterCivic, whose machines the county now uses, and Omaha, Nebraska-based Election Systems and Software. Both offer hybrid voting machines and have been certified by state and federal authorities, Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith said paper ballots should provide a greater level of confidence.

These are hand-marked ballots. The voter checks in, and a ballot is printed right there in front of them, Goldsmith said. If ever there is a recount needed, the hand-marked ballots are there at the ready.

Goldsmith said the new voting machines should hasten the process, and allow more voters to cast ballots at a polling place at any given time.

We will set up more privacy booths, not electronic booths, he said.
In October of last year, Josh Mandel, a candidate in Ohios Republican primary for the states open U.S. Senate seat, insisted during a debate that theres no such thing as separation of church and state. Three months later, Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch made an off-hand reference to the so-called separation of  church and state during oral arguments.

In April, Pennsylvania gubernatorial primary candidate Doug Mastriano, now the Republican nominee, dismissed the separation of church and state as a myth.

By June, Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, speaking at a Colorado church, proclaimed, Im tired of the separation of church and state junk thats not in the Constitution. It was in a stinking letter, and it means nothing like what they say it does.

The growing popularity of these kinds of declarations is striking given the place the separation of church and state has occupied in American politics going back to the Founding Fathers. Though the phrase separation of church and state does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, the notion is deeply rooted in American jurisprudence and popular culture.

More immediately, the rhetoric has alarmed some Americans who associate the constitutional debate over the church-state split with extreme versions of Christian nationalism.

Yet, antipathy toward the separation of church and state among conservatives is not new but, rather, is a decades-old argument popularized primarily by a controversial Texas activist in the early 90s, when the religious right was ascendant.

In 1993, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., founder of Liberty University and co-founder of the Moral Majority, promoted a book called The Myth of Separation by a Texan named David Barton. According to a Christian Century report, less than a month later on Falwells television show, The Old Time Gospel Hour, he preached a strident sermon in which he said, Let everyone know that this separation of church and state business is bogus.

In 1988, Barton, a self-taught historian and activist, had founded WallBuilders, a group dedicated to presenting Americas forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on the moral, religious, and constitutional foundation on which America was built.

The organization has dutifully forwarded Bartons Christian vision of American history ever since, serving as a one-stop shop for his books, videos and materials. It has consistently taught that the separation of church and state is a modern fabrication.

While Barton was not necessarily the first to make the claim, Kristin Kobes Du Mez, a historian and professor of history at Calvin University, said Barton is extremely influential in evangelical spaces, and has been for decades.

Barton did not respond to a request for an interview, but his argument has been articulated in presentations and books over the years. He focuses on an 1802 letter penned by then-President Thomas Jefferson to the Baptist Association of Danbury, Connecticut, in which Jefferson assures the Baptists that the establishment clause in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution builds a wall of separation between Church and State, when it declares Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

Micah Schwartzman, a professor at University of Virginia School of Law, said Jeffersons wall metaphor was widely viewed among many in the founding generation to capture the sense that the ends of the state were not the same as the ends of the church.

What the state wasnt for was saving souls, Schwartzman said. There was a deep separation between the legitimate purposes or ends of the state as compared to religious institutions  the church.

The letter later appeared in the 1947 Supreme Court case Everson v. Board of Education, when justices held that the U.S. Constitutions establishment clause applies to states.

The First Amendment has erected a wall between church and state, the court declared in its ruling. That wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.

The courts interpretation has been the prevailing view among prominent legal scholars and the general public ever since. According to an October 2021 Pew Research survey, 55% of Americans are church-state separationists, with an additional 18% exhibiting mixed views on the subject.

But Barton and WallBuilders argue that Jefferson and the Founders, outside of some exceptions, meant for the wall of protection to operate in one direction. It also, the group and its founder suggested, applies mostly to the federal government, not the states.

Separation of church and state currently means almost exactly the opposite of what it originally meant, says the Wallbuilders website.

Its a notion shared by many of Bartons fellow conservative Christians. Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants were the least likely to back church-state separation (26%) in Pews survey and the most likely to support integrating church and state (36%).

Even so, Bartons critics are legion. The same year Falwell preached his anti-separationist sermon, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State penned their first rebuttal to Barton, refuting his arguments point for point.

David Barton is the source of a lot of Christian nationalist disinformation, said Andrew Seidel, a current vice president of Americans United.

Barton has also been derided as a fake historian, and one of his books, The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths Youve Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson, was so widely criticized by scholars that its Christian publisher halted its publication in 2012 because the basic truths just were not there.

Yet, Barton has remained a force in conservative thinking. George W. Bushs campaign hired him to work on clergy outreach in 2004. After Barack Obama became president, Barton advised Republican power players such as Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and former congresswoman Michele Bachmann. In 2016, Bartons PAC backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruzs presidential bid before eventually throwing his support behind Trump.

Barton, now in his late 60s, has cropped up in Christian nationalist contexts since Trumps election. During Trumps tenure, one of his most stalwart faith advisers, Texas pastor Robert Jeffress, delivered a sermon for his churchs July 4-themed Freedom Sunday titled America is a Christian nation that rejected the separation of church and state.

When the church celebrated Freedom Sunday again three years later, Jeffress didnt even bother delivering a sermon: He let David Barton take the pulpit instead.

As I thought today about who we could have to declare that historical reality that this nation was founded as a Christian nation, I couldnt think of anyone better than our guest preacher today, David Barton, Jeffress said as he introduced Barton, whom he also lauded as a patriot and a prophet of God.

Mastriano has also expressed an affinity for Bartons work. The Pennsylvanian cited Barton repeatedly in his 2001 masters thesis, written at the Air Forces Air Command and Staff College. The paper, which warned of a theoretical left-wing Hitlerian Putsch in 2018, cited Barton in a section that made derisive references to the so-called wall of separation.

Boebert, for her part, is slated to appear at the same Truth & Liberty Coalition Conference as Barton in September. Less than two weeks before the congresswomans remarks about the separation of church and state went viral, the same Colorado church where she spoke had partnered with the Truth & Liberty Coalition to host a talk by Barton.

Meanwhile, ideas similar to those of Barton and his allies have found traction in powerful circles. In 2019, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in an opinion arguing the Establishment Clause does not prohibit States from favoring religion. Gorsuch joined the opinion, and there is evidence Justice Amy Coney Barrett may be open to their views.

Schwartzman said that while conservative justices generally reject reading the Establishment Clause along the lines of Jeffersons interpretation, he would be surprised if all five conservative justices agreed states should be allowed to establish religion.

Seidel isnt so sure. This Supreme Court is on the verge of declaring America a Christian nation, he said. One or two more opinions, and I would be unsurprised to see something like that written down.

Seidel vowed to combat Christian nationalism going forward, but Du Mez pointed to the difficulty of fact-checking writers whose conservative Christian audiences often reflexively reject secular scholarship  or even conservative Christian scholarship that challenges popular ideas.

Scholars have been refuting these arguments, whether its David Bartons or other popular pseudo-histories, for decades now, she said. That does very little to refute the power of their narratives inside these communities, because part of the narrative is, If youre not with us, youre against us.

Your pastor is recommending this book. The Christian radio program that you listen to is promoting it. These are all your trusted sources.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday.

In a sharp reversal of previous policy, Blinken also said he expects to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The statement marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and testified Wednesday at her trial.

Blinken did not offer details on the proposed deal, which was offered weeks ago, though it is unclear if it will be enough for Russia to release the Americans. But the public acknowledgment of the offer at a time when the U.S. has otherwise shunned Russia, reflects the mounting pressure on the administration over Griner and Whelan and its determination to get them home.

Blinken said Washington would like a response from Moscow. Russia has for years expressed interest in the release of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer once labeled the Merchant of Death who was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012 on charges that he schemed to illegally sell millions of dollars in weapons.

Blinken said he had requested a call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. U.S. officials said the the desire for an answer on the prisoner offer was the primary, but not only, reason that the U.S. on Wednesday requested the call with Lavrov.

Should the call take place, it would be the first conversation that Blinken and Lavrov have held since Feb. 15, about a week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Blinken said he would also be speaking to Lavrov about the importance of Russia complying with a UN-brokered deal to free multiple tons of Ukrainian grain from storage and warning him about the dangers of possible Russian attempts to annex portions of eastern and southern Ukraine.

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. He and his family have vigorously asserted his innocence. The U.S. government has denounced the charges as false. He and his family have vigorously asserted his innocence. The U.S. government has denounced the charges as false.

Griner, in Russian custody for the last month, acknowledged in court this month that she had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage when she arrived in Moscow in February but contends she had no criminal intent and packed the cartridges inadvertently.

At her trial Wednesday, Griner said she did not know how the cannabis oil ended up in her bag but explained she had a doctors recommendation for it and had packed in haste. She said she was pulled aside at the airport after inspectors found the cartridges, but that a language interpreter translated only a fraction of what was said during her questioning and that officials instructed her to sign documents without providing an explanation.

Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of transporting drugs.

The U.S. government has long resisted prisoner swaps out of concern that it could encourage additional hostage-taking and promote false equivalency between a wrongfully detained American and a foreign national regarded as justly convicted. But an earlier deal in April, in which Marine veteran Trevor Reed was traded for jailed Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, appeared to open the door to similar resolutions in the future and the Biden administration has been hounded with political pressure to bring home Griner and other Americans designated as unjustly detained.

There was no indication that Blinken and Lavrov had communicated to secure Reeds release. Their last publicly recognized contact was Feb. 22, when Blinken wrote to Lavrov to cancel a meeting they had planned as a last-ditch effort to avert the Russian invasion, saying Moscow had shown no interest in serious diplomacy on the matter. The State Department said later that Russias diplomacy was Kabuki Theater  all show and no substance.

The two last met in person in Geneva in January to discuss what was then Russias massive military build-up along Ukraines border and Russian demands for NATO to reduce its presence in eastern Europe and permanently deny Ukraine membership. The U.S. rejected the Russian demands.

Blinken and Lavrov avoided each other earlier this month at the next time they were in the same place at the same time: at a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Bali, Indonesia.
WATERLOO  Its still up in the air whether Waterloo and Cedar Falls will vie for funding from an initial pool of $100 million of COVID-19 federal relief dollars to help finance transformational attractions and improvements along and nearby the Cedar River.

Officials with the two cities reportedly were dreaming big when it came time earlier this year to consider a potentially lucrative opportunity, a Destination Iowa joint application. They had been working with Isaiah Corbin, community planner with the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments, and Cary Darrah, CEO and president of Grow Cedar Valley.

However, the ball is apparently in Waterloos court at this point in time.

Most recently, Darrah framed it in an email Monday as were kind of on hold until Waterloo makes a decision on the application. She didnt include any specifics about the decision needed.

Any formal grant application would come before the respective city councils before submission.

The city of Waterloo is working through potential funding options and projects to work together with the city of Cedar Falls for a Destination Iowa project, wrote Noel Anderson, community planning and development director, in an email Wednesday. The goal is to have the project(s) all be based upon the Cedar River connection (downtown to downtown type mentality) we all share in the community. Hopefully we can work through some of the details in the next few days to see what is possible.

Anderson couldnt be reached for further comment.

The application could bring in millions of dollars in support of these Cedar Valley public projects. The focus is a new whitewater course in Waterloo, Corbin said a few weeks ago when reached by telephone.

That Waterloo Whitewater Park came with a preliminary price tag of $9.5 million back in May. A previous proposal had the nearly one-mile river course spanning from Park Avenue to Sixth Street.

The Destination Iowa program is administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and has been on the radar of city officials since at least April.

As of Tuesday, Kanan Kappelman, an IEDA spokesperson, said that 81 Destination Iowa applications were submitted, totaling $188.7 million in requested funding.

They ranged from trail development to water recreation and sporting facilities, she said.

Cedar Falls officials previously confirmed they have not been heavily involved in the application.

And Corbin said the city has more of a minor role in the process, especially after last month receiving a $1.5 million IEDA grant for recreational river improvements, from the Main Street Bridge to the downstream side of the West First Street Bridge, that play into the larger vision local officials have for the Cedar River.

The vision is much bigger than what can be accomplished with the grant and has been discussed for years prior to the announcement of this latest grant opportunity.

Previously under consideration as potentially part of the application package were a number of anchor projects: the whitewater park (Waterloo), Fourth Street Bridge lighting and towers (Waterloo), hard court indoor tournament center (Waterloo), River Road Parkway (Waterloo), multi-modal parking ramp (Cedar Falls) and Center Street and Main Street Bridge lighting (Cedar Falls).

Future Cedar Falls 'Rotary Plaza' will honor COVID-19 pandemic's essential workers The club is finalizing the design for a new monument between the Little Red Schoolhouse and Behrens-Rapp Filling Station on West First Street.

Back in May, when Grow Cedar Valley and INRCOG officials came before Cedar Falls City Council to explain more about the Destination Iowa program, Danny Laudick, GCV senior program director of economic development, told The Courier that its application could be in the $30 to $50 million range, although 60% of that would be matched by local sources.

Its a possibility that it could or couldnt happen, Corbin said a few weeks ago.

Kappelman, the IEDA spokesperson, said funding submissions are being reviewed continuously on a rolling basis, which gives those working on financing or other elements time to assemble a robust application that meets all eligibility requirements.

Projects will be announced gradually until Dec. 31 or until funds are exhausted, she said.

We welcome eligible project applications to be submitted as soon as they are ready. We are looking to fund transformational attractions and projects, so heightened chances are based on complete and compelling applications, Kappelman said.

Evansdale police chief voices concerns over hiring, staffing issues for his department If 'we lose one more officer, which is very likely,' Police Chief Mike Dean said Evansdale will not be capable of operating a 24/7 department.

To date, the IEDA has announced two rounds of awarded projects, the first in June totaling $16.5 million, and the second in July totaling $4.65 million.

The most recent included $3.5 million to help pave 16 miles along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and other projects like bridge replacements.
Train No. X9015, a China-Europe freight train, leaves for Kazakhstan from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2022. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Aerial photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)

Aerial photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)

Train No. X9015, a China-Europe freight train, gets ready to leave for Kazakhstan from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2022. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

A truck transports containers at Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2022. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)

Trucks transport containers at Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2022. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Train No. X9015, a China-Europe freight train, leaves for Kazakhstan from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 29, 2022. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Aerial photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows Train No. X9015, a China-Europe freight train, leaving for Kazakhstan from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)

Aerial photo taken on July 29, 2022 shows Train No. X9015, a China-Europe freight train, leaving for Kazakhstan from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. At present, Xi'an has 16 main freight train routes to Europe, passing through 45 countries and regions along the Belt and Road.

In the first half of 2022, Xi'an launched a total of 1791 freight trains to Europe. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)
WAVERLY  Iowa State University Extension and Outreach-Bremer County is offering a workshop designed to answer questions that landowners and tenants have about farmland leasing and land management issues. It will be held 1-4 p.m. Wednesday at the Waverly Civic Center, 200 First St N.E.

Melissa ORourke, ISU Extension Farm & Agribusiness Management Specialist will present a wide range of topics related to farmland leasing and management. She is a licensed attorney with extensive experience in working with farm, ranch and agribusiness interests.

More than half of Iowa farmland is rented. In some Iowa locations, as much as 70% of the land is farmed by farmers who dont own the land.

Workshop attendees will receive a comprehensive workbook packed with information about land values, leasing and different types of farm lease arrangements. A registration fee of $20 per person is charged to cover costs and includes a 100-page workbook. Pre-registration is preferred by calling the Bremer County Extension office at (319) 882-4275. Walk-ins may attend for a $25 fee at the door.

More information about this and other farmland leasing meetings in Iowa can be found at ISU Extensions Ag Decision Maker website: extension.iastate.edu/agdm.
WASHINGTON (AP)  A Russian operative under the supervision of one of the Kremlin's main intelligence services has been charged with recruiting political groups in the United States to advance pro-Russia propaganda, including during the invasion of Ukraine, the Justice Department said Friday.

The indictment of Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov reflects what U.S. officials say are ongoing Russian government efforts to meddle in the American political process, to shape public opinion and to sow discord and dissent on hot-button social issues.

In this case, the authorities say, Ionov for roughly the last decade recruited political groups in Florida, Georgia and California and directed them to spread pro-Russia talking points. He also paid for group members to attend government-funded conferences in Russia, as well as a protest in the U.S. against social media efforts to suppress online support for Moscow's Ukraine invasion, the indictment says.

As court documents show, Ionov allegedly orchestrated a brazen influence campaign, turning U.S. political groups and U.S. citizens into instruments of the Russian government, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, the head of the Justice Departments national security division, said in a statement.

Ionov worked under the supervision of the Russias Federal Security Service, or FSB  which conducts domestic intelligence and counterintelligence activities  and reported his activities back to contacts in the agency, prosecutors say. He is the founder and president of the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia, a Moscow-based group that prosecutors say is funded by the Russian government and that advocates for a fully sovereign Russia.

The indictment, in federal court in Tampa, charges him with conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Ionov is not currently in custody and appears unlikely to ever stand trial in the U.S., but the indictment is nonetheless intended to warn Americans about the reach of foreign influence operations and to send a signal to Russia that the U.S. government is aware of its actions.

Separately on Friday, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Ionov, accusing him of efforts to manipulate and destabilize the United States and its allies and partners.

The indictment does not identify by name any of the organizations Ionov recruited, but it does describe one of them as a St. Petersburg, Florida group whose leaders were aware that Ionov and his group were agents of a foreign government.

Prosecutors say Ionov in 2015 directed the group to write a petition alleging that the U.S. had committed genocide against African people in America, and to send it to the United Nations, the White House and to change.org.

The document, titled Petition to the United Nations on the Crime of Genocide against African People in the United States," notes Americas history of slavery and denial of civil rights for Black people. It argues the U.S. government still fails to protect our health and well-being as expected under full citizenship and inflicts state or state-supported violence and terror on us.

The petition, which is still available online, is labeled as being from the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, a Black international socialist organization. Representatives from the group said the FBI raided their center in St. Petersburg on Friday.

Akile Anai, who describes herself as director of agitation and propaganda for the African Peoples Socialist Party, said agents searched her car and took her cellphone and laptop computer on Friday in addition to raiding the Uhuru House.

Anai said her organization had never received money from Ionov or any other members of the Russian intelligence service.

Members of the Uhuru movement first met Ionov in Russia when they were invited to an anti-globalization conference, and Anai said she also had been in contact with Ionov via email and also a webinar after Russia invaded Ukraine since we were getting one side of the story on Russian and Ukraine.

Officials alleged Friday that Ionov sought to inject himself into local politics in by supporting members of the group for office. In 2017, the group put forth candidates for mayor and city council, and again in 2019 for a city council race. The candidates lost. Any money the campaigns received outside the U.S. was returned, Anai said.

Their premise is these were Russian campaigns. Its a really insulting statement, Anai said. It was the Black community that ran the campaigns in our own interests. Its an insulting notion that Black people cant do anything for ourselves.

Prosecutors say Ionov also exercised control of a separate organization in California that promoted secession by the state from the rest of the U.S, and helped fund a 2018 demonstration at the state capitol building. According to the indictment, he sent news coverage about the California secession movement to one of his FSB contacts and said that the officer had asked for turmoil and there you go.

More recently, prosecutors say, Ionov paid for the travel of members of an unnamed Georgia group to fly from Atlanta to San Francisco to join a protest outside a social media company in California that had placed content restrictions on posts supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The case is part of a much broader Justice Department crackdown on foreign influence operations aimed at shaping public opinion in the U.S. In 2018, for instance, the Justice Department charged 13 Russian nationals with participating in a huge but hidden social media campaign designed to sow discord during the 2016 presidential election won by Republican Donald Trump.

Russian government officials, and state-run media, often highlight anti-government protests in the U.S. and other Western countries, prominently commenting on political and social discord, racial riots, labor demonstrations, and mass shootings. The officials contrast the happenings in the U.S. with what they claim is the lack of such unrest in Russia.

FBI Special Agent in Charge David Walker in Tampa called the latest Russian efforts some of the most egregious and blatant violations weve seen.

The Russian intelligence threat is continuous and unrelenting, Walker said. Todays actions should serve as a deterrent.

Schneider reported from Orlando. Nomaan Merchant in Washington contributed to this report.
DES MOINES  Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is suing tobacco companies over $133 million in withheld payments stemming from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement, he announced in a press conference Thursday.

The lawsuit, filed in the Polk County District Court, alleges that major tobacco companies, including Philip Morris, R.J. Reynolds and several others withheld millions of dollars in bad faith under the provisions of the settlement.

We have fought, and won, these legal battles for years, and there is no end to these disputes in sight, Miller, a Democrat, said in a news release. We now must escalate the matter and force the tobacco companies to pay what they owe the state of Iowa.

The Master Settlement Agreement, entered between major tobacco companies and the attorneys general of 46 states in 1998, required the companies to pay millions of dollars every year to the participating states, as well as curtail advertising campaigns. The states, in return, agreed not to sue for further health damages.

Iowa has received $1.41 billion over the last 24 years, but Miller said the companies have withheld portions of the money for years over what he characterized as false claims.

According to the lawsuit, the tobacco companies have disputed Iowas enforcement of provisions of the 1998 settlement every year since 2003, withholding money and forcing the state into multiple yearslong arbitration processes to recover the money.

This is a calculated strategy to permanently and fraudulently decrease or avoid part of Defendants payment obligations under the MSA, the lawsuit says.

The provision at issue is a requirement for companies that didnt participate in the settlement  known as non-participating manufacturers  to pay money into escrow in case they get sued, Miller said. Participating companies can withhold portions of payments to states claiming that the state did not diligently enforce this provision, which is the reason the companies are withholding funds from Iowa.

The state won arbitration and collected withheld payments from 2003 in 2014, and won arbitration over withheld payments from 2004 in 2021, but that money hasnt been paid.

In 2021, the arbitration panel ruled that Iowa had diligently enforced its laws on non-participating tobacco companies.

Eighteen years later, we still havent been paid what we had coming, Miller said.

The state is currently in arbitration for the years 2005 through 2007, Miller said in the release.

In response to previous arbitration included in the lawsuit, Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds contended that the growth of non-participating manufacturers, their market share, and the price of their products were evidence Iowa was not enforcing the terms of the settlement.

The lawsuit states that those factors unquestionably do not apply to Iowa, and Iowa winning two previous arbitrations proves that was not true.

The lawsuit is seeking to recover punitive damages for up to three times the actual damages under Iowas False Claims Act, as well as attorneys fees and other costs, according to the release.

The plan to sue the companies follows a similar lawsuit the state of Montana filed in 2020. In the Montana suit, the state claimed the companies withheld $43 million in payments since 2006.

Former Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, who filed the states lawsuit and left office in 2021, has joined the legal team as outside counsel for Iowas lawsuit.

Altria Group, the parent company of Philip Morris, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is in the USA ballpark, and what the USA does after the legitimate Chinese warnings?

China does not bluff. They will not harm physically Pelosi, but if the USA does this ignorant move? China will fully understand that the USA can not longer stay as it is and must be dismantled. At all cost to help the world be a better place

Dont say we didnt warn you  Symposium of Chinas top think tank sends classic, pre-war warning to provocative Pelosi https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1271745.shtml On Thursday night, Chinese President Xi Jinping held a phone conversation with US President Joe Biden, during which he once again warned the US about the seriousness and significance of the Taiwan question and said, Public opinion cannot be defied. Those who play with fire will perish by it. It is hoped that the US will be clear-eyed about this.

You heard me say that about Russia also

America go home and clean up your own yard

WtR

PS: Again, Russia does not bluff and now you understand that China does not either
Weather Alert

...Thunderstorm Chances Through Thursday... * Monsoon moisture will bring thunderstorms to the region this week, with the best chances extending through Thursday before diminishing into the weekend. * A few light showers are occurring early this morning, with thunderstorms developing again this afternoon. Most areas will see a 25-50% chance of storms in the afternoon and early evening hours today and Thursday. Nocturnal showers and thunderstorms are expected tonight as well. * Impacts will range from lightning, new fire starts, and strong outflow winds with blowing dust, to periods of heavy rainfall and flash flooding. * Ensure you have a way of receiving weather alerts. If you live in a flash flood prone area, especially near a burn scar, be ready to act quickly if heavy rainfall occurs.
BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Eight projects with an expected investment of 2 billion yuan (about 297 million U.S. dollars) have been signed at the 2022 Beijing China-Germany Forum for Industrial Cooperation and Development.

The eight projects, with an annual industrial output value of about 11.5 billion yuan, were signed between the Sino-German Industrial Park and German companies, according to the park's administrative committee.

"China's carbon emission peak and carbon neutrality goals provide great opportunities for us," said Rafael Suchan, CEO of VASTALTA Circular Technology, one of the contracting companies, adding the company is cooperating with the park to develop a circular economy pilot zone.

The Sino-German Industrial Park, a national-level cooperation project between the two countries, opened in December 2021. More than 80 German enterprises, including Mercedes-Benz and BMW, have set up branches at the park. 
As fall cools summers blaze, Albuquerque residents can expect a crop of artistic billboards.

Mural and billboard artist Jodie Herrera is curating a public art exhibition slated for Oct. 24. The Albuquerque artist is launching an open call for submissions reflecting the theme Soul of a Nation.

The exhibit will explore social justice issues centering on Black, Indigenous and womxn of color, transgender and non-binary people and the fight for equity, justice and liberation. Topics may include reproductive justice, LGBTQIA+ issues, the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous womxn, representation, the Equal Rights Amendment, womxns empowerment and more.

If your art speaks to that, it could be anything, the Albuquerque artist said.

Herrera developed the idea after attending Miamis Art Basel, a leading global platform connecting collectors, galleries and artists. She met Travis Rix, co-founder of the nonprofit SaveArtSpace. The organization seeks to transform advertising space into public art by the local community. SaveArtSpace is sponsoring Soul of a Nation.

He had been following my artwork for a few years, Herrera said. He enjoyed the message and the intention behind my work.

Herrera boasts murals across Albuquerque, as well as billboards here and in New York and Santa Fe.

I feel that murals are probably one of the most accessible forms of art, she said. They belong to everybody and they are inclusive.

Artists must submit their work for the Albuquerque billboard competition by Sept. 6. There is a $10 donation per image submission to participate. Each donation is tax-deductible and supports the cost of the public art. Herrera encouraged each artist to submit up to 10 images. The chosen artists will be announced on Sept. 26, with installation following the week of Oct. 24.

Its an open call submission for all ages, she said. It doesnt matter where you are in your art career.

Herrera hopes to raise enough funds to produce from five to six billboards.

To submit artwork, visit form.jotform.com/saveartspace/soul-of-a-nation-upload-form.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

As New Mexico endures crippling drought and wildfires, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill package that would compensate Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire victims, reform Rio Grande management, create a federal water database and increase wildland firefighter pay.

Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez said the Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act that cleared the House on Friday brings both hope and solutions.

The New Mexico Democrat represents northern New Mexico, which is experiencing burn scar flooding after the largest wildfire in state history.

If we dont act on climate change and on improving our forests, we are going to be spending so much more of taxpayers money without anything beautiful to show for it, she said. Right now, all we have is burned trees.

The government would create at least one prescribed burn training center in the western U.S. if the package passes.

No community should be consumed by fires that our own government starts, Leger Fernandez said.

The legislation includes a bill to create a Rio Grande Basin water management plan.

The bill is timely as the river dries in New Mexicos largest city, said Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M.

We have really good leaders in water with our State Engineer and federal managers, Stansbury told the Journal. Still, we know that some of the biggest schisms were having are in lawsuits over the compact. This would prompt everyone to look at the best science, and invest in conservation and restoration, and improvement projects.

Stansbury also led bills to create a federal water database, fund pueblo irrigation infrastructure and waive some cost-sharing requirements for community water project grants.

Rep. Yvette Herrell cosponsored several water bills in the legislation.

But the New Mexico Republican differed with the states other representatives by opposing the wildfire bills.

Herrell said the bills would add new red tape and unnecessary wilderness areas.

The most immediate way to protect Americans who are threatened by potential catastrophic wildfires is to prevent these fires from happening in the first place, she said, And the only way to do this is to actively manage our forests.

The House passed the package 218-199. It will now head to the Senate.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Michelle Martens used to call Victoria her miracle child.

I delivered her by myself at home  I just went into labor with her at my house and they took me to the hospital afterwards with her, Martens testified on Friday. Basically I wasnt having no doctor visits, I didnt have no prenatal care but she was healthy.

Its been almost six years since 10-year-old Victoria Martens was strangled and then dismembered and set on fire in the bathtub of her mothers apartment. It was a gruesome crime that shocked the city.

Then prosecutors revealed, two years later, that much of the prevailing narrative  that Martens had watched as her then boyfriend, Fabian Gonzales and his cousin Jessica Kelley, raped and killed her only daughter  was simply not true. Instead, prosecutors say, Gonzales and Martens were out of the home when Victoria was killed and Kelley had let an unknown man in, who killed the girl.

Martens, 41, was the last person called to testify by Gonzales defense team. It was the final day of testimony in the weeks long trial before Judge Cindy Leos in 2nd Judicial District Court.

Gonzales, 37, is charged with reckless abuse of a child resulting in death, conspiracy to tamper with evidence and several other counts of tampering with evidence. He appeared virtually on Friday, from his couch at home, after testing positive for COVID-19.

Both Martens and Kelley have already taken plea deals. Martens pleaded guilty in 2018 to reckless child abuse resulting in death and faces between 12 and 15 years in prison. In 2019 Kelley, now 37, pleaded no contest to six felony charges including reckless child abuse resulting in death, aggravated assault and other charges. She was sentenced to 44 years in prison, although she will be eligible for parole in half the time. She testified as a witness for the prosecution early in the trial.

The jury is scheduled to begin its deliberations on Monday.

Eager to please

Over the years and during the course of the trial, investigators, a psychiatrist and even her own attorney have described Martens as eager to please and as agreeing to any statement brought before her.

That was evident in court on Friday as she frequently appeared to agree to contradictory statements  saying she was vigilant about her daughter after a bad experience with an ex-boyfriend but also that she allowed Gonzales  who she had known for about a week, and who didnt have a job and smoked marijuana  to move in with her.

Martens said Kelley, who had been out of prison for three days when she moved into Martenss home, seemed nice and although she at first was not OK with her staying with them she decided it was fine if she stayed for just a week. But, she said, Kelleys arrival shifted something between her and Gonzales, and he was more distant afterwards.

Prosecutors have made the case that Gonzales was a trigger for Kelleys addiction, and the two were going all over town together, talking frequently on the phone and smoking methamphetamine together.

They say that a fight Gonzales got into with a pregnant woman at a barbecue left him with a black eye and was also the spark that led to Victorias death. Prosecutors said that Gonzales was making threats, invoking his gang member brothers, and in return an unknown man went to Martens Northwest Albuquerque apartment and killed her daughter. The unknown man then ordered Kelley to clean up the crime scene, prosecutors said.

With occasional deep sighs and wiping away tears, Martens described the days leading up to her daughters death as tumultuous, with disagreements with Gonzales and fear of him after the night of the party. She said he was very angry  although not at her  and she was afraid he would hit her.

Do you think when you look back at this incident, that things like your fear that night may be even bigger because of the unspeakable things that happened to your child? Gonzaless attorney Hugh Dangler asked.

Yes, Martens replied.

The day of the homicide  Aug. 23, 2016  was also Victorias birthday and Martens and Gonzales were in and out of the apartment for most of the day. At one point Martens texted Kelley asking her to get Victoria from the bus stop after school and then, when she didnt hear from her, asked her mother to get the girl instead.

Then, still not hearing from Kelley, Martens told her mother nevermind, reportedly because she didnt want her to go to the home and see Kelley. Instead, Victoria walked around the apartment complex parking lot by herself until she was found by a neighbor who texted Martens.

Martens agreed with the prosecutor that her boyfriend was not in a hurry to leave his uncles house  where she was waiting in the car outside for him  but also agreed with Gonzales attorney that he drove home too fast, and like a crazy man. She said they had both been drinking.

When she got home her daughter was doing homework on the balcony, and when she confronted Kelley about it she blew me off.

Was that another red flag? Dangler asked.

Yes, Martens replied.

But yes, she agreed, she decided to leave with Gonzales again, leaving her daughter with Kelley.

Did Fabian ever make decisions about Victoria? Dangler asked.

He made them when he talked me into leaving her with her, Martens replied.

In hindsight it was the worst decision of your life, Dangler said.

Yes, she replied.

Martens told the court about how she was awoken early the next morning by Kelley standing over her and then hitting her with an iron. She said Kelley continued to attack her as she ran out of the bedroom and across the hall to Victorias room. The plan? Lock the door to the room, jump out the window and have Victoria jump down into her arms.

But Victoria wasnt there. She was already dead.

Closing statements

Before a lunch break, the defense rested its case.

In closing statements, prosecutor Greer Staley said point blank: We are not here to determine who murdered Victoria.

The bottom line is either the defendant knew Jessica was dangerous or he knew something might happen after he made threats and he left her in that apartment, Staley said. You do not have to agree on who killed her. Its either Jessica or John Doe, either of them. It doesnt matter.

She said that before Gonzales came along the familys situation was pretty normal with emergency contacts and drawings on display and food in the fridge. Then, she said, Gonzales and Martens meet, he moves in and Victoria started to look disheveled, tired and hung over.

This was Victorias 10th birthday, Staley said. She didnt get a present that day. She didnt get dinner. No one sang happy birthday to her. And none of that happened because she was dead by 8:48. The defendant knew about it, Michelle knew about it and the defendant is a cause for that.

However Stephen Aarons, another one of Gonzales defense attorneys, said in closings that even after the prosecution found out that Gonzales and Martens were not in the apartment when Victoria was killed, they still decided to prosecute him for something.

He contends that Kelley alone was guilty, and he fears that the emotion all of us feel about what happened to Victoria can overwhelm our common sense, our reason.

In part because they demonized him first. I mean, he was this horrible murderer who had done all these things, Aarons said. Now, the prosecutor said in her opening remarks, you are not here to decide who murdered Victoria. Why? Well, they made a plea agreement with Jessica, they dropped her murder charge to get her to testify about Fabian.

Both Aarons and Staley referenced DNA evidence  much had been cleaned off Victorias body and was too small to determine more than whether it was from a male or female  to prove whether or not he was guilty of tampering with evidence. The tampering charges stem from the dismemberment of Victorias body and attempts to conceal the crime.

Aarons said there was no way Gonzales could have known that by letting his cousin stay with them, things would have ended up the way they did.

We knew she was just out of prison, so you might think she might be dishonest, slip into her old ways. Maybe there is violence if you confront her about what she was doing, Aarons said. But what is not foreseeable is murder or dismembering limbs or removing organs or getting attacked with an iron or burning Victorias body or being blamed by Jessica. Those things were not at all foreseeable.
Building a strong regional economy takes time, multiple entities coming together in a way that combats siloing and duplication, and a focus on solving systemic issues.

Danielle Casey, who is nearing two years leading the organization, urged leaders of industry, educational institutions and government agencies to work together to build the regions economy in a presentation at the Economic Forum of Albuquerque on Wednesday at the Embassy Suites.

Its got to be all of us, Casey said. Weve got to work with the state; weve got to work with local governments in a very meaningful way.  Weve been working with UNM and CNM very, very directly doing some extremely creative things. I do believe that they have an uncanny ability to really transform and impact our economy.

NM by comparison

Despite AREAs success in attracting expanding companies into the region, there is still quite a bit of room for improvement, Casey said. New Mexico tends to trend behind other similarly-sized markets.

Job recovery in the region over the past two years stood at about negative 1.8% compared to positive trends from regions such as Dallas, Texas, and Boise, Idaho,  both of which had job recovery levels that stood above 6%, according to Casey.

Some of that may be due to the Albuquerque regions comparatively slight population growth. The region saw an increase of roughly 17,000 people from 2016 to 2022. Meanwhile, places like Boise grew by nearly 100,000 residents over that same time period and Phoenix grew by nearly half a million.

Add to that the states unemployment rate and labor force participation rate  which measures the number of working-aged people who are actively working or looking for work  and New Mexico is trending in all the wrong directions, Casey said.

Casey said for the region to get a better sense of how to grow those numbers, comparisons should be made to other markets.

We have to stop measuring ourselves against ourselves, she said. We have to continue and be very intentional about measuring ourselves against our competitors.

Celebrating wins

Casey presented some numbers that explain the organizations success in making the Albuquerque region  which covers Sandoval, Valencia, Torrance and Bernalillo counties  a place for prospective businesses a good fit.

Those numbers include a handful of project announcements this year that are contributing to 1,845 jobs and $2.6 billion in capital investment in the region, Casey said, as well as about $1.6 billion of new and annually recurring economic activity.

One of those projects is from an investment group that includes Louisville-based Manna Capital Partners and Colorado-based Ball Corp. for an aluminum manufacturing facility that is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to Los Lunas and have an economic impact of $3.4 billion over the next decade. Other projects AREA has been involved in over the past year include the expansion of Alstate Steel, Universal Hydrogen, BlueHalo and bioscience manufacturer Curia.

Forty-two companies have visited the region in the last year, and most of those companies  86% of them to be exact  have expressed a need for expansion in both employees and square footage.

About 65% of AREAs prospective companies are looking to expand on the manufacturing end.

But Casey called that a challenge for the region, with the lack of space available for manufacturers. She said the organization is working on that issue with partners. However, she called these types of jobs for New Mexicans a positive.

That is going to result in a better life and better quality of labor for folks in the community, she said.

How does this get fixed?

Casey said that private and public sectors need to work in tandem to create an environment that is inviting and sustainable for businesses expanding into the region.

In the case of AREA, formerly known as Albuquerque Economic Development, the organization has taken steps to create a more encompassing view as to what the regions needs are.

The organization has created advisory councils that span across public and private sectors, with specific focuses on areas that include leaders from the tech and innovation and public-facing economic development industries.

The region needs to build a capable workforce and adequately fund economic development to keep the region trending up, Casey said. And, to be more well-rounded, entities need to come together to create a more robust site-ready program for businesses looking to expand into the area.

If were not all working together and thinking about how were going to advance the region, then were missing the boat in a really, really big way, Casey said.  Were going to be unapologetically honest about our current economic rankings, and were not going to accept it.
After nearly six years of closed-door research and development, Albuquerque-based X-Bow Systems publicly debuted ground-breaking rocket-motor technology this year that could shake up the space-launch industry.

X-Bow (pronounced crossbow), which originally formed in 2016, burst out of stealth mode last April, unveiling a newly developed family of suborbital and orbital launch vehicles, along with a new, potentially revolutionary, automated process for making solid-state propellant for rocket motors. That additive-manufacturing process may represent the biggest technological leap in solid-fuel rocket-motors in 50 years, possibly allowing radical reduction in costs for vehicle launches and greater flight frequency.

Our solid rocket motor manufacturing process is an emerging disrupter for the aerospace industry, X-Bow founder and CEO Jason Hundley told the Journal. Its a new, patent-pending energetics technology.

X-Bows proprietary procedure for additive manufacturing of solid propellants, or AMSP, marks the first time a company has successfully applied 3D printing to solid-state fuel for rocket motors. Other manufacturers do use 3D printing for the motors themselves, but only a couple of commercial companies currently make solid-state rocket-motor fuel, and they use a decades-old, time-consuming process that normally lasts six to eight weeks before delivery to customers, Hundley said.

The traditional fuel-making procedure begins with a slow mixing of chemicals, which can take up to five days. After that, the mixture is poured into a giant steel casting pit, where it remains for 10-15 days for the ingredients to slowly harden.

Then, when the solid-state fuel is ready for removal, it gets put through intensive post-inspection. And only after that is the propellant finally shipped onto the last stage of manufacturing, whereby the fuel gets integrated into the rocket motor assembly process itself.

In contrast, X-Bows additive manufacturing compresses the entire mixing-and-curing procedure into a three-day process, with all the automated technology installed inside compact shipping containers that X-Bow calls a Rocket Factory in a Box. In addition, the company has developed proprietary rocket motors that are designed to be integrated with the fuel through a simple, snap-in procedure using cartridges the encapsulate the propellant.

Its a cartridge-based approach, Hundley said. We put the energetics (propellant) in the bottom of the rocket motor and screw in the nozzle on the back.

The overall, end result is a far simpler, more-efficient process that significantly lowers the manufacturing footprint, immensely speeding the timeline and reducing the costs for making both the solid-state propellant and the fully-assembled rocket motors themselves.

We can produce about 700 pounds of grain (propellant) in about four hours, with one-to-two days for curing before its dispensed out of the system, Hundley said. That means we can make between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds of energetics in a week.

X-Bow hadnt considered creating new propellant-making technology when it originally launched six years ago. Rather, Hundley and a group of veteran aerospace industry colleagues founded the company to build a new family of launch vehicles that X-Bow originally developed in cooperation with Sandia National Laboratories and the Air Force Research Laboratory at Kirtland Air Force Base.

That new vehicle, dubbed the Bolt Rocket, is designed for flexible construction to accommodate different sizes and capabilities for suborbital and orbital launches, with corresponding alterations in rocker-motor configuration depending on the mission, Hundley said.

We can go from junior size all the way to super high-end vehicles, Hundley said. Its a family of vehicles with a common front-end chassis and rocket motor foundation.

X-Bow originally expected to use commercial suppliers for its solid-state rocket-motor propellant. But the procurement process turned out so slow and costly, the company decided to create its own fuel-making technology.

And that, together with its Bolt Rocket and proprietary rocket motor design, has substantially broadened X-Bows commercial opportunities beyond its original focus on launch services for government and private-sector clients. Space payload flights for customers remain central to X-Bows business offerings, but its proprietary solid-state rocket motors can be adapted for other uses such as missiles, including emerging hypersonic technology.

Well do space launches as a service, but we can also tune the factory design to provide rocket motors for other applications, Hundley said. Every tactical missile, for example, has a solid rocket motor.

It could also become a commercial supplier of rocket-motor propellant, working with clients to adapt the particular fuel mixtures needed for other rocket-motor designs. And, given its hyper-fast propellant-production process  plus its varying mission-specific rocket and motor designs  the company could offer some of the fastest project turn-around times in the aerospace industry.

Weve developed almost a just-in-time capability for suborbital and orbital systems, Hundley said.

Thanks to its breakthrough technology, the company has already developed a formidable customer base in both government and commercial sectors, despite only just emerging from stealth mode. It earned about $7 million in revenue in 2021, and projects between $15 million and $20 million this year.

It also closed on a $27 million round of private equity in April with institutional and corporate venture funds, including Lockheed Martin Ventures.

The company was originally based in Huntsville, Alabama, although its maintained a substantial presence in New Mexico since launching.

In 2019, however, X-Bow moved its corporate headquarters and all its central operations to Albuquerque. It now leases a 5,000-square-foot facility in Uptown, and its established a manufacturing research-and-development complex in Socorro at the New Mexico Institute for Mining and Technologys Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center.

It currently employs about 70 people, more than half of them in New Mexico, with projected growth to 100 this year, depending on public and commercial contracts now under negotiation.

And it maintains close links with many local businesses and public entities here. Its contracted directly, for example, with two New Mexico-based engineering firms to provide products and services.

Weve had multiple New Mexico businesses involved with our operations, and we intend to keep them involved in future missions, Hundley said.

In fact, Central New Mexico Community College has a vested interest in X-Bow through CNM Ingenuity, which manages all of CNMs commercial endeavors. The Ingenuity Venture Fund and the ABQid business accelerator investment fund  which is also run by CNM Ingenuity  jointly contributed to a $2.4 million seed round of investment in X-Bow three years ago, said T.J. Cook, who manages both funds.

X-Bow has really created a paradigm shift in the world of propellants, Cook told the Journal. The company has developed platform technology for not only rocket launches, but many other applications. It now has many business inroads in place to excel in the market.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A lawsuit filed Friday accuses the state Corrections Department of violating the law by failing to release records on its decision to hire a private company to photocopy prison mail and deliver copies  rather than the actual letters  to inmates.

Independent state Sen. Jacob Candelaria of Albuquerque filed the lawsuit in his capacity as an attorney working with inmates and families who believe the new policy violates their rights.

But Fridays suit centers on allegations that the state failed to turn over public records, not the merits of the mail policy itself.

Corrections leaders say the mail screening, which started this year, is intended to curtail the flow of illegal drugs into the prison amid an increase in inmate overdoses.

Legislators, in turn, have questioned whether its made any difference in prison safety, while disrupting communication between inmates and the outside world.

Candelaria said its in the publics interest to see documents explaining why the state opted to hire Securus, a private firm, to screen inmate mail. He filed a records request in January and received no response, according to his lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, the new policy not only keeps inmates from receiving the original letters sent to them, but also prohibits altogether magazines and similar publications.

Weve been retained by several inmates and their families to investigate potential First Amendment violation claims against the Corrections Department, Candelaria told the Journal. Unfortunately, those efforts have been frustrated by the departments absolute unwillingness to turn over these public records.

The lawsuit was filed in state District Court on Friday and obtained by the Journal at the end of the day.

The Journal late Friday was not immediately able to reach the Corrections Department for comment.

Corrections officials defended the screenings in a legislative hearing earlier this week, describing it as a necessary step to curtail the flow of drugs into the prison system.

They said inmates had been receiving letters soaked in synthetic cannabis, fentanyl or other narcotics, then burning the material and inhaling the fumes.

A health care administrator for the Corrections Department described the policy as a critical way to safeguard the health of inmates and halt an increase in drug overdoses.

Analysts working for the Legislative Finance Committee say the new policy doesnt appear to have had an immediate impact on the drug positivity rate of inmates who are randomly tested.

Corrections officials contend the test positivity rate isnt a meaningful way to measure the policys effect and that theyve seen a drop in medical incidents related to drug use since the policy went into effect.

In Fridays lawsuit, Candelaria alleges the Corrections Department violated the state Inspection of Public Records Act by not responding to his Jan. 5 requests for public records. He is seeking state contracts and agreements with Securus or any other private company hired to process inmate mail and correspondence concerning the development of the new policy.

The lawsuit seeks damages of $100 a day for violating the public records law  a total that would exceed $18,000 so far.

The mail screenings began earlier this year, sparking opposition from inmates and their families, who say it has slowed and disrupted the flow of mail to inmates.

Under the screening system, people who want to mail a letter to a New Mexico inmate must now send it to an address in Florida, where the material is copied and then mailed back to the state prison system, according to state officials.

The change also restricts what kind of mail inmates may receive. Greeting cards, for example, are no longer accepted, according to legislative records.

Candelarias lawsuit describes the policy as draconian and constitutionally offensive.
JERUSALEM, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A large fire started near a military base Saturday and was raging near the central Israeli city of Modiin, the country's fire and rescue services said.

The military base of the Israeli Defense Forces, named Mitkan Adam, is located about 11 kilometers north of Modiin.

Strong winds were spreading the fire toward the nearby Neot Kedumim nature reserve, said the services, adding that 21 firefighting teams have been sent to battle the blaze, along with four airplanes and a helicopter.

The firefighting teams are reportedly facing problems with accessing the site of the fire due to strong winds, and most of their efforts were put into preventing the blaze from reaching the park, which houses the Biblical Landscape Reserve, noted the services.

The cause of the fire was unclear yet.

Firefighters said there was currently no danger to property and no reports of casualties.

Israel has witnessed a heatwave over the past week. The Health Ministry issued on Wednesday a heat wave warning as temperatures spiked, calling on the public to avoid exposure to the sun and physical exertion as much as possible. 
Some of my earliest memories involve me, usually book in hand, standing with my mom in the long line that seemed a perennial future of the Nob Hill location of Flying Star (then Double Rainbow) in the early 00s.

If I wasnt there, then I was spending time playing on the shop floor of my grandparents now-closed sewing machine business or wandering through the aisles of Beeps.

Whether I realized it or not, local businesses shaped who I am, with most of my fondest memories revolving around many of the wonderful stores and restaurants that call Albuquerque home.

And for the last three years, my life has revolved around these establishments even more.

Just weeks prior to the start of the pandemic in 2020 I accepted a full-time position covering Albuquerques retail and real estate scene. Initially, I expected that much of my job would revolve around the positive, like covering new restaurants and local shops. But my beat quickly changed. Business openings stopped and consumerism as we knew it disappeared.

It took two years before my beat largely returned to its pre-pandemic functions.

My time as the Albuquerque Journals retail reporter only deepened my appreciation for the unique place small businesses hold in our communities. During my tenure Ive spoken with starry-eyed new business owners who have dreamed for years of opening up their own restaurant, with industry veterans looking to expand in new directions, and with proprietors who seemed to have the opportunity to run their own store fall into their laps.

Throughout it all, Ive seen the passion and diversity that these owners bring to our community  something that separates us from so many other cities.

Ive been thinking a lot about Albuquerque and all of the small pieces of this city that make it so special as I prepare to leave my career as a journalist at the Albuquerque Journal and move out of state to attend law school. As I prepare to leave the Journal and move out of Albuquerque for the foreseeable future, I wanted to share some of the places Ive come to love the most. (Disclaimer: As a life-long resident of Albuquerque who has only lived south of Central there is an obvious bias towards business along or near the Central corridor.)

Gravity Bound Brewing Co.

816 Third NW

When asked what Albuquerque does best, I almost always default to a trio of answers: beer, coffee and chile.

Sure, large city counterparts like Portland and Denver tend to place at the top of national lists of breweries, but in all honesty, even those nationally renowned locales barely match up to Albuquerques incredible selection of breweries and beers.

And at the top of the list, for me, is Gravity Bound Brewing Co.

Owned by Cameron and Chris Frigon, recent Colorado transplants, Gravity Bound quickly managed to cement itself in Albuquerques beer scene as one of the most interesting breweries in town  and within two years of opening.

Housed in a converted car repair shop in Downtown Albuquerque, the brewery menu features usual options like pilsners, lagers and IPAs. But where it excels is in its selection of sours and goses infused with ingredients like fruit, vanilla or even cocoa nibs.

Through collaborations with other local businesses like Slow Burn Coffee Roasters or Ex Novo Brewing Co., the brewery regularly serves up options like its layer cake series of beers: think sour beers made with coffee and brewed with fruit and vanilla beans (trust me, it somehow works).

Gravity Bound Brewing is open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Burque Bakehouse

640 Broadway SE

Im not an early riser by nature. Despite that, I spent half of my 20s working weekend mornings.

Both those things made the off-chance of me tracking down a croissant from The Burque Bakehouse pretty difficult for several years.

During that time, my encounters with the bakery came from living vicariously through Instagram posts of friends grabbing a sweet treat from the Railyards Market on Sundays or my own bi-annual visits to the market.

Luckily I no longer work weekend mornings, and even more luckily, Burque Bakehouse, like many other businesses in the last few years, has since graduated from its origins as a pop-up stand on weekends to a fully fledged storefront.

The walk-up bakery in the South Broadway neighborhood sells a selection of breads, sweet and savory croissant-based pastries, and other decadent treats like the hard to find cannele.

While The Burque Bakehouse often has a line wrapped around the building on weekends, it thankfully moves quickly, making access to these once out-of-reach croissants that much easier.

The Burque Bakehouse is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Zendo

413 Second SW

When Zendo opened nearly a decade ago in Downtown, it was among the first of the trendy coffee shops to make its way to Albuquerque.

And while many new coffee shops of similar ilk have proliferated across the city in the time since, Zendo has remained my go-to spot for studying, or for spending a quiet morning by myself.

During my first visit to Zendo as a high school student, I quickly found myself enamoured by the bright, semi-industrial space and the beautiful drinks each topped with unique latte art.

Its not just the superb coffee (re: the Turkish or Zia lattes) or unbeatable matcha latte that keeps me coming back, but the ever-kind baristas who are quick to make recommendations and wall art by local artists for sale.

My love for Zendo, much like my love for all of these spots, has a nostalgic bent to it: Its where I went to write college and law school admissions essays, where I formatted resumes and where I anxiously typed out essays for college class finals. Luckily, these reminders of stress dont overwhelm my fondness for Zendo.

Zendo is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

Coda Bakery

230 Louisiana SE

For more than a decade the International Districts Coda Bakery has earned a well-deserved following for its affordable and authentic Vietnamese eats.

Im not alone in my devotion to Coda Bakery.

Much like its home neighborhood, the clientele of Coda Bakery (formerly known as Banh Mi Coda) is similarly diverse. At any time during lunch hours, the small, sparsely decorated lobby is filled with men in suits, servicemen from down the street at Kirtland Airforce Base, or families all gathered with one goal in mind: fast and reliably delicious sandwiches, noodle bowls and spring rolls.

Coda Bakery is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Colleagues who knew Bernalillo County Undersheriff Larry Koren described him as a loving family man and the best friend a person could have, in addition to being extremely intelligent, hardworking, resourceful, trustworthy, loyal, driven, humble and funny.

Several people took to the podium Friday during a memorial service at the University of New Mexicos Pit for Koren, who died in the line of duty in a helicopter crash on July 16. Also killed in that accident were Lt. Fred Beers III, Rescue Specialist Matthew King and Deputy Michael Levison.

A memorial service was held for Beers on Wednesday; a service will be held for King on Aug. 1, and for Levison on Aug. 3. All were part of an air support unit and helicopter crew that was helping fight a fire in northern New Mexico when the crash occurred.

The area behind the podium was filled with multiple arrangements of colorful flowers and photos of Koren, 55. The memorial began with the playing of bagpipes as a color guard from various law enforcement agencies filed in, accompanying an urn with Korens cremains.

Images of Koren, his wife Maria, and their sons Justice and Carson, rotated on large monitors mounted high on the arenas walls. There were also images of Koren with airplanes, flying helicopters, riding a motorcycle and interacting with fellow officers.

The memorial concluded outside with a rifle volley salute, a helicopter fly-over, a riderless horse formation and the sounding of Taps.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales told those assembled that he first met Koren at the training Academy when Koren entered as a cadet more than 23 years ago. In addition to having a number of college degrees, Koren, he said, also had a fixed wing pilots license and an aptitude for all things mechanical.

Gonzales related a story about Korens days at the Academy that demonstrated his resourcefulness and kindness.

He was very good with his hands and always willing to help somebody. He learned that one of his classmates had bought a Maglite, but couldnt afford the charger. Larry didnt have to be asked, he went home and made him a charger. And, to this day, that deputy keeps the charger on his desk, Gonzales said.

In addition to being resourceful, Koren was also determined, he said. When obstacles prevented him from completing a project hed set his mind on, he was going to find a way to go around you, above you, under you or through you  but he was going to find a way.

Over the years, Koren served in a number of capacities in the Sheriffs Office, including field deputy, crisis negotiator, training officer, tactical flight officer, aircraft mechanic and helicopter rescue pilot.

Eventually, he became a supervisor, and, ultimately, second in command in the Sheriffs Office  really my right-hand man, Gonzales said.

Jason Williams, a paramedic with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, worked with Koren for a number of years. The two became close friends and developed a program to bolster helicopter rescue capabilities, particularly mountain rescue helicopter techniques. They brought this knowledge to more than 150 professionals, who, in turn took this cutting-edge knowledge and introduced it into their own rescue agencies, Williams said.

This past week, Ive been contacted by prior students from all over the United States, and from all over the world, expressing their sadness and disbelief. These individuals werent just expressing generalized sorrow. They were mentioning Larry by name.

The large crowd in attendance at The Pit also felt moved to pay their respects, whether they knew Koren personally or not.

Kathy Duffy, operations director at the State Treasurers Office, met Koren when she was a marketing director at Alti Mira Family Services. We had a kite fest every year and our theme was everyone deserves a chance to fly,  she recalled. We invited the Sheriffs Office to come with their helicopter. Koren, she said, was a pleasure to work with, very kind and great with the kids. When I called to say thank you, he said, Kathy, I can assure you the pleasure is all mine  watching the children and their faces was all worth it. You could tell he just loved what he did.

David Balderamma had a special reason for coming.

My son-in-law would have been the EMT taking that tour for that mission, but he was on vacation, so Matthew King took that position for that day, he said. My son-in-law knows all these people real well because he worked with them. I just wanted to come and pay my respects.

Koren was born in Virginia and has lived in New Mexico since 1970. He graduated from Highland High School and attended a local community college, where he met Maria. They married in 1999.

Koren subsequently earned associate degrees from Eastern New Mexico University and Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute (now CNM), a bachelors degree in criminal justice from UNM, and a master of criminal justice degree from New Mexico State University. He also graduated from Northwestern Universitys School of Police Staff and Command.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Interstate 40 drivers  the ones who are good spellers, anyway  likely did a double take recently while passing one road sign at the Sedillo Hill exit.

It aimed motorists toward Albuqueque  the citys name was spelled without the R.

Kimberly Gallegos, District 3 public information officer for the Department of Transportation, said the agency fielded calls and emails from people pointing out the typo in the days following the signs installation.

Her immediate reaction: alert someone to get it fixed as soon as possible.

I honestly think its funny, Gallegos said, but it was just an honest mistake.

The signs since been replaced, but not before photos of the Albuqueque quickly surfaced online, with many people poking fun at the misspelling.

Albuquerques long history, of course, ebbs and flows with Rs.

The citys original name included an extra R, according to the citys website. When Spanish colonists first established the city at the banks of the Rio Grande in 1706, the governor chose a name that would honor the Spanish Duke of Alburquerque, a former royal title.

The title originated in reference to a small Spanish town named Alburquerque, which is located to this day in the province of Badajoz.

Over the centuries, the first r was dropped, the website says, leaving Albuquerque spelled as it is today.

Unless youre a certain signmaker for the DOT.
Albuquerque police say one person was killed and four others were wounded when gunfire erupted on the West Side around midnight Friday.

Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, said homicide detectives are investigating the shooting, which occurred at 4303 Estancia NW, near Atrisco and Milne. He said officers were dispatched to the area just before midnight.

Upon arrival officers learned multiple individuals were shot and had been transported to the hospital for their injuries, Gallegos said. One of the victims, Tristan Maes, 19, was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Four other shooting victims showed up at different hospitals around the city.

Gallegos gave no other details.

He said detectives are asking for any witnesses to submit possible video of the shooting to this link.

Anyone with information about the party and the shooting can also call 505-242-COPS (2677).
Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a central conference on the united front work in Beijing, capital of China. The conference was held from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping has stressed promoting the unity and hard work of Chinese people at home and abroad to pool strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a central conference on the united front work held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing.

Xi emphasized following the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and upholding the CPC leadership and the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi underscored holding high the banner of patriotism and socialism, balancing commonality and diversity, concentrating on the central task, serving the overall interests of the country, keeping pace with the times, and innovating on the basis of what has worked in the past.

He also emphasized giving full play to the united front's political role in rallying the people's support and pooling their strength to promote harmony in relations among political parties, ethnic groups, religious sectors, social strata, and compatriots at home and abroad.

Li Keqiang presided over the conference, which was also attended by Li Zhanshu, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. Wang Yang delivered concluding remarks.

The united front is an important component of the Party's general line and policy, said Xi, noting that the CPC has made historic achievements in the united front work since the 18th CPC National Congress.

We have formed the thought on the Party's united front work in the new era through practice. It serves as the fundamental guideline for the united front work in the new era and must be fully and faithfully applied by the whole Party, Xi stressed.

As an important way to unite Chinese people at home and abroad to achieve national rejuvenation, the united front must be upheld on a long-term basis, he said.

Xi pointed out that the essential requirement of the united front work is to achieve great unity and solidarity, and the key lies in seeking common ground while shelving differences and seeking commonality while respecting diversity.

Xi also underscored the importance of ensuring the Party's overall leadership over the united front work.

Noting that profound changes unseen in a century are evolving rapidly across the world, Xi said the united front is playing an increasingly important role in safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security, and development interests.

It is also playing a more important role in serving the overall interests in efforts to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects, and in strengthening the Party's class foundation and expanding its mass base, he added.

Xi stressed efforts to truly unite all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation from different political parties, ethnic groups, social strata and groups, as well as those with different beliefs and living in different social systems.

The relationship between unity and struggle in the united front work must be properly handled, so as to reach a real, impregnable unity, Xi said.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee has always been attaching great importance to the united front work from an overall and strategic perspective.

Xi called for upholding and improving the system of the CPC-led multiparty cooperation and political consultation, uniting non-CPC intellectuals and people of new social groups, facilitating the healthy growth of the non-public sector and encouraging those working in this sector to achieve success.

He also called for fostering overseas patriotic elements and enhancing cyberspace united front work.

The fundamental requirement in strengthening the united front work in the new era is to uphold the Party's leadership, Xi said, calling on all relevant authorities and departments to form a strong synergy.

He also asked personnel in this regard to improve their capacity for political judgment, thinking, and implementation and carry out the united front work with better methods.

Presiding over the conference, Li Keqiang called for efforts to earnestly study Xi's important speech, and think and act in line with its guiding principles. Li also called for completing various tasks based on actual conditions.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Wang Yang called for full and faithful understanding of Xi's important thought on the Party's united front work in the new era. Wang urged concerted efforts to serve the Party's central task in the new era and write a new chapter in the cause of the united front. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a central conference on the united front work in Beijing, capital of China. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attended the conference, which was held from Friday to Saturday. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)
Adobe announced the general availability of Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) as a Cloud Service, powered by Adobe Experience Cloud, in India. A cloud-native solution, AEM helps businesses manage and scale customised digital content for every channel with SaaS-like agility and experience management capabilities that give marketers and developers the flexibility to quickly build powerful, personalised digital experiences in just a few weeks, not months as is industry standard today.

As more interactions become digital-first, if not digital only, businesses are having to create personalized content that is tailored for multiple customers individual needs across touchpoints in real-time. At the same time, businesses are having to manage large volumes of content and digital assets across disparate teams and geographies. Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service is a purpose-built application for experience management that integrates scalable, secure and agile content management (CMS), digital asset management (DAM), digital signage management and customer communication (CCM) applications. Other key benefits of Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service include:

Always current: New experience management capabilities are seamlessly validated and made accessible to an organisations teams instantly, so business can focus on innovating instead of planning for version upgrades

Modular, scalable and global : An architecture designed to auto-scale within seconds helps businesses maintain high performance globally and scale per customer demand.

Secure by default: Enterprise-gradient security with industry recognised standards ensure all data and content stays private and protected for businesses.

Vyshak Venugopalan, Director - Solution Consulting, Adobe India said, As the events of past two years accelerated the shift to digital, businesses in India are looking to make the digital economy personal. They want more agility, simplicity and flexibility to digitally transform the customer experience. I'm thrilled about the announcement of Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service in India as it will allow businesses to enjoy these benefits so they can expand the types of personalized experiences they provide to customers."

Praveen Shrikhande, Chief Digital and Information Officer, ABFRL said, We are pleased to see the results of early adoption of Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service. It has boosted our ability to create, manage and deliver digital assets and experiences much faster, across our brands.

Aditee Rele, Director  ISV, Global Partner Solutions, Microsoft India said, Adobe and Microsoft have been longstanding partners, and were excited at the opportunity of delivering joint success to our customers in India with the Adobe Experience Manager as a Cloud Service. Delivering application, infrastructure and data modernization journeys across verticals is our top priority and this partnership will allow both Adobe and Microsoft to deliver consistent experiences and accelerate innovation for our customers.
Authored by Anindita Gupta, Co-Founder, Scenic Communication

Animation brands have seen a considerable increase in the last three years. Animation is booming as a result of technological advancements and improved internet access. Through amusement and ingenuity, animated films and cartoons capture the interest of children of all ages. Animation is not only a terrific way to tell a story and interact with an audience, but it is also full of unlimited possibilities. People of all ages prefer animation since OTT sites such as Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, and Amazon Prime Video cater to adults with animated material. People want to make a career in animation by mastering VFX and 3D animation and building a name for themselves. The Indian animation business is estimated to reach INR 180 billion by 2024, growing at a 29 percent annual rate. Animated content appeals to a wide range of age groups. Because of the shift in purchasing patterns, the industry has grown at an exponential rate. The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) undertook a study of the Indian visual effects and animation business. It was predicted that this industry may potentially take 20-30% of the global AVGC market. It currently accounts for only 10% of the market. This has boosted competition in the animation sector, and brands are seeking for new ways to reach a wider audience.

The goal of public relations (PR) in animation brands is to raise brand recognition in order to pique the audience's interest and establish thought leadership in the industry. Public relations firms are branding and communication specialists who understand how to make brands newsworthy and relevant to today's audiences. They also provide crisis management planning and response services to help brands ensure that their message is not lost in translation. Animation Brands can employ tried-and-true public relations (PR) tactics and activities to foster positive attitudes and behaviours about their company, which will help convert interested consumers into customers. Public relations tactics are very cost-effective and often allow brands more control than more broadly targeted advertising efforts. Consider using these public relations tools to help a brand's reputation.

To keep them ahead, PR can benefit the animation industry in the following ways:

Builds Brand awareness

Public relations (PR) are great for maintaining an image that will increase your audience reach. To keep ahead of the competition, animation brands can employ public relations strategies to raise brand awareness and assist them gain recognition. Any company or brand. They are capable of successfully using public relations tactics that may effectively build an image and brand recognition. Public relations will help to increase brand awareness, reach, and consumer loyalty.

Educating about Brand/industry

The animation industry is still relatively unknown, and many people believe it is primarily concerned with cartoons. However, with the advancement of technology and the internet, people are increasingly favouring animation. To keep the momentum rolling, public relations must spend in public relations. Public relations tools like blogs, newsletters, news feeds, social media posts, podcasts, and interviews can assist in educating the public about the animation. Through public relations, brands may also inform people about how to create a career in animation and educate those who are interested in the profession.

Better Exposure and Engagement

Brand positioning and visibility can be achieved through public relations. The massive market makes it all possible; yet, one must comprehend the method for engaging the audience. Brands may use public relations to design campaigns that enhance engagement and awareness. PR techniques like press releases, social media platforms, and SEO can assist animation brands in reaching their target audience, resulting in increased brand exposure and engagement.

Permanence

Animation brands require longevity because they want to reach a broader audience and make their brand popular. Effective public relations techniques allow them to target their target audience based on their target group's interests, increasing their reach. By establishing thought leadership in the industry, public relations may assist animation brands achieve long-term success.

To summarise, animation brands can utilise public relations in a variety of methods to achieve their objectives. It will help to improve exposure, awareness, and persistence with the aforementioned variables. If you want to generate interest in your business, you must raise spending in a profitable and friendly way.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) can register a landslide win on 362 LS seats out of a total of 543, if Lok Sabha elections are held now, a nationwide opinion poll by India TV-Matrize News Communication says. The results of the survey titled Desh Ki Awaaz (Voice of the Nation) were telecast on Indias No. 1 news channel India TV today (Friday July 29) from 4 pm onwards.



According to the survey, Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is projected to win only 97 LS seats if general elections are held now, with Others including small, regional parties and independents projected to win 84 seats. The survey says, NDA is projected to get 41 per cent votes, UPA may get 28 per cent and Others 31 per cent votes if elections are held now. The state-wise break-up given in the survey makes interesting reading. In the most populous state Uttar Pradesh, NDA may win a whopping 76 out of 80 LS seats, with UPA and others projected to win only two seats each. In Bihar, NDA may win 35 out of a total of 40 seats, and the UPA may win five seats.



In Maharashtra, NDA may win 37 out of a total 48 LS seats, while non-BJP opposition may win the remaining 11 seats.



The ruling DMK-led UPA in Tamil Nadu is projected to win 38 out of a total of 39 seats, leaving the lone remaining seat to NDA. In LDF-ruled Kerala, the non-BJP opposition can sweep all the 20 LS seats in the state.



In TMC-ruled West Bengal, Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress is projected to win 26 out of a total of 42 seats, with NDA projected to win 14 and UPA two.



Following is the state-wise break up given by the survey agency:

Gujarat: Total 26, NDA 26, UPA 0

Maharashtra: Total 48, NDA 37, UPA 11

Goa: Total 2, NDA 2

Rajasthan : Total 25, NDA 25

Madhya Pradesh: Total 29, NDA 28, UPA 1

Chhattisgarh: Total 11, NDA 10, UPA 1

West Bengal: Total 42, NDA 14, UPA 2, Others (TMC) 26

Bihar: Total 40, NDA 35, UPA 5

Jharkhand: Total 14, NDA 13, UPA 1

Odisha: Total 21, NDA 11, UPA 2, Others (includes BJD) 8

Himachal Pradesh: Total 4. NDA 4

Punjab: Total 13, NDA 3, UPA 3, Others (includes AAP) 7

Haryana: Total 10, NDA 9, UPA 1

Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh: Total 6, NDA 3, UPA 0, Others 3

Delhi: Total 7, NDA 7, UPA 0, Others 0

Uttar Pradesh: Total 80, NDA 76, UPA 2, Others 2

Uttarakhand: Total 5, NDA 5, UPA 0

Telangana: Total 17, NDA 6, UPA 2, Others (includes TRS) 9

Andhra: Total 25, NDA 0, UPA 0, Others (includes YSR Congress) 25

Karnataka: Total 28, NDA 23, UPA 4 Others 1

Tamil Nadu: Total 39, NDA 1, UPA(includes DMK) 38, Others 0

Kerala: Total 20, NDA 0, UPA 20, Others 0

Tripura: Total 2, NDA 2, UPA 0

Assam: Total 14, NDA 11, UPA 1, Others 2

NE states: Total 9, NDA 7, UPA 1, Others 1

Rest UTs: Total 6, NDA 4, UPA 2, Others 0



Asked about their first choice for Prime Minister, 48 per cent said they would want to see Narendra Modi again as PM. Modi was followed by Rahul Gandhi with 11 per cent, Mamata Banerjee 8 per cent, Sonia Gandhi 7 per cent, Mayawati 6 per cent, Sharad Pawar 6 per cent, Arvind Kejriwal 5 per cent, Nitish Kumar 4 per cent, K Chandrashekhar Rao 3 per cent and Priyanka Vadra with 2 per cent.



Asked who is the strongest political opponent of Modi, 23 per cent of respondents favoured Rahul Gandhi, while 19 per cent opted for Arvind Kejriwal 11 per cent favoured Mamata Banerjee and 8 per cent opted for Nitish Kumar and Sonia Gandhi.



The India TV-Matrize Opinion Poll Desh Ki Awaaz was conducted from July 11 to 24, in 136 out of 543 parliamentary constituencies of India with a sample size of 34,000 respondents, among whom 19,830 were males and 14,170 were females.
Keventers, is an iconic Indian Dairy brand with a legacy of 96 years best known for its Milkshakes & Icecreams. It is one of Indias few successful dessert brands, which over the years, has introduced unique and fun consumer-engaging marketing strategies that have ultimately positioned the brand as a favorite amongst the millennials and Gen Z. Following the success of The Bottle Design Campaign, which targeted the young design community in India, Keventers is back again with an all-new campaign named K.O.A.T i.e Keventers on a Thursday which targets Gen Z. The Pan India campaign starts from 28th July 2022 and includes the launch of KOAT music video which will be a visual treat for the audience alongside running fun offers where one can avail Classic Shakes @ Rs. 99 and Chocolate Shakes @ Rs. 129 every Thursday at Keventers.

The inspiration and the story behind the multifaceted campaign KOAT, and the launch of the fun KOAT music video, is truly unique. The brand has partnered with Kritagya Sharma,an upcoming Hip-Hop artist based in Delhi who originally composed the track Keventers On A Thursday, which he released on Spotify in 2021. He went on to perform it in underground rap clubs in the city, where a fan recorded and posted it online. The song was shared multiple times on social media and caught the attention of the team at Keventers, which created a perfect opportunity for the brand to highlight the artist and merge his creation successfully with the brand's creative plans, targeted towards bridging the gap with Gen Z.

The overarching theme of the campaign is based on creating the feeling of FOMO amongst the young consumer base. Through this campaign the brand also aims to promote creative ways to highlight budding talent in India and simultaneously engage the young customer base in a fun and quirky manner.

The 360 degree campaign includes various channels like Social Media, Ads, Radio, and offline/online marketing strategies, through which the brand aims to create a stronger connection with the target audience.

Commenting on the campaign, Aman Arora, Co-Founder, Director and CMO, Keventers says  As a brand, we value creativity, inclusivity and breaking barriers across all age groups Through our yearly campaigns, we aim to revolutionize the creative strategies at the brands front, and find interesting and collaborative ways to bridge the gap between our consumers and their expectations from the brand. In 2022 the brand's vision is to connect with the untapped talent across India, and find unique ways to give them a platform and highlight their talents, while also maintaining the authenticity of the brand.

In the past, the brand has successfully introduced various strategic creative moves to position itself as it is presently. Few of the earlier campaigns include The Bottle Design Contest where Keventers launched a nationwide design contest for their next bottle design. Targeted specifically to the design community including students, working professionals, and hobbyists, the contest provided a platform to the artists where they showcased their love for Keventers through their work. Donate Oxygen India where Keventers in association with Amba Dalmia Foundation Trust raised more than Rs. 1 Cr and assisted Delhi based hospitals with their efforts in providing critical care to COVID 19 patients, April Fools Day Campaign where Keventers launched a limited time period Bhang Flavored Milkshake, on the eve of the Holi long weekend; with a reveal on April Fools Day of how they had orchestrated a well-timed and aptly themed prank around a product that didn't really exist.

Through these successful campaigns,Keventers has successfully reinvented itself as a dessert brand that would appeal to the new generation.




Logicserve Digital, Indias largest independent integrated digital marketing and transformation company unveiled  LS Digital  its brand-new avatar to its customers and stakeholders. The company has retained the shape and fluidity of the logo while changing the name from Logicserve Digital to LS Digital.

This transformation into a dynamic entity with a renewed vision, to help brands enable and accelerate their digital marketing transformation to stay relevant to their ever changing, digitally-enabled consumers, will be building upon its existing media capabilities and help better serve the Indian market while setting the stage to becoming a leader in the global digital marketing landscape. Currently LS Digital is serving it clients in India and MEA markets.

The ever-evolving field of digital marketing has become a critical differentiating factor for service providers to enable brands and accelerate their journeys with well-established roadmaps. We firmly believe that the best-of-breed, founder-driven companies with huge expertise, potential and desire to change the Digital Marketing Transformation landscape need to come under one platform. We will call this platform  LS Digital . It retains the legacy of our brand with 2 letters (L and S) at the same time provides digital as a core proposition to our customer through merged entities across six areas: Media, Creative & Communication, CX, Data & Insights, Tools  Adtech & Martech and Tech Innovations, explained Prasad Shejale, Founder & CEO, LS Digital.

The rebranding of Logicserve Digital to LS Digital has been synced with two major developments:

 Private equity through Florintree Advisors

LS Digital has also raised private equity from Florintree Advisors, an alternative asset management firm known for funding startups such as ideaForge, Pharmeasy Wealthdesk, Freight Tiger and FreshMenu. The funds will be utilized to build existing capabilities while also considering the inorganic route for growth.

LS Digital and Florintree shared the desire to build a leading global company out of India. This is a very exciting space, so our focus is to invest in existing capabilities and even acquiring niche companies. It is a multi-stage deal with the commitment to infuse more funds as we move forward, said Mathew Cyriac, Chairman, Florintree Advisors.

 Addition of Langoor Digital to LS Digitals suite of Digital Marketing offerings

In keeping with its new vision to expand its global footprint, as a first step, LS Digital has onboarded digital first creative agency Langoor to strengthen its service offerings for CX, digital design, and Web 3.0. Langoor adds another layer to LS Digitals service offerings, allowing it to leverage their expertise in providing better customer experience.

LS Digital and Langoor share a very similar corporate vision to become an Indian global company. Coming together will enable us to achieve success on a much larger scale. Our core focus in on Digital Business growth for brands, through Media, Creative, Data & Insights and Technology while Langoor will focus majorly on the customer experience enabling growth for our clients.. Together, we will create transformative experiences for customers. said Prasad Shejale, Founder & CEO, LS Digital.

Langoor is a digital transformation agency that operates at the intersection of technology, creativity and data. They take care of a brand's 360-degree digital mandate with services that include transformation consulting, marketing automation, Web 3.0 technology & creativity, web / app design & development, communications & interactive design, e-commerce build, SEO, and social media marketing.

Digital marketing is in a constant state of change and innovation. Langoors DNA is about working out-of-the-box to deliver positive business outcomes. We are delighted to join LS Digital and look forward to scale new heights. said Venugopal Ganganna, Co-founder and CEO, Langoor and Girisha Gowda, Co-founder and COO, Langoor.

Langoor merging with LS Digital adds very strong service offerings under CX. Their path-breaking projects in the metaverse have enabled some of the big global brands to test waters in the metastore and Web 3.0, grabbing the first-mover advantage in their respective industries.
Mamaearth, the fastest growing FMCG brand from the House of Honasa, launched its Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBO) in Mumbai at Phoenix Market City, Kurla and Infiniti Mall, Malad. The toxin free personal care brand will be retailing all the product ranges babycare along with beauty and personal care.

Being a consumer centric brand, that evolves along with its consumers, Mamaearth started as a toxin-free brand with babycare but due to consumer demand ventured into toxin-free personal care products for adults. Keeping a close eye on the consumers, with the increasing consumer demand for product availability offline, the brand decided to venture into offline formats. Understanding that exclusive brand outlets are a great way to communicate about the brand and its expanse of its offering, Mamaearth launched its exclusive brand outlets. The EBOs serve as a platform to induct the consumer into the brand ideology and giving an in-depth brand experience.

The brand launched its first store in the capital city, they have launched 2 EBOs in Mumbai. The stores are present at two major locations of Mumbai: Infiniti Mall, Malad and Phoenix market city, Kurla with a spread of 380 sq feet and 197 sq feet area offering all 140+ SKUs of Mamaearth from skincare, haircare, personal care, and our new range of color care.

Commenting on the launch of the Exclusive Brand Outlet launch, Mr. Varun Alagh, CEO, Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. Said, Honasa Consumer is in the business of building brands and brands are built in the minds of the consumers. The mediums used to communicate with the consumers will continue to change and evolve. Being a digitally native company, digital platforms and technology are integral to our being, but the core objective is to stay connected with the consumer, and we need to follow the consumers journey. If the consumer wants to purchase you offline, you need to be present there. Understanding this need, we decided to venture into offline with Exclusive Brand Outlets and we truly wish that consumers show us the same love offline, as they did digitally.

Mamaearth is a purpose-led brand that strongly believes in the principle of Goodness Inside and is committed to furthering the goodness through its products and initiatives. Mamaearth believes that goodness starts with the small choices each of us make every day! The brand continues to live up to its belief by using only the best of nature and no toxins or harmful chemicals in their products. They are also animal cruelty-free, plastic positive, and have launched the Plant Goodness promise last year. As part of this, the brand links every order made on their website to a tree they plant and is set to plant 1 million+ trees by 2025.
Yes, folks, Joser the Joserian, the Destructor, AKA Joe Biden, appears ready to unleash his awesome power to screw things up once again. Not that this would be something new, but the scope of what may happen is significant. Joser seems ready to issue a Climate Emergency Declaration to save America from climate change.

What is a climate emergency? Since climate is weather averaged over 30 years or more, no one really knows.

Could it have something to do with the summertime heat wave stressing electrical grids in California and elsewhere? You might think so, but summertime heat waves are short-term weather phenomena. This is not climate gone wild. In other words, a heat wave does not a climate emergency make.

Has there been a sudden demand from the American people to do something about climate change? Considering that only 1% of American families see climate change as one of their biggest concerns, the answer is no.

Is this somehow tied to our European allies? Some of them believe so strongly in climate change that they have been closing coal-fired power stations for the past several years, just like the U.S., in order to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, these actions are reducing their electrical generating capacity to the point where they are endangering their ability to function as a modern society. Here is a speech by Europe's High Priestess of Climate Change, Greta Thunberg, which explains how she and other true believers feel about the subject.

The most sensible question is whether there has been some radical change in the Earth's atmospheric temperature in the past few months or years.

Based on the chart below showing the temperature change in the lower atmosphere via satellite, it is clear that the temperature has been slowly rising for the past 40 years. However, the temperatures in 2022 are very similar to temperatures in 2018. How is that an emergency?

Does it have something to do with the climate change model predictions from the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change  the IPCC?

In 2008, the IPCC created four Representative Concentration Pathways, or RCP scenarios, to model the Earth's climate out to 2100. Each scenario is based on the concentration of greenhouse gases assumed to be in the atmosphere over a specific time. RCP2.6 assumes that CO2 emissions start declining by 2020 and go to zero by 2100, a model that is now obsolete. RCP4.5 emissions top out in 2040 and then decline. RCP6.0 has emissions peak in 2080. RCP8.5, where emissions continue to rise until 2100, is considered the worst-case scenario. If we are heading for a climate apocalypse, we should be tracking along the RCP8.5 path by now.

However, if we look at global temperature predictions from 2005 and plot the current global atmospheric temperature, we see something curious. The current temperature is below all 138 model projections.

What conclusions can we draw from this? Either the IPCC has been lying to us for the past thirty-plus years or its modeling program overstates atmospheric warming from CO2.

Where is the scientific justification for a climate emergency? There isn't one because there is no crisis. In fact, in 2021, the IPCC admitted that the likelihood of RCP 8.5 happening is low.

So, what is Biden up to? A climate emergency is just an excuse to impose segments of the Green New Deal on the U.S. through executive orders. Supposedly, the point is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and increase reliance on renewable energy sources like wind and solar power. This would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide the U.S. emits into the atmosphere and make the progressive wing of the Democrat party happier.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Joe can affect climate policy only in the U.S. Note the chart below showing the distribution of carbon dioxide emissions by country. In 2019, the U.S. accounted for 16% of the worldwide emission of CO2. Meanwhile, China, India, and Russia together contributed 41%.

Of course, since China's and Russia's primary concern is dominating the world, and India's main concern is pulling itself out of poverty, they probably don't care about CO2 emissions. Ditto for the 19% of the rest of the world, mostly poorer third-world countries who want to improve their quality of life. So, despite all of the happy talk behind the Paris Climate Accords, it is debatable that roughly 60% of the world does not care about CO2 emissions. Either they know that the whole thing is a farce, or it is not an issue that matters to them.

So, while Joser the Joserian is happily wrecking our energy production and distribution systems, forcing the rebuilding of factories, homes, and other buildings to meet more stringent climate restrictions, and demanding we switch to electric vehicles, the rest of the world will go on its merry way, CO2 emissions be damned. They get dependable energy supplies, and we get wind and solar farms, which work when the wind blows, and there is bright sunshine, but not so well at other times.

Have you wondered why Joe Biden has been begging foreign dictators in Venezuela, Iran, and our former ally Saudi Arabia to pump more oil? He has been doing this even though the simple solution is to loosen restrictions and produce more oil in the United States.

The part no one seems to understand is that this whole sham is not about saving the Earth. Instead, it is about waging an economic jihad on U.S. fossil fuel industries, which are 8% of our nation's GDP. It is about using the U.S. government's power to disemploy and impoverish the roughly ten million people who work in the industry. This will weaken the economies of at least a dozen states, wreck an entire segment of our economy, and punish the Republican Party by depriving it of campaign contributions from the oil, gas, and coal companies and their workers.

While this happens, industries and unions friendly to Democrats, such as green energy, electric vehicle makers, the UAW, etc., prosper. Not to mention that Biden's pals in China will make out like bandits, since we will have to buy most of the windmills and solar panels from them.

Last I checked, Joe is neither king nor emperor. So if he is allowed to get away with this, what will stop him from declaring an emergency a week and ruling the U.S. by decree? The damage resulting from this sort of Machiavellian scheme could be severe.

If you want to read something a bit different, I have written a fictional account of the World War 1 Christmas Truce of 1914 called, unsurprisingly, Truce. The story is in e-book format and can be downloaded for free through the end of July at Smashwords. Just click on the link.

Image via Public Domain Pictures.
As if the freezing of the Freedom Convoy trucker's bank accounts wasn't a heinous enough breach of their freedoms, Canada's largest government-run agricultural lender, Farm Credit Canada, ordered a blacklist of customers who supported the convoy. Incredibly, according to Blacklock's Reporter, internal documents show that Farm Credit Canada, a crown corporation based in Regina, Saskatchewan, told its employees to secretly make records of customers who supported the Freedom Convoy. Customers didn't know they were being surveilled.

In revealed emails, Sophie Perreault, FCC's chief operating officer, told staff: "If you become aware of a customer's involvement report it immediately." She decreed that, if the staff should "become aware of potential customer involvement in blockades, occupations and other support of activity related to the 'Freedom Convoy,'" they must "submit a tip to the customer diligence centre."

Customer Diligence Centre? Sounds a bit Orwellian.

The email also noted that the customer's "name, stated involvement, date and any other pertinent details" should be included in the report, and added, "Please do not complete any investigative work yourself or communicate any information about FCC's approach to customers who voluntarily disclose their involvement."



Image: Data image by rawpixel; Farm Credit Canada logo in the public domain.

The emails reveal that FCC staff did indeed keep a list of its freedom-loving clients' names  even after the Dominion's Emergencies Act (EA) was revoked on February 23 after protesters had been cleared out of Ottawa.

Nothing to worry about here! Go on about your business, eh? The bacon is on the Coleman. Nice toque, by the way!

This, sadly, appears to be the future. Henceforth, it will not be surprising to learn that Bank of America is secretly making records of customers who donated to the Republican National Committee or that U.S. Bank is compiling a blacklist of customers who have purchased MyPillow products. Perhaps the Royal Bank of Canada will close the accounts of those who question the Transgender Movement, or the Toronto-Dominion Bank will turn in the names of any borrowers overheard making a disparaging remark about Justin Trudeau.

All of this proves the need for another Freedom Convoy, a much bigger one that refuses to be stopped, with Canadian and American truckers joining together to protest the rising tyranny in both of their formerly free nations.

As C.W. McCall might say, "Let them truckers roll, 10-4."